Not quite 30...

...but close enough for it to be too hot to do much for part of the day. Fortunately the heat only lasted an hour or so, and then a refreshing southeasterly breeze appeared to cool everything down.

The start of the day was one of those 'head down, get on with it' jobs: to find the washing machine outlet pipe in the long grass of the new orchard, and then check that it is running freely. 

By the way, this is a completely different pipe from that which I normally battle, which comes from the kitchen sink, shower and bathroom basin. It was just as badly thought out by the DIY enthusiasts who put the plumbing in though.

I estimate that it is three years (which probably means it is actually five years) since I last checked the outlet pipe, so I ventured into the orchard with some trepidation and armfuls of useful equipment. 

Happily I marked its location when I first discovered it in 2017, so at least I knew exactly where to look. I eventually unearthed it (literally) beneath long grass, matted roots and soil.

It was partially blocked, and while water (which I ran through from the top) was getting through it wasn't exactly free-flowing. A bit of excavating resulted in a satisfying whoosh of dirt and grubby water, quickly followed by clean water. 

There followed some digging of a new trench and a lot of squelching as I cleared it of grass roots and mud. And Bob's your Uncle. Job done.

I should have had my shower after that task, not beforehand. I was liberally splattered with muck by the time I'd finished.

The rest of the day has been much more enjoyable: watering all over the place; planting out all of the beans (five varieties this year); and now I have begun the process to make the new/old Orkney Cheese.

The recipe is credited to F. Marian McNeill who - I'm ashamed to say - I hadn't heard of before. She was quite a woman...a fascinating life well spent.