LD3/WK8

Last week of February and week 8 of Lockdown 3 commences. 

Boris set out his roadmap for coming out of lockdown on Monday. Nothing really immediate - as of the 8th of march ALL schools will return, so that means Jeff will be back in school for 2 weeks and I guess, Sam will be back in the kitchens!! You can also meet another person for a coffee on a bench!!

Then in a further 3 weeks time, on the 29th of March, you can meet others, the rule of 6, outside, including private gardens. The 'stay at home' rule ends, although stay local as much as possible is encouraged but travel outside your local area is permitted. So we may be able to pop to Cornwall to see family, or meet up with my sister.

Then in a further 2 weeks, on the 12th of April, hairdressers re-open!!!! YAY!!!

All shops can open and you will be able to eat at a cafe or restaurant 'outside'.

On the 17th of May, a further 5 weeks down the line, you will be able to meet in groups of up to 30 outside, 2 households or the rule of 6 will be able to meet 'indoors' and you will be able to eat inside a pub etc. International travel MAY resume...... 

Then on June the 21st, 5 weeks on, All legal limits on social distancing will be removed!!

This is of course all subject to change depending on how things pan out between now and then!!

So I feel we are in lockdown for a further 4 weeks until the 29th of March,

 when the ' stay at home' measures are lifted.

Sophie and I have been filling some of our spare time doing jigsaws, they're actually quite addictive and you do switch off from everything else. It's also been nice to spend some time with my girl xx

Before Boris made his announcement I had found my postcard with all our dates laid out for last year and then all the subsequent changes for this year. Things are being cancelled now for good - the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott at the Bristol Harbourside Festival, Seville!!!  Although Reading and Leeds Festivals have just sold out!! Not sure I'll be wanting to head off to a big crowd anytime soon

Also open and taking routine appointments is the dentist, so I was brave and went, as a tooth was on my radar! Basically I have 3 options, redo my root canal, leave it be and see or remove the tooth. Going with the second option for now!!

I have been out walking on Thursday and Friday, waited until the afternoon for the sun to burn through and warm up a little. Soaking up as much of the sun as I can.

Signs of Spring everywhere you look.....

....and my first blossom of the year!

Leaving it a little late yesterday, Sophie dropped me off over by Ham Wall, my furthest point and I walked back. Still a good 6km. It was the most beautiful blue sky day.

Stunning views

So peaceful and calm.

I'm hoping to get out later today, the fog is still hanging around for now.

So another 4 weeks of lockdown but then positive steps ahead for a way back to some form of normality. I'd rather take a more cautionary exit, slow things down if needed to enable a safer way out. I really don't want to have to experience another lockdown. As a 50 year old, I'm hopeful to receive my first vaccination by mid April, if the roll out continues to stay on track. As with Spring in the air, the way forward is hopeful, hopeful of better times ahead xx

Have a good week x

LD3/WK7

Week 7!! Week 7!?! It feels like it's been forever but on the other hand I can't believe how quickly February is whizzing by.

 

I worked Sunday - Valentine's Day!

We don't really 'do' Valentines but Jeff surprised me with some tulips and I bought him a jar of Chilli Marmite (very romantic!!) We had heart topped hot cross buns at work and because I pretty much ran things on my own on Sunday, I was given a small Valentine gift to say thank you. Always nice to feel your efforts are appreciated.

It's half term, not that you'd notice!!

It did mean Jeff and I had another go of cutting each others hair!

It's been a pretty soggy week and as the only thing you're allowed to do is walk daily, 

it's been a pretty uneventful week.

I've spent some time improving my photographic skills, 

not sure I should be encouraging this visitor.....

....or the Magpie- they both hoover up all the food!

I had Tuesday booked off as a days holiday, so I was determined to get out and do 'something'!! I ended up just doing the Compton Dundon Village loop, as it's pretty much nearly all road and given the amount of rain we've had and the subsequent mud everywhere, it was the best way to go.

Although, grey, wet and miserable, 

there were plenty of signs of Spring to left your spirits.

On Thursday Jeff kept me company and we decided to do a walk I'd done on my own before, along the Eighteen Foot Rhyne to Walton Drove, then back along Ivythorn Lane.

We actually enjoyed some warm sunshine.....

....but 20 mins from the car, the heavens opened - torrential rain and hail. 

We got soaked!!

Still it was good to get outside and enjoy some sunshine and so lovely to see signs of Spring popping up everywhere. It's raining today, just thoroughly wet and miserable. To be fair February half term is often like this but you have the odd day out to break up the monotony - not in Lockdown (sigh!)

Boris is making an announcement on Monday, laying out the framework and timeline to come out of Lockdown. I'd rather stay like this for longer and not have to do it again, then come out of lockdown too early and have to revisit lockdown. It's beginning to take it's toll. 

Apparently as a 50yr old, I can expect the vaccine by the end of April. To be fair this has been the one thing the Government has done well, the roll out of the vaccine. Hopefully it will allow things to reopen and for life to return to some form of normal. I really can't imagine our booked trips to Florence or Greece will go ahead or any of the musical events we have in the diary, time will tell but I do believe, a year on from when this all started, that we may have a little more hope that life can eventually get back to nearly where it was.....

LD3/WK6

This week has been cold!!!

Bitterly COLD!!!

With the wind chill -4 degrees cold!!

I worked my normal Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and did a little overtime on Friday.

The only warmth, is the burst of yellow dotted around the house from my daffodils.

Spurred on by my camera, I did take myself off for a long 10km walk on Wednesday. 

Despite being bitterly cold, the sun was shining.....

...and I set off back along the South Drain, over to Ham Wall.

This is how cold it was, ice in the middle of a fast flowing river!!

But this was how wonderful the sunshine was!!!

I've been looking after my feathered visitors, keeping them fed during this bitterly cold spell. They've been battered by the winds, a cold Easterly. Things should warm up from tomorrow but it's looking like half term week is going to be a showery affair. It had been looking dry but now there's the daily rain symbol, with sunshine set for the following week, typical!! Although with lockdown still in place, there is nowhere to go or anything to do, other than your daily permitted exercise! Sophie and I should be at the Bristol Hippodrome today, watching a re-scheduled WAITRESS, which has now been moved to July, not sure that will even happen, the way things are going. 

It's Chinese New Year, it was this time last year that we began to sit up and take notice, that we might be affected by what was the start of the Pandemic in China. They had to cancel all their celebrations and were not able to travel.... we had no idea what was about to be in store for us!!

So Jeff is now on holiday after a half term of teaching virtually. He took the car in for it's MOT on Friday and returned home with these beautiful tulips, an early Valentine's x

I'll be working all Valentine's Day, must remember to wear something red, Boss's orders!! 

Sophie and Sam are cooking tea now on a Sunday evening, so after a long shift at work I can come home to everything ready, that's a real treat, no cooking.

So with no real plans for next week, other than Tuesday off as holiday, it'll all depend on the weather, as to whether we'll get out and do much walking, which is about the only thing we can do!!

If it's allowed next year, I'm determined to go somewhere European, just a 2/3 day mini break. 

It's looking lovely in Palma right now!!

LD3/WK5

Wow! Lockdown 3,week 5 commenced on Wednesday!

On Monday we welcomed in the month of February....

...and said farewell to January,

 which all things considered went by pretty quickly.

I had a days holiday on Tuesday, booked to use up my holiday allocation this year. 

With nothing to do and no where to go, I went walking!!

And again on Wednesday, although the mud got the better of me and I had to turn back and abandon my intended walk. It rained on Thursday, so only managed a 'once around the block' walk in between the showers.

I've seen plenty of snowdrops out on my walks - such a hopeful sign.

It rained first thing on Friday, so I swapped my morning around and went food shopping first thing, then the sun came out and it ended up being a lovely morning. I took myself off across the fields and explored a little more of where I live.

Four fabulous views of Glastonbury Tor along the way.

Jeff walked with me today (Saturday) so we revisited my walk from yesterday,

 adding on another little bit.

I'm really ashamed of the fact that I've lived in Street nearly 6 years now and it's taken a Pandemic and 3 lockdowns, for me to get out and explore my locality. I live in the most gorgeous part on the world, have all this beautiful countryside right on my doorstep and didn't know half of it even existed!

Must promise myself to keep walking throughout all the seasons!

And we are entering one of the best seasons - Spring. I've seen so many signs out on my walks and as ever, have a few vases of daffs dotted around the house to brighten things along.

I've also been using my time to try and improve upon my bird photography. I do see improvement. I still get frustrated and need to really try and capture some birds out in the wild.....

....but for now, I'll stick with taking them from the comfort of my kitchen corner x