Another Groundhog moment and a blank November

I had not really expected to be writing this blog yet, but that is the uncertainty of the pandemic - nobody can really tell what will happen next.  We hear this morning that the UK is likely to be lockdown soon too - France began at least a month's clampdown on Friday evening.  And since the only certainty is that there is little scientific certainty, we don't know if it will work.  But politicians of whatever stripe have an unenviable job, trying to react in time or not too late, and at the same time crticised at every turn for wrecking the economy and countless people's livelihoods.  The rapidity of change was summed up in 3 emails from Mary's indefatigable Qi Gong teacher, first saying room closed, meet outside, the second outside space shut, have found another place and the third sorry it's all off.   Woe betide you if you don't keep up with the emails!

Mary and I repeat like a sad refrain that these things don't really affect our own lives too much, but we are only too well aware of their effect on our family and friends- people with children at school, students and their families, people running the daily risk of going to work and those who have lost or are losing work, and of course they also tell us people like us and older, and/or with underlying health problems.  What amazes me in our circle here, in the UK and elsewhere is the resilience and optimism that so many of you maintain.   We always lived relatively secluded lives except for musical outings now all sadly cancelled.  But we do feel lucky to have our dogs Elvire & Edmond to keep us on the straight and narrow and provide us with some exercise and air - luckily the weather is kind and the autumn colours and light are wonderful.  The music we follow through radio (hats off to the ever evolving BBC Radio 3), recordings and videos.  More of that anon on the music blog

       

We read a lot (paper and Kindle books and for me daily papers in French and English) and enjoy good food and of course wine.  Above all, and because of all that reading (so-called news on radio and tv is too drear, so it's music all the way except when French tv serves up some of its wonderful geographical and historical documentaries).  And no, it is not too early to think of Christmas, ordering in cards and having time to write them (please feel free to complain if you find in the new year that you did not get one but hoped for it!).  Mary's knitting comes on apace, and (thanks Katherine) it is always lovely to see another Fair Isle creation coming off the needles.  But above all we feel very fortunate to have the technology to enjoy all this, and to communicate with those we love near and far.  In doing that we realise our huge fortune in enjoying the life and health we do, and I know that the health is partly there because we have fewer reasons to mingle in crowds.  All we both have to be careful of is not to fall downstairs - I have never been more conscious of the value of banisters!

So, to finish for now, a few cartoons that have caught my eye

Forbidden to draw Erdogan?  He is decidedly not a prophet, unless of doom 
 

Quentin Blake, one of a series in le Monde
especially for our climbing friends!