Friday 30th June 2023

Friday.

At last.

And with temperatures dropping, it meant a decent night's sleep, Cleo trying to nest between my knees notwithstanding.

I get up just as Jools was leaving to go to yoga, there was a fresh cup of coffee waiting. She's a keeper!

I do the bins, fill up the feeders, then have a shower, all before half six. A second coffee puts me in the zone and ready for work.

I am all caught up, as much as I can, so read mails and respond to those I can, then wait for the monthly department meeting where we are told again how great everything is, and how the changes being imposed will be even better.

Or something.

Any questions? We're asked. What would be the point?

The rest of the morning was like trying to tread water until it was time to log off.

Thank you, and goodnight.

I waited for Jools to come home, then loaded the car with the camera and me, then drove off through the town and onto the A20 then motorway, for an afternoon of yet more orchid hunting.

Graham had been doing some research, and had a hand drawn map of an area, marked with Late Spiders and Burnt Tips, this I only discovered later, and I guessed that the information it contained was probably three decades out of date.

Anyway, it needs to be checked out as such records have been known to turn up gold.

When I left St Maggies, it was sunny, if breezy, but by the time I reached the car park, cloud had swept over, and there was the hint of rain in the air. Graham and dave put on extra layers, I just had my t shirt, so had better keep moving.

I had a rough sat nav, so we barrelled off down the down, me reminding myself that each step down had to be retraced back up. As it was 120m didn't sound like much, until I turned my knee on a rabbit hole.

The wind increased, and rain started to fall.

"Well, this is just peachy", I remarked.

Where we were expecting to see Ophrys spikes, we found lots of Pyramidals, but no Ophrys.

I did find what I hoped is a hybrid spike, I called the others over, but there was little interest. I snapped it in the gale and hoped one would come out.

On a slope which I guess to be in excess of 45 degrees, f not steeper, we slipped and slid, only finding an old Bee Orchid spike, just on its last legs. Not much to show for two hours.

We climbed back up, taking much longer than going down, then after getting our breath back, we drove down to another possible site, this time at the bottom of the down.

This was a more sketchy location, I had a rough grid reference for it, but again where the spikes were supposed to be, in the middle of hundreds of Pyramidals, there were no orchids at all.

It was now downright cold, and my knee was complaining loudly. I decide to bail, it was half four. Time enough to follow the sat nav across country to Hythe, then along the motorway and along to Dover.

Back at five for a brew, then to Jen's for supper and cards.

Supper was paprika chicken and potatoes. And wine.

Then cards.

And despite having no idea what was going on, Sylv wins.

Oh my.