A friend offered to lend me his trail cam to see if I could get evidence of the Hedgehogs which I suspect are visiting my garden during the night. I attached the cam to a pole in my lawn and went out eagerly the next morning to see what it had captured………which was two cats, a Thrush pecking for worms and a huge fat Pigeon but sadly no Hedgehogs. However, I persevered for a week and finally, at 2.30am on a rainy 2nd July, hit the jackpot! I’m so excited 🦔 I’m wondering if they’re living under my shed, so might get the torch out and have a peep.

I’ve been busy cooking. My single blackcurrant bush produced over 2 kilos (4½lbs) of fruit in the end, so I’ve frozen some to use in smoothies, baked a crumble which is also in the freezer and made the rest into delicious jam which should last me several months. I suppose, being a photographer, I should be making arty professional looking food images, but the truth is that would bore me rigid so these are just snapped on my phone.

The fruit picking turned out to be an experience. It was a hot, humid, overcast evening and we were sat on the ground collecting away when out of nowhere came a huge flash of lightning and the threatening rumble of overhead thunder. I suppose, in hindsight, we should have done the safe thing and come indoors but instead we carried on picking, even when huge fat dollops of rain arrived. There was something strangely magical about getting wet in the warm rain, harvesting home grown food under a darkly brooding sky. For me, it’s these little moments in life which create the most lasting memories.

During hot weather I leave the bedroom windows open and was woken at 2am by the most God Almighty noise which sounded like someone screaming but was actually the call of a Barn Owl! They’re lovely looking birds but have the most horrendous piercing screech and it went on for what felt like forever which, when we were trying to sleep, was really quite annoying.

I’ll end with yet another spectacular sunset taken as I lay on my bed. It’s different every single day and never ceases to bring me joy 😊