Friday 7th April 2023

43rd anniversay of REM playing their first gig.

Good Friday.

Welcome to Dover, you'll never leave.

There at least four species of orchids flowering already across southern England, and I was hoping to find one species high on the famous White Cliffs. Early Spiders have been out for over a week in Dorset and the IoW, so I hope to find them here, which is one of the earliest sites I know them from.

And even though it was a Friday, there was no work, because two thousand years ago, a man was nailed to a tree for suggesting people be nice to each other for a change.

Humanity has not heeded these wise words, and all over the world, one group of people are blaming another for all the ills in their land or in their minds.

Anyway, I was going to use this holiday to hunt for orchids. So, after coffee we drove to the cliffs, avoiding the traffic in the town, as there were huge jams on the M20 and A20.

Jools leaves me to go on a "sensible" walk, and I go to the ledge below the hairpin bend and begin to look.

And look.

And look.

I found two rosettes, both putting up spikes, but a way from flowering.

It was the same along the path heading towards the visitor centre, two more rosettes, nether in flower.

Down below there was traffic. Lots of traffic, but was moving and there were marshals out directing people.

On the path down to the Cliff Road I found one more rosette, not in flower either.

Finally, down on the Road under the metal frames I found one last unflowering rosette. That was an hour gone and no orchid found flowering, though much to my surprise, I found a small Eyebright on a ledge happily in flower.

I walked back up to the car, all uphill of course, my knees and back complaining all the way. But I do it, and waiting is Jools.

We drive home for breakfast, and then the main job of the day: making saffron buns. I found a recipe over two decades ago for Cornish saffron buns, and I have made them each Easter to celebrate the holiday. Saffron has always been expensive, but this year prices of the crocus stamens have gone through the roof, and to make it more expensive, two lots of the spice are needed for the buns.

Soon, a bowl is sitting in the morning sun, rising well.

Outside, the pasque flowers which had been threatening to open all week, did finally begin to open . Pasque is of the same derivation as Passion, so is closely linked to Easter.

Jools nipped into town, and after knocking the dough back down, I make 9 buns and bake them. The smell of bread mixed with saffron is heady indeed.

And once she came back, I spit two of the buns each, smothered in butter and munched on them with fresh brews.

Happy Easter.

By which time it was football time: The Football League have games on Good Friday and on Easter Monday, while the Prem has single fixtures on Saturday and Sunday. Norwich were away at Blackburn, and we were resigned to another defeat, as no visiting team has won there this year.

Along Came Norwich, and we ran out 2-0 winners, though they did throw everything at us in the 2nd half.

Off then to Jen's. Though John didn't come as he had a cold, so it was just the three of us. After supper of meat and potato pie and mushy peas, we played cards which Jools won.

Despite it being only eight, I was pooped, so we came home so I could have a shower and an early night.