GREY AND DAMP!

It was pouring down when I woke up, but luckily it had eased off by the time we started our walk.  We went to West Shepton to investigate what was happening with the Shepton Mallet Lido - an open air pool that I usually frequent every summer.  As you can see by the pics below, it was a sorry sight.  The pool itself was completely covered up with a white tarpaulin.  I doubt that there will be much summer left by the time the repairs are completed and it opens...

One thing we did notice today, besides the abundance of beautiful garden flowers, which provided brightness on an otherwise grey day, was that there were elderflowers out in bloom everywhere.  I had a sniff at its distinctive smell on this fabulous example - see top left photo.  I used to make elderflower cordial from the flowers, in the days before it was readily available in the shops.  However, now I can't bring myself to put in the vast amount of sugar you need to preserve it!

As we walked back through Collett Park, we could see what was left over from the festival which took place over the weekend - namely a marquee, stage and portable loos!  There were bags and bags of rubbish so someone had been very busy clearing up after the event.  Jenny told me that the Friday night pop concert was a bit of a disaster as the main act didn't play and people were demanding their money back! I expect it will be headline news in the local paper this week...

We took a detour to have a look at some second hand cars at a garage that we have both bought cars from in the past.  Jenny is in the stressful process of changing cars...

Last Friday morning, when we should have been walking, (cancelled because of some early appointments), I discovered that I have a garden guest, living under the shed!  It was a sizeable hedgehog, and by the way she was tugging at the covering on my chimera, I guessed she was looking for bedding, maybe to nest to have babies!  To save my cover being ripped to shreds, I found some suitable packaging material from my studio.  I left it nearby and it soon disappeared!  I wanted to give Griselda - yes, I have given her a name - some food, so I discovered that in the local pet supermarket there is a whole section devoted to hedgehog feed!  I will try and take a photo but she is nocturnal and rather camera shy...