Derbyshire 134 - Chesterfield /Life goes on/a cracked windscreen/Where was I Tuesday?

---

Tuesday - I am way behind . I think it is Tuesday I am thinking about . Day 80. As I lay in bed trying to drop off to sleep I felt that my brain was like an onion . Each year, each month a little layer was being peeled off as I quietly forgot what day of the week it was . Lockdown had made things worse . Each day drifts into the next . Today will be the same as yesterday . Tomorrow - tomorrow will be just another day . I have lost the rythym of working . Of waking up on a Tuesday and realising it is work tomorrow . That I need to think about what I will make for tea tomorrow and for Thursday. The habit of staring into the wardrobe and trying to choose which suit to wear for work. The habit of choosing some decent leather shoes to wear. Three months have elapsed since I wore a suit or chose a blouse to go with the suit . Three months of wearing trainers . 3 months walking . 3 months without a swim or a gym session . For some reason as I was trying to get off to sleep all I could keep thinking about was normality and sense in a senseless world .

What would the morning bring ? I woke early again . The sky was leaden . More reminiscent of an Autumnal day. Misty and dull . Damp and dank . The rain trickled down. Come hell or high water I was going out for a walk . Where did I go ? I think I walked to Stubbing Pond . Yes I am sure I did . I set off across the park and down Hill House Lane . Across the fields to Salem Chapel . I picked my way gingerly avoiding the cow pats . The farmer was out setting his electric fences to keep his cows in. He and his trusty sheep dog passed me. He on his quad bike with the dog hitching a ride . There was little to see. No flowers. No people . Just how I liked it . Me and my thoughts which ranged again from the sign being removed in Ashbourne in case it offended . Gone with the Wind and an episode of Fawlty Towers censored . Whoever thought the world would come to this ? Even the small town I used to live in had held a demonstration . Those in favour turned up, those opposed accused them of not self distancing and certainly travelling more than the 5 miles that Wales allowed . I found myself humming the Clash - I predict a riot . Perhaps that is what this is heading for . Was cabin fever and isolation feeding into this discontent .

Here in the countryside with just me and birdsong it all seemed a world away. I was in search of the mother coot who had made herself a nest amongst the reeds where she hoped to bring up her brood . Three weeks ago she was sitting on the eggs . Two weeks ago still more sitting but no sign of any chicks . Today I could hardly see the nest . Hidden completely by the sword like green leaves and the bright yellow flowers of the Flag Iris . In the distance I saw the V shape of something swimming mirrored on the pond surface . Rushing up the single track road at the side of the pond I hoped this was mum and babies . Sadly it was not - two male mallard ducks instead . I never saw her. Perhaps she did not raise her young. Or she was hiding in the lush plantings around the edge of the pond . Hiding her brood from me . I will try again next week .

I could hear voices . Perhaps I have become more solitary . I don't want to share my walk with others . I hurried away from them . Perhaps they went another way. Soon there was just me and my thoughts . What madness would today bring ? Wales and Scotland have asked the government to delay Brexit . A sensible move I thought in the current climate . Would they respond favourably to the request ? Probably not . Would we still crash out at Christmas time ? Probably . Mad, mad world .

My thoughts were shattered again when I heard voices - this time a couple hand in hand walking towards me . In the middle of the road with not a care for a vehicle coming around the corner . We exchanged mornings and they continued still hogging the road . Am I becoming inconsiderate in my thoughts ? Probably . Justifiably - more than likely . Lockdown has changed a lot of my views and ideas . I wondered what they thought of me as they walked by . My two friends the runners came towards me . They are not my friends . I don't know who they are . Nor do I know their names . They stopped once when they saw me walking , Their excuse for stopping to talk to me . In reality they were shattered and wanted a rest . They shouted a cheery hello as they ran past . A young lad ran from behind me shouting morning as he ran into the distance .

Time to climb that hill. Coffee . Cake ...........................and a sit in Gabby updating her Sat Nav. It is a job that has been long overdue . The bad news it did not work first time round . The good news second time round it worked perfectly . Then out of the corner of Glenns eye he spotted it , A huge crack right across the windscreen from the bottom left just under the wiper to the middle of the screen. We looked in disbelief . The screen had only be replaced a year ago after the last stone had cracked it . When had this happened ? Could it have happened when we were in France at Christmas ? No we would have noticed it as we had been out in Gabby a few weeks ago. Had it happened on that trip of a just a few miles ? Possibly but we never noticed it . Did the man cutting the grass outside or the council man giving the weeds a dousing on a pavement kick up a stone ? We will never know . We just have the awful prospect of having to ring the insurance , pay the excess and get a booking to take Gabby for another new screen. And to make it worse the French Crit Aire ticket will not come off and have to be replaced again . The FRench make sure once you put it on your screen it won't come off again .

Did all that happen on Tuesday ?

---

Comments

[Home and Away]

You are a bit behind...
you published your Tuesday thoughts on Friday. But all is forgiven. I can't remember what day of the week is either, except with a calendar next to me and the date on the lower right corner of my computer. To pass the time away we just signed up for the Britbox streaming service so we are enjoying our favorite British programs once again. We just discovered that there are two more seasons of Midsomer Murders we missed. And we are watching Rosemary and Thyme, which reminds us of you as they know the names of every flower.

[JenGog]

a bit late
Losing photos on Travelblog really got me behind . I was really pleased to get them back . I have a lot of catching up to do. Never watched either of them . If you can get Upstart Crow watch that one , written by Ben Elton and a really good take on Shakespeare - each one of the series is taken from one of his books . He is useless and Marlow is involved plus his servant Bottom gives him lines for his books . Have you watched Poldark ( the new series) ? Quite a few series of those if you have not had them on mainstream TV in the USA . Gentleman Jack is a good too , So many good ones .