The first batch of chutney went down-range yesterday and the house is still full of fruit. Consequently, we have fruit flies. Bah.

Today is Needle Day, when I visit the allergist in Kitchener for my four-weekly dose of miracle anti-asthma drug. That will take about two hours, leaving me with not quite enough time for both the second batch of chutney and a trip to the gym. Chutney wins, not least because my feet hurt today but also because the plums and pears I bought on Tuesday will be mush by Saturday.

I must also invest some effort in housework, especially to reduce the amount of visible cat hair in the sitting-room carpet. One of Himself's legal colleagues is coming to dinner on Saturday with his wife, so the place needs a bit of a buff-up. I hate it when a drift of cat hair wafts across the white ceramic tile by the front door just when a guest walks in; I would prefer the passage of at least an hour before the full implications of my laissez-faire attitude to floor maintenance become obvious.

The equinox is upon us and Perth County feels positively autumnal, with a forecast high of 22C and rain. Last week at this time the sun was blazing and the thermometer peaked at 32C. Next week, who knows? Sleet? Anything's possible.