Tuesday 15th May 2018

There will be no Brexit blog today. But rest assured there was chaos.

The internet gets lots of bad press, for the bad things it does and assists in, but it also can be a force for good. Like linking like minded people up, from all over the world, allowing us to share our passions.

So it came to pass rather than telling a guy from Australia where the orchids were, I had booked time off and was going to be their tour guide. And I get to do just what I would be otherwise doing, just doing something good at the same time. And they said they would see me right with food and water. Or beer.

I was to meet them at Samphire Hoe at nine, but in order to get the most out of the day, I was there at half seven, walking along the sea wall, checking the lesser known colonies so that John and Leone would not waste a second of time.

Once at the end of the sa wall, I find that all the orchid spikes were over and mostly dried up.

Sigh.

And then I saw a flash of blue, and a butterfly settled. It was tiny. And blue. Meaning it was a Small Blue.

I waited for it to settle, open its wings, and bask in the sun. I snapped it, and good.

After checking for snakes and slow worms, I walked back, arriving at the car park at quarter to nine, just as they arrived in their car. John waved at me, I waved back.

On the way, Leopne screams as a snake slithers nearly over her foot. COming from Oz, a snake can be a life or death thing I suppose. It was an adder, and we all rush to take shots before it vanishes into the undergrowth. I got this:

After introductions, we walk along the path, not all the way as the numbers of orchid spikes is high, although many are now nearing their end. After an hour, they had snapped enough, and so it only seemed logical after the Early Spiders to look for the Late Spiders. I had told them, I didn't hold out much hope as it was too early, in my opinion.

So we all pile in their hire car and drive to Folkestone, find a place to park, climb over the stile.

I looked, I searched and found spikes forming. As I had thought.

And then John let out a shot, he had found a single spike, partially open, with the orchid showing well. We all got shots, and we all thrilled to have seen one actually open.

From there it was a long drive to see the Birds Nest, and as a challenge, I thought I would let them look. But then again, after spotting the LSO, a Birds Nest should be no challenge.

And that's how it turned out, John found two spikes I had missed, though sadly for them, the actual flowers had yet to open, but they had seen a few spikes.

We just had tome, so we thought, before lunch to squeeze in Barham. Sneak a peak at the Lesser Butterflies and the Ladies near by. Over in a flash?

John is amazed at what Tony called the six foot sixers, or the narrow lanes with passing places. Be made our way down from the wood, over the A2 and down through the narrow twisty road past Barham church and down to the Nailbourne below.

We drive back out of the village, to the quiet crossroads, park up. And after grabbing the cameras, take a deep breath and walk up the steep bridleway, stopping occasionally to admire the views and hide the huffing and puffing.

I find a couple of spikes, and John finds two more, but in what will be a pattern for the Butterfly orchids, the spike had yet to open.

We walk back down, over the road into the beech wood, and they are dazzled as they had the impression that there were one or two Lady here, instead of the hundred or so there was.

I wandered round as they took shots, I was looking for something unusual, and soon enough I saw a Lady with a green spike and what looked like white flowers. And that was the case, and even better it was almost fully open. So I got down to take a long series of shots. They came over and were equally dazzled.

Nearby, I find another. Smaller and not so open, but still good enough. And add into the mix, Fly, Twayblade and the patch of Herb Paris.

But it was now gone one, and we were all hungry and thirsty. So, we retire to the Black Robin, take a table outside, order Scotch Eggs and chips along with ice cold drinks, and wait for lunch to arrive and reflect on the morning we had.

Lunch having eaten, we decide just one more visit, Park Gate Down and the Monkeys.

From the pub there was a short drive, alng more narrow and steep lanes through woods to the down.

Some local knowledge helps in finding the opening spikes in double quick time, as Jools had found a handful near to the entrance at the weekend. John asked why we were going up there, because that's where the most advanced spikes were!

And I was right, of course. In fact was we went into the reserve, the Monkey got shorter and less developed, but some were at least partially open, meaning they got shots, and were happy. Even happier as into the third paddock we found many more Fly open, although the Greater Butterfly were all still just putting spikes up. So near, and yet.....

And that was that, the weather had turned and was now getting chilly, and I needed to get to the doctors to pick up some pills. So they took me back to the Hoe to get my car, leaving them behind I leave the site, through the cliffs and onto the main road, doubling back into Dover, past the docks and to St Maggies.

The pills were not ready; or they were they had to print a label on the boxes. So I could go home and review the shots.

After I fed the cats.

And watered the garden.

And saw what to have for dinner, which is what I was doing when Jools returned for a hard day at the coal face, earning a crust. Whilst I had been galavanting around snapping orchids.

We had party food. Bitesized pork pies, chicken "straws" and other such things. Easy to do as well.

Somehow it was seven by the time we ate, and caught up on our days, and somehow the evening was rushing by.

How did that happen?

Diane came over for a chat as it got dark. We sat outside as bats swooped around us, and she told us how poorly Bob is, and we could see on her face the strain. I wish there were words we could say, but there are none. Bon has had a mystery lung condition for three years now, and has been going downhill all the time, little by little. His is now on constant oxygen, and is back in hospital again. It seems to be the beginning of something serious this time.

She leaves, and with darkness having fell, we secured the house, put peanuts out for the badgers, and that was that.

Phew.