Lockdown Day 70

Today was the day life really began to return to normal.  Grant has been working in earnest for the last couple of weeks and today I started to homeschool Issy again.  So things are looking very much like they did before lockdown started.  The only real difference is that Grant isn't travelling into London at all and he also isn't doing any overnight site visits.

Today was a big day for our grandson, Daniel, who started his first day of Nursery.  I can't believe the baby in the family is now a 3 year old lad who is off to school!

Today the lockdown restrictions were relaxed a little and we are now allowed to meet outdoors with other people, up to a maximum of 6 people.  So this evening we went to Rox and Jon's house for a braai, for the first time since Mothering Sunday!

On the dinner menu: BBQ

Steps walked: 4104 Distance: 2.12 km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 378 112

UK: cases 276 332 and  deaths 39 045

Buckinghamshire cases:1005

South Africa:  35 812 cases,  deaths 705

Lockdown Day 69

Another gloriously sunny and warm day today.  We got up early and went for a 10km walk to the reservoir, via the canal and Halton village, with a little stretch through farm land and the woods too.  It was absolutely lovely.

Can't believe how the cygnets have grown!

I had to catch up on some work this afternoon, which was a rather unpleasant shock to the system, but the rest of the day has been extremely relaxed.

On the dinner menu: prawn and avo salad

Steps walked: 16 091 Distance: 10.43 km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 372 334

UK: cases 274 762 and  deaths 38 489

Buckinghamshire cases:1005

South Africa:  30 967 cases,  deaths 643

Lockdown Day 68

Grant and I got up early this morning and headed out for a walk.  We went into town and did a circular route, through a part of the residential area, along some footpaths through a farm, past the allotments, down to the canal and then looped back into town where we stopped at the Bakers shop to get a pastry for breakfast and some sausage rolls for our picnic this afternoon.

We met Rox and Jon for a picnic in the field along the avenue.  Grant and Jon headed off for a 5km walk along the fitness trail, while Rox and I enjoyed some time together with the kids.  Loads of Hide and Seek was played - it's definitely the current obsession!  Once the guys got back, we enjoyed a picnic lunch and a beer before Rox and Jon headed home with the kids and I came home for some much-needed rest and relaxation.

Gotta love this girls attitude to life... that could NOT have been comfortable for Grant!

On the dinner menu: leftovers!

 Steps walked: 13 007 Distance: 8.43 km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 368 395

UK: cases 272 826 and  deaths 38 376

Buckinghamshire cases: 997 (not updated)

South Africa:  29 240 cases,  deaths 611 (not updated)

Lockdown Day 67

After a quiet morning, I met up with Paula and we took Issy for a walk along the avenue in the woods, to the Pirate ship play park.  It is very frustrating to see all this lovely play equipment and yet, because of the pandemic, we can't allow the kiddies to use it, I must say the children have been very understanding about the situation.

It was such a beautiful day today, the weather was absolute perfection.

This evening Grant and I hosted the weekly Quiz Night, always a fun part of the week to look forward to.

After the quiz I (very bravely!) agreed to another nighttime walk in the woods.  We didn't go into the dark part of the woods, so it was all okay and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.  We did hear some strange animal sounds, but it turned out to be badgers (not Big Cats LOL!) so I was fine with it.  We also saw the "sinister" man again... he turned out not to be at all sinister, so I am going to have to concede this point to Grant....

On the dinner menu: Tuna pasta

 Steps walked: 11 942   Distance: 7.74 km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 367 555

UK: cases 271 222 and  deaths 38 161

Buckinghamshire cases: 997

South Africa:  29 240 cases,  deaths 611

Lockdown Day 66

Battling to keep up with my daily posts here!  Issy is with us for her weekly stay and I find my normal routine goes to the dogs when the little princess is here!  I'm far too busy playing Queen and servant (guess who is the servant 😉) Hide and Seek, and Snap!

So it was a fairly ordinary day around here.  Grant went to site, so I did my usual housekeeping, admin, work routine.  Paula came for a tea-time picnic on the lawn and we enjoyed the beautiful weather together.

I got some terrible news this afternoon, a friend, Heidi, who I worked with for many years passed away very unexpectedly today.  It is heartbreaking, she was my age and so looking forward to the birth of her first grandchild in August, she was literally posting on Facebook this morning and this afternoon she was gone!  Her family must be absolutely shattered!  I'll always have fond memories of the fun times we had at staff weekends away.

This evening we had a Fish and Chips picnic (we are BIG into the picnics around here at the moment!) and then we took a walk down to the roundabout to see the tractor and truck parade and the last Clap for the NHS and key-workers.  The kids were there and it was lovely to see them enjoying all the goings-on.  It's amazing how you enjoy things so much more when you see them through the eyes of your grandchildren! 

We took the long route home and Issy did an impromptu play for us on the way.  She has definitely reached the "play" stage and doesn't mind where she is and who is watching.

On the dinner menu: Fish and chips

 Steps walked: 7 682   Distance: 4.99km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 362 827

UK: cases 269 127 and  deaths 37 837

Buckinghamshire cases: 997

South Africa:  27 403 cases,  deaths 577

Lockdown Day 65

Grant went to work on site this morning, so I used the alone time to catch up on some housework and admin tasks and do a little bit of work too.

We changed up our walk a little today and went for a nighttime stroll instead of our normal daytime walk.  

It was not without excitement!  Grant and I were walking along, in a particularly dark part of the woods when all of a sudden a loud grunting scared the shizzle out of me!  My initial thought was "BUSHPIG!" - quite why that was I don't know because the closest I have ever come to a bushpig is the carcass of one on a spit braai!  But if I were to imagine what a bushpig sounded like, this ghastly noise would be it.  I was petrified and started telling Grant that we need to turn around and go home, and that being out here at night was a bad, BAD idea!  Grant assured me that there was nothing in these woods that was likely to attack me, or eat me... which is exactly where my thoughts were going!  I then pointed out that I follow a group on Facebook called  "Big Cats of the Chilterns".... Grant remained unimpressed.  Next thing a deer came rushing out from the area where the grunting had been happening.  Who knew that deer make grunting noises?!  (I still think maybe a Big Cat was chasing it....)

After a couple more minutes I think Grant could see that I was genuinely quite rattled and he suggested that maybe we turn back, which we did and I did some serious speed-walking all the way home.  The situation was not improved by the sighting of a man in the shadows with a large white dog... just standing there.... Grant is adamant the man was being polite and waiting in the shadows for us to pass in order to maintain social distancing.... I don't think so... I think he was being.... sinister!  I was very glad to get back to the quiet wildlife-free confines of my own home.    Note to self: we wont be going on another late night walk unless there is a large group of us to chase away all the big cats and sinister strangers that may cross our path!

On the dinner menu: Avo, butternut and halloumi quinoa salad

 Steps walked: 7 660 <= but some of those were very fast!!  4.97km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 358 104

UK: cases 267 240 and  deaths 37 460

Buckinghamshire cases: 994

South Africa:  25 937 cases,  deaths 552

Lockdown Day 64

Guys, I just can't seem to ditch this "going to bed late and waking up late" thing!  It's doing my head in!  I really, really need to be getting to bed, at the very least, an hour earlier and then waking up more than an hour earlier.  I don't know if the problem is being on lockdown, or whether it's the fact that it's Summer?  Maybe a bit of both.  But in any event, I need to address this problem because I am getting properly cranky now!

Today was a really warm day.  One thing I have noticed, here in the UK, is that the hottest part of the day isn't at midday, as it is in SA, it seems to be hottest at around 2pm here, sometimes even a little later.  I suppose it makes sense considering that it only gets dark after 9pm currently.  Grant and I went for our walk at about 2pm today and I found it really warm.  We walked up the hill and did the fitness trail.  It was very busy up at the top of the hill, loads of people picnicking and enjoying the warm weather.

Today's flower spotted on our walk is the Dog rose

This afternoon Paula and Cal came over and we had a little sundowner get-together on the lawn outside our flat.  We are making good use of our little patch of grass!

I tried a new dish for supper again tonight, it was SO delicious - I've linked to it below.

On the dinner menu: Hasselback aubergine with halloumi and pesto

Steps walked: 13 272    Distance: 8.61 km

Covid-19 stats:

Deaths internationally: 352 753

UK: cases 265 227 and  deaths 37 048

Buckinghamshire cases: 989

South Africa:  24 264 cases,  deaths 524