Friday 29th May 2026

And its Friday, and so we're on the cusp of the weekend. Again.

I like Fridays, I can lay in and sleep. But as always, almost always, my brain woke me at twenty past five.

It was cool, but the sun was already lighting the window of the side bedroom. It was going to be another scorcher, though with a possibility of rain.

Which would have been nice, though in the end it amounted to about ten drops of rain, so the garden remained dry.

Jools was up and about, and off to yoga at ten past six. I could barely string a coherent sentence together at that hour.

I do accept coffee though.

So once I had woken up, I put out the bins, then go and sit on the patio with Scully, until the heat from the still low sun drove me back to the cool interior of the house.

The parasol would cast a cool shadow over the bench seat from just before midday, so would go back out then.

I checked on the Bee orchid spike. Still not open, but the first flower bud was now pink rather than white.

Maybe tomorrow.....

Jools came home, and after a brew and a cream scone, I announce, grandly, that I was going to go out orchiding.

Jools said it was too hot, so I went on me tod.

I drove along the Sandwich road past Sandwich, up through Richborough, then turn off towards Pegwell Bay.

We have been coming here for over a decade. Sometimes a cuckoo would be calling, though rarely seen. But not this year.

Into the reserve, I find the ground either side of the path overgrown, and at first no orchids were seen.

Further on I see a couple: a pure Southern Marsh, and a couple of tiny Common Spotted, and then the taller spikes of their bastard offspring, Dactylorhiza x grandis.

After some searching, and finding two small Pyramidal spikes in partial flower hidden in deep vegetation.

I went to the area I knew where the densest population usually were to be found, and find several spikes of both species, hybrids, but best of all, a double spike of pure white Southern Marsh. Only the third time I have seen this colour form, and a twin spike!

A short drive away is Monk's Wall, and the colony of Lizards along the side of the bypass.

I park up, walk up the slope, and find that the Lizards are at or close to their peak.

Large, majestic spikes, some green with pink edges, other pale green, almost var. flavescens.

I snap them, then cross over to the central reservation to snap more. On the way I stumble across a lone Bee orchid.

Unexpected Bee Orchid in the bagging area!

I don't think there's another orchid that causes such a reaction as a Bee, so I let out a squeal of delight and snap that too.

I had to drive through Sandwich, and along the narrow streets so to avoid the traffic jam on the bypass, which is mad. But passing folks sitting outside pubs, sipping ice cold beer made me thirsty. Soon, Ian. Soon.

My last stop was where, a few years ago, was a large colony of Bee Orchids, including some yellow ones. Sadly, the site has been developed, and the sides of the road now landscaped and the Bees gone.

But Viper's bugloss is taking over, with its large blue and purple spikes in flower in huge numbers. I walk up and down both verges, but see no Bees, but do find a Cudweed species for the first time.

And that was that.

Back in the car and through Deal, Walmer and back home. I thought the towns would be packed, but there was some parking spaces, but I don't stop, instead I think of the cold beer I would soon be supping.

I quickly made one bottle of La Chouffe Cherry vanish along with some peanuts, and with the second bottle we finished of the French garlic flavoured crisps I bought at Stop 24 services, before I saw they were £4.50 a bag.

I spend the afternoon listening to all 19 tracks off London Calling, sometimes singing along. There are worse ways to spend the afternoon.

And I live by the river!

They were nice, though.

I win the music quiz. On the first clue, correctly guessing that it was Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub. Ten points to Jelltex, but I am unplaced in the month's final standings.

Time to change, have a wash before going out again to meet Ange and Sean at Chef de Mumbai for a curry, beers and a chat.

All of the above was wonderful, we ate slowly, but well. And I made three pints of Cobra disappear.

Lovely.

Jools drove us home in the gloaming, as the sun set angry and red to the north west, made so by the desert dust in the atmosphere.

A bloody good day.