Green and country in the city notes 16 May

• The garden is now thankfully getting some rain. It is noticeable how few snails and slugs there are - presumably as the result of the dry spring. How long before showery days increase the populations?
• On Saturday I saw a magpie having a bath in the wildlife/cat water dish - such splashing!
• Saw a few sprays of elderflowers on Saturday. Today walking home from class saw several bushes with lots of flowers out. Got some lemons from Waitrose today and will get some white sugar tomorrow ready for a dry day when I can go and get some flower heads of elderflowers to make elderflower champagne.
• Saturday kayaking on the Lea Navigation towards Tottenham Lock. There was a heron on the towpath. A jogger approached. The heron just slowly walked out of the way.
• Occasionally disturbing frogs in the garden. There is at least one small one. Too big to be this year's, too small to be last year's. Presumably it is one from last year.
• Dorothy, my elderly neighbour (now in a home not knowing who I am) had a hanging basket outside her front door with a red geranium. In the last few years I had several goes at getting a cutting to root but luckily my last attempt succeeded. It was just had its first flower. Pleased to have this as a memento of a friend and neighbour for 20 years.
• On Saturday went with friends on the Epping-Ongar railway. This is the country not the city - but Tina and I got there by tube to Epping then vintage bus to North Weald (no suspension - thrown about when the bus went over a speed bump!).
• Both this morning and this evening a couple of foxes in my garden. This evening saw a fox on a fence 2 gardens away while the foxes were in my garden. The den in Dorothy's old garden now gone.