Pretty pond no more.

After I had my six monthly check up at the hospital, I took a detour on the way home through my childhood villages. I again visited my old home to see how the conversion was getting on. Every time I have passed by I have not seen the people living there, I would really like to tell them what the house was like when it was first built, just after the war.
Then I went on to Walton-on-the-Hill,, where my sister lived for a while. She lived in a flat which overlooked the pond, a pretty feature of the village. Not so pretty now, as it has almost dried up. There is a large area of mud in the middle where ducks and seagulls are keeping their feet cool, but no actual water.
The atmosphere is heavy, and it is still very hot. Apparently we are not due rain until Wednesday and even then it is not certain We seem to be in a rain shadow, and so often the longed for rain passes us by.