There's a lot of it about

 Good evening. I didn't think it was that cold when I walked out of the door this afternoon. I set off anyway for a walk to the park via the track by the playing field and past the allotments. By the time I got to the end of the track I wished I had put my thick woolly gloves on, rather than the fingerless ones. It was very cold. 

Entering the village there was a peacock strolling along the road. They often come out of the park and go exploring in peoples gardens. It's a bit of a gamble for them as the road can get quite busy and drivers don't always slow down. This one made it into a garden and was pecking about looking for grubs.  

There were a few people who had braved the cold and came out for a walk. I see the horses are still there. I think they are due to be removed soon. 

As I was leaving the park a friends husband came running towards me, in shorts and a t shirt. He had a gadget strapped to his arm to monitor his fitness levels. He looked a bit out of puff. I said it looks like you had a good Christmas, your middle has expanded. He said no, we had a terrible Christmas. We have all been ill. He said the coughing started before Christmas and hasn't yet fully gone away. I asked him where he might have caught it. His reply, the kids. They have three teenagers. He is trying to build his strength up with a bit of running. He went to the park, then overtook me on his way back. 

I noticed a friend across the road in a field, she was seeing to her daughters two ponies in their paddock. I often speak to her if I see her about. I haven't seen her since before Christmas. She is 65 ish possibly 70 ish. She said, guess what I had for Christmas dinner. I tried a guess but was way off. Apparently she took a snack with her to the paddock and sat in the shed with the ponies. The story was, her daughter and husband both caught a bad dose of the lurgy. They were both coughing so hard that Sarah thought she had cracked a rib and they went to hospital. She thought she might need an x-ray. The doctor said she didn't need one. 

So, Sarah's mother has had to see to the ponies. She has been going twice a day for three weeks. It's a good job she is fit and well to be able to do that. There's a lot of it about, so they say. 

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona