Half and half

Summer came back for a little while today. Richard said he wanted to go surfing again this evening so I sent him shopping - as some kind of payback, while I did some washing, then we had lunch in the garden.

I found a few tomatoes and courgettes, broad beans and peas still growing, so picked those while the weather was still nice. It's all looking a bit of a mess now and I'm wondering where to start with the tidying up. It's temping to leave it until I want to start planting again in spring.

We took the dog for a walk after lunch and I didn't take my camera because I took tubs for collecting blackberries and elderberries, so it's a sunflower shot again. They've all just about had it now but the bees are still visiting them. This is Tess's sunflower and it's the biggest of the lot. It must be at least 10ft tall.

When we set off the car thermometer (which had been parked in the sun) read 30 degrees. I think it was nearer 24 which is still cracking for late September.

As the afternoon wore on it clouded over and began to feel more like Autumn again. I hope that wasn't the last (half) nice day of the year.