Sunday morning is often a moment for reflection: Saturday's given some relief from the working week. I lie in a little longer than usual most Sundays. It's rare that I work that much. There's usually a plan for social activity of some sort or other.
Today's one of my sons' birthday. Tesco is not a great place to buy a 19 year old a present for such an occasion. They were almost denuded of cards. He's wholly undertsanding, thankfully. The best I can do is a meal of his choice - within the constraints of me being the cook. I make no pretence to being a chef.
But there are compensations in the lockdown. As I wrote a goldfinch, more brazen than usual it seems, is picking at some thyme in my garden.I am taking the time to notice these things.
That said I can't help but say that I am missing things too. Not London. Not shopping. Not some of the face-to-face meetings that may remain online, I think, after this, although there are at least as many of them now. No, what I'm really missing is going out for coffee.
I'm not averse to a pub, but some time ago I think more of my social life shifted to coffee and tea shops from bars and pubs. I have not regretted it. I'm aware that as a result in several of my favourite establishments in the city (because Ey is a rather small city) I don't have to order my black americano; they know what I want, as they know what other regulars want.
I like the feedback from that community of regulars.
I miss meeting friends to put the world to rights, or not.
I just miss watching the world go by as I write in coffee shops, as is my not infrequent habit.
Of course I can survive without it. But this is a moment to think about what is important. And people are.
I will value those coffee shops more when this is over. I am hoping that they make it to the other side. I am hoping their staff do too. They're the lubricant of a lot of what happens in my life, much more than I appreciated.
I'm not expecting to rush out and spend when this is over. If I go on holiday it will be when it's possible, and almost certainly in the UK, because that's been my habit for a long time. But coffee down by the river here in Ely? That will happen as soon as possible.
Isolation teaches us things we probably knew, but really did not appreciate, although I'm never going to recommend it. This period will be seen as disastrous for a great many reasons, and will frame much of our understanding of this first half of this century. But I'm determined to learn all I can from it. That I am pretty much hooked not so much on coffee as on the social opportunity it provides is one of those things. There are worse afflictions.
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Michael and I have been in isolation for just over three weeks. We’ve been out walking in our locality – but there are only housing estates around us, and no real countryside. We’ve been shopping once or twice, and I’ve cooked batches of meals for the freezer – soups, pasta sauces, vegetable casseroles. Our daughter has brought us any emergency foods, but I haven’t seen her for a week, and I miss her.
Equally I miss my friends at the regular Friday morning knit, crochet and natter group, which we hold in the Italian-owned café in the nearby seaside village/town. Antonella, Veronica, Jessica, Julia, Anna, Marion, Teresa, Nina – hoping you’re all keeping well, and wishing that all of you knew how to use Zoom – but several of you don’t even own a computer!
We’ve postponed our fortnight’s holiday at Llanegryn until September – we hope the shutdowns will be over by then. We’ll miss our friends in the Dyfi and Dysenni valleys – and especially the ospreys. Telyn’s back, but Monty hasn’t yet appeared.
Peace and love to all who read this blog – and to everyone.
Jeni
I know I am lucky – I can work around the clock and more….and have people nagging me on here all day too
Plus I have both my sons with me – and that’s a blessing (mainly 🙂 )
I am also blessed by women nearly green spaces that were required when this area was developed – never have they seemed more valuable
So I sense your frustration
And let’s be blunt about it – the loneliness of this, because that’s what it is
I saw a friend when doing a shop the other day – which I have to every five days to keep the sounds fed – and only one of us can go and as yet I’m the only driver. The friend in question and I are politically poles apart, but much enjoy the arguments that flow from that. We customarily hug when meeting. It’s a sign of mutual affection, despite the differences. It’s so weird not to.
It will be good when we can do such things again.
Go well
Richard
Richard i have been combating people who said the tories wanted the nhs to happen and it was really the tory party who wanted it established rather than labour.
Here are some links to privatisation plans of the tories, a lot which has taken place. I tried to put it on the pffi nhs thread but there are no reply button on so i could not.
NHS PRIVITISATION Primary source materials
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/25/margaret-thatcher-pushed-for-breakup-of-welfare-state-despite-nhs-pledge
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56eddde762cd9413e151ac92/t/5ae874118a922d40d2c1c833/1525183672510/Health+policy.pdf
https://www.cps.org.uk/files/reports/original/111027171245-BritainsBiggestEnterprise1988.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/25/margaret-thatcher-pushed-for-breakup-of-welfare-state-despite-nhs-pledge
We have a breeding pair of Goldfinches that have come here every year since 2015 and they nest in a large bush on our front garden, high up at the very top of it, well away from us and the local murdering moggies. We see them on the telephone wire attached to our house on a regular basis. Such a distinctive looking bird – we always love to see them, it is the unofficial start to summer for us.
Meanwhile, at our local rugby club a number of young buzzards are hanging around the playing fields and regularly fly high above where I live. You sometimes see them at rest in the trees along the back road – you can’t miss them, they’re huge. The other day on our daily ‘get out of the house for 5 minutes’ Covid-19 constitutional walk, around where we live, the family heard a woodpecker at work instead of the now deserted trunk road below.
I don’t usually do ‘lists’ when it comes to birding. That’s not what I do it for. But I have been logging a but during the lockdown. I’m doing it simply to appreciate more what is on my doorstep.
Buzzards have made it on the list – and I love them, but they tend to be out over the fen around here. They also do the road kill – of which there is very little. We are not yet red it’s territory – but no doubt will be sometime in the next year or so as they are not far away now
My best – when I walked to the river (which is an hour’s round trip) was an Egyptian goose – a first for me in Ely
Living near to the Pyrenees and living very rural, 8km from a shop, we have so many species of birds. Watched a dozen vultures circling a few days ago. But we see lots of Raptors like honey buzzards and kites too and we have an tawny owl living in our attic space. Lockdown is not something that has affected us very much, but we feel so sorry for people confined to apartments. A friend lost her father and they are having to choose who can attend the funeral, they are restricted to nine people.
You are lucky
Your fiend is facing one of the horrible consequences of this. She has my sympathy. I have already missed one funeral I would have chosen to be at.
Would that be the funeral of some-one who succumbed to CV-19, or a passing due to an unrelated cause? Either way a shortened funeral without the pompous speeches is not the send off a person would like to have.
As far as we know not CV-19, but we won’t know now
Like you I miss my habitual coffee rendez-vous – for premium quality black americanos plus the attendant political chit-chat with ‘friend’ and ‘foe’ alike. While I don’t have a house + garden I’m privileged to live in a very salubrious, non-metropolitan part of the country. Even here, the lack of pedestrian and motor traffic has created an improved physical environment for walking. And while I’ve read that the air quality of the country’s cities has demonstrably improved – which is clearly a good thing – the social impact of the lock-down hits the poorest & weakest most. Difficult to imagine the pressure of being cooped up on the 20th floor of a 1970’s high-rise with an abusive partner and 3 hungry children. Or if one is alone, in poor health with minimal resources.
One can only hope that this experience will trigger the socio-economic reforms necessary to level out the gross, immoral inequalities in our society. But, of course, it won’t – at least not until a radical government is elected with a clear working majority. Until then the Neo-cons will have their foot firmly on the oxygen supply.
In the meantime, drinking coffee at home is not a comparable experience to being in a coffee house, is it?
It isn’t John, no
And I do count my blessings….
Seclusion teaches you salutary lessons.
People appreciating the little, normally inconsequential things is one.
My daughter has just called in to bring me my belated birthday presents, and is reporting that people are ignoring the lockdown – barbecues on the beach, jogging in packs and so on. – she and her husband have seen them. My garden door is open and I’m hearing the hornet buzz of several motorbikes. I’m afraid the government will clamp down even more strictly for the Easter weekend – as always, it’ll be the few who wreck everything because it’s boring to stay in with this lovely sunshine.
Idiots….
Have you read The Coronavirus act?
If not, I strongly suggest you do, maybe a blog on if you think most, if not all the most draconian measures will ever be repealed.
I am aware…but not for here
I will admit that after reading it, I became very concerned.
I am observing the lockdown and will continue to do so.
I have, however, looked into how many deaths were OF Coronavirus, as opposed to how many have passed WITH Coronavirus (cause of death due to cancer etc..) In the tragic case of the thirteen year old boy, did I read right that there was no post mortem? If so, why? Call me cynical but could that not be open to abuse? Personally I would demand to know cause of death. If any readers know better, please correct me.
I am concerned about the lack of an exit strategy, I am fully aware that no timescale can be put on these things but thoughts at least would be something.
I am also concerned about deaths due to suicide and abuse, not to mention the impact of the deterioration of vulnerable persons mental health. Problems for another time maybe, but a plan of action is needed soon.
Jim Round, doesn’t the Coronavirus Act have a 6 month sunset clause? People can still pressure their MPs. Onto more important things. I am missing my children, grandchildren and my birding, not necessarily in that order.
I started my lockdown garden list 14 days ago and have just got onto 40 this afternoon with a very welcome Great Black-backed Gull. Also 4 species of butterfly and my first hover bee ever that was taking an interest in speedwell flowers (weeds!) around my cabbage patch this morning. I was late up as I spent last night from 9 till 11 pm sitting in my garden in the dark listening for migrant birds and owls, the result, zilch! I suspect there will be a lot more of that, with dawn getting close attention too. The dawn chorus is around 5.30 am at the moment and the regular song Thrush, blackbird and robin have been joined by a Blackcap in the last few days.
Blackcap – very nice – even to hear!
Great black back rare here unless I go to WWT Welney – which I can’t right now
The dawn chorus does seem louder right now…
April/May is peak dawn chorus time. But it’s going to get earlier every day! Also saw the male blackcap in the bush next to my feeders yesterday but did not see him partake. The BTO have just brought out a special free membership for a year of their Garden Birdwatch Survey. It’s a minimum of 1 hour per week, those with time on their hands can spend longer, if they wish.
Bats out this evening….and I still love them
On matters ornithological, we’ve had the very cheering sight of the first swifts of the year over the last three days. These first waves are all passers-through en route further north; our “locals” won’t arrive for another 2-3 weeks and they’ll be gone at the end of summer a good three weeks before the passers-through disappear for the winter. The other pleasure of “house arrest” is to sit in the garden and hear woodpeckers in the nearby woods. Actually it’s much easier to hear all kinds of birds now as the nearby motorway is much quieter and the local air quality markedly improved. I had a long “conversation” with a blackbird today, whistling his song back to him, which caused him to modify his call slightly and so on for a good 10 minutes. Engrossing!
Ken
Such moments are good
I have not seen a swift yet
Now I will be looking skyward
Richard
Birds – our spirits of hope!
I am watching the ospreys at Derwenlas on the Dyfi river in Wales. The female bird, Telyn, returned last Thursday, but so far we have not seen her usual mate Monty – the original osprey, who arrived many years back. Still hoping that he will return – but on Sunday a young male arrived, sat on the nest, brought a couple of sticks – and then tried to mate with Telyn. She shook him off, several times, and he decided to go fishing, bringing back a large mullet. Yesterday evening, Telyn remained aloof – but this morning she has taken the remains of the male’s mullet from him and flown off with it. First sign that she may be prepared to accept him as a replacement for Monty – but it’s still early days, and Monty has returned later than this on some occasions.
Still, I can’t hope helping that Monty will come back to the Dyfi, although it would probably mean a fight for the nest. So far, we’ve only seen females actually fighting, when Telyn’s predecessor Glesni battled with a female we called Blue 24 – but Monty ‘owns’ that nest. He’s built and rebuilt it over many years. The young male will probably find another nest eventually, as Blue 24 has at Llyn Brenig.
It’s better than a soap opera!
And free to watch on the Dyfi Osprey Project website – though financial contributions are always very welcome. They built a new Wildlife Centre over the winter – and now it’s closed because of Covid-19! so no money coming in from visitors.
We’re members of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, and we always send money to help finance the webcams.
I am increasing my support to a number of charities to reflect money I might have spent, but am not
I know not everyone can afford to do so
The local couple of dunnocks gave us quite a recital the last couple of evenings. Such beige looking birds, but those melodies are quite amazing.
They occasionally have ‘a word’ with the very cantankerous couple of sparrows whose permanent nest is under the eve, quite a racket. Not a peep of the goldfinches yet, they may have found better supplies elsewhere.
We usually visit the Ospreys near Machynlleth around May/June…but not this year I fear.
I value being an introvert at these difficult times for so many, first time I’ve realised it could be an advantage after all, on such a dreadful occasion.
I miss so little…mainly the joyful lunches with my daughters, but I still see them over the garden wall when they deposit the shopping they’ve done for us, and I leave them the various dishes I’ve cooked to thank them for their trouble.
I miss going to the cinema and to concerts, but there are home substitutes.
I miss my closest friends too, but there’s Whatsapp camera time, and we have a few laughs about hair styles and greys becoming the norm.
We live in a beautiful part of the world, in a house with a garden…we could almost feel safe.
I have anxious moments, worrying for my girls who have to work because of their professions. I am like any parent looking out, seeing them exposed to this.
And for the town, silent and blinds down, I’m concerned too.
For all those cooped up in flats, with young children. For those who have lost or will lose their jobs. For those locked in with abusive partners. For those very old and unwell, without the touch of their loved ones.
How will we come out of this, no idea. But solidarities are in place everywhere, small food shops deliver what they can and hope they’ll make it through.
Even 80 year olds are learning to use Skype, HouseParty for quizzes, and FaceTime 🙂
We can control our behaviour, nothing else, so on with another day it is, and let’s enjoy what we can of it, within the temporary constraints. Stay safe everyone.
Thanks Marie
Appreciated
It seems there is a bit of a Machynlleth thing going on here
For me it is Ospreys, the Corris Railway and on the road to Aberystwyth…..which I will know even better soon
Oh enjoy the journey by road or rail Richard, it’s a long and winding one, but a feast for the eyes!
Indeed!
And actually worth stopping on the way