Zoological boredom relief

Whilst others are dying or risking their lives dealing with the current crisis, my low point today was washing the vacuum cleaner filters. I recognise that I am currently blessed with the gift of inactivity, boredom and clean household appliances.

I salute the front line workers.

Even though I’m on holiday from work for a few days more, I’ve a paper work deadline to meet before my hols are over and I’ve set aside tomorrow to deal with it. Meanwhile I’m keeping busy doing non work related tasks. I’ve finished a cross stitch embroidery of two butterflies on buddleia, a pin cushion for who knows who. I’ve ordered more bookmark kits to embroider. I’m running out of people that I know who read books and might want, need or deserve a beautiful, cross stitch bookmark. Still I carry on, it’s a compulsion.

The list of animals I visit in the park is growing. The giraffes, the ducks/geese and the gibbons have been joined recently by camels, and who can resist a meerkat? Not me. There was a man visiting the gibbons yesterday morning when I arrived, at a safe distance, I asked him if he thought they recognise regular visitors. He was sure they do. They are definitely curious. This morning I met a girl who runs up and down for them, and the smaller one chases her, she chats with him in clicks. She’s been doing this for four years. It’s a joy to behold, her joy, his joy. I hope our visits relieve the potential boredom of their incarcerated lives and I wonder where they’d go if they were allowed out once a day.

I drove a Securicor parcel delivery van for a while in the summer of 1984. My favourite route included Longleat safari park. The guys on the main gate would say, straight down to the house today or would you like to go around the lions? If it was a Wednesday I’d drive through the safari park in my van. Half day closing meant business was often a bit slow on a Wednesday afternoon.

Even though vehicles were thoroughly checked at the exit, monkeys were very successful at escaping. Where do monkeys like to go when they get to go out?

Not far, and up a tree. This being so, it’s unlikely they’d come visit chez Tart.