I Dream the House is on Fire, but there's a Puppy in the Kitchen

My dream reflects my current state of mind. In the dream, I'm caught between the dog in the kitchen and the whole street on fire. Climate emergencies and pandemics, rain down with all your might! You will, regardless. But, wow, look at that pup. 

She's not here yet. We are hoping to adopt her from a rescue centre abroad. We have to wait 4 weeks for her to be fit and ready. I dread the thought of her long drive, but I'm assured it's all DEFRA approved, in a climate-controlled van, with 2 or 3 carers on board. 

And when she arrives, her life with us can begin.  Us!? We, who know zip about dogs, but are ready to learn, with open hearts. 

So there was me (in a mask) in Asda, trying to resist buying doggy treats and doggy accessories, like a pregnant women too scared to buy baby-grows and bibs in the first trimester. Better not to risk any tempting of fate. 

And, now today, all this talk of the Scottish/English border. Could that affect her journey?

Boris said there is 'no such thing as a border between England and Scotland.' Aye, right.  

Right now, there's a 'border' round the city of Leicester, because Boris's government failed to make 'pillar 2' Covid test results public.   Cases rose rapidly, because people weren't warned. Why is this not a bigger scandal?

Leicester is doing the right thing locking down again.  And likewise, while Scotland has a handful of new cases each day, England has at least 1000 daily. 

At the risk of looking like Mel Gibson with my face painted blue, I'd support closing the Scottish border to all non-essential travel, or at least asking for 2 weeks quarantine. It makes sense to limit Covid spread wherever you can.

The puppy will have 2 week's quarantine in our home and garden. Of course we will follow that. I have booked a workman to build a tall wooden gate to make our enclosed garden secure. 

When we need gates, we need them. When life is safer, we can open them up. I don't have any great wisdoms to wrestle out of the gate metaphor. You get the point.

The kids' daily catch-phrases are no more, or no less, profound. But they pepper our days. 

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta, says Tess.

Hugh replies - That's you. That's you on a daily basis. 

Another day, another dollar, good people of 2020. 

Maybe tonight, I will dream of running with wolves, I mean, rescue pups, under grey skies, through empty parks with knitted seats.