Sunday 12th November 2022

On this day, the all time UK November temperature record was broken at 21.2 degrees.

Needless to say, this is not normal.

Nor is going for a walk in the countryside, not needing a coat in the 2nd week of November and still getting very warm whilst doing so.

Sorry for the delay in Sunday's post, but as you will see in the next post, was busy with work and other stuff yesterday.

So, running a little behind.

I was up first on Sunday, went down, fed the cats and made first drinks. Outside there was a fine clear sky with the promise of lots of sunshine later.

Warm sunshine.

We have secod coffees, croissants, tidy up. And after preparing the rump steak for lunch, we were ready to go out.

Probably our favourite place to walk is one of the woods on the other side of Barham.

A quiet pleasant drive along the A2 to Wingham, then down the valley through Barham and into the woods. I stop a few times to snap the golden bedecked trees overhanging the road, and drifts of golden fallen leaves, soon to be just a memory.

We park at the hard standing, put on our boots and set off to look for our favourite fungi, Scarlet Elf Cups, but I think we're too early as I have only seen them in early spring before. Turns out I was right, in that we found no sign, but up the sloping track there was many other fungi on either side, including White Saddle and various bracket fungi. But further one, I found no sign of Early Purple Orchids, even though their rosettes should be visible. Maybe it was deep leaf litter that was hiding them?

Anyway, down the bridleway, over the road and back up the down the other side, taking the wide and leaf covered path. The sun brke through the clouds and all was golden light. If not for long.

We walk past where a couple of months ago, Violet Helleborines were in flower, but now just dried stalks mark that they were ever there. Hopes of dappeled sunlight through the golden canopy came to nothing as cloud had rolled in, so nothing else to do other than to walk back down the car, change into crocs and then drive back home.

Other highlight was to call in at B&Q for a new toilet seat.

Rock, and indeed, roll.

Back home and while Jools does some gardening, I prepare lunch: zapping jacket potatoes, and then boiling the peas and sweetcord, flying mushrooms and frying the sliced potatoes, before finally griddling the steaks. Jools poured the fizz, and it was all ready.

Cheers.

The afternoon was the final Premiership games before the World Cup, and Man Utd scoring a winning goal against Fulham, and just like that, the first half of the season draws to an end, and will not restart until Boxing Day.

Peanuts and crips with the rest of the big bottle of tripel for supper.

Outside the waning moon shone down from a clear sky.