Lazy summer days

Garden stuff.  Snacks on the bench.   Tennis over the wall.

Skate park.

The littlest boy on the middle bike.  His own little bike is too small and he is desperate for a bigger one.  We keep visiting the local bike shop in the hope that the perfect second-hand bike will appear.  At the moment they're all pink.  He's not that desperate.  Not quite.

Tree climbing.  There are two boys in there somewhere.  I try not to look when there's a slithering sound.

Tomatoes ripening.  The labels are lost, but this is the yellow one that Flighty sent me I think.

And little orange Sungolds.

I put them in a Greek salad with cucumbers and salad leaves from the garden.

And served it with homemade pita breads.

We tried popping the corn grown by the littlest boy, but it didn't work.  I think it needs to grow for longer, to get older and drier.

In the garden the deadly crab spider has been busy.  Another hapless bee has wandered into his clutches.

I feel I have to counter the scary spider pictures with pretty flowers.

I took the two smaller boys for a bike ride this morning after dropping the biggest at his friend's house.  We played by the stream for a while then went to inspect the community orchard.

Some of the apples are doing well.  We picked up a few windfalls and had them stewed with sultanas after tea.  I made a curry with borlotti beans from the garden as well.  Free food makes me happy.

A snippet of conversation as I passed by a heated swingball game.

Middle boy:  "It's not over till the fat lady sings."

Biggest boy:  "Mum, can you sing please." 

Lovely.