Saturday 13th May 2017

Plans for Tony's visit are now in the final stages, with the main objective for the day was to pick up the hire car that will transport Tony and I around Kent from Monday, and also collect him and his bags from the airport. So, once we had breakfast, or coffee at least, Jools would drop me off down the docks to collect yet another car.

It was dull and grey, but with the promise of long sunny spells later, it boded well for a day in the orchid fields.

Jools takes me down the docks, a quick drive down Jubilee Way, where they have yet another new computer system to learn and deal with, and me fill out paperwork. We have been given a Renault Picasso something, a small van really, nippy but steers like a dead whale round corners. I drive it back home, racing a Beamer back up Jubilee Way, he leaves me for standing, but boys and their toys, eh?

Once home I get the parking space outside the house, and wait for Jools to return with the shopping, as she went to Tesco once she had dropped me off. She returns with fruit, vegetables, croissants and bacon. Among other things, so I make coffee and warm the croissants up, and with the radio on, we eat.

Jools goes into the garden to tidy it up, I wash up and then go out to hunt yet more orchids. The plan had been to go to Pegwell Bay, but as it will be the last chance to look for the var. alba EPOs, I go to Barham first. I meet no other vehicles on the way, driving down the narrow country lanes to the parking spot with no trouble at all. I decide to travel light, so just take the camera and macro lens, and set off up the bridleway, scattering squirrels that were rummaging in the leaf litter for more food. I stand and watch, they don't see me, so go about their task until I cough, and the three of them scatter. I lose sight of them as they scramble up the trunks, but see their shadows on the ground in front of me as they jump from branch to branch.

The EPOs have almost all gone over, the paler ones are hanging on, but there was no white ones. I have snapped enough of them this year so leave the spikes alone. I walk further up to see if I can spot the Helleborines I saw three or four years ago. I saw it by the bank next to the track, but clearly there were no orchids after a point, meaning I was just looking at bluebells going to seed.

One last take is to check on the Kentish rarity, the Lesser Butterfly. In a small glade, a handful of rosettes are growing, with one putting up a spike, it is a week or so away from being open. I snaps it anyway.

On the other side of the road I check on the wooded slope, but it is poor pickings. At first I thought I could see no orchids, but in time I saw spikes and rosettes, but many of the spikes were bare, either having grown that way or picked clean by a mammal or person. Just one spike was fully formed and nearly completely open. I see two fly, and these look in good shape even with each having one flower open.

Checking my useless self-winding watch, which had already lost 20 minutes that morning; some might say I should move quicker. I reckon I have time to go to PGD to look at the Monkey.

Monkeys.

Its just a short drive down the valley, and then up the narrow lane up the down to the meadow. Up in the old quarry, there is a single slike that was starting to open from the top, the only orchid that does this. Elsewhere in the 2nd paddock I find several spikes, but they are only just emerging, and at least a week away from opening

At the far end of the site, I find several Fly open, but hard to find. I look for more walking back but fail to find the ones I had seen a few minutes earlier. The single Lady has failed to produce a spike, and the only Greater Butterfly I could find was looking in a sorry state, faded yellow and looking twisted as if someone had stepped on it. Which is possible.

I look for Musk on the way back, ambitious, but after finding the Late Spider open the day before, anything is possible this season.

I go back home with the time now ticking towards half one, or quarter to one on my stupid watch. Back home I rustle up insalata caprese for us, butter some corn bread and lunch is served.

There are photos to review, blog posts to write. But outside the skies clear, and although windy, it seems too nice to be sitting inside, so at four, at halftime in the football, I say to Jools I was going out. She comes with me, as our destination is Pegwell Bay, and the Yellow Men of Kent.

The route is my old commute to Ramsgate, now different with the cooling towers at the power station gone, as is now the turbine hall too. Wild flowers line the roads all the way, and summer seems to be nearly here, especially with it being so dry.

After parking by the Viking Ship, we walk down onto the old hoverport, and then have to reacquaint ourselves with the layout, and how nature has moved on another year and all is yet more overgrown.

I find the yellow Men, although not that high as yet, but there are many spikes and the group is spreading. I take shots.

Then we try to find the Bee that flourish here. But as much as we searched, we found just a single yellow rosette, as underfoot the ground was bone dry. No moisture about at all. They might recover if there is rain, but probably not now. Oh well.

We come back home, driving through Deal as it was now half five, and the shops would be closed, so traffic hopefully light. Deal was quiet, and driving along The Strand is very nice, as most people have gone home for the day. We carry on and are soon home, and me reviewing yet more shots.

Wild garlic sausages, fresh Jersey Royals and asparagus for dinner, means it was a fine and spring-filled dinner. Too late for strawberries, we will be able to share them with our visitor tomorrow, because as I write this, Tony is 38,000 feet above Iraq, and getting nearer to England every second.