Health

It rained all morning so I stayed in worked on my three poetry books and played some Leonard Cohen. Fantastic.

This afternoon it stopped raining so I went for my walk. It was cloudy when I set off – completely overcast. Nature always has a way of serving up something special. Yesterday it was my sunset and rainbows – today was different.

It started with me reaching the lane that runs up to the top of my hill when I spied a large bird perched in a tree.

As I approached I could see that it was a large raptor. Closer still and I saw it was one of the Red Kites. Fabulous birds.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, I didn’t have my camera. I nabbed this photo from Wikipedia.

When I was very close it took off. Further up the lane I found it perched with its mate in another tree. They both took off as I came near and flew over me and away.

That was a great start.

Further up my hill I spied a murmuration of starlings and stopped to watch them making their patterns.

By the time I had gone down the other side of my hill the cloud bank had moved along and the sun was out. It bathed the land in golden light and threw my shadow halfway across the field. Fabulous.

What would we do without nature?

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland – the US madness continues. Trump is out on the golf course or in his bunker sulking while the Covid-19 new cases rose to 179,067 yesterday with another 2216 deaths. He really doesn’t care and is not doing anything. It’s down to Biden to warn everyone about the huge dangers of meeting up for Thanksgiving. They’ll be burying a lot of people in a months time! Trump has been a disaster of huge magnitude – 2216 unnecessary deaths just yesterday!! No deaths in places like Vietnam and New Zealand – just thirteen new cases between them. It highlights the magnitude of Trump’s utter incompetence and irresponsibility. He was promoting all those rallies and politicising the virus – encouraging people not to distance or wear masks. The fool!!

Here in the UK with have to contend with Billy Bunter, or Trump-light as he is known. At least the lockdown is having some effect. we were down to 11,299 cases but with 608 deaths!!

Christmas will probably give us a big spike of deaths just before the vaccine kicks in!!

Talking of vaccines – the antivaxxers are putting recovery at risk. It’s one of those annoying American imports, along with game-shows, squealing girls and QAnon. I’m sick to death with daft conspiracy theories. I can understand people being a bit leery if it hadn’t been tested properly, but it has. It won’t pass without being tested properly. I’m going to be first in line. I can’t wait to be free of the worry. I really don’t want Covid thank you very much.

So – still symptom free and feeling good. Stay safe!!

I was in zoom meetings all morning so I took my walk later in the afternoon. It’s a different kind of experience to that in the summer. There aren’t the same number of animals or flowers but it still has a beauty. Nature always has a trick or two up her sleeve.

On my way back I climbed back up to the top of my hill to be met with the most brilliant display. The whole Western sky was lit up with a fluorescent orange glow. A whole half the sky. Awesome.

There were some flecks of rain and to the East there was a double rainbow.

I stood and soaked it in. Now that glow and all the colours of those rainbows are in me!

As I walked along the road I had this bright orange sky on my right and these rainbows on my left. It felt like I walking along a corridor through two of nature’s wonders! Fabulous. It really gave me a lift!

By the time I had reached the bottom of the hill the glow had receded to pinks, mauves and clouds etched with bright orange margins as if someone had traced the outlines with a fluorescent pen!

Back at home I’ve been playing Howlin’ Wolf (and got told to turn it down) and editing my poetry books.

Out in Coronaland not much has changed. Trump is beginning to concede. He’s allowing the transition team to start up. But the new cases are still eye-wateringly high – 178,945 new cases yesterday with another 1035 deaths. I think that if the people won’t vote for him he’s happy for them to die! He’s out on the golf course. Unbothered.

In the UK the numbers are beginning to go down – but were still 15,450 new cases yesterday with 206 deaths!

Compared to New Zealand, with 1 new case and 0 deaths, or Vietnam with 4 new cases and no deaths, it shows just how badly the USA and UK are doing. Elect clowns and you get ineptitude!!

Our lazy PM failed to attend the meeting of the four nations – couldn’t be bothered! He’s as lazy as Trump! So they have decided to relax the rules for Christmas!! Wow!!

All meet up and have a great time and then bury your grandparents a few weeks later!! Great idea!!

I reckon Johnson knows that nobody is taking any notice of him any more. The loonies were going to meet up anyway! So he made it official in order to get the plaudits!!

We’ll see how that works out!!

I wonder who is going to get the vaccine first? The most vulnerable?? The key workers?? Or the politicians??

I also wonder how many are not going to have it?? They’d rather get Covid I suppose – and will do! Good luck to them!

So, stay safe, avoid Thanksgiving and Christmas, and stay safe!! Not long now. Don’t do a Wilfred Owen!!

I took an early walk today. I wish I’d taken my camera, the light was superb. The low sun through a haze of bands of light cloud, a twilight orange, silhouettes and shadows. An early morning mist. All very atmospheric.

You’ll just have to manage with my words.

Autumn is moving into winter. The gnarled trees bare against the heavens. The birds flitting.

Back home I’ve been playing my James Varda – he was so good. So tragic that he died so young – and a really nice guy.

I’ve finished my editing of my Harper book. I’m giving it a rest for a couple of days and then I’ll reread it before the editor chief takes over. So, today I was working on my poetry books. All being well I should have them knocked into a shambles in a few days.

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland the madness goes on and on as our insane politicians continue their power struggles.

Trump is running out of options as court after court chuck out his absurd allegations. Sooner or later he is going to have to confront the fact that he lost. He was beaten fair and square – most sane Americans saw through what he really was and wanted shot of him – a repugnant human being.

The sooner he is gone the sooner the USA regains a bit of morality.

Trump presides over another 171,980 new cases yesterday with another 1428 deaths. He has no shame. That is his leadership.

Take a look at New Zealand and Vietnam – ten new cases beteen them – no new deaths. That’s the way to do it. They still have their economies operating normally!!

In the UK dithering Johnson has put us in lockdown too late, following a summer of opening up too much. The lazy, inept fool doesn’t have a clue. Despite lockdown we still have 20,252 new cases and 340 more deaths. We’re vying with Bolsonaro with his 32,622 new cases and 376 deaths.

What a mess. Could we have done it any worse?

We’ve got out students locked in their rooms, a fifth of our schoolkids sent home and the promise that the public servants, the key workers, will pick up the bill.

The Tories hand out contracts to their chums. Tendering and fairness are obscene words. This is the time of nepotism and cronyism.

It’s called getting rich on misery!!

Never mind, the vaccine is coming!!

Stay safe!!

It was a cold gloomy day today as I walked up my hill – but it wasn’t raining, the fields were green with their winter crops and it felt good!!

To be out in nature is always good.

Today I’ve been editing and listening to Woody Guthrie. Can’t be bad!!

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland – the US farce continues with Trump not conceding and Giuliani making a fool of himself. the infection rate is going through the roof – up to an incredible 187,428 new cases and 1962 deaths yesterday!!! That’s another 2000 people who won’t be meeting up for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They’ll be tens of thousands who will be burying their friends and relatives!!

What’s Trump doing about it?? Nothing. He’s still in meltdown over having lost.

In Georgia the recount uncovered no fraud and nothing wrong with the machines!! All the talk from Trump was bullshit!!

It’s one thing to be a stinkingly poor loser and it’s quite another to deliberately incite trouble and division and to set about undermining democracy.

With 250,000 deaths and 10 million cases – compared to New Zealand’s 35 deaths all told – two new cases, no deaths. I think it is safe to safe that Trump has been utterly incompetent!!

The same in the UK – Johnson is presiding over 22,915 new cases with another 501 deaths. Vietnam 4 new cases and no deaths!! We are useless!!

The reports coming out are of cronyism, corruption, chaos and incompetence. £21 million paid to one man for acting as a procurer of PPI. contracts are given out willy-nilly to Tory party friends – billions of taxpayer money poured down the drain. No tendering, no proper procedure, panic, corruption and waste.

Just think of that – £21 million pounds for a few phone calls. That is immoral on both sides.

Meanwhile, it is the key workers, who risked their lives, who are picking up the tab for government failure!! They, instead of a reward, are offered another pay freeze. They already picked up the tab for the bankers’ incompetence – now they have to do the same for Johnson!!

We’ll go out and clap them again shall we? Or direct them to the nearest food bank or soup kitchen!!

DISGRACEFUL!! They have been heroes!!

This cronyism stinks!! Everything they have hived out to their buddies has been useless – Dido Harding and Track and Trace – reaching only half. World Beating?? More a useless, expensive joke!!!

Why didn’t they use the NHS??? Experts who know what they are doing?? Put some of the money into that???

Too simple?? No profit for their chums??

Their Bullying (as with Patel – Priti by name but nothing pretty about her nature) goes on and on. First we’ve had Cummings and now Patel. Their arrogance is unbelievable.

They think they can get away with anything!!

Just live long enough to get a shot or two of the vaccine. It’s coming!!

Stay safe!!