Life as we not do know it

Bugler at the Dove Valley Working Gundog Test 20-3-16

So here we are - a good 6 weeks since the end of the shooting season and well into our summer programme: Gundog training for Bugler and Skipper and Agility training for Jaunty. It's good for the dogs because they enjoy the personal attention, brainwork and exercise. Good for the human too because it gives her something 'focussed' to concentrate on. At some stage though we need to 'measure' our progress and 'test' ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings. So, normally, this is the time of year when we're gearing up for Gundog Working Tests and Agility competitions. Indeed, we have already entered one of the former and two of the latter.
But that's as far as it goes this year. Because this year is not "normal" by any definition.  At some point in the future we will look back and say : "Coronavirus (CV) - what on earth is that?" At the moment though it is the only story. We thought all the talk of brexit over the past three years was debilitating, demoralising, pretty darned boring but CV has far outstripped talk of Brexit on any and every scale. Just a few weeks "in" and everywhere we turn all we hear is CV and its effects and consequences. Hardly surprising therefore that it has impacted on our normal summer season pursuits. All Agility and Gundog events (like so many across the spectrum) are cancelled until further notice..... we will all be going nowhere.
There are upsides - no sleepless nights worrying about how we'll perform; no ghastly early morning starts to distant (and they always are from us) destinations; no getting stuck in weekend and holiday traffic (so many dog events are scheduled at these 'busy' times); no more worrying about dogs in hot cars; no more getting home late and having to do all the pastoral and household tasks that need doing every day regardless. There are always positives. Thinking about it - the only downside may be that we will all be a year older when we next get to compete!!!!
We'll keep up the training and hopefully it'll stand us in good stead..... for whatever life throws at us next..
Meanwhile, it's time now to collect eggs, feed the horse his tea and hay, take the dogs for their afternoon exercise, check on the poorly duck.......   so much of life continues as it always did.......