Spring is springing in Stratford, which is great because going to the gym or the Y is a bad idea at present. For the next three weeks, most of southern Ontario has retreated into their hole and pulled it in after them.

I went out for a nice long walk yesterday (sun was shining, temperature above freezing) and le tout Stratford was also out to celebrate the return of strolling weather. We politely waved and smiled at each other, keeping our distance as the Medical Officer of Health has directed. Churches throughout the province are closed until Palm Sunday, so — no church. Some restaurants are still open, but business is lousy at our normal Sunday breakfast spot. The farmers’ market held its last session “for a while” on Saturday, and the butchers’ counters were absolutely rammed; a visitor from outer space could be forgiven for thinking that meat was going out of style.

We bought a lot more than we usually do, and I spent half the afternoon cutting up a blade roast into stew chunks and vacuum-sealing a pork roast, four enormous kaessler (a kind of smoked pork loin chop), two pounds of bacon and the stew meat. The freezer is now full to the top. The Instant Pot has been in production since Saturday, and we now have five litres of duck stock and five litres of chicken stock.

The supermarkets have been stripped of the things people can’t bear the thought of doing without, most notably toilet paper, but also bleach, bread, potatoes and canned tomatoes. Himself was inclined at first to throw himself into the frenzy, but I slammed on his brakes; we don’t have space to store any more than we have already, and we’re not hoarders.

The Stratford Festival has cancelled all performances in April, so that’s our Hamlet tickets up in smoke. My choir has cancelled its next concert, scheduled for 30 March, and all rehearsals until 6 April, and the executive (which includes me) will meet on 7 April to re-assess.

Himself and I are not going to France; we were supposed to leave on 30 April. The government has told us not to fly anywhere if we can possibly avoid it, and people who are out of the country must come home RIGHT NOW while they still can.

So far, “community transmission” of the disease has not begun in Stratford, and we have only one confirmed case — a man who tested positive after flying home from a holiday in Mexico. Our neighbours went to Mexico with their grandchildren on Friday, much to our dismay, and I imagine they will face a quarantine order when they get back.

We are practising “social distancing”.

Himself just went to court for a meeting in which the criminal lawyers (Crown and defence) will hash out what to do with their most urgent cases. (God alone knows what they will do in big centres with beaucoup crime, like Toronto.) Jury trials are cancelled, and all other kinds of appearances have been postponed for 10 weeks. Himself says A LOT of people will have to be let out of jail to relieve crowding.

As for us, we have plenty to do and the wide world to stretch our legs in — as long as we avoid other people. Cross the street, smile and wave.