25 June 2026

 Walking back from two hours of reprieve in a cool cinema today (Vie Privée, uniquely French psychoanalytical mystery-comedy-drama), I was a hot uncomfortable mess within minutes, despite choosing the most shaded route possible, through Christ's Pieces -

where few people were out -

Much later, at 9.30 this evening when it was finally cool enough to be outside, my wood-pigeon pal joined me in the courtyard where I was having supper.

Is it the same bird who always visits me here? I like to think so, though I've no actual evidence, because he has over time become so unafraid of me that this evening he spent a good 5 minutes in the water trough, right in front of me.

Drinking copiously -

before jumping right in for a full-on, enthusiastic swim with a great flapping and splashing and leaping about as he cooled his whole body down -

I really felt his pleasure - exactly like mine in the swimming pool (water my happiest medium) -

A lot of preening followed his dip - primping and smoothing those feathers -

before he finally flew away -