Day One Hundred and Twenty-Five - Heavy, Heat and Hospitality

The walk was a slog today. I felt very heavy. I had the sense of really having to push and propel myself forward. But I did it though. No one about. Just the way I like it. The forecast was promising a hot day and it didn't look as if that was going to happen earlier in the morning. So I set to and did some housework. Trying to keep on top of it and doing something every day.

My friend was due to come round this afternoon. It was her birthday yesterday and I had made a card for her. But I hadn't bought her a gift. I'm not going anywhere near the shops and I usually get her a plant. She lives in a flat but she maintains a container garden just outside her front door and I know that she loves new additions. So I decided to put up a couple of my successful seedlings. Seedlings no more I have to say they're fully mature and blooming plants. So I potted up a Salpiglossis and a Nemesia for her. I wrapped them in glossy paper and put them in a gift bag with the card. Is that mean or cheapskate of me? I would've got her a plant if I was confident going to the shops.

It warmed up considerably by lunchtime. And there were butterflies all over the patio. Today I spotted a comma, a red admiral, a gatekeeper, cabbage whites and peacocks in abundance. Also a gorgeous little amber coloured moth and I have no idea what it is called. I'm very proud to say that I have bees in their swarms, not literally, in my garden - all over the buddleia and the crocosmia, the evening primrose, the lavender, the Japanese anemone and the salvias-  it's a joy. Man, the garden is a buzzin'!

Had a pleasant afternoon with my friend. We've known each other for some years now but very seldom meet up. Last time I saw her was her birthday this time last year! Apart from a couple of chance meetings in the street. We texted a few times. The strange thing is she literally lives round the corner! She was a student when I was teaching and we have very similar philosophies of education in fact we have similar philosophies about a lot of things which I think is why we generally get on. It was good to have a catch up. And she is as Covid careful as anyone I know. She brought her own drink was careful where she sat. She tells me that both her sons and her son's wife have all had the virus, earlier in the year, March time I think she said, they work in London  and they travel on the underground. There was a point at which she thought her older son might have to be hospitalised but fortunately it didn't come to that. I think anybody who has been closely touched by the virus tends to be among the more careful people because they can see what a devastating illness it is. But we've said we'll get together again soon. We say that every time we meet. But it never seems to happen! Look up the weekend which can sometimes bring me down a lot. Even outside of lockdown I find the weekends tough.

Keeping it short today. The heat is getting to me.