Five months of lockdown...

What can I say?  It is the last Thursday of August and thankfully I do not feel like a prisoner in my home like so many senior people do.

    Piet and Elize Naude visited twice an it felt good to receive guests.  On the 25th we celebrated Emile's 39th birthday!   

     

   It was a real Sping day and the conversation was good.  Kia had to use her techno skills to update their devices while we were having eats and coffee. 

Dressing up and stepping out!

Sunday, August 23.

      Yesterday we went to the Beach Hotel to celebrate Alet Roodt's 88 birthday.

         I was elated to be able to dress up... Even wore my fishnet stockings... 

        Only 8 people were allowed and she was having a repeat of the tea in the afternoon for other guests.

         After much sanitation and Covid protocols, we could enjoy the good weather on the deck!

         Here is a glimpse of the cheesecake... 

... And me with the birthday girl... 

... And family and friends... 

Masked for the goodbye!

     Later in the afternoon Eon sent the good news of their latest purchase !

Day 145 of Lockdown

Wednesday August 19...  "Early Spring" Cold as we have not experienced since 2002 .  It hurts the skin and lets the nose run!

    Snow has swept across both the Western and Eastern Cape and exceptional pictures like this one were posted by friends.

It rained throughout the night and i am so grayeful that we are dry.  At about 7 pm yesterday a homeless man called from the gate. He was dripping wet and hungry. We offered tea, sandwiches and a large black plastic bag.   The image is still with me.  He is but one of the sufferers.  People on the streets are needing more and more everu day,  Their shoes are giving up on them. Their heads are cold... 

     More  Covid deaths have been reported although active cases are a little less.

Day 142 - awaiting announcement

Saturday, August 15

 Thie following important news was published on News 24 late afternoon before Mr Ramaphosa's speech

... and at 8 pm it was revealed that...

.   Earlier this week Jana and Emile took Yael to apply for her passport. Kia made a compilation of the 2 kiddies with Jana in the photograph booth.  2018 and 2020!

Although winter has re - appeared with wind, cold and low temp, Spring has surprised me with a few flowering plants and happy foliage that I could bring in from the garden.

Day 140 of Lockdown

Thursday, August 13

    The August winds are here and another cold spell brings shivers.   That brings more hungry, homeless people to the garden gate.  We are putting out two parcels at night because they fight over it.

    I received a beautiful bouquet and a Woollies cheesecake from Jana delivered by Riebeek and Liaan yesterday. They came to introduce Daniel, now 8 weeks old.

... A lovely surprise and a chance to entertain guests during this period...

    Jana and Emile are still on the  Western Cape and sent this pic having lunch at Pearl Valley.

Women's Day in lockdown!

Day 135...August 9.

   I am looking at the goings on in the media re Women Abuse.  Will it change anything?

    Before this sad situation in our country pulls me down, here is a mixed bag of happenings that gives me a lift 

    Inge cycling from Oriental Bay to the Ferry Harbour in Wellington. 

 We spoke on the phone for thirty minutes this morning. 

    Her brother Pieter in Poland has a new interest. Poultry farming.  I am intriqued with the mobile chicken coop...

Emile and Ilan went up Paarlberg yesterday. He spent the first two years of his life in this town...

Jana took the kids to the swings...

The Chinese-American Couchsurfer Wendy Ma is a keen Instagrammer. I met her last year and she has travelled across half the planet since.  I like to follow her.

   Google tells me I have travelled 12 km in July.   One trip to the dentist!

   Sad news from Beirut...

And some nostalgia...  The year I arrived in PE from Cape Town 

Corruption erupting everywhere... 

Innovating thinking in this time... 

A sunny day - 133 of lockdown

After very welcome rain and a cold spell, the sun shon with vigour and I spotted new life in the garden.

My morning coffee included cat today.  Interestin addittion! 

Out in the wide world matters are different: 

  

Day 131 of Lockdown

 August 5 :  Cold front moved in with a bit of rain after a very hot spell.   How it affects the virus, is not known. 

   This is how Covidvisualiser.com showed the stays yesterday. Since then 22 more deaths were recorded.

According to experts the peak has been reached in the Eastern Cape.   Which sounds good but now the corruption is peaking and civil servants lack discipline.

Turning away from Covid, it was Jana's birthday yesterday.   So happy that they are with the Naude's.

This is what I found on Instagram.  Great to travel the world on the Internet:

From New Zealand Eon sent a pic from a shop called Pak 'n Save.  He teased me with this large mug because I am a delicate cup user.

   This is the goat shed he and the team built :