Has Lockdown caused a Time Warp?

It’s been two weeks since I blogged.

When was the last time I allowed so much time to elapse?

I guess it is an effect of Lockdown.

A number of friends have said that they are losing track of time.  Nigel and I are both still working and have scheduled meetings so that helps to keep a grip but even so…

The main clock for me has been the dandelion clock. 

At the start of Lockdown my phone filled up with pictures of each spring flower as it blossomed – celandines, violets, purple ground ivy, red dead nettle, bluebells.

Blackthorns and cherries blossomed luxuriantly.

However, the clock has run on, and there are now some different photos, of flowers run to seed.

Like the dandelion clock.

It has made me feel a little melancholy that this perfect spring of gin-clear skies and abundant blossom is past its peak.

Yet without the seeds, there would be no new flowers.

Just so, the Lockdown period of simple, black-and-white rules, which has in some way been comforting, is likely at the end of next week to give way to a world where there are more grey zones and one must use judgement.

But without that, how can life move on?

Lockdown for Burglars

Recently Nigel left his keys in the front door.  On the outside.

I helpfully pointed his lapse out to him, but he made the point that actually a burglar would be hard put to it to find a moment when we were both out.

Think about it.

For a house robber, their way of life has pretty much dried up.

Nigel said, “I notice Rishi Sunak didn’t announce any financial relief for burglars who can’t get into people’s homes at the moment.”

“No, I guess they’ll just have to show a bit of initiative and live up to the challenge of these trying times.”

And judging by the number of Phishing texts/emails recently, seems like quite a few have.

Home Sweet Home

A few weeks ago Nigel, Pascoe and I were on a long-planned jolly to Lille when France suddenly shut down.  It felt like being inside a trap and hearing the mechanism clicking into place.

Everything was lovely on Friday, including the weather so we went to stroll in the grounds of the Vauban Citadel.  We would visit the massive art museum on Saturday.  But on Saturday, it (along with all museums) was declared shut. 

We began to feel uneasy. We would come home early.  But Eurostar had picked that weekend to renew its computerised ticketing system.  We could not change our tickets, not online, not on the phone, not even in person. 

We would just have to make the best of it. 

We lounged in cafes having a truly relaxed lunch and dinner.

But on Sunday, everything that wasn’t a food shop or pharmacy shut.  The fun really was over.

Our train was not until three - a whole day to kill.

We hiked to the legendary market at Wazemmes and marveled at the beautiful fruit and veg piled high.  However, we could not relax as there were so many people it felt like the Covid 19 version of Russian Roulette.

Even departure was challenging – Pascoe was booked on a later train but with the rapidity of the lockdown, I worried the border might suddenly close. 

Luckily, many people more cautious than us had cancelled their trips and there was a spare seat on our train for Pascoe.

The whole experience made me realise that if I were to be locked down or ill I would much rather be in my own home, surrounded by my own stuff, and supported by kind neighbours.

Home Sweet Home.