Friday 22nd May 2026

Friday.

And for a change, I sleep through until ten past six, woken only when Jools drove the car up the drive and the loose drain cover clanging.

Oh well.

I lay for ten minutes before getting up, to find Cleo waiting for me to vacate the bed, so she could go to sleep for the day.

Outside it was already a warm and sunny day, too warm to do much, though a walk might be in order.

But first: coffee and do the bins.

Scully is hungry, but then she is every morning. So, looking at her test result, I see its too high to be of concern, so try to ignore her.

Jools does yoga, comes back, has a brew and breakfast, then is gone for knit and natter at half nine, going round to pick up the ladies in the car, leaving me home alone for a couple of hours.

I do go for a walk, just across the field to look for flowers and butterflies, but out in the field, the wind was stronger than it looked, probably too strong for them to be on the wing.

The orchid at the end of the street still isn't in flower, but I convince myself its close. Though its clear its not an Early spider, and is almost certainly a Bee.

I come back for a brew and sit under the parasol and read more of WSC's preview of the world cup with Scully in close attendance.

The plan had been to go to Pegwell Bay in the afternoon to look for orchids, but the build up of holiday traffic put that in doubt, but by one the Duke of Yorks roundabout was clear, so we could go that way and turn up towards Whitfield before taking the Sandwich road.

It was a downright warm, if not hot, afternoon. The car park by the Viking Ship was over half full, cars and campers spread out as people ate ice creams of sun bathed.

We parked and walked to the steps and down onto the old hoverport.

Due to a series of dry winters and springs, the Bee Orchids, Southern Marsh Orchid and yellow Man Orchids have all died out, and the only two orchids we did see where two Lizards not yet in flower.

In fact there were few flowers out, just stonecrop making a go of things on the dusty soil, and that not in flower either.

On the way back we stop at Monk's Wall for me to check on the Lizards there, and beside the main road I found a dozen spikes, and two partly in flower already.

This is the back up if going to Sandwich bay isn't worth it when I lead the HOS trip in twelve days.

Back in the car for the drive back home, going via Deal and Walmer to miss the jams building up for Dover port, which was going to be a problem as we had friends coming to visit on Saturday, and we were to meet them at Priory station, which might be impossible.

We shall see.

Oddly, despite having summer weather, traffic was light along The Strand, so we made good time back to St Maggies and Chez Jelltex.

Time to put the kettle on for a brew, and due to the heat, skip a meal and snack instead.

As the football season is now almost at an end, no games on the TV, and I was pooped again, so we went to bed just after nine, after I checked Scully and fed her one last time.

Summer is here.