Friday 24th May 2019

End of the week. Only when you're on your holibobs, every day feels like a Friday. Tjough these days of wine and roses are coming to an end, and I have to face work again, with the consequences that such a return will bring.

We shall see.

But for now there is orchids. There are butterflies.

And for now, I will fly free like a bird and let my heart sing with joy. I like being happy, it brings me joy.

For the day, I have to take Jools for a very early yoga session down in DOver, and that began at half six, meaning we had to be out of the house at ten past six, and what was there keeping me, as Flickr was as unusable as ever, so I shut the laptop down, and we walk out the door.

Just behind the promenade, I park the car and Jools runs off carrying her mat and foamy thing, the use of which I have no idea. And I have an hour to kill.

I walk back to the new pier, the new bridge and the ongoing work on the old Prince of Wales Pier, which is still out of bounds, but the clock tower still stands, though surrounded by cones and fenced off areas.

People are put walking and exercising, taking in the fine morning.

I return to the car to listen to the radio, and be ready for when Jools returns, as we had just 30 minutes to get to Hythe before she was due to start work once the class finished, and I would get her there on time!

She comes out, I have the enge fired up, and as soon as she gets in, we're off, onto Townwall Street and up and out of the town on the A20.

In the end I get her there with 5 minutes to spare, she had changed on route, like in a movie. I did wonder what was going on when she took her trousers off!

Anyway, I now had six hours in which to fit in some orchid chasing, and maybe some shopping.

First port of call was Wye Down, where in a hollow is a little known colony of one of the UK's rarest orchids, and a little bird told me that there were beginning to open.

So, parking on the road, I clamber over the stile, walk through the meadow of bright yellow Crosswort, go up the bank, and there are a dozen or so cages.

So I go from one to one, inspect what is inside, and photograph those that are in flower.

They are all Late Spiders, but all are different, only the upturned lower lip gives the species away.

As always, I have the place to myself, which is always nice.

From there I go to Stelling Minis for breakfast of a cold pasty, some Guinness flavoured crisps and a banana milk shake. As you do.

That done, I drive the short distance to PGD, where I was to look over the Monkey again, hunt for the Musk and snap the open Greater Butterfly.

The monkey I did. I mean they are having a great year, out in huge numbers and more to come. I snap so many, including a group of five, which is unheard of.

Of the Musk, there was no sign. I was on limited time, but I'm sure if they were there, I would have seen them. Always next week. I suppose.

And as for the Butterfly: well, none of the spikes were out, despite being in open downland.

Two quick calls on the way back, one to check on the Birds Nest, just two flowers out, but I mess the shots up, as I do of the White Helleborines too.

But closer to Dover, I snap the colony of Man Orchids, now spreading over the flatter areas, and in ever increasing numbers.

Back home, then grab the shopping bags, the list and off to Tesco to race round throwing things in the trolley, before going back home to thwo it all in the fridge, to be in time to leave the house at half one to collect Jools at two

Phew.

Once back home, we were going to go for a walk into Deal, but my back wasn't doing well, so Jools says she will walk herslef, and I will meet her at The Green Berry at half five.

Which sounded fine to me.

I find things t do round the house, some of which was productive, watering the garden for example, before I leave for Deal. Or, strictly speaking, Walmer.

Traffic is heavy, but made worse by some roadworks on the Deal Road, meaning I arrive 5 minutes late, finding Jools already halfway through a glass of cider, her first for four months. I have a porter, and we sit in the beer garden, under the tumbling tresses of an ancient wisteria, whose scent was heady.

After just ONE beer, we drive into Deal, park at the bottom of the pier, and go to the fish and chip restaurant. No Skate, so I say I'll have cod. Large or small?

I was hungry, so said, large.

It came on a fish shaped plate, filling it.

It was magnificent. Golden crispy batter, with steamed white flakes of fresh fish inside.

I eat it all.

I was hungry no more.

We walk to the car and drive home.

I have a shower, then we retire to the sofa to watch Monty at the Chelsea flower festival. It is packed, looks like hell. We're happy watching it on TV to be honest.