Day 13 of Quarantine

Sometimes the weather can be really cruel. Today was another of those idyllic autumn days that makes everyone glad to be alive. As I looked out my window into the park opposite, I could not help but think how glorious it would be to go for a walk or get on my bike. As it was, the furthest I was allowed to venture was to my front nature strip to bring my rubbish in.

According to the calendar I now have only two more days of self isolation to get through. Then I will be able to cast off the home shackles and set out to rediscover my neighbourhood. The only problem with this plan is that the Weather Bureau is now telling us that the spell of marvellous weather will come to a crashing halt. When will this happen ? You guessed it - Friday !

I have previously said that the next few weeks would be a great opportunity to master a new skill. I have already chosen one skill that I would like to learn and have already started on the learning trajectory. And what is that skill, you might ask ? For the moment I will keep that to myself. I want to see if I make any progress before I tell the world about it. I promise to let you know by the end of the month (but only if it works out).

So how did I pass another day in solitary confinement ? Like many of the previous days, I have found myself spending an increasing amount of time on the phone or in video chats. A few weeks ago I had never used any of those video apps, but I think we are all learning quickly. It will be increasingly important as we head into winter.

The warm sunshine was also the catalyst I needed to get out into the yard and prune all the hedges around my house. Sometimes I could almost swear that I can hear them growing. I trimmed the hedges about noon and I wouldn't be surprised if they have already grown several cm since then.

According to the thermometer, I am still free of fever. Does that mean that I can relax ? Not quite, but each day that passes by, I do feel more confident that I didn't bring anything nasty back with me on the plane.

Tomorrow will be my final full day in lockdown, so maybe I should do something special tomorrow night to celebrate. I will feel a bit like a prisoner who has come up for parole at the end of their sentence. If I had some fireworks I might also be tempted to let off a sky rocket or two.Read more