Saturday 6th August 2022

The weekend.

We did have a bit of a late night Friday, nearly ten by the time we got to bed, so I was hoping my brain might let me sleep until maybe six or seven. Not the ten to five it decided to stir my tired body.

Sigh.

So anyway, we get up and after feeding the cats we have coffee, make the shopping list and go to Tesco.

Tesco has rearranged the store again, only four cahs tills now, extra self-service and wider aisles which I suspect is hidig the reduced range either caused by Brexit or my Tesco carrying less lines. THere are also gaps on shelves, but most is there, just not in huge quantities. We go round and get mostly the usual stuff, with just three bottles of beer and some fabric softner, and its £99.40. We really bought nothing extravagant.

We go home, Jools packs the shopping away and I make brews and bacon butties.

So we were all ready to go out at half eight, first off to Sturry to pick up a friend and then to Barham for some orchiding. We even use the Canterbury inner ring road, as its just about early enough not to be jammed. By Sainsbury's theres new flats and another new shopping centre, rising from beside the road like a cliff. We can't remember what used to be there, but Fran, who we pick up a few minutes later, said it was old council houses that had been empty years.

We pick her up just before the level crossing, I get the car turned round and go back into the city before taking the Dover road back to the A2 and towards the meeting point.

We were early enough to call in to look at the BLH near the old railway bridge. Last week they had been in peak condition, but in seven days all bar one of the spikes ad gone to seed and turned brown, we found one plant with two flowers still open, just worth taking a shot for.

We walk back to the car, the drive the two miles down the lane to the hard standing, where another member of the group was waiting. We wait a few minutes until the third and final member, Chris turned up.

It was a hot and humid day, but in the wood it was cooler, with the greet refracted light cooling, even though it was a slow uphill slog to the where the orchids are.

We had marked each clump on what3words, and so I put the first one in and we walked until I nearly trod on a spike. It wasn't quite in flower, so I put the next location in and walked the 39m, where I found no orchids.

Same with the next one, but I knew there were here, so I began to look using my eyes, and soon found a couple of clumps. One in really good condition.

After wandering around some more, I said the Fran, should we go to Temple Ewell to look for Skippers?

She said yes, as did Jools.

We walked back through the wood, down the slope to the car, then back to the A2 for a short blast to Lydden. Then down the hill, through to Temple Ewell and to the car park behind the old pub. What we then had was the long climb up to the partures above the treeline.

Here we go again.

At least doing this at lunchtime meant few dogwalkers about, but of course, it was hot.

Once through the woods, we go through to the second field to look for Autumn Lady's Tresses, and after 20 minutes, Fran finds three spikes, none quite open, but one close.

Next week.

So, now to the butterflies.

I go down the slope, Fran goes up. It took some searching, but I saw one for a while, then just as I had given up, I saw a flash of gold in the grass to my left, and sure enough a Silver Spotted Skipper was trying to keep cool.

I played it cool, got down and crawled slowly over, snapping with each move until I was almost on top of it. It didn't fly away.

Fran had to be back home by one, so it being quarter past twelve, we turned and headed down to the car to begin to take her back to Sturry.

Thinking of a route to avoid the traffic in Canterbury is always a challenge, but through Wingham, then along the main road before turning down towards Fordwich.

We drop Fran off outside the church, enabling us to turn round and head back out of the village easier. Fordwich claims to be England's smallest town, and has narrow and twisting streets, which looks quaint, but is not good for the 21st century.

I had noticed the Haywain at Bramling seemed not to have many cars in the car park.

Pub lunch?

Hell yes! In the end, the larger car park out back was full, but once we had parked in the only empty space and gone inside, there was lots of tables, and with the staff working their socks off we were soon tucking into tempura tiger prawns, followed, for me, by fish and chips with excellent crispy batter.

The beer went down well, too.

I was distracted however, due to Norwich kicking off at half twelve, playing newly promoted Wigan, and falling behind.

Sigh.

We level in the second half, but another game goes by, but with an improved performance and our first goal of the season.

Onwards and upwards.

We drive home, getting back at three. We have an ice cream before I settle down to listen to the main batch of games at three, and to stay awake. I take to the sofa for the second half and miss most of it.

There is yet more football at half five, Chelsea v err, Everton. And it was OK. We have cheese and crackers for supper.

And beer. And so 50% of the weekend had slipped by.