Rose Time
2 July

Roses have started to flower. Each year they get bigger and better and the scent from the yellow roses is one of the highlights of my summer.

Not a lot has been happening apart from a delightful day spent with the aging Ps. In an early celebration of mother's birthday and a late celebration of father's day, they came over to stay with Ross and I last Saturday. Even Nutkin eventually condescended to stay and say "Hello" rather than scream and rush for the door as he normally does when visitors are around.

We prepared a rather special meal of chicken cooked with lemon and herbs, salad and new boiled potatoes followed by a fruit salad which included strawberries from our garden.

Then it was off to Rufford Old Hall for a performance of The Mikado given by the Hoghton Players. Initially, I was non-plussed by the fact that the performers were in mufti but as the evening wore on this mattered less and less. This was clearly a community performance with all of the pluses and minuses that that entails. So, forget high production values; forget strict tonal accuracy; forget full orchestra. Just enjoy it. Which is what we did and it was most enjoyable.

The evening sky darkened over us. Swallows chased flies. Cattle lowed in the distant. There are infinitely worse ways of spending a family Saturday night.