Madeleine

I don't think it's stopped raining since last night, definitely not today, still going strong now!

Good to have you back Binker, keep well.

Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier

I had that problem with the second in the Dublin Murder series, The Likeness - it was just too long. A shame as she's a good writer. I will still carry on with the series though, and have the Wych Elm on my tbr.

I agree with Meg, I can't stand "to gift" either

Thanks momac, we had a lovely day on Saturday but downhill since then, rain on and off and generally horrible although not too cold.

I've just started this, as you say, on great form as always.

I like this series, not quite as gripping as her Ruth Galloway books, but still a good read and as you say, well defined characters, and a great setting too.

Sadly no, just one so far! It's going to get cooler now so I can't see the others ripening, and I don't have a greenhouse to put them in to get more warmth.

I had my first tomato today in my sandwich for lunch and it was disappointing, didn't seem to have much taste. Oh well never mind. Few more still to ripen so fingers crossed. I'm also trying to grow some more wallflowers from seed and potted them up today, so I hope the local squirrels don't dig them up!

I have a few more tomatoes ripening, might get to eat one tomorrow! Last year I had so many tomatoes I didn't know what to do with them all, kept bringing them into work.

Yes it certainly is a lottery Meg, I think my tomatoes fell behind a bit because it was still chilly at night well into June, and as the weather wasn't very reliable - ie damp and chilly - I think that stalled them too, I don't have a greenhouse which would probably have made a huge difference, well only one of those small upright ones. Plus we just haven't had enough sun for long enough, a few days here and there and then it cools down again and starts raining (like today) so they didn't have a prolonged hot spell to give them a growth spurt like they did last year. It's also a different variety to the one I normally get, so perhaps that has something to do with it. Yours sound like they're in the perfect spot for growing. I picked another tomato last night and some of the others are slowly beginning to get slightly orange, so maybe they'll have a late spurt!

Yep it's lovely to hang the washing out and get that freshly washed smell. Sadly the weekends are always too short. My tomatoes are still stubbornly green, except for one which is quite orange so will hopefully be edible, but as the weather's meant to cool down a bit and it's meant to rain I don't know if it'll be warm enough for the others to ripen. Last year I had so many I didn't know what to do with them, took most of them into work as you can only eat so many! But a much slower crop this year.

Had a lovely relaxing day sitting in the garden, too hot to do much else! Back to work tomorrow ugh. Won't be much fun commuting in this heat.

We had quite heavy rain on Friday evening but none since, despite it being forecast. It has been very windy though, especially on Saturday, and I had to try to prop up my tomato plants - they're still only green, no sign of the tomatoes ripening, not enough sun