Friday 19th Aril 2019

Good Friday.

It is Spring.

The sun shines, from a cloudless sky, it is even warm in the mornings. Nature is all a bustle, getting her new season outfits ready, and the time has arrived when there isn't enough time to get round all sites.

Eeeek.

And for now, as the season is still early, then there are the usual Early Spider and Early Purple sites to get to and explore. My hope was that there would be more Early Spiders down on The Hoe, more Early Purples at Yockletts, and also there maybe a fly or Lady be out.

And Jools sighed and said she would come with me.

But before we left, not only was there coffee to drink, but I had to mix and knead the dough for the now tradional Easter saffron buns. I thought that leaving the dough to rise as we were out would make for lighter dough, and more or bigger buns.

Bigger buns!

That done, and the coffee drunk, we load the car and drive to Samphire Hoe, the expected traffic to the port was nowhere to be seen.

Not many people about, so we park and with Jools going for a walk along the sea wall, I wander along the track to try and spot the ESO spikes. First one I saw was in the centre of the coach park, but looking in good condition.

Further along the ground was only just turning back into soil after the winter had turned it to mud, and there was little sign of a single orchid.

But further along, I find a good dozen spikes, all in flower with the promise of more to come as the season progresses

Jools even finds two spikes nearly down on the beach, never seen one that far west, but then before we had assumed it would be too salty there.

We walk back to the car, and from there drive to Yoclletts for the next search.

And although the breeze was getting u beside the sea, inland, and in the lea of the tree covered down, it was still and peaceful. And warm.

We had last visited here two weeks ago, but everything is reaching for the sky, and there are more insects on the wing too.

Down from the lower glade the Fly I had been hoping were going to be open, were more advanced, and one or two had the spike starting to form flowers.

I was happy with that, but Jools looked under a tree and in an ivy-covered thicket, and finds one spike with the first flower, the fly, beginning to open, unfurling. The colours looked dull, but the new ring flash means I take my own sunshine with me now to the deepest and darkest wood.

Further up and over the road we find Greater Butterfly putting up spikes, a few Herb Paris in flower, and lots more Lady, Fly and EPO on their way to being opening.

In the upper glade, there were several EPO open, and three Lady with thir purple-tipped spikes looking that in a week they will be out.

We sit and enjoy the sunshine, the colours and smells. I had been hoping to see an Orange Tip and Green Hairstreak, I see a flash of orange and am chasing the male Orange Tip around the glade, getting two fairly distant shots.

I did snap a Brimstone, spotted sheltering on a primrose. I never pass up a turn to snap one, I mean I have gone years between shots of them!

We walk through the woods; the bluebells are nearly at their peak here, though their numbers are not enough to create a blue carpet, but impressive when mixed in with the white of wood anemones and bright colours of Early Purples.

Down the slope and along the bottom, and then to back to the car. Sadly, no Green Hairstreaks seen, but there will be other times.

Just along the valley there is a field, which I hav learned is home to a substantial colony of Green Winged Orchids. I hoped that we might find one open.

I thought I had found one, but through the camera it looked like an Early Purple. But during editing I could clearly see the green viens, so Green Wing it was.

But no others, so we go back to the car, then via an half hour drive along narrow lanes, realy six foot sixers, Tiny, back to Stone Street then back to the motorway to Folkestone.

Back in the early days of Flickr, getting fellow members to meet up and take shots was a thing, fFlickrmeets, but in the past few years the community part of the website has died, and much meets are no more. But I keep in touch with old Flickrites on other platforms, and some such was Steve, aka CDL Creative.

Steve travels a lot, and I enjoy his travel tweets ans the foodie ones too. So after enquiring about meeting up next time he was in Kent, he said that Easter might be a good time.

We agreed to meet in Kipp's Alehouse, as we both like a beer, apparently. So, Jools and I park at the harbour then walk back and up the Old High Street, calling in at the record shop halfway up to see what Record Store goodies they had left over. I ended up with a ten inch of M's Pop Misuk on pink vinyl, which looked pretty good, and sounds good for a 40 year old tune!

I was to the pub, Steve is at the bar; he offers to buy me a beers, so I accept.

We make two hours vanish, and several beers as we catch up; it has been 11 years since we last saw each other, and he is now retired, and I wish I was.

Afterwards, Jools and I got the Orental Buffet place along the street, just getting in before it stopped servig, so had a plateful of mixed dishes.

Due to amount of Belgian Tripel I had sunk, Jools drove us back home.

I make the dough into buns, then wait for them to proove one final time before baking them. As I have said before, there really isn't anything like the smeel of yeast and saffron cooking.

And, later, once baked and cool, I cut them in half, smother with butter, and we have a huge bun each.

Yummy

And there was football. Being a bank holiday, there was an almost full Football League program, with Norwich playing in the evening. But first Leeds were to see if they could close the gap between them and City.

As it happened, despite playing for 76 minutes against ten men, Leeds missed a penalty and even after taking the lead, we pegged back by Wigan, who then scored a winner late in the 2nd half.

After dinner, I settle down to follow City on Twitter. Of course, its just not those at the top with something to play for, which is why both Reading and Wigan played with such determination against us. City score, but are pegged back just before half time, then Sheffied Wednesday score a goal that the forward spooned the ball in the net with his hands. The referee didn't see it. in the seventh minute of six additional minutes, Norwich win a free kick that was ten struck into the top corner by Super Mario.

The crowd goes wild.