More Adventures in Lockdown

Given there's not much of interest to write about at present, I've been casting back to old diary entries and photos in the main, whilst recording the onset of spring in my weekly reports on walks with Graeme.

This entry, mainly for Dot's benefit, fills in a few gaps regarding our lockdown activities and growing grandchildren.

On 14 March, Sue and I enjoyed a short walk around Lymm, passing St Peter's church in Outrington (above), before heading down to Spud Wood for a walk through mud beside the Bridgewater Canal on the opposite side to the towpath.

I didn't realise the recent floods had been serious enough to beach this vessel, seen before we strolled around Lymm Dam in view of the resident cormorants!

Meanwhile, Isabella was behaving perfectly.

Except when forced to eat mushy gruel...

Jacob and Jessica and Kate were busy taking happy selfies.

And I was keeping up a daily (not)parkrun, this one being number 272, during which I was overtaken by a young girl on a penny farthing bike.

Tea in the garden after (not)parkrun number 272

Jessica busied herself composing an excellent collage, which I was required to print out for her.

The blossom in De Quincey Park triggered a pause during another (not)parkrun.

Isabella soon learnt that gruel is preferable to starvation! Sweet potato went down well.

She slept soundly while Sue and I took her on three laps (10 km) around Fletcher Moss on 27 March.

Back in Timperley, it was 'out with the old'

and 'in with the new'.

On the same day, 29 March, a walk around West Sale was enlivened by clumps of Lesser Celandine, Daffodils, a hedgerow of Blackthorn, the distinctive call of Chiffchaffs, and a cooing Wood Pigeon.

 

At the same time, Phil was laying the last of our new carpets, delayed for months by Covid. What a relief, we were getting a bit fed up with the sight of the gripper rods that we exposed at the end of November to make life easier for the decorator.

On Saturday (April 3) we celebrated the new Lockdown 'rule of six' with a small gathering of parkrunners around a couple of separate picnic benches at Wythenshawe Park, encountering a few folk (some just in passing, and all well socially distanced) we'd not seen since they supported me on the 'virtual marathon' I ran in the park last October.

Then Sue and I took grandma Dot for a 3.5 km walk around Eccleshall. Cold but sunny.

Yesterday, 4 April, I managed a 30 mile bike ride in sunny weather to Moore and back.

The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) near Altrincham

Grappenhall

Above the 'forbidden to bikes' towpath near Moore

A long stretch of newly upgraded TPT, next to the Ship Canal in Stockton Heath;

this used to be a narrow, often muddy, section

Gleaming new foliage on the quiet stretch of disused railway near Thelwall

Later, Sue and I took advantage of the most recent Lockdown relaxation and enjoyed, under the 'rule of six', meeting up with Richard and Jenny, and Sue and Phil, in a garden. Hopefully in May we will be allowed to meet people indoors, but this was a very welcome 'garden' reunion.

Finally, today we had the pleasure of a garden/park visit from Kate and J & J. The swings in Walton Park came first, as Oscar the dog needed a walk, even if Jacob didn't think so.

Then the slide and other playthings at the more or less deserted Newton Park, where the blossom is in fine fettle just now, provided more entertainment.

And that just about brings us up to date.