Wednesday 15th February 2023

Halfway through the month.

I look at what we have planned in the next few months and I can see we will be a blur, we will be a blur, heading here and there doing stuff, mostly to do with nature, but travelling and experiencing life.

2022 was OK. We had a week in Wales which I relaly liked, we both liked. Jools got to go on a zip wire and I got to photograph orchids, butterflies, trains and churches. And drink lots of beer with another ex-armourer. But jetting off somewhere is different, so because of COVID and the uncertainty, we decided to stay in the UK.

Not this year.

In two months time we will be in Spain, and two months after that on a small cruise ship looking for polar bears.

As you do.

And between: orchids.

But for now, there is talking about orchids.

I was approached through Facebook to see if I would give a talk at a small hall near Gillingham. I would.

So, plans were made and a date set, which would mean leaving home at six and not getting back until near ten, with driving in the dark and public speaking inbetween.

And so the 15th was agreed, meaning I would miss the great showdown, Citeh v Arse for the title. Or something.

I'll live.

We get up, Jools left early so she could finish early and bring the car back, so we could have dinner before I left.

So, she left.

And I went to work. That is set the computer and screen up, moved the office char three feet to the left and logged on. Outside there was a stunning sunrise again, which I photographed. The pinks and reds so bright the whole of the kitchen was bathed in the colours.

For a while.

It is holiday season in Denmark, things are quiet and I'm easily distracted.

Not much happened, only thing to mention was my bad back meant I ditched going for a walk, even though it was sunny. It was windy and cold, meaning I would be cold, my back would hurt and I would hate it. So, I stayed in. Filled the bird feeders and listened to podcasts.

Dinner was defrosted and warmed up jambalaya. With no wine. All ready when Jools got back at five.

We ate, but soon it was time to leave. My presentation was on a pen drive in my wallet, what I was going to say was in my head.

I set the sat nav, and thought that was that, but something didn't feel right. I went up the A2, then onto the motorway, and on to Gillingham, where the car told me to drive into the town.

Not right.

I checked the postcode, was what the site's home page said. I tried the name of the village instead, and I was right, we had missed the turn, who knows where the car wanted to take me?

I arrived just before seven, with just people putting out chairs. 35 of them.

I introduced myself and tried the pendrive in the computer and made sure it opened.

It did.

I relaxed.

By the time it was half seven, some 19 people had turned up, and I was introduced and I began to speak, the words tumbling out of my mouth.

Made some kind of sense.



I spoke for an hour, covered the species, vars and sub-species and that was that. Answered some questions, drank some tea, and turned down a biscuit. It was nine, and time to be making tracks, so I thanked the arrangerm and walked back to the car, where I heard the second half kicked off with the scores locked at 1-1.

It took 40 minutes to drive back home, along the motorway and A2 which were both pretty empty, so made great time.

As I drive, Citeh scored twice more to not only take 3 points, but replace the Arse at the top of the table. So it goes, so it goes.