Today I am participating in Stream of Consciousness Saturday from Linda.  The brief is to write a post using a word beginning with ch.

“Chilly mornings are invigorating and energising,” says nobody in their right mind while snuggled under the duvet on a cold, winter’s morning.   But when you have no other slot to get outdoors for the rest of the day you have to try and convince yourself with something positive.   And surprisingly enough once you’re pulled on the warm jeans and jersey it is wonderful to be out in the crisp, cool air. We stepped out to a clear sunny morning at 8 this morning and did our usual half an hour for him and an hour for me.  There is no more wondering whether to wear long sleeves or short – sunshine or not a jacket and scarf is now required.

Chucky is the colloquial name for a commercial fishing boat here in Struisbaai.   The name comes from the sound the engine makes when started – chuck, chuck, chuck.  The Earl always likes to know how many Chuckies are out for the day and checks to see as we pass the harbour.  He knows almost every one of them by name.

Some chuckies moored in Struisbaai Harbour

This morning there were not many out.  The change in the weather is a factor in how often the fishermen will be able to go out.   One such local fisherman that we know is also a building contractor and with the lockdown has been unable to work in that line so fishing is now his only means of making a living.   It is not only tough on him but also the men that he employs both for fishing and contracting.  Many of these Chuckies are more than 40 years old but they sure are tough. The Earl being a passionate fisherman himself is very sympathetic to the locals and often lends them a hand with their boat maintenance especially on the electrical side.    They all know him by name and are very fond of him.

Part of the charm of our little harbour is the stingrays that visit when the fishermen clean their catch and throw the guts into the water.  These rays have become very tame and every tourist who visits hopes to get that compulsory photograph with the friendly creature.

Taken before Lockdown – a visitor is thrilled to actually touch a stingray!

It will cheer me up considerably when we can welcome tourists back to Struisbaai.   If you get a chance when things change do come and visit our charming spot at the tip of Africa.

Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners are preparing to return to school on 1 June.  There is a great deal of fear about what will happen next.  Will children returning to school have an impact on the spread of C-19.  There are so many different expert opinions doing the rounds that it is difficult to form an opinion on this.  My granddaughter is in Grade 12.  Am I happy about her returning to her boarding school?  My gut says – yes – it should be fine.  She is a mature young lady who understands the situation.   She is just as likely to pick up the virus at the supermarket as she is at school.  More importantly, she needs to complete her schooling.  Fortunately, she has had excellent online tuition but that does not make up for the need to have contact with her teachers. But it’s not the privileged private school kids that are at risk.  Things will be in place to keep them safe.  Classrooms will not be over-crowded.  They will have masks and sanitiser.  What, I wonder, will it be like in poorer schools where at the best of times there is overcrowding.  Then again when these children are at school they have are assured of at least one good meal a day.  Many won’t have had access to online learning and desperately need to catch up.  During Lockdown many will have been unable to practise social distancing so going back to school will make little difference.   Public transport is strictly controlled at present.  All passengers have to wear masks and sanitise properly so they will have safe transportation to school.   The schools have to abide by certain rules too so perhaps it will be better for all the children to return as soon as possible.   I just don’t know what the right answer is.  I think everyone is between a rock and a hard place.  If people stay at home they could starve to death.  If they return to work/school they could catch the virus but probably won’t die! The economy is falling apart.  Will we ever recover?  Is staying at home too high a price to pay?

Even with Lockdown, the number of C-19 infections is going up and there have been a few more deaths.  Will going to Level 3 on 1 June make any difference at all?  The Western Cape has the most reported cases but they have also done the most testing and have the best facilities for treating the virus.   Their reporting is probably more accurate than in some of the other provinces too.

Today I am participating in Cee’s Black and White challenge.  The prompt is: Things that are short.

Statuettes – one tall two short

Short Easter Bunny Eggs waiting to be discovered

Mum and Baby Zebra

Mum and baby Nyala

Mum and Baby Elephant

I planned to blog Day 54 and 55 yesterday but had one of those low energy days where all I wanted to do was sleep!   I have no idea why this happens to me from time to time.  I am normally very energetic.  It may have something to do with low blood pressure.  Normal for me is anything between 90/60 and 110/60.   When I have the no energy days it is usually at the lower end but sometimes when it’s just as low I feel just great so go figure!    Sometimes a cup of strong black coffee helps but yesterday – not!

Today I am absolutely fine again and the Earl and I went for our usual glorious morning walk.

Day 52

The cold weather has arrived.  I felt decidedly under-dressed on my walk this morning.  My usual attire of jeans, pullover (jumper/sweater) and fleece was not sufficient to keep me warm.   I should have donned a woolly cap, gloves and a ski-jacket as well. But I survived and observed that some tough souls were still walking in short sleeves!  These individuals, I noticed, were a tad plumper than I, so perhaps that is what insulated them.

The Earl manages to walk a lot further than he did on 1 May when outdoor exercise opened up here.   I used to walk slowly with him but now I leave him after half an hour to go back on his own while I walk further and faster before returning.   During that extra time, I plug in my earphones and listen to a Women’s Hour podcast which I love.  In spite of the cold, it is lovely to be outdoors but I will welcome the opportunity to walk later when it’s a tad warmer.  Hopefully, we will be allowed freer exercise time from 1 June.  The podcast I listened to this morning was all about the older generation being more vulnerable to C-19 and what they should do about keeping well.  Having no underlying conditions certainly make us less vulnerable.  It is also believed that regular exercise, eating healthily and keeping the weight off is a big plus.  This, I am sure, applies to all age-groups.   I still do my Walk at Home and Yoga with Adrienne routines in the afternoon but I am not complacent that I am too healthy to get sick.  I take my vitamins and immune boosters too.  Last year I was in the hospital with pneumonia so that was a warning that I am NOT invincible!

The Earl might not be as walking fit as I am but in spite of his underlying condition (heart) he is pretty strong!   He keeps himself busy with all sorts of things many of which require movement and physical strength.  It worries me when he complains about his aches and pains after exerting himself, perhaps a bit too much, but I am glad he does not just sit and mope in his rocking chair!  (No he doesn’t have a rocking chair!)

Today I started listening to an audio book.   I am so glad I have discovered Audible.   It means being able to do boring household chores or going for a long walk while an interesting book is being read out loud to you.  I always loved my Kindle but this is even better!

The book I am listening to is “Becoming” by Michelle Obama.  It is AWESOME!

Day 53 – Monday

Our early morning walk was not as chilly as yesterday’s.   I was kitted in denim jeans and a warm polo-neck pullover under a hoodie.  My hands were encased in gloves and all this was great for the first half hour but then I peeled off the gloves and opened up the hoodie as there was no wind and the sunshine was warm.

Early this morning – (08:00)

After the sun warmed up – (09:00)

Cape Sugarbirds catching some rays

Today being Monday, I am participating in Share Your World from Sparks.

Questions:

What’s something you really resent paying for?

Bank fees!  The interest you get for giving them your money is not particularly high and then you have to pay them!  This is particularly annoying when you have very little money in a particular account and its balance is eaten away by bank charges just to keep it open!   I think it is shocking how banks are robbing their investors!

 What was the most unsettling film you’ve seen?

Jaws!   I swim in the sea all the time but I still think about that movie every time visibility is murky and I can’t see the bottom of the ocean!

Do you judge people?  

I try not to but sometimes I do!  Sometimes that judgemental thought just jumps into my head especially if I just don’t understand why someone is being self-destructive or behaving in a way that affects others negatively!

But I also hold the opinion that if you know the person’s story, you will understand.  And we don’t always know the story, do we!

Finish this sentence:  “Back in my day, we…”?

Back in my day we had fun.  Life was simple and as children we had more discipline but also more freedom.   We knew if we broke the rules there would be consequences and it was up to us to take a chance on them or not.  I went to the beach on my own from the age of five!  School wasn’t far away but it involved crossing roads and I walked there and back on my own or with other kids from the age of six.  We went to the beach, climbed the mountain and rode our bikes without adult supervision. Mother did not go to the school to fight our battles.  If I complained about my teacher the response was – Keep your nose clean and you won’t get into trouble!  If I was bullied the response was – punch him/her back.  In fact I did just that – to a teacher!   He grabbed me roughly and I punched him in the stomach.  He never did it again!

Gratitude

Please feel free to share an uplifting photo, thought or meme to show your own gratitude.   We can all use some good vibes!  

Lockdown has shown me that I took a lot for granted.  I am grateful for I have and what I will have again when this annoying pandemic is over!

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.