Bumper crop

Though I don't like tomatoes myself, I have in the past found them quite satisfying to grow. This year I didn't grow any myself (there seemed little point if I was going to be away for most of July and August) but did get one small plant at the school fair. In a wild night shortly after this (early June) it blew over and snapped just above soil level. I left it anyway (oh so lazy) and was surprised that it kept growing. When we came back home in the middle of August, it had even set fruit. And here is the overwhelming harvest. Clearly we'll be eating tomato sauce all winter.

Still, you have to admire nature's perseverance, so I will supplement this with a few shop bought tomatoes and make some chutney.

Lazy day today. Didn't even stir myself to buy the papers until 4pm. I think partly because of a facial deformity that is keeping me indoors. I have mentioned before (in the near-digit-amputation incident a few days ago - drama queen? me?) that I have a bad reaction to insect bites. It seems that while distracted on Friday night by booze and chat I was bitten by something small and French. So I now have a red swelling on my right cheek that looks like either I have been the victim of an unfortunate botox mix up, or that my right side is auditioning for the role of Dorothy.

These kind of bites on me have a cycle of about a week. We start with the itchy red swollen phase and move rapidly onto the (just beginning) itchy red swollen with suppurating blister phase. Delightful. By Thursday I should just about be in a fit state to rejoin society. Balaclava anyone?

Just to get a sense of proportion on it all, Mr B's dad is in hospital. He had an operation for bowel cancer some time ago, and was left with a large, painful hernia. That was due to be operated on this coming Monday, but was brought forward to last Thursday. We didn't know any of this until this morning, so Mr B has had a good part of the day visiting him in hospital. He seems fine, and in good spirits. Hopefully he'll be back home tomorrow. While Mr B was in visiting he spotted that one of the colorectal surgeon's name is Mr Butt. I'll put that alongside our* current Lord Chief Justice (the wonderfully named Igor Judge).

* EDIT: Despite living in Scotland, I still consider the English & Welsh legal system to be home ground - having trained in it rather than Scots Law.