I appear to have a clear diary for the next week, which means it’s not possible for me to put off various items of business that I’ve shelved for the last few weeks, which is a pity.  I’ll feel so much better once they’re done (said insincerely, because the thought of that doesn’t seem worth the faff).

The village fete seemed to go well yesterday, though I’m not sure if the paying stallholders were very busy.   The cake stall had made exactly £100 by the time I left, which they were pleased with but, as I’m mercifully not involved with any of the organisation nowadays, I didn’t hear from others.  In the evening, we went off to our final visit to the Aldeburgh Festival, which finished completely this afternoon.  After the food shortage on our first two visits, we decided to take sandwiches and just get a drink there – inevitably, as I noticed when I went to the bar, there was plenty of lovely salad left this time.  There was an earlier start and finish – 7pm to just after 9 – and I suspect some people had decided on a later supper this time rather than have to get there very early.  The concert was splendid and we came home feeling uplifted.  Today has been a gentle, cheerful sort of day.

Poor old RasPutin, the father of the barn cats, came for breakfast this morning and he looks quite thin now.  If only he’d come every day, I could look after him better.  As it was, I just kept on putting food down and he kept wolfing it.  About a year ago, he grew thin but then he did come daily for a few weeks and it did him a lot of good, he gained weight and didn’t look so desperately anxious any more and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t come twice a day when I put out food. It’s possible he comes for the dry food I put down overnight, I don’t know.  He’s not injured and I’ve no reason to think he’s ill, but he’s old and losing the knack of hunting, I think.  I’ve become very fond of him, he’s got no malice in him except around other tom cats, and his children and he all get on well together.  He’s never shown teeth or claws to me but mews plaintively now, begging to be fed.

I went out to the weed the round bed in front of the house this afternoon.  It’s so dry that even the weeds were drooping.  We’ve had to top up the pond too – doesn’t take many days of dry weather for the ground here to look parched.  The vegetable garden is doing well, though.  I watered thoroughly one day last week – a good soaking every week seems to keep it going.