Sunday 5th August 2018

Despite vowing not to show others orchid sites, Sunday morning had me preparing to do just that. How did that happen? Well, a well written request is the answer.

And that we are now in our 7th year without mobile phones, we have become used to just arranging a location and time to meet, and by and larger, it has worked. Its just that sometimes we forget to the tell others we don’t have a phone, and they assume.

So, I was arranging the meeting with Rose, via Twitter direct message, and at the last moment, she changed to meet up location. I knew I mentioned Barham church, but after sitting outside that for 20 minutes, I began to doubt myself. I drive to the Black Robin to see if she was there, then along past Kingston church, which is where se actually was, although I didn’t see her despite cruising by twice.

I even find the village hall and wait there, as she had mentioned that in her messages Just the wrong village.

So, an hour and ten minutes later, I give up, and armed with a camera and ring flash to fine tune, I drive to the wood to snap some helleborines.

Violets grow deep in woodland, and can be tricky, if not near impossible to snap, so a ringflash is a boon, and now I have one, I want to use it, as it was for these orchids in particular I bought it for.

By half nine, the day was warming up, even in the shade of the trees. Up the gently sloping path, then following the path up the down to where the few clumps of VH were in full flower, I snap them well, using the flash and not using flash so to compare the shots, and I did this over and over again.

I go home being a little angry with Rose not turning up, and my back giving me gip, by the time I was home, I was fuming.

We have iced squash and I calm down, and deal with the six messages from Rose with her explaining that she had been at the wrong church and all that and everything. What I did realise is that we all make mistakes, and if we did not see the orchids this weekend, they would be gone for another year. I hear myself saying, meet you at Barham at four, and we can try again.

Jools decided it was too hot to clip hedges, and what with it being a Sunday and the day of rest, we wouldn’t do it. I was pleased really, but the hedge is now twice as wide and tall as it should be, and will have to be done soon.

I put the radio on and review my shots.

I cook bacon butties for lunch/brunch, either way we were full enough to last until dinner time, that and the final two Magnums really helped the afternoon slide by.

And indeed, it was too hot to do anything.

At half three, we drove back to Barham, arriving at the church with a full four minutes to spare.

Rose arrived, and we drove in convoy to the parking area, then me acting as guide explaining how secret the site is, or just know to hard core orchists, which she understood.

We walked back along the sloping path, alongside moss covered tree stumps, until the path began to climb, and we cam upon the first VH.

Thing about VH is that once you have seen one, you have seen 90% of them. Once they had gotten over the thrill of seeing that, its just more of the same; some clumps with more spikes than others, some spikes paler or more densely flowered.

We must have seen a dozen clumps, something close to 50 spikes, and we were all happy with that hour’s work and walk.

We amble back to the car then bid our farewells, and Jools and I go home, for me to prepare chorizo hash and a bottle of pink fizz.

It is still warm enough to sit outside and sip a wee dram as the sun sets, whilst the cats play at our feet.

And back to the real world tomorrow.