Saturday 16th October 2021

The days and weeks fly by, and things I meant to write about ten days or more ago, now seem histroy, but here we are.

There have been two deaths, not in our family, but of two friends.

First of all, Sarah in Norwich, lost her husband, Richard, who succumbed to cancer after a long fight with that and other ailments. The end, wen it came was quick and sudden. I am lucky enough to have met Richard on several occasions, and he was a kind, knowledgeable and friedly person. The world is a less light place without Richard.

And my friend, Gary, lost his Father about the same time, to dementia. His Father had been ill for a long time, each day a little of what made him the person he was, was lost. Again, the end was sudden, he moved into a care home in early summer, at first no understanding where he was, but settled down. Then had a fall, and whether it was the fall that caused the bleeding on his brain of the bleeding caused the fall, we might never know. But afterwards, he slipped away.

And being in the time of COVID, funerals are still small, and mostly family affairs, and so friends cannot join in to mourn, and it can seem they leave us, almost unnoticed. We do notice, but there is little more we can do.

Anyway, and so onto the weekend.

We were up at half six, nearly quarter to seven, had a coffee, then rushed out to go to Tesco for our hunter-gathering. I can report most goods are there, certainly what we wanted. But some stuff was in short supply. I bought some mincemeat for mince pies over Christmas, and where there would be many different choices, including the "extra" special stuff, there was just two.

But we got flour, eggs, milk, butter and vegetables. So, all good for another week, at least.

Back home ehre where I make bacon butties with the loaf I had made, with some smoked back rashers from Tesco, and then it was time to go out again. Jools had a class in Deal, so I got her to drop me off at Kingsdown, and I would walk back.

The forecast was for sunshine to give way to cloud, which is what happened, and the breeze freshened, and from what was a warm day, turned cool, but the walking along the cliffs kept me warm.

There were some folks on the beach, having a picnic and others skimming stones from the shingle. I took the steps up the start of the cliffs, my knees complaining from the first step.

But I got up, walked throug the tunnel of vegetation that the Old Man's Beard and brambles had made, and out onto the cliff tops, that climed as I neared Kingsdown Leas.

No Long Tailed Blues seen in the Everlasting Pea. Most of that had dried up, but fresh growth was everywhere, though flowers and blooms are months away now. In fact I saw only two butterflies; a single basking Red Admiral, and later, near home, either a Comma of some other "brown" that failed to settle, so not sure. And as I had taken both cameras with me, and fitted with a macro and distance lens, it was a surprise I saw no birds to snap, really either.

And my back let me know how unhappy it was to cope with the extra weight even with the special harness I had bought.

A few flowers were putting on a late show, but mostly seedheads swayed in the breeze, and to the south, ferries hurried to and from Dover.

Once in St Margaret's, I turned inland, up to Barrow Mount, past the tees of the golf course, where people were ruining a good walk, whacking blass with a stick. Each to their own. The holes that run parallel with the path had to wait until I have passed by, although one ball dropped within twenty feet of me. I could have nipped in and nicked it, but I'm not like that.

Really.

It was good to get to the top of Barrow Mount, knowing it was mostly down hill from here, just the short sharp climb from the bottom of The Dip, and it was getting chilly, so I set off to the top of Norway Drove, then down, and if I looked to my left, I could just make out the shape of Chez Jelltex.

I reached Fleet House, then along past the former butterfly copse, now so overgrown with brambles, it'll be woodland in a couple of years.

Finally over the fields, and arriving home at twenty to midday, and I judged it to be still warm enough to have a glass of squash sitting on the top patio, watch the birds, and the cats trying to catch the birds.

The cats failed, by the way.

Jools returned home, laden with goodies from a new deli in Deal. So we feasted on Scotch eggs and Pistachio Cannoli. We know how to live.

I seasoned the two butterfly lamb chops we were going to have for dinner, then settled down to watch football, then listen to Norwich play Brighton on the radio.

City draw 0-0, and should have won, but then didn't lose. the lack of goals though is now getting serious. Only Chelsea away next week.....

We have dinner, and it is probably my best ever meal, everything cooked to perfection, and a fine glass of Grande Reserve to have with it too.

And that is it.

Craig on the radio, then to bed at eight to read the JCC book, just lapping it up.