Sun-Seeking

June has mostly been a miserably grey and damp month here in the UK and high hopes of sunshine and summery living seem to have had to move to the back-burner. I am not sure whether this summer is actually any worse than other British summers, but we seem to be more sensitive about it somehow, or perhaps it's just me. I read an article in The Guardian the other day, following a meteorological conference in London to discuss the serious question of what has happened to summer in the UK, which, needless to say, failed to come up with much that made cheery reading and I was struck by the point of view that actually this little old island in the middle of the north Atlantic cannot expect to bask in sunshine all summer and we are lucky to get what we do.

Perhaps easier and more frequent travel, to warmer and sunnier climes, has made us think, not entirely reasonably, that we ought to be able to live a similar, sun-blessed lifestyle back home. Foolish when you think about it, of course, but somehow it seems to pervade the way we Brits approach the weather and we get disproportionately disgruntled when picnics have to be eaten huddled under blankets, rain stops play and the BarBQ rusts quietly, as it sits unused in a corner of the garden.

But in truth there have been moments of summer sunshine, amid the grey clouds, and possibly they are the more treasured because they have not been two-a-penny. Putting together moments I had snapped with my camera over the last few weeks almost makes one whole long hot day too! This is a conceit - the pics were taken over the course of the whole of June but I find the idea cheering so I am going with it.

early morning sun coming through the leaves onto the saucers of elderflower blossom that are late this year but now covering the trees in foamy platefuls:

mid-morning sun on a bit of hooky in the garden:

noontide sun on a busy bee in the purple geraniums:

afternoon sun shining through red and white polka dot muffin papers onto strawberry and banana muffins (I love these muffin wrappers - I got them here if you're interested; a bit expensive at £4.99 for twelve but I love them anyway):

evening sun on the leaves of a walnut tree, grasses blowing in the breeze and wild roses in the hedgerow against a miraculously clear blue sky:

They say the UK weather is going to take a more stable turn for the better at the end of the week but then they said that last week and after a couple of warm days it disappeared again so I am not holding my breath. If I want days of unbroken sunshine I may have to revert to the conceit of my pics! After all they also say, "The camera cannot lie"! Here's hoping!