Sunday 17th April 2022

Third day of a four day weekend, and we are going nowere, really, due to the uncertainty on availability of fuel from one day to the next. We have a pretty full talk for now, Jools can get to work for the next week, so we will survive.

How much of this is Brexit, Ukraine or something else? I believe, that there were protests at a refinery, but that was stopped with an injunction last week, though finding out anything certain seeems difficult. What I do know is that shortages are everywhere up and down the country, some worse than others. This weekend there was fuel in Deal, but none in Sandwich or in Dover town centre.

So, who knows?

I only had one target, the area at the base of the cliffs at Samphire Hoe, and if I went earlier enough I wouldn't meet many other people; dog walkers, families, park runners and so on. Jools decided to sit this one out, so after coffee I went out, and found Jubilee Way open for the first time in nearly two weeks.

No queues at the bottom, along Townwall Street or at Aycliffe on the A20, so jams caused by Brexit checks and sheer volume of traffic.

I reached the turn off, waited 90 seconds for the lights, during which time I looked for any spikes near the path, but saw none, it is still quite early for those.

I parked up once through the tunnel, and instead of walking to the railway and the path beside that, I turned to the sea wall and headed north. No one else about.

Round the corner and to the cliff face, and I find about ten spikes, in various stages of opening. I snap a few. In the air there were Wall Browns and Dingy Skippers, the first of both I have seen this year, and I even get a crappy distant shot of the Wall, but what else was flying round, can't be Small Blues yet, can it?

One settled, and I saw clearly it was a Small Blue, I mean no other butterfly is that small. As I get shots on the underside of the wings, it opens, and I get to see the sooty black topsides.

It was happy enough basking, so I switch to a smaller appeture to get the whole insoct in focus.

Job done.

I walk back to the car park, but call in the warden's office to let them know about my sightings, they would log it in the diary they said.

And with that I got back in the car and drove home. Back in time for a snack and a coffee, but no breakfast as Jen was coming for lunch, and we would eat plenty then.

So, I make the batter for puddings, peel and boil potatoes, trim vegetabls and finally season and put in the chicken to roast, while I make a dozen pigs in blankets and make some cranberry stuffing too.

As usual, it comes together perfectly, all ready to eat at one, we drink the last of the pink fizz and eat up.

Man, that was some good eatin'.

There followed two hours during which time I may not have stayed awake.

There was the second Cup semi-fanal to watch, but not a path on the Saturdays, mainly because as good as Palace were, Chelsea has better players, on the pitch and able to bring yet more on towards the end. Its no longer a sporting contest.

Jens goes home, and Jools and I have a coffee as the evening started, and have a saffron bun each for supper.

Day three of the weekend draws to an end.