Wednesday 23rd August 2023`

Sometimes, weeks and months of frustration come to a head at an unexpected point.

For me, that came yesterday when after months and months of preparing, repreparing and rerepreparing, I found that those I was doing all this for were not prepared.

I had suffered a mild migraine earlier, and although that had eased, a throbbing headache started to form, so I set an out of office message and logged off. Sat in the dark for a while, then decided to do something.

A walk in the afternoon sun yesterday, stupidly hot and humid, so I needed not just one beer when I got back, but two.

Instead of the usual walk, I took the path down past the farm from our street, and down the valley and up the other side to Kingsdown Road before walking along and coming back down the Dip and across the fields.

Lots of butterflies and insects about, but best was this Horner mimic hoverfly feeding on a field scabious.

The farm has changed its business, and has now partitioned several fields into paddocks for horses.

Which meant after emerging from the hedge lined path into the field, the path was lines tight on both sides leading between two paddocks.

I walked down, across the road at the bottom, and then up the track leading to the large field the other side, now harvested and ploughed ready for the next crop.

I take the path through the hedge, and along someone's drive into Kingsdown Road, turning left and eastwards along the cycle track leading to Otty Bottom Road.

And so down to the Dip, which as Jools had told me has seen little or no farm traffic this year, so is lush and green, with just a narrow path leading down to the muddy bottom.

But the bottom is no longer muddy, that has dried out and turned to something close to concrete, and all was green and lush with fresh growth.

From there is was a slog up the hill to Fleet House, then along to home, past the harvester which was hiding behind a hedge in a neighbouring field.

I got back all hot and bothered, but after sitting inside to cool down, I found that the bench seat on the patio was in shade, so went outside with a cold Belgian beer and some salted corn Kernals, to sit with Scully and watch the wildlife.

It was so nice, a second beer was called for, and after that I felt much more mellow.

There was then time to cook chicken Kyivs, Moroccan spiced rice and fresh corn for dinner before Jools returned, so over lunch I told Jools all what had happened and that I might have to resign in the morning, depending on how meetings went.

Whatever will be, will be.

I felt like crap, not enough sleep the night before, headaches and the curse of the milligans making life uncomforatable.

I went to bed before it was dark and soon fell asleep.