As I write this it is hammering down. The first proper rain for several weeks. It is very unusual for this side of the country to have been hotter and drier than the south east. That part of the country appears to have had a dose of very hefty thunderstorms and flooding. (Schadenfreude! Well we can be a bit smug sometimes). It is welcome rain here as it has been hard work watering the veggies, but it will make the weeds rampant and lawn cutting a chore. When it’s dry I can whizz round most of the grassed areas in an hour leaving himself only the big lawn (and golf practice area!) to be done. Large amounts of damp grass is another matter entirely. Hey ho ….. And I have had a casualty already due to the wet. The slugs have got at my one and only little butternut squash plant. Have to wait and see if it can recover. This means war …!! I have tried to be eco-friendly about slugs but the pellets are coming back out.
I had a very unusual request Friday night. Car pulled up at the yard gate and a lady I know quite well jumped out looking very harassed. “Ah, glad I caught you…. I have a huge favour to ask” we’re her opening words. “You know Gareth (son) is getting married here tomorrow”…. Right I thought, frequent request is often to provide a bit of car parking as we are situated not too far from church. “Gareth dropped this on me last night, but he is determined to ride his horse to church. Please is there anyway you can accommodate it for the afternoon, one of the groom’s men will take it home after the service and photos.” Of course I readily agreed, but ,in a way, a bit disappointed we would not be around to see as we were ,by previous arrangement, away for the day (which was wonderful in itself as we met up with old pals from Suffolk, whom we rarely see, and had a really lovely day). Anyway, I look forward to seeing some photos of groom and his trusty steed making their way to church. It looks like it kept dry for the wedding. It was pretty wet for us on our day out in Worcester, but the roads were dry here when we got home.
It has been quite a busy week one way and another; with the annual horse show last Sunday ( long day in the sun “secretarying” plus the set up the day before ), hound show today and I started a four week art course as well last week. Just a Wednesday morning. I did also manage to get one, much needed, long day in the garden clearing and weeding. We are waiting on our neighbour to get the sheep shorn. The poor old things are very hot in their winter woolies and this thundery weather increases the risk of “fly strike”. That is horrid. Flies lay eggs into the damp wool and the hatched maggots crawl down to the skin and start eating the sheep; really. It’s disgusting and not nice to deal with. Instead of dipping there is now stuff you can spray on the sheep’s backs to stop it before it starts. But it is not a very nice chemical. Can’t win.
When it stops raining must ride out …..
Illustrated Country Diary 
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