Warm.

We've had a very warm day which began with blue skies that soon turned grey. Much later the promised rain arrived as I was walking home from Pilates and looks set in for at least the night.

There have been so few butterflies in the garden this year that even a humble painted lady warranted a photo. 

This pair of sparrows look as if they are having an earnest conversation.

As soon as I could I drove down to the zoo to carry on tackling the weeds that appeared while I was away. I'd left the gravel by the ferrets til last as it's never my favourite patch to weed. I managed to clear over half of it and should finish the next time I'm working at the zoo.

The first plants I planted in the gravel by the wolf-dogs in what I call the gravel garden, are now big enough so that hopefully people won't just step on them and the pink and white thrift is flowering well. I just wish that somebody hadn't cut a chunk from the pheasant grass in the middle planter. I'm guessing that it was to put in one of the small animal cages but there are other clumps of pheasant grass around the place.

Four hours on my knees was quite enough but I didn't stop when I got home. With the next few days set to be wet I wanted to at least cut the stems waving along the inside top edge of the hedge. This involved climbing up on the raised bed walls and cutting by hand. All that reaching up is not the best for my back but when there's no one else you simply have to get on and do it.

At least I had Pilates to help my muscles unwind. Tonight along with the balls and bands we always use we had sliders (those discs you put under your foot or hand ). They're supposed to make you stretch out even more. Reformer beds have recently become popular in the Pilates world but of course they are very expensive so Rachel calls the sliders Ceredigion reformers, the cheap version. Next week for a change we need to bring along a dumbbell. 

A goat exercise bed.