Despite it being the middle of the week, it felt like a Friday. It should have been a Friday. I mean, I worked on Sunday so that should make it at least Thursday, no?
No, but, how amazing does it feel laying bed until seven, having coffee, watching the birds outside, putting on the radio before powering up the work laptop at eight to begin the working day? No airports, or greedy stupid people in site, and no hours and hours in meeting rooms discussing the meaning of word. Just the usual hum drum day to days business of work. Except, there has been a software failure, and the day I had planned, searching through project data was put on hold.
I was still waiting at lunch, and into the afternoon.
I have lunch, deal with mail and all the while waiting for the software bug to be fixed. I have a project meeting, and finally at half three, it is working again. But with most of the day lost, I decide to start fresh in the morning.
At four, I pack up for the day, and looking outside at the wonderful sunshine, I think the best thing is to go for a walk, maybe all the way to the cliffs. It has been a while since I did this.
What with endless weeks away from home, and the poor weather and it being the orchid season, it means that I have not walked these paths for some weeks..
From the end of our street, the path leads through fields of broad beans towards the pig's copse.
The piglets hear me coming, and are squeeling with anticipation of dinner, but are disappointed. I try to scratch their noses, but they are wary. Maybe I smell of pork scratchings.....
Further on, the view opens up down to Kingsdown, and I walk down the dip and up the other side. The richness of the summer colour is dazzling, as is the myriad of flying insects and birds, filling the air, and struggling with the strong breeze.
Down the dip and up the steep climb the other side, pausing a regular intervals to take in the view and catch my breath. A curious horse came to the fence just to check if I had any carrots. I didn't, but it seemed happy with me scratching its nose.
Along the top road, another three horse came to the fence to check my progress, one quite keen that I should provide some food, so I gave it clumps of grass, which seemed to be appreciated.
At the junction where the footpath heads up across the downs and the road heads down to Kingsdown, the field is full of young bulls, who are wary of me, but pose whilst I take a shot.
The gowns are all full of waving barley, wheat and grass, all billowing in the breeze. I can already see over to France, and the ferries which are working again.
And finally to the cliffs, with the ground dropping away, and the sea lapping at their feet.
And around me, I see the tell tale purple of Pyramidal Orchid Spikes. There had to be orchids, no?
At the cliffs I was asked to take a picture of four ladies, who were having a get together to mark 50 since wince they met at college. I had to tell them that they met just before I was born then. They seemed to find it funny.
I did show them some orchids, but they did know more than they let on.
Back home, which for the most part, is downhill, and out of the breeze. It was warm, and my legs were getting achy, but in a good way.
The horses ignored me, and carried on eating grass, and the piglets squeeled when I walked past, but in a half-hearted manner. It was hot after all.
I made pasta salad, then as Jools returned egg and breadcrumbed the sliced aubergine and shallow fried them. Simple but wonderful. Jools opened a bottle of red plonk de plonk, and all was set for dinner.
The good news of the day was that Barclays had no, in fact, lost the £20g of Nan's money after all, just closed down the account and not sent the cheque out. Good job Jools checked!
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