I guess it was predictable, and following a day mostly spent in bed with a migraine, it was with enormous trepidation that we sat and watched the President's address last night. As expected, he announced a four week national lockdown, but kicking in a day or two sooner than many had thought. There was I think less warning this time, or rather, less official warning. We are also on alert here for bird 'flu, so things are pretty special. So here's a heads up - from tomorrow, the daily lockdown blog post starts again!
This one seems to me more daunting than the last one. Already days here are short, with only 10 hours between sunrise and sunset, and that will only get less between now and late December. The weather will get worse - despite a slight reprieve in temperatures over the next few days, we are heading for winter, and can spend less time outside and less comfortably. There really is nothing to look forward to now in 2020 - all events are cancelled that we would usually go to - and the last of the "part timers" left today - we doubt we will see any others before the New Year now.
The glories of Autumn are nearing their end. We found these cèpes in the One Acre Wood a couple of weeks ago, and there may be a couple more this weekend, but then days are too short and cold to get them going again until next year. These were delicious by the way!
This year has been particularly good for cyclamen. The ones in the lawn started in July, and are still going, with some very dense patches of pink flowers. The ones in the One Acre Wood don't last as long but have been going for a couple of months now, including two new flowering corms which have clearly self-seeded. These delicate white flowers are a real joy to me, whatever the weather.
Autumn also means we have an extra visitor downstairs - the log fire. It is like another member of the family and a welcome sight and feeling on cold and wet nights. Lockdown brings challenges with finding firewood - we might have to go out and about with our best Professional Forest Workers kit on, but that is something to worry about another day.
The same day as the new confinement was announced, I received my official number for my new way of earning money. I am now officially registered as an autoentrepreneur that helps people out with translating and interpreting (NOT official translations having said that) to get through daily life over here in France. So getting that business up and running when I can't go out and about very much is going to be really easy, isn't it? 2020 just keeps giving!
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