27 - 30 August 2017

Monday 21, was fine - the charity shop encounter awakened my senses.

Tuesday 22, I went into work before going out on site to check landscape.

Wednesday 23, I went into work and had a meeting with ER-J, Brit and Martin Randall (RSPB)   ... afterwards B and E-J updated me ... B is leaving ... that is a disaster and I may also leave. Late Wednesday Alison and I attended the UOTD Dover Totems opening - good fun all round with a hog roast. Everyone was very friendly - Roger W and Sue C, and I had a good chat with Roger Wragg.

Thursday 24, household duties called and I carried on the slow sort out of all the things left undone over the last three years.

Friday 25, I was looking forward to Tom coming round and dressed ... new stripey MandCo top over a long skirt. Tom dressed and we got straight into watercolour painting. I found a picture of the White Cliffs and found the Yarmouth Herring Buss pane on the PC. We used those. All in all a very pleasant and rewarding couple of hours learning the rudiments of painting. I sat for a while after he had gone, reading a book on watercolour painting that Barbara had.

Saturday 26, I started a new painting, trying to copy the Stourhead photo ... it rapidly went wrong, but I didn't mind as that's the point - to learn. after I just took it easy as in the evening P and I were due to go to the Astor for Chris's 65th. Chris's 'non-party' turned out very well. There was a string quartet to begin, then a gluten-free snack buffet (chickpea batter for fish works very well) followed by an extended version of 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'. We sat with the lesbian neighbours who are always good company.

Sunday 27, I almost finished cleaning the main room and dressed.

Monday 28th,

Tuesday  29th, Adrian cancelled the team meeting on the basis not many were in - there were six of us and we think he didn't want to have to deal with Brit's departure. As usual I went home at lunchtime and carried on working from there. June had a map for me, which was a relief, as I was worried that she wouldn't be able to do my GIS work.

I took Wednesday off as I was going in on Thursday for Brit's leaving lunch. Adrian wasn't in the office which was a relief all round. We went to the Ciderworks and I treated everyone to a drink. Afterwards I went home to carry on mapping there.