Have you ever watched birds take off from, and land on, water?
These two photos were taken on the Lake of Menteith in Scotland a few years ago. They make a nice pair of images. As swans swim around on the lake you don’t really hear much noise. They’re pretty famous for gliding over the surface, apparently effortlessly. (You can’t see that their legs are paddling like mad below the surface)
But when they take off and when they land, boy, do they make a lot of noise! They splash and clatter as their huge wings beat the air.
It strikes me that these transitions, as the swan moves from the air to the water surface, and vice versa, are times of huge effort. Yet they do both with an astonishing grace.
Look at the first photo where a swan is taking off. It looks elegant and stylish. Streamlined even. Straight as an arrow. As it just leaves the water it continues to move parallel to the surface for a few beats before it soars up into the sky.
Then the second photo where one is landing also has a certain elegance, but not the same elongated, streamlined form. It’s long neck has an arched shape which gives the whole creature the appearance of a crescent or a bow.
An arrow as it takes off, and a bow as it lands.
Today is the end of the “confinement” in France. The Charente, where I live, is one of the “departments verts” (green regions) which means the virus isn’t so present in the population (it’s not been that present here since the start of the outbreak, probably not least because this a rural, less densely populated part of the country), and the pressure on the health services locally is not great. The government are using an interesting measure which picks up, to some extent, aspects of both of those criteria – the percentage of patients presenting at hospital who have suspected Covid-19 symptoms. The lower that percentage, the less active the virus is deemed to be, and, of course, the less need for hospital care. The government have also been at pains to say that this is the beginning of the “deconfinement” – just the start of an easing of restrictions.
We landed in lockdown (confinement) very abruptly at the beginning. It was announced one evening, that from midnight that night all the restaurants, bars and cafes would close, and within a couple of days, the full lockdown was in effect. Take off out of lockdown (deconfinement) seems to be much more gradual.
I’d expected to feel quite different this morning, but I don’t. The fact that there have been high winds and heavy rainfall since overnight last night is one of the reasons why I’m feeling not much has changed. It’s not that tempting to go out today! But the other is, that in Cognac, like most towns this size in France, the market and the shops are closed all day every Monday. So, there’s not much point in going into town today to see how it feels. Tomorrow might be different.
I’m very aware that this is now a transition phase. My life, although restricted for the last couple of months, has attained a certain stability and quiet calm. Now the limits have been pushed out a bit. I can go out without the need to print a permission slip to show to any policeman who might stop me, and I can travel freely up to 100 kilometres from home. I’m pretty sure I don’t want to use all the freedoms I’ve got now, though. For example, I could make a trip to the big city – Bordeaux. But do I want to get on a tram with a lot of other people and walk down much busier streets, whilst all the restaurants and cafes are still closed? I don’t think so. And I still can’t leave the country (although, frankly, I have zero interest in an airport and flight experience for now!), and I can’t yet drive to other parts of France. The beaches, museums, cinemas and theatres are all still closed too. So, it’s France, but not France as we know it, Jim.
I’m wondering if I, and the rest of the country, can transition with as much grace and elegance as these swans. Or is there going to be a lot of noisy flapping around? Especially if this is just the first transition in a whole wave of transitions to come.
How is it in your part of the world?
Heroes Not Zombies 
Scotland is still living in lockdown, but I constantly receive updates from my family in Italy, where the start of “phase n.2” has begun with people dancing in the streets, with face masks on, but not respecting the social distance. Obviously not everyone is being so irresponsible, the country is divided in 2 factions: the “cautious party” and the “let’s celebrate life party”. The different way of thinking translates into endless discussions on Facebook. I have the impression that Italian transition is going to be quite belligerent!