We are near the end of February now, and this month has been a cold one. We are still in lockdown and have been for many months now; in fact, it has nearly been a year with lockdowns and restrictions. This year, February brought us a few days where the temperatures did not get above freezing, and we had dustings of snow in London (although other areas did have more snow). Work have allowed us to be flexible, so we have been able to work longer during the other days of the week and finish at mid-day on Fridays, and I have used this time to get out of the house for my weekly walk. I've been exploring local places. Additionally, we have been seeing some glimmers of hope with the fight in the pandemic. Obviously, there is still a way to go and some countries are ahead of others when it comes to the control and mass vaccinations. But there is hope.
One area that I enjoy walking around is Ruislip. I've enjoyed spending time here since soon after I moved to Ruislip. The old manor house and barn are beautiful buildings, and I do enjoy the bi-monthly Duck Pond Market here. The manor house is a small local museum and worth a visit, and it is located at the site of a motte and bailey castle and a small monastary of sorts. A cluster of snowdrops brightened my mood. It's such a lovely place to visit.
There were a few days where the temperatures did not get above freezing, and the motte (moat) was frozen solid. I saw a couple of people standing on it, so it was good and solid.
The other news from yesterday evening is that the restrictions will be eased in phases with a possible idea that everything would be reopened by the end of June. I guess we will see if that happens, but I always knew that Easter was much too soon for many restrictions to be lifted. At the moment, it looks like only some schools with younger children and meeting outdoors with one other house will be permitted by Easter. Toward the end of May, other shops and a few venues will be allowed to reopen, but we have to wait until the end of June (at the earliest) for everything to reopen. By this time, the total lockdown will have gone on for over eight months for us living in or near London. (Ok, we did have about two weeks in December where the restrictions were partially lifted, but we were locked down from the beginning of November all the way through to the present and will be until the end of June at the earliest).
So, what have I been doing? It's honestly a continuation of the past seven years for me now with working hard and not being able to take holidays, which has been tough because I love travel, but I couldn't do it then due to full workloads and short rolling contracts. However, I am not working all the time like previously, and I've been reading a lot and also walking on Fridays when it is not as busy.
I am looking forward to brighter days and being able to get out and see something new, even if it means that it's just in this country for now. I hope that things continue to improve, though I always expected that it may be autumn before things start to look really promising. I hope you are all staying safe and well.
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