Thursday 27th May 2021

Would have been Mum's 77th birthday.

Home from my travels, the question for the day would be how long until I got itchy feet?

I had two blogs to write, two podcasts to listen to, breakfast to eat.

Its a cloudy day, but is supposed to get brighter.

Jools had gone to work, I laze around, have a shower until I decide its time to do something. And that something was yet more orchids.

Shock.

I get in the car and drive to Cliffsend to visit the old hoverport to see the yellow Man Orchids, as they should have been at their peak.

It is near normal, the snack kiosk is open, cars are parked nearby and people are eating bacon butties and ice creams. I park on the road, grab the camera and walk down past the Viking ship, to the top of the steps, and down into the drowned world below.

Not really drowned, a bourne tinkles down the bottom two steps making a puddle on the ground, I splish splash through that and walk to the second road, then down to the marker, where, a few feet in front were the orchids.

I even counted them, 92 spikes in total, some tiny, but some large, and most densly packed with overlapping man-shaped lips.

I take shots, like many I have taken over the years, but still, orchids.

And that was that.

I searched the area for Bee Orchids and find a single rosette with spike emerging, there used to be dozens here, if not hundreds, but the dry years have done for them, I think. One last check for broomrapes, but I saw none of those, there used to be several spikes of COmmon Broomrpae, but none showing now.

I walk back to the car, turn round and drive back to Dover and to Whitfield as it was my turn to do the shopping. So, into Tesco, and I know some of you are big fans of this branch. I whisk round, getting stuff we mostly need, and one or two things we don't: wine for instance.

I must be feeling better.

Then I try to pay.

I have to have a trolley check.

Passed that.

Then the scanner wouldn't accept my voucher.

And then it had to be made certain I was over 25 to buy the wine.

Phew,

Back home, and it was two in the afternoon.

I have bought a sandwich and some crisps for a late lunch.

I eat, make a brew, mess around and somehow it was half four in the afternoon, and I had fritters to make.

Outside, the garden lawnmeadow looks stunning: all buttercups at the top end, and ox eye daisies at the bottom, and inbetween them all is lots of Yellow Rattle.

I took a shot.

Or two.

Then to make the fritter batter, grate some courgettes, mix it all up, add oil to a hot pan, and fry spoonfulls at a time.

Jools arrives just as the last batch is cooking, I put them all on a plate in a golden pyramid, carry them to the living room, and we eat with some garlic mayo.

And somehow another day has gone, we close the curtains on another day in paradise.