Sunday 8 July

It's been nearly a month since I last posted. It would have been one week less, but last week I spilt some kombuchi on my laptop messing up my left mouse click. I got a mouse yesterday to plug in and it's worked! Laptop usable again.

• Seen an Ofo bike by the Lea Navigation covered in river weed - it's obviously been in for a dip. I have also seen one without its front wheel, and another chained to a lamp post with the front wheel off and chained to the bike as if it was someone's personal bike.
• Kayaking on 11 June passing a swan's nest. For adult Canada geese and 4 half-sized goslings trying to pass but cob swan not liking it. Two of the adult geese were approaching nest to draw off the cob while the other two adult geese swam past with the goslings.
• Rescued bumble bee caught up in old web in conservatory. If it had been flying around I would probably not have succeeded in getting it out!
• Logs have been delivered and stacked. Better quality than previous two years.
• I've been having plenty of soft fruit with my breakfast - raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, red currants, loganberries and yesterday my first blackberries.
• There was a big warehouse fire on Saturday 23 June, on Orient Way just south of the Leabridge Road, huge plumes of smoke my friend could see from Plumstead. Orient Way closed so detour on my bike ride Saturday and to kayaking Sunday when smoke no longer plumes, but still there above the warehouse. Monday morning I was watering in the garden and I have never seen the swifts so low. One flew about 10 ft over the garden. Clear blue sky but presumably pollution from the fire and brought the insects down and the swifts had to follow.
• I cycled to Wick Wood but walked down the middle path. Did start in my bare feet, but realised my attention would be solely (pun not intended!) on the soles of my feet so put my sandals back on.
• The French marigolds haven't worked so well on the greenfly on the conservatory this year, my indoor cucumber covered in them. Have had two cucumbers from that plant, and one from the outside cucumbers. Also some courgettes but small - they are growing slowly (due to lack of rain - though I am watering them?)
• Found little bumblebee in wildlife waterbowl. Got it out still alive but not moving. So gave it some sugar and water on a spoon and left it for a little while - and it was gone when I got back.
• No scum on the elderflower champagne but decided to open a bottle. Luckily I took it into the kitchen rather than bringing a glass into the dining room and it gave bang and spewed foam when I opened it.
• Some dead fish floating on the Lea Navigation today. Hope this hot, dry spell doesn't end in a storm. When that happened a couple of years ago, the resulting pollution on the Navigation killed lots of fish.