Halcyon days ...

... are here again.

There is a short period in a teacher's year when examination classes have departed for study leave and internal examinations and reports are not yet threatening, so that workload eases for just a couple of weeks. This calm is perhaps the best time of year - time to relax, reflect and generally reorganise one's life.

"Oh, come on," I hear you exclaim, "what about those long summer holidays?". Somehow, they never seem to be the treat that you think they'll be. There's always something to be doing, either domestic chores or the planning that you hope will ease the burden of the new academic year; somehow several weeks of "free" time are never so greatly enjoyed as a rare work-free weekend.

I'm hoping to finish The Daffodil Affair (Michael Innes) and Nature's Chemicals (Richard Firn) and there's a fern to plant out (once I've dug up an the remains of old ornamental current tree) - photos to follow.