Sun.

Now today was so much better, both pain and weather wise. It was sunny for the whole day with a gentle breeze keeping it not too hot. As sitting and walking are fairly comfortable (with the aid of a few pills), I have been up for the whole day. I started by having my breakfast sitting outside in the sun. Then yes, I did some gardening! it was only deadheading the hanging baskets and sprinkling more slug pellets around the squash plants which are under constant attack. Then, after washing up I retired to my pc to catch up with the omnibus episode of The Archers which for a second time I had failed to record on the Sky+ box. Because of our slow download speed we can't watch TV programmes on i-player but luckily radio works. Later I moved outside to spend the rest of the day sitting in the sun, in my short pj's, reading a book. That was more how I envisaged my convalescence to be. Luckily the wooden garden chairs that came with the garden table I bought last year are perfect for me at the moment. The high slightly curved back supports me well without putting pressure on my lower spine and most importantly the sturdy arms make it easy for me to lower & raise myself supported by my hands. Linas has brought one of these chairs into the sitting room as there is no way I could get in or out of the armchairs or sofa. It was so much nicer watching TV in here than lying flat on my back upstairs. He also has put one up by the scree garden as the chairs I keep up there have lower backs.

Linas and Peter finished putting in and burying a drain pipe to take water across the small lawn so that is another job done. Then the 2 of them went off to town leaving me in utter peace and when they came home Linas tackled the lawns that had shot up in all the recent rain. Meanwhile Peter prepared a barbecue which we have just eaten up by the scree garden.

There has been a noticeable lack of butterflies this year and so far I've only seen these dark brown Ringlets and a few Skippers. While I was enjoying the sun I saw my first Golden Ringed dragonfly which patrols the garden like a mini helicopter.