Saturday 16th June 2018

It is always nice when you get up thinking you can get some orchiding down before breakfast. Heck even before shopping in Tesco.

As sometimes happens, we wait all week for the weekend to roll round, we have hopes and plans to do things, then when it does arrive, the weather is a bit bland.

So it was on Saturday, we woke up to cloud cover, and my plan had been to snap the local aberrant Bee Orchids in some early morning sunshine, only there was no sunshine. But it was still. And still conditions is perfect for macro work, and meaning I could do some really small aperture shots to get details.

We have coffee, feed the cats and I load the car with shopping bags and camera. Jools lads the car with some domestic rubbish, as she is going to drove to the tip whilst I snap the orchids, in the view of those waiting for the tip.

And I did, as the early risers with their cars full of trash and garden waste wait to get into the tip, I walk past with camera slung against my back, then get down to snap all the spikes. Not perfect in the dull conditions, but the depth of field I get more than made up for that.

And as I finish, Jools comes out of the tip to pick me up, then we go to Tesco to do our shop. Not much we needed was the feeling. £110 later.

Although I did buy some socks, made with wool taken from the fleece of the golden lamb. So lovely.

So we go round, fill the trolley with mostly healthy stuff. And some unhealthy stuff. But no beer!

We are home by nine, already having done most of what we had planned for the day. How clever we are. We spend the morning in the garden, deadheading and tidying up. Or I do until eleven, when the first of four games lick off, so as the weather was cool and cloudy, I take to the sofa and try to keep awake.

Once France had beaten Australia, Argentina played Iceland and drew 1-1, with Messi missing a penalty and finally, I saw the first half of Denmark v Peru, which was 0-0 when we left for Jen's, but Denmark running out winners, 1-0. And I am nearly half Danish now as I spend so much time there, right?

At Jens we play cards, drink wine and have a chat and laugh. We laugh long and well, whilst it seemed a storm was building outside, but that faded away as darkness fell.

Jen won at Meld and scooped the two big pots at Queenie, nearly clearing our kitty out.

Still, its just pennies. Just as well really.

We are home by 11, and go straight to bed, followed by our feline shadows.