Why?

 "Why do I do this?"  This is what I was asking myself down the allotment today!  It was so disheartening to go down there.  I was dreading going down, knowing that the weeds would be big, the crops would be struggling (if they hadn't been eaten by slugs), and the ground would be water logged.  I wasn't far wrong.  The above photo was the strawberry bed I had weeded and fertilised about a month ago.  I was struggling to see any strawberry plants at all. 

The pumpkins were still there, which I suppose is a blessing, but they were definitely not looking their best, and the courgette plants were looking decidedly yellow.

 This is supposed to be where the leeks are. Hmmm, I certainly couldn't spot any there *sigh*

 It is certainly looking very lush, and that grass is looking very long! 

 So feeling completely overwhelmed, I set too, weeding the strawberry bed.  A blessing that the ground is so soft that many of the weeds pulled out easily enough.  Then I noticed the sky getting darker, the birds singing their pre-storm song.  It was too late to cycle back home, and I couldn't shelter in the shed, because Stuart had the shed keys, so I had to shelter the best I could under the apple tree amongst the nettles.  "Why?" was going through my head alot by that point!

 And the tree didn't really offer much shelter, so I packed up and started home.

It wasn't all bad though.  Stuart was on his way home from work, realised how heavy the rain was and came and picked me up, bike and all.  And there are some strawberries ripening up...

 ...some peas filling their pods...

 ...and the chance of a bumper crop of raspeberries.

So, not all bad, but I think this year might test the hardiest of gardeners!!