I’m lucky in that I can manage many aspects of my business online and over the phone in isolation.

I have been able to concentrate on marketing for the future and trying to secure the bookings which are currently allowed like key workers, folk unable to return to their home address, self isolations etc.

It’s time to think out of the box more than ever to be able to survive.

But like many others the lockdown has had a terrible effect on my serviced accommodation business for obvious reasons.

The human impact of the pandemic is horrendous, clearly but considering the self isolation aspect alone, pun intended, I have enjoyed the lockdown so far.

The main reason is that it has brought us much closer together as a family. The bonds between Sonny, Lola and myself have been strengthened massively.

And I am so grateful for this.

Lockdown daily exercise walk from home.

The periods when they’re not with me and I am alone has provided me with precious thinking time.

I’ve been a 100 miles per hour over the last few years setting up new properties so this period where I’ve been forced to stop, to an extent, and stay physically stationary has been welcome from that perspective.

However, if I never had Sonny and Lola with me part of the time I don’t think I’d feel the same about lockdown.

So I feel for folk who are alone and hope that they can find some positives from the situation.

I’ve managed to gradually wean them off their electronics (a challenge and deserves a blog dedicated just to to that topic – or is this just me?), well most of the time and they’re into a great routine. Up, school work, chores, free time! Every day’s a holiday for them it seems.

Refused to sign but got the agreement in principle, kinda!

School work seems to be getting done fine by them with the odd reminder here and there.

I’m sure it’s not the same as having a teacher there to challenge you and develop you but there are many other plus sides to the lockdown where they are developing in other areas of life.

Every morning they’re with me I take Sonny to his paper round (he’s classed as a key worker).

Then we walk around Countesswells Woods near his round as part of our daily exercise! We’ve managed to experiment a little with the new camera we bought recently to take some nice wildlife shots.

We’ve seen deer, loads of birds including woodpecker and we are all generally just appreciating the nature around us and our surroundings even more than we usually do.

Morning woodland walk with Sonny – trying to act natural!

Both of them are doing a bit but Lola especially has really got into art and specifically painting. Their artwork looks great, to my completely untrained eye.

I’d post a photo of both of their efforts but I’m sworn to get her approval of any of her photos posted and she doesn’t want them shared so this is one of Sonnys efforts only for now!

Sonnys art work!

Sonny and I have continued with our guitar lessons (they were for him originally but I gatecrashed them so we’re both learning together now) with our great tutor Stuart Hossack by Zoom call! It’s not quite the same as face to face but it works!

We’ve spent loads of time in the garden together, playing swing ball, wheelie bin basket ball, but mainly just gardening.

Gardening has always been a love of mine inherited from my Granda.

I’d really missed not having a garden during the last few years where I lived in apartments without a garden.

Lola is not so keen but Sonny has developed a love for it.

We’ve constructed a raised bed, hacked shrubs back, planted strawberries, broad beans, onions, and a load of other veggie seeds!

Sonny’s just successfully managed to get some apple seeds to sprout!

However, one thing we had all enjoyed together most days is our afternoon walks,

Mainly up to Hazelhead woods to be amongst nature, birds and wildlife and we have talked more than we ever have before during our hikes.

But we can’t venture too far.

Here in Scotland we are not allowed to (or not advised to, I think that means the same thing) drive to a place to exercise.

So you basically have to exercise directly from home. I do miss a blast into the hills to walk up a mountain.

But the First Minister announced last week that we can travel further for exercise in a gentle relaxation of the lockdown rules in Scotland.

She advises a distance of 5 miles from home by wheel or foot!

So if they bring their bikes with them on Sunday as promised we may be able to venture a little further from home!

Lola was saying she is missing the sea. I am as well.

So we might just pedal the 3 or so miles from home to Aberdeen beach. It’s a little frustrating to be able to see the North Sea from our walk at the top of the golf course but not to be able to go there and walk on the sandy beach.

Has the lockdown lead to any unexpected improvements to your lifestyle or to you appreciating your local environment and the simpler things in life?

Cheers

Colin.