Monarchs

I had a day off from walking today and spent it mainly editing photos from the first walks in the Festival.

This afternoon I picked a few apples in my neighbours' garden and harvested more or their green beans. It's lovely to have friends who share. These are cooking apples and they go fluffy very quickly. Lovely for baking.

Looking at them reminded me of the Macintosh Reds which always appeared in my stocking at Christmas, lovingly polished by my father. No amount of polishing would make these look more refined but the lovely redness triggered the memory.