Sunday 27 April 2014

Sunday 27th April 2014 (part 2)

Saturday.

The weekend.

Why is it, when we spend the whole week looking forward to a bit of orchid hunting, does the weather decide that it is going to pour with rain instead? Hmmmm? I did live in hope that maybe the BBC had got it wrong, but we woke up to leaden skies and more than a hint of rain in the air.

After a first cup of coffee of the day, I head to Tesco as with us both working again, fitting shopping into the working week is now impossible. Anyway, getting there soon after 8 means zipping round, grabbing stuff and being home within 40 minutes.

I had bought a tube of ready to cook croissants, which not quite as good as those baked in store, where better than nothing, as the ones from the bakery were not ready. Anyway, more coffee to accompany the croissants, and all was set.

i spend the morning listening to the radio, and send a mail in to the Danny Baker show as I thought they might be interested. They were, and after speaking to a couple of researchers, I was on air, trying to keep my nerves under control. Turns out many of my friends from school were listening, as well as some of my Flickr friends as they mailed me to let me know they heard.

34067 "Tangmere" takes on Martin Mill Bank

Jools went to visit Nan, and I did a session on the cross trainer. Yes, I am still pumping the lard away, but I guess it is not having much good, possibly as i like a beer or two. Anyway, I do feel so much better now that I am exercising regularly.

The worse part of supporting a football team, any sporting team in fact, is not the losing, but its the faint whisps of hope. The worse mantra is 'if we could just beat.....' And so on. City were due to play Man Utd at half five, and before then we had to listen to other teams battle for their lives. Utd sacked their manager during the week; David Moyes is a good man, but not man enough to be their manager, and judging by some of the stories coming out of the Theatre of Broken Dreams is certain players might have been trying to get him sacked. Anyway, with serial wife-cheating Ryan Giggs in charge, any hope we had of heading to Manc Land with them subdued were dashed.

34067 "Tangmere" takes on Martin Mill Bank

Indeed on a the crest of renewed passion, Utd turned on a classic second half display as certain City players just stood and watched, and watched as Utd ran in three more goals. It is, at the end of the day, just a game, and I have known for some time we have not been good enough, but to go out so meekly, just hurts.

34067 "Tangmere" takes on Martin Mill Bank

Anyway, instead of listening to football all day, I head out at twenty past four to snap Tangmere as she steamed through all bedecked in the Golden arrow regalia. I left it too late to head where I wanted to, and so had to dash to Guston bridge to get a decent spot, and good job I did as she was bang on time. The sunshine had broken through, and the scene was bathed in warm golden sunlight.

34067 "Tangmere" takes on Martin Mill Bank

Once she had disappeared into Guston tunnel, I packed my gear and headed to the beach. There is another site for Early Spider Orchids, and I thought I would see if they were out. Indeed they were, and as I looked I saw more and more flowering spikes. In the end I spotted something like 35 or more spikes, and most looking glorious. And the best part is that most people do not know they are there, and so they are just bothered by us photographers....

Early Spider Orchid, Ophrys sphegodes

I go back home to pick up Jools, ad we head to Sandwich to look at the Green Winged Orchids again. Well, Jools had not seen them before, so, and I wanted to see if I could see any white versions. We were impeded on our way by a convoy of hooray Henrys in BMWs and Bentleys heading to one of the golf courses. I am sure that if you have enough money for a Bentley then that is gOd's way of telling you that you have too much money. Give some away. They were driving like idiots, not indicating and generally acting like rich jerks, which is what they were.

Green Winged Orchid, Orchis morio and Orchis morio ver. alba

We parked up and soon enough I spotted the orchids, and as I looked I saw that they stretched on and on, and scatted amongst the thousands of orchids were a smattering of ver. alabas. Lovely.

Green Winged Orchid, Orchis morio and Orchis morio ver. alba

Jools and I spent an hour snapping away, getting our shots before a foursome came down the fairway, and as we had strayed from the path, thought we had better get out. I don't think the club minds that much that we come to look at the orchids. By now the sun was out and the light was just amazing. It was glorious to drive home via the road over the dunes then through deal and home.

Green Winged Orchid, Orchis morio

A fine end to the day.

I am on my travels again tomorrow, so there will be a brief interruption of my blogs, but I will be back at the weekend with all your Jelltex news.

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