Day Forty One - Squirrel Stalking, Phone Calls and Lockdown Limbo

After a ridiculously early start this morning because my hands hurt, my foot hurt, my hip hurt I was out well before six for a walk. Foolish? Because I was hurting? Maybe so but I actually felt a hell of a lot better for doing it by the time I came back. So I took the opportunity to sit in the garden and read while it was beautifully quiet. I love that time of the day. No one is up and about, just me! I was engrossed in my book but I suddenly realised I was being watched. There on the fence, suitably socially distanced I might add, kudos to him, there sat a substantial squirrel. He was frozen, poor thing, with fear. I think he'd been going merrily about his business, not expecting to see anybody at that time in the morning but there I was. We watched each other for a few minutes. I tried to talk to him very gently assuring him that there was no way I was going to hurt him and he could relax. Like an idiot I assumed he knew exactly what I'd said. He started to go forward then his nerve deserted him. He turned tail and ran back down the fence. I went back to my book. Minutes later I came indoors No sooner had I done that then I saw him again coming back down the fence and just to prove himself that he was quite safe he came down onto the table where I'd been sitting with my book, looked in at me as if to say is it safe for me to proceed? Then off he went up the side way to do what ever he meant to do in the first place.

 That has nothing to do with coronavirus but it brightened my day. It's been a day of telephone calls and text messages hence I've got very little else done. My sister-in-law phoned me. She has ongoing problems with her eyes and has an appointment at the hospital tomorrow.  I do worry about her having to go anywhere near a hospital. But the statistics for her county are lower than in other places. I guess it's because it's predominantly a  rural type area. You're actually socially distant whether you want to be or not!   I think she just needed to chat to somebody. The medication she is on makes her very, very dopey she said she's sleeping for about 11 hours a day. That's something I can only dream of. I do feel sorry for her.  She spends so much time worrying about other people and running around after them that she neglects herself. And I think these health issues are the result. My NHS  friend phoned just for a chat. She is still off with a hamstring injury.  Seems to have forgotten my cheese! Never mind.  And then I phoned my brother. We talk a couple of times a week. Great piece of news there, he's finally decided to download WhatsApp. His daughter persuaded him to so that she can send him photographs. I don't know why I'm so pleased but I am!  He's been spending a lot of time singing and videoing himself singing and posting these to Facebook. I don't do Facebook so I can't see them. It seems to be occupying him and giving him a great deal of pleasure.

 News from the auntie Pat front isn't too encouraging. Had an email yesterday where the Home had said she was poorly and confused. That worried everybody. A follow-up phone call today  and we've been told she is frail and confused. All down to semantics?

 Apparently the government is under some pressure to ease lockdown to improve the economic situation. This has come up several times. It seems to me that if the lockdown is eased too early the economy will not have a chance to pick up before the second wave of the virus hits and we're in another lockdown. So what is gained by ending it early? I hate the way that something  as serious as this becomes another pawn in the game of politics. It shouldn't be. Everybody should be working together in unity to try and get on top of this thing. But no, politicians do use it to try and discredit another party, make themselves and their own party look good. Do any of them actually care about the people and the country? Our prime minister Boris Johnson returns to work tomorrow. I wonder if his attitude  and his plans to proceed with the handling of the situation will change now that he's been so ill.  As far as I can see people decided to ease lockdown for themselves. I saw somebody walking along today with a great big hikers backpack full to the brim. Where were they going? There is probably some reasonable explanation but it didn't look like anything essential to me. And there are still people delivering free magazines and newspapers.  I don't think they're essential and we're all being so careful with post and shopping it's just one more added problem. I picked one up today with some gloves and put it straight in the recycling, didn't even look at it. It's also been delivered by a stranger who wasn't wearing gloves. I wiped the gate afterwards. Am I interpreting all these sanctions too literally,  being too pedantic and  a bit of a nitpicker? I don't know? Answers on a postcard please.