thorny issues

This week has been a race to get all my hedges cut and gardens tidied up, before taking a couple of weeks off work. Meanwhile, the gooseberry bushes have produced a bumper crop that needed harvesting. All the sunshine we have been having has made them sweeter than usual, so my sales policy of handing them out to passers-by to try, has really been paying off. Even the kids have been happily scoffing them straight off the bush.

But gooseberry picking and hawthorn trimming in a heatwave means I haven't been wearing the requisite amount of body armour. The scratched up state of my hands and forearms is eliciting that, 'if you ever need to talk about anything....' *tilts head to one side* meaningful look.

Have you seen the thorns on a gooseberry?

I know!

and the fruit hangs underneath, protected by all those spikes.

worth it though

followed by the perfect antidote for my sore fingers..

the cool, velvety pod lining of a broad bean.

that's summer right there!