Well, you'd never know from walking around that our coronavirus restrictions have been tightened. I took Olga to the Heath yesterday and tons of people were out, the playground was packed with kids climbing over each other, the park benches full. One woman came up to me and started talking about Olga, asking her age and so forth, and although she stayed a respectable distance, alarm bells went off in the back of my mind. Even six feet seems too close for comfort when it's more than just a momentary passing.
The Heath is a real mud bog after all our recent rain. At least I wore the right shoes. When I took Olga to the cemetery on Saturday I accidentally wore my leather work shoes -- and although the cemetery wasn't as muddy, they need some cosmetic surgery as a result.
Someone had a fantastic time, and required a bath, a can of wet food and a half paracetamol when she got home. She's still flat-out in bed with Dave.
It's 7:10 a.m. and still pitch dark outside on this winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. According to my weather app, sunrise will be at 8:04 a.m. and sunset at 3:53 p.m. I can't believe we're only four days from Christmas. I feel completely ill prepared for even this curtailed holiday. I bought two small things for Dave and sort of intended to get more, but haven't yet. I bought a couple of gift cards for my nieces and wrote a card to my mother that I haven't even mailed. Where has the time gone?
What a naughty son you are Steve! You should have posted that card to your mother a couple of weeks ago. Also, how can someone put on a particular pair of shoes "accidentally"? That's like saying "I accidentally brushed my teeth". Good question to finish on - I am afraid I cannot answer it as I ask myself the same question.
ReplyDeleteSorry, YP, but since you are a stickler for detail: Steve didn't "put on" his work shoes "accidentally". Most likely he was wearing them already when he took Olga for a walk.
DeleteMay you never be absentminded. Imagine yourself in the moors, barefoot. In the dark. Wearing your morning gown - should you possess one.
U
Thanks for fulfilling the role of my mother, YP, and scolding me for not properly staying in touch. "You don't write! You don't call!"
DeleteActually, Ursula, I'm embarrassed to say I DID put them on accidentally. It was just force of habit.
The sun is shining and no snow drifts to be seen, so the weather is not bad for you.
ReplyDeleteIt seems your country folk are not taking isolation seriously. That makes me wonder if people would behave as well as they did if we are locked down again. The threat of fines of $750 to $5,000 was a good incentive to obey. Many were fined for breaches and we obeyed as we did not want to be fined. Just one day we went out of our five kilometre travel limit by 500 metres.
I think as this situation drags on, people are less and less inclined to take lockdown seriously.
DeleteThe sight of the lemmings in the train stations was awful...or should that be rats?
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good walk, if muddy!
Apparently when questioned by reporters most of them insisted they'd had advance tickets long before the government announcement. A likely story!
DeleteThe 21st of December one of my favourite days of the calendar. From now, Steve, onwards and upwards. I don't even mind the dark yet do find short days/long nights vaguely disorientating. I sometimes wonder how they cope in true Northern countries, say, Scandinavia and Finland. Not surprised that the Vikings sought different shores (not least England's) and that Norway and Finland produce the heaviest of Metal (music).
ReplyDeleteAs to your question where time has gone. I don't know. When you are child a summer holiday stretches like a delicious lollipop, forever. It lasts. Later? Later? Now? Time slithers through our sieve - almost unnoticed. It's always Monday or Friday or Christmas. Or something.
On which happy note,
U
I think time is especially elastic when we're not working and the days just tumble one after another. Every year I'm surprised by how dark it is in December.
DeleteThere Outstanding Photos There
ReplyDeleteCheers
Thank you! (And Olga thanks you!)
DeleteYou blinked, didn't you? Stop it!
ReplyDeleteI KNOW! What am I thinking?!
DeleteTime is going the same way it's been going ever since this pandemic started- into a slippery void of sameness and nothingness. I think we are all doing our best to try and find some light, some familiar things to hold on to. Not working real well, is it?
ReplyDeleteAnd what is WRONG with people?
It's true -- the days bleed into one another with few landmark events and little structure. I don't know what the heck people are thinking. I'm sure it's hard to keep small children confined at home, but I sure wouldn't let my kids on that playground during a pandemic.
DeleteI am also very unprepared for Christmas. I was going to go shopping yesterday, but stayed home instead. And it's not like I have all that many people to buy for! Ah well, this time next week it will all be over.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a good way to think about it!
Deleteone of my fellow volunteers asked me the other day if I was ready for christmas. I answered the same way I always answer when asked that question...I'm as ready as I ever am (which is, I don't do anything and am just as ready every day of the year). it seems much easier than trying to explain that I don't do christmas, that I'm not a christian, especially to the very religious people in this small town.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sometimes the simplest answer is the best!
DeleteThat does look like quite a muddy mess of a walk. I'm surprised that so many people were out there. Was everyone at least wearing masks? Happy Winter Solstice, Steve. The sun begins its return, and for that I am utterly grateful.
ReplyDeleteIt was our one sunny day in an endless procession of rain, so I guess people felt like they had to seize the opportunity.
DeleteThe days just blend into one another, Christmas...What Christmas? I did not send presents in time nor did i send cards, intended to but days are slippery. This is the weirdest year yet. had it not been for your post of the London lights i would not know that this is the happy holiday time.
ReplyDeleteCovid trying its best to spread, and doing very well here. We are taking no chances- AT ALL. It will be one full year tomorrow that we have not seen the boys. Good thing we had such a huge party last year. That will have to tide us over. Stay home, stay well. Next year will be better. Cheers to you, Dave and Olga!
This IS the weirdest year. That is very true. I didn't realize it's been a year since you've seen your kids! Again, 2020 seems like such a surreal blur.
DeleteOh my, that is a muddy mess where you were walking. I went out yesterday to pick up a few things I needed to get to complete a gift. I was surprised at the number of people out shopping.
ReplyDeleteApparently there's not a lot of shopping here, although some stores are still open for click-and-collect (ordering online and then picking up at the door). Dave said he saw pictures of Oxford Street and it's now virtually empty, which is different from how it was when I visited several days ago.
DeleteI just read about the new strain of covid in the UK. Stay safe. Living in Virginia, we don't have as much darkness in the winter as you do in London. But it is noticeable that at five o'clock things start getting dark.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we are SO far north here. It's very noticeable.
DeleteThe "holidays" just seem like ordinary days here except for all the baking going on. But like always, when people ask me if I'm ready for Christmas I say "I'm ready for it to be over." (Bah, humbug!) Yes, you may call me old Scrooge.
ReplyDeleteHa! I think most adults look at Christmas that way.
DeletePeople don't seem to get the message about keeping separate.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it take?!
DeleteWhat a muddy walk you had but you can walk in the woods and stay kind of safe. It doesn't seem like you are safe anywhere around here. We have a nature park next door but I've only been there (fishing) 3 times and now going on 7 years. I can't walk very far. I need to go to walmart to pick up food for my fur babies but so afraid knowing you can't keep these folks away from you especially during this Christmas season. It's hard to do other times of the year and I know it's crazy out there now. I've had to ask people to stay back off me when in line to check out. I am stretching their food by adding rice and chicken to the mix. (lol)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is nice to be able to walk in an area where there aren't many other pedestrians (relatively speaking). Can you get Wal-Mart to deliver? Or is there a service that will make a delivery for someone who has medical reasons to stay home?
DeleteI hope your shoes survive...please check your email.
ReplyDeleteHi E! I just checked it last night! Thanks for the beautiful e-card! The shoes will be fine. The work shoes just need a little cleanup and the Heath-walking shoes ALWAYS look like that. LOL
DeleteI’m tired of the wet ..
ReplyDeleteI wish for five days , just five without rain
I agree. It's awfully soggy out there.
DeleteYou can pick up more gifts after Christmas when the crowds are fewer and there are big sales! You certainly do have a lot of mud.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we need a lot of gifts, honestly. We've got more stuff than we know what to do with. I told Dave I want "experiences" but it's a difficult year for that, with everything closed and no travel possible.
DeleteWhere has December gone? It's been so fast. I don't have plans for Xmas except some baking. It's been raining a lot here lately; I'm ready for some blue sky even if that means colder temps.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like December just began! I honestly thought I still had a couple of weeks until Christmas until it hit me yesterday that it's basically HERE and NOW.
DeleteYour poor shoes! But trekking through some mud is worth it, I'm sure, to make Olga happy.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Oh, definitely. I don't mind a little mud and she loves her walks so much!
DeleteOoh, those muddy shoes. I would enjoy it if I were dressed appropriately... and could simply hose off the shoes. I'll bet the jeans needed washing, too.
ReplyDelete