Tuesday, November 30

The world rumbles on and things become more confused. This morning we learn that Kerala has imposed a blanket two week quarantine on travellers landing from anywhere in Europe as an immensely rational response to the sudden existence of the Omicron variant.

This might change of course. The omicron variant may prove no more worrying than the previous delta variant, and normal service will resume once more. On the other hand, another new virus might burst into view on December 18 and all border might close.

Last weekend we had a mini-celebration because it looked as though everything had finally started to fall into place. Today that feels a bit premature. This morning we realised glumly that we won’t believe that we will get the projects restarted until we actually find ourselves standing in Kerala doing just that.

I hear Irma holding a meeting in the distance (all work must happen at home as a precaution) and get up to walk to the postbox. Snow has fallen: not much but enough to outwit the feeble winter sun and live through the day.

We actually have mail today and as I walk back from the postbox at the end of the road I stop and photograph some winter tyre tracks. Fortunately we switched to winter tyres yesterday; just in time, it would appear.