Showers.

It's been a cool windy day with brief spells of sun and sudden showers.  Last night I'd been listening to the radio when the promise of 'a month's rain in just a few hours' at unspecified locations had me out of bed and up the drive with a torch putting wood and soil right across the road. Listening to the shipping forecasts a little later it didn't sound as if we were in danger but at least I could relax.

The Rayburn isn't heating up properly so our chatty engineer will be back to try and sort it out. I'm not looking forward to that as not only can I not use the kitchen which  is the hub of many of my activities the smell of the oil is most unpleasant and I'm sure it gives me a headache.

This morning I gave the kitchen floor a thorough mopping. I hoover every day and the cork tiles are very forgiving of any small stains but it feels good to know it is really clean.

After my indoor work I decided to continue sorting out the raised bed which was mainly cutting back or even removing a very vigorous scrambling hardy geranium. As I worked a robin fledgling stayed close by often only a couple of feet away.

I went and got my camera and sat down to see how close it would get. Showing little fear it hopped around my feet, perched on the other chairs and then flew up onto my knee. The photo below was taken without any zoom. You can just see the first patch of orange on its breast, an indicator of its adult colours. Right now I can see it hopping about on the back lawn looking for worms. 

At the moment we are watching the 6th series of game of Thrones while the 7th series records on the Sky box. I am very disappointed in the packaging of the discs. The outer cover has an interesting holographic cover but inside it was almost impossible to prise the discs out of the case. Pressing in the middle to release the discs had little effect and the dipped areas where you would normally put your finger to raise the disc have a ridge that stops you doing so. It almost seems as if it is deliberate so that you end up breaking or damaging the discs. I'm not taking any chances and as we get each disc off (with great effort and very carefully) they are being put in spare disc cases.