Friday 2nd July 2021

Still home alone.

Although Jools was xpected back at about seven.

And the midway point of the year. Kinda.

And despite being to lay in, I was awake and then up by half five. So I fed the cats and made a coffee, then decided with an hour before work, I could rattle round Tesco, hunting and gathering. I had made a list during the week, which doesn't mean I would actually read it or keep to it. But I had the usial and important stuff.

Tesco at ten past six is almost ready for the shopping hoards to return, dozens of either empty or half empty carts litter the aisles as the shelves are restocked. So I get most of what I thought we needed. Except yougurt. It was on the list. I checked the list. I ignored the list. I forgot the yogurt.

I did by a multipack of spicy crisps. Once upon a time, a pack from one of these would be enough to go with a sandwich of a good snack, but now the individual packs shrink ever smaller, and now instead of six packs inside, there is just five. I have two packs with a couple of bagels for lunch, as I forgot the cream cheese, one when i was watching the first game on TV, then another one, then the last one.

I told myself I was waiting to hear if Jools wanted dinner when she got home, as it turned out, by then I wasn't really hungry anyway. And anyway, through the day, around meetings, I had made and baked a limonchello and grappa tart, which we would have once she was back.

I put the shopping away, warm two croissants up for breakfast to go with a fresh coffee, and I was in work at five past seven, and already done so much.

Before the first meeting I separated a dozen yolks from their whites, and set them aside. Next I roll out the pastry and line a baking tin. I add limoncella and grappa, sugar, ground almonds and lemon juice and zest, whiz it all up in the blender. Only I didn't have grated, I had flakes, which made it more like a boozy Bakewell Tart, and better for it. It ook 90 minutes to cook and the rest of the day to cool and chill, so the flavours got stronger.

Damn fine tart.

Work is fine, the usual, and I try to remain keen, but it's hard.

At two I was done, so I pack away the computer, and head out for some orchiding before schools turn out.

Up on the down at Temple Ewell, thousands of Chalk Fragrants are now coming to the end of their season, many spikes half gone to seed, but many worh seeing. The time they take to go from being at their peak to past is is so quick, and I was a couple of days late, I guess.

At least in seeing these, its just a walk up from the car park to the top of the woodland path, then in the first meadow, and above the path is where most of the orchids can be found. And after huffing and puffing up, and checking on blue butterflies (none found, as we're between broods right now), and then out of the wood and up the path before doubling back on the top of the down, where among the long grass there are hundreds and thousands of Commonn Fragrants, and a few Pyramidals and CSOs.

I was looking for the rare hybrid between the first two, and such a plant should be obvious, but truth is there were so many spikes, that after half an hour I stopped checking anyway. And just took in the sight of the many orchids, so many the down turned mauve.

Time was getting on, so I walk back down, the drive back home up Whitfield hill and onto the A2, it was almost sunny back at Temple Ewell, but back in St Maggies the mist still lingered. I had an hour before the footy was due to start.

And glorious it all was too, with Switzerland knocking out Spain after 120 minutes and the worst penalty competition ever seen with seven out ten missed. And then it was Belgium v Italy, before which Jools returned home, so I made a brew and cut two nice big slices of tart.

Damn fine tart.

And the second game was wonderful, end to end, fast, skilful and full of incident. And Itlay ran out winners 2-1, by which time it was time for bed.

And dark.

And the weekend.