Slow growing; remarkably tolerant.

Lichen - this on the wee bridge over the burn that we crossed twice this afternoon. Lichens are slow growing and remarkably tolerant. They can cope with drying out, and can survive extremes of heat and cold. This means that they can tolerate being scorched by the sun in summer months, yet also survive ice and snow. They can be found throughout Scotland, and are worth reading up on.

We spoke with a farmer on our walk. He was securing his boundary fence - it’s adjacent a recognised core path, (and we of course have open access via the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003). He was greatly concerned about dogs worrying his sheep and lambs again this year. Last year was bad, as many folks with dogs returned to the countryside during lockdown. With continued coronavirus restrictions, and more new dog owners than ever, he fears a recurrence, or worse. He spoke of some horrific injuries and scenes. All quite unnecessary to.

The First Minister confirmed 499 new coronavirus cases today. Some sustained improvement across 4 key metrics; some of the performance data is now as per September last year. She intimated possible very slight easing of some restrictions next week. But she’s cautious.

ONS figures released today - number of people who had COVID-19 during most recent week of study in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; England around 1 in 220 people, Wales 1 in 285 people, Northern Ireland 1 in 325 people, Scotland 1 in 335 people, (these at 27 February 2021).

Family are well. Got out a bit before dark. Friday - weekend for them now.