Zoo Day.

It was cool at 5.30 this morning while the sun was on its way up but for the rest of the day its been another scorcher.

Off to the zoo for my bit of volunteering. More weeding (that bit of turned over ground), this time in completely dry bark chippings. I'd turn over a clump of grass and then proceed to bash it with a hand fork to get the bark and soil off which I thought would be theraputic for anyone with anger issues. It was very hot so I made sure to keep taking breaks. While I was working it was still shady on the steps of the playhouse and there was a lovely cooling breeze too to cool me off as I drank my squash. While I worked I was joined by the peacock having an energetic dust bath in the chippings. After he'd gone I levelled off his dust hollows as they were close to the end of the slide and had clumps of weeds around them.

When I arrived the vet's car was in the car park and all the staff were near the entrance. I asked one of them what was going on and was sure he said they were moving the leopard. Hmm, I didn't know they had a leopard. As I came back to collect a muck bucket to put my weeds in I asked another member of staff and it turned out they were moving the lechwe (small South African antelope) as they can't be on show to the public right now. Blame my dodgy hearing. Later the vet came and looked at one of the ponies which is lame with laminitis.

For the time being it's mostly domesticated animals on show.

I didn't have any nettles for the rheas today.

I was very hot, sweaty and tired when I got home so it was a shower for me and all my clothes went straight in the washing machine. After a rest and some of Peter's crisps (US- chips) to replace any lost salt I set up the trundle bed in my study. All went well until I put the topper across the two single mattresses. I solved the problem of the gap between the mattresses with a rolled up throw but the combined width is more than the topper. For the moment I've got the topper turned sideways which makes it a bit too short and a bit too wide. My thought is to slice a bit off the width but I'm going to see what Vytas and Sally think as they'll be the ones sleeping on it. Then came the bedding, I have everything new except the bottom sheet. I found a flat sheet in my stash but as it has been stored for a long time I'll give it a wash tomorrow. The only other thing I've done today is to make some lemon sorbet which is in the middle of being whisked every half an hour. It's such a shame my electric whisk stopped working. It was a wedding present so it has lasted 45 years.

Last night's sunset.