Saturday 11th May 2019

Saturday.

In orchid season.

Guess what we did in the morning?

And being a weekend in the orchid season, I was awake and up at half five, ready for the fun day ahead.

By half six I had made coffee, fed the cats and so on, and there was 90 minutes to kill before Tesco's shop n scan opened. So what better thing to do than check on the Late Spider Orchids?

None better if you ask me.

There was just enough time to blast laong the Alkham Valley, then along the downs to the site, park up and get through the wood, dodging the dog's eggs to the site, and there, just at my foot was a small rosette, though not yet open. Maybe three or four days away.

I snap it anyway.

That done, back to the car and drive back to home to collect Jools so we could go shopping.

Jools is now half off the diet, so we need more fruit and vegetables, but it does make me cooking easier now that we can have a few more carbs, but not too many. Jools has lost 50 pounds, 3 stone, while I have lost about a third of that. We will try to be good as the summer goes on.

Back home, I realise I have been on the go for four days, and I need to chill. Anyway, I am on vacation from Thursday, so will relax all day.

We have breakfast, more coffee. And Jools does the garden, I work on the computer, listen to music, and while away the time until half twelve, when the football starts.

Football never really ends, just starts again each summer, but at the end of the season, now that Norwich have won the league and Ipswich have been relegated, there are the play offs, where the teams that finished 3rd to 6th, play off to see who will meet in the final at Wembley for the last promotion spot.

And I could watch, luxuriating in the comfort that my team are already up, and watch on as Aston Villa and WBA, then Deby and Leeds would fight to the death, over two legs, then the winners meet in the final.

So, I sat down to watch Villa play WBA, Jools made lunch, then went to Jen's to Nan-sit Bett. I was home alone with the cats, who watched me like hawks, or like over fed kitty cats, lest I might feed them some more.

Villa come from behind to beat Albion, which was great entertainment. I then had two hours to kill before the second game.

For the last nine months, three o'clcok on Saturday is when most games are played. The season is now pretty much over, and there was just the final Scottish games to play.

So I went into the garden to dig up the last of the fennel, which it tuns out is a bully and will grow, strongly, everywhere.

So with trowel and bucket, I clear the lawn and beds of the seedlings that have long and deep taproots.

I make a brew and retire to watch the second game, Leeds winning 1-0, and were by far the better team. Rematches are on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Jools comes home, and we feast on a selection of Indian party food whilst the League 1 play off between Sunderland and Portsmouth takes place. And thin fare that is, little skill on show, but lots of huffing and puffing.

And that was Saturday.

More orchids on Sunday though!