Temple Newsam

Today I finished sanding the door. I now need to consider whether to oil, stain or paint. My sons and I then went for a walk up at Temple Newsam House. The house itself is closed still due to the lockdown, but the grounds can't really be closed - and there is some guidance on distancing. Given the weather - it has been raining fairly heavily, but had stopped - it was quiet. It was lovely to be out in the fresh air. We caught the perfect time - the swallows were out and diving all round us for insects. Impossible to get a decent shot as they were so fast, but it was an incredible experience. Social distancing was maintained, but some came as close as 2 metres.
The main picture is the driveway up to the house. The extra is a bench down by the lake, with the ground covered with rhododendron blooms. It struck me that the empty bench said something about what Coronavirus has done to many places.