Sunday 3rd April 2016

Saturday

It am the weekend, and the it does shine, verily on high. And all the orchid hunters in East Kent do give praise. I could fill the whole day with nothing but orchid chasing but then we would starve as the larder was empty, but don't worry, there was enough food for the cats Anyway, I thought that if I got the shopping down first thing in the morning, then we could orchid chase the rest of the day. Perfect.

It is a fine and clear morning, the sun is rising away in the east; whilst Jools sorts the laundry, I take to car to Deal to shop. It is quiet, I arrive just after seven and don't need much. I whisk round, getting the essentials before paying, loading the car and driving home. However, driving home via Kingsdown and the small colony of Early Spider Orchids, which I hoped would be in flower.

It turned out that the open position on the beach meant that there had been little growth since last week, but then it is good to check. I take a snap of a large group of primroses, lit by the light of the warming sun away over the sea to the east.

I go back home up the narrow high street in Kingsdown, back along the main road to home, where the kettle is boiling so time for a cuppa and some breakfast before we decide what to do with the day. Or I decide which orchid sites we were going to visit.

Looking at Facebook, a friend of mine was appealing for help up at Western Heights to move some wood; didn't look much on the picture, so I says I'll go to help. Jools says she will come, as what with the EDL in town again and there also being a counter-demonstration in town, it seemed that Dover would be a no-go area. So that would mean we could head west to Folkestone and beyond to the orchid site. We drove through town, through the battoned-down market place and up the other side.

Once we had parked the car and walked up the slope, we surveyed the wood and saw that it looked far more than in the picture on Facebook. Paul said it was 180m2, more than enough for three people to be getting on woth, as we were the only ones to turn up. So, on with the gloves, and the plan was to move it all through the tunnel into the moat area, then around to the entrance to Drop Redoubt. The sun was already high in the sjy and warm, so the sooner we got going and all that.

It was hard work, but once the wood was the otherside of the tunnel, we had a cart onto which some of the wood could be loaded, though it wasn't too safe, it did the trick. And after an hour or so, we had most of the wood moved, when others came along to help. We said that we had done enough, so made our excuses and left, but had done some good old fashioned work, and could be happy with that I spose.

From there I drove to Ayecliffe to snap the repairs on the sea wall. Parking up I could hear the sound of heavy plant, and what seemed to be a helicopter. Indeed once through the underpass, I could see a search and rescue copter, flying slowly along the cliffs. I thought no more of it, and began the cimb up the cliff to the overlook. The copter was still there, just hovering, so once i took shots of the works, I switched to the helicopter and snapped away.

The loadmaster was waving; I thought he was directing the pilot as the copter moved backwards; but I got the feeling he was signaling to me. I pointed to myself, and the loady nodded. Seemed that they were going to simulate a cliff rescue, and could not get close with me on the cliff edge. I move away and they do their stuff. Jools joined me, curious as to what the copter was doing. We watched as it dropped to just above the water, then dropped the loady out, and climbed, then inched close to the cliffs,a s the loady directed them. A small crowd had come from the houses nearby, but we had seen enough and walked back down the cliffs. Down below, the work is continuing; a large machine is installing large piles, so there is the sound of a jackhammer, and on top of that the hovering helicopter. It wasn't quiet.

Then as we walked back to the car, traffic was beginning to build up as roads began to be closed for the demonstrations. Just as well we were going in the other direction then.

Up to Folkestone then up the Elham Valley, where I thought we might find somewhere offering food and drink. I remeber there being a small cafe in Lyminge, and as luck would have it there was a parking space outside. We decide that we really didn't need the full breakfast, but made do with sausage butties and a brew. Looking round the room, I see that had 11 clocks on the walls. I asked why; they were there when we took the place over, I was told. I left it there.

We ate our food, paid the bill and made our way back to the car.

By now it was wonderfully warm, heck, it was a pleasure just to be our, driving up the narrow road up the valley to Barham. From there, up the valley side, under the remains of the old railway and over many fields, through woods. And there we were; orchid central.

I know the way up the bridleway through the woods up to where the first of the Early Purples begin. IN truth I had little hope they would be open. Indeed, there were rosettes, more rosettes you can shake a stick at. If you wanted to do that of course. But with the sun pouring in through the treetops, the spotted rosettes, it was glorious, even without orchids in flower. The bluebells are nearly out, the grren carpet of plants beneath the trees has a blue tinge now.

On the other side of the road, I go to check on the lady Orchids, which are growing like crazy, but no spikes.

My back is complaining; seems like the lifting of the wood had done for it, and with the walking up the bridleway had been the icing on the cake. We'll go home for lunch and listing to the football, seeing as The Prem was back.

We take the quiet lanes back to St Maggies; through Coldred, Guston and Langdon, it may have taken nearly an hour, but we saw little other traffic, and then again, it wasn't a bad thing, driving through the Kentish countryside, which is the Garden of England, after all.

Back home, we sit down a tad tired. On the radio the football played itself out, or at least the first game did; Chelsea thrashed Villa 4-0. But following was City's game with Newcastle. Whoever lost, would be in deep, deep trouble. It wasn't pleasant, not being able to see the action, but trying to second guess what was going on whilst the commentator described the skyline of the fair city or something. We take the lead on the stroke of half time, only for Toon to pull level early in the 2nd half. A volley puts up back in the lead, until in the 86th minute, they are awarded a dodgy penalty. AHRRRGGGGHHHHH.

But, in injury time, Martin Olsen volleys a winner into the far corner of the River End goal, I dance around the living room.

We have mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. And wine. Lots of wine. The wine tasted very sweet indeed.

It seems that it has been dark matter/dark energy on BBC recently, so we watched another documentary this time on the end of the universe, and lots and lots about gravity disks, red shifts and the such. Jools slept through most of it.