Sounds of Silence

First day of second lockdown and there is a definite feeling that something has changed. Everything just feels quieter and there is a lot less activity - the sort of atmosphere you normally only encounter on Christmas Day! Helped a bit by the weather being very calm today, after the storms of the past week, but I’m guessing people are generally obeying the “stay at home” instruction.
Although, having said that, I still see people going to and from school and the elderly residents on our street are still getting visits from their relatives. But in spite of many businesses saying they will carry on trading on a click and collect basis, the closure of “non essential” shops has obviously had an effect. When we went into town to do our weekly food shop, the car parks were noticeably emptier and there were a lot less people around. Even M&S was quieter than normal - which was a good thing as shopping was completed in double quick time.
Back in March, nature was just getting ready for spring and summer with everything coming into bloom. Now we are at the end of autumn, everything is dying back in anticipation of winter, though this flower in our hanging basket is gamely clinging on!
As I took the photo I was aware of the silence. Although there were background sounds, it was not the usual distant hum of traffic. Instead I could hear a neighbour using a hedge trimmer, a tumble drier whirring away nearby and some birds on the roof across the road.
Whilst there do appear to be a lot more opportunities to legitimately go out and about during this lockdown, let’s hope most people do the sensible thing and stay at home as much as possible, so we can return to a less restrictive way of life in December.