Monday 9th July 2019

The start of an interesting week, but for one day, I would be working from home, surrounded by cats. Only, that’s not the way it is when the weather is hot, as they vanish after breakfast to hunker down in some deep shade, only to emerge late afternoon when its dinner time.

Meanwhile, Jools has to go to Canterbury for another CT scan, but with the legendary traffic in the city, she leaves with two hours to spare just so she can be sure of getting there.

So I am home, and manage to spend the two hours between Jools leaving for the hospital and starting work with something.

Holiday season has begin in Denmark, so there are fewer e mails to respond to, fewer people available to talk to, so no excuses.

Outside it is a glorious day again, long jot and sunny day, and just about cool enough in the house to be able to work.

Lunch comes and goes and I carry on, getting my tasks for the day done, but at half three, I had to set off for the doctor’s for a month’s supply of pills, so I decide to stretch my let, taking the path over the fields, down the dip, up the other side and back along Kingsdown road into the village.

I was hoping to see some more flowers about, but really was hoping to see butterflies, as there hasn’t been many on the garden.

Across the fields I had seen a singe Red Admiral and a Holly Blue, but in the glade there was nothing, even with many flowers out, but once past Fleet House and down the dip, I saw more and more of them: Large Whites, Small Whites, Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Common Blue and a Small Skipper.

Up the other side and the field of drying out rape seed is covered with a cloud of Whites. A fabulous sight that a photograph cannot do justice to.

I get to the top, draw a deep breath and walk back along the village, thrilling at being able to name so many flowers on either side of the lane.

And once past the pond and up the slope to the surgery, they actually have my pills, and Jools’, though it costs £26, but we are all set for another month.

And from there it is mostly a downhill stroll, back past the pond, the Red Lion and down Station Road until the last hundred yards where the hill starts.

I am hot and huffing, but I did it, and instead of beer, I sup some ice squash on the patio before wrapping up work, then getting dinner ready.

Jools had to work late, so we sat down to eat at seven, the heat was going out of the day and then clouds rolled in making it feel even chilly.

We watch an episode of The Bridge, before the evening had slipped by us again, and in the morning, I am off on my travels.