Monday 26th August 2019

It's hot. Damn hot.

Over the years I have joked that English Bank Holidays have almost unrelenting bad weather, so that those at the seaside shelter from the wind and rain.

But I suppose as this is the "late summer bank holiday", it should have good weather. But even in 1976, the hottest summer ever, the weather broke on bank holiday and the town was flooded out. The town being Oulton Broad. And areas flooded were near the broad. But other than that, all true.

Yesterday was hot. Today was to be hotter.

So, anything that needed to be done, had be done early.

Which is why I was making my way to Temple Ewell just after seven this morning, on a butterfly hunt, as any later and the weather would make the butterflies so lively, there would be no chance in snapping them.

Jools decided not to come. Do the garden instead, she said.

I had designs on snapping the Silver Spotted Skippers up on the top of the down.

But first, a quick look round the lower meadow and find a basking Adonis, in a perfect position with wings wide open, and ideal to snap.

So I snap it. Won't get a better one than that, so I go up the path to the top of the down, and meet a couple, Caroline and Kevin, who were also hunting skippers. They were sat down on the grass, waiting.

I said I would go and look, and soon I am chasing one along the steep slope, but lose it.

Further up, I disturb one, but see where it lands, so call Caroline over, and together we get some great shots, as the little bugger just sits there.

She goes off to find one on her own, but I am on a roll and find a second. She comes over and we snap the second.

It was not yet nine and I had achieved what I set out to do.

Perfect.

So, I go home, calling to get a pint of milk on the way, back to Jools who said it was now too hot in the garden, so we retire to the living room to have breakfast and more coffee.

We mess around online, listen to music.

The morning passes.

We have nachos and cold sausages and the last of the pork pies for dinner. And the rest of the special beer.

I spend the afternoon trying to stay awake.

Just about managing it.

It is now evening, cool enough for work in the garden, but is dinner time, and after a brew, I will make caprese.

And tomorrow: Scotland!

Yay.

By train.

Double YAY!