A funny sort of week

Pretty sunrise clouds from last week sometime.  However, in the way of much of August so far, I think it came on to rain later - thus proving the old saying, Red Sky in the Morning, Shepherd's Warning . . .



I had a silly old day the Saturday before last, when first of all I managed to tangle my feet up as one of them encountered the coffee table leg (which is a strange semi-circular shape and sticks out from the top) and I fell flat.  Later, hurrying to get the paper, I rounded a low wall too sharply, hit my thigh and my keys fell out of my pocket as I lurched, but I stopped myself from falling over.  I got right through until gone 6 p.m. before the 3rd thing - I was making pizza for Tam and her partner, and we'd used a small tin of Anchovies.  Normally I get a glass jar of them but they had suddenly shot up in price and I got the cheaper tin.  Never again - I was rinsing it out under the tap, went to push the lid down with my thumb and the lid sprung sideways and I nearly sliced my thumb off on the edge of it. It was as sharp as a razor blade. There was blood everywhere! That necessitated a trip straight to A&E where it was glued back together very efficiently and a big fat dressing and finger-stall put on.  That stopped me doing anything much for a couple of days, although I was still able to drive with it and we did a small Fair on the Sunday.  It is healing well now but I put a fabric plaster on if I am doing anything messy, to keep it clean whilst it heals.   So, gardening is off . . .

Tam and Zane went away for a couple of days and I decided to go for a walk to explore a new trackway which a neighbour (who had bought the land) had generously given me permission to use.

So I walked along by the river, which now has some water in it again . . .

Then up towards Ty Coch and through a gateway.  It looked very inviting, and I was thinking to myself, oh, this could be my new favourite walk . . .

However, just around this bend I encountered some goodly growth of Himalayan Balsam, but nothing so bad that I couldn't find my way through as it wasn't entirely covering the track.

However, I got to the quarry, and the trackway beyond that was 5 feet deep (and more) in tall Himalayan Balsam and though I tried to get through it, I'd have needed a machete, so I turned round and headed back the way I had come.

A shame, as the views through the trees were very pretty.  I may try again (wearing walking boots) when the Balsam has died down a bit this autumn, but probably then it will be ankle-deep in mud.

Near the old Mill, this Soapwort was flowering.  I have seen it there in the past and often wondered if the housewives of old used this to soap their clothes. 

Back at home, I noticed (for the first time in years) this huge Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar amongst the herbage (cut-back Codlins and Cream, which is its plant food).  I wish I had seen its parents flying about the place as they are equally huge.

Anyway, today we have been up to Malvern Fleamarket, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but poor Keith was asleep with his nose practically on his knees for a good bit of the way back.  He's coming down with a cold and getting up at 4 a.m. just brought it on a bit sooner I think.  An early night for us tonight.