Oodles of plants and weeds going to seed in the Cemetery gardens so we’re scooped up and bagged or piled to limit the number of new plants (especially of the weed variety) next year.

The soil was bone dry so some weeds were easily pulled out and others were holding on as if planted in cement.

When 12 noon approached, we tidied up and headed to a café for, well, coffee and the heavens opened with much-needed rain bouncing off the vehicles passing by and pedestrians dashing for doorways to shelter. And me declaring this was one of my favourite smells - summer rain. Queue Richard’s extensive general knowledge to tell us this has a special word, Petrichor - the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil or pavement. Will wonders never cease?

Beating the impending heatwave (number 3 of 2025), we gathered in the shade at Workout (except Roddy who was determined to stand in the evening sun) and set off in two group - the runners with Richard now as a fully-fledged Fitness Leader (taking charge of the requisite First Aid Kit) and the walkers where no-one's really in charge and conversations are many and varied.

We had a plan, we knew we were preparing table cloths and decorations for the Festive Friends lunch on Friday, and watering the planters that were very dry. Except none of the decorations material shad been left out, so we kept ourselves busy with watering and weeding the edges of the building and front/side walls so he outside would look lovely for the Festive Friends. At least there wasn't a big pile of bunting to untangle!

There are planters of herbs and many fruits - a fig tree that's looking amazing (note to self - ensure we have a visit in 5 or 6 weeks' time when they should be ripening nicely), raspberries, gooseberries and wineberries where scientific sampling was carried out.

Then the Top Excitement of the evening overshadowed all other finding, conversations and puns as a little hedgehog was spotted and we ensured it found a quiet, shady spot to curl up. I say ensured, when we went back to check it had found itself a good temporary spot, but we're happy to take the credit as we COULD have helped if it had been needed.

We discussed a fitness session as the foot/cycle bridge is quite high, steps and slopes so lends itself, if only there'd not been an impending heatwave, and the pollution levels from the motorway below are possibly not ideal...

Soon we were climbing and descending the bridge just the once on our way back to Workout where it was the perfect evening for sitting out on the terrace.

Fantastic GoodGymming, Bristol!

Jerusalem sage, buttercups, brambles. These are all our enemies at the moment and our job to clear today along with other adhoc neatening of Brunswick Cemetery. I marvelled at the fancy secateurs, which you really have to try to appreciate the genius. We also had an additional task of looking out for a yellow ball that a dog had lost, but this eluded us. A lovely morning out in the deceptively hot sunshine.

Until next time…