It was a three bat night . . .

 When I pulled the landing curtains, one nearly-dead one fell out. Then I noticed another two steps away on the stairs. I fetched a small towel and scooped them up and let them out of the window.  One fell and didn't move so that must have been the one from the curtains.  As I came into the top hall again, dang me, there was another one by the mirror.  I scooped that one up but it wouldn't let go of the towel.  So I hung the towel out and shut the window.  It's still hanging there (batless) so I had better retrieve it.  Tam, when told, thought she had left just in time!!  One bat is one bat too many.  She also thinks there is one in the sink of the bath as it wouldn't empty properly when she had her shower yesterday.  I need to put eco drain unblocker down the sink so shall do the same with the bath in a moment.

I have a load of washing to hang up now, then I will finish the recycling and take it along to the end of the track. Then 2nd load of washing to go on whilst it's dry and windy.  I will do a walk today as it's cooler and pollen levels lower now, though the strong breeze will blow around what pollen there is.

It was lovely having Tam, Jon and Rosie here for the weekend.  We all went up to the little sports afternoon at Maesmynis, and met a few neighbours.  They had an ice cream van in attendance and everyone dutifully bought an ice cream.  I had one with white chocolate - gosh it was huge!  Rosie benefitted from us all of course :)

I have just persuaded the one tendril of rampant clematis Montana rubens to climb up the rose arch, so that's three I have starting to grow over it.  In a couple of years it will be smothered.  More raspberries to pick today, and I have to dig up a David Austin rose which has barely grown in the 4 years it has been planted on the bank, so is clearly very unhappy about its position - all rocks underneath I suspect.  I collared Jon to dig me a new home for it on the bank.  Whilst we were doing so I noticed that there was a little Badger track and a hole dug - trying to get to a colony of red-tailed bumblebees, who were in evidence.  Half a dozen flying around but not aggressively, just guarding their territory.  They are under a brick and rubble, so haven't been dug right out by the Badgers yet.  I need to get my strimmer back from Tam so I can cut the grass properly in that area of the bank, and try and keep it tidy.  

Sorry, slightly blurred, but you get the idea.

These are what I ordered when I joined the Mortimer Society.  The book covers all that interests me in churches in our area.  I can recommend it.

There are three other volumes to add to this.  I also get the latest one as part of my membership.  The articles are very readable and I am slowly learning about the Mortimers and other Marcher Lords.  The prize winning essays are submitted by the likes of the Assistant Professor of Medieval Irish and English History at Trinity College, Dublin . . .  Of course, they have access to learned papers, medieval documents etc that I don't, and so anything I research and write will be on a much lesser level.  I will try to get something down on paper though, even if I never submit it.  I was reading articles from these on Saturday at the Fair, although to be honest, there was a steady flow of potential customers all day long.  

Right, this won't do.  Onwards and upwards.  I'd best get that towel that's hanging out of the window in case neighbours think it's a cry for help!