It’s not cold today (a relatively sultry 15°C) but it is wet. We might not have stirred out at all but for the fact that we had goods to pick up from Argos, an item that had not been ready yesterday (see yesterday’s post).

Busier than usual

We started, as usual, with a visit to Jusaka which has in a sense become our clubhouse as the staff are more like friends than baristas. We found it busier than I have seen it at any time since the arrival of Covid. This is good, as it helps the business to survive, though it might make it awkward to find a suitably separate place to sit. We sat at our “round the corner” table which transient customers tend to miss or avoid.

Decorated latte
Photo by Tigger

We had the same order as always, latte for Tigger and a “black americano” for me.

I have for years drunk both coffee and tea without milk, so this seems quite natural to me. Not to other people, however, as baristas often ask “Any milk with that?” or even bring a jug of hot milk with the coffees to our table.

High Street in the rain

The High Street was slick with rain and the heavy cloud overlay made it as dark as evening. This sign warning of road works and possible delays up ahead somehow added to the oppressive mood.

Two more clossed businesses
Photos by Tigger

These seem to be two more businesses that have closed down though whether because of Covid or for other reasons is not clear.

Two ways to track and trace
Photo by Tigger

I mentioned the other day that the QR code system that started as a perfectly good way of recording your presence in a cafe or restaurant now works only if you have the official app installed on your phone. This business provides two ways to do it, however, the official and their own. Good for them. I hope more businesses follow their example. The app is unpopular and is not generally used and dissenters are not going to be easily coerced into using it. It is better to have unofficial systems that work than an official one that does not.

As for us, we picked up our item at Argos and then hurried home like two dormice scurrying to their nest.

The title refers to a curious incident earlier in the day. Just after lunch, the doorbell rang. I went to the door to find a man wearing a high-vis jacket.

“Did you report a dead fox?” He enquired,

Dead fox? No, sorry, no dead foxes here. Can’t help you with that..

“Oh, all right, then” said he and politely took his leave. I almost felt as though I had let him down somehow…