Sunday 6th March 2016

Health update: My inner infection cleared up, as expected. I can now laze abed and not have the room swirl around me, except when I been on the whisky. Which isn't often, two or three times a week or so. Ha, gotcha.

I have not had an allergy attack for nearly two weeks now, it was two weeks ago in fact. Well, I have had some sneezes, but I take a pill and all is well. I feel this is proof I was right, and my GP was wrong. Which is why I try to go and see him as little as possible. I cannot begin to tell you have happy I am with the allergy thing, being able to sleep, not sneeze and generally able to lead a normal life now, and not have to take days off work to catch up on my sleep.

But, back to Saturday and part 1 of the weekend.

Saturday

Jools had gone to Tesco on the way home from work on Friday, which meant we could lay in bed until the heating switched on at just gone seven on Saturday morning. Even the cats gave up trying to wake us and let us sleep. I get ten hours sleep and so feel better again come daybreak. We wake up to find that day had already broken, the sun was up and the birds were on the telephone wires outside our house singing for their breakfast. More animals wanting feeding.

I go down to feed the cats and make coffee. I can multi-task, and manage to give the cats kibbles and not coffee grounds. Which is good.

What is the plan for today, asks Jools. Well, with the weather fine, we think we should go for a walk. So, once dressed we don our boots, coats and extra layers and head out.

At least the weather was supposed to be fine this weekend. However, as soon as we stepped out the door the golden sunrise faded and the sky was covered in grey cloud.

Was it something we said?

5 minutes later once we had walked over the field to the pig's copse, the cloud had burnt off, and the air was filled with golden light again.

Signs of spring are still there, but the cold snap these past two weeks have held much back. So, we wait for next week, warmer weather and more signs of spring, and maybe checking the rosettes next weekend..

Down the dip, passing the hungry, wary horse, who looks at us with suspicion as it munches on hay.

The clouds had by now cleared, and we walk into a warm golden light.

I take pictures.

On the track up the other side of the dip, the runoff from the field had revealed the chalk bedrock, and frost and thawing had cracked it, making it crumble, Finally, ice crystals from the frost had formed, making the chalk look like salt. Or so it seemed to us.

I walk back along the lane opposite the house, then down station road to home, half an hour or so, but a good leg-stretcher.

Back home I cook the remaining kebabs, and once cooked, slice them thin and make sandwiches fit for a king, or fit for a buyer and quality manager at any rate, for elevenses. We feel much better with such naughty food inside us.

I have eyes on the two ongoing projects; the St James development and the repairs to the sea wall and railway. Jools decides to stay in, so I take my camera and walking boots to the car, and hence to the road to Dover, driving down Castle Hill, Castle Street and up Military Hill on the other side to park at St Martin's Battery to get views over the harbour and back over the town to the desolation where Burlington House, The COunty Hotel and various car parks used to stand.

The views from up there are splendid to say the least, looking down on the harbour, the rails leading to the sea wall are rusty through lack of use, and will remain for most of the year I guess. THe DHB have begin work on moving some facilities back to the Western Docks, so there are lane closures along Townwall Street, and beside that is the former site of Burlington House, now a building site, or will be soon once the excavations have finished.

From there it was a short drive to Aycliffe, and then down the underpass and up the narrow path up Shakespeare Cliff to the overview of the railway. Where the orange army have been building a road. No news on what repairs are to be done, but I guess the road is for the use of heavy plant. The road looks nearly finished, so maybe the next stage will begin soon. I can tell you the closure is now getting tiresome, adding some 45 minutes to the journey back from London.

Back home for tea and medals and to listen to the big game; the North London Derby between The Arse and Spurs, which is a great game and ends in an honourable 2-2 draw. At three City kick off in Swansea, and thats about as good as it gets, as they never really get gong and lose 1-0, and so have collected just one point out of a possible 27 since getting dumped out of The Cup at the beginning of January. It now looks grim, very grim.

For dinner, we go out to eat. First time in ages, just to the Curry House in Whitfield, but we just fancied a curry, so the best place to go really. I have chilli garlic chicken and rice and curried garlic lentils and garlic naan. No risk of vampires for us, oh no. But we made sure we were back in time for the 7th and 8th episodes of Trapped, the Icelandic murder mystery, and it is just beginning to make sense, just in time for the final episodes next week. Just as well then.