Yesterday I finished a wonderful garden job in Timsbury. We started about nine o’clock and by 10 o’clock I had taken down an entire Apple tree, cut it into pieces with the assistance of Françoise and put it in a pile ready for collection. Apple tree wood is very soft and a chain saw cuts through it like a knife through butter. The same would not the the case with oak or walnut. I regard my work as a work of art and I love doing it. I don’t know where I get the energy from but having said all that I always get empowered in the presence of nature. Their neighbours in Timsbury are a brilliant crowd. I was offered cups of tea and biscuits. I was invited to take some second-hand books of which I took two. One was about Claire Balding, or rather the story of her earlier life with emphasis on her 15 years of programmes about walking in the countryside.
This is the last day before everyone dutifully puts on masks before going into food shops. You can go into a restaurant and not wear masks but evidently the Corona virus is particularly virulent not in eating establishments but where food is sold. I have never come across such a discriminating virus in my life. The funny thing is, it’s effects have died away like normal seasonal flu but the fear inculcated in people is so great that they’ll do exactly what they told without thinking ‘because the government says so’. I think if people were told to stand on their head they would do so.
It is notable that in many countries mask wearing has been dismissed altogether. I can’t remember all of them but think it includes France and other European countries. I shall not be wearing a mask. I will have my exemption badge on me and if necessary will print out a copy of the government regulations notifying who gets exempted.
0 Comments