It is 7am. I’ve been up for a while. David, my son-in-law and haulier, has left for work. He now takes his lunch with him every morning as his usual haunts for eating are closed. He also doesn’t want to meet anyone, conscious that he is the one that has to move in the community for his work. We talk about the coronavirus and how we must not let it pull us down. David pulls off and I go back into the house for a quiet cup of tea.

Cartoon by Clyde Delaney.

The sun is coming up casting shadows on a silent countryside. There’s no sound of traffic around the Vagabond Rock. The only things moving are the blades of grass as the gentle breeze stirs them. I haven’t seen the sun in a while. I allow it to lift my spirits. I remind myself that being content even happy is something that I can decide to be.

This invisible entity that is the coronavirus had turned our lives upside down. Our social interactions have been terminated. Extraordinary measures are demanded of our health professionals. It has changed the political landscape. The country is focused; we are mostly on the one page. The 13- to 25-year-olds are still not getting it. They continue to meet up and interact closely even if they are outdoors. We have a part to play in this. We can talk to our nieces and nephews and explain the consequences of their actions. None of them want to make a loved one sick.

I’ve no doubt that they will get on board once they are informed appropriately

They just don’t want to hear it from their parents and they are full of energy and enthusiasm for life. This new way of living is totally alien to them. We need to support them rather than vilify them and help them to understand. I’ve no doubt that they will get on board once they are informed appropriately.

Physical distance in action

The dark cloud that is COVID-19 hovers around us threatening to envelope us. Life goes on as normal, or does it? I try to put it out of my head and get on with my work but it pulls you back. The sanitiser at the back door, the gloves at the ready everywhere and the constant reminding of each other to wash our hands.

Paudie regularly contracts on our farm. We stood about six metres apart in the yard

That question “Did you wash your hands?” has the potential to drive one crazy, but can save your life. Inside the farmgate we work on. It is still a busy spring, a wet challenging spring, a lot of my time is spent in the yard and coronavirus doesn’t change that.

The first visitor yesterday was Paudie, who was putting out some slurry. Paudie regularly contracts on our farm. We stood about six metres apart in the yard and shouted above the din of the milking machine. The topic: coronavirus. I told him, I’d send out dinner. “No,” he insisted, “we’re all sorted. We have our lunches with us.”

Interaction shut down. The cloud was between us. We didn’t delay. Then as I was washing up in the dairy, the milk truck arrived. I didn’t know this guy. It was not appropriate to chat or find out his name. I stood several metres away from him and pointed out where he could wash his hands to protect him from the virus. He thanked me. We both got on with our business.

We both expressed relief at being able to continue our jobs

It felt strange. A cow died yesterday and that always pulls a farmer down. The knackery was contacted. He arrived just as I was heading out to feed the once-a-day calves. Tim gave me the paperwork. I met Con. Again the subject was coronavirus. We both expressed relief at being able to continue our jobs. I stood away from the truck as he completed the form. The cloud was between us. I walked away.

We are grateful for the way everyone in the agri industry is working

Later a Dairygold driver rang Tim. He would be delivering a pallet of milk replacer around 9pm. This time there would be no interaction at all. We cannot do without the people that service our business on a daily basis. We are grateful for the way everyone in the agri industry is working; firstly, to keep our businesses serviced and secondly rigidly applying the physical distancing recommendations. It is hard but as one professional urged: “Think about who you are helping by your actions; is it the virus or your country?”