Thursday 30th December 2021

The plan had been to do some more stork stalking, but the weather, again, had other ideas.

We had worried that we would not be able to sleep much beyond five, but turns out that after a cuple of days of not working, we can sleep to dawn and beyond.

Thursday we woke up and got up a little after half seven, and the rain was coming down, not the high light cloud we were expecting.

We could wait.

We need shopping, not urgently, but I say I'll go, so armed with a short list, I head to Tesco after the first coffee for supplies. Mostly milk and bread rolls, but some veg and a few other things. I buy another big bag of pasta just in case the Brexit shortages bite in the new year.

I come back, and I cook bacon butties for breakfast, putting the thinly sliced port into fresh seeded rolls. I looked upon my works and saw it was good.

Shall we go to Samphire Hoe for a walk? Jools asked.

If I'm honest, I wasn't keen, but it would be too easy to sit here all day, listening to the radio, writing and so on. And as the rain had stopped, though the sea fog had rolled in, it should be OK.

We drove down into Dover, along Townwall Street and up the A20 before turning off to the Hoe.

It was very busy, if I was honest, just about most of the spaces in the main car park were full, but we got a space, Jools went to buy a ticket, I got my camera out, put a hat on and did my coat up.

Ready.

We took the path along the edge of the sea wall, not on the sea wall itself, following the well maintained path, so not too muddy, with sheep and cows scattering as we approached. Above us to the right, the cliffs rose and faded into the sea fog, seagulls and raptors called, we walked on.

When the track ended down at the edge of the beach, near to Lydden Spout, Jools walked back via the sea wall and I walked up the slope to amble beside the wailway track and so able to check for Early Spider rosettes, though having found them the week before in St Maggies, I didn't look too hard. Anyway, the ground had turned to mud thanks to the sheep and cattle, making it difficult to pick out orchid leaves.

A high speed train glided past and I reached the overflow car park, crossed that, walked past several screaming children around the tea bar, and back to the car where Jools was waiting.

Shall we go home?

We shall.

So, up the hill to Capel, then back down the Old Folkestone Road, past the station, through the town then up Castle Hill to the Deal Road and home.

Amazing how many people were driving in thick fog with no lights on at all. I flashed a few, but it seemed to make no difference. But we got home safe.

Back inside we had a brew, then Jools cooked.

Yes indeed.

She said she had a recipe with gnocci, so I bought some that morning, so along with onion, mushrooms, garlic and blue cheese, a fine meal was prepared. I had also make a sourdough loaf, so we didn't starve. I cracked open a box of wine. We toasted each other, and then ate well.

We watch another edition of the Christmas Lecture from the Royal Society, all about viruses, and we learned lots.

By the time that ended, dusk was falling, and the year was getting very old indeed.

We finish off the first Christmas cake, sharing the last thich slice of crust with a large cuppa.

And so the day drew to a close. There was football to divert my attention, Man Utd v Burnley, which was OK.

I went to bed at ten, with one more day of the year to go.

End of year Brexit report

It is now nearly two years since Political Brexit and a year since economic Brexit.

Economic Brexit has been delayed further for Britain as the UK Government wasn't prepared to implement what it agreed, maybe it never will.

Liz Truss' first statement on taking over Brexit was to threaten using Article 16. The EU's response is that if you do, then the whole WA and TCA will collapse too. The choice is ours.

The balance for Truss is national interest aginst her personal interest to keep the ERG and backbenchers are her keenest fans. She can't do both. Brexit has already chewed up and spat out Davies, Raab, Barclay and now Frost. Does Truss have what it takes, have what the others didn't.

Stop laughing.

She has shown she will sell her soul for political advancement, though having the capacity to understand the subject may well be beyond her.

On Saturday, some checks on goods entering Britain are to be introduced, though on trust at first, as there still isn't capacity at ports for the actual checking. So much control has been taken back. The EU was ready two years ago, and yet it was the UK that wanted Brexit, you would have thought adequate preparations could have been made.

On the front page of The Star today, it warned of shortages in the new year caused by EU checks. This is a lie, the checks are by Britain, and are needed under WTO rules, but what is a little accuracy from the Express's little brother?

And to round the year off, here is the promises made by Vote Leave and the then Conservative Government as to what Brexit would deliver. I think its fair to say, every single one of those promises have been broken, or were never intended to be kept.

Read and weep.

Wednesday 29th December 2021

After several minutes of studying, I see there is a nature reserve at Worth, so the plan was to visit there on Wednsday.

But the weather said "no".

It was one of those days when it really didn't get light. Heavy drizzle fell and sea mist rolled in. It became clear we were going nowhere.

In fact there was little to be done. We still had food and milk for at least a day, maybe two, no relations to visit. Nothing doing, really.

We waited all morning for the cloud and mist to clear. I guess it did by the afternoon, but by that point light was soon going to fail, so we put the stork stalking off for another 24 hours.

We had fruit for breakfast for a change. I mean we couldn't live of Kit Kat sandwiches every day, could we?

There is always some music to listen to, or some lecture on the BBC to watch, so we were not going to be bored. In fact, Jools went out to do some gardening for an hour or two, I stayed in and made mince pies. Delagation of tasks in action.

And I read Bob Mortimer's book. Or most of it, while the radio played in the background.

We ate no meals, just sandwiches, mince pies and cheese and crackers for supper.

Outside the day faded and so we fed the cats, made another coffee and settled down to listen to more radio.

Cheese and crackers for supper, with beer for me and cider for Jools, and finally watching the two evening footy games, but the truth is, it's more entertainment for the eyes than actually something to pay attention to.

So, without fuss, the 363rd day of the year came to an end, and we went to bed.

183,037

That is the new total for infections for the 24 hours up to 16:00 on today, 29th December 2021.

And bear in mind that for most of the past week there has been no PCR and few LFT kits or tests available in the country. The realy figure is much higher.

MPs, like Andrew bridgen says there will be no spike in hospitalisations, just as the three week lag after infections is showing increases.

King Cnut once denied the tides and was proven wrong, Andrew bridgen will be shown by reality the truth, though, I guess, he will deny it.

Anyway, in the real world, hospitals are being asked to nominate areas in their grounds for field hospitals to be set up and where additional morgue facilities can be created. Seems like the worst is being expected, even if our politicians are playing the reality down.

Uncle Jezzer's borther, Piers, lead an attack on a vaccination station Milton Keynes today where they destroyed supplies and equipment.

A normal day on Plague Island.

As nothing has been done by the Government to mitigate the Omicron wave, it will build, unchecked, for the next two weeks at least, hospitalisations will rise and deaths will follow.

The lack of leadership and the mixed messaging from this Government will have contributed to thousands of deaths.

And in something totally normal, the PM emerged from his fridge today and was asked by ITN news where he had been the last two weeks, Johnson could only fluster a reply, "in this country".

Which is nice.

Totally normal.

Testing conditions

Yesterday there were 129,000 positive COVID tests in England and Wales.

That's the official figure, I say that as there are no PCR testing available in any area of England right now, meaning that confirmation testing is unavailable to the majority of the population.

On top of that, UK infection figures only include data from those who have not had COVID before, no re-infections, so the realy picture of how Omicron is rampaging across the country is unclear. gain, this is a policy decision from the Government to collect data like this.

As predicted, the time lag of hospialisations is beginning to show an increase in numbers now Omicron sufferers are bing infected, but the mess of data collection carries on with even published national results not complete.

And from this mess, the Government is supposed to be making policy decisions, and as the data is incomplete, it can delay any further restrictions, thus "saving" New Year's Eve for people to go out and attend mass-spreading events.

It is madness.

And still the PM is nowhere to be seen.

Leaderless and cluseless.

Welcome to Brexit Britain, Global Leader.

Tuesday 28th December 2021

Boxing Day (Official).

I have no idea what day of the week it is really, I look at the calendar and it tells me it's Tuesday, but who really knows and does it matter?

First up, let me say the spate of migraines have stopped. Which I am very happy out, to think that something in your head was out of control and was it warnings of something more serious?

I took pankillers, eased off the coffee, and by Tuesday I felt OK enough to risk a coffee at breakfast, with no ill effects.

So, all good here.

A friend of mine had posted shots of a White Stork which has taken up residence on Worth Marshes, just north of Deal, so I suggested we go and have a hunt.

It was agreed, and I scouted a parking spot on GSV.

We had walked the marsh about a decade ago when we were in the Ramblers, but a route march across the marsh was the straw that broke the camel's back. Was supposed to be an easy walk, but one of the group hi-jacked it and turned it into what seemed the march of if not death, then something close. Turns out we both like to walk, if not in silence, whispering and taking time to look at nature. So we left the Ramblers.

Anyway, back to 2021. I made bacon butties for breakfast and huge brews. Once cleared up, we load the car with cameras and walking boots, and drive up through Walmer, Deal, Sholden to Worth.

The wind was due to be at gale force, but didn't seem that bad, and the low sun cast a warm light on the marshes just up the lane leading from the main road.

We set off, past a camping site offering "glamping" in VW camper vans, aone out onto the marsh. We were looking for a large white bird.

Jools saw two large birds, I raised the camera and saw they were swans, but I snapped away anyway.

Behind us, the wind was really sweeping the clouds across the sky, and soon the sun was covered, and there was rain in the air. After asking a dog-walker if he had seen the bird: he hadn't, he told us the path was blocked at the pumping station by the river, so we decided to walk there and back.

It was now getting cold and grey, and the promise of rain was made, as drizzle was thrown in our faces as we turned for the car.

My back had now added it's complaints to that of my feet, so the walk back was a tad grim, but it was only about twenty minutes, arriving back and slumping into the car, jamming the heater onto max, and driving home.

I make it sound bad, but a walk is never wasted, and this wasn't, to see the two swans fly so close and silently by and land 50m away was worth it.

We drove home, and once back inside I put the kettle on and make warming brews, while outside the rain lashed down.

That'll do, Pig.

For the afternoon there was lunch: warmed up turkey and ham pie with curried rice. Amazingly filling.

Phew.

And for the afternoon there was the "joy" of watching Norwich play Palace on Amazon Prime.

Norwich have 11 players out, most first choice players, but we have to play on, other teams are allowed to cancel their games. No reasons given.

But that is no excuse for the pathetic and gutless first half that left us 3-0 down against an average Palace team we made to look like 1970 Brazil.

We drew the second half 0-0, but the damage done.

We play cribbage in the evening; Jools wins. Then have cheese and crackers for supper, while I watch Leicester beat Liverpool 1-0.

Monday 27th December 2021

Christmas Day Bank Holiday.

Third day of Christmas.

And one of those days when it never got fully light, the table lamp was on all day in the dining room, even when we were not dining.

Once we woke and got up, it was nearly half seven! And I asked Jools what she wanted for breakfast, execting an answer of fruit or something similar. Instead she said "sausage rolls".

So, we has sausage rolls, cold straight from the fridge, and huge brews.

Outside the rain fell from leaden skies, with the promise it would do for the rest of the day. But, having been inside since the 23rd, we both felt we needed some fresh air.

Which is why, once we had eaten breakfast and cleared away, Jools armed with her litter picker and bag joined me with camera and sore back for a stomp around the neighbourhood.

A few others were also out enjoying the day, if wading ankle deep in puddles can be described as enjoyable. Though one toddler went from puddle to puddle, jumping and splashing.

Despite living on chalk downland which drains better than almost anywhere else, when it rains and rains, the soil gets saturated here too, and so a route for stomping needs to be thought out, which meant mostly going down tracks.

I walked to the end of our street, along the path beyond before walking up to Collingwood, and then down the little Dip towards Windy Ridge, before turning right along the lower track.

It was easy going, for the most part, mainly as I had kept off the bridleways which were well over ankle-deep in mud, this is because my on-the-spot reporter, Jools, told me as she had gone on to Windy Ridge, reporting that Green Lane was almost impassable.

I reached a point where the puddles were almost continuous, and I thought should I go on, or turn round. On reflection, I thought best to turn round and walk back home. Which is what I did.

Rain was falling harder as I got within sight of Chez Jelltex, and I got damp, but not wet.

5,000 steps done. Not bad.

Back inside I googled cooked turkey recipes, and it came up with turkey and ham pie with a leek and cream sauce. As Jools was going to the tip, she swung into Tesco to get cream and leeks.

The recipe called for 600g or turkey and 600g of ham, which in our medium sized pie tin meant that it was stacked quite high. Between each layer of meat a spoonful of cream and leek mixture was spread over, and once all the meat was used up, I put on the pastry lid, brished it with egg yolk and put in the oven for an hour to cook through.

It looked quite the picture if I was honest.

I boiled up some sweetcorn and fried up some boiled potatoes and we had a fine feast. The pie was the Empire State Pie among mere mortal pies.

But was very good indeed.

And we ate it all up. Or half the pie, the other half tomorrow.

And then there was football. Always football.

Two Football League games, with Derby beating WBA, and ending with Man Utd v Newcastle until bedtime. There was another game in the middle, but I can't remember who played in that. At least Norwich didn't lose, as they were not playing.

Which was nice.

We grazed for the rest of the day, Christmas cake and the last of the bread I made last week, dipped in the cherry infused oil.

Yummy.