Not a birthday ending in a zero but still a pause for reflection. So this is an unashamedly personal post. At this time it is important to have some forward looking events; things to look forward towards. It is also time during lockdown, shielding in my case, to confront some fears. I am frightened, very frightened of Covid 19. My lung function has been somewhat compromised for a long time. I have, and have had for a long time, the persistent dry cough given as one of the symptoms. I don’t know when this started. I suspect it was after a virus years ago when I often got a cough which disappeared after a time. Except that once it didn’t disappear- in fact it has got worse with increasing age. I have had several chest X rays but little comment except one doctor talked of some irreversible scarring.
Going back to the time, now 20-30 years ago, when I had annual health checks even then my lung function was below par. Not seriously so and I shrugged it off as the doctor made no adverse comment. But then his closing comment was usually “well you’ll live… for at least the next hour.” This was followed by saying no long term prognosis was possible. These health checks by my then employer were not useful to me and certainly high blood pressure was noted but not actioned. This turned out to be a big mistake.
We are thinking about how we could or should exit shielding. I know Annette tends towards the view that not until a vaccine is available. We will be very keen to visit Martin and family when their house move finally happens. This was decided last December but with chains and lockdown it has taken until now to start to look imminent. This is a move to an old house; part of a former terrace with at least two knocked together. The significance is a large garden and a small plot of land about an acre in size adjacent. The situation at the top of Robin Hood’s Bay is magnificent.
Martin intends to keep their existing house as a short term let. He already owns and lets a small adjacent property which is part of the same building. We are very supportive of this move. Lindsey already manages our Whitby flat as a holiday let. I’m planning to pass on some of the maintenance equipment ( such as scaffold tower ) which I’m now too old to use. Martin modified an outbuilding as a home office and will continue to use it as the old and new properties are only about a half mile apart.
We are plotting how we can visit safely. We would travel by car and have a safe place to stay. Our flat in Whitby is one of only 5. As all are holiday flats they are often unoccupied outside of peak season. The issue we identify will be services en route. The present level of Covid 19 is too high and it is only falling slowly. Like many I wonder what the effect of easing lockdown will be.
I have to say lockdown has been fairly pleasant for us. We have a largish house, a large garden and all the IT we could need to keep in touch remotely. Like many others we have become used to video calls and conferences. Recently we have fallen into a routine of fortnightly online deliveries, weekly top up courtesy of a friendly villager and fortnightly trips to a pop up farm shop. This latter is very well organised at the closed National Forest Adventure Farm. Prices and availability are online and posted at the entrance then drive to a pay and order point through the car window. The clerk is equipped with a remote card reader so she is a two metres away. Then drive and park outside the shop where the order is packed and placed in the boot. At no time are you out of the car.
My daily routine is get us a early morning cuppa, then after breakfast a potter in the garden. Nothing very strenuous and duration depends on the task. Many tasks are subdivided as my stamina isn’t great. Then after a morning coffee settle in for an internet session. I have a routine pattern of newspaper and company sites. I’ll check emails also. Once my daily pattern is over I will check out some of my interests such as space travel updates. Evenings in front of the TV often catch-up
As I finish writing this we have just had news that Martin has provisional completion date of 3 July. We will start planning a visit but this will depend on Covid 19 progress. After seeing TV scenes of folks ignoring social distancing I guess progress may be slow, or even reverse.
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