So, it is a New Year. Surely we can look forward to a better one than 2020. That isn't a high bar.
But actually I do think one should be looking ahead with some optimism, certainly not the doom-mongering that seems to pervade everywhere. A Brexit deal has finally been done, as was always likely. As anyone involved in commercial negotiations (funnily enough the only type of expert the BBC never seemed to interview about commercial negotiations) knows, you never agree the major points until the very last moment, and only now have had a genuine last moment. I would be interested to know exactly how many deadlines have gone past that were never actually deadlines, or how much ink was wasted on speculation about no deal, which always had to be a possibility on the table in order to negotiate a deal, in the same way that one always has to have the possibility of not selling something when one is negotiating a sale.
We have a vaccine being rolled out. And again contrary to the prevailing wisdom that we do everything worse than everyone else, we seem to be in a better position than the EU on this - certainly better than France. Clearly we have more lockdown to survive, but really that isn't the end of the world. The main problem is frankly that we have had it too good for decades. So, you have to spend some more time at home, and rely on a mass of modern technology to communicate with friends. It is not exactly a war zone. People a 100 years ago would laugh at our "suffering".
Obviously one annoying problem is that we don't know exactly when we will be free. Unlike Brexit there isn't a neat date you can work towards. Easter seems a possibility, but maybe a bit later. Well, we just have to buckle down for a bit.
There will be lasting changes from all this I reckon. One being less commuting and more working from home. I think there will be long term benefits to the environment. And maybe a realisation for many of us as to what (and who) is important to us.
And the great buffoon Trump will be looking for a new home. The only sadness is that the whole of the US couldn't find a better candidate to replace him than Biden. But like 2021, being an improvement on the predecessor is not a great challenge.
So back home I am, I guess "suffering," in that these are, literally, darker days than the first lockdown. That occurred in a surprisingly nice Spring. Now we are in cold grey days of shortened daylight.
I am still enjoying having flowers delivered. A nice extravagance when there are not many others available.
I celebrated New Year "with" the friends I normally do, but just on one mega Zoom call with us all from our respective homes up and down the country (and one in France). Ok, clearly not as nice as actually seeing people, and obviously conversation doesn't flow as well online, but for all that it was enjoyable. (And a lot fewer travel issues!)
I am also finding that any day (or part thereof) which offers any blue sky sort of compels me to get out of the house, however cold it is. So yesterday I was intending to curl up on the sofa with the Sunday Paper when I saw the sun come out. So instead I went on a 3 hour walk, through territory with which I am all too familiar, with my camera. I find the camera just makes me look at stuff better. It encourages me to appreciate my surroundings more.
Stately grey heron on its island in Broomfield Park
Oak Hill Park is, well, muddier than ever. The "lake" below should be grass. The ground is saturated and only getting worse. At least we shouldn't be worrying about water shortages this summer. I imagine reservoirs and aquifers have been getting as full as they can be.
And Oak Hill Park has its resident Little Egret
I decided to walk off the main path. At first I thought it was just a little bit marshy...
But on trying to get back to the main path, I realised it was more than a little marshy. The ground was the consistency of warm toffee, but without any warmth.
Trainers will need a good clean.
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