CV19 The Weekly record from 14th June 2020. To 20th June 2020.
Sunday -A blue sky start to the day, the hot sun hits my back through the window as I bring the tea upstairs at 7am. I decided to get on with a few jobs and knocked the render off the garden wall, it turned out not to be such a big job and the 5kg bag of render is looking redundant as the wall underneath looks better without it. We then put paint stripper on the lean to door
It took 2 hrs. to get the varnish off, but pleased to get it started it's been bugging me for years. Amazing how it takes something like covid19 for you to get your arse into gear. Ian had been feeling a bit down again but started getting the pallet planter together and helped out painting it for me. He did feel better after doing something. We have learnt to get on with something and not mope about. He also did a bit of repair work on the paintwork on the stairs. After all that work the sun came out so we celebrated our efforts with a glass of rose, read a bit and watched Country file after dinner.
Just a note here, my hair is getting longer, people are telling me it looks nicer longer but it is getting in my eyes and is so flat and soft, no body to it unlike my own body which has more than it fair share of body!
Monday Today the non essential shops are opening again, we are keeping well away from anything remotely like a shop. It’s not going to be pretty.
You may recall my constant moaning about not being able to go to the sea / coast. I have this need to be near running water, or noise making water like waves. It’s probably because I can’t do it that I want it. Anyway we decided a week or so ago to go to the Cotswolds but the weather turned and it we wanted to wait for a sunny day, it has arrived. We gathered ourselves and cobbled a picnic together turned the roof down on the car and drove to Coln St Aldwyn. The M40 is quiet its about 10am and little traffic on the road mainly vans and lorries, the lorry drivers must be loving the freedom of the road they have at present.
We parked up in the pretty village right next to the closed up New Inn, all of a sudden it felt a bit chilly, never mind we carry on. I had forgotten that I had downloaded 3 or 4 different walks and Ian was following one and I had another one in my head. Needless to say we got sort of lost. Well we knew roughly where we were and how to get back but not exactly where we were on the map. We then happened upon the Roman track that was mentioned, ah ha, and then we happened upon another, this must be the right one, then another. Luckily we could see the Coln Valley below us and just headed in that direction. Finally we got down to the river and decided that we would continue the walk to Bibury it must only be ½ a mile away now. It was or seemed further by the time we got there Ian was clamming for a sandwich and drink. We sat on the wall as the river flowed past us and ducklings swam around, it was idyllic. Not too many people around either. The walk back was supposed to be 2 miles seemed like 4, it was very hot, but a beautiful walk, so peaceful, the river was a bit cloudy and no trout in it which was sad as there has always been trout there. It did my soul good to be there. There were Damsel flies, Dragon flies the size of helicopters, we saw a Deer, Moorhen chicks, and Ducklings the birds were tweeting and the bees buzzing in the summer meadows.
Walking through a wheat field, the earth was dry and cracked, large cracks very large cracks, we could both feel the heat emanating up from the soil and you could imagine the wheat feeling the warmth and giving it the energy to grow. However a like me it also needed a bit of a drink.
The 4 mile walk I had planned had turned into 7 I did 22 thousand steps that day, my feet were singing by the time we got back to the car and I was really glad I had brought my sandals to change into. Homeward bound making the most of the quiet winding country lanes with the wind blowing in our faces and cooling us down. The day had turned into a scorcher. The traffic had got busier whilst we were idling away the hours. Burford roundabout was hectic and Oxford was just like a normal day apart from the Covid warning signs along the river walk and the signs for a testing centre in Oxford.
Checked on the Easyjet site and our out flight is cancelled but no news from Broadway travel yet. the return flight from Porto is still active. I have cancelled our taxi transfers and our Wine tasting and river trip down the Douro.
We had torrential rain for quite a bit of this week. Walks had to be cancelled and much mooching around the house was done. It pushed me to do some admin that I had been putting off for ages.
The replacement part of the bed was delivered much to Willows horror. People in the house and someone rang the doorbell, which sent him into frenzy. He ran out into the midst of the monsoon we were having. We couldn’t find him, but eventually I heard some whimpering over in next doors garden. I managed to coax him back indoors but he was soaked through. Not nice for a little geriatric cat. Big cuddles and a warm blanket soon got him sorted.
Rhiannon came round for a chat on Friday, haven’t seen her for ages. We sat at a safe distance in the summerhouse, doors open and drank tea and Rhubarb gin. Lovely couple of hours.
The "Stay Inn" opened up again on Saturday evening, reasonable weather all round but a bit windy. Jon had sent out a mammoth quiz which people were still ploughing through so he did a
general knowledge quiz to keep us amused. He had a bit of a tough week but coped with it very well. Sarah has been back into the office a couple of days. Jeremy & Nic have been socializing on the streets of St Merryn hobnobbing with the Steins and various other people and a Kookaburra, must try to find the video of it.
Ian is rather sad at the moment hopefully the good weather coming this week will help lift him a bit.
Some snippets.
2 million school children are reported by the daily Mail to have done zero schoolwork during lock down. (What a surprise – who will they be blaming for this for the rest of their lives?)
Easyjet did a flight to Glasgow from Gatwick, no social distancing and a packed flight. EJ are said to be starting up a minimal service between certain UK cities.
Thousands of people queued to get into shops. Primark being the main attraction, Nike a close second with people barging into the shop pushing and shoving each other out of the way. I just don’t get it!.
Shops have to have social distancing in place, plastic screens around tills and checkouts. Cards only no cash.
6 Million tests have been carried out by 16.06
410 new admissions yesterday, 385 on ventilators compared to 3301 on 12.04.
There are still 5254 people currently with the virus
Total deaths UK 41969 that +233 since yesterday. 16.06
Boris says he will address social distancing as fairly as possible to minimise the risk. He re –iterates July 4th.
There has been a breakthrough for treating CV19, it has been found through clinical trials headed by Peter Horby from the Nuffield Oxford. It is a Steroid, Dexamethasone widely available throughout the world and has been found to reduce the risk of death by 35% if on a ventilator. There is enough of this drug available even if we have a 2nd peak.
Premier league football started again on 17th June.
Royal Ascot is going ahead, Jockeys, officials, trainers only. It is the 1st time in her reign that the Queen will miss it.
Other royals have started royal duties. Prince Charles and Camilla went to visit a hospital, as did William.
Redundancies are starting to hit the workplace.
China is reported to be getting a 2nd spike with Beijing being closed down and hotels requisitioned for quarantine.
Berlin reporting hotspot flare ups.
Travel news is back on the radio.
Face coverings are obligatory on public transport. £100 fine for non-compliance.
Eleanor turned 25 on Monday 15th.
Vera Lynn died she was 103.
The track & trace App has failed due to technical difficulties –some thing to do with Apple.
Coronavirus alert level has been reduced to 3.
Scottish Pubs will not reopen until well into July whilst Boris still refuses to confirm England reopening of 4th July.
Wales currently has a 5-mile travel restriction in place. This is set to be lifted early July, however it means that people that live 5 miles outside of Cardiff are unable to go shopping as the non essential shops reopen on Monday.
Boris seems to have got his mojo back.
Food for thought.
Pork chops, roasted veg and New Pots.
Left over Thai food – always better a day or 2 later.
Red Pepper Paste stuffed Mackerel.
Merguez sausages, ratatouille, jacket potato.
Sea Trout, Jersey pots, green beans.
Sizzling Beef in Black bean sauce.
Lamb Steaks, broccoli and New pots
3 comments:
Looks like you may be hitting 30 degrees this coming week. Cream on! 😎
Assume the position :)
You've been keeping yourself busy. The day in the Cotswolds sounds idyllic - again :)
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