Since I last spoke to you, the clouds have surrounded the mountain, obscured it, washed it all clean and given it back to us.

Though the light show was mesmerising and the rain welcome, the heat and humidity that followed was a heavy blanket that drained energy just trying to move in it.

The native lilies (Naked Ladies) showed their approval, heads up three days after the rain, beauty spent two days later.

And then came the Southeasterly winds, drying all of us so that we have regained our good humour and revel in late summer beauty.

The creatures proliferate, some not so welcome, and some so cute they defy description.

And Fiona Fig has her second lot of leaves for the summer, having dropped all of the first ones. I have come to realise, she was not meant for this climate.  Sometimes I wonder who was?

How quickly we forget, except in an abstract way, the misery of the weeks before, when stretched out in front of us is the perfection that is now.

Have a lovely week.

Ardys