Downcast

Well how long have we been cooped up now? It feels like around 6 weeks since the Gov’t imposed a non-essential travel ban and asked us to stay indoors except for critical needs, and if outside to stay apart from others by 2m and to wash hands thoroughly and regularly. And we’ve sadly lost over 20,000 people in that time. There are some signs that we’ve passed a peak in cases of the coronavirus but we’re looking at several more weeks of this aren’t we, if we’re honest?

And today the rain has returned. Groan. It felt like we had non-stop rain from September through to mid-late March which was grim. Do you remember all the floods? It seems like a million years ago (except for the poor buggers who’ve had to endure it and the cv-virus). Then April dawned and, although we were in the grip of covid-19, the sun came out and it’s been glorious ever since. Indeed we’ve had the sunniest April on record. And it’s made living with the virus sort of bearable. Even queuing up at the supermarkets has been Ok because you were at least topping up the tan. And it’s been great seeing people out and about – though distancing sensibly, thankfully – walking round the lake, exercising, strolling together, taking in the birdsong etc. We had a wander round some local woods the other day that were strewn with bluebells and it was delightful…

I even passed a couple the other day sat on the back of this boat in their driveway…

They were taking in the sun, sipping glasses of wine, and they told me this was probably the nearest they’d get to enjoying lolling about on the water this summer. Ha! They were having a bit of fun and why not? How very British to turn an awful situation into Carry on Boating.

And after wearing nothing but t-shirts and shorts for the last 4 weeks, today the long pants are back on as the temperature’s dipped and it’s pissing down. I bloody hate the rain. It just makes you feel gloomy. I’m more than happy for it to pour down at night-time refreshing agricultural crops, gardens and water supplies etc. But day-time rain is so limiting. I don’t want to go and queue up at the shops, nor go for our daily walk and we can’t put washing out or have a BBQ and nobody’s passing by. And the rain today is that drizzle we used to have in Aberystwyth when were were at Uni – not necessarily heavy but consistent enough to wet you through  within a short time of being out in it. Walking up the hill at Aberystwyth from the lower town where we all lived to the top-of-the-hill campus took about 15-20 minutes and was enough to ensure a thorough soaking which left you feeling manky. Wearing wet denim jeans for hours on end was just the pits.

The Scots have a great word for these conditions; driech. It perfectly describes weather that is just miserable, grey and depressing and also my mood today. Sigh. Give me sunshine Ernie.

pissedoff paulie

 

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