Earlier, my X and abandoned.

As part of the 3BT celebrations, Sarah Salway presented me with a poem, which is the most wonderful gift. Here it is, received with many, many thanks:

1. We get up earlier than usual, and I am pleased to have the extra hours -- like finding a fiver in the pocket of an out-of-season coat.

2. Making my X on a ballot paper and hoping hard that it will help to improve matters.

3. I open Canva and find an old project that I'd abandoned because it seemed like too much work for a result that wasn't quite what I wanted. It doesn't take much to finish it, and when it's done, I honestly can't remember why I wasn't happy with it.

Stolen away, seeds and waiting.

1. Anna and Sarah steal me away for what turns out to be a celebration of this blog at Scotney Castle. It's a chance to talk and reflect and think about what I've achieved here. I didn't know I needed that space, but I am so grateful that they organised it and thought about it and made it happen. I feel like I have let out a long breath in a safe, caring place, tucked away in the lush midsummer Weald countryside.

2. The rattle of seeds in a paper packet.

3. Waiting in the drizzle for the coach that is bringing Alec home. Spotting his case coming out of the luggage store, and through the windscreen catching sight of his lanky figure between the seats.

4. Sarah and I head up to Flit and Folio's Summer Splash for an evening of silly songs and poetry. I think my favourite moment was during the song about Dunorlan Park when I spotted a man leaning round his table to whisper to his girlfriend an explanation of the term of 'dogging'. But close second is my favourite of Folio's works, 'I Wish I had a Voice Like John Cooper Clarke'.

Organise, bag of chips and denouement.

1. Full of hope, I buy a few boxes and baskets to help organise the house.

2. With our supper, a bag of chips.

3. At the very end of the day I have the last few chapters of a romance novel to enjoy.

Silence, outside and not dark yet.

1. There is a moment when, even walking along the top of Mount Ephraim, I cannot hear the traffic.

2. The hiss of heavy rain outside the tent we are in.

3. We are deep inside a car park, and though it's only mid afternoon, I've been up for so long that I keep thinking it's dark outside.