Thursday 18th November 2021

Welcome to Thursday.

And for some reason, my brain decided I should wake up before four, so I read some of JCC's book until Jools got up.

This was going to be a long day.

Once again, Jools made an early start, checking on mails from home, but she did have time to go for a walk around the estate before leaving for work. By which time I was already at work, trying to make sense of my scribbled notes.

I made a loaf of bread at half seven, or mixed the dough, kneaded it it and left it in the tin to rise, I just had to remember to check on it before it escaped the tin. Which I about managed after an overlong meeting ended, and I got to the oven just as it was about to pur over the edge of the tin.

I turned the oven on and let it bake.

Back to work, and by ten I had written the report, but I needed to let it rest for a while, so once the bread was done, I went for a short walk, taking two cameras and went to the end of our road, turning up Station Road, to the top track then along the lane between hedgerows recently flayed by the farmer, thus stripping them of fruits and berries that would have sustained birds through the winter.

Such things need to be done, but in November, just before winter hits, show a total disregard of nature and the part it plays in farming.

Some holly did survive, and maybe enough, but the desire to tame nature in all its forms will damn us all in the end.

Still, the walk was good.

Once I reached Windy Ridge I turned down the hill past the two horses, the two ponies and to Collingwood and to home.

Once back home I put the kettle on, cut a crust off the loaf and smothered with butter and peach jam, which was rather wonderful with a large cuppa.

I rechecked my note and found a couple of more points for the report, then sent it off. Three down, and one to go.

Three o'clcok came round and so I pack up work, watch an episode of Only Connect, and then nothing, as there was no dnner to prepare, as I was going out!

Yes, it was the beer and tasting evening in Walmer, so once JOols came home we had a drink together before Iput on my new trainers and coat so Jools could drop me off.

Inside the Freed Man there was a long table that we sat round, I bought a beer to start with, then a pint of the porter that was on, before the real tasting took place.

First off there was gravelax which was served with an elderflower IPA, both of which were very very nice indeed.

Then came a bowl of New England style chowder, which was served with a New England IPA, but one at seven percent.

The main course was a selection of cooked meats and sausages, served with the Chimay Grande Reserve that I love, and that turned out to be the favourite beer of the evening for pretty much everyone.

Dessert was a brownie with cream, served with a stout, which went together well, and the meal was rounded off with cheese and a lambic beer. Lambic is sour beer naturally fermented in tanks, and is an aquired taste, something that none of us had so far aquired.

It was ten, so I rang for a taxi, which came quick, so I poured myself into the back seat and he drive me the few miles to St Maggies, letting me out to weave down to the house and let myself in the back door.