Middle NZ: Days of soldiering on are over

Finally the sun came out on Tuesday afternoon and there are signs of spring in the air with daffadils and lambs appearing. Photo / Paul Taylor

Yesterday afternoon I stepped outside to look at the sun and the blue sky.

It was my first day back in the office after being in isolation for seven very long, cold and wet days.

Basically it was like being in lockdown again except this time the weather was so awful on most days that I couldn't even go for a walk.

So when someone in the office said 'the sun's out', I had to go and have a look. What a beautiful, warming sight it was.

The reason I was in isolation was because last Monday I woke up feeling rather poorly. So I decided to stay home. I don't know how many times I've heard these words 'if you are unwell, please stay home' in the last couple of years.

Fair enough too. The days of soldiering on with a cold, (I recall a television ad with those words, although I don't believe it's been on the telly for quite some time— funny that) coughing and sneezing your way through the day regardless of how many people are around you, are well and truly gone.

That's not a bad thing either. Our world has changed so much in the past couple of years.
I still find it really hard to stay away from work, thinking that my colleagues will have to pick up my workload when they are already busy.

But the thing is, I know I would rather pick up someone's work than have them come into work when they are sick.

It's a hard habit to change.

Anyway, the day after I stayed home Mr Neat said he was poorly, so he stayed home. I did a RAT on Monday and Tuesday, negative. Mr Neat did one on Tuesday, positive.
Suddenly, he was even more poorly.

By Thursday I was feeling way better, still testing negative. Mr Neat was still poorly and even though we had the same symptoms he kept telling me I wasn't as bad as him because I didn't have "the Vid".

Although I was working from home most of the time, the days seemed to drag.

I spent some time watching the chickens. It turns out we have two roosters and they are starting to get rather testy with each other. I've tried to give one away but so far no takers.

If you are in the market for a rooster I have a handsome, white, 7-month-old that has started to grow some lovely green tail feathers. Free to a good home.

While the weather has been miserable it is the middle of winter and we all know it will get better. For now though the ground is sodden and there is mud everywhere.

I'm not complaining though, other parts of the country have been hammered week after week with heavy rain causing flooding, strong winds and snow. Once again we have escaped the worst of it.

I think though, that everyone will remember the winter of 2022 as wet, cold and full of sickness.

On the bright side, lots of daffodils have pushed their way through the earth and a couple of them are even flowering.

Roll on Spring.

• Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today