Sunday 5th September 2021

The plan had been to wake up at six, get up, have coffee, and Jools drop me off at Temple Ewell while she went swimming, she was trying to double the amount she does, so go just once a week, rather than twice.

But as it happened, Jools slept in and I slept in further. She woke me up at twenty to seven saying I should have a lazy Sunday.

I got up, opened the curtains and it was a freaking glorious morning, I mean it would have been perfect up on the downs.

I got dressed and when I came down, Jools was there, having made me a coffee.

I'll put that in a thermos cup and go walking anyway! I heard myself saying.

Instead, I drop Jools off at the pool and take the car to Temple Ewell, with agreement to meet her back at the pool at nine, but I had my phone, although none of the data I needed to make calls or send messages had transferred over. So much for Apple making things easy, the only data that transferred was what they wanted.

Sounds right.

It was misty, nearly foggy, and after puffing up the path through the woods, the downs opened up and there was still mist, but the sun was shining through. It was magical.

The plan had been to walk to Lydden to check on orchids there, but I searched for butterflies, orchids and gentians and in the end made 90 minutes vanish, all in the golden glow of an autumnal morning.

There were a few about, mostly dog walkers, their pooches sometimes out of control and one chasing the cows which have been busy grazing the down, keeping the shrub in check.

Sigh.

Walking back up I disturb a harvest mouse, I don't get a shot, but I stand for a few minutes as it tries to move away, unseen, stems of grass twitching as it moved to safety. A dog would have chased it, of course. Its a nature reserve, like, for nature, can't people respectt hat?
Apparently not, nor could the cyclist who came hurtling past me.

Sigh.

90 minutes had passed, I had wet feet from the dew, and only a few shots taken, but it had been wonderful.

I walked back to the car, finished the coffee and drive back up to Whitfield to wait for Jools, listening to the radio and watching fit people drive to the sports centre for their classes at nine o'clock. I am not judging, the council built this centre, out of town, and knocking down the one on Townwall Street that most could walk to. Not now, of course.

The drive through Subway would be doing great business later I suspect. That or Maccy Dees.

Jools comes out and we go home for coffee, fruit, another coffee and croissants.

Yummy.

I finish the lamnmeadow preparations, scattering the last of the seeds and raking them so they touch the soil and collecting the dried thatch.

Only took half an hour, but it was hot work, Jools had made some iced squash, so we sat on the top patio and surveyed out wonderous works.

Lunch was to be caprese, so I made some sourdogh bread, all risen and baked by quarter past one, and we sat down to eat at half past, all finished by two and ready for the afternoon footy.

First up was Wales in Belarus, and Wales went off like an express train, won a penalty, then relaxed, conceded two, get another penalty and finally get a winner deep into injury time. Then it was England v the might that is Andora; England made heavy work to get a flattering 4-0 win, though the minnow did defend very well. The score was hard on them, I think.

The evening game was Switzerland v Italy, played at a breakneck pace and full of skill and excitement, and somehow ended goalless, not helped by Italy missing a penalty.

That was then ten in the evening, and time for bed, as the weekend had flown by.