Saturday 8th June 2024

Turned my laptop on this morning to find something called Bitlocker had been activated.

And to get round it you need a key, 48 digits that you should have already created.

I have been using Windows since 1994, and never heard of BitLocker, but is common on commercial networks to encrypt data.

There is no way round BitLocker, either you have the key, or don't. I didn't, and so the only option is to restore the laptop and lose all data.

I have a replacement now, but have spent four hours logging onto websites, changing passwords and downloading data.

I have lost a month's photos, and lots of personal files, and so a lesson learned.

Just about getting there, just need to get access to my blog now and I'll probably be happy.

Saturday.

After getting up and feeding the cats, I put on the laptop and it didn't look right, half the keys were lit, the other half not, and it kept trying to restart over and over again.

I then got the BitLocker screen, and using my work laptop and mobile I found what the heck BitLocker was, and what could be done.

I tried a few workrounds, but nothing worked, so the only solution was professional help, via the guy in Dover town centre.

We had breakfast, and drove down to London Street, I find a place to park and we go in. I mention BitLocker and the guy starts to shake his head.

Indeed, nothing could be done, the only solution is reformatting, and accepting losing all data. Its been in Windows for years, but no one really knows why its suddenly activating itself. This was the third he'd seen that week.

I have lost half of May's shots, all of March's, and lots of documents, including the orchid presentation I did earlier this week.

We bought a bog standard laptop as a backup, and let him reformat my old one, as its still quite powerful, and will pick it up next week.

We drove back, and after a brew I spent four hours trying to get access to my accounts all over the net, only failing with the Blogspot one.

Somehow the whole afternoon had gone, so we hightailed it over to Whitfield for an evening of curry and cards with Jen. Though no John as he was watching cricket.

Jen won both games of Meld, then dished up steaming bowls of curry and rice, which was very nice.

We had to be home by eight as the council are resurfacing the Deal road, and its closed all night, so we left my the light of the setting sun and the sliver of a red moon hung in the sky.

Friday 7th June 2024

Friday.

Bin Day.

And last day at work for the week. With added meetings.

An unstructured two hour discussion where little seemed to be agreed, and so minds began to wander and tempers became shorter.

Not sure if the person misspoke, or we heard it wrong or there was a nuance of meaning we all missed, but strong words were heard, tempers exploded, and the meeting ended.

I tried to find out if the others had heard what I heard, they had, so not just me.

It all leant a rather surreal end to the week, so I was glad to log off at two, when Jools came back, so we could go out.

We went to PGD to look for the Musks. Traffic was a bit mad out of the port and along the A2, so I was glad to turn off into the countryside and onto the Elham Valley road at Barham.

Up the valley side, and down to the car parking space, where we were the only ones there. These things happen once the Monkey fade, fewer come here, sometimes we see no one in two or three hours.

My knee is getting better, but it seems I have been overcompensating with my foot, to the point I trained some or all of the ligaments in my right foot, which explains the pain.

However, this I did not realise until Saturday morning, and so for the rest of Friday my foot was painful, and walking up the meadow and down was painful.

The monkey have faded, though one or two were worth snapping still, though this is supposed to be their peak week!

Through the first two paddocks and up the slope of the third. I prepared myself for a long hunt, maybe not finding any at all, and then, just ten minutes in, I found a spike.

Then two, three and a forth.

The first I have seen in two years.

We take shots, then walk along to check for others and different species, before turning back.

At the stile I met a couple. I knew what they were looking for, so knew I would help.

Looking for anything in particular?

We heard there's Musks here, said the couple from Yorkshire.

I found four I said.

Here?

Yes.

In this paddock?

Yes. They are small, have you seen them before?

Are they purple the lady asked.

No, small and green I said. She replied that they had lost internet connection, so would have trouble.

Shall I show you, I asked.

Yes, please.

Now, Musk are so small, there is a good chance of not finding them a second time, but I remember where in relation to the Lady Orchid they were, and within a minute I had found them.

They were pleased, and got down to take shots.

We left exit stage left, or jobs here were done.

I hobbled back to the car, then drove us home. No cards for us as Engerland were playing in the evening, and I still haven't learned my lesson about disappointing football matches.

I cooked chorizo hash, which we just managed to finish before the quiz. And I scored a big fat zero as I got the wrong Tom Waits LP, it was Rain Digs rather than Swordfishtrombones.

And then to the football. England were poor, and Iceland. Iceland were good. Better than England. A 1-0 win for the former Vikings, though it could have been four, and England go into the Euros on the crest of a slump.

So it goes.

Normal service has resumed.

Just when we can work out what normal is, anyway.

I missed you all.

Thursday 6th June 2024

Mullein moth on Moth mullein.

Where else would one be? A couple of weeks back, Jools and I went to the garden centre in Alkham and we bought some plants, one was a Mullein, and on Thursday when looking to see who the rude man was swearing at the top of his voice, I noticed the Verbascum was looking a bit leafbare, and this was down to the five Mullein Moth caterpillars munching on it.

That apart, a quiet day with just work, and news of the thing I can't tell you about.

Yet.

A day of five meetings, little actually agreed upon and more impending disasters to ponder hoving into view over the horizon.

My knee is better, not that I am using ice packs on it, but my foot is now worse.

Sigh.

But Jools is much better.

So it goes, so it goes.

At one point, as I mentioned, there was a very sweary man, not sure if he was swearing at a woman, a horse or something else, but by the time I got to the street, it was all quiet again.

It was also the 6th June.

D Day.

And there was celebrations down in Dover Harbour, or on the quay beside the harbour.

We were to go down and meet Sean and Ange.

But the fine weather failed to appear, first John cried off, then Jen, and neither I or Jools was that bothered, and then the rain came down.

So, with nothing prepared for dinner, instead we drove to the Swingate for a curry just before six.

They had tables.

And curries.

And beers.

We ordered, were serves and ate all in just over an hour, so back home before quarter past seven.

Full of curry and curry spices.

Wednesday 5th June 2024

Good news is that my knee is getting better, Jools is getting better. Bad news is that I turned my ankle over during the afternoon.

Sigh.

Other than that, it was a good day. Got lots of work done, cleared travel expenses. Again.

And generally had a good day until I went to fill the bird feeders up and twisted my foot.

There was a click, or a snap, and then there was pain.

I am now fed up and wondering if this is my life now.

I used to leap off walls and piles of bricks with no negative impacts, I now sleep funny and can't move my neck for a week.

I don't fee old inside, but my body, maybe.

So, there was not much doing of anything after that.

Dinner was asparagus fried in butter and a loaf, is that the right word, of cornbread, which was a tad runny and took 40 minutes to cook until it set.

But was yummy.

After that it was U17 football and to bed at twenty past eight.

Phew.

So at the end of another long day at work, Jools asked if there any football on the tellybox.

Well, I said. Yes.

Though yes, was the Euro U17 final between Italy and Portugal, already into the second half and Italy having scored their third.

Scully and I sat on the sofa watching the game as darkness fell, she happy to have someone to sit with and cuddle up to.

Lies and damned lies: the return

On Monday night, in the first TV debate between the PM and Keir Starmer, the PM announced that Treasury Officials, Civil Servants, had carried out analysis of Labour's spending plans and stated that tax rises of £2000 would be needed.

It later emerged that Cheif Secretary to the Cabinet Office, the Head of the Civil Service, had twice warmed the PM not to say that Civil Servants had been involved, that it was only political advosors who had conducted the review. And a letter stating the same was sent to the Labour Party.

This was a clear lie, and Labour used that word in its social media posts yesterday. And Starmer pointed out that a Minister stating in public something they knew to be false was a clear breach of the Ministerial Code, the Minister in question should tender their resignation.

As of this morning, Sunak has not resigned, nor appologised for lying.

Sunak promised a change from the practices of the Johnson Government, being honest and trustworthy. That has not lasted long, and there are still four weeks to go before the election. Last night;s polls showed the Conservatives just two points ahead of Reform. And Labour still heading for a landslide.

Things can change.

Tuesday 4th June 2024

I suppose I could look back at pictures of blogs about when I first sowed yellow rattle on the lawn, but maybe 8 Years ago.

I checked, and indeed was 2016 when I started the conversion.

I have learned what to do, and what not to do, and although ox-eye daisies do dominate, they do put a great show at this time of the year, swaying in the breeze and attracting insects.

So, I am also stupid. I got used to the day after going walking up downs as making my knee tendons sore, and then they settle down, that I forgot the most basic of lessons in that inflamed tendons need cooling down.

So, after another broken night's sleep, I put on an ice pack, then a cool patch, and soon things were better.

That being said, the wind was still in the north and cool, and with work to fill my day, time soon flew.

There is possible big news brewing, I won't say what it is, but hope to fill in the details soon.

The days passes slowly with six meetings through the eight hours, so little time to do actual work.

Which is nice.

Mid-week roast.

We had roast with Jen on Sunday, and we didn't eat all the meat, vegetables of gravy, so I made posh pigs in blankets, a Yorkshire pudding, a large on, and so we ate like Kings, and Queens, again.

A roast dinner is traditional.

I guess.

I remember Mum spending all day Sunday preparing the vegetables and so on, so we could eat at two, sometimes when Dad had come back from the pub.

Like houses all over the land, roast beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire, vegetables and gravy, all eaten to the sound of best cutlery on china plates, all washed down with Blue Nun or worse.

I steam the vegetables all together and takes 30 minutes, the roast I cook at 20min/pound and the roast takes the longest and most care, but its all pretty much done in about two hours, and once stuff is prepped there is little to do, just the knowledge to ensure all is cooked at the same time.

And enjoy.