Thursday 28th May 2026

Overnight, the wind dropped and the temperature climbed, as did the humidity.

Sleep was hard to come by.

So, by five I was tired, and it was supposed to be a phys day.

Truth is I haven't done a full 40 minutes in a couple of weeks, and I know I would have to this day. It would have been all too easy to bail, but Jools was going, so I went too.

We were five minutes behind, the doors to the entrance had already been opened as we drove into the car park. So we parked, walked to the swishy doors, and in.

Up the stairs and we find just one other person in the gym, so we take the two bikes, and get working out.

In the corner, where the bikes are, the air con isn't good, so soon I was hot and bothered, but apart from being uncomfortable, I was fine, just had to get through the urge to give up because hot and sweaty.

I did the forty minutes. Jools did her stuff, so back to the car and round to Tesco, where filling the car now costs seventy quid.

Thanks Donald, yer bampot.

Then into the shop where we spend another hundred or so quid on stuff we need.

And then we forgot. I forgot., the tortilla chips and sour cream, yet remembered the coriander.

I can't explain it.

Back home for breakfast of mini pork pies, and put the shopping away. Before I was out again, this time to Monkton Nature Reserve.

I arrived dead on ten, and ask for the director, who is pleased to see me.

Ahem.

And after some orchid chit-chat, we go into the reserve and see what the tour next week will see.

And hour past, and we saw mostly var. flavescens Man orchids, so I took shots as we walked and talked.

I showed him the rosettes and spikes of Pyramidals he thought had failed, and he showed me the Lizard orchid spikes, one of which should flower this year.

He had meetings, and I was done, so we shook hands, not before me offering to do a talk on Monday at a KWT orchid day, so no pressure then to perform my talk on Kent orchids.

I drove slowly back, through Wingham to Barham, then onto the A2 and back home.

The morning had gone.

I had a couple of hours before I was due out again, this time to Dover for a dental appointment.

I parked at Stenbrook, but the peace was shattered by the fair that had Eurodisco and whatever the latest bland trend is.

One kid lay on the grass, his mother trying to bring him round. A combination of heat, excitement and too much sugar I suspect.

Inside the dentist, the guy before me was having major work done on an infection, and his twenty minute appointment stretched to ninety.

I waited, and at regular intervals added time for parking via the app.

I went up. Teeth fine, other than me brushing too hard still.

But not as bad as could be, is damning with faint praise, I guess.

Back home for ten past five. The cats fed, so I cook a quick supper of sausage sarnies with onion and ketchup.

Took 15 minutes and was perfect.

And that was your day. My day. Some orchids and another day without work.