Saturday 8th October 2022

It am the weekend again, but after a week off, so one belnds smoothly into the other.

And next week I have a four day trip to the Isle of Wight for work, which will do me good too.

Not much planned for the day, once shopping was done. And I do that as Jools is still coughing and so did not want to go round the supermarket coughing like that.

So, I d the week's shop, though not much needed as I will be away four days, so I am back with three bags of shopping, and we have the usual Saturday breakfast of fruit followed by bacon sandwiches.

Posting shots on other social media showed me many churches had to be revisited. Just about the last one to be thus revisited was Minster-in-Thanet, as the album had 55 shots from two previous visits, and I thought such a large and imposing church deserved more.

So, it was a quiet drive over to Sandwich, taking the bypass round Stonar, then turning off at the delightfully named Sevenscore for the drive along the back lanes into Minster, passing by the Abbey, outside of which was an actual nun, all dressed in cowl and long black gown.

A little further on is St Mary, and parking is easy just outside the churchyard, and although it looked locked, the west door under the tower was unlocked, and inside there were no others inside, so I had it to myself.

I had hoped I had missed whole or fragments of glass, but there was none to be seen, some nice arts and crafts ones of Queen Bertha, which I record. I think I snap everything, so after half an hour we are done.

We decided to go to Stodmarsh for a walk. It was a glorious autumnal day, with little wind, so would be perfect. There might even be butterfies and dragons....

From Minster, it was a drive up through the viallge and onto Thanet Way, then down through Monkton and out over the marshes to Preston before back out over the Little Stour to Grove and then onto Stodmarsh. Where we find the village pub has closed and is boarded up.

The car park at the reserve was full, but we find a space, and after changing into boots, we set off through the woods to the marshes, but Jools begins to cough, so she went back to lay down and so not scare birds away.

Which was a shame as a few yards along there was a couple who had spotted a Treecreeper, creeping up a tree, and just about close enough for a decent shot.

I walk on and see a few distant ducks and waders, but nothing sensational. And on the way back maybe a kingfisher flying along the path and two Long Tailed Tits just above, but it was one of those days when a walk was just enjoyable.

What shall we do now? Asked Jools.

Go home.

Go home for a brew and lunch.

So we did.

Lunch was leftover tagine, more spiced and griddled lamb with fresh cooked rice. All done in about 20 minutes, and very good, washed down with another glass or two of red.

And all done, cleared away and washed up by three when the footy begins. And Norwich took a 2nd minute lead against Preston, but never really got full control, and let things slip, to fall to a 3-2 defeat, their first in ten games, but maybe the kick up the backside they needed.

We have the radio on, then sit on the patio to watch the near full moon rise due south of us.

I sat with a glass of sloe port and a mouthful of cheese footballs.

This is the life.