Prairie in the park

Another warm day with clouds and sunshine plus the occasional shower. I spent the morning and part of the evening working on the audio file for next week's Morning Prayer and Reflection. Clare went to her study group and I cooked lunch in time for her return. It's a pleasure just to live without the constraint that an open wound imposed on me for so long. It's less of a struggle to get done all the things I set out to do, and for this I am most grateful.

Rain was threatened when I left for my afternoon circuit of the Fields and Bute Park so I wore a raincoat. It didn't rain and I ended up carrying it as I was overheating. Yesterday I got damp from drizzle as I didn't take a raincoat. I can't get it right, but refuse to encumber myself with a brolly just in case. Perverse is the word for it. Because of the abundance of rain earlier in the spring and present warmth the vegetation has grown with abundant luxury. I don't recall seeing bramble bushes before covered with so many flowers for so long, or did I simply not notice. 

An increased area of grassland in the parks, not mown for sports users is rich with wild flowers and long grasses, so we have more than just lawn green in the city landscape; pale gold, yellow, brown. It enhances biodiversity, economises on running costs and carbon footprint. It's an enhancement to our environment which hope will continue and felt to be beneficial to all, people and creatures alike.

Despite the continued rise in delta variant covid cases causing concern to all in the medical profession, the English government is pressing on with easing restrictions and making mask wearing voluntary rather than obligatory, insisting that everyone take personal responsibility for keeping each other safe. Well, we should do that in any case, but if there's no possible sanction other than a disapproving look or comment, some won't bother to think of others and the risk factor is enhanced. 

We're already seeing a third wave of covid infections, not as serious or dangerous as previous ones, but the outcome of the decision are quite unpredictable. It's being seen as an experiment in resuming normality (of a kind), but it's more of a political experiment than a scientific medical one. More of a gamble really and disquiet is being expressed by members of the public who consider themselves vulnerable, as much as medics. Tomorrow the Welsh government will announce its decision about restriction. It'll be more cautious and pay more attention to infection statistics and their impact, thankfully.