Time for a fresh start?

Lockdown (or whatever) week 14

I'm not sure whether we're still in 'lockdown' as such - non-essential shops are open, pubs will be soon, we can meet family and friends more, but still keeping our social distances - but even for a stay at home, take every precaution possible, person like me it definitely feels like things have changed and now it's time to get back to normal.
For me, this isn't so much about government advice (good or bad), or heading back to work, but just somehow I feel that it's time to stop lounging about. It could be the passing of midsummer affecting how I feel, but now it's time to get back to my version of normal life. I don't for one minute believe we're out of danger of corona virus, and the situation in Leicester proves it can easily return, but there are still changes I can make to my lifestyle while staying safe.

First thing is getting up in the morning. I actually wake up early enough, but I'm still spending far too long on social media before I move from my bed, followed by another binge while drinking tea after breakfast, and so my day starts really late.

Like many people, I seem to have put on weight throughout lockdown. I need to eat less. I picked the wrong week to try this, as 'click and collect' week always means treats in the grocery order, but dieting/eating sensibly is for life not just one week. I'll keep trying.



I will be going out a little more - not to pubs and cafes, but to National Trust parks and gardens. Last week's trip to Kedleston convinced me that such properties ARE opening in a sensible manner, that I can go there, have a pleasant walk but NOT have to encounter hoards of other visitors. This obviously will mean more walking which will please my Fitbit. I think I was getting enough exercise as such throughout lockdown as I was gardening more, but my walking muscles have slackened.  At home, any activity can be punctuated by a minute on a garden seat, especially if the sun is shining  (remarkably it has through most of the last months) and you're claiming mindfulness as an excuse. I did three miles round Kedleston on Monday, but needed to sit down and rest from time to time. I want to get my fitness back to at least pre-lockdown levels, and preferably higher, but small steps are better than none. With this in mind, we've booked visits to another National Trust property and Chatsworth gardens, and I've added some (very) gentle yoga exercises to the start of the day.



At an emotional level, these past months have brought changes by giving me a quiet time to relax and take stock. Other people were worrying about the virus's impact on them or their loved ones, but I was fairly sure that staying home through lockdown we were safe enough, and the rest of the family were too. I found time to stop rushing about, and let the awful events of the last eighteen months settle. Previously I was coping with grief, but still struggling/fighting with it at times. These months have marked a turning point. You don't completely walk away from the loss of family, it's always there at the back of everything, but I'm ready to move on now.

Lockdown Week 13 - June 16th to 22nd

Thirteen weeks, three months, a quarter of the year, however you measure this weird dreamlike state of lockdown it seems unreal - both everlasting but only a few days long.
Obviously things have changed over the weeks. There's no longer the mad panic-buying that marked the first week or so, no real shortages other than the normal supply chain glitches (though my eldest daughter couldn't find icing sugar anywhere in the run-up to Fathers' Day). Click and collect has now become our normal way of shopping, and, although it's sometimes frustrating with weird last minute replacements, I'd rather continue this way than risk actually going into a supermarket.
I've spent many many weeks doing very little, particularly during the glorious weather of April and May. Despite gardening and baking and not going out, there's been an odd relaxing holiday feel to things.

This week though I have started moving back towards normal. We had a visit from our elder daughter (but no grandson for now as he's at nursery and mingling with more people than any of the rest of us!), took more walks around home and a trip out to Kedleston. We even marked Fathers' Day by a pizza delivery. Things are getting very close to 'normal'.

It's been a busy week at the theatre. We watched The Madness of George III again while it was available through National Theatre at home, and then this week's presentation, the stage adaptation of Andrea Levy's Small Island. I read the book a while ago, and was impressed with Levy's ability to mix social commentary with a readable and engrossing story. It's one which seems particularly relevant in these times of Black Lives Matter, and this production did a remarkable job of bringing such an epic, overwhelming book to the stage.

In the garden summer continues with sunshine, thunder storms, flowers and fruit. The soft fruit is doing particularly well by this mix of weather, and I'm now trying to pick it all before the birds discover it.















This week's government update talked of restrictions being loosened even more, of pubs being opened soon, of it being possible to take holidays. It does seem that they're saying lockdown is over. which worries me more than it fills me with joy. My route back to normality will be a lot more cautious, and I'll be avoiding crowds, whether in pubs and shops or on beaches.
I do want to get out more though. I've put weight on, and lost muscle tone, over these months, and I need to get back to the fitness level I had before. Kedleston was nice and empty, the ticketing system and social distancing measures made it feel welcoming but safe, and it encourages me to make more use of my National Trust membership before these measures are relaxed; there are gardens to amble round and larger surrounding parks for more energetic walks, and maybe soon some open tea rooms. I'll almost be back to normal.

Kedleston - wildflowers and the 'short walk'

On Monday, I headed out for a visit to our nearest National Trust property - Kedleston Hall. Not remarkable in itself, until you remember National Trust properties have been closed since the start of lockdown. Kedleston actually opened last week, but I waited a while in case there was a rush of visitors.

The Hall itself isn't open yet but the park and pleasure grounds are, with suitable social distancing being signed and observed throughout. It was quieter than I'd expected - a couple of families playing football/cricket, but visitors were mainly my age and older.

We started by visiting the gardens where the lion is again presiding over flower beds filled with a colourful array of wildflowers.















The flowers are completely different to last year's display, but whether that's because of the timing of my visit (last summer I saw the wildflower beds in August), or the sowing of a different seed mix I don't know. Whichever, they're certainly stunning.

Then we headed for the Short Walk - a path which leads halfway round the perimeter of the Pleasure Grounds before heading back to the house through fields.





It starts out with wrought iron gates, and a comparatively formal feel, but before long it takes on the feel of a country walk, with trees above and far-reaching views out over Derbyshire.

It isn't long - about a mile and a half - but it's the longest walk I've undertaken in three months! Getting back to my normal fitness levels might take a while, but I intend to get out more now, while such gardens are open to only a limited number of visitors.

30 Days Wild - week 3

It's been a busy week for wildlife in the garden, particularly round the bird bath with robins, pigeons, blackbirds and even a magpie dropping by. One day a baby robin sat  in the water while one of its parents flew back and forth with food for it! No more appearances from the squirrel though.

If you can separate wildlife into two categories of 'good' and 'bad', birds and even the squirrel fall in the former. In the other group are slugs (found nestled in the middle of one of my cabbages), and these sawfly caterpillars which I found eating away all the leaves on the solomon's seal. It's fortunate for the caterpillars that they've got a rather niche taste in food, and are reputed to not eat anything other than this one plant; it's finished flowering, and doesn't look attractive with its leaves stripped, but will recover, so I squirted some of the bugs away with a water spray, and left the rest to their dinner.  

One evening, after yet another wet day, I went out for a stroll around the nearby playing fields and found signs of autumn already on the way!

And on the solstice I went out to see the sun set. It wasn't remarkable but I listened to the birds singing their goodnight songs, and on the way home saw bats flitting about

Autumn on the way?

 After yet another wet day, as the rain cleared away in the evening I thought it would be good to head out for a few minutes for fresh air, exercise, and a bit of wildness.













So I left dinner in the oven and went for a walk around the playing fields. They might not seem like an obvious place to go looking for wild things, but around the mown 'fields' there are trees and hedgerows, and uncut borders with wild flowers.
 

And, among summer's flowers, the first signs of autumn are showing with blackberries setting, conkers swelling and berries ripening

Lockdown Week 12 - June 9th - 15th

Twelve Weeks! It seems almost unbelievable that I've spent this long without really going anywhere - a couple of walks up the playing fields, trips to pick up the click and collect order, and until last week that was it!!

For once, this last week has been a busy one, comparatively, with things actually happening. 

First, the fortnightly click and collect. I used to shop once a fortnight with no problems but for some bizarre reason can't seem to get a click and collect order right. I always end up with too much of one thing, and forget something else entirely - this week it was tonic water and cake. Not the end of the world as I still had lemonade and the not-quite-ready elderflower fizz, and lots of rhubarb for muffins. I tried a new recipe this time with ground almond and white chocolate. The almonds weren't very apparent but the chocolate was a good addition.




When lockdown started I had great plans of getting my husband to do some re-decorating. On one of the last days of hot weather he did the necessary painting in the dining room, and this week re-papered this wall.

Next a sad event. One of our neighbours has been in and out of hospital a lot recently. I didn't really know her, and had no idea how ill she was, but she died a week or so ago, and the funeral was this week. Everyone came out and lined the pavement, and as the hearse left someone started clapping so we all joined in (has this become a thing? I thought it was very strange)  

Theatre night was moved forward to Thursday, as I was impatient to see this week's presentation from National Theatre Live.  I've lost count of the number of plays I've seen these past few weeks, but this week's offering was very special - Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III, which I saw twice during its short run at Nottingham Playhouse, including the night of the original cinema streaming! I'd very much hoped this would be transmitted as I wanted to compare my recollection of seeing it live with how it feels on a screen. I think it loses a little, but not much; these streamed shows have definitely converted me.

On Saturday I suggested we took advantage of a nice evening and go out to Locko Park. Going out somewhere, even nearby, makes things feel almost back to normal, and it's always good to get out into the countryside.  It was a well-timed trip, as the next day we had thunderstorms and torrential rain.

In the garden my carouby de mausanne  mangetout peas have flowered (they're purple, look very pretty and will contrast with the yellow Kentucky Wonder Wax beans), the white-flowered sugar bons produced their first pods, and strawberries are ripening. To try to regain structure in the week, for #FridayFlowers, I picked scented sweet peas and pink roses Sometimes things don't feel so bad despite everything.

I'm not impressed with the whole idea of social bubbles as they won't make any difference to me. I'm sure they'll be of help to some people but they just feel like a crumb we're being thrown to keep us docile. In the same vein, from the fifteenth non-essential shops will be open. I'm not tempted though. Despite the mishaps, for now I'll stick to click and collect for groceries, and online shopping for anything else.

One thing that didn't happen this week was a planned trip to Tangled Roots Festival in the West Country. I'd bought tickets at the beginning of the year and had been looking forward to taking the tent and experiencing a new festival - listening to the music and maybe even joining in with the flamenco class. Covid has forced so many events to cancel, and Tangled Roots is another of them. The organisers are hoping the event can go ahead in September, but although I'd love to go then I'm not sure it will take place. Something to mark in my diary for next year.

30 Days Wild - week 2

It's been an exciting sort of wild week - from garden visitors to wild thundery weather.

The week started quietly with watching bees in the garden - favourite flowers appear to be cotoneaster that covers the side of the garage, perennial geraniums of all colours, foxgloves, and flowers on the sage plants. It turns out they're not interested in scented flowers such as roses and sweet peas, though I know they love lavender (which will flower soon).

Tuesday was busy with unusual garden visitors. First I was astounded to see a squirrel running about on the patio, barely a socially distanced two metres from where I was sitting inside. They often run along the back fence, and I assume they raid the bird feeders at times but I've never seen one approach this close to the house. Then it appeared again in the afternoon! Meanwhile in the compost heap, a mouse was busy finding dinner. Although they're fairly regular visitors, I haven't seen one for a while, so was quite startled - so was the mouse. In future I'll lift the bin lid off slowly.

On dry days the bird bath has been busy with visitors - mainly robins, pigeons, blackbirds, but occasionally goldfinches, sparrows and blue tits turn up.
Larger birds have been squabbling in the front garden rowan and along the road - crows, blackbirds, possibly a magpie (they're generally the trouble-starters) - and a pair of pigeons have been trying to nest there - they seem to have very little idea about nest-building, and the one in the back garden has fallen out of the tree a couple of times.

The highlight of the week though was seeing goslings at Locko Park. I'd gone there just for some open countryside and although I knew geese lived there, hadn't expected the huge families swimming round the lake. Most of the youngsters (Pinkfoots possibly) were being safety corralled in the middle of the lake but the Canada geese with older goslings were on the banks

Back to Locko

Locko was the last place we went out to before lockdown, so it really ought to have been the first we returned to, but as it was, last weekend we went to Shipley, as there's more space there to avoid others if it's busy, so it was only Saturday evening that we went back to Locko.

It's a good place to visit at the moment - not far from home, the 'footpath' is a good wide road to the hall, there's a huge open area by the lake if anyone wants to sit and picnic, and there's little car parking so not many people visit.

We'd only intended to walk down to the lake but the evening was so nice that we carried on a little way, following a footpath up to a wood where there are lovely views back over the park, then through the trees, listening to the birdsong around us, before re-tracing our steps.

As with the trip to Shipley, it was lovely to get out, away from houses and traffic, to see no one other than a few walkers, to walk under trees, and even to see cows grazing in the distance.

The highlight though was seeing the numerous goslings, mostly out on the lake accompanied by watchful parents, though the Canada geese were braver (and their goslings a little older) and had taken up a spot on the grassy bank.