Highs & lows of summer

I had intended to do this post last night but alas just as we are finally given a hint of summer I was hit with a Summer Low:

Hay fever: I love the summer, being able to sit outside first thing in the morning to last thing in the evening; getting out and about without numerous layers on, but it doesn't like me. As soon as June and the dreaded yellow fields arrive I get a heightened sense of smell around flowers like Superman and start sniffling & sneezing, and if I'm really unlucky as I was yesterday puffy alien bug eyes! I think because we haven't really had a summer as such I've been taking it for granted and not always taking a tablet first thing each morning. I learnt my lesson yesterday. I took a tablet just before we left the house, and I mean just, and had my sunnies with me (a hay fever survival essential as well as to look stylish) but didn't have them on all the time. Within half an hour I was sniffling but thought it would ease once the tablet kicked in but come the afternoon my eyes were itching and puffy all because I didn't wear my shades for a few minutes, rookie mistake! As a result I sat all afternoon inside rather than in the sun with cold flannels & spoons on my eyes! 

But where there are lows there are Summer Highs: 

Strawberry Picking: 

think of summer and what do you think of? Ice creams on the beach, Pimms, Wimbledon & strawberries & cream! Luckily we have a PYO strawberry nearby at Rutland Water golf course. So off we tootled yesterday morning to the little blue shack in front of lines of poly tunnels, grabbed a punnet each and went picking. 

 When you enter the tunnel you instantly smell the heavenly smell of fresh strawberries, and even though one of the rules is that you must pay for your fruit before you eat it, I defy anyone not to pop the odd one into your mouth! After all we're only human! And boy oh boy do they taste good, we were picking at them in the car I'm surprised we had any left when we got home!