Lockdown Walks

Good Morning lovelies. This lockdown weather we have been having has just been glorious! Now I’m sure you have gathered from the little peek you had of our new home that we no longer live out in the countryside. Instead, we are located in a lovely leafy suburb within walking distance of Chester city centre.

That probably sounds awful compared to our country living over the last few years doesn’t it? But it’s not. You see our house happens to be 1 street back from a canal. We walk to the end of our road, through the hole in the hedge and down to the canal. To walk into the city we get to walk along right from our house, along the towpath and into town.

If we walk along the canal in the opposite direction we walk out into the countryside. It couldn’t be more perfect. We have the convenience of city living which is great for our busy university daughters and long stretches of waterways brimming with tranquility and nature.

We have taken to walking along the canal to our local Aldi to do our shopping. It’s not far, just one lock gate away along the towpath.

Ducks and Moorhens swim lazily in the still waters with their little brood of babies right now. Sometimes they swim up to us to see if we have any tidbits to throw their way.

The trees are all in blossom at the moment and it all makes for a very pretty English picture! Just what we need in the midst of this horrible pandemic. It helps you to realize that life does, and will go on and that this time will pass. In the meantime, it is best to enjoy this time we get to spend together and these warm spring days that we have been having.

On Monday we walked all the way into town. It took about 20 minutes to walk – it’s a 7-minute drive from my front door to my office and to the courthouse where I sit as a Magistrate. It’s all very convenient.

Our reason for going into town was that we had to find a pharmacy to buy some sterile dressings as my darling other half managed to cut his thumb quite badly whilst cooking. The town was eerily quiet. The usually busy streets were so very quiet and deserted. I’m looking forward to the time when we can walk into town and sit in the window of one of the lovely coffee shops enjoying a good coffee and watching people going about their business. Simple pleasures!

 Walking back home and my hip muscles began to feel stiff – I realized that I am really unfit and have determined to walk along the canal every day that we are in lockdown to try and improve my fitness levels. 

Chester is such a beautiful city and I am thrilled to be discovering something new about our home. When we bought our house I had no idea we were so close to the canal until someone at work told me that we were and that she cycles along the canal into work each day. Hopefully, by the time I get called out of furlough, I’ll be fit enough to make the walk without feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus! Summer is on its way and I think walking to and from work along the canal would be a great way to unwind and get exercise each day. Plus I get to save on parking! Win-win 😀 

Are you managing to get out and about for a bit of exercise during these lockdown days? It’s really important for your outlook to do so, even if it is just getting out and doing a bit of gardening or enjoying the sunshine. I’ve taken to sitting outside on our deck and working on my tan and law degree at the same time this week. Of course, I must admit to being lulled into sleepiness by the warmth of the sun or distracted by our cat being dive-bombed by an angry pair of blackbirds that did not take to the attentions she was trying to lavish on their baby! Don’t worry, I dispatched said kitty indoors promptly to allow the blackbird family to continue their flying lessons in peace.

Anyhoo, here we are at the end of another week. I hope that you all have a lovely restful weekend and I’ll see you here for a cuppa and a catchup next week.