Marty

Beautiful day here. T-shirt weather. There's about 3 hours of daylight left. Heading back into the garden!

Now here's an interesting piece of research... Specialist sniffer dogs to be tested to see if they can detect coronavirus. Let's hope it proves successful.

Hi, Gary I'm finding that most of my talking these days is through the medium of WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, or just on the plain old phone. Strangely, though, I'm probably talking more to certain people than I normally would do in the past. Previously I would have often decided to just wait until we actually met to have a chat, even if that might not have been for weeks, or perhaps months. I'm not sure if it's just me, or if others are finding this to be the case as well; but a friend's son told me during a Messenger call last night that he's also noticed it. He says that, when this is all over, he has a feeling that people are going to be kinder to each other. I sincerely hope he's right about that.

Hi, Albert. Can't stay long. Almost too beautiful a day to stay inside.

I know exactly what you mean, Albert. Every death is totally sad. And it is sad that anyone's death should just be classed a merely part of some statistic. I'm reminded of John Donne's "No Man Is An Island":

Some people maybe don't get it, but it will eventually end. There will probably be more deaths than otherwise because of a few people acting stupidly. And the restrictions may also stay in place a bit longer for the same reason. But a vaccine or a drug to treat the symptoms (or both) will eventually be found. It may take six months, or a year, or possibly 18 months, but the "plague" will eventually come to an end. Nil desperandum, my friend. Do not despair. Never despair. This too shall pass.

I hope you know a nephew is for life, and not just for Christmas...

Good to hear!

The Irish Government has extended restrictions on movement and other measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, that were due to end at midnight on Easter Sunday, until at least May 5th. https://www.thejournal.ie/restrictions-extended-coronavirus-ireland-5071098-Apr2020/ This had been well flagged for most of the past week, and is a good move as far as I and almost everyone else are concerned. In the meantime, here's my second of my proposed 52 (one a week for a year) black-and-white photographs:

And, for the foreseeable future, I am unable to go. But I console myself in the knowledge that they will still be there when these present difficult times are behind us all.

Hola, joven Alberto! Hope all's well with you and yours.

Hi, Page! Thank you, my friend

Aw... Tell mum thanks! ❤️

Okay, you've convinced me. Fish and chips it is. (Sorry, Page. )

She probably did consider me such a gift, but I suspect she knew by that time that it wasn't because she was the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary... Although I was born exactly a week before my elder brother's birthday. Mothers were kept in the maternity hospital a lot longer in those days than today. So when she came home carrying me in her arms on my brother's fourth birthday, he asked "Have you got me a birthday present, Mam?" My mother held me out to him and said "This is your birthday present." He still jokingly (I think) says it was the worst birthday present he ever got!

They haven't really seen it yet, due to the lockdown.

I'm still deciding what to have for dinner... Toss up between spag bol, or ringing the local chip shop and asking them to prepare fish and chips for me...

Keep the soapbox, dughlas. If you can come out with such wonderful words of wisdom whilst it's in your possession, it is where it needs to be!

I'll have you know that my parents were married when I was conceived. Although my mum did tell me once that, when she fell pregnant the second time, her father (my maternal granddad) said to my father "If you're going to keep getting my daughter pregnant, do you not think you should marry her?" Mum had three kids before she was 21. I was the fourth, born when she was 25. She thought the first three were simply 'gifts from god' - I think her elder sister explained things to her after the third pregnancy... And I certainly don't mind flying economy class.

clo!

It is indeed, Gary! I must admit it was the potential I saw in the garden that sold the place to me. And that's not to take away from the house itself.

Thanks, Mr B. I'm actually proud of the fact that I've done all that work by myself. Normally I would have had various friends' teenage sons offering to help, but with the lockdown at present, that's not been possible. That can't happen until the government releases me from house-arrest, B. And I'd be expecting you to pay my return air fare, and put me up for free (or do I mean 'put up with me'? ) Cheers, Tim. Thanks Val. Nor can I.

Afternoon, clo Sounds a nice lunch. I'll probably have cheese on toast for lunch in an hour or two. I'm pleased with the progress I've made so far on the garden. I'm planning to grow some vegetables to the left of the path. The right hand side will probably just remain as a lawn for the time being, but I'd like to plant some fruit trees and bushes on that side eventually. There will be flowers planted as well.

I'm interested to know what other act of "Christian charity" Silas is going to ask of Chelsea, although I suspect Chelsea may have an agenda of her own in wanting to get to know him. I'm also wondering if she picked up on the fact that Adam called him 'Drake'... Shame that Silas needs to consider selling his favours, but I suppose that when one is in the situation Silas has found himself it may just be a case of needs must when the devil calls, although I'm not 100% certain that Adam was actually going to take him up on the offer... It seems like Silas is not going to be leaving town all that soon. So it's very likely he and his brother are at least going to talk. Now, I wonder what the band members are up to? And why do I suppose I'll find out in the next chapter?

Good morning, gang! And what a good morning it is here in the northwest of Ireland. Clouds and sun, with high expected of 17°C (62.6°F). Here's before and after pictures of the upper garden in my new place: Beginning of March Today