Tuesday 19 May

Now I know there are a multitude of over used words and phrases in times of history; unprecedented, new-normal, strange times etc.

But these are strange times – Donald Trump a few weeks ago suggested injecting disinfectant as a possible cure and has today confessed that he is taking anti-maleria tablets as ‘it might work’.

Meanwhile, a 100 year old man walked around his garden many times and raised £32 million for the NHS (is it a charity?) and has been knighted as a result.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy for him and in times of crisis people need feel-good stories and heroes but what on earth does that say about how our national health service is funded?

It has also been a scorcher today and things are certainly hotting up in readiness for the schools to reopen on 1st June.

Monday 18 May

So, I think this is week eight of lockdown?

Thankfully the number of deaths announced over recent days is coming down; these numbers are, for many, becoming a guage as to how well or badly we are doing against the virus.

But of course behind the figures there are a multitude of people grieving for loved ones; 34,000+ deaths means there are many, many people suffering at the moment.

Beautiful warm day today, so warm we had BBQ this evening and three Buzzards soared over the garden – no wing flapping required.

Stan went to see his girlfriend this afternoon in Dedham, his first social outing in about two months!

Sunday 17 May

I mentioned a few weeks back about how nature seems to come out of the blocks like an Olympic sprinter around the end of April beginning of May; it gives us so much to lose ourselves in, if we’re only prepared to take some time out to look and listen.

The wild flowers in the hedgerows on our evening walk have been beautiful but when you get closer and really look, you can’t help but be in awe.

We so often pass by these flowers gathered in their hundreds and thousands and don’t even notice them.

It’s a privilege to kneel down in front of something that so innocently and reliably blooms each spring then quietly departs asking nothing of us in return.

Its easy to get a little carried away and poetic about wildflowers but we really should take a little more notice of these silent little jewels of nature.

Saturday 16 May

So, it has probably become pretty clear that I am a bit of a birder and to get a photo of a real Hoopoe in the ‘wild’ is crackers – thanks, Bro.

It is one of the first birds that I remember as a kid and thinking how completely weird the name was and how the look of it was so tropical and clearly from distant lands – this led to me learning more about birds.

A storm is brewing about the anticipated return to school of Reception, year 1 and year 6. The unions are saying this is dangerous and far too early.

This is inevitably leading to plenty of teacher bashing on social media from people who, as always, think we have an easy life.

The truth of the matter is that those people have (probably) either had enough of trying to home-school their own kids or simply had enough of being with their kids 24/7?

Friday 15 May

So, we have reached another weekend after another eventful, and thoroughly draining, week.

I’m very aware how I can lose myself and feel better when watching birds just doing what they do – this evening , whilst walking, I tried to identify whether some spring arrivals swooping around above us were Swifts, Swallows or Martins?

I really wasn’t sure but knew they weren’t Swifts, as these rested by perching on telegraph wires (Swifts don’t do this) and weren’t stiff winged and didn’t glide like Swifts.

So, House Martins (Sand Martins are brown and these were definitely black and white) or Swallows?

They were flying so quickly catching Mayflies that I had to use the phone to video them, take a screen shot and zoom in…

… and there it was, frozen in the moment, the long tail feathers of a male Barn Swallow.

Thursday 14 May

A tricky day today but back on with things, life goes on and all that; thankfully I have a cracking family, amazing friends and all the other stuff that isn’t stuff.

That said my friends club together to get me a Barn Owl nesting box which I can’t wait to mount onto the Cherry Tree at the bottom of the garden; its a huge bit of stuff but one that may someday have OWLS in it – mad! (I will save the photo until it is up)

My mother-in-law has made us all face masks as we contemplate how the easing of the lockdown is going to affect us day-to-day.

It is inevitable that we will be seeing more and more of these around as well as temperature testing etc.

Finally, it appears that they have discovered a 100% accurate testing procedure that will tell if anyone has had the virus which could be a real game changer.

Wednesday 13 May

So, alas was unsuccessful with the job interview but I am a firm believer that a) things happen for a reason and b) there is always something else on the horizon.

I am licking my wounds tonight but will be back on with the day job tomorrow.

Just had a BIG delivery of a wrapped present from friends and have been informed that I must not open it until the collective Zoom later.

I have some wonderful friends.

I also have the most incredible family; we are a very close bunch and are SO there for each other when the chips are down.

Tuesday 12 May

It’s my 50th birthday today and I am so looking forward to celebrating later in the year with a bit of travel amongst other things; I am going to create multiple opportunities (excuses) to say “This is to celebrate the birthday I didn’t have.”

We obviously had our trip to NYC cancelled but we are hoping to visit Lyndon and Erica in Italy in the Autumn.

These are clearly strange circumstances to have a birthday in but we will order a takeaway later and Lisa has made me an amazing cake; actually what more do you need?

Tomorrow I have a job interview so am spending my birthday preparing my presentation and completing the pre-interview tasks.

We never really did much for birthdays when I was growing up, not that I remember anyway.

Another really BIG thing today though, me and Adora completed the Couch to 5k programme this morning – it’s really important to continue this from now on – success!

Monday 11 May

Our evening, family walks with Mabel have been a thing we all look forward to each day.

I have already mentioned the closer connection to nature and our more immediate environment in general; the sounds, smells and sights.

We have all had our various lives to live each day me and Lisa working, the kids learning etc but just as we come together each evening for our family meal we have then followed this with our own passeggiata; if we can’t get to Italy we will bring some of it here.

We are going to need to trim Mabel’s coat today, I have discovered the wet razor for doing my head, Lisa is embracing white hair, Stanley is growing his and looks like Tarzan and Adora is carrying on regardless – hair eh? Kuh!

Today, we start week seven in lockdown albeit with a modest loosening of restrictions.

Sunday 10 May

We have been making and doing more stuff with the bits and bobs of wood that I have accumulated in the shed over the years.

First the veggie garden with raised beds and a fence, then a potting station and greenhouse trestle table, a welly boot rack and now a cold frame.

I love pottering around and seeing what can be made from salvaged scraps of this and that and the most amazing of objects, the humble pallet.

As I write this I can hear the Buzzards cawing outside and last night, after our evening walk, I spent some precious time with binoculars watching one of them hunt in the neighboring apple orchards.

I was distracted as a conflict developed between a Heron and a Crow; the Heron is a frequent, unwelcome visitor to our neighbors pond and I believe the Crow was aware of this and instructed the invader (unsuccessfully it has to be said) to noisily naff-off.