Lockdown diaries, day twenty, nature to the rescue

Fallen ginkgo leaves

Day twenty, Wednesday 18^th November 2020

 

Nature to the rescue

Maybe it’s lockdown, maybe it’s that even with lockdown, I can’t avoid the fact that Christmas is approaching, maybe it’s because I haven’t been out on my bike this week, maybe it’s that everywhere I look there are things to do but I can’t quite muster the enthusiasm to do them, but whatever ‘it’ is, it’s making me feel like I want to hide away. Even writing this isn’t easy today, but write I will, as I know that it will help and deep down, I don’t really want to hide away.

 

While Adrian was working, I felt the need for a bit of sunshine on my face and thought raking the golden leaves from the ginkgo tree would do me some good. They are so beautiful even once they’ve fallen, it seems such a shame to collect them up, only to dump them in a corner of the orchard to rot down. Being out in the fresh air did feel good and there were just enough leaves to make me feel like I’d achieved something, without being too many to overwhelm me. What also helped was that just a short time spent in the garden gave me so many lovely things to see, including a pair of butterflies out in the orchard and a peacock butterfly sunning itself on the shutters while we were having lunch.

 

Tea and cake once Adrian had finished for the day (which oddly coincided with the start of lectures for Ed), ensured I had the energy needed to say yes to a bike ride in the late afternoon sun. What I needed most from Chef Boutonne, wasn’t really the few items from the supermarket on my list, but the physical ride there and back in the sunshine. Although a five-kilo sack of onions for only 1.49€ certainly made it a worthwhile journey, and Adrian only grimaced slightly when he saw me stagger out and present it to him to carry home. We made it back just as the sun was setting and were lucky enough to see a deer cross the road in front of us and head up the fields towards the rose-tinted woods. We all have days when things seem dark and gloomy but if 2020 has taught me anything, pretending they don’t happen doesn’t help anyone, getting out in the fresh air, however, really can help.

Time now to head to the kitchen and put the finishing touches to the spicy tomato sauce for the meatballs that we are all looking forward to tonight.