Monday 3rd April 2023

I audit, therefore I am.

An auditor.

If there's anything worse than an audit, its a group of auditors talking about audits.

And for the next three days, our calendars have been cleared so we can do just that. Four hours per day, mornings for us in Europe and late in the afternoon for our colleagues in Chennai.

So, that was my plan for the day. Or morning.

And, finally, the weather has broken, wuth sies of blue and hour after hour of unbroken sunshine. THough to temper that, the wind was set, keenly, in the east, so felt much cooler than it should.

That being said, chances of a walk later were close to 100%.

Give or take.

Anyway, I had to be dressed, fed and watered by half eight, ready for four hours taking hard about audits and the processes around them.

The cats did their stuff, and after her early morning walk, Jools left for work, and I got down to doing what I get paid to do.

And what is that?

That, is a good question. LIke most people I have quite severe imposter syndrome, and then in meetings something happens and I go all professional like. Like I am possessed by the spirit of some ancinet auditor, who likes to make his case quite strongly.

The seminar begins, and I have to concede its too early for gin. Or whisky.

Sadly.

Four long hours crawl by.

Half twelve, we are free, time for lunch, and then get down to the work we should be doing instead of talking audits.

At three, my head is full, so I grab cameras, coat and boots and go out.

Walking over the fields to Fleet House, was into the teeth of the wind, and migty cold it was. But beyond that, down the slope past the farm, through the mud and up the slope to the newish bench near to Windy Ridge, it was sheltered and even warm out of the wind.

No butterflies seen.

I sat for half an hour, looking east in the shade with the wind in my face. I didn't care. Away to my right in a slight dip int he cliffs, the horizon could be seen, a large container ship inched along, and behind the white forms of tower blocks in Calais could be seen.

So near and yet so far.

I walked down the slope, then along the middle track, where at the end I spied a Dark edged beefly which just settled, so I got a shot or twenty.

And on the way home, a Peacock Butterfly was feeding in the shelter on some Alexanders, so hungry it allowed me to get close, and that did for the shot of the day.

Once home, I am back into the swing of cooking, prepare chorizo hash, put on the wireless, and the tea time slides by.

We were going to do some gardening, but the wind was so cool, and clear skies brought an early frost, so we had a brew and the last of the chocolate digestives while we waited for Marc to play some tunes.

And then football: Everton v Spurs, which had two sendings off and a goal each.

Very Spursy.

Very funny.