Sunday 8th May 2022

After Saturday's excesses in walking and climbing, anyone sensible would have taken Sunday easy.

Anyone sensible.

Me, on the other hand.

I did, first, need a haircut.

And there was bacon.

So, in the beginning there was bacon butties.

And coffee.

It gave us the chance to ramp up slowly, so to be ready to leave the house just before nine, for the short drive to Folkestone, I couldn't help but notice the predicted endless sunshine was hidden by cloud.

It'll clear, said Jools.

She was right.

We parked in the usual place, and I went straight to the barbers, while Jools waited for Mary to arrive, then they would go for a coffee and a chat. I would stand outside until the door was opened at twenty to ten, shown straight to the chair, and as it had been five weeks since my last haircut, he went to get the shears out the back.

Nearly.

Half an our later, I was lovely.

My hair was.

I walked up to the church to check on the Wall Pennywort. The wall had been cleared, but the hardy plant had regrown, and was nearly in (small) flower, so I took a shot or two, then went to meet with Jools and Mary.

I had a coffee, and we chatted about life, but mainly photography.

Time for our parking was running out, so Jools and I walk back to it, after hugging Mary and vowing to be back in a month or so time.

We drive out through the retail park, then onto the motorway to the Hythe turning, then as ever now, we turn up Stone Street, to the orchid fields, marking the sites on both sides until we turned off and headed down the leafy lanes to Denge Wood and the familiar car park, which was as I expected, full of cars. I expected Bonsai to be full of butterfly chasers, I myself had come to snap one or two. Jools went off to explore a new part of the wood, while I walked down the logging track, up the hill, then through the gate into the reserve.

Two guys were snapping an/or checking the shots they had. I asked if many Dukes were about, they confirmed many were. So, I left them to it, check on the leck, then back into the brambles where I hoped to find the butterflies basking.

In a few minutes I spot one flying, I follow it and get shots as it basked. I do this several times until I get one with wings flat and in sunshine, I knew I would be happy with that, so went on a tour round the path circling the reserve, snapping more and more Lady Orchids as I went.

I saw a couple of people, but not many, so I was left alone with my thoughts.

I texted Jools, she would wait on the logging track, and I said I would meet her.

Which I did.

We walked back to my car, which was a struggle, which by my reckoning, over the two days thus far, I had done close to 29,000 steps. My legs hated me.

We reached the car, which was hot as the sun was now high overhead and very warm indded. I open the windows, and we drive thus back to Stone Street, then through Bridge to the A2 and back home, where we get back just before two, and in time for football.

We have a coffee and an ice-cream, and my attention turned to Norwich, who turned in another dreadful performance, and lost 4-0 to West Ham.

Sigh.

More football to watch, and dinner to make too. I prepare and cook chorizo hash, which we eat as I watch the second half of Citeh's tonking of Newcastle. 5-0. Without breaking sweat.

There is yet more football, but also blogs to write, music to listen to, then shots to post for #wildflowerhour on Twitter.

The day and weekend is done.