Monday 20th January 2020

On a clear morning, a morning with no of few clouds, it is obvious that light is winning. Each day there is a minute or two extra daylight.

We get up at quarter past six, and there is light in the sky away to the south east.

Day is coming.

Light spreads across the sky from the horizon, shapes from the garden emerges from darkness. Dawn turns gold, as does the very air outside.

Inside, coffee is brewing, and the just-fed cats are doing their post-breakfast washing. I sit at the table whilst Jools does her pre-commute stuff, like getting dressed and making sure her bag has her lunch. And as soon as she has left, I sprint up the stairs to the cross trainer.

OK< I don't sprint, but I go up, put on my trainers and switch on the radio and begin pumping.

I do the twenty minutes, and finish just before half seven, all hot and bothered, but having done it.

I log onto work, find out what the company has been doing all weekend. Not much it seems. And once I am happy there is nothing urgent, I make breakfast and another coffee, and get down to the main task of the day, filling out a spreadsheet.

That would take most of the rest of the day. Cross-referencing data and filling out the appropriate box on the spreadsheet. I'm sure someone will find this useful at some point. That's what I tell myself.

I realise that I have not travelled anywhere outside the UK since we went to Belgium at the beginning of December, and I have not been to Denmark since the 29th November. I know I complain about travel, but as expected, when not travelling, I miss it. Another week at home this week, and next. But travel is coming, and to Denmark, but not until next month. Before then I have to go to Barrow again, and a town in Wales I have not heard of before.

But more of that nearer that time.

There is cheese toasties for lunch, staring out the back window at the birds, I am hoping to get a shot of the local sparrowhawk, which has been teasing me these past few weeks, arriving unannounced and leaving again before I can get the camera and big lens out. It has perched on the washing line post, had a preen and then flew off. Sat on the neighbours garden gate before flying off, and at the weekend was in the bush were the bird feeders, looking like a dark pigeon until it flew off, turning in a tight arc, looping the loop, into the next garden. I didn't get a shot of that either.

In the afternoon, I have a doctor's appointment. A review of medication and the rest. So I have to leave home as soon as the latest department meeting is finished, walking to the end of our street then down Station Road into the village centre. At the end of the street, there are a few early daffodils in flower, I snap the best for my photo of the day, and walk on.

By the pond and near the school, parents are gathering to collect their darlings, parking anywhere they can, blocking the roads and each other in order to get as close to the school as possible.

The long gentle slog up the the surgery plays havoc with my back, it is screaming by the time I reach the door. So slump in a chair to wait my turn.

I'm overweight still, apparently.

Thanks for that.

I collect my pills, and walk back down into the village where the screaming kids are out, and walking all over the place. Parents try to steer their cars between them, and one, I swear this is true, drive the 100 yards from the space nearest the school, past the pond and turning up The Avenue, which is a dead end. No more than 200 yards. In a car.

I walk on, and do well until Station Road bottoms out and climbs again. By the time I reach the end of our street I swear I am seeing stars. I turn for home and the pain melts somewhat.

Dinner is sausage rolls, as I found a pack of puff pastry in the freezer, so got sausage meet at the weekend. And by half five the house is full of the baking smell.

Lovely.

Darkness came late, it is light until gone half four, birds were still feeding at ten to five.

I watched more of the New Zealand travelogue, from the tip of south island to Greymouth. Yes, that hasn't given me ideas about more trips and holibobs, has it?