COVId-19 Chronicles - The State of Play at the End of April

It has been about six weeks now since Australia wound back its activities due to COVID-19.  So, where are things at now?

If COVID-19 hadn't arrived on the scene, we would have been heading off our holidays for two weeks today.  As it happens, it would have been a wet and cold trip, as we were going on the bike to the Ulysses Rally at Lismore, via Glen Innes for the Celtic Festival this weekend.  Oh well, there will be another time.

The main new thing on the official front was last Sunday night the "Covid Safe" app for your phone went live.  The powers that be hope for 10 million people to use it for it to be effective and enable some easing on restrictions.  There were 2 million downloads in the first 24 hours, but the take up has slowed now.  Hopefully it will work as intended.

There has been a drastic reduction of new infections, so hopefully, by keeping our international borders closed, there will not be the number of infections that had been initially anticipated.

As a result, we are now allowed to have two people visit us in our homes, and schools will start to gradually open in the next couple of weeks.

In reality, society is coming out on their own accord. Where the streets were deadly quiet a few weeks ago, now you are struggling to get a car park in the main street and car parks are full.  A few more retail shops are opening again, while many still remain closed.  People are generally maintaining social distancing and extra hygiene.  Of course, there are the few that aren't, but you get that.

Who would have thought that an aisle of loo paper in the supermarket would be newsworthy!  Finally, the restriction of one packet of loo paper per person (if there was any available) has been lifted.  There is still very little soap and a few other items, but things are definitely getting back to normal.  What a relief.

However, the longer businesses remain closed, or wound back, the more financial hardship will be endured. It will definitely take a long time for things to recover.

On a personal level, we are still generally at home.  We try to do groceries and any other chores in one hit to minimise our time in town.  We haven't seen our Mums since the lock down, as they are in aged care.  You can arrange a visit where you speak through a window, but as they are both doing well, we just chat on the phone.  Mum needed a few things, so I delivered them to the reception area, where they will hold them for a week before giving them to her, to prevent any virus transfer.  There is a new rule that no one can enter the facility unless they have had their flu vaccination, so we provided them with confirmation of that today.

Now to more fun things......

Back to Anzac Day.  The weather was so beautiful that we got out the deadly treadlies again.  This time we ended up riding 23kms!  There are cycle/walkways that go along the river to the other side of town.  We just kept going.  It is nice and flat and we took it very steadily, stopping to take photos along the way.  We have never been along most of this pathway and didn't even really know it existed.   There were so many people out and about on the pathways.  I think everyone was enjoying the wonderful day.  Here are some of the photos.

On Anzac Day evening we watched a wonderful concert on TV.

"Music from the Home Front".  It was a celebration of Australian and New Zealand performers in honour of Anzac Day and our health and essential workers.  The quality of the production was excellent.  

Mick has continued to be busy at home.

He has added a shelf in the cupboard over our stove.  One of those jobs to be done "one day".

He has also done some more baking, this time it was banana muffins.

The weather has turned decidedly wintery and wet today and tomorrow is expected to be even colder, so the tomato plant has finally been removed.  We kept expecting to have to remove it and hang it upside down in the shed for the tomatoes to ripen, but they have managed to ripen outdoors.  They are now all in a bowl to be used.  Mick has planted some more peas where these were.  The only summer plants left are the eggplant, which will come out soon, and the basil which is expected to get frosted on Sunday or Monday.  Yes, we haven't had a frost as yet, but that is about to change.

In the photo above, you can just see where we have planted a few mini cabbages.  We've never had much luck with them in the past, but we will see how we go this time.

When we removed the zucchini  plant we noticed a self sown capsicum!  How did we not notice that? We have now put it in a pot in a nice warm place and will see if it does anything.

The raspberries are still being very productive.  Hopefully they will keep going for a little while longer.  We are getting quite a supply in the freezer.

The flowers on the yukka on the front verandah are gradually opening.

They are lovely up close.

We've had about 40mm of rain since yesterday evening and in a break in the showers this afternoon we were treated to this gorgeous rainbow.

And the wind flowers are continuing to delight us with their show.

I have done a little stitching, but more on that later.