Sunday 16th October 2016

Another weekend bookended by weeks away with work. I know I should be used to it, but, you know, urgh.

But before yet more traveling, there is Sunday, and now that we have a fixed car, what should we do? Watch football, clearly. And eat bacon butties whilst watching football too. That does involve me cooking said bacon, then getting greasy hands as I much on breakfast as I watch Alan Shearer try to for an actual sentence. Painful.

A walk in thw woods seems still like a good idea, but not traveling to Bluebell Hill or Stockbury. But there are places nearby, like Yockletts. Hmmm, Yockletts, yes, I think we shall go there.

But with rain and half a season of fallen leaves, best take some boots, just to make sure we don't get muddy.

I am sure the car knwos the way, along the M20 and then up Stone Street, down the narrow moss covered lane and parking at the edge of the reserve. It seems like a fairy tale, when something familiar has gotten old and overgrown; familiar paths are almost blocked by overhanging trees and bushes, the path slippery with mud. But we do make our way to the glade.

We pass some fallen tree trunks, some have fungi erupting from their rotten wood. I take pictures.

Once in the glade, we check on the slow worms, but there liar is empty, so we sit on the bench overlooking the valley, and take in the sights and colours of the season. Trees are turning from green, as are some bushes and shrubs.

Down the hill, through the massive trees and across the Gogway, the sunshine of earlier had now gone, and heavy clouds swept over. As we walked up the track beside the road, rain began to fall, and we decided that we had had enough of outside. So we walked back down the hill and through the reserve back to the car. We had not seen a soul all morning.

Back up the Gogway and back onto Stone Street, where traffic was hammering along. We cut through Bridge and back along the A2 to home. Getting back just after midday, and looking in the fridge I see there is nothing for lunch, so i make another half batch of short cakes. I rustle them up in half an hour, Jools makes drinks, and soon we have two warm cakes each, and I have a huge cup of tea too. Perfect.

It seems Sky have redefined the word "super" for their super Sunday offering, just as well then because I take to the sofa again and snooze whilst millionaires run about kicking a ball about.

For dinner we have the first roast of the winter; roast beef and three vegetables, with roast potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings. Of course. It is wonderful, even if I say so myself, we are eating it as darkness falls outside, rain falls gently, so we can't see the full moon rise in the east.

The evening peters out, I have a shower and even with an extra day at home tomorrow, it feels just like it did when I was at school, the dread of the upcoming week.