Sunday 12th June 2016

And so, what should have been a relaxing four day break caused by the funeral and clean up afterwards, instead really became dominated by my shoulder and inability to be able to sleep well.

However, by last night, as long as I did not move once in bed, I was fine. But moving caused such pain to go through my shoulder it would wake me up. And then there was Scully taking up residence in the middle of the bed, giving me so little room to sleep in, but I soldiered onto seven in the morning, where Jools' making coffee brought me to the land of the living.

Since staying those four nights at the two ryokans in Japan, we have been thinking about our hoarding habits, and so, for the past week or so have been going through our books and other stuff and deciding what will be on display and what will be in boxes in the attic. Although the attic is just one step away from self storage, I suppose it is a kind of test to see what we can do without. It is possible that by next weekend we will not have a book shelf in our living room at all. Just records and CDs, which is OK I suppose.

But before the final stage of the clear up, the sun was going to shine for an hour or so, therefore it was a race to get to Pegwell Bay to see how the Bees were doing before the cloud and rain rolled in from the west.

A quick drive over to Cliffsend, park at the Voking Ship and down the steps onto the abandoned hoverport. And by now I know where to go, so down one of the overgrown roads and opposite the yellow Man Orchids is the first group of Bees, and the one from last week is even taller, but some of the buds from last week have already gone over and are drying out.

We wandered around the port, and there were orchids everywhere, so many more than last year, and many more smaller, younger spikes, which bodes well for summers to come. There was also a colony of Southern Marsh too, looking good in the weak sunshine.

After a while, I am just happy to see the Bees spreading further north, so in the end once we reach the steps, we climb up, have an ice cream before turning for home as the clouds had rolled in and there was even rain in the air.

Back home we have lunch, sausage sandwiches, with freshly fried bangers. Lovely, but this means that the fruit smoothie that was going to be so healthy, went unmade. Oh well.

And is there three games on TV today? Yes there was, and with it pouring with rain outside, I take to the sofa and try to stay awake. As you do.

Northern Ireland play in the second game, though I spend most of that cooking chorizo hash, but its a good game, even if Poland just sneak it in the end.

We put boxes and boxes of stuff in the attic, something for Meg and George to sort through when all this is theirs, I guess.