Day 18 - a very sad dog

Unfortunately Daisy has had a bad reaction to the rabies jab and seems to feeling very ill. This is her trying not to move. We cant touch her either or she squeals. Hoping its just temporary...

Day 17 - just in time!

It was panic stations yesterday when we realised that Daisys rabies vaccination had expired and we are due on holiday in a few weeks! Luckily the vet squeezed her in at the last minute and so shes up to date just in time!

Day 16 - bigger than expected

I sent for a survival bag as part of the mandatory kit for my 100km event. This is how big i thought it was going to be...
In fact when it arrived it was about three times that size and very heavy! I ended up sending for a more expensive but much smaller one.

Day 15 - fruity

having had serious cravings for fresh fruit for a couple of days, i went and bought loads and made a huge bowl of fruit salad. Is it bad we had cream on top?

Day 14 - forget me not?

The wildflowers are really coming out now, think these are forget me nots but Im not 100% sure...

Day 13 - clocking in

Some lovely dandelion clocks about today, thought i take a picture before they got blown away :-)

Day 12 - swanning about

This magnificent chap (may have been a female of course) decided to paddle over and check out what i was up to while by the river today

Day 11 - Reflections

Reflections down by the river today

Day 10 - a virtual run

So today was the day of the Wings for Life charity world run, in which people join in all around the world at the same time in organised events to beat a 'catcher car' which follows the field slowly increasing speed at intervals. The longer you can keep going before the car catches you the better.
I was not able to attend an organised event but I saw that you could download an app and compete against a virtual catcher car wherever you wanted.
So i donated some money for spinal research, got the app and went for a run over the heath. Didnt get very far only 7.4km off road but it was great fun, and its amazing how much you can speed up when you think that you are being chased even by a virtual car!

Day 9 - an 'ultra' 10k

Today Hazel ran in her first 10k race. One lap of the 12hour Ox race (you could do one lap or as many as you wanted in the 12 hours) which turned out to actually be 12km in the end so we dubbed it an 'ultra' 10k :-)
I do have a picture of us at the finish with her medal but i really like this one, shows concentration!

Day 8 - a budding display

Over on the heath with the dogs, I see the rhodedendrons are just starting to bud. It should be an amazing display when they are all out.

Day 7 - May the Flies be with you...

Well, this is not a very good image but its the best I could do to capture the vast number of hatched mayflies along the river today. It seemed a shame not to record it as adult mayflies generally live only a day and so they will not be there tomorrow :-(
While the young (or 'Nymph') mayflies can live in the river for several years the adults once they hatch dont even have chance to feed, in fact they only have vestigal mouthparts and their digestive system is filled with air.
I am reminded of this excerpt from Terry Pratchett's reaper man....
 ~
The sun was near the horizon.
The shortest-lived creatures on the Disc were mayflies, which barely make it through twenty-four hours. Two of the oldest zigzagged aimlessly over the waters of a trout stream, discussing history with some younger members of the evening hatch.
“You don’t get the kind of sun now that you used to get,” said one of them.
“You’re right there. We had proper sun in the good old hours. It were all yellow. None of this red stuff.”
“It were higher, too,”
“It was. You’re right.”
“And nymphs and larvae showed you a bit of respect.”
“They did. They did,” said the other mayfly vehemently.
“I reckon, if mayflies these hours behaved a bit better, we‘d still be having proper sun.”
The younger mayflies listened politely.
“I remember,” said one of the oldest mayflies, “when all this was fields, as far as you could see.”
The younger mayflies looked around.
“It’s still fields,” one of them ventured, after a polite interval,
“I remember when it was better fields,” said the old mayfly sharply.
“Yeah,” said his colleague. “And there was a cow.”
“’That’s right! You’re right! I remember that cow! Stood right over there for, oh, forty, fifty minutes. It was brown, as I recall.”
“You don’t get cows like that these hours.”
“You don’t get cows at all.”
“What’s a cow?” said one of the hatchlings.
“See‘?” said the oldest mayfly triumphantly. “That’s modern Ephemeroptera for you.” It paused. “What were we doing before we were talking about the sun‘?”
“Zigzagging aimlessly over the water,” said one of the young flies. This was a fair bet in any case.
“No, before that.”
“Er ....you were telling us about the Great Trout.”
“Ah. yes, Right. The Trout. Well, you see, if you’ve been a good mayfly, zigzagging up and down properly - ”
“ - taking heed of your elders and betters - “
“ - yes, and taking heed of your elders and betters, then eventually the Great Trout - ”
Clop
Clop
“Yes?” said one of the younger mayflies.
There was no reply.
“The Great Trout what?” said another mayfly, nervously,
They looked down at a series of expanding concentric rings on the water.
“The holy sign!” said a mayfly. “I remember being told about that! A Great Circle in the water! Thus shall be the sign of the Great
Trout!”
The oldest of the young mayflies watched the water thoughtfully. It was beginning to realise that, as the most senior fly present, it now had the privilege of hovering closest to the surface.
“They say,” said the mayfly at the top of the zigzagging crowd, “that when the Great Trout comes for you, you go to a land flowing with...., Flowing with....." Mayflies don’t eat. It was at a loss.
“Flowing with water,” it finished lamely.
“I wonder,” said the oldest mayfly.
“It must be really good there,” said the youngest,
“Oh‘? Why?”
“’Cos no one ever wants to come back.” 
~

Day 6 - Full Bloom

Just noticed today that the garden was bloomin' lovely at the moment with all the flowers out on the lilac, clematis and the apple tree, so I thought I would capture it while it lasted :-)