Sunday 29th July 2018

It is amazing how quickly things change. 48 hours previously, the thermometer nearly exploded with the extreme heat, but come Sunday it was cool, breezy and heavy rain forecast for later.

Earlier this week, I had answered a post in the Hardy Orchid Society forum regarding Violet Helleborines. An orchid.

So it came to pass that at eight I was to meet a gentleman from Essex in the village and take home for some hard core orchiding.

Jools and I have coffee, get dressed so I can leave the house at half seven to look for the final orchid of the season, Autumn Lady's Tresses. I drive to the cliff, and park, spend ten minutes looking for the tiny rosettes, but I cannot find any. What I do see is thanks to the lack of mowing is a good collection of dwarf Lady's Bedstraw, a few Harebells and a Dwarf Thistle of two.

But the wind is already building, and I have to meet the guy in the main car park in the village, so drive back to the church and wait.

Mike arrives on time, and after loading his gear and crutch into the car, we drive off into the Kent hinterland, down narrow lanes to the oh too familiar parking place. We unloaded our gear and take to the path, walking gently up, along the edge of the wood until it turns steeply, and there is the first of two clumps, both with spikes partially open. All pale flowered and purple stemmed.

We take our shots, then walk further before striking out into the wood where there are two more open spikes, with many more yet to open.

Mike is very happy, and on the way down to the car I tell him about the Yellow Birdsnest that was found, and he asks if we could see it, so once back at the car we drive out onto the A2 past Caterbury and up the motorway before turning down towards Maidstone.

By now the grey cloud had produced rain, and was getting heavier, so much so that by the time we reach the wood, it is a quick dash to see the small pipes, get a shot and dash back. Too wet to go and see the Broad Leaved in the meadow beyond.

Back into the car and driving back to St Maggies, pausing only to show him the BirdsNest wood just off the A2, and arriving home just before midday.

We make our farewells, but he is coming back in September, and I have been invited for a cuppa down in the Bay.

I go home to have lunch of insalata, and end up making some spicy potato bread, as I failed to see the small seeded loaf we bought the day before.

Cheese, tomatoes, basil, bread out of the oven and a few glasses of plonk de plonk. Perfect. As Ll I had to do was stay awake to see the final stage of Le Tour.

Round and round they go, up and down Le Champs D'elise, with Sky Rider, Geraint Thomas, getting the title having worn the yellow jersey for a week or so. And although I had only seen four days of raing, it seemed a very good race this year, lots of action and many great performances, and in Thomas a humble winner, who was as loyal to the tam and Froome as it is possible, and now he is a grand tour champion.

We don't have a big dinner, just chicken in a bun and salad, listening to the radio before slouching in front of the TV to watch a documentary about digging a huge sewer. We know how to live, and somehow, the weekend had slipped by again....