Wednesday 1st June 2022

After three days at work, at end of play on Wednesday off for another 11 days. I had to get through three meetings, two of which would be difficult, first.

I wake up with Jools putting her shoes on before going to the pool, it was nearly six, and I had work in an hor. But a coffee was waiting.

The promise of sunshine had failed to appear, and instead a blanket of cloud covered the sky, and it was chilly once again.

So chilly that by mid-morning I had closed the windows and put the heating on.

Work struggled on, and other than meetings, the main task was trying to book travel for week 25 when I hope to travel to Holland. I was was requested to travel to DK first week back after the holiday, but when I looked, all I saw were six hour layovers in Amsterdam once again. I won't go.

At three I pack up. Most of my colleagues have taken the week off because of school holidays, so few mails had come in. I closed the computer off and packed it away.

I had not been for a walk round the neighbourhood for weeks, due to travel, orchid hunting and then poor weather last week. And with us going away on Thursday, if we can round up the cats, this was my last chance for a week.

Obviously, everything is green and/or in flower. Or seems to be. And the sun even came out for a wile, warm enough too to make me take my jumper off and have to carry it.

Early spring flowers are now going to seed, and for the most part, the summer ones are yet to burst open. But even after the recent rain, there was little mud.

Few butterflies about too, two Speckled Woods tempted me with perching before flying off as I raised my camera, but no blues seen, or anything more exotic either.

I turn for home, and the two horses on the track down from Windy Ridge were on the lookout for their supper, so I stop to scratch their noses and walk back to Collingwood.

No dinner to cook, as we were to have it with Jen and John at one of the "family pubs" in town, Jen came to collect me at half five, and drove us to the Rock Rose where Jools was waiting.

Nothing finer than a carvery with lots of vegetables. And although not the standard of the roast we had at The Lantern earlier this year, it was only 20% of the cost.

Back to Jen's for what may be the laast cards night for a few months, and John ran out the big winner, again, scooping three jackpots on the final hand at nine.