Tuesday 11th August 2015

Sunday.

Oh yes, hangover my old friend. How have you been? Well, I say hangover, my head was spinning a tiny bit, but after dressing and going downstairs for a hearty breakfast of sausage, bacon and eggs, I felt like a million dollars. Or a slightly fragile million dollars.

Outside, as I load the car, the day was already warm, and it would have been great to stay in the town to see it in its summer finest. But, I have to return the car by two, and its a four hour drive to Dover. Its not midnight, I'm not wearing sunglasses, and don't have a tank of fuel. I double back along the seafront and onto the A12, just the open road and some slow drivers (who I blast past on the rare pieces of straight road.

I am soon nearing the good roads and the 21st century that means I am nearing Ipswich. The radio is burbling away about England's innings victory in the test the day before, which means England win the Ashes. South of Ipswich, I put my foot down and make really good time. I zoom past Colchester and Chelmsford and am soon nearing the M25. Outside the sun is still beating down, but still being on ten in the morning, traffic is still quite light.

The roadworks the other side of the bridge have been completed, which means instead of stopping at the tolls, you just drive through at 50mph, not breaking stride. I am back in Kent.

I have to judge how much fuel to leave in the car, so I decided to drive down the A2 as there are many garages to fill up if the warning light comes on. But I cruise past them all, finally the one at Medway Services. THEN the fuel light comes on. There is still one at Canterbury, so I hope the car will last out until then, but just in case I take my foot off the gas. And anyway, the road is very heavy with traffic heading to the coast for the day: Margate and Whitstable will be heaving I imagine.

I put a tenner in the car, and buy an ice cream and so begin the final stretch home. However, I decide to look for the ultra-rare orchid, The Ghost at the wood near to Barham. I am sure I won't find it, but if I did, I would be famous before the day is out

The wood is silent, not even a breeze is stirring the branches. I get out the camera, and walk up the now overgrown path. There are no orchids in flower, no rosettes around either. In a small clearing I see what looks like an orchid spike, but as I get nearer it is the desiccated remains of a Lady Orchid, the sunlight making it look like it was in flower. It is months dead.

Happy with finding nothing, at least my curiosity is satisfied, I make the final stretch home. The roads are quiet and I make it to Dover without incident, down the Deal road to St Maggies, up Station Road to home. Jools was just back from visiting Nan, she is fine, better after an apparently 24 hour sleep the day before.

We have lunch, then its time to return the car: it is only then I notice the chocolate stains on the seat where my ice cream had melted. I try to clean it up, but then notice the chocolate stains on me too. I am a messy pup! They accept the car back, and we make good our escape, back home for coffee and some serious relaxing.

The rest of the day passes slowly, with music on the radio, and not even bothering to follow the football on the internet. I upload shots to the school Facebook group, which goes down well.

And so fades the weekend, into a dark and misty evening. Already it seems to be getting darker an hour earlier than I remember, the year is getting old. As am I....