The Green list and the Walk

We are a hardy bunch of souls who walk our dogs on the beach, this morning was no exception. Forecast of heavy rain and 45 miles per hour gales, we set off with Jenson. As was expected the beach was deserted with the odd brave dog walker. We feel slightly superior and self-righteous, we are out there no matter the weather, enjoying the open air and taking what nature throws at us when all the rest of the world is warm and dry at home. Today was dry but windy and that was a bonus but I was dressed for heavy rain. Spring does seem like a long way away at the moment, the daily temperature is still only around 10 deg C, which is at least 6 deg below what we normally have in May.

I have walked on the beach every day for the last 30 years, first at St Michael’s and then here at Sandbanks and I still enjoy the feeling of freedom and openness I get from the sea and sand, I always feel good to be alive. Jenson was having nothing to do with the wild sea today and choose to explore the dry sand, shells and other dogs instead of his normal swim, I do not blame him, the sea did look like a challenge and come to think of it there was no one swimming.

Michael has been offered the position of senior manager of the RNLI and together with two other senior managers they now control the whole of the UK. I see some travelling and bolder decisions ahead for that son of mine. Well done, awesome and he is still a boy.




After the walk, I arrived home to Alex and Gertrude bickering in the garden. ‘I told you so Gertrude.’ Alex kept on saying, this irritated Gertrude no end and she refused to let him have any birdseed. Yep, they are a pair of pigeons who are always in our garden, noisy and bad-tempered most of the time. That is one union not made in heaven. Jenson has given up trying to catch them and just lets them get on with what pigeons get on with.


Talking of wind and rain, Gary and Dan have set off to play cricket, where are the days when the English go out in the midday sun and play cricket. Looking at the skies, I do fear this game may be short-lived but maybe they are made of sterner stuff. These league games are fiercely competitive and wind and hail will not deter these proponents of the fine game of cricket.

Anyway, I ramble on, I wanted to discuss the so-called Green List counties and the implications of travel, whether by sea or air. Portugal is one and that I am believed to understand is a mere hop away by EasyJet. Australia and New Zealand are much further away, not sure what the Australian government is saying about an influx of brits to its shores. One thing I do know is that the Dickens are now free to visit us and we all welcome that. As you all know, I do not fly, so us visiting them is not scheduled in the near future, pity really as I would have loved to see where they live and what the sanitation is like. Can not be too careful when it comes to sanitation and the complications of not having good sanitation. 

Just in ending, I must tell you about the time I asked Lady Vivienne if she wanted to see my tits. She politely declined so I asked her if she has tits, pushing her chest out she said she did have tits but I could not see them. Pity really but the Great Tits and Blue Tits in my garden are lovely birds and now that they have found our feeding stations, they are loving the peanuts and mealworm we leave out for them. I am a little surprised as LV always talks about how many birds she has in her garden but seems reluctant to show them to me.