Election day dawns bright and fair. On our way back from the waterfall we meet the mayor. He's opening up the town hall for todays municipal elections. This fine man has been village mayor for thirty eight years and now he's retiring. When I have a chance to talk to him alone I'll ask what made him stand in the first place and what drove him on. Today is not the day for conversation. In readiness for the first voter he's setting out a bottle of antiseptic hand gel on a small table by the voting stations front door. Face masks have been supplied for the mayor, his secretary and the other tellers.
This mornings rugby has been cancelled and all bars, restaurants and shops closed. Supermarkets. newsagents and pharmacies will be allowed to stay open. It's the start of the trout fishing season and fishermen have been urged to maintain a two metre separation from each other. We pass several of them heading off with their fishing rods to the stream.
The mayor has already set up a roster so that the village old folks can phone the town hall if they need food. The mayor will arrange for it to be collected from the local supermarket and delivered to their front door. A list of drivers was arranged last night. Quite how this will work in practise remains to be seen. The mayor is prepared for problems of ' I said I wanted biscuits but this isn't the brand I like ' variety.
In Scotland our Texan tenants are hastily heading home before the travel ban from the UK takes hold on Monday. I feel sorry for them. They arrived in January and the weather has been wet and cold . They weren't able to enjoy the delights of a Scottish May and those long sunny northern days. A Godsons graduation in Ann Arbor has been cancelled so that trip too will have to be binned.
What interesting times we live in. Sophie has the right idea. She remains resolute in her search for mischief..... and sausages.
16 comments:
The market yesterday was subdued but only to the point of being like a holiday weekend, but without tourists (I did hear a few, though...I guess they decided to stay and ride it out. Plus French health care, if needed, scores far above some others). Even so, every table at our preferred café was taken. We had planned to go to a jazz concert last night but it was canceled.
OTOH my husband flew to his home country to tell his family he has terminal cancer and to say goodbye. He is in great pain but not yet bed-ridden; we'll see what the stress of this trip brings. My fear is that he won't be allowed to come back or that he will catch the virus.
Among young people, the situation is seen as a big joke. They don't fear the virus, they delight in not going to school, they would prefer to be able to go out, but as most of them communicate by phone even when sitting side by side, even that is no big deal. And the prospect of a bunch of Boomers dying is icing on the cake. Just check out TikTok.
Trout fishing sounds like an excellent option for the times.
If the new mayor has one tenth the sense of public duty of your retiring one, your community will be well served.
Cheers, Gail.
Changes here too. Travel for lots of friends has been cancelled, but silly tourists seem to still be arriving here bringing the virus with them. Being an island nation I wonder how long before our borders are completely shut. I suspect that schools will close soon, and the library, so I will have to stock up on my books tomorrow.
How brave of you to describe what's happening. Be sure that our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with all of you. May you have strength and your husband have fair winds and the strongest of following seas for his journey back to Belgium.
Hari OM
It's an old Chinese curse, is it not... "may you live in interesting times"... I say that without irony. YAM xx
What a logical and kind arrangement for the old folk.
Our village Facebook page has proved useful; those of us who can will take turns to run errands for our less able neighbours.
Sending best wishes to ' Taste of France'.
x
So sorry to hear about your husband's health and situation. Thinking of you and sending best wishes across the channel.
Echoing the best wishes above. And as for your comment about young folk communicating by phone - so true!
Here in Loudoun County, they are using the school bus fleet for meal service to students that rely on schools for their daily meals. Of course I support this idea, but I have to add that it's unfortunate that one of the wealthiest counties in the country has this issue. But I wonder what this week will hold for my office seeing patients. And looking ahead, I also wonder about a planned trip to Savannah Georgia at the end of April to meet my cousins.
I hadn't seen that the travel ban has now been extended to the UK and Ireland - no exemption for the Trump golf courses after all! I guess that, even though US citizens are exempted from the ban, there won't be enough passengers to warrant a plane.
So very sorry to hear the sad news about your husband. Having been in a similar situation, less than three years ago, my thoughts are with you.
to "Taste of France", may your husband return home to you safe and not affected by the corona Virus. I send you my best wishes. Luzia from Basel
From 8 a.m. tomorrow, the whole of Spain is in lock down for at least two weeks, and police cars are touring the town telling people to stay indoors. Heavy fines for those disobeying the order, and only essential travel allowed.
This afternoon I took Inca for a quick walk, after depositing some rubbish in the communal bin - my excuse if the police caught me! I felt somewhat guilty, but was relieved when I saw a neighbour out in her car - she looked guilty too, as she passed me! Then we met up with regular dog walkers, looking embarrassed at being caught outdoors.
Thank you all for the kind words. He wants to keep it secret from our friends, but I want/need to rage against the unfairness of the world and correctly figured this was a safe space to do it.
Don't fisherman usually spread out and not fish in a clump?
To Taste of France: you and your husband are being held in our hearts. Wishing you both gentle days ahead.
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