3.5.2020 Day 19,875 of self isolation. Now I see Tom Hanks in the mirror!

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Sunday 3rd 44-56F, cloudy but quite bright. I shall go for an early walk before the Sunday rush hour. The nearest real lake beckoned. Where I peered through the undergrowth from every accessible angle. The entire perimeter has been allowed to grow to provide shelter and privacy for the resident birds.

Mostly Mallards, dozing on the surrounding lawns. Or leaving their wakes on the bright water. There were also Coots, Shelducks and a very large Heron. The latter was sitting stage center. Basking on a handy post, jutting from the water.

Yet again, all the usual birds were in the hedgerows in profusion. It only needed me to see the slightest movement in the fresh spring foliage. I could then home in with my binoculars. A skill which has constantly developed over the years. It was warm in the lanes as I soaked up the birdsong from all around me. Three large, brown deer watched me warily. As they grazed the crop on a steep hillside. They had gone on my return.

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2.05.2020 A grey/sunny day is promised.

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Saturday 2nd 43-50F, a calm, bright start but rather cloudy. No sign of the sun yet. The postman delivered a letter, unnoticed to us, yesterday. I could have given him the unwanted package to take away.

The early sunshine was short lived but my intended, short walk was extended. I walked on further to check the flooded fields for water birds. No water, meant there were no birds to be seen.

Though only a few yards away  the roadside hedges were overflowing with birdsong. I saw Great tits, Blue tits, Black caps, Chiffchaffs and other assorted birds chasing each other with lightning speed and acrobatics, singing or foraging. The birds seemed to favour hedgerows near houses. The mature trees and shrubs, which surround most houses, add to the variety and volume in the hedges. Providing further habitats for nesting, finding food and singing.

The traffic was highly intermittent. With long, quiet periods between minor, but noisy, rush hours. A huge, brown rat ran across a neighbour's lawn near their bird table.

Cloudy all day with a sunny moment around 7pm. Followed by a cloudburst!

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1st May 2020 Day 48+2 of self isolation. Parcel pickup! 👍

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Friday 1st May 45F, heavy overcast and breezy. A day of sunny periods and showers is forecast. I am still feeling slightly unwell and my back is aching without obvious reason. It is a couple of days since I did any hedge lopping. Continuous rain so far.

A snap of a village church embedded in mature trees just coming into leaf. These churches often date back to the 12th century. Though it might be difficult for early worshippers to recognise any originality after the considerable changes to the buildings over time.

Most of them are all but deserted for normal services these days. With only a small congregation working a rota around local churches. Presently, even these few services have been cancelled because of the Jinping pandemic. This old building has just enjoyed a new coat of whitewash from painters on hydraulic lifts. I read somewhere that a stepped gable on a building shows Dutch influence.

It cleared up after lunch so I went for a walk to the lanes and beyond. Traffic was at least normal and perhaps even above average. A small bird of prey flew around me in a circle. Probably a Sparrowhawk. The sea was shining in the far distance towards Kolding. Large areas of yellow, oil seed rape carpeted the usually green landscape below me. It was quite warm as I walked back against yet more traffic in bright sunshine.

I have deleted my lengthy tirade about parcel services. Because I decided to send an email to the wholesaler requesting pickup of their unwanted parcel. Success! Pickup arranged. I have also emailed customer services at Post Nord to see if the postman can collect a small package for us while he is out on his route. We hardly get any letter post these days. So catching him by chance would be difficult. It would be a great relief to be able to avoid busy places just to return unwanted parcels.

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