Monday 2nd November 2026

I woke up having been home alone for 21 hours.

And in that time I hadn't burned the house down, nor killed any one of our four cats.

But there was still two and a half days to go.

I was up at five, as my brain had woken me up, and because I now have to test and jab Scully, feed her and the rest of the cats, then make my own coffee.

It is dark at ten to five in the morning, but apart from some caterwauling by Mulder at some point in the wee small hours, there was no trouble from the feline foursome.

Cats fed. Scully tested and jabbed. Then time to make coffee.

And once that was all done, I could sit down and check on the world.

Not much had changed.

Anyway, that morning I had errands to run.

First of all drop Mike's birthday card off, so I left at twenty to seven, driving to Pilgrims Way and finding his house, I post his card through the letterbox.

Then, back up to Whitfield, past Tesco, and into Deal, first to do some shopping at Sainsbury's. As I had seen a guy I follow on YouTube say that he bought a magnum of good French beer at his local branch.

No such beer at our local branch, but there is a larger branch in Folkestone. Maybe I'd go there on Tuesday after phys?

I then had an hour to kill, as i was going to see the podiatrist for my eight-weekly check.

So, I parked on The Strand, then walked up to the promenade, where the rain of earlier had cleared, and the light sparkled.

The sun was up, and shown from behind clouds in a most photogenic way onto a freighter on the horizon.

Then along the prom, passed the small fishing fleet hauled up on the beach, past the time tower and roundabout to the pier, snapping shots along the pier from beside and on it.

Lovely.

I then had to find a cash machine, as I had the window cleaner coming round later, so onto the High Street, and wait in line at the machine.

Still forty minutes. So, into Greggs for a Festive slice, which some rave about.

I say it's bland and not that good, nor was the tea, but that might have been me putting too much milk in it.

Then a ten minute walk to the surgery, up the stairs and wait on the landing until called in.

All good apart from a new outbreak of athlete's foot, so more spaying needed from now on.

Back to the car for ten past nine, drive back through Walmer and Ringwould and to Chez Jelltex.

Signs were out as the gas board, or whatever they're called now, are digging up the mains on the main road into the village, and would be closed for two weeks.

Our house is before the closure, so all good.

Back home, put the kettle on and have a cuppa with breakfast.

The cats slept on, still breathing: I checked.

Then the whole day to fill until the evening when there was some football.

I watched more Gone Fishing, had jam and crisp sandwiches for lunch, then wrote and listened to music in the afternoon.

I did learn there is more to baseball bats than a piece of wood, so watched a guy tattoo ball out of the ballpark for half an hour, comparing bats.

Dinner was nachos and chilli. The latter left over from Saturday.

I also made two beers vanish, so all was set for the football.

But I was tired, and the discussions annoyed me, so despite being home alone and with lots of booze in the house, I went to bed before eight, and slept through until morning.

Sunday 1st November 2026

A few months ago, Jools booked to go on a crafting retreat in Hitchin.

Hertfordshire.

Where hurricanes hardly happen.

Apparently.

She was given a list of materials, and videos on that YouTube to watch, so for the last two months she has been watching and beading.

Not just beading, but beaded crochet.

She is going to make a box, or something, and a dodecahedron, which somehow I spelt correctly correctly first time.

Then, on Saturday, she did loads of gardening and stuff, so was tired and achy, so she decided not to go to the gym early Sunday morning.

Ian did, though.

While I got up and drank coffee, Jools had a shower, packed and got her stuff together, ao that when I returned from pumping lard, I would take her down to the station to catch the quarter to nine train.

Meaning I would be home alone for three and a half days!

I had parties arranged, obviously, and a tanker called round to drop off several gallons of vintage whisky.

In reality, once I had taken her to Priory station, I came back via Jubilee Way, without incident, back home to put the kettle on and have a brew.

Now, I must remember to feed the cats and not burn the house down.

I listened to RadMac until ten, then half an hour of Huey. Then, looking out at the lawn, I saw that most of it needed a trim.

Best get it done.

Down to the shed, mangle the mower out, then wrestle the box on the back, and have a good tug.

On the starter chord.

It spluttered into life, just like me, and in ten minutes the job was done, and that was the hardest task of the day.

It was warm enough to sit outside with Scully, and look at the birds on the feeders, making sure they were ready for winter.

And this was the first day of winter. Possibly.

Anyway, I need to turn the calendar over.

Instead of a meal, I bake a small batch of shortcakes, which were all done by just gone midday. So, I have a shave and shower to allow the cakes to cool, then down to make a brew and quality test the baked goods.

Good news is that the first one passed, but thought it best to have a second, just to make sure.

As I could lollygag in front of the TV all day watching fitba, there was just one game on, and that didn't kick off until half four, so I found something to watch on the i player, and tried not to fall asleep.

It was Liverpool v Arsenal, a top drawer game. On paper. Though its played on grass, Brian. And was pretty good. Won by Arsenal with the only quality move of the game. 1-0.

The evening was watching stuff on YouTube and listening to music, going to bed just after nine having had a glass or two of vin rouge.

Saturday 31st October 2026

We made it to the last day of the month: All Hallows Eve.

And it was a Saturday, we needed little shopping, but it was a phys day.

Up at half five, and do the usual chores with the cats then make coffee.

Outside it was a glorious morning, dawn was showing, and would be glorious.

I took shots from the back door and waiting in line at the sports centre.

We go in and do out fifty minutes, I had a new PU to listen to, so time flew, listening to the news and music of November 1976, and was long enough to listen to the second half on Sunday.

Then to Tesco, where we needed little, but silly Ian had left his wallet and shopping list at home, so we shopped by memory, and remembered most things. And it came to just £27!

Jools is away for three and a half days from Sunday morning, so I am looking after the house and cats.

We return home, where there is a brew, and quickly put the shopping away.

There was a railtour to snap. But it would pass through Dover in the middle of the second half of the Norwich v Watford game. I decided I would go if things were going bad on the pitch.

And go badly things did.

In the first half.

Despite not playing too badly, two simple straight through balls spit the City defence, and we were 2-0 down somehow.

Sigh.

And then, in the second half, Norwich woke up, and scored one. And like last week, you could see the confidence drop of the opposition, and City were emboldened.

Two goals in little over ten minutes completed the comeback, and the fist time Norwich had won from 2-0 down in twenty years!

Meanwhile Man Utd were losing at Chelsea, and has me thinking its some kind of art experiment, as to how badly a team with so much money, fans, and media attention can actually be.

Turns out they could be very bad indeed, losing 2-0 and having a mouthy defender sent off.

Then to the sofa to follow the scores on Final Score, and by Radio 5 on my phone.

Scully slept beside me.

Jools went out at half four, to take a friend, Twiggy, to Hythe for a meal, then an Abba tribute act at St Leonard's church.

I stayed home, fed the cats and watched football, as it doesn't watch itself.

Spurs won a third in a row, 2-0, the Milan beat Inter on BBC 2.

While I waited for Jools to return, I rewatched Sir John Betjeman's A Passion for Churches, as the toured round the great and lesser churches of Norfolk.

It's always a joy.

Jools returned at half ten, all well with the world. And no trick-or-treaters had called either.

Friday 30th October 2026

Its nearly the weekend again, and for me that means a lay in.

In fact I sleep so long I was only woken by Jools leaving n the car for yoga at quarter past six. By then Cleo had eaten breakfast, and had made a nest next to my legs, and was fast asleep.

So I get up and dressed. Downstairs there were all the ingredients for a cup of coffee, so I boil the kettle, fill the pot, ass the grinds, then pack the assembled pot on the hob to perculate through.

Add sugar and a splash of milk. And perfection.

I drink that, then do the bins, put them at the top of drive in case the trucks are early, like they used to be.

But no.

No hurry.

I had a twinge in my knee, so do little through the morning. Jools comes back, has breakfast then is out to take her ladies to the library for knit and natter.

Its so warm, I could sit in the garden without jumper, and soak up some vitamin B from phoebe.

I get a message from my friend, Andy, would we like to meet up for a beer near Bekesbourne?

We would, but which pub?

None in Bekesbourne, and the easiest thing would be to meet in Bridge at the Red Lion, which was agreed.

I make sausage rolls for lunch, with the free sausage meat that Paul supplied us with a couple of weeks back, so when Jools came back they were made, baked and cooling down. Just needing a brew to wash them down.

We had half for lunch, saving the rest for supper with some soup, then out in the car, along the A2 to Bridge.

The trees and hedgerows have suddenly turned to gold, and looked wonderful with the blue sky and strong sunlight.

I would take shots on the way back when Jools would be driving.

The pub was fairly busy, but we took a table in a corner to wait for Andy and for me to start on my pint of Harvey's Best, which went down a treat.

Even better Andy bought a second pint, so I sent that down to keep the first one company.

We dropped Andy off in Canterbury as there was delays and cancellations on the trains, then back home along the A2 to home, when I tried to take shots of the colours.

Back home and time to edit more shots, write, and then prepare for the quiz; in which I again did poorly.

But no mind.

Later, there was football. Sheffield Utd v Wrexham, but I lost interest at half time again, so went to bed.

Thursday 29th October 2026

Thursday, then.

And up before the larks and other songbirds, to test and jab Scully, feed the other cats and make coffee.

Phew.

This is almost like being at work. Or getting ready for work.

Of course, we were all ready to go to the gym.

Outside, the sky was still black, except a small sliver away to the south east that gave a hint that dawn might be on its way.

Not much to report, other that peddle away for fifty minutes, and get off in the same position in the gym as when I started, though nearly 7,000 steps, or peddles completed, so said the phone.

Back home for a brew and breakfast, then fill up the feeders as the birds were complaining about the poor service.

It was a cool if sunny day, the trees the other side of The Dip are now in the process of turning gold and red, heralding the coming, albeit late, of Autumn.

Or fall.

We went to see Jen, as somehow two weeks had passed since we last visited, and not much had happened in the two weeks, at least to Jen. I had been to Nottinghamshire and snapped twenty churches.

Jen was unimpressed.

Please enjoy this shot of Jen's back garden, wit the pampas grass looking splendid, and both of her sheds.

Back home for lunch of mini pork pies and wine. The main food groups, and then into the afternoon with reading and writing.

Again, what heat of the day faded, so the heating was called into action.

And that was that.

For the evening there was League Cup action, with Newcastle at Sunderland, and when I gave up at half time, Sunderland were two goals up, and cruisng.

Wednesday 28th October 2026

Wednesday again.

And a day in which the sun shone brightly, if not for very long, onto east Kent and Chez Jelltex.

Being Wednesday, it was a reast day from Phys, so I could lay in. And despite waking when Jools got up at five, I did fall back to sleep until gone six, so did feel somewhat rested.

Jools went to her class just before eight, leaving me four hours to fill, which I have breakfast, another brew, and in a surprise, go for a walk.

I say go for a walk, it was just up Station Road to check on the Winter heliotrope and other native plants that might be in flower. Though Heliotrope is not native, it's alien, and in danger of spreading further than it already has.

Trees are already turning to brown and gold, and in the sunshine it was almost warm.

Traffic is light this week due to school holidays, so I wander up, check on the plants and walk down.

Back home, it was warm enough to sit in the back garden with Scully in the lea of the hedge, out of the breeze, making it feel almost if not like summer, then early autumn, not the end of October.

Lunch was Italian bean soup, and I bade two potato bread rolls/loaves fir us to dip into the soupy goodness.

Was indeed good.

Which was nice.

But soon after lunchtime, the sun is already swinging over the west and sinking, the heat goes out of the day, so we retreat inside and turn the heating on.

Supper was the rest of the party food. And wine, then to the sofa for an evening of football featuring Liverpool v Chelsea, which wasn't as good as Sky or the BBC made out.

It went to penalties, with Liverpool winning out.

Tuesday 27th October 2026

As I wrote a couple of days ago, I re-read old blog posts from the last ten years most mornings, and most days I complained about my bad back, or my bad knees or both.

But since going to the gym and keeping at it, my bad back and knees just faded away. Those times when I couldn't walk far, or needed a sit down, just ended.

I can remember a couple of years ago, walking up Tonbridge high street to the church at the top, I needed three or four sit down on benches to make it to the top.

Not any more.

Which is my way of saying it was Tuesday, so up before dawn to be at the gym for six.

My brain had me awake at half four, so was laying waiting for the alarm to go off half an hour later. So I leap out of bed, get dressed, and once down stairs I put the kettle on, test and jab Scully, feed the other cats, then put the mocha pot on to boil.

All done by quarter past five, giving me thirty five minutes to wake up and be ready for the drive to Whitfield.

As I walked to the entrance, the doors were unlocked and we all pile in, us rats go upstairs and begin our sessions.

I had a podcast to listen to, just over fifty minutes, which I listen to all of, so that I did 400 K/cals, and close to 6,500 steps.

Back home, the sun was up, though hidden by cloud, and a light drizzle fell.

Jools made me a brew, then was off to the Riverside for her class, then a coffee morning, giving me four hours to get my shit together, have a shower and do the washing up.

Which I get done.

I have a trick for summoning Jools: I put the kettle on, and usually she appears soon after it boils, which she did this day, shortly after half ten.

The rain had stopped and the bench dried out, so we sat outside to sip our tea.

I read the second of the books on Kent churches that Simon sent last week. I got annoyed by the author's views on churches, but likes his descriptions of the setting, so read each entry about halfway down the page, and skipped to the next church.

The afternoon slipped by.

Tesco now has party food in, so we had party food for supper, though there was no party, as such. But we ate bite-size Indian nibbles, and supped beer or cider.

The sun sank in the west, and now with skies clear and trees turning to red and gold, so the view out the back was glorious. While away to the east, the just gone full moon rose, as darkness fell.

For the evening there was football: I watched Leicester v Wigan instead of Fleetwood v Arsenal, because I though a battle between two out of form teams at the bottom of League 1 would be more interesting than the cup tie between the team 18th in League 2, and Arsenal's reserves.

How wrong I was, although the Leicester game was better than expected, which The Foxes won 3-0, but at the same time, Fleetwood lead Arsenal into the second half, ten Arse levelled.

And that's how it stayed, so went straight to penalties, and Fleetwood won.

Only I decided that I would bail on it after 86 minutes and went to bed, missing the celebrations.

So it goes.