First walk in ages

 It has been far too hot to consider going out for a walk recently.  Perhaps I should have gotten up very early to go out, but the pollen is low in the air then, another no-no.

I went along the old railway line - flat and for the most part shady.  There were a couple of fishermen in the river.  When I walked back later they had moved towards the bridge (which marks the border between Breconshire and Radnorshire - well, I suppose it's actually the river that does that) and one was nearly waist deep in the river.  

You can see the river is quite low.  That shingle spit is normally under water.

There was a lorry and a couple of bods sorting out some of the parking for the Royal Welsh.  They were marking the layout for the metal trackway laid down.  (Just in case it rains . . .)  I asked where they had come from, and it was Sheffield.  Took them four hours, the chap said, so they must have left early.

The clouds were a welcome sight after day on day of clear blue skies and scorching heat.  We had one sharp shower later, and it has been raining overnight, a fact which will have made my garden VERY happy.  My pink Hollyhocks are flowering, but one of this year's young Hollyhocks further along the border had a couple of flowers browning right at the top of the stem.  Hopefully it will recover a bit now.  Trouble is I can't water everywhere.  

The big white flowers of Convolvulus, also known as Bindweed.  This reminds me of childhood, as it used to grow amongst a wild old hedge opposite our house.

Pretty pink Musk Mallow.

Yarrow.

Woody Nightshade in a hedgerow.

Himalayan Balsam - generally known as "touch-me-not" Balsam.  I have a vague recollection of reading about someone visiting Thomas Hardy and his wife, and she was concentrating on making the seed capsules explode and gave the visitor scarcely a glance.  I think he was rather peeved by this.

Some very happy Wormwood (Artemesia absynthium).  One of its uses is in its Latin name as it was used to flavour Absinthe as well as Vermouth.

Looking back towards home (you can just see the wooded hill central to the photo at the top.)

The Royal Welsh showground is starting to fill up.  Machinery is starting to arrive now.

I now have confirmation that new neighbour's friend will be able to come and do the woodwork painting outside on the house for me, one day a week.  I am going to do the ground floor windows and doors and he will be the one up the ladder, so I have to go to B&Q in Hereford to get primer, top coat and masking tape.  I shall also pop into Doughty's whilst I'm about it as I need some fabric for binding the Baltimore quilt.  I may go to a couple of the closer-to-Hereford-than-home churches which have been on my list for a while.

I put the border on the Christmas kitten squares yesterday.  Need to get a cushion for it now.  I also idly started sewing together a charm pack of William Morris fabrics which has been kicking around in my stash for years.  Not sure what it will end up as but probably a lap quilt.  I will miss my sewing class this week as Tam is here on Wednesday to finalise the Probate papers, which are all assembled and signed now, and then it can go in the post and that is a weight off my mind.  I hate anything with a deadline hanging over me. 

Right, I am droning on about nothing in particular, so time to end.

It is currently 3.10 a.m. and I've been awake since 1.30.  After an hour I came downstairs - pointless tossing and turning.