Cooler.

It was my car's turn to go to the garage so I planned to spend the morning in town while the water pump and cam belt were being replaced/fixed. I met up with my friend for coffee and cheesecake at our usual place. We both tried the new cherry cheesecake which was nice but I still prefer the mango and passion fruit one. Then as my car wouldn't be ready for several hours I had a very leisurely stroll around the shops though first I ambled over the bridge to Lidl's for some chocolate and on the healthy side, blueberries and tinned herrings. It was much cooler today which was better for shopping and I had packed my pack-a-mac just in case. I met another friend from work in Boots and we stood there an had a good old natter. I checked out all the charity shops and found a belt, something I had been looking for as some of my trousers need a belt but most of the ones I have at home are too big. (I think I should give those to the charity shop.) I also bought a t-shirt in a sale, it's ummm ... yet another black vest but it is long and fits really well and it does have silver studs on the front which sounds tacky but is okay really. At least it passed my Would I wear it to work tomorrow? test. By the time I got back to the garage I felt rather tired so when I got home I sat outside with a coffee and a new library book. I was wearing a fleece but the wind was warm so eventually I closed my eyes and just relaxed. I could hear Paul on his tractor mower cutting the grass, Keith on his tractor up on Little Knoll (the top of the small hill behind the house) and above me the swallows chittering away. So peaceful.

                           

I had a lovely rest and then I went over to the wild meadow part of the garden to see what there was to photograph. 

Lots of these blue darters were hanging on to the grasses. Luckily they stay put for a long time so I was able to play around with the camera's manual settings and get a decent photo. 

Then I got excited to see some of these small Common Blue butterflies which do not stay in the same place for more than a few seconds. They like the yellow trefoil that grows in the long grass and don't visit the buddlia or ice plants that so many other butterflies like. My boys used to tease me by calling out they had seen a blue butterfly when they hadn't at all.

                            

Hidden in the middle of this photo is a brown Ringlet butterfly which hardly ever stops fluttering about.