Sunday 12 August

• First rain Tuesday evening, a lot of showers between then and now, and rain most of the day Thursday. Temperature has gone down quite a bit in the house and I am sitting typing this in a jumper.
• Out by torchlight late Thursday evening after snails and saw 5 frogs. They don't seem to jump from being caught in the torch beam just if I approach too near.
• Today I found hidden in the tomato foliage 4 cucumbers. Picked the 3 largest and had the largest of those with tomatoes from the garden and some olives this evening.
• The rain appears to have badly affected insects. Yesterday saw no bees, just 2 cabbage white butterflies. I did see two bees on the lavender outside the garden centre by the Hertford Union canal cycling back from Victoria Park. I also saw one bee in my garden on the verbena this morning.
• Where I sowed sunflower seeds ages ago I now have a 15 cm seedling. If it survives the weather, snails, etc will it flower? The sunflowers in a front garden a few doors down are 2 metres plus tall and in full bloom.