10 August 2026

Walking round the garden with morning coffee I saw that another round of deep watering was needed despite having spent an hour soaking it yesterday evening. The soil is so hard and dry in many places that it hadn't penetrated. 

While standing with the hose, next door's cat, a regular visitor, made an appearance and complained loudly at me, in annoyance about getting sprayed on her path home. 

It's not obvious at first sight how parched the ground is, but browned areas are visible in the picture below, and individual trees and shrubs are struggling badly, some already past saving. 

I think about how strong the impulse is to try to save our gardens by continuing to use water resources that are already under stress and becoming increasingly scarce from climate change, rising temperatures and raging fires. 

I can't find any good spin to put on that fact, that might redeem the impulse.

Dinner was pork chops, potatoes and beans, and more good skies.