The heat is consistent and lets us really soak in the delight of summer, it's filling up our reservoirs to go through another winter, it tans our skins and lightens our hair, the soil goes dry and the ever panting dog seeks refuge in the dark coolness of the hall during the day. We have already picked our redcurrant bush almost bare, and made juice from it with the freshest taste of summer, I bake bread every other day, just to do something sensible during the hottest hours, and apart from that we mostly hang around in the shade, play games, listen to the radio, read. In the cooler afternoons we go for a dip in the local swimming pond, before we head back for a home cooked evening meal with lovely produce from our gardens. 

I'm on call for a birth, I've got my camera all packed and ready, and the magic and intensity of what I'm about to witness, contrasts heavily with the lightness of these days. How lucky I am, to have this electric contrast in my life, to be invited into such a space, and to wait for it so pleasantly. These summer days, they are freedom encapsulated.