Red, white and blue

So enjoying this lovely summer of ours here in beautiful Britain.

Little duckies and dozens of peacock butterflies at Slimbridge.  We took a picnic.

Blackcurrant crumble.  With a few other berries in there for good measure.  Dealing happily with this little glut.  I had some great courgette recipe suggestions in the comments for the last post that I shall be trying.  I may also take to referring to them as zucchini when the children ask me what they're eating.

Even the guinea pigs are getting some summer deliciousness - the peel from an allotment cucumber.  They love it.  If I should find myself with too many cucumbers they'll get a bigger chunk; it's one of their favourite things.

I got a bit of a bargain at the local Sort-It Centre a couple of days ago.  I was after a spade and a fork that I can keep at the allotment.  They had some, but not in the shop area.  But the nice chap there let me choose a fork, and take the only spade, for free!  It really made my day.

Especially as the fork has these magic words on it.

It also says "Unbendable" which makes me happy too.

Enjoying the summer rain, even when it's a bit of a deluge.

Drying onions in between showers.

A little garden inspiration from the library.  The Allotment Folk are wonderful.

It's been a happy busy few days of picnics, parks, pools and friends.  I visited a friend near Ashton Court in Bristol today, where the Bristol Balloon Fiesta is taking place.  At 4 o'clock, this happened.

A flying display by the unrivalled Red Arrows.  It was absolutely thrilling, and we were all shrieking every time they flew over.  Fortunately you couldn't really hear anything over the screaming of the engines.  It's hard to articulate how sensational they are.  I had goosebumps.

Oh I do love Britain in the summertime.