3 Paws Saloon Attic

What about a mask, Wolfie? Are you planning on wearing one?

I find it rather ironic, that living in an area where wearing your hoodie up, ski masks, sunglasses or anything that blocked a clear view of your face into a store was taboo, that those same stores are now demanding you wear a mask.   I haven't seen that the crime rate has gone up either.

We've been under the stay-at-home rule since March 20th.  It's been extended to April 30, and I suspect it will go even further. 

For the past 3 weeks I've been fighting a cold/allergy combo. Our weather has been nuts. Prime example yesterday we barely reached 47f today we're at 80f, but by Thursday they say back to the 40s. The upshot of this is just as I'm starting to feel a bit better - wham I get slammed again.  I don't even really feel that bad, but right now if you cough/sneeze/sniffle everyone acts like you have the plague.

 

Another thing the media is doing is announcing that the number of cases has increased by "XXX" without telling us the increase is due to testing.  The number seems to increase dramatically overnight. This causes undue worry. But then too, I wonder how many cases we won't know about as they go unverified.  Now they're saying that that cough & flu back in December may have been this.  Will they ever really know? Probably not.  The numbers will never tell the whole story, and the media will never paint an accurate picture.

I wonder how many in nursing homes and retirement centers actually passed on because of this that went unnoticed before it became a 'thing'. After all they're old and the old die of pneumonia often.  No shaming, but the staff may not have thought twice about it. 

 

  An acquaintance of mine had posted on social media asking if anyone knew where she could get hand soap, she'd been 3 shops and all were out.  An hour or so later she posted a picture of a bottle with a note - left on her porch by the 'soap fairy'.   Stories like that and your shop one are good to hear.

 

 

Here all the food places have to be either drive-thru or curbside, no dining or walking IN the establishments.  Many are offering no contact delivery.

I understand tobacco is 'non-essential', but I don't understand it's being banned, same with the alcohol.  People shoved into a situation which is being made more stressful by banning their 'comforts' is a recipe for violence and riots.  My understanding is some of the states out here are doing the same though.  Those poor men - I do wonder if the stabber at least made off with some smokes.  Of course karma would have him being caught just as he was going to light his first cig.

 

That's just crazy,Fergie. I had no idea SA was being hit so hard.  While some are reporting food shortages in the US, my state seems to be doing ok. Those of us who have the link/snap card (food stamps) have been raised to the maximum allowance, which is $200 a month for 1 person.  When my friend took me to a big store this week, I did notice limits on many items, and not as large of a variety when it comes to meat, and some of the other foods.  But there was still plenty to be had.  

Are they at least allowing home gardens?   I've heard some states are not allowing seeds to be bought as they're 'non-essential', but we're well into our growing season. We keep getting freak snow storms and cold so I don't know what that'll do to the crops. They've closed down our farmer's market, and any stands that sold fruits and veggies.  

I have noticed getting a slot to have food delivered is almost impossible. For the past month I've tried daily through 3 different stores to have food delivered so I wouldn't have to bother anyone, and have been told the same thing "No delivery slot available".  I can imagine for many this is a real hardship. I'd be screwed if not for the kindness of a friend and my daughter for any 'real' groceries. 

 

We can still get fruits and veggies in the grocery stores, just not anywhere else. At least not where I live.

As far as what to believe in the media...that's a harsh call to make.  I don't think anyone knows the actual truth going by the reports.  Except for what you hear 'first hand' from someone in that particular situation you can't trust the info, and even then it's suspect.  Even in the States, they are differing from each other so much I sometimes wonder if we're still one country.

Some are reporting empty shelves in stores, or severe shortages. Other's complain they can not go out at all. There's reports of some areas requiring facemasks even to check your mail or take out the trash.  I heard that in Washington one elderly lady was threatened with a fine for sitting out on her own porch 'too long'.  I know in my own city, we're not allowed to sit in the park for more than 5 minutes - and basically those parks are closed. 

I've heard that people are reporting others for not 'respecting' the stay at home rules, but have no idea what becomes of that. 

 

In these dreary days of lockdown, (day 27 of hard lockdown) anything out of the ordinary is exciting. LOL.
Yesterday, Ray happened to be in our front yard when an elderly African man called out to him. He drew Ray's attention to a pigeon hobbling down the road, in danger of being killed by a passing car. Ray called out, "Catch it, and bring it here!" The old man did as Ray asked. Ray shouted to me to come outside, quickly, which I did. He passed the pathetic bundle of feathers to me.
In the meantime, the old man was asking Ray for bread. We didn't have any bread per se, so we sent him on his way with a parcel of cheese rolls and (home-grown) tomatoes. The man was obviously happy, as a huge smile spread over his lined face.
Ray cordoned off a corner of our lapa while I held the bird. It pecked at my hand, trying to free itself - thank goodness it doesn't have a sharp beak like a parrot. When the enclosure was ready, I gently set the pigeon down inside it. I fetched a small bowl of water, and crumbled up a stale crust of bread. I backed up to watch from a hidden vantage point. The poor bird was soon tucking into the food.
My knowledge of birds is minimal, so we are hoping that with food, water, and rest, the bird will recover enough to fly away one day.

Once when I was having a bento box lunch at the Japanese place up up the road, a fat grey-and-white pigeon waddled in the door. The shop girl freaked out, shrieking at the sight of the bird. The bird panicked, flying further into the shop rather than out the door. It flapped over the cabinet of fresh-made sushi and was banging itself against the glass window, trying to get out.

I got up from my table and asked the girl for a rag or kitchen towel. Then I wrapped the cloth over the pigeon, held it firmly to me and made quiet shushing noises to it. It went still as soon as the cloth covered its head. I tried not to hold on to it too long because I could feel how scared it was.

Then I went outside, stood on the footpath and waited until there was no traffic turning into the side street. I tossed the bird high into the air, releasing it from the towel, praying I would do this right. It flapped its wings hard the instant I let it go and flew across the road and up to the trees. Thank God it didn't fall splat.

The whole batch of sushi had to be thrown out. But the bird was ok. Someone was watching over it.

Thanks for the list of foods for "Birdie", Val. (Not a very imaginative name, I know.) The last time I fed pigeons was before you were born ...1953. I remember there were vendors selling peanuts to feed the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, London.

A crust of brown bread was all I had at hand to feed Birdie. I have since cooked up a small pot of mielie meal (maize meal to all you non South Africans), and some white rice. The other things you listed, I don't have, unfortunately. I feed Birdie twice a day, alternating the food - morning, and just before sundown. S/he only comes out to eat once I am out of sight. I don't really want to tame the bird, as I am hoping it will be strong enough to fly free soon.

Val, hang in there with that tooth. You are fortunate to not have pain. Maybe I was just lucky that my dental appointment fell on the first day of lockdown. I was in pain, and my cheek was swollen. I was given a script for antibiotics, but decided not to take them. I know that they kill more than they are supposed to. I didn't want to compromise my immune system any more than it already was, I decided to tough it out.

Jadeite, I have been taking a small glass of red wine as a nightcap. Works for me. I too have been feeling rather lethargic; thought it was just me, but it seems to be a general malady. Most days I spend the whole day in my nighty and gown ... disgusting, I know. I have to coerce myself into any form of work. I am ashamed to say that I spend most of my time playing games, like free cell and solitaire on my PC.

BTW, smart move with the intruder pigeon.

I sorted out a drawer in my wardrobe yesterday and unearthed a set of pjs (jammies), plus a few old t-shirts that would be perfect for lounging about. Rex donated a grey track pants that was too short for him. A bit loose but comfy. Now I just have to cut about 6 inches off the hem so I don't trip myself wearing it!

Our priority delivery from Woolworths arrived. The items were ok. They looked like what they were supposed to be. No weird surprises. We have a packed fridge and have a full freezer at last. Between the swarms of locusts that stripped the shelves for the past 2 months and the scarcity of delivery slots, this has taken us some time.

Fergie, we hope that Birdie soon recovers and makes it back into the skies. Sending out good vibes to everyone that everything continues to be ok for you too.

Spring seems to finally have arrived here, warmer temps with the eruption of color as flowers decide to bloom.  Yesterday lawns were littered with people enjoying the sunshine.  Even the downstairs folks and I were sitting out on the porch.  

Of course the main topic was the virus. Seems they are of the 'we're going to lose our freedoms' ilk, foreseeing things to get a lot worse. I found it disturbing that they're stocking up on ammo. But, I do have to agree, when people get desperate they do stupid things, having self-defense in line doesn't hurt.  Just hope they're wrong is all.

Our stores seem to be fairly well stocked. I noticed that our little store is carrying disposable face masks and gloves. The masks are like $2 each, and are 1 time use.  Many stores (according to online)  have them it seems. Illinois is mandating we wear them in public where 6 ft distancing isn't possible, or in stores.  This confuses me, I keep hearing there's a shortage and even the medical line is hurting for them - so where are they all coming from?  I don't know what to believe.

Our weather is getting cooler too, T-Rex. We are averaging 22C/70F at the moment. I think our rains are done for the season.

Our Government was also talking about electronic tracking, but I don't think too much was done about it. They can't even get the virus stats out on time. We are only hearing what happened 12 hours ago.

Our younger daughter who lives down at the coast, is coining the $. Under normal circumstances, she runs a tuck shop at a high school. Now that the schools are all shut, she has started a little business of her own, from home. She is making masks, and selling them - adult, and various child sizes. Having worked at a school, she has loads of contacts, but we all know, the best advert is by word of mouth. Some ladies want multiple masks as they are using them as fashion accessories ....LOL.

Here are two pics of Raylene, showing off samples of her work.

We too have been noticing many more hoots and waves from strangers as they drive by. A way of saying, "Hey, I am still OK, and see you are too!" In our area we have relatively low infections, and no deaths that we know of. But lockdown has made many more 'criminals'. So many people are trading illegal smokes, even at exorbitant prices. Whatever the reason for the ban on tobacco, I fear it has failed dismally.

Since Nicky has been working half-day, she seems to have become more 'domesticated', LOL. She has been trying new recipes, and even done some sewing ..... she sent pics to prove it, ha ha. She also tried to cut her own hair, but with disastrous results. She says she had a fight with the clippers, and the clippers won. Oh my! She didn't look happy at all! At least hair can grow back.

 The alcohol and tobacco bans still make no sense to me.   Of course bans on that type of thing has never fazed my family much, because we had Uncle Lossie.  He'd just fire up the still and fetch some harvested 'bacca from the smoke house.   Roll your own, and if you want menthol too bad, but the shine burns with a blue flame so you know it's pure.  Of course you don't want  the new stuff, he'd tell you. No, you want the aged stuff - at least 3 days old.   That man was quite the character.  Look you straight in the eye and say, "You know what you think you saw? Well you didn't."  

Not sure what our schools will be doing come the fall, there's rumors all over the place. We'll just have to wait and see.  About the only thing I'm fairly sure of is most of us (kitchen) will still have jobs. Either packing meals for the online kids (like now), or for like normal.  

 

Go Birdie!!

I'm sure he will be just fine under your care. He'll probably wait out the winter (-3 degrees ... eek) and go out looking for mates in spring.

I haven't seen any statistics on domestic violence here but Jadeite was concerned for people having nowhere to go, during quarantine, to escape violence at home.

What we do have is "unlawful" gatherings of large groups of people to protest about what has happened in the USA, deaths in custody (here) and now mistreatment of illegal immigrants. We suspect that all this behavior is like a pressure release valve for all the angst of people losing jobs and spending a lot of time in isolation.

One good thing that happened was that Jadeite celebrated her birthday while in self isolation. She got a big bunch of flowers, a home baked birthday cake (not me! ... a neighbor) and her favorite dinner (Prawn Laksa) delivered right to the front door.

Just hope that the experts can soon deliver us all a vaccine that works and most things can get back to normal.

Hello all.

The Australian Corona Blog for today.

It's all happening in the state of Victoria where Melbourne's northern suburbs are experiencing a second "peak" in new infections. In the last week, new infections have jumped from 11 to 75 per day. Internationally, this probably seems like a drop in the ocean, so it is weirdly comforting to know that the authorities have called in the Army to help contain this outbreak.

The positive spin machine has been working overtime in the production of statements like "Victoria is on the edge of being able to manage outbreaks" being the best one I've seen so far. Now if we could only stop those pesky Victorians from visiting Sydney during the school holidays.

The recent protests seem to have run out of puff or has this more to do with restoring the balance between letting off steam and maintaining a safe distance from strangers?

Anyway, stay safe and healthy, because all life matters.

Ouchie, Fergie!  Glad you're on the mend, and it is good the girls could come help.

Had a surprise when I went to put my shoes on this morning, dang foot is so swollen I couldn't!  A misstep on the stairs, I think.  Anyway I find trying to keep it elevated without even a sofa to sit on quite awkward, I can only imagine how frustrating laying a bed must have been!    Hopefully you didn't suffer much pain?

Weed is legal in most of the states here, but there's a lot of shall we say 'perimeters' you have to stay within. If you get medical cannabis (with out the THC) it doesn't make you high, just relaxes you.

I've been a bit over excited last couple of days - my landlord says they're going to renovate my kitchen!!!   Plus take care of some other things as well.   There's a possibility I'll end up with a new bath as well.

Not sure how I feel on that. I think it might entail removal of the claw-foot tub and installing a regular shower.  I really love that tub. I just bought a new curtain for it too...but on the other hand, it is getting harder for me to get in and out of.  Plus a shower stall might not take up as much room.  *sigh*  Well one thing at a time.  

I've given up counting how many days it's been with the virus changes. I simply can't keep up, although the state has opened up quite a bit. Now I'm hearing the 2nd wave is hitting, and I've no idea what that means for us.

 

Hey guys, why is everyone so quiet? I sure hope everybody is doing okay!

I don't have much news. I guess the best news is that the virus infection rate is slowing, and the recovery rate is up to 88% here in SA.

The other bit of news is that Birdie can fly again. S/he is walking much better, and faster too. Now that warmer weather is here, I can expect to find the coop empty in the near future.

Hello there, everyone. Sorry to have gone quiet for a while.

Fergie, glad to know things are improving in your part of the world. Well done to Shen for keeping up her grades in school. Hope they restore your ciggie supply soon. Maybe it's time to plant some tobacco bushes in the backyard! Birdie sounds like a smart bird. Knows a good thing when it sees it.

Val, your apartment sounds like it's going to be fabulous once everything's done. Remember to take some before-and-after photos to document the process. You'd be amazed at the difference and at how much you've achieved.

As for us, we've had a number of things happening over here for the past few months. Aunty May passed away end-July. Much-loved and greatly missed. As she lived in Hong Kong, they organised the funeral service online via Zoom for family overseas. I left a Prayer for her on 3 Paws.

Mum, who's in Singapore, has been having gastro problems lately. My brother-in-law and niece took her to the hospital a few days ago. They kept her in isolation until the tests for Covid-19 came back negative yesterday. But there's a spot on her lungs, her kidneys are not good and they found an infection in the blood. My elder sister is keeping us updated on WhatsApp. These are worrying times.

Brother-in-law's currently going through chemo for cancer in the plasma. For the past few years, he's had surgery, stem cell therapy and other new treatments to keep it under control. Fingers crossed for him too.

We're managing ok in Australia for now. Our restrictions on food and sundries didn't last very long, thank goodness. Poor Victoria is having curfews and stage 4 restrictions until yesterday. Majority of the mortalities in the country are from there, sadly it was mostly the elderly. All because returned travellers didn't want to follow hotel quarantine restrictions for 2 weeks. Borders are still closed in all the states, though a few are cautiously opening soon. NSW didn't close its borders, except to VIC, but the health services have been managing the hot spots and testing a lot of people.

Rex and I finally went for our regular blood tests. Masks on at all times and using hand sanitisers, keeping our distance. His specialists have been monitoring the results and chatting to him on the phone. I went for my usual bloods and then had to get a scan on my liver. The technician at the time said it was a normal size, not enlarged. Waiting for the doctor to contact me.

Of course, I would stub my right foot a few mornings ago, when I was still groggy getting up from bed. There was blood on the toe nail and now the whole toe has gone dark. Plus a dark line across another toe. Like the hairline fracture I had on my left foot years ago. Oopsie. But as long as I can still hobble around...

Val, glad to hear your test was negative. Bummer about your unemployment claim though. That's a real pain. Hope they can sort it out again soon.

Val, I hope we see photos once your place is done up. I'm sure it will be wonderful once the dust settles and the paint dries.

Well, here we go again with lockdowns and restrictions. But this time it's really close to home. We have 28 new cases in our area overnight. After weeks of no infections. The strain was from overseas. At least 2 places in our neighbourhood are affected. Fortunately we weren't there recently, but everyone has been told to stay home for the next 3 days. All public places are closed.

We've cancelled our Christmas gatherings with family and friends. Best not risk it, not when things are so iffy at the moment.

Hope everything's ok in your part of the world. Stay safe and well, everyone.

Geez, Val, those numbers aren't good. Sure hope things improve soon for you, both Covid-wise, as well as work.

We're still in lockdown here in Sydney Northern Beaches. No one allowed into our area, no one allowed out. Police are on the streets, waiting to stop people. Over 110 cases so far in the past fortnight alone. Before that we had NONE for almost a month, so this sudden outbreak just before Christmas was a shock. Like us, most people have cancelled their Christmas plans and spent it at home. But the rate of infection seems to have slowed down to about 9 yesterday and 7 the day before.

The other states have closed their borders and turned travellers away. But the good news is that other states only have a few people affected from the Avalon cluster in Sydney. Victoria reported NO new cases over this period. Thank goodness.

We had a quiet Christmas, but it was still nice. Peaceful. Caught up with neighbours upstairs and we wore our masks, and kept the proper distance.

The people next door have hung a big red stocking on their front door. We sneaked a few fortune cookies with good luck messages into it. Later that morning, I heard little excited squeals from the children when the cookies were discovered. Secret Santa came by. Shhh...

Hi Wolfie! Glad to hear all is well with you.  Things have been awfully quiet all over.  I guess with the Covid folks are running out of things to say. It's still pretty bad in my state. Another 2,300 something new cases yesterday.  So far:

Total cases 1.25M 1,250,000 +2,377

Recovered -

Deaths 23,542 23,542 +15

 

But, they say things are getting better?

I'm still waiting on getting the shot, although I 'm hearing that my group will qualify for getting them starting next week.  IF there's enough of the vaccine. 

Hopefully all is going well for everyone :)