Project 365 day 157: Samphire Hoe

This morning we went out - our first outing since we started to emerge, cautiously from fifteen months of isolation at home, so it was a special day. Samphire Hoe is a nature reserve below Dover's famous Shakespeare Cliff, created from the spoil excavated during the construction of the Channel Tunnel. There is a huge, concrete sea wall where tattooed men fish, access to a pebble beach below the cliffs at the end of the sea wall, and a long stretch of grassy hillside coloured with sea kale, various kinds of vetch, red and white clover and lots of bright yellow birds foot trefoil. Larks were singing and small blue butterflies fluttered everywhere, never pausing long enough for a photo. The paths are reasonably wheelchair accessible if one can cope with pushing up hills - P and I can, if we work together - and there are weathered wooden benches overlooking the sea, with views across the Channel and east to the port of Dover, where a huge cruise liner was visible in the distance. It was a beautiful morning, and lovely to be beside the sea again with different views to enjoy and photograph. It was hard to fix on just one: I'm starting to feel I really need a few extras.

After a late lunch at home, J and I also had a pleasant and useful afternoon outside. After cuddles with the cats on her lap, J used her communication aid to browse and post on Facebook, while I potted on the remaining tomato plants and a few pumpkins and squashes, watered all the seedlings and tried to tidy the deck a bit. Then P made his deliciously tasty mushroom, tofu and red pepper wraps while I drank Sauvignon Blanc and edited photos; it's been a nice day.