Early morning, before the heat explodes, 16th July

The only time to walk at the moment is first thing in the morning, before the heat explodes upon us. What country is this we are living in again? The last time I felt the days stretch on like this with sunshine from dawn to dusk, and temperatures in the 30's, was in Croatia, several years ago.
Heat we have known in the past, but these veering extremes are unsettling. And it may of course all be gone in a day or two. Though in the midst of days such as this, it always seems as if it's going to last for a whole, endless summer, however experienced we are, we always wish for that possibility of the endless summer of our childhood years, as mythical then surely as now.

Walking along paths, with soil turning sandy (or just seeming so, this is London Clay after all), and dry grasses, is my morning walk. I have to say, it's not a bad start to the day.

And am pleased to say that there is new life - lots of it - at the lake. I counted at least 4 new families, with quite plentiful numbers of ducklings or cootlings. (One thing about an iphone, it's not great for distant detail, but they are there, very small and very active! A much more welcome climate than for the little goslings back in April. These are sensibly keeping far from humans and dogs, also). No new Egyptian Goslings, unless they are hiding in the reeds. And no young Canada Geese (though there are enough of them already, two pairs at least. Down on past years, as they are now actively culled to allow other breeds to survive). I was beginning to think there would be no breeding at all. But it is surely a very late start.