Marmalade On A Blazing Star

Phew! A busy old working day, tied down with work chores on the computer and so with little opportunity to stroll around on the search for interesting images.

Windy and wild too! I was lucky to nip out in the garden during a lull in the wind while a Marmalade Fly - a type of hover-fly (Episyrphus balteatus) was taking a look at this newly-opened Blazing Star (Liatris). It's one of those plants that opens from the top down and looks a treat when fully in bloom.

I'm hoping that tomorrow will bring fair weather because Northampton opens its summer beach to the public. As one of the nation's counties that's furthest from the sea, it sounds most intriguing!