Saturday 13th March 2021

So, a year since all our lives changed. Changed by COVID and the measures needed to control it. And even then, most of the measures failed.

But we have kept ourselves safe, mostly thanks to our own sacrifices, others have been just as careful and have not been so lucky.

Just the way it is.

But there is hope that we are emerging into the light, the light of the forthcoming spring, the days get longer, and the days get warmer, flowers emerge, birds are singing, and others, but not me, have even seen butterflies. But even as I type this, I know that across Europe a third wave is building, in countries that did better than the UK for nearly a year, they are locking down hard once again.

It is the weekend, and there is the usual discussion about what to do. Well, we don't want to travel too far, but go somewhere quiet and somewhere where we could maybe see something interesting. Thoughts, or my thoughts, went back to last summer when someone told me of an area near Barham, and near where we go to see the woodland orchid species, so we should go and check it out as rosettes should now be on show.

So that was set.

Dawn now begins before six, on a bright day, at half five on bright mornings, so that we can lay in bed when the alarm takes days off, we can lay in bed and enjoy the sound of the dawn chorus from outside. We've worked all week, we deserve the rest.

And yet, there is a day out there to fill, so we leap out of bed and go downstairs to make the first coffee of the day, feed the cats and generally take the day by the scruff of the neck and show it who's boss. A relaxing day for me, with Norwich not playing until Sunday, I could chill out and hopefully enjoy those chasing us stumble and fall.

That was the plan.

Anyway, it was off to our favourite place, the other side of Barham, a quick blast down the A2, then through the village, past the church and over the Nailbourne that was still flowing like a millrace. Over the main road throug the village and up the hill past the school, under the remains of the railway bridge and into the country.

We parked on the old hard standing, but instead of our usual walks, we carry on walking up the lane until we came to a woodland track to the right, and turned up there.

Almost straight away Jools found a fine colony of Scarlet Elf Cap fungii, more than twenty fruiting bodies, I snap most, but the most pleasing was two showing wel through a carpet of moss covering a tree stump. Anything more would be a bonus.

As we were walking back to the top of a familair track, I guess the orchids would be about halfway along, and I was proven right, as I found about twenty Early Purple rosettes and a single one of a Lady too. Otherwise there was now a carpet of bluebells, though none yet in flower, but there will be quite a show in a couple of weeks.

We joned the top of the track we knew, so turned down there and past the small colonies of EPOs, none else seen, but that doesn't mean there won't be Lessrer Butterfies there in a couple of months.

Over the road to look for some moschatel, aka Townhall Clock Plant, but the heavy rain and thick mud means there is much gorwing to be done before any flowers. Further on I cut through the wood and find dozens of Lady rosettes showing well through the leaf litter, and finally I found a single Common Twayblade with its spike already forming as were the flowers.

Getting really close now.

And that is it, really.

We walk back to the car, change shoes and drove back past the Black Robin to the A2, doubling back to Dover, and then to home, getting back at just gone midday, and so time for a brew and then lunch. A lunch of cheese burgers, with as we found out before, a single half poud patty more than enough each.

Ahem.

And there was beer, which went some way to explain why I struggled to stay awake throug the afternoon games, even though they were quite important for Norwich. In the end, Brentford and Swansea both win, cutting our lead to 7 (seven) points, but with a game in hand.

I say I won't watch the enxt game, but will save myself for the later game not realising that was on BY not Sky, which meant that by the time we had eaten crispbakes, chips and defrosted creamed spinach, washed up and put away, there was no football to watch. I watch a tram video, follow the late game on Twitter before calling it a night at half nine.