Goodnight friends! Another night nearly as hot as midday a few days ago, and noon today about 33°c. The whole world a little drunk and dazed, bumblebees panting beneath the clover, dock leaves turning a smouldering mottled red and curling at the tips, singed. A heron, blue-grey plumage sun-blanched, high in a tree choked islet in the midst of the reservoir made a repeated low harsh groaning cry. Dozens of mallards sat floating still in the shady water all about, seeming to look up towards it as if listening to some mournful sermon.
A vague childhood ebullient sense of holiday often comes over me on blazingly, ridiculously hot sunny days like this. Despite my chafing mosquito welts and the breathless heat I took another long, slow gentle walk around the reservoir and through meadows, full of pleasure at the way every colour blazes, the soft sway of deep, deep black shadows.
May we find moments of unexpected joy and solicitude all around us today!
