Astrantia Major

It's good to be adding to the sum total of pollinators through our little garden. And obviously having the garden gives me an almost infinite source of blips, given that life has been fairly quiet and sedentary this week.

Last night, we settled down to watch our new TV in time to see the exit poll, which pretty much accurately predicted the number of seats that Labour eventually won, although it was wrong on some of the other parties, and it was definitely wrong, at the level of seats predicted to go different ways in Scotland. It overestimated Tory success in Scotland, and underestimated, a little bit, how well Labour actually did.

Obviously many and various expert commentators have already made their assessments of this victory for Labour. It was hardly a surprise. The new government doesn't set the pulse raising. But it should be quiet and competent and not needlessly cruel as the last government has often been. And it won't be chaotic. Furthermore, they hopefully won't spend most of their time trying different methods of destroying one of the UK's great export industries, namely higher education. (I noticed on Saturday morning that a new science minister has already been appointed: Patrick Vallance. I spy the hand of Sue Gray). 

Anyway, one way or another we stayed up all night. We were on our own until about 2.30am (and I think we might both have closed our eyes at one point during that period), when N, A and H arrived to enjoy the moment. N had to leave before 6am as he was driving the watering buggy around Tain watering the carefully curated floral arrangements that brighten up the town. I think A and H left around 6.30am or 7.00am, by which time Mr A had fallen asleep on his chair. I lay down on the sofa and dozed for a while and then roused myself at about 8am to get some breakfast, sort myself out, and prepare myself for a work meeting at 10am. Mr A went to bed for a while, but I managed to push through the tiredness, although I am definitely ready for my bed now. There were a couple of excellent moments during the night, especially the departure of Greased Smug. Oh, and the demise of the lettuce.

Now I am ready for bed, not least because I'm off on a wee adventure overnight tomorrow and I need to be fresher than I am now.