Once upon a time, I read a story. The gist of it has remained for decades, it concerned the futility of attempting to control and tame nature. I don’t recall anything else about it. I felt that futility yesterday looking over the damage wrought by the heat. Even the stately spear thistle is wilting. The potatoes look done in and the borage is literally praying for relief. I saw a bee crawling over the hot ground, found it one of the last sprigs of privet blossom as everything else they tend to like looked unhelpful.

I felt like crying for the bees and little creatures.

Then I escaped back indoors and read this >>>

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/18/heatwave-extreme-weather-uk-climate-crisis

There was another dimly remembered tale, short science fiction, Americans in some alien encounter aboard a spaceship – usual plot, different setting. I don’t remember what happened in the story except the ending. The crew were greatly outnumbered, no ‘seventh cavalry’ to save them, they were all going to die. Perhaps there was an allusion to ‘Custers last stand’, didn’t occur to me then, unable to verify now. The story ends with the remnants of the crew sealed into some room with their leader, could have been just him left. He grabs his space weapon and stands. Then he opens the door, stepping out he shouts “who’s next” and starts firing. The end.

I remember this ending more and more frequently. It seems to sum up the ‘rugged individual’ Byronic hero type responible for bringing so much in the world to its knees. And not in any way that fits the definition of heroic.

Not all is lost….

The cinnabar moth caterpillars have left the ragwort, to do cinnabar moth caterpillar type things one hopes. The ragwort has buds beginning to open and this unidentified visitor>>>

There are still buds on the spear thistle, though they look like they are going to bolt – where are the finches? There are some patches of dandelions that were left deliberately for bees. The nastutiums seem to have a profusion of blooms still to open. I hope there is enough. Oh nearly forgot, the Harlequin larvae cleaned up the blackfly in just a few days – they must spend their waking hours eating! They were last seen moving over to the Anthemis tinctoria.

Something has been investigating the ladybird stately pile! I think it is a small rodent as I heard something rustling in the leaf litter but couldn’t see it, probably a mouse. As long as it says outside….