Bastille day

Last night we enjoyed the 14^th of July firework celebrations at Saint Savin. Leaving the girls to the delights of the dodgem cars with their friends, Stephen and I found a wonderful spot right near the river without any obstruction to our view. It was as if the fireworks were just for us they were so directly in front and overhead. This year they were as spectacular as ever - the reflections on the river and deepening blackness of sky with the spire of the Abbey beyond made it a very lovely spectacle. We then endured the long wait at a noisy bar while the girls finished their goes on the dodgems amidst loud and awful music.

Today we have been back at work in the garden as it has been neglected of late. Maggie’s grave is right near the veggie plot and although we miss her greatly it makes us feel like she is still around. In the evenings she used to accompany me down the garden and often sat there while I weeded – usually annoyingly right in the middle of some lettuces or onions. We have been harvesting beans and peas to freeze and tonight made salads with cucumber, red cabbage, beans and beetroot. It has been very hot today – one of the warmest days in a long time. After some hard work in the garden we took a rewarding dip to cool off. I started the day with a walk with Avalanche – we will finish with a cycle to give her a bit more exercise.