Today's Excitement...

...was getting the e-bike out for the first time this year. As always with these "seasonal" activities it takes a while to get going on the first day. In this case it was search for the pump, pump up the tyres, find the helmet, locate the keys and decide just how many clothes are needed to keep out the cold.
After all the talk and text about lock-downs it felt good to be out in the fresh air with the wind in my face. It's certainly an advantage at times like this to live on the edge of the forest. We can still get out on walks, no matter what.
I'd cycled the first 3 km and was half-way up the second hill before I remembered I had a motor. One click and life got much easier on that second hill.  One (down)hill had to be taken very carefully because it was heavily shaded and the going can be best described as a mix of snow, ice, and gravel. Otherwise the 12 km circuit was mostly dry.
In contrast to my rather pleasant day,the news arriving via WhatsApp from the family in the UK  is not reassuring. Chaos on the ground and a total lack of leadership from the government. The NHS is routinely expected to work miracles these days, but now they are expected to work miracles without protective gear, without any testing of medical staff, and without sufficient beds.
When all this over I hope people remember how it is now, and who was supposedly in charge.
The last of my skiing backblips went up today. Now my blipfoto 2020 is completely up-to-date!