Lockdown Lifting!

Tuesday. 8.30 a.m. Yesterday afternoon we had another of the, by now, rather a familiar coronavirus press conferences from Downing Street, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in charge.  The best news was that the 'Roadmap' out of lockdown will go ahead as planned, without any u-turns or diversions along the way. So Monday will see most of the restrictions that have been in place for many months being lifted, but still with a certain 'cautious optimism' pervading the whole. One of the restrictions being removed is, being able to hug family members. A great deal is made of this! As I imagine you would expect.

It's bright and sunny as I write this, but still not particularly warm. Just thinking of the saying 'Nay cast a clout until Maybe out.' Which may or may not (sorry about the pun, unintentional or intentional??) refer to the May tree, or hawthorn, or possibly the month of May. Meaning, to not take off a layer of clothing until the month, or possibly, the May tree is blooming. Possibly winters were colder than they are now, because the hawthorn, or May, is definitely blooming at the moment. So, is it such a good idea to go out without your coat at the moment? That's a matter of debate, but I have gone out without mine on a few occasions, but then, when it's felt cold, I have regretted it.  Similarly, the Shakespeare line in one of his sonnets (can't remember which one.) 'Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may.' It's from Sonnet 18. (I cheated as I did a Google search, but never mind.)

I've done some more writing! I had started a sequence and then had some thoughts on how to improve it, so I started it again and have amended it with the new addition. There is more of it to go and it seems to be working better now. I can't believe I was working on this so early. Barely 7.30-8.00 p.m. I just need to construct the conclusion of this sequence. I have to say I rather enjoy the construction of plots. If I say any more then it will give things away. It has a 'meta' feel to it. If you understand literary terms, then you will know what I mean.

A trailer for EastEnders as I wait for something or other to come on this evening. I think it was for 'Money For Nothing.' Anyway, a lot of shouting and being really nasty to each other. A wedding of a couple of characters. Don't ask me who, why, etc. But you can always tell what the outcome will be, don't you? Always ends in disaster. What is it about living in Walford that means a marriage ends in tragedy or at least total disaster? Is it the water? Just living in that run-down square? In real life, would you choose to live somewhere like Albert Square? Why not simply move away? 

Wednesday. 6.50 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. Very still as we walked down Strudwick Drive and an almost perfect blue sky. How long will it last? 'Sunshine and showers', according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast which is on the television as I write this.

Later. I've managed to write a good deal more. The only problem is that Alfie is staring at me. It's difficult to concentrate on what I'm doing. I give him a couple of treats out of the treat tin on the bookshelf. I write a bit more, but he continues to sit on the sofa, staring at me, his gaze shifting towards the treat tin. I attempt to ignore him but this is a dog with an incredible ability to get what he wants, so I take a few more treats out of the tin. Several are placed along the edge of the coffee table and one on the back of the sofa. He finds the ones on the coffee table, and from where I sit it amuses me to see his little face appear above the edge of the coffee table and he manages to pick one up with his mouth and then he jumps onto the sofa and finds the one on the sofa back. So, he settles back down and I continue to write. 

At around 9.45 I decided to take Alfie out. It is threatening rain which I can see from the kitchen window. Dark clouds gathering and when we come out onto Strudwick Drive there are definite spots of rain that fall onto my face as we walk along. I had to buy somewhat inferior poo bags from Morrison's because for some reason, Sainsbury's didn't have any in stock when I did my last online order, and then when I visited the store there were none. Probably stock availability due to lockdown or something. Morrison's version is thinner, but they do their job more or less adequately. On returning along Strudwick Drive I can see blue flashing lights at the junction of Strudwick Drive and Chaffron Way. I can vaguely see what must be a police car in the distance, the green and blue check design identifying it, or if not a police car, at least an emergency vehicle of some sort. I couldn't be certain, but I reckon someone has attempted to turn out onto Chaffron Way and got hit by a passing vehicle. Generally not advisable to turn right out of there, but to turn left and then do a complete circuit of the roundabout and continue along Chaffron Way.

Foggy Morning

(Saturday)Another foggy start to the day, but I expect the sun will come out during the day. I had intended going out a good deal later than usual, say, just after 8 o'clock, but Alfie wouldn't have it. So we did our usual walk across the park. Spring is definitely making its mark, with no end of daffodils and crocuses showing themselves as well a wide range of blossom, most notably may, or is it called hawthorn? Anyway, the white blossom.

Later. Having been to do some shopping in Sainsbury's, after I'd done a load of washing, I come home and unload the groceries and put it all away, and then watch some television. I've been watching 'The Crown' on Netflix and decide to watch the first part of a documentary series which chronicles the story of the House of Windsor from it's birth a century ago. It's called, very imaginatively 'The Royal House of Windsor.' It draws heavily on documents and other papers kept in the royal archives at Windsor Castle. Very interesting to me because I love history and gives more background to what eventually becomes the framework for the storyline for 'The Crown.' Particularly interesting is the build-up to the Abdication of EdwardVII in 1936. I later watched the second episode as I got really hooked into the first episode. This is the factor which seems to make Netflix so good. You get all the episodes of a show to watch when you feel like it. I don't think I very often watch television 'live,' at the time it is broadcast, or if I do, it's very rare to watch 'live' broadcast television.

I was correct in what I said at the beginning of this post. It has turned out particularly warm and sunny. It certainly seems as if spring as arrived.

Sunday morning. Alfie was being as insistent as usual. He makes sure I know he wants to go out for his routine walk. More like a run, but never mind. He went off on his explorations along the path round the park. Then I heard a sort of knocking sound. I couldn't be sure what it was. It happened several times and now I'm sure it's a woodpecker! It was far too distinctive a sound. If so, its the first time I've ever heard such a sound and I can't believe I heard it in the middle of Milton Keynes and at such an early hour.

It's getting lighter earlier, so we go out earlier, much to Alfie's relief. He becomes like a coiled spring, with the build-up to getting out. It was deceptive, looking a good deal warmer than it was. I usually wear my fleece under my Regatta jacket, which I did as usual, but I didn't wear my gloves. There was a certain amount of ice of the car windscreen which is generally a sign of how cold be has been over night. I don't think it will take too much effort to scrape it off before I drive off to church at 8.40.

Later still. Really quite warm and sunny as I write this at 12.00 midday. I've been to church and then went into Morrison's. Trying to find something to get rid of fleas as Alfie has been scratching a great deal lately. I haven't seen anything (fleas, I mean) but if I put this stuff on him it will at least put paid to anything that might be lurking in his coat. It is quite long and I'm not sure I can see anything. Anyway, I'll give it a go. You can buy something to put in your dog's food, but I think this is a better solution.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May . . . etc etc

You 've probably noticed how often the weather makes an appearance in these posts. It's no wonder, really. The weather does seem to play a central role in life in this country. But today is somewhat overcast and dull. The past few days have been quite warm and pleasant, but the weather has to begin miserable as we head into the weekend. As I look out of the window into what is our garden the trees along the Redway that runs along behind this house are swaying in quite a strong wind. Well, as Shakespeare says in one of his sonnets, 'Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May' and how right he was.  Then he goes on to say 'And summer's lease hath all to short a date.' Yes, when you think that we're only likely to have a few warm days to even call 'summer.' This all comes from Sonnet number 18.  Well, it just shows, in this, the 400th anniversary of his death, that his words can have as much relevance today as they did when they were originally written.  I expect the weather had just as central a part to play in his day as it does today. Probably even more so, particularly in Stratford-Upon-Avon, which was an agricultural centre and weather would be important as far as making sure that the crops were growing well to feed the population of the town. I think 'May' refers to the bushy plant called hawthorn and has white flowers. I've just Googled it and I've discovered that it can be used to help reduce cholesterol in your blood as well as being used in medication to lower blood pressure and prevent heart failure. Amazing how you come across facts such as this when you're on the internet. I think it's called serendipity. The quote was used by H.E. Bates for his book 'The Darling Buds of May.' I have a link, as this television series starred Pam Ferris, alongside David Jason, and I worked with her in 'rep' when she was in the company at Ipswich Theatre in the mid 1970's and I was a D.S.M. there.

 The grass needs cutting again and I'm putting this job off until next week. It does take quite a lot of motivation for me to drag the mower out of the shed and then unreel the cable so I can plug the contraption in and then actually cut the grass. But it can wait. It looks like rain again.