Saturday 13th August 2016

Welcome to the weekend. Again.

As is usual, the first job of the day, after making the first pot of coffee, is to check on the weather to see if there would be enough sun to be able to snap orchids. And the good news was, for the morning at least, that there was.

I had heard of a new site, for me at least, for the rare Violet Helleborine. And after some investigation, I was fairly sure I know where to go, and of course we knew an orchid when we saw one, so should be easy.

Unlike orchids of the main season, which can be found very close to our home in east Kent, the Helleborines need some travelling to. And this new site was in the north of the county, so an early start was needed in order to get there before the heat of the day got too strong.

So, we decided to drive out without first having breakfast, something that we regretted by the time we got to Hythe, so with fuel needed, we go to the Port Early Services and I grab a load of dirty food as I paid for the petrol. We loaded up on peppered steak slice, Cornish pasty, crisps and Bounty bars. Which we could eat as we cruised up the motorway towards Maidstone.

We took a road through a picturesque village, then up by ever-narrowing lanes up the hill, then finally up a dead end to the car park. We had at least found the reserve, which was a start.

I get my camera and tripod from the back of the car, then we take the wooden steps to the level of the footpath and so entered the woodland realm, with high hopes of seeing some orchids. I mean at least with Helleborines they were large enough to be noticed, and with the stems being violet, rather than green, should be obvious.

But after two hours of wandering round all the tracks and trails, investigating all the locations that looked right, we found exactly zero orchids. A disappointing result. I mean we could have gone round again, but really if we hadn't have seen them first time round, it was unlikely that we missed them. The only choice really was to go back to Crudnale, where I hoped that at least one of the four spikes seen the previous week would be out.

Down the M20 with Huey on the radio, blasting out hot tunes and great chat inbetween. Through Ashford, only to find the main road was closed, so how to get to Crundale? Well, follow the diversion signs. Up the road that winds it's way up the down to Kings Wood and Challock, then take the road to Canterbury. All roads we know, and as we drive I make note of the locked churches in this area. Then I remember that the heritage weekend is getting closer.

At Chillham we find the blockage to the main road is there, and our way back down to Crundale is still blocked; but there are back lane ways to get there. But of course, those are chocked with cars coming the other way that missed the diversion signs, so our way is slow as we and other cars try to negotiate the narrow lanes. A few times drivers stopped to ask me if they could get to Canterbury down that road? Eventually, I said.

At Crundale, Jools decided to sit this trek out, so I carried all my camera gear and made ready for the mile or so hike across the fields to the woods.

At least some of the vegetation on either side had been cleared, so walking was easy enough. But like before, the air is heavy with butterflies, but laden down as I was, I let them flutter past without trying to snap any of them. Dragonflies are a different matter, however, and I chase a Hawker down the lane, but near the wood see a small Darter resting on a barbed wire fence. I drop my tripod and reflector and inch closer to get a reasonable shot. As I get real close, it flies off. But I have some shots.

Into the wood, and a few metres in, I see the marker that we had put down last week, and sure enough, away to my right I see the triple spike of the orchid. I went over hoping it would be fully open, but upon inspection just a few flowers on one of the spikes was open. But it is a subtle orchid, and beautiful. It is enough, so I set up the tripod to get shots.

In order to get the real close up shots, I remember that I can attach a camera to one of the tripod legs, I rotate the lens housing to level things up, and set about getting the shots. With little wind, they come out fine, and I was very happy with that.

I walk back, and the choice is to go to a pub now, or go to the butcher then go home and have a drink there with lunch. And in a surprise move, the latter is the choice, so we pass The Compasses and a few other pubs on the twenty minute drive to Preston.

I buy huge burgers, some chicken as well as some pork scratching; and we were set for meat for a while.

Being a weekend, Dover is best to be avoided, so we go home via Deal and Walmer, past the fete set up at the Coastguard station, and back home. Phew. Ten to one.

I put the meat in the fridge, then make a brew and make a sandwich, before we can sit in the back garden to drink cider (or beer) whilst crunching on pork scratchings. Yum indeed.

In the outside world, the Premier League had already begun, with Leicester defeated by newly promoted Hull City, but it went unlistened.

Norwich didn't kick off until half five, so I would have to wait a while to be frustrated as City drew 0-0 with Sheffield Wednesday. I know I said I wasn't going to talk so much about football, but you know, football!

We have huge 8oz burgers for dinner; I mean these were huge and did not shrink when cooked. We had two each and were stuffed.

All there was left to do was retire to the patio to wait for dusk to fall and wait for the bats to arrive to catch insects, then the meteor shower to begin. It is a warm and calm evening in the Jelltex garden, and this time no malt whisky was drunk, instead I sip form a pint of lemon squash instead.