Sunday 8th July 2018

Sunday.

Day of peace.

No football.

A nation screams, wakes up from the weeks of football-induced hangover and looks at the wreckage in the kitchen.

And goes down to the pub for some hair of the dog.

And we have coffee then go out looking for butterflies.

Now that the internet is everywhere, when a species; butterfly, orchid is first seen, news is out. And so my friend Gary had posted shots of Chalkhill Blues (a butterfly) up on Temple Ewell Down, we though we would go up before the day got to hot to have a search.

And so it was that we were at the old George and Dragon car park just gone seven, with the day already warming up, but I got distracted by two Evening Primrose plants that stood as sentries on the approach road. We both snap them, and other plants in the car park before we begin the climb up the the edge of the trees to the down.

The large meadow was full of butterflies, most Marbled Whites all on the wing and hardly settling. So I go chasing them, and also on the lookout for any blues.

In a few minutes I see a male Chalkhill basking, so I sneak over and get the shot I wanted, so from then on anything more would be a bonus.

I see a single Gatekeeper and get a shot, and among the butterflies, I keep an eye on the plants growing all around, mostly wild marjoram and thistles, but there is other stuff to see. Huge amounts of Lady's Bedstraw for one, all of it a delight, and apart from the odd very friendly dog that bounded up to say hello, we have the place to ourselves.

I look for Silver Spotted Skippers, but I think I was a week or two too early, but the views from the top of the down were stunning, as were the Chalkhills and Marbled Whites on the wing there too.

It was nine, and the sun was climbing, as was the temperature, so we walk back down to the car and drive home for breakfast of more bacon. And coffee.

Outside the day just gets warmer and warmer. We are hot and bothered so we have showers, put clean clothes on and I even have a shave How handsome I look after. That mirror does tell some porkies.

There is lunch, then we watch the first episode of the new series of The Bridge series 4, and were quickly sucked in.

As it is hot I end up making a ragu, pasta and herby flatbreads for lunch/dinner. It is hot in the Jelltex kitchen, but the food is wonderful, as so is the company.

At five we go over to Whitfield, picking up John on the way for an evening of cards, doritos and wine.

And its even warmer there, so we laze in shorts sipping mint juleps playing cards. Jen wins. Big, and nearly clears Jools and I out Again.

As we are leaving, Jen goes to put the chickens to bed, and finds a hedgehog in the boot trough, eating away. I lift him out, but he seemed good enough and carried on eating, when not being poked by me. I put the tray down and a bowl of fresh water beside as he might be thirsty. And we left the little hog be. He carried on eating.