Tanuki

‘Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants’ is a quote I saw this morning. It was written with regard to information and ignorance but definitely applies to wellbeing and weather. It would be nice to have more sunlight at the moment.

I daytripped to Essex to see Clare, who I haven’t seen since some time in 2019. I despaired en route at the level of adherence to mask-wearing on trains and in stations. It can’t be much over 50% of people who are wearing them properly. A huge number of people are a) not wearing them at all, b) wearing them around their neck, or c) leaving various noses or mouths poking out.

The percentage of adults who are legitimately exempt must be tiny, so I attribute the lack of masks to a) people not being bothered because it’s too much of an inconvenience, b) acts of defiance or irreverence against what people perceive to be a sheeplike mentality encouraged by a government they don’t trust, or c) a lack of engagement in the wider world and a global issue that has gone over many people’s heads.

Likely it’s a blurred combination of all three reasons. However with new variants showing high levels of transmissibility, it would be good if people kept up the mask efforts or searched deep within themselves to be arsed.

I met Clare and her boys in Brentwood, home of The Only Way Is Essex. We had decided to visit Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, a large eclectic mix of rescued animals including potbellied pigs, rheas, rabbits, alpacas, turkeys, parrots, foxes and terrapins. I had never heard of a tanuki, but here is one, otherwise known as a Japanese raccoon dog. Many thanks must go to Leona Lewis, who is a kind supporter of Hopefield. She has helped them to construct some stables.

Clare invited me back for a roast chicken and to hang, which morphed into playing dodgeball using space hoppers as missiles in the drizzle with two young children. It was also fun on the trampoline, seeing the boys try and stand up whilst an adult man with added lockdown bulk jumped up and down. Hours of entertainment for all concerned.

It was a soggy train ride back in a pair of donated socks, but a wildly exciting trip to a neighbouring county, and delightful to see Clare and fam.