Still lolling about in lockdown

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Balloons sailed over our 'paradise'.


They are back! They must have crept in when we were away on holiday. Yesterday morning a baby rabbit was on the lawn, boldly eating the grass. There are three fields to choose from but somehow our lawn is better.

I know it will not stay at that. If there is one young one, then there will be more, experience tells us. Mr T (acting as Mr McGregor) searched the perimeter and found a hole in the wire fencing. The rabbits had dug a tunnel about three feet under the wire (which was buried in the soil) and then they came up on our garden side. We have blocked the hole. But are the rabbits now stuck in our garden? Yes, they are still here, I saw two on the rockery this morning. This is disastrous they will eat our vegetables.

It is a worry, as they indiscriminately nip off tops of nearly anything, even if they do not want to eat it. I remember rabbits in great numbers on our farm in the 1950s and then came myxomatosis which was deadly to them. For a while you never saw a rabbit, then they recovered and seemed to have some immunity. More recently they have been subject (like us) to a virus which has kept their numbers down in our fields, but they are crowding the hedgerows now. Have they got herd immunity?

People have talked a lot about ‘herd immunity’ with our pandemic, but humans cannot rely on survival of the fittest, for obvious reasons. But we can hope for immunity by vaccinations, to stop the spread to the vulnerable who have not been vaccinated or cannot be vaccinated.

I have had both vaccinations and many of my friends have too and now I am getting invitations to go and see them in their gardens. I think I should accept and get ready to move on. But I am not sure. I have lived here safely for over a year, enjoying the wildlife and our own company. Why would I want to disturb my cosy existence?

And what would I say? I have talked online about TV programmes, lack of haircuts, supermarket deliveries and even dustbin collections. I would need to broaden my horizons and change my perspectives if I am to develop my friendships.

Another thing is, I have worn my best clothes whenever I wanted. I am not sure I have enough good clothes left to be seen in. Like everyone else I have got used to the top half being presentable for calls, but not paid much attention to the rest of me.

The wildlife here has never complained though.

(Takend from my column in the Shropshire Star)




The thrush I photographed here is too busy feeding its young to bother about what I am wearing.

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