Sunday 18th August 2019

Another lazy day, but one which brings news of not our next adventure, but the one after that!

Yes, Sunday morning, and coming after a heavy Norwich win, it can only mean snuggling up on the sofa with Scully to watch MOTD and rejoice in a yellow and green victory.

For the first time in like forever, the computer wasn't switched on until the footy was watched and breakfast eaten.

That completed, we drive over to Folkestone so I could get a hair cut.

We have a friend, Mary, who lives in the town, so while I go and have my mane shaved, Jools and Mary drink coffee in the Chocolate Cafe, then I go and join them afterwards.

I am first in the queue to get a haircut, then sit and listen to the Iranian barbers swapping, what I guess to be gossip as they are all busy with customers. I am soon looking far neater and less grey as my locks were shorn. Half an hour later I walk back into the sunshine and walk down the street to join Jools and Mary.

Mary is telling us she was about to book a cabin for her and a friend on a cruise to Norway and Svalbard, we were both interested. Anyway, an hour or so later, we all left, and we walked back to the car to drive, not to home, but to Temple Ewell, to walk to down looking for butterflies.

In all the rush with life and stuff these last few weeks, I realised I had no seen any Chalkhill Blues or Silver Spotted Skippers, and the best place to see both is Temple Ewell.

We park behind the old George and Dragin, and walk up the path to the first meadow, but apart from a single female Adonis, we see no butterflies.

Further up the down, through the gate and into the open, the wind was really beginning to gust, and it seemed foolish to try to find any. But after some searching and using my brain (yes, I have one) I saw there were areas in dips where, when the sun broke through, several male Adonis could be seen. And when I looked closer I saw a Brown Argus too.

And Chalkhills.

Though wind make snapping almost impossible, I did get a shot of a male, and one of an aberrant female, which took me some time to decide which species it actually was.

And with dark clouds sweeping in, we make track to rush back to the car before getting soaked, and then to home, back in time for lunch.

Jools was on the computer and found that there was a cabin on the cruise that Mary was going on; did we want to go?

Hell, yes!

So, after some IT issues, she called the company and we booked.

So, next June we will be sailing from Tilbury to destinations north of the Arctic Circle, including Norway and Svalbard.

Excited is the word!

After that, it was all a bit of a letdown.

We had lunch, then I watched the afternoon's football, but it turned out that trying to stay awake was going to be the biggest battle. Jools came inside from gardening to find me zedding away as Sheffield Utd beat Palace.

Jools makes coffee and we have another slice of tart.

And I am wide awake for the next game, Chelski v Leicester, which was a good game, but ended 1-1, so both are below us in the league!

Woot.

Dinner is herb encrusted rack of lamb, which I can cook like a post restaurant chef now. I make roast potatoes, fresh corn and a small stir fry to go with it, all washed down with pink fizz.

I let Jools beat me at Uckers, and by then it was gone nine, and another weekend had slipped by.

And so ahead is my last week in my old role. A new life of audits and audit reports lay ahead....