The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Friday 8 May 2020

We're green!!!!

I couldn't sleep last night. Or more correctly, I just didn't feel tired yesterday evening so ended up staying up till 2 a.m. when I thought I'd better go to bed because it was getting ridiculous. And then this morning I realized it had been a "flower moon" last night so maybe that had something to do with it. Either way I'd already made up my mind I was going to do bugger all today and very nice it was too. And then I saw in the media pictures that people had taken of the flower moon at different locations - and boy were they stunning. The one I really zoned in on was taken over the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Oh lordy did that bring back wonderful memories of one of the most amazing experiences of my life. In 2003 a Turkish friend of my husband's organized a luxury long weekend in Istanbul for us and it was just fabulous, all the more so since Mehmet was actually from Istanbul so knew all the places to take us. His mother invited us up to her apartment for tea on the last night and as her place was high up in the hills overlooking the city we had the most glorious view of the Blue Mosque as the sun was going down and the call to prayer began. As I say, it is one of the most enduring memories of my life, it was so fabulous. Well that and I remember walking down to the beach in Bali to watch the sun set and it looked like there was this enormous golden globe hanging there over the ocean - and then someone just "cut the string" and it was gone!

The Blue Mosque, Istanbul
So today was, by choice, a quiet day where I really didn't do much except the basics and then sat outside in the garden reading for ages since the weather was so perfect. Yesterday I had gone grocery shopping and again it was pretty quiet. Even though the shelves are not as full as they should be you can pretty much get everything you need. As I was going in to the health food store to buy my kombucha I noticed the crazy guy who had hassled me outside sewing club just before Christmas. This guy had tons of hair and a full beard when he was bugging me so you can imagine what he looks like now in lock down with an even fuller head of hair and a mad man's beard! But there's something that doesn't sit right with me about him and I can't put my finger on it. I wasn't going to stick around to find out if he remembered me but I hope I don't bump into him too often - he's just too weird for my comfort. Anyway, when I went into the store I bumped into a guy who worked in our cafeteria at work. He was telling me that he was now in his third month of being furloughed and while he was receiving 60% of his salary it was tough. I actually felt he was getting a bit too close to me when he was talking so kept backing off until he got the message. But he asked me if I had heard the rumour about three deaths at work because of Covid and I said I hadn't and I didn't think it could be right because we would have been informed. Well it turns out that there are currently eight cases of infection at work but I don't know who they are nor how serious they are. I just hope they all pull through.

I was chatting to my gardener when he came the other day and I commented that he must be pretty busy right now, what with the good weather followed by bursts of rain and so on and he said not so much. People had actually been asking him not to come as they didn't want him getting too close to them! I guess people really are scared because that didn't make sense to me, what with him being out in the garden and me being on my terrace. But then I was asking the roof guys how it was going and they said that they had had people cancelling, with me thinking it was for financial reasons but they said no, again, people didn't want to be around them. And again, that didn't make sense to me because they were on my roof and nowhere near me. Still, I guess everyone has their tolerance level for what they find acceptable don't they!

Then this afternoon I wandered over to my neighbours to pick up some cut branches from their hazelnut tree to make more wigwams for my tomato plants. They probably are a bit of a joke because my wigwams are so flimsy looking that if anyone sneezes within a 10 metre radius I'm pretty sure they'll collapse, but it amuses me to keep making them. Anyway, my neighbour came over for a coffee and was in a pretty bad way, telling me she was sick to death of her patronising bastard of a husband (her words) and the way he talked to her like she was an idiot who needed to be "tolerated"! They have an issue with underground piping which channels the mountain springs away from our homes getting backed up and resulting in their basement taking in water on occasion. Now as far as we can tell the blockage is on the village road at the bottom of their garden and if that is the case it is up to the commune to get it fixed. But her husband set off to see a company to have them come out and sort it out, while she feels that the first step is to get in touch with the Mairie and have them send someone to look at it. It's not a question of who's right or who's wrong (although she's actually right) but it's the way he speaks to her. I know she's telling the truth because I've heard him and I can only say that if my ex ever tried that on I would (and did) give him such an ear bashing he wouldn't have been quick to do it again. Trouble is, I always stood up to my ex and didn't allow him to speak to me in such a disrespectful way but she never did - and it's probably too late to start now isn't it. But again, damn, I'm glad I'm single!

Then tonight I got another scam email from "Dr. Abdul Mohammed from Burkina Faso who was desirous of putting $13.5 million in my bank account dearest" and I was to write back to him ASAP so that we could get the ball rolling. They're coming thick and fast at the moment and I was probably a bit riled up from listening to my neighbour so I wrote back and said "f... off you twat" and a couple of minutes later he wrote back and said "wow, that was a bit aggressive wasn't it" and I just burst out laughing. So I said "oh I'm sorry, was I supposed to send you my bank details?" and just blocked and deleted. These idiots can barely write English and then to address someone as "my beloved" or "my dearest"??? Well really, how dumb do they think I am?

So after reading for a while I decided to plant out a few more tomato plants and then three cucumber plants with a home-made, plastic bottle irrigation system I had seen on Youtube last night. It's pretty much the same system you see everywhere - you poke a few holes in a plastic bottle, fill it with water and bury it nose-down in the ground so it self-irrigates. Well even though I only used a nail to make the holes I must have been a bit over zealous because far from the desired drip, drip, drip of water slowly feeding the cucs, I got a roaring whoosh and the bloody things were swimming for their lives in about two seconds flat. I think I'll have to take another look at my prototype!

And it looks like our lock down will be eased as from Tuesday, according to what the French Prime Minister said the other night. They are deconfining according to zones and I was a bit worried that we might be a red zone because we're only one hour from northern Italy and if you take in the région (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), which includes the hotspot of Lyon, I reckon we would still be red. But they seem to have taken the département (Haute Savoie) and we have come up green, so as from Tuesday things should be eased for us. No more attestations necessary to go out, we can travel freely up to a distance of 100 km from home, we're free to meet up in small groups and go into the mountains, although the lakes remain out of bounds for the time being, and many businesses are being allowed to open back up. Of course it all depends on people being sensible, but I believe they will be. I for one won't be dashing out to go to any parties any time soon, but just to have that freedom to go up into the mountains again feels absolutely delicious!

And finally, I just wanted to send huge hugs through the ether to Anne in Alabama who has just lost her lovely mom. Thinking of you at this difficult time Anne!

20 comments:

  1. I did not see the moon from a spectacular place, just standing on the porch, but it was very pretty. Georgia relaxed two weeks ago and their cases of coronavirus have risen by 40%, so I am not relaxing anything. How many holes did you poke in that jug...lol?

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    1. The French lock down has been solid for 8 weeks and I think they did it the right way. But of course I expect the number of cases to go back up when people are allowed out (although still not to bars, restaurants, gyms, hairdresser's, tattoo artists!!!) but they have to ease it sometime. Time will tell but I fully support the way they have been going about it.

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  2. Restrictions here are easing too and I wll be very pleased to have a coffee in the sun, out of a proper cup and sitting at a cafe table!
    As for your Burkina Faso scammer, I don't take those things personally at all. I never get angry when I get them and I dont care what they call me, it's not targeting me, It's a numbers game for them and the more they send the luckier they might get

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    1. Oh bars and cafés are still not allowed to open up, nor are clothes shops etc., just mainly essential businesses, but yes it will be nice to get out again. And I don't take the spammers personally normally but I was just a bit surprised that HE was "offended" when I told him to f... off!

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  3. That is an amazing photo! Lucinda

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    1. Isn't it just. There was another one of the acropolis that was stunning too, but even from bedroom window it was amazing. I guess you can't go wrong with a moon like that!

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  4. We had plans to go for a walk, and then was going to serve breakfast and coffee on our deck, in the sun, just like we like to do every once in a while at a restaurant that overlooks the Mississippi. Well, with the freezing cold, that was not happening! I hate hearing either member of a couple talk rude and disrespectful, but I know both of us do it frequently-bad habits. I might buy myself some diet coke in plastic bottles for a watering system, or as Vix has used, as a planter. Well, a better idea would be to use a discarded one from someone else, but I'm not rummaging in anyone's recylcing.

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    1. I'm sure we've all of us been uncivil to our partners on occasion but in this instance he really does talk down to her and I hear it sadly. He's lovely to me so what can I do except just listen. And I don't drink coke or pop at all but I asked another neighbour to keep their bottles for me so I'm hoping to get my "irrigation system" (snigger) up and running soon.

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  5. That picture doesn't even look real, does it? Amazing.
    I'm so glad that things are good enough that you'll be able to move around a bit more freely. Back into the mountains! Hurray! Won't everything look and feel so new? How I wish we had a government who was actually concerned with the health of its citizens rather than just an election. I feel hopeless a great deal of the time.

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    1. No that picture doesn't look real, but that mosque really is that beautiful. In fact I love Turkey (faults and all) and Ephesus was and continues to be the most spectacular ruins I have ever seen. And yep it has been tough on a lot of people to stay home but again I really think the government got it right (or at least I hope they did)!

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  6. I've never made it to Istanbul, only stopped on the coast of Turkey for a cruise, it is on my wishlist of future places to travel (provided we are not 90 when that happens again). People here seem to be hiring people outside no problem, like you I am ok with it. Although we do prefer to do what we can ourselves when we can. Now it is unclear what day we can get together with Mom. Some are doing it tomorrow, some next weekend. I wish they were more clear as tomorrow is Mother's Day

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    1. I think the lack of clarity has been a big problem in the UK too and to my mind it hasn't been fair on the police trying to enforce unclear rules. And as I said above, I absolutely adore Turkey, the food, the scenery, everything, so I hope you make it there someday (before you're 90)!

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    2. I think you, Cheapchick, Anne in Alabama,the Hawaii Plan, and myself and anyone else that wants to join should have a destination meet up some day. Wouldn't that be great!

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    3. Never thought of that. Count me in - I'm always up for travel!

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  7. I think my husband and I have tried to be sensible, taking what we regard as necessary precautions without becoming totally paranoid. However, it seems that for every idiot ( like in the two properties nearby who hosted VE Day barbecues yesterday) there is somebody suffering from obsessive anxiety, like my neighbour who spends most days hiding behind a front door he won’t open to anybody or the person who recently contacted me to demand that as Parish Clerk I go and tape up a particular bench because he spotted a cyclist resting there and coughing! Difficult times for so many and for different reasons but good to know that you can soon wander further afield.

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    1. People have different tolerance/anxiety thresholds don't they even if they are in the same risk category. I read about some people disinfecting all their groceries and stripping off at the front door and wouldn't dream of doing that (unless I worked in a hospital setting), nor have we been advised to do any of that. I guess only time will tell who got it right and who got it wrong won't it.

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  8. While we have rare souls signing up for flooring measures, they are rare. it's not so much as people being scared as it is concerned. Why take the chance, flooring is not that important. I live in a red zone. Right now we are looking at June 8 as the day our 'stay at home' order expires... unless something happens.

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    1. If I were still looking for flooring I would probably still let them come out to my house, to be honest, on the grounds that I figure I could still keep my distance, but then that's just me. Also, we're not in a red zone so my perspective is probably slightly skewed! And if you're going on until June 8 it looks like the same plan as we have/had, just a few weeks behind. Good luck, it doesn't seem to bother you any way does it!

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  9. I think I started to do a comment and got distracted and didn't send it? If I've already said my bit feel free to delete whichever one you don't like best!! The Istanbul photograph is incredible. I love watching a sunset and sunrise too but that's a rarer occasion for me! We saw the moon here that night and it was spectacular even in our not quite so amazing area! The best sunset we watched was while sitting on my sons boat in Sydney harbour, an amazing experience.
    I know what you mean about people's differences in tolerance to others being around. Our new neighbours have hardly left the house since lockdown began. The guys father is on his own and only after several weeks of lockdown did they let him come to the house in his car and sit in the car while they talked to him from the door. I offered to give them a couple of garden chairs to let him sit in the garden with them and they were horrified and said no thanks we're fine! Like us they have a big garden and social distancing is very easy to do as we all have gates into our back gardens so no-one needs to enter the house. We've had our daughter and grandson sit in the garden with us for a short while a couple of times. However, everyone to their own I suppose.
    The easing of lockdown worries me too as I feel people may not be as careful and then the spread will increase again. It really is a longterm worry isn't it. Going walking in the mountains though would be very tempting! xx

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    1. I think wherever you were with that moon it would still have been beautiful wouldn't it. And I noticed that my neighbours' daughter and granddaughter have started coming up to the neighbours and while I think they should have respected lockdown it's obvious that people have had enough now. And I will definitely be heading for the mountains, particularly as many people are now going back to work. There is no need to be anywhere near another person most of the places round here (outside of ski season of course).

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