Magic carpet

There were two Americans on the bus with us out of Oxford today, discussing all manner of British issues, from the question of whether currency with the Queen's head would disappear after her death to the courtesy of buses to slow-moving cyclists wobbling along in front of them in the shared lane.

Sadly, they got off before they had got on to the subject of our weather, because the last two days have shown its wayward nature in a classic way. Friday: vile, wet and so windy that the Cockney/Essex geezers who run Kidlington High Street's excellent veg stall almost had their canopies blown away. Penny and I held on to a couple of struts and got given a free ginger root in thanks. Today: so sunny and warm that we kept shedding clothing on a very enjoyable bike ride down the canal towpath into the city.

The moths have mirrored this. Last night's chill resulted in just one visitor to the trap: a Green Carpet which fluttered off before I could photograph it. But when I was weeding late this afternoon, no fewer than three Green Carpets kept visiting me, flying by day as about 60 UK moths do. Eventually, I nipped indoors to get the camera and took the picture above. On the face of it, the little moth was perching on a grass leaf doing nothing, while a different and vast life-form got up close and personal and photographed it. But if you look closely at the pic, you'll see its curling proboscis. It was so busy licking the grass that it probably wasn't even aware that I was there.

I'll just add a pic of a Goldfinch which preceded us along the towpath, just like a cyclist in a bus lane. We also saw Brimstones, Comma, Orange Tip and Green-veined White butterflies so it was a most rewarding seven mile pedal (even though I got a flat back tyre, which is why we came back on the bus).