Butterflies & Bees, Balmy Breeze & Bushfires, Builders & Breathing.....oh and Yellow Snow !

[beatles]

This summer has been extraordinary, the garden which we plan carefully, a ritual each October, is now almost in full bloom and there is almost too much to look at. It s an absolute riot of colour and is densely packed with pollen packed flowers and plants. I. will try to post a photo once this website settles down. It looks gorgeous and the bees and butterflies love it.

We had a new conservatory built in December and we are really enjoying the extra light space as an additional dining room. This year though has see a huge increase in flying insects which head straight for the open doors of the conservatory and once inside they fly kamikaze style into the roof, sides and doors. In the morning it looks like a battlefield, apparently winged insects dehydrate rapidly in the heat.

I am not squeamish and actually am fascinated by insects and all wildlife (except mosquitoes) and the number of bees this year is phenomenal as well as their size, they are enormous. There is a superabundance of pollen this year and I have noticed that bees are literally "gorging" themselves almost drunkenly and I have even observed a few fights over favourite flowers. Daily Mail headline - "Drunken Bee louts brawling on Hollyhocks". Also have seen many more butterflies and moths than usual.

All these are good environmental indicators and fabulous to look at.

I live in Leytonstone, NE London which was on the news tonight with two large wildfires which are now under control. Our house 100 yds from Epping Forest which is one of the best kept secrets In London, but fortunately the wind was blowing opposite direction.

Me and Carmen have just had builders finish work,brand new central heating and new Vailant boiler, moved from inside to outside the house in special cabinet. All new radiators and every floorboard removed and replaced. Lots of sawing, drilling and dust. Plus other work new cupboards etc.

My breathing has been good the past few weeks and the hot weather has not been too much of a problem. If it is 27 or 28f I feel ok but 30f plus I stay in and keep cool. Boring yes but better than being in hospital ( I had a cardiac bypass in 1999; although my heart muscle is strong I am taking no chances).

Which brings me to the Yellow Snow, no not the Frank Zappa (album Apostrophe) type but worse. We are gifted with a row of three very large, very tall very protected Lime trees the largest of which dominates and I mean dominates the end of our garden. It is not my favourite tree and makes a real mess of our pond In autumn. But this year it has produced more flowers and pollen than all previous years combined. It literally snows fine yellow pollen coating the garden in a fine yellow dust. Fortunately I am not too allergic to it, but it does not help when it is this hot and we are still clearing the house

Up. Thank God I have Carmen to do most of the work, I help in different but beneficial ways - I think......Keep Cool .....Adrian