Our friends, the animals

This video is not featured to show off my amazing photography skills, but to introduce you to the newest member of the extended family - the gorgeous Sorrel, a three month old chocolate labrador. My daughter tells me that she resisted suggestions to call her 'Cocoa' and Cadbury. It was GD2 that thought of this so much more sophisticated name.

Animal life has had me worrying about bees. I understand the government is funding some research into the decline in the bee population and other pollinating insects and the WI is also trying to support bees. When the weather was pleasant a week or so back, I had a wander around the garden to see if we were doing our bit. I was delighted to see that the cotoneaster at the back of the garden had attracted many buzzy insects; so too had an evergreen hedging plant with variegated leaves, whose name I don't know. Though I have made the decision what to plant over the years, I am not always happy with my choices. The cotoneaster, for example, I thought was an uninteresting addition. Now though I'm delighted to have it there. I also noticed some bees around the rhododendrons and also visiting my perennial geraniums. These are an anassuming little plant with nice foliage and produce many small pinky mauve flowers; they're not showy like the rhododendrons, but they do stay around for several weeks from May onwards. Try to have something flowering every day of the year, I've heard it said. I can't quite do that but on the whole, I do achieve a flowering season from the early bulbs in February through to late autumn. This year, I'll be keeping a closer eye on them.

Today, I was in Guildford to give a talk at the Writing Your Life Story Workshop at the Guildford Institute. Mine was a contribution of one hour, talking about my own autobiographical book, The Fruit of the Tree. I had spent much time revising it since my last talk, and I think it was improved this time. The Institute are holding a two-day workshop once each term, and I will be there again in October. Now that I've finished with that, I am going to work on another talk for the twinning celebrations at Freiburg, Germany, which I am attending next week. I shall also have to sort out my packing list - is it to be winter or summer clothes. That's the crucial question.