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Some thoughts on covid 19 restrictions

Seaman
16/12/2020 16:42

ASs some regulars may know I sometimes have a few health problems that at times restricts my access to the countryside so many of the restrictions that we have endured, and are still enduring, do not feel strange to Chris and myself. My immune system is pretty shot up at times so I'm quite good at avoiding numbers of people, I'm maybe not as anti social as it seems, and I've never been a lover of shopping unless its books. When we were recommended to shield in our own homes we actually realised we could walk the riverside fields with permission from the owners and had little chance of meeting anyone so we felt quite happy there. When restrictions eased we have four small nature reserves within a couple of miles of home with plenty of space to avoid close contact but still both watch birds and talk about birds with others doing the same, quite a little anti social bird club we are. There has been good birds aplenty and as winter has drawn closer the wintering Thrushes arrived we have been doing counts on them. One of our local reserves has got a wonderful Starling murmuration,60,000 birds at least, which we managed to social distance the grandsons to. We have found by visiting the busiest of the reserves late afternoon most birders have gone home and we enjoy the spectacle of birds going to roost. We do miss visiting our local moorland but they are outside the 3 mile radius we put on ourselves, they will still be there when all this is over and we settle down to our new normal. Because I am in that at risk category we seem to be swimming in hand sanitiser but Chris keeps an eye on what I get up to. I just hope other folk are coping as well as us and getting the support we have been getting, take care out there we will beat this lot somehow.

Pete

Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

  • 12/02/2021 17:40 in reply to TeeJay
    Good your cousin has her partner to drive there and back, TJ. If she gets the AZ vaccine, while most people have no adverse side effects at all after the first jab, a minority do feel unwell. If she begins to feel chilled and peculiar, you can reassure her that it does eventually go away! I had the chills intermittently and felt very odd for much of the rest of the first day (it came on gradually), a bit better the second day (did not have the chills until the second evening), felt still better on the third day and totally normal on the 4th. And of course, some of that might have had nothing to do with the vaccine since I had been sleeping poorly and was probably sleep-deprived and more likely to feel strange anyway.

    Kind regards, Ann

  • 12/02/2021 17:44
    To be fair, it's a supply problem as much as anything, I think they were banking on their own one which didn't happen & didn't order enough elsewhere. They are now looking at making it here (under licence), but that'll take a long time to set up.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • 12/02/2021 17:53
    I have a friend in Netherlands who is 83 and he is not getting his until March sometime as I think it was the same problem there with late ordering of the vaccine. I think Australia are yet to begin with the most vulnerable starting from end of February.

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • 12/02/2021 18:24 in reply to HAZY
    Unknown said:
    Yay ! got back from my walk in the arctic and had a text message from local surgery to book my Covid jab which I have now done ....... first dose happening on Wednesday morning :)

    Snap! Really surprised my surgery sent me an invite today, given that I'm fairly well down the list of priorities (no complications, not an NHS worker, etc), not that I am complaining. I thought I wouldn't get done until March at the earliest, but it's now booked for Wednesday morning, too, as I didn't fancy an evening appointment on an earlier day.

    __________

    Nige   Flickr

  • 12/02/2021 18:41 in reply to Nigel O
    Unknown said:
    Snap! Really surprised my surgery sent me an invite today, given that I'm fairly well down the list of priorities (no complications, not an NHS worker, etc), not that I am complaining. I thought I wouldn't get done until March at the earliest, but it's now booked for Wednesday morning, too,

    That's brilliant news Nige,  the vaccines are really ramping up so they are able to get to youngsters like you too     LOL     I will have a virtual cup of tea with you to celebrate our Wednesday morning jabs  !        

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • 12/02/2021 18:50
    Good to hear, Nigel. This would seem to be be one of the most impressive rollouts that the NHS has ever done. What has impressed me is the enthusiasm of the volunteers who have acted as marshals and helpers to the clinical staff who are doing the vaccinations. I shall be having a glass of red wine to celebrate anything really - I don't need a reason.

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    Tony

    My Flickr Photostream 

  • 12/02/2021 18:51
    I'll be virtually there. My jab is due just before mid-morning so perfect timing. You see, that's what you get for living out in the sticks - you don't get done until the same time as us more-urban youngsters!!!

    __________

    Nige   Flickr

  • 12/02/2021 19:17 in reply to Nigel O
    Unknown said:
    My jab is due just before mid-morning so perfect timing. You see, that's what you get for living out in the sticks - you don't get done until the same time as us more-urban youngsters!!!

    I'll make another homemade carrot cake ..... but being a virtual mid morning celebration I'll just have to eat your piece too     LOL       Made one the other day with Hazelnuts (no jokes please ! ), chopped walnuts, organic carrots and fresh lemon/cream cheese frosting and fed two of my neighbours with doorstep deliveries    ha ha.    It's brilliant here as we have a lot of secret santas that constantly leave gifts on doorsteps !     Today I found 6 fairy cakes on the doormat when we came back from our walk :)   

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • 12/02/2021 19:35 in reply to HAZY
    Unknown said:
    I'll make another homemade carrot cake ..... but being a virtual mid morning celebration I'll just have to eat your piece too 

    That sounds like a feeble excuse!!! 

    I don't blame you, Tony, enjoy your glass. I dare say I'll have one in the evening ... I normally do!

    __________

    Nige   Flickr

  • 12/02/2021 20:16
    Good news, Nigel! Maybe there is hope for a LM meet-up this year after all, provided no further mutations arise and complicate matters yet again.

    As for wine, we are having red wine with dinner right now--yuuummmm; cheers, everyone!

    Hazel, do you deliver carrot cake? Perhaps towards the end of the month when someone you know rather well will be having a birthday?! We could light the chimenea in the back garden, have an accompanying cuppa and take turns warming up next to the fire (while doing our bit to speed up climate change!--Sorry about that--we actually haven't had a fire in it in what seems like a decade, or any other form of fire other than the central heating and the car, although we have hardly gone anywhere for the last 10 months, apart from the grocery shops for click and collect!). But we plan to plant a couple more trees this year as well to help offset things and to provide more food for the birds. But seriously, maybe postpone the celebrations for a few more months...

    Kind regards, Ann