Friday 5th June 2026

Friday.

And because Thursday and Saturday I was/am going to be busy or otherwise engaged, I have to do phys.

So, set the alarm for five, and for once I was in a deep sleep when the alarm goes off.

I wasn't in the mood for getting up, let alone going to the gym. But there's no shirking in this house.

Jools goes to yoga, so would drop me off at the sports centre on the way into town, so we had to have tested and fed the cats, dressed, have coffee, do the bins and be out by six.

We shared the jobs, and got it done, but even still it was five past when we left.

Jools dropped me off outside, so I went in, climbed the stairs and onto the bike. It didn't feel warm outside, but inside, after five minutes of pedalling, I was getting hot.

I listened to another episode of The Bugle, which lasted just over half an hour, so I was ten minutes shot. But no matter, as I was going to walk along the bus route to Fort Burgoyne, and once I got there, the plan was for Jools to have finished and come pick me up.

I was walking this not just because it was a fine morning and phys, but so I could botanise on the way. At the end of the road, and round to the bus stop, I counted 113 Common Spotted Orchids and two Bee, one of a huge size.

But beyond the shelter, there were no more orchids. But plenty of other plants.

Two buses passed me as I turned onto the bus road, both no fully electric as their power issue had been sorted out and they can now climb up Castle Hill.

A jogger ran by, and a couple of ladies were walking their Labrador. I stopped to take shots of Mallows, Thistles, Bugloss and all manner of other plants, though after a while it was just repeatitive.

I reached the end, so turned right along the back of the Duke of Yorks school, along the top of the downs overlooking Dover and Buckland down below.

I see a sign for a nature reserve I had not known about, and the information sign said there were Early Spiders there to be found.

Next year.

It was half seven, so I texted Jools to let her know where I was. And carried on.

I had almost reached the Castle when the blue Audi hoved into view, so once she stopped I get in and we go home, where it was high time for a brew.

Jools had knit and natter, so I stayed and made focaccia bread for lunch, tucking and folding every half hour or so, and by midday was ready for the final rise, all full of bubbles.

The garden was full of insects in the full sun, and a Painted Lady stayed feeding for over two hours, then along came a Hummingbird hawkmoth, so I snapped them both, rattling off 140 shots in a couple of minutes.

We ate at two, once the bread had risen and sprinkled with salt crystals. We have it with Caprese, made with over ripe tomatoes, and was most splendid.

We just had to stay awake for the rest of the afternoon. Well, we didn't, as we had done all tasks for the day, and could now relax.

Once the focaccia was done rising, I put it in the tin fand applied some jiggle jiggle jiggle and wiggle wiggle wiggle, then baked for twenty five minutes until crispy. Served with Caprese and a bottle of Italian red.

I do badly in the quiz, and again with no football, it was early to bed.