It was a glorious summer’s day today so we decided it was time we got the firepit out again for a BBQ. This time I decided to leave the coals heaped on one side of the grille, which proved to be a good strategy. It gave me an area of intense heat as well as several progressively cooler zones to put things that were in danger of becoming too charred but needed some more cooking time. I also put our cast iron pot on the edge of the cool side, which gave a clean place to put the cooked food. In the past we have tried to juggle it on to a plate but, not having a very large table, it can be a bit precarious finding a place for that, the plates we will eat off and the various bits of food ready to cook.

One of the particular pleasures this evening was enjoying the birds swooping past. They have not quite reached the point of hopping at our feet but they are quite happy to carry on not too far away.