Thursday 4th May 2023

Star Wars Day. (since 1978)

UK local elections.

And work.

And again, I sleep through the alarm, and wake at ten to six with Jools getting ready for work, and Cleo back on the bed after her breakfast.

Was going to be a cooler, breezier day, but should have been good enough to walk to the polling station in the afternoon.

The sun rose way to the east now, out of sight, but the warm light falling across the back garden was worth a snap before I came done for the first emergency coffee of the day.

What was the emergency? I needed coffee.

Anyway, more meetings, more meetings about meetings.

I eat breakfast, drink more coffee, and catch the mouse Poppy had been playing with for a few hours.

All fun things, really.

I had the second part of my assessment, where I was told I would lead the audit of Top Management, a very responsible job, though nothing mentioned about more money.

Sadly.

Then at three I walked to the village hall.

I took the easy route there, down and up Station Road, past the village shop and the decorated post box, then through the churchyard and out the other side. I took my passport, that was checked, I was given my slip on which to cast my vote(s).

That done, I walk back to the Smugglers, cut through the alleyway and out along Kingsdown Road, hoping to snap more flowers and maybe a butterfly or two.

The road, which is also on the national cycle network, was very quiet, no bikes passed me at all. And I did manage to snap a single Red Admiral sunning itself on a twig, though the sound of the shutter made it fly off, so I got no closer shots.

I reached the top of The Dip, turned down, amazed really how dry it was. The chalk and soil had mixed together to make a kind of light brown concrete.

At the bottom, there was not just mud, but deep standing water in the tractor tracks, but there was a way round, leaving the fnal climb of the day, which my back told me it was happy about.

Past Fleet House then across the fields to home, getting back just five minutes before Jools.

She had the day from hell at work, so no walking or voting for her, and I get down to making fritters for dinner, which is all done and cooked in about 40 minutes.

I have the last of the wine as we ate, and even as I prepared for the 4th evening of football in a row, I felt dog tired too, and decided to watch just the first half. That ended a 0-0 draw between Brighton and Man Utd, and not engaing enough to make me want to watch the second half.