Plague of Greenfly!

OK, I've had enough of summer now. Warm weather is all very well, if you like that kind of thing, but there's warm, there's hot and there's too hot, with today sliding sweatily into the last category by a mile.

Late this afternoon the garden suddenly errupted in a plague of greenfly, swarming everywhere. You couldn't breathe without swallowing some, it looked like a smokey snowstorm. EUUGGGGHHHHH.

Anyway, today has passed in a heatwave blur and I have a headache that will not go away. We have variously:

• Got up far too early and assembled a big new paddling pool (Daddy)
• Cursed the big new paddling pool when it failed to work, emptied out all the water and started again (Daddy)
• Rustled up four garden chairs to prop up big new paddling pool so it could actually fill up properly (Daddy)
• Looked on aghast as the city full of spiders living on said chairs went for a swim (Mummy & Emily)
• Donned superhero cape and de-spidered paddling pool (Daddy)
• Tried to find some shade to sit in that wasn't swarming with ants (Mummy)
• Failed and ended up sunburnt because you never remember to put sun cream on yourself (Mummy)
• Played non stop in new paddling pool and boat (Emily)
• Been a pain in the posterior by disappearing all evening and having to be coaxed in from the garden at midnight and then promptly vanishing somewhere inside the house when we needed to know where she was so we could set the burglar alarm (Juliet)
• Written Christmas astrology articles for US magazine (Mummy)
• Ranted at ebay (Mummy)
• Worked, worked, worked, worked, cooled off in pool, worked, worked, worked (Daddy)
• Covered mouth and nose in horror and refused to set foot outside once greenfly arrived (Mummy)
• Wondered what all the fuss about greenfly was for and carried on playing outside regardless (Emily)
• Had a feast of greenfly (Spiders in webs all over the show)

And well, that's about it. It's been hot. Did I mention that? I really, really dislike this weather. If it's wet, you can splash about and listen to the rain; if it's windy you can fly kites and listen to the trees; if it's cold you can snuggle up warm together; if it's snowing you can have endless fun. The elements are moving, alive, entrancing. If it's boiling hot.......you get to stay sticky and uncomfortable all day, you get heat rash, you get sunstroke, you get plagued by insects, the sky stays boringly blue every day, everywhere you want to go is full of other people and your fan just moves the warm air around a bit. Lovely. I don't do summer. I'd be perfectly content with an extended spring and autumn to replace it altogether. In fact, I think I shall write to my MP demanding this be seriously considered.