Chronicles from the Virus Day 55. Walking and Thinking about the Future.

Today, I woke up late, thanks to a cat that came to bother me by stepping on the pillow in the wee hours of the morning. But I could still go walking because the guidelines have changed a little. 

In Galicia and Asturias, it now depends on how many people there are in each parish, rather than township. In the rest of Spain it depends on the township. The hourly rules were: 6 to 10AM and 8 to 11PM, everybody from 14 to 70 could go out to exercise or walk for an hour; 10AM to 12PM and 7 to 8PM, over 70's; and 12 to 7PM children to 14 with one parent. Those townships exempt from the hourly rules are those that have five thousand people or less. In Galicia and Asturias, the population taken into account now are the parishes, not the entire township. That's because in these two regions, people are more spread out than in the Castillas or other regions. For example, my house isn't in my village. It's a seven minute walk away from the village center. Because population is spread more thinly, it makes more sense to take into account the parish population instead of the entire township.

The weather, however, was telling me to turn back. When I set out, tiny drops of drizzle touched me as I walked, but with a thin persistance. I wasn't getting wet, but the far hills were blurry. After I returned and showered, the drizzle got a little thicker, and tiny drops were showing on the window set in the roof. Now, the mist is kissing the hilltops. It's going to be a grey day.

Phase One is supposed to begin on Monday. I'm still not sure what we can do then. I still don't know if our daughter can come home, or if I can go to the next township. I did read that those cars that have their inspection expired should start going to the garages where they're done in Phase One. I think mine expires in June, so I'm not on the shady side of the law yet.

I would like to cut my mop sometime soon, though. And color it blue, again. Normally, I take a long time to cut my hair, and three or four months will pass from one haircut to the other. But this is now the month I would have gone. My hair is starting to bother me, and its natural color is getting boring, despite the streak of white I see developing in one corner. My husband has long reached the point of wearing a ponytail, so he does need a trim, too.

I also need to look for summer slip-on shoes. I dug out a pair but discovered their soles are cracked. So are the soles of another pair. I saw the perfect, colorful pair of summer sneakers in a store in Santiago back in February. The store is in a shopping mall, though, so I don't know when it will re-open, or if it will even have the same footwear. I like color, and this past winter, shoes were boringly black, or brown. The spring footwear that was beginning to be sold was also boring: beige, powder blue or pink. A few years ago, the explosions of color were much more interesting. Now, I have to dig further to find something different.

Now, this is an idea for those who have yards with lawns, and an old mower lying around. Exercise and usefulness. 

In Monterrey, Mexico, there's a nature reserve with many black bears. One of them decided to make the acquaintance of a family living nearby. It broke into the house, drank a knocked-over soda, and then opened the fridge to check it out. It finally settled on some tacos. What we don't know is if it washed its hands before entering the house.  

Life continues.