I did want to go for my morning walk.   It is a gorgeous day today so there was no excuse. But for some reason, I could not raise myself early enough.  That’s what I hate about this limited time slot we have in which to exercise outdoors!  Roll on Level 3 when there should be no restriction regarding when to go outside!

Today I am participating in Stream of Consciousness Saturday from Linda G Hill  The Prompt word is ‘want’.  It must be used in the first, second or third word of the post.

A want is not a need.   There are things that we want and there are things that we need.  We need air, food and water to survive.  We need love, exercise, occupation, money and other things to improve the quality and usefulness of our lives.  Things that we want can either be good or bad.  We want things that we need and we want things that we don’t really need.  Some things we want are good for us while others are not!

In South Africa right now there are a large number of people who want to buy cigarettes but cannot do so legally.  These people’s rights to choose have been violated.  Some are satisfying their want by obtaining tobacco products on the black market.  Others who want these products cannot afford the extremely high price so are depriving themselves of their fix.  It is one thing to do without a want when you choose to give it up of your own fee will but when it is forced upon you it is something completely different.  I can only imagine the feeling of deprivation and frustration.   Some, of course, will embrace it as a chance to make a permanent change while others will be frustrated, angry and difficult to live with.   In some cases the withdrawal could have a devastating effect upon them.   Is it even safe to go cold turkey on cigarettes?

I want to be able to buy alcohol.   If the restriction on the sale of such products goes on much longer I will be forced to tea-total as my supplies are running low.  Not having a drink is not a huge problem for me.  I limit my intake at the best of times.  But that is not to say that I don’t enjoy a gin and tonic from time to time and I certainly like a glass of white wine with my evening meal.   I don’t need that drink.  I have it because I enjoy it and what’s the point of life if you can’t indulge yourself is a little treat every now and then!   Once again I feel that the government has no right to deprive its citizens of choice!   Opening up the sale of alcohol and tobacco products will also be good for the economy.  Why put more pressure on it than is necessary?

Sometimes we need something that we don’t want.  We don’t want to be on lockdown but we need to in order to “flatten the curve”.  In South Africa our first few weeks of Lockdown were necessary.  Many experts feel that those weeks have bought us time.   Things are in place to deal with the pandemic.  Lockdown is not going to stop the spread but it is going to criple the country if it goes on for much longer.   We need to move forward by following the right protocols – washing hands, wearing masks, social distancing but we also need to go back to school and work!  We need to and we want to save the country’s economy.

Hopefully, our leaders will see sense and end the strict lockdown regulations very soon!

It rained on and off all day on this the fiftieth day under house arrest.   Life, it seems, will never be the same again.   Here at the southern tip of Africa, we are all getting very frustrated with the rules although our president has promised a reprieve within the next two weeks.   Still, people are angry and ready to rebel.  They are tired of the restrictions.  They are sick of silly rules and they are desperate to get back to work.

Democratic Aliance interim leader John Steenhuisen has today filed papers to the High Court.  His party is  challenging the validity of some aspects of the national lockdown, including the military-enforced night curfew, the ban on e-commerce and the restriction on exercise hours.

He said  that it is the opinion of the DA that these rules should be reversed immediately.  South Africans are not prepared to put up with it for another day.

We wait in anticipation to see what happens next!

Today I am participating in Cee’s Black and White Challenge The topic is:-  “Things that are long.”

Suez Canal – photo taken from the stern deck of Costa Victoria

Bridge over Suez Canal

This long train whistled in greeting as we cruised the Suez Canal

Long line of walkers exercising on Costa Victoria

Long-necked Giraffe

Long-necked flamingos

Last night President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation after a silence of three weeks.  In my humble opinion, our leader is doing his best although there are many complaints from the general public.  If you compare him to other heads of state I think we are lucky to have such a level-headed man in charge.  He is upfront and honest as well as sympathetic to the needs of his people.  He listens to the advice of the scientists and explains why we need to be vigilant.   This country would be 8 times worse off had he not acted as quickly as he did.  Provision is being made for those in need.  He is not in denial and he is organised.  The country will remain at Level 4 lockdown till the end of May and then most of the country will go into Level 3.   Areas, where there is a high risk of C-19, will have to remain at Level 4.

The rest of the world seems to be slowly returning to normal. Schools have reopened in Switzerland and are due to open in England on 1 June.  Our Grade 12 and Grade 7 learners were supposed to go back to school on 6 May but this did not happen.   My granddaughter is in Grade 12 but at a private school.  She has been working hard at on-line learning and expects to go back early in June.   I am worried about this as she is a boarder and shares accommodation with two other girls.  Living on a farm has enabled her to keep well away from the virus.  She is positive and looking forward to getting back to normal life!

Today there is a lot of discussion on how to move forwards.  The hotspots are Cape Town and Johannesburg.  There are many areas where there are almost no cases of C-19.   Our provincial leaders are working hard to get the lesser affected areas to Level 3 status.  Tobacco and Alcohol products are under review and may be allowed even at Level 4.  If this happens the government will find a lot more cooperation from the citizens of South Africa!  The good news is that e-commerce has been opened up and you can order almost anything online – but not tobacco and alcohol yet!

Back to the homefront.   We had a beautiful sunny day today.  I walked alone this morning as the Earl had some stuff to organise for Lollz to take to Cape Town for him.  She will make the deliveries tomorrow.  Before leaving she did some online work then departed at 11:30.   There was a roadblock and she had to show her permit and driver’s license but had no trouble continuing on her journey.  There are a few things she needs to do at the office but hopes to be able to return to us in about a week’s time.

We had rain today.  It was raining when I woke up at 6:30 am and it was chilly.  I decided not to walk but when the Earl woke up and looked out of the window he declared that the skies were clear.  So we got up and had a very enjoyable walk between 8 and 9 am.  Then for the rest of the day,  it rained intermittently.

Lollz has been summoned back to Cape Town!   Her boss needs her at the office, not every day but he has asked her to be on call. She readily agreed and is leaving tomorrow.  There are strict procedures to be followed when at the office.  Social distancing from others, wearing a mask, sanitising fifty times a day etc.  As most of the staff are working from home it won’t be too much of a problem.  I think she is secretly glad that she can get back to the office if only to have a change of scenery!

My challenge today comes from Cee.   Her prompt for a photo is ‘sense of tasting’.  In this house at this time we are indulging that sense of taste a little too much, I think!  But these taste pictures are from the past.

I could make a pig of myself on this crunchy grass

Delighting in the taste of ice cream

Tempting the taste buds – A market in Barcelona

The dirty faces tell it all – already having indulged in party treats they still can’t wait to try the cake

Grandpa, this Eisbein is good!

The weather is cooler today.  It is cloudy and it might rain.  The temperature is 18 C  but there is no wind so it is still quite pleasant outdoors.

The Earl only walked halfway with me this morning as his gout is playing up.   These morning walks are enjoyable as we see familiar faces every day and sometimes stop for a chat with people we know.

Today Lollz is working online, as usual.   The Earl has just made himself a special stand which enables him to secure logs for sawing.  He is now busy making a supply for the fire.

We have had no more infections of C-19 in Struisbaai but in the rest of the country there are definite hotspots.

Our premier, Alan Winde, feels that there should be a different approach in each area.  Those of us less affected should not have the strict rules of the areas where there are more infections.

These are his words, “The Western Cape understands that a blunt, one-size-fits-all approach for the entire province, when some regions have few cases and others have high transmission, is neither sustainable nor effective. We need to be more flexible and innovative.  We have, therefore, adopted an evidence-based, data-led approach to our pandemic response that drills down below sub-district level, to understand the transmission of the virus within particular geographical areas.”

But nothing has changed yet and we are becoming quite frustrated.   Lollz says she’s so over this and believes everybody needs to go back to work and just take sensible social distancing precautions and keep sanitising!   “Otherwise people are simply going to starve to death!”  she declares.

The point of the Level 5 Lockdown was to allow the government to get things in place to deal with a pandemic.  It was only meant to last three weeks, then it was extended another two and the Level 4 restrictions were introduced.  It has made very little difference to those who need to earn a living!   The hospitals are now prepared and everybody is aware of what they should do to avoid becoming infected.

I feel most sorry for our informal workers.  They have very little back-up and rely on the kindness of people who are prepared to help them.  Our gardener and domestic helper are both desperate to get back to work.   I don’t know how many of their employers are still paying them as they too have to worry about their own income.  It’s a desperate situation.

The Lockdown regulations are very strict. Fines can be as high as R5 000 and one can end up with a criminal record if found guilty.    Being caught with alcohol or spreading fake news about Covid-19 are among the offences that carry heavy fines.

Lesser amounts include R1 000 fines for a failure to confine yourself to your home and moving between provinces (outside of the grace period), as well as not adhering to the curfew of staying at home between 20:00 and 05:00 without a permit; and R500 for running, cycling, walking beyond 5km of your residence and outside the allocated hours of 06:00 and 09:00.

People are becoming very unhappy about these rules and regulations.  Many are confusing and I fear that there is going to be a rebellion very soon!

So far for us, things are not too bad.  We are carrying on as normal and putting up with not being able to travel or visit friends.  Having our daughter with us is a blessing but she is becoming very frustrated.  She misses her friends and she misses going to work!  She is grateful that she can work online and connect with her colleagues through zoom meetings but it really is not the same.

I know that there is lockdown all over the world but I wonder if the rules there are as ridiculous as some of ours?  Is the rest of the world having to tea-total and stop smoking?  Are they as restricted with curfews as we are?  I’d love to hear from other bloggers how things are going for them.

The forty-sixth day of Lockdown dawned gloriously this morning.  My walk was idyllic but I decided not to go along the beach as there have been rumours that fines will be levied on all who venture down the long white sands!  How ridiculous is that?  Perhaps the easiest place to practise social distancing is on the 14 km of Struisbaai’s beach!  We have a small population and at the moment they are all concentrated on the streets between 6 and 9 am!   The rules simply defy logic!

Now that all the usual chores of the day are done I am settling down to a challenge.  Today’s comes from Sparks in which she asks us to share our world by answering a few thought-provoking questions.

Questions:

• I asked this on an award thingie I was nominated for, and I got such interesting responses, I thought I’d ask it on Share Your World too:  Do you have a favourite kind of tree?

My favourite tree is the milkwood tree.   It is indigenous and common in this area but it is also protected.   If one is on your property, you may not cut it down and there are rules on how much you’re allowed to trim it too.   Such trees can take over the entire garden and ours, if we did not trim it, certainly would!   I love my Milkwood Tree because it is beautiful, provides lovely shade and attracts birds.   I have named my house Milkwood Manor for two reasons; Milkwood for the tree and Manor because an Earl lives here!

The Earl and Princess Lollz enjoying the shade of the milkwood tree

A malachite kingfisher visiting my tree

• What bridges are you happy you burned? 

Leaving a bad marriage was the first fire I set to a bridge.   I lost a lot financially and materially but it was the most glorious blaze that ensured that the rest of my life would be free to build better structures.

The second one came soon after that.  I was a single parent. For the first three months after leaving my ex-husband I worked very happily in a temporary job at a school for the dear.  That came to an end and I was appointed to a different position  which after two days I knew I would hate so I quit.  It was a relief and I managed without an income for three months before finding a new very satisfactory post. Those three months were idyllic.  I had a little money saved and while I waited for something to turn up I spent quality time with my two-year-old that I shall never forget.

It was well worth burning those bridges.  Things only got better afterwards.   If I’d stayed in those intolerable situations I would not have met my current, very supportive husband.  If you don’t like the situation you’re in, it is best to get out of it sooner rather than later.  Today my daughter thanks me for taking the steps I took.  Life would not have been good for her had I remained in a bad marriage and stuck to a job that made me miserable.

Many years later I burned another 2 bridges but their blazes were not as scary.  Both those bridges involved leaving unsatisfactory employment but at the time I walked out I had financial security.  I could afford to be choosy.  But those choices also led to better posts and happier environments.

• Would you sacrifice yourself (die) for a stranger?

I don’t know but I once took a personality test that said that I would.  The reason for this is that I don’t think things through before acting in an emergency situation nor when I decide to burn bridges!  If something needs to be done I tend to act instinctively.   When I think sanely about what I would do in a life or death situation laying down my life for someone does not feature in my reasoning.   But in real life, I have hurt myself trying to go to the rescue of someone else – because I didn’t think about my own safety at all!  Luckily it was not a life/death situation but you get my drift!

• How have your priorities changed since the C-19 virus took over?

Here are six things to prioritise during lockdown.

Number 1 – video-called two of my friends today.   This was something I did before lockdown too as we live far apart so that hasn’t changed.

Numbe 2 – No, DIY is not a priority for me – never was never will be.  I have the Earl for that!   Hobbies – Bird Watching – not a priority at the moment but I do watch the birds in my garden and I have gone onto Youtube safaris!   Entertainment – not a priority but I do watch more TV than before.

Number 3 – Definitely a priority before and after Lockdown and forms part of my loose routine these days.

Number 4 – Stay Calm – I have a Greek temperament.   I don’t do the Keep Calm thing!

I have a ferral  rabbit in my garden – he is a priority to the Earl who rushes to feed him the minute he enters the garden!  Does that count as a pet?

Number 5 –  Information about world events was never on my priority list – but yes, now I am keeping up with the info on C-19 – it is important.

Number 6 – I didn’t much care about routine after retiring but now it is quite important but is still pretty flexible.

Cleanliness is more of a priority for me now than before C-19.  I was a follower of the 5 second rule but no more!  I am fastidious about sanitising everything from groceries to people! Obsessive Compulsive is a new part of my personality that never existed before!  Fruit and vegetables are washed in a vinegar solution, every surface is washed down several times a day, nothing enters the house without being completely decontaminated!  And I worry more than I ever did before – hence the Stay Calm thing doesn’t work!  I worry that my strong-willed offspring will be arrested if they’re caught breaking some stupid Lockdown rule!  My kids, of course, don’t listen to me – why should they – they’re very grown up!

Gratitude Section:

Please feel free to share your gratitude!  During this troubling time, some positive input is sorely needed, so any memes, stories, photos, or anything else you find uplifting is welcome!   Please share!   Thanks!  

It’s Mother’s Day today!   My cell rang just as we were getting ready to go for our daily walk.  Our rural daughter was video calling to say Happy Mother’s Day and was also about to take her family for a walk on the farm!

It would be lovely to be walking here again!

The weather was misty but not too cold at 8 o’clock this morning.   There were a few people walking on the shore but we decided not to as we have heard that they are going to close the beach to keep in line with the rules in the rest of the country.  It is a dumb rule in my humble opinion.  You are more likely to catch the virus in the shops rather than walking on the beach!

My Lockdown Challenge today comes from A Guy called Bloke 

He is asking 12 questions for the month of May and they may be done all at once or a few at a time.  Thanks, Rory for such great questions.

1. Where is your usual location for meeting friends?

As you all know it’s Lockdown now so no meeting of friends.    Most of my chats and video calls take place on WhatsApp or Zoom.

When we were young and our kids were growing up, we would mainly entertain our friends at home.  We had a lovely braai area and reception room which was ideal for entertaining.

Lollz’s Birthday Braai 2014

Until we moved to Struisbaai I belonged to a book club where I would meet friends once a month and I also kept up with old college friends at a monthly breakfast.  Going to coffee shops with my girlfriends was also a favourite way of meeting up.

Here in Struisbaai we still entertain in our home but we usually limit the number of guests to no more than four at a time and more usually just two.

2. What is your favourite time of the day and has it changed recently due to current events?

I used to be a morning person and getting up to see the sunrise was never a problem.  But since retirement, I get up later unless I am in the bush. The early morning is definitely the best part of the day.  The stillness is awesome and it is also the best time to see birds and wildlife.

2. What do you find embarrassing to talk or write about? [Or do you not suffer with this?]

I don’t really find anything embarrassing to write about.

4. What will you NEVER write about?

I don’t write about things that are too personal. I also don’t write things that might hurt another person.

[Why not?]

I don’t think people would be interested and I don’t want to offend my readers.

5. Do you ever read erotic fiction or exotic literature of another kind?

Not intentionally but the stuff I read often has erotica and I don’t skip over it.

6. How confident are you about …. you?

I am confident enough to speak up and not shut up.  I don’t mind public speaking and I am not too shy to talk to strangers.

7. Do you think in today’s digital climate with social media and so on … that people have too much to say and that they should be quieter or that people still are not talking enough?

In my own personal experience among my generation, I don’t think much has changed.  Some people talk and others don’t.  Perhaps those who didn’t before are more confident to express themselves on social media but I’m not sure.   Certainly, some people have a lot to say on social media that they might not say out loud.   I am not against social media.  I certainly am able to connect with more people than I could before. I probably would have lost touch with nieces and nephews and other relatives living abroad if it weren’t for social media.   I used to write letters to a few people but they were not as regular not as instant as my social media methods of communicating.

8. Do you censor your own writing before publishing?

[As in prevent yourself from writing or expressing certain things the way you really want to?]

I do check for spelling and grammar (sorry if I miss a few) but otherwise, I don’t change much.

9. If you weren’t already you upon waking to a new day, who would you want to be the next time you wake up?

Someone I know would answer this by saying, “My husband.” That’s because she does everything for him.  But that answer doesn’t work for me.

I have never wished to be another living person but the fantasy person I would like to be is prettier, smarter, richer and kinder – actually just a better version of me!

10. Have you done everything with your life you set out to when younger or are there still things you wish to achieve?

At the age of seven my teacher asked us to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up – my answer – “A housewife”  – Got that one.

Not long after that I decided that I would like to be a teacher – got that one too.

It was a given when I was growing up that girls would marry and have children. I wanted to do that but I also wanted to go to college and have a career before I settled down to domestic bliss.  As it turned out my first marriage broke up after five years so I had to go back to teaching when my baby was just two years old.  Six months later I met my current husband who had two pre-teen girls. It wasn’t long before we became a blended family.  I taught on and off for the next 35 years and helped raise five children, my own, two step-daughters and later, two grandsons.

I wanted to travel and work abroad before I got married but life happened and I do that.  However, I have been lucky enough to travel as a tourist to a number of countries and I am sure if Lockdown ever ends I will still see many more places in the world.

So, to answer the question – yes – I have achieved my dreams and more. And yes, there are still things I would like to achieve.  One is to have the book I’ve written published.   Lockdown has prevented that from happening yet – but watch this space!

11. What do you use when creating your blog posts and what would you sing the praises of with regards the creation of written content as opposed to a desktop or a laptop?

I use my laptop at home and if I don’t take it with me when I travel I use my Ipad.  In spite of being sixty-seven years old, I am not a fan of writing in longhand on paper. I love modern technology, spell check and how easy it is to make corrections.  I am forever grateful that I learned to touch type at school – a very useful skill indeed.

12. Do you give your readership what they want or what they need? 

I don’t presume to give my readers what they need.  It’s more that I need to write and I am happy if others enjoy reading my pieces.

My husband and I often visit game reserves in South Africa and its bordering countries.    Friends and family politely ask how about these but after the fifth photograph their eyes glaze over so I decided to Blog instead.  Then if they are really interested, they can read about it and see the photos at their leisure!   I am now confident that what I write is only read by those who are interested and my readership includes people from other countries too which is lovely.

Once I got into blogging, I started writing about other things too. I did a series of blogs called Back in the Classroom on my previous blog site. (I changed the name of the site to  “Diary of an Adventurous Retiree” after I retired then when I ran out of photograph space, I started my new site.)

My posts in Adventuring into Retirement are about my travels and my life in South Africa as a retiree.   I hope it’s what people want to read. It’s a place I can post my photographs and share my life and travels with both friends, family and people in the blogosphere that might like to know more about my country.

What do you as a content writer and creator get from that for you?

I get a lot of pleasure from writing my blog and from reading others.  It’s a great way of getting to know people from all walks of life from all over the world.

This week’s prompt for Socs is cave

It’s Day 43 of Lockdown in South Africa and many people are ready to cave in and ignore the rules.  The problem is so many of the restrictions just don’t make sense so who can blame them.   We are a little better off where I live in this small fishing village at the southern tip of Africa.  There are no queues at the supermarket,  only one COVID-19 infection has been reported and most people are wearing masks and following the sanitising rules.  However, nowhere in the country can we buy cigarettes or alcohol and there are restrictions on some other items like underwear which don’t make sense!  Also the exercise slot of 6 am to 9 am is unsatisfactory.  Here in the Western Cape we would prefer to a later slot or a morning and afternoon slot as it is still very cold and dark until 7 am.  So far it hasn’t been too bad as the real chill hasn’t set in yet but come June and it will be darker and colder in the mornings.   Today was the first day since 1 May that I did not go our for a morning walk.   Confession time – I only woke up at 8.  It was overcast and chilly, the Earl and Lollz did not feel like moving so I decided to clean house instead  – well that is exercise even if not as enjoyable!

But enough about the Lockdown – let’s talk about caves!

Nestled high in the Cedarberg Mountans near Clanwilliam in the Western Cape is the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve.   It is a great place for a weekend getaway of hiking, game viewing and visiting rock art sites.   When the Earl and I visited a few years ago we stayed in a cave!  There are ten  man-made cave-like suites that were constructed to integrate with the natural Sandstone formations.  I am sure the cave-dwellers of old did not have quite the luxury that we had though!  It was great fun and I can highly recommend it.

Kagga Kamma “Caves”

Entrance to our  cave

I grew up in Fish Hoek, a small sea-side village and a suburb of  Cape Town.  One of the things that Fish Hoek is famous for is Peers Cave where the remains of early man were found by  father and son Victor and Bertie Peers, in the 1920s.   They found a shell midden, spear head, small leather bags and several skeletons.  They dated back 12000 years.  The earliest occupants of the area were known as the San people and the discovery of a human skeleton fully intact and dating back to the stone age was the first found in South Africa. It was also the largest brained type of man thus far discovered.

It is a relatively easy hike to Peers Cave which is still unspoilt to this day.  It has been a while since I’ve visited but I used to do it fairly frequently when I was younger.  The view across the valley is spectacular.

The sun shone brightly all day today. There was no problem getting up early and taking our daily walk on the beach.    It was also good for doing the laundry and enjoying the garden!

For my Lockdown challenge today I am participating in a photo challenge I have not previously participated in.  It is all about posting a weekly photo relating to seating.

Diesel and Creme, Barrydale

The Lockdown Challenge I am participating in today comes from Cee

“The topic for this week’s CFFC is Sense of Hearing.  Anything you like to hear is allowed in this challenge.”

Bokmakierie calling merrily

Bearded Woodpecker tap-tapping on the bark

Roaring Lion

Trumpeting Elephant

Violinist