One thing I've noticed is that the smaller stones are hidden by the growth of the grass. Where we've had so much rain in recent days some of the stones have been washed clean sadly. But I think you get an idea of the commitment and number of people getting involved.
I saw carrier bag man again today. But he was on his way back. So I couldn't follow through with my plan of seeing what he did with the carrier bag! I've also noticed several occasions now when I've been walking, a man photographing the main bed in the middle of the roundelay. I also saw him right at the other end of the cliff campus once. I was curious. I wasn't sure if he was photographing a flower, the same flower or maybe some unusual butterfly, moth or other insect activity. Today I plucked up the courage to actually ask him because he's nodded to me on a couple of occasions. And he is a photographer who normally does landscapes. But as part of his lockdown activities he's been photographing the same flowers to see how they progress through the blooming cycle. And he says that particular place on the cliffs where the wind blows it sometimes gives the effect that the flowers are dancing. I thought this was lovely. And I'm really glad that I stopped and asked him.
My tai chi teacher gave me a conundrum, another one, yesterday. He says he has spoken to the church about the class restarting and he's been given the go-ahead to start. The proviso being is that he has to clean down used equipment bracket chairs) all doorhandles stair rails and if the toilets are used then he has to clean them as well he said he's not too happy with that. He's probably going to start with a Tuesday morning tai chi and the Friday morning Quigong and leave Tuesday evening until further notice. So the big question for us is are we ready to come back on Tuesday, the 4th of August for tai chi? He will need a certain amount of people to just break even. He says that some people on his address list have decided not to come anymore and he wants everybody to let him know if that's the case so he can take us off. I don't know what I'm going to reply yet because there are all kinds of implications here. I'm frankly quite shocked that the church is absolving themselves of the responsibility to keep the premises Covid safe. And I don't know how thorough my teacher would be about cleaning everything. I don't think he should have to. The other thing is will we have to wear facemasks? Does he expect us to pay in cash. How will he manage the social distancing. I know there is one chap in the open air class who won't do anything about Covid he says it's just a cold and he says he hasn’t followed any of the guidelines. I'm not sure I want to be in a class with somebody who has that attitude. My gut instinct is not to go. I don’t want to leave tai chi completely but I don’t know if I’m ready to start on the 4th of August.
Some gardening and some housework this morning. And my back knows it! So that kind of curtailed any meaningful activity this afternoon. I’ve been reading. Actually I’ve been catching up on several back issues of the TLS. I’ve also taken some photographs of some of the flowers in my garden. And a beautiful peacock butterflies are delighted on the badly. Some gardening and some housework this morning. And my back knows it! So it kind of curtailed any meaningful activity this afternoon. I’ve been reading. Actually I’ve been catching up on several back issues of the TLS. I’ve also taken some photographs of some of the flowers in my garden. And a beautiful peacock butterfly who alighted on the buddleia. (I have noticed that although I have corrected the predictive text in the draft post when it is published it’s showing the original errors. ‘Alighted on the buddleia). There is much ant activity underfoot. I worry about crushing them. I can see some of the young in the gaps in the patio stones. But it’s not flying ant day yet it’s not humid enough. But I love watching insects; the bees, the ants and the butterflies. They couldn’t give a shit about coronavirus. And their life cycles continue unhampered. But their lives are not without peril. I found a honeybee in the grip of a white crab spider the other day. And the birds are out looking for the ants. And the butterflies too I guess. These everyday predators are their COVID-19 I suppose, in a manner of speaking.
I’ve got that Saturday afternoon feeling. It’s very odd how days of the week have a certain feel to them. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. But I could do the same things on a different afternoon, say Friday. But it wouldn’t feel the same. There is something so Saturday afternoon about today. And it makes me feel sad, incomplete somehow. Because I think back to other Saturday afternoons and how I was never as isolated as I am now. There is still that curious little frisson that renders the weekend as different from the weekdays. Yes I’d say I prefer the weekdays now that I’m old and retired and so alone. Lockdown just emphasises that feeling. Today I went up to the spare bedroom for something or other, I can’t remember what it was now, and I had this intent yearning for my brother to be staying here. Some memory or other from a time when he stayed and it was a Saturday afternoon like today. We’ve probably been somewhere and we were chilling with a cup of tea on a Saturday afternoon in the sunshine. It wasn’t a precise memory it was just a feeling. I’ve been getting a lot of those during this lockdown.
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