That’s how it goes.
There was frost around first this this morning but on the whole I would rather frosty, sunny mornings than damp grey ones.
The picnic table area by the duckpond was rather squelchy. A lady walking her dogs told us in indignant tones that we had Diggle Primary School to blame for that. They organised some kind of activity there for Hallowe’en and masses of people were stomping around on the wet ground. Squelchy mud as a consequence! “And barely a mask and no social distancing at all!” she finished off her rant! But I bet the local kids had some fun.
They’ve started mass testing for the virus in Liverpool, aiming to test everyone apparently. The jury is out in the usefulness of this, however. Some scientists don’t seem to think it will help reduce the R-number. It might make people feel they are doing something useful though.
The USA remains in limbo as regards who will be president for the next four years. There has been, indeed there continues to be, a lot of kerfuffle about postal voting, or “mail-in ballots” as they call them over there. As though the idea was completely new and strange. Maybe it is for them. I know people here who always vote by post. Now, I wonder how long it will be before we start to talk about postal votes as “mail-in ballots” in this country. I have already noticed a number of reporters doing so. I hope it is just those who are reporting on the US elections!
Language is a funny thing. In recent years older people have stopped falling over or falling down. Instead they “have a fall”, which sounds more dignified. Children fall over, buildings and trees fall down, but old people have falls. I suppose there is some logic to it. Linguistic logic anyway. After all, we “have a talk” with people and we “have a look” at things.
Thinking of children, Scotland has become the first part of the UK to ban the smacking of children after new legislation came into effect. The 58th country in the world to ban it but the first in the UK. We don’t lead the world in being nice to children then. No doubt the “a good smack never hurt me” brigade will still be shocked by this but I never understood how a “good smack” did any more than convince a child that it’s okay to hurt someone provided you are bigger and stronger than they are.
My daughter told me of having to remonstrate with a parent on this subject. The child had done something wrong at school. On hearing about it, his father declared his intention to beat his son when he got him home. My daughter convinced him, she hopes, that this was not necessary. Her own expressions of disappointment were probably enough to persuade the eight year old not to offend again. She has mastered the knack of making her little charges feel bad if they let her down. No raps on the knuckles with a ruler necessary there.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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