Friday 24th April 2020

Unlike many people, we are doing OK during the lockdown.

We are in good spirits, and I think this is because we both exercise, in varying amounts, but it means that come the evening, we are tired. So, we sleep well, sleep deep, and wake up once we are rested.

We can get out when we want, we live on the edge of the countryside.

We have food. We have jobs, that still pays.

We have few family to worry about, but we have friends. I don't think I know of anyone who has had the virus. It doesn't mean that we don't worry. I have had a sore throat during the night this week, and you worry if this is the first indication of the virus showing. A squirt of Sudafed and a coffee later, and all is good.

It will be great to be able to get out once again and go where we want. Although we did already appreciate what we saw on our walks in the beech woods and up on the downs whilst looking for orchids. That we loved that so much means we miss it all the more.

But even being able, or not at the moment, to go to B&Q or into town, or to visit Cath or Mike and Jane, or our friends Tracey and Wayne. Man, we miss that big time. We will do those things again, and meet and laugh and drink and eat well.

But not yet.

But it was Friday, the weekend already for Jools, and six hours or so for me at the coalface.

Jools did not set the alarm, so we lay in bed until nearly half five, though through my bloodshot eyes it seemed it was nearly six. But was fine. So for a change I get up first, feed the cats and make coffee.

It is a cold but stunning morning, the sun now rises so far east it is almost out of site behind next door. But the sky is all pastel shades, and looks wonderful. Few planes now cross over east Kent, so there are few trails to diffuse the sun.

Jools has an online yoga class, so as she logs in via Zoom, I scarper upstairs to do a session on the cross trainer whilst listening to the Home Service, sorry, Radio 6 on the DAB. I have enough time to have a shower, get dressed, make breakfast before setting up the office and logging into the daily meeting. And I was first to do so!

At least I look keen.

Nothing much to report from anyone, other than we're all healthy and in good spirits. Though there is a melancholy from some who can't socialise as much as they'd like. We hope there is light coming. But there is sunshine, and for some of us, able to sit in the back garden.

Jools leaves the house at ten to go shopping, stuff for us and stuff for Walter who lives over the road. He lost his wife two years back. Anyway, Jools get most of what we want, then goes to the pet food store in town, visits ASDA next door too and gets flour and yeast. I can bake!

Once she returns, it is all put away, then we have lunch, so at two once work for the day is done, we can get a peanut butter Magnum out of the freezer and sit on the top patio and look at our little bit of England before us. All full of flowers, insects and birds. It is all rather marvellous.

In fact, it is too warm to go for a walk, so with sit in the shade of the shelter down the bottom of the garden, whilst Mulder and Scully stretch in what little shade there was. And snooze.

Dinner was easy peasy lemon squeezy: nacos with home made salsa. I made the salsa in the morning, so the flavours would ferment, and indeed, it was rather good.

Jools had come up trumps shopping, with three beers, so I chase the nachos with some Leffe, which was very nice.

A quiet evening with cooking shows on TV, Monty was back on Gardening World, then staying up to ten, we watched a documentary on the Hubble telescope.

Lovely day.

If quiet.