Day Twenty Six - Breakfast, Barbecues and Cacophony

I love the early mornings. The air smells sweeter, the birds sound perky and the squirrels hasten their morning errands. It's also the quietest time in the 'hood. For several years now I've looked at it as MY time outside and in the garden. A time when I can sit, eat my breakfast, drink my coffee, read my book and contemplate all manner of things. So after my walk this morning (and a spot of Tai Chi upon the patio I might add) I settled down for maybe an hour of peace and solitude. It was about 7:00 a.m. - just before. I know this because the church bells chimed while I was out there. I spotted my neighbour sneak down to the end of his garden. His gaze wandered over the fence and he was clearly startled to see me. He was out to fire up his barbecue. It is, impractically to my mind given how frequently they use it, right at the end of the garden so when they are barbecuing they scuttle back and forth from the kitchen to the end of the garden. But it is not a conventional barbecue. It has the body of a Star Wars like droid. The top is rounded like R2D2 and it sports some gauges and controls. And it's almost a pillar box red. But like many barbecues it throws off pungent smoke while it is firing up. It smelt like a bonfire today and not what I was hoping for! I came indoors. Later on that morning all I could smell was bacon cooking. I'm vegetarian. Not the best start to the day.

My NHS friend uses her priority status to go shopping early on a Saturday morning. I asked if she could fetch me some strawberries. But they didn't have any today. However she did bring some of my favourite cottage cheese and some ginger beers. I was delighted. In return I gave her a bag of spuds and some organic tonic waters. She didn't get out of the car today because she was so upset. She had dropped off some bits at her son's and her two-year old granddaughter had come out of the house when she saw them, holding out her arms to be picked up and cuddled. Of course it couldn't happen. And it stressed my dear friend greatly that she couldn't hug her grandchild. She's finding the separation from all seven very tough. And the younger ones just don't understand why Nanny and Grandad can't give them their customary cuddles. I'm sure there are lots of people in the same position. I wonder ultimately how it will affect relationships? I suppose it depends in the duration. For the very young babies it may be a case of getting to know people all over again. Challenging for all concerned.

Another lovely thing happened today. I had a phone call for my neighbours over the back inviting me to their barbecue! No, silly. They weren't breaking the lockdown, they were going to hand me a plate over the fence! I declined because I'd just eaten my lunch and I'm vegetarian. But I appreciated the gesture. It is the battle of the barbecues out there today. And disco wars! Everyone playing something different. At one point I joined in if only to drown out the cacophony. And then of course where there's music playing people talk loudly over it. I never see the point of having it on if you just want to chat.

In spite of the lovely weather I've spent a great deal of time indoors today. Some of it is because I get frustrated by the level of noise and discordancy but also today I had three reviews to write. I have tried drafting in the garden but I don't work so well out there.

The death toll in the UK from covid-19 is alarming. I can't quite grasp the figures. I keep hoping they are wrong, widely inaccurate. It's easy to say the government should have taken action earlier, blah, blah, blah. That's redundant now because they didn't. And saying that won't alter the figures or bring anyone back or make anyone feel better about it. We have to work with what we've  got. But what puzzles me is when folk read those figures, especially the people who are continuing to flout or exploit the lockdown, aren't they chilled to their very core? Shouldn't it see them scuttling home to keep their loved ones close? This whole situation has caused me to ponder even more than I already do the human condition and the mentality of some. sadly in comparison with other countries the UK's population simply lacks the necessary social discipline to make the lockdown work. There's still the 'it's only the flu' brigade and the 'it won't happen to me' wise guys. And the rest of us are sandwiched between them desperate to see this contagion disappear.

I made some bread this morning. It's delicious. But that and my reviewing are the sum total of my achievements today. I'm not proud.