Friday 19th May 2023

Most of my European colleagues took Friday off so to have a four day weekend. And who can blame them?

I did mean that for me, work was quiet. I was able to get my tasks done, except for travel expenses, and post and/or file everything.

I arranged two meetings for when I come back from my latest vacation, which was due to start at 14:00, my annual orchid holiday, the grand tour round Kent and beyond.

Other than that, it was a usual Friday in late Spring.

There was the bins to do. Cats to feed. Birds to ensure their feeders were full and clean.

I filled up the wildlife pond, and surprsed two frog and a tiny froglet when the water began to pour.

And that is that, really.

I was sitting on the patio when Jools came home.

What's the plan?

No plan.

Shall we go to Covet Wood?

We shall.

So, we did.

Covet wood has been our favourite orchid site for many years now, and this would be our second visit this year, but that first one was about six weeks ago. I put the Audi through its paces along the A2 before turning off, and trundling down the lanes to the site, parking at the bottom of the bridleway.

Sadly, the Lesser Butterflies at Stockbury have been run over by a twat on an ATV, and all spikes have been crushed. So, I went up the long slope hoping that I might find a spike here, where they used to show well, though never in large numbers, but none seen really for five years at least.

And, sad to report, no Lesser Butterfly seen, and numbers of EPO are well down, almost to single figure, the wood on the left hand size which used to be full of them, now empty. Maybe the reason numbers are falling is linked to the Lesser Butterfly dying out, I don't know, but it was sad to see.

Back down the slope and over the road to check on the Lady Orchids there, and pretty much the same story, with numbers greatly down. Less than 20 seen, whereas a few years back there would be 100 at least. I snap a few, and I turn back to the car, but had to wait half an hour as Jools had the keys and had gone on a wander.

She came back and we drove home, as the big cats had to go to the vets for their jabs so the cat prison would accept them next month. We round them up with no trouble, as both were asleep in the long grass near the pond, and Jools puts them in the car and takes them to Whitfield. Both are fine, though Scully has a touch of arthritis so we were advised to brush her more to help with grooming.

As a treat, we were meeting Shaun and his wife at Nameste for curry, beers and chats, which I had been looking forward to all week, as socialising is good, even if it takes several sticks of C4 to get me out of the living room.

We met at seven, and oddly, the place was only half full. Seems it is being taken over, and the new owner was there to see how things were run and tell customers about his plans for the future.

It was all rather jolly, with talk of holiday, photography and work, time slipped by, and the food food went down well. Some kind of coated potato slices followed by lamb and lentil curry, rice and naan for me.

Too much, of course, and we were stuffed by half nine, so we bid farewell, and Jools drove us back home in the cool twilight.