Saturday 14th November 2020

Welcome to the weekend.

And we had quite a bit planned, with Jen coming round to play cards in the after into the evening, as we are now in a bubble together, as John has his with his family.

No bubble, big trouble.

We had food bought, and I was going to make spicy chicken tortillas, so all was set.

And for the morning, we thought we would go to Samphire Hoe. And have a walk, get some fresh air. Stretch our legs. Hunt for orchid rosettes.

So after coffee, we go out, via Tesco to collect essential supplies: Madeira, stollen and baklava. As well as peppers.

All the major foodgrops covered there.

Tesco was quite quiet, we rushed round grabbing what we wanted and actually using a till rather than the scan n shop, so we atually talked to someone.

Actually.

And then it was down Jubilee Way, through town and up and out on the A20, before turning off and waiting for the traffic lights to go green.

It goes green, and we go down, finding the large circular car pak almost empty, so I struggle to reverse the car into one of the marked spaces.

Jools pays for an hour's parking, then we split up: she walks along the sea wall and I walk on the path over the rolling landscaped grassland.

There is a lot of fresh air to be had, all of it free, and with a head wind, a lot of it forcing it down my nose and into my mouth. I could smell the tang of salt in the air, smething that got stronger as I neared the beach at the far end.

A couple of trains rattle along on the line at the bottom of the coast. Which I snap.

Sheep scatter at my approach. They and the small herd of cows are essential to manage brambles and other vigorous plants and shrubs.

I meet up with Jools at the far end of the site, and we watch for about ten minutes as waves crashed on the beach, and a few Rock Pipits fed on small shellfish washed up.

We walk back up along the path beside the railway so I could hunt for evidence of orchid rosttes, but I find nothing, but it was just looking as walking, not on hands and knees. We will be back in the early spring, if lockdown allows.

Back to the car and drive back to the A2, off at the next exit and double back to return to Dover, along Townwall Street and back home up Jubilee Way.

For a brew.

And back in time to listen to Huey as we warm up, drink our coffee and feast on baklava.

The day slips by, so at two Jools goes to pick up Jen, while I carry on watching a video of a train climbng the Alps to St. Moritz. Somewhere else to go once the plague ends.

Jools arrives back and we play Meld for a couple of hours. Easier with three and quicker. It gets dark, so I prepare dinner, cooking breaded chicken and warming up some party food.

It sould come as no surprise to ehar that the party food, even Finest party food, was a pale shadow of the butcher-bought chicken I prepared and cooked.

We ate, and then played more cards until it reached eight in the evening, and after five hours of cards, our bums were numb, so Jools took Jen home, and I watched Portugal v France on the tellybox.

Not a bad day.