Is it that long?

Struggling
Not with catching fish, but the sheer fact that I can't be bothered to fish.
I've been quite happy to laze about at home,do a bit of gardening, christ hasn't everything grown well this year!
So I  sit on the patio with lunch or dinner, and a few bottles of beer or wine and get annoyed by those tiny black insects, the ones that get behind picture frames.

Storm bugs I think, what I do know is the itching drives you mad at least until the alcohol takes effect, or the wind comes up!
So since my last mention of fishing with the dusk photo's I've been out once to fish pond three,down in the valley.

I caught loads of rudd, perch and plenty of carp again, but it's been very hot, and the bloody horseflies, despite plenty of Avon Skin so Soft, have been really annoying, and when they bite it hurts. 


Well at least for a while until I squash them, and put on the anti histamine cream!
 I have to say, apart from a large puffy swelling or two on the soft area of the hands around the fist knuckles, the after bite does the trick, and they leave just a small mark.
The trouble is, to fish down there I almost need a medical kit, at this time of year, good job I don't take a lot of tackle with me!

The garden
As I have noted above the growth is outstanding this year, we have plenty of apples pears and plums and even the grapes look at this stage that we may be able to make something more of them this autumn, rather than the must, or the granita of last year.

The bees that took over the nest box had all but a few left, so I took out the remains of their occupation.
It's obvious that all they used the nest box for was just a long term sleepover.
They either drove the great tit's off, or the nest was abandoned before they arrived.
I found the remains of two eggs, and two complete eggs, no sign of bee  incubation chambers, just droppings!.

Talking of buzzing insects and drinks on the patio, just tonight, this fella dropped in, literally, half way through the bottle it came down and dropped straight into the bottle, without touching the sides!!  After I'd salvaged the half bottle, letting it have a taster, I let it dry out and fly off after trying to take a few blurred shots. 

I've not seen a hornet for some years

Back to fishing and old grounds
This weekend sees me meeting up with an old friend from Castlethorpe, we've talked, but not met up since my move to Lincolnshire 11 years ago.
We are going on a trip into Northamptonshire to fish by appointment only,in what appears to be a group of secluded lakes. No doubt I'll report back.

I have also an invitation ,which I've taken up, to travel across to Bucks/Beds borders to fish another lake, later in the month. This time with some new friends of the Traditional angling variety.
A chance to get advice on my cane rods and to fish with cane and centrepin.
No doubt tea and cake will come into the equation,so I've persuaded Pauline to bake me one of her special Dundee's for the occasion

Somewhere in the middle of those two dates, I'm back down to the City of London to meet the old boys of the International Drinking Society, no idea where we are meeting yet, but it's Brians' turn to choose the location for what I think is his 75th!  Probably a pub overlooking the river.

Another holiday
Pauline has gone and booked us a week in Turkey, a new country for us, in mid-September.
This Government pension of ours is being used as intended.
She's even thinking we should have a long term stay for a couple of months "somewhere warm"