Dear LPG,

This whole situation that the world has found itself in has really shaken it up.  It is interesting that, now that something that so many people dream of before they retire has become a reality for practically all of us, we don’t like it.  I am talking about staying at home.

I was listening to a television chat programme yesterday and learned something that is happening to many of my retired friends as the enforced ‘stay-at-home’ season continues.  It hit home because quite a few of my friends have mentioned it during our telephone conversations recently.  More than one has said that they feel really lazy since being in self-isolation and, in spite of the advice that we have all been given to do all those things that we never get time to do I have to admit that I am affected too.  I think that for those that usually have one, the ‘going out’ aspect of our daily routines that keep us out of the house most of the time is becoming quite a challenge. Amongst others, we oldies appear to be getting into the habit of nodding off during the day even more than we used to before all this started.  I found it interesting that the television discussion also mentioned that it was affecting people’s sleep routines at night, and there is a lot more getting up in the small hours because everybody’s routine is up the spout. 

I am getting up really early because of the many ‘middle-of-the-day 40 wink’ sessions I find myself waking up from these days too but there is an advantage. 

Now that it is getting warmer and we have the light mornings again, I have been taking a walk to my back door to listen to the birds.  There is something really special about being able to hear because there are less cars and other noises to interrupt. 

Did you know that tomorrow will be National Dawn Chorus day?  There are usually all sorts of events arranged for the bird watchers amongst us but they will all be cancelled this year no doubt. 

This is one of those daily happenings that today’s world with its usual hustle and bustle forces us to miss but I am writing this message, half way through April, in the hope that LPG will post it today and I would not be surprised if we are still all locked down. 

So if you have trouble sleeping in the early hours, why not open the back door or the bedroom window and have your own personal Dawn Chorus Day when you get up tomorrow morning?  

It is also worth mentioning that you can hear them during the day now that there is not so much of our noise to listen to… 

NE, Telegraph Hill.

NE offers us some information about National Dawn Chorus day…

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