Tuesday 15th September 2020

Jools' last day at work for the forseeable future.

The Furlough scheme is due to come to an end att he end of the month, and the Government is not minded to extend it. Germany and France have extended their until the summer of 2021.

I sleep like a log, fail to hear the alarm, and only wake up when Jools is back upstairs an hour later getting ready for a shower.

I had slept for nine hours, and felt like a new man. No new man was on offer.

I accept a coffee.

And like that, Jools is gone at twenty past six, leaving me and the cats. I have to play with Poppy for another half an hour, which, lets be honest, is not a chore.

I should have gone back on the cross trainer, but, you know, meh.

I go to pick some raspberries for breakfast. The harvest is barely enough for one person's breakfast, the summer is nearly over.

I make a coffee and add Grape Nuts to the fruit, top with yogurt and that is that, all ready to be eaten and finished before the morning meeting.

It is a perfect early autumn morning, misty with the sky all pastel shades, giving way to a blood red sun when it rose, then chasing the mist away, and a welcoming warmth as the sun climbed. Perfect for, well, anything except working really.

I log onto work, there is smiles, but no news.

So begins another working day.

I have phone calls and more meetings, but nothing too strenuous.

At nine I have a short cake, as I could hear the buggers calling to me from their tin in the kitchen. They go perfect with a fresh brew. There are oleft, I tell myself I must save two for Jools and I later or tomorrow.

I don't really believe myself.

Not helped when I have a second at eleven. And another brew.

Non-work task for the day was to sow Yellow Rattle Seeds and Corn Cockle seeds in the garden. The latter is a hyper-rare native plant, almost made extinct by farmers using pesticides.

I sow liberally over the lawnmeadow.

Then make pancakes for lunch, as there is no bread or rolls or bagels.

I make two pancakes, smother both with sugar and lemon juice, its the English way, and then roll and eat quickly.

Yum.

And for the afternoon there is Le Tour to watch while working, but work conspires to get in the way and I have two lengthy phone calls through the final stages of the race and I have no idea what was going on.

Sigh.

And that was it: nine days working alone at home, like it used to be, and from tomorrow there would be Jools around too.

Dinner is pork pie salad with slaw, salad and tomatoes fresh from the garden.

It is good. With a large tripel.

It is a fine, if chilly evening, and the clouds worth snapping before sunset.

The house is full of cats, life is good, and its time for bed.

Good night.