A Day Away

Last week was exhausting and stressful. Trips are fun but take so much preparation and are so full of worry. No matter how much fun it is, I am basically responsible for getting the children there and back again without mishap. If you have ever done a risk assessment for such a thing then you will know how many things can potentially go wrong! There have been all sorts of things going on at work, on a scale from annoying to upsetting. I wonder at how people make decisions that make absolutely no sense to me, then don't have an answer when asked why. I felt totally wrung out by Friday and could not go to a party that my friend was holding for some of the people leaving work, because I was exhausted and just did not want to become involved in any more work related conversations. Andy has had a similar week so we decided to get away on Saturday to Dungeness. (Again!) It was just the perfect cure for it all! We had fish and chips sitting on the beach with this view, a beautiful warm breeze and people to watch. Then I went for a walk with my camera to see what I could find while Andy lounged.

 Oh-before the walk with my camera we thought we would paddle as the sea was far out and the sand looked inviting. Last time we were here and the tide was out it was lovely to walk in. However, the sand was deceiving. Underneath the thin layer of sand was mud-as in the Bear Hunt mud-thick and oozy. By the time we had realized, it was too late! We couldn't go over it, we couldn't go under it, we just had to go through it!

 I managed to rinse some off in a little water, apart from my toes, which stayed mud caked all day-even when in the shop later! Andy has thrown his shoes away!

 Andy through my zoom.

 I saw a bee who thought that these egg sacs were a flower.

 I saw lots of waders-from afar-it took quite some time to get even these photos as it is so wobbly with the zoom-my knees were my tripod! After much research, actually involving a book, I think they are Bar Tailed Godwits.

 I love this one-he looks like a little old man.

 There was even an oyster catcher. I spotted him as the black stood out at a distance, so I zoomed in and there he was!

 This little dog found us and let me throw his tennis ball for him. 

 I played with the sand. If I had realized how bad it smelt I would not have bothered! I had to search for the eyeball stones.

 Shell bow tie.

 The last find of the day was by chance. I was looking at the wild flowers when I noticed something under this one.

 A large, mottled and mysterious egg. Softly buried in the mossy grass at the base of this flower. I think it might have been a Curlew egg. I don't know if it was abandoned or just unattended. 

 The lifeboat station was open. We had a look at the impressive boat, talked to the lady in the shop and bought a few things to support them. I can never believe that the lifeboat service is a charity and all the lifeboat crew are volunteers. The fact that we live on an island where sea accidents are a part of every day life and this is not government funded always amazes me.

 Last picture looking back towards the lighthouse with Derek Jarman's cottage in the foreground. There are always lots of people taking pictures of the house and garden but somehow to gawp like that at what is still someone's home just seems wrong to me.