April 14th: Herons, golf and callous opportunism

Me and my good lady were up (relatively) early for our daily exercise. Our neighbours had told us about a walk up a path near our home which I didn't even know was there across a road, through the local crematorium sounds and onto one of the golf courses in the area. We did about a three mile circular walk. It was nice (if cool early in the day), and the golf course was obviously deserted. I should have taken my irons for a few practice swings (only joking). I am though looking forward to getting back to playing once we're allowed back on the courses. As I've mentioned before, if nothing else, these short exercise walks are a way to get to know you're local area much better.

Walking on Wenvoe Castle Golf Club course

Before we set off I saw the remarkable sight of a heron sitting right on top of our neighbours roof, being attacked by a group of gulls. I managed to get a few decent shots of him. I suppose he might have been eyeing up local ponds, including mine for a goldfish breakfast. I've only got three toddler goldfish in my pond, and can happily say all were accounted for.

That's not a pigeon!

Impressive chap - keep away from my fish!

The death toll from (or with) coronavirus continues to rise, although it's reported that there are signs that the lines are flattening. If so this is encouraging, and together with reports that some countries are starting to ease their lockdowns, there will no doubt be calls for the UK Government to do the same. However, we must remember this we've "only" been in lockdown (and in many ways only a loose lockdown) for just over three weeks. Personally, I think it's too early to be getting too excited by the prospect of easing of restrictions. The last thing we need is an easing off followed by a second wave of infections and the deaths that would inevitably follow.

On my Twitter timeline today there has been a lot of chatter from a company (@NightSkyLantern) selling Union Jack sky lanterns in support of the NHS. Sort of "let's set fire to one of these, send it up in the air to show our support sort of things".  Almost exclusively people are saying this is both an incredibly stupid thing to do (at all) given these are a danger to starting fires (and consequently diverting emergency resources), leave litter and pose real health threats to wildlife and farm stock. On top of that the crass opportunism of this company promoting their products as a way to thank the NHS seems incredible to me. There are lots of ways to thank the NHS (clapping with on a Thursday for a start), but setting fire to things and letting them float off into the night sky doesn't seem a clever idea in my view. I thought the things were banned anyway.

For those of you desperate for cat news, I'm afraid I haven't got any.

Until tomorrow....

#isolationlife
#stayhomesavelives