Pandemic. Plan B

 

Neigh, #7 still here.

Do you like the pic? It looks a lot like us. I found it in Lady M's archives. We, equine, are happy and relaxed animals. We take life as it comes. Humans have learnt a lot from us over the years. You can read all about us in Lady M's book "The Singing Horses" We are available from #amazon, the Internet, libraries, bookshops. If you live in England, in the Midlands we are on show at the Blue Sheep Books shop in Wednesbury. Pop along and treat yourself. Allegedly, restrictions in England are coming to an end soon. So, this will be the last time I will be neighing you from her Covid Chronicles. Enjoy!

Day 663, Saturday 15^th January 2022, (Day 47, Plan B) The end is in sight. Light at the end of the tunnel!

 It’s the weekend. Apparently, it was very foggy last night and this morning? Really? It was beautiful and sunny when I rose earlier today. Oh, it’s afternoon now. However, When I came downstairs and opened the curtains Mrs Pigeons was looking for me. I obeyed her glare and went outside into the January sunshine. I took seed outside for her and hubby. She flew to the fence and stared. Ah, I understood. Coo! Coo! There was a large block of ice on the top of the water, and she was thirsty. I, being a kind person, removed it for her. I came back into the kitchen for my brekky, and she flew to her table for her breakfast, Hubby joined her. So, all is well in my garden.

It is Saturday. I put the BBC news channel on. What is this? Our Booster Boris has been in isolation since Thursday as someone in his family had a positive Covid test. Is this totally true or is he in hiding? The Labour leader and even Tory supporters are demanding that he must go. More revelations of parties in Downing Street. I am wondering if there was ever a time when they didn’t party during our lockdown. They had ‘wine time’ Friday while Covid rules were in place. It sounds like our country has been run by a load of party revellers or alcoholics. It doesn’t inspire confidence in our government, does it?

 One person was interviewed because he had a bar in his garden. No law against that but during lockdown he was feeling low, like the rest of us. Three friends came and joined him one evening for drinks. Did they social distance? There was plenty of room. I don’t know but a law-abiding citizen phoned the police. They arrived and the four of them were fined. At the time, they thought… fair enough! Now, they are wondering if they should demand their money back. During the first lockdown it was rather like prohibition days. Peeps would have lock-in parties and if caught the fine was a maximum of £10,000. Numerous peeps were fined. How many will demand a refund or insist on our politicians paying the maximum fine of £10,000 each?

 Enough, time to look at essential item…tv mag. Ah, ‘On the buses’, a great comedy film from the 70’s. That suits me for the rest of the morning.

 Okay must make some effort today. Tv off until later. Time to potter and remove the Christmas décor form the dining room. Then, I guess I will have to flitter round with my feather duster and wander round the house until I discover where the vacuum cleaner is hiding. Be back later.

 What is newsworthy this afternoon? Our #1 tennis player is back in detention in Australia. His visa has been revoked. The Judge decided on this action after protests regarding his anti-vaxxer attitude. Will he play in the Australian Open next week? Will he be allowed to defend his title? Your guess is as good as mine.

 There has been a tsunami in Tonga in the South Pacific. We seem to have had a lot of those in the last fifteen years or so. I don’t remember any prior to 2004. Interesting.

 We are excited locally because the Commonwealth Games will be going ahead from the 28^th of July and hosted here in Birmingham. Covid will not stop us. Neither will it stop the plans for our Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Events are planned from 6^th of next month, the day of her succession to the throne. Do you know, my friends, there was actually a King on the throne when I was born but as the only Monarch, I have ever know is our lovely Queen, I find it hard to believe. ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’ has been in operation since May of last year and was set up, with the aim of planting trees during this period to commemorate her Jubilee and to increase and protect the native tree cover. Nice, isn’t it?

 Playing time. Then dinner and another quiet night in.

 Day 664, Sunday 16^th January 2022, (Day 48. Plan B)

 Greetings, my friends. All is well. I have been out and fed the pigeons. Sunshine. I am having a lazy day. but I will give you my traditional Covid update.

 Oh, Novak Djokovic is on a plane back to Serbia. He has been deported, visa revoked and will not be playing in the tournament. The decision to deport him was made on the grounds of health and good order. His anti-vaxxer principle may well cost him future tournaments.

 Covid! Things are getting better for us, in the UK, both our case figures and death statistics are falling as a result of the high number in our population being jabbed. 70,924 cases with 88 deaths.  However, we are still at #4 in the global league table with total case figure at 15,217,280. France at #5 appears to be in a worse situation, 14,000,000+ total cases and today’s figure 278,129. That is more than India who are in the second position globally. The US remain in the lead with 66,995,553 total cases, almost twice that of India (37,380,253) Then, remember, my friends, I frequently question how accurate these figures are and feel that in reality they should be doubled.

 Tomorrow is Blue Monday. So, what do we have to do? Stay cheerful!

Day 665, Monday, 17^th, January 2022 (Year 2, Week 97, Day 49 Plan B. Whatever)

                                           BLUE MONDAY!

 Greetings from myself, pigeons, and Wheelie Bins. All of my family wish you a happy Monday. I confess I was late waking up this morning and feeling blue. Psychological because I know it is ‘Blue Monday’. I had to give myself a good talking to. I told all my aches and pains to go away. Sunshine was streaming through the drapes. Happiness is a state of mind. I smiled. Right! Out of bed! Stroll into other rooms. Life is good. I am lucky (well, I will be if I win the lottery). Get a move on, girl. Soixante-neuf et deux is perilously close. I must enjoy the life I have left. Things to do.

 Downstairs. Brekky. Gyles Brandreth is on the box talking of happiness and this blue Monday. He is giving advice. Things like create a passion. Go out. Be a leaf. That one fooled me. He explained that leaves stay on tree as individuals but when they fall to the ground they die. Clever. Basically, he agrees with me. It is up to ourselves to be happy. Happiness is from within.

 Why is it ‘blue Monday’ when the sun is shining, the grass is green, buds on the trees, buses are passing by, although not many passengers travelling? Well, I guess some peeps have snow, rain and cold. Anyway, it is because it’s three weeks after Christmas, the bills are coming in, festivities are over, and gloom follows. In addition, these days we have the Covid factor which has resulted in unexpected fatalities, job losses, evictions, financial issues when Rishi’s magic beans failed to arrive.

 Tv mag. Yes, “Guess who’s coming to dinner” is on Channel 51 this afternoon. I shall watch it. Why? It’s got that drop-dead gorgeous guy starring in it. Sidney Poitier. It’s a golden oldie from 1967 and poignant highlighting the racial problem of the day. Oh, wait a minute. No- one has problems now, do they? I should say it addresses the issue. If you haven’t seen it, it is about an eminent man of colour falling in love with a white woman which shocks both families. The language, attitudes etc would not pass the censorship for films these days. It’s fantabulous!

 Okay. Get moving. Routine. Chores completed by 3.00pm. Film. Then, routine, take out Miss Bugsy Blue and Mrs Grisly Grey and converse with neighbour. A good point. The early evening is getting lighter.

 What is newsworthy? Wow! Do I not always say that you get away with nothing in life? Today, the 66 year old, Paul Shakespeare, has been sentenced for the crime of rape he committed over 30 years ago. He moved on with his life, even moved 250 miles away and judging by the look on his face when the police arrived at his home last year to arrest him, he had forgotten all about it. Got away with it. Wasn’t he clever? DNA! A sample was taken at the time, but DNA was in its infancy then and there was no match on record. As a result of another crime and Paul’s DNA was taken and hey presto! A match!

 Princes Harry and Andrew are in the news again and seem to be there more frequently than the rest of the Royals who are still ‘Royal’. Prince Harry is planning on coming back to England with his children this year presumably for the Jubilee celebrations. He is concerned about protection and wants to pay for the Royal protection squaddies to look after him and his children. Alas, not possible. It’s all to do with red-tape and legalities. He is not a working Royal and therefore is not entitled to it. Neither can it be paid for. Is Meghan coming? Doesn’t sound like it. As for Andrew, Jeffrey, and Miss Maxwell. Well, Jeffrey went for sword rather than dishonour allegedly committing suicide in jail. Miss Maxwell is awaiting her sentence. Why? When she is unlikely to see the light of day again. Andrew? Facing a civil court case in New York having been stripped of Royal titles and dignity? He will face the court as an ordinary man and not a prince. Maybe, that is what it is all about. Retaliation. Virginia Giuffre just wanted him to lose everything. Guess we will find out in time.

 A more serious problem has hit the headlines tonight. Life in Kabul under the Taliban ruling. The reporter showed us families homeless, in financial despair and without food for the winter. Snow on the ground and children with bare feet. Dismal. Aid should have got through to these people. Alas. No. One man is even selling his daughter because he cannot care for her.

                                                          *************

Aw, that is so sad. A papa selling his daughter because he cannot look after her. Sad. We neigh you a happy week ahead. Brighter days are coming. Stay positive and happy. The Singing Horses love you all.

                                        The Singing Horses | Book | Austin Macauley Publishers 

                                                         

 Neigh, #7!

Happy New Year...Plan B!

Hello Everyone,

It is 2022. I hope you all survived New Year's Eve and did not suffer from the malady of a hangover on new Year's Day. 

I am beginning my blog this year by posting my latest Covid Chronicles which returned in December when we went into a kind of lockdown called Plan B! Yes, it really is 649 days since we first went into a full lockdown in March 2020. It was only supposed to last for twenty-one days.

 Day 649, Saturday, January 1^st, 2022 (Day 32 Plan B. Get ready for more restrictions, lockdown 4 on its way)

                                            

                                                     NEW YEAR’S DAY

 

Good morning on this bright sunny day in the UK. We have the warmest New Year on record. Well, I am not complaining. May I wish all of you, my friends, wherever you are every happiness, success, and good health throughout 2022.

 

I arose just after 9.00 this morning and considering I did not retire until 2.00pm that is remarkable for me. Maybe it is a sign of things to come. I love New Year’s Day; I see hope and excitement ahead. On auto-pilot I take my lateral flow test before breakfast. Negative. Will report it online later. Time for my New Year’s day treat, watching the traditional concert from Vienna. Then, there is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s message. He and I have one thing in common… our belief that hope is essential. His message was on the theme of hope for the future after trying times.

 

Okay, pop out and take calendars to my neighbours. Spread a little happiness before I watch another fav film, The Sound of Music. Memories and love the music… Climb every mountain…

 

The New Year’s Honours list is headline news. Call me cynical but we have examples of how some are benefitting from their Covid work. NHS, teachers, frontline workers? Nah! Professor Chris Whitty, and Jonathan Van Tam, our chief medical officer and his deputy have been knighted. Other peeps include the talented Joanna Lumley, Ashley Banjo, and Bill Roache, (better known as Ken Barlow of Corrie).

 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s funeral took place this morning in Cape Town Cathedral, South Africa.

 

Our Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has indicated that the next few days are critical for the NHS and further restrictions cannot be ruled out. Hospital cases have risen by 68% in a week. In one attempt to prevent the lurgy spreading it will be mandatory for secondary school children to wear masks during lessons when school recommences next week. Our daily figures are still high and as this is the weekend, they are usually lower than in the week due to lack of data but today it is 161,692 new cases and 154 deaths. As 95% of cases are now the Omicron variant, I am assuming that those deaths are the Omicron variant. Just to refresh your memory we were told that this variant was more transmissible but milder than Delta. If that is the case then I have one question, why is the number of daily deaths so high? Surely, it should be in low double figures not treble ones.

 

Looking forward to tonight’s premiere showing of Downton Abbey, the film on the box. I missed it when it was on our Silver Screen at the Odeon on a Thursday morning because I was in Cyprus. Ah, the good old days of my youth. Those long ago days when life seemed so simple, and we took everything for granted. Wait a minute it was only a couple of years ago. The last Silver Screen was March 2020. My last visit to Cyprus was 2019. It just seems like an eternity ago.

 

I bid you a fond farewell for today. I wish you much happiness for the future. I hope you have made positive New Year Resolutions and you will keep them.

 

Back tomorrow.

 

Day 650, Sunday, January 2^nd, 2022. (Day 34. Plan B. Just wait awhile…)

Later rising this morning after yesterday’s exciting day. It is still mild here for the time of year, 14°. Alas, in Colorado, just north of Denver they are suffering from the effects of climate change. I see today they have had a massive snowfall but sadly, three days too late to prevent tragedy. They had a drought followed by raging fires which razed properties to the ground. Residents were forced to evacuate and on returning today they attempted to salvage what they could of their possessions through the snow covering the ruins of their properties. What a start to 2022. Count your blessings, my friends if you are not in such dire straits.

 

Okay, back to the start of my day. I saw the bright light of that phenomenon named Sun through my drapes. Happy. Jump out of bed. I lie. I carefully, and slowly arose from my bed. Smiling. Approaching soixante-neuf et deux and still alive. Looked out of the windows, dressed, and ventured downstairs. The Paddington films are on the Beeb prior to the news and Songs of Praise. I listen more than watch the films as I have brekky and play with iPad. Then, pop outside because pesky pigeons are making me aware of their presence. How dare I eat before I feed them. Also, need to feed Miss Bugsy Blue Bin.

 

Songs of Praise began with that glorious hymn, Morning has broken… ‘like the first morning’. Yes, my friends we are lucky enough to see another day. We must embrace it and enjoy it.

 

For the rest of my day, I shall be working on three of my projects. Writing these chronicles, reading through them, and writing my next novel.

 

Covid update time. Today’s UK figure is 137,583 with 73 deaths. The total global case figure is 290,668,26. What was it twelve months ago? Let me check. 85,102,771. That is 215,566,430 cases more than last year. What about the death figure? How do we compare with other countries? We have a fatality figure of 193,438 for every million of our population. Let’s compare it with India who as far as case figures go are second in the league table to the USA but their fatality rate is only 344 for every million of their population. Aren’t statistics fantastic? Oh, we still remain at #4 in the global table with 13,235,401 total cases. Brazil at #3 have a total of 22,293,228. India have 34+ million and the USA 56+ million but look at the size of their countries and population in comparison with our small island.

 

Other news. The South African parliament building in Cape Town is on fire and the damage is serious to a building with part of it dating back to the 1800’s. Experts fear it may collapse. Fortunately, the building was empty due to the holidays, but it is the second fire in ten months. In Amsterdam there are protests over the government’s imposed lockdown.

 

At home twenty Conservative MP’s and peers have called on Booster Boris to take action over the proposed energy rises from April. They want him to reduce the taxes to ease the situation on households who will also suffer from the general rise in the cost of living resulting from the double whammy of Covid and Brexit. Our Booster Boris is insisting that there will be no further restrictions. I am smiling at his ostrich approach to problems. Thinking. His reply to problems resulting from Brexit. He just said peeps voted for it, he delivered it and now it is up to them. Red tape? Price rises? Problems with exports and imports? Not his problem! That’s how Booster Boris survives. Right now, he is delivering boosters at a record pace. That is our salvation and nothing else matters. Case figures, hospitalisations, businesses collapsing, economy on its knees, no furlough, staff shortages in all sectors of society due to Covid… the ostrich approach.

 

Football matches are going ahead. Chelsea played Liverpool this afternoon in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s home ground. The result was a draw 2-2. But history was made. Spectators were standing again. It has been illegal since 1994 after the horrific Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

 

Tomorrow, we have another Bank Holiday Monday like last week and then on Tuesday our live goes back to the new normal.

 

Have a nice evening my friends, wherever you are. Goodnight