Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Splendid Isolation

by Russell Turner - 16:13 on 23 March 2020

Is it really only a week since things became serious in the UK regarding coronavirus? It feels like months. Fortunately all remains healthy at The Rural Retreat where, since all City Limits gigs were cancelled, self-isolation is not a problem. Even outdoors, on runs, it’s rare I pass a pedestrian so keeping two metres away from other humans is not difficult.

This will be tested on Thursday when I venture into Raigmore Hospital (more accurately, one of its out-buildings) to keep an appointment to give blood, which is needed whatever else is happening, then return home via Tesco. A handful of virus cases are being treated at the hospital. We now have ten confirmed in the Highlands – the same (last time I read) as the whole of my home town, Wakefield.

There’s a small amount of publishing work I could be on with, which will bring in a few welcome pounds, but as it can’t be long before all non-essential businesses, such as printers, are closed there’s not much incentive to get busy.

The Retreat is now well stocked (but not overstocked) with food and toilet roll, and I’ve prepared for long days indoors by activating the unwanted Kindle I won a while ago, which means I’ll have the pleasure of reading all the pulp fiction that Matchgirl’s bought in the last few years. Dragons, swords and leather play major roles.

And training goes on, although as the medical experts say restrictions could be in place for twelve months, and serious ones for six, when I’ll run another race is unknown. Targets remain virtual races, of which more are being offered all the time; I’ll stick with ones to replace races I’ve lost.

This weekend would have been the Alloa Half Marathon. A virtual half on Sunday is tempting, although three days after a blood-letting it would probably have to be a cautious one. Let’s see what the weather’s like.

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