Business as usual, cont'd...

News blues…

A Tweet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC - finds that state-issued mask requirements are associated with the slowing of COVID-19 cases and deaths. “Wearing a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly is one of the best ways we can protect ourselves and each other. “
On the heels of Texas and Mississippi lifting their statewide mask mandates and ditching other coronavirus safety measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report suggesting states should be doing the complete opposite to Texas and Mississippi.
The study closely examined COVID-19 cases, as well as hospitalization and death rates across the country, and – surprise! - found that mask mandates were associated with reductions in those figures, while on-site dining was associated with increases.

From March 1 to Dec. 31 of last year public mask mandates were associated with a 0.5 percentage point decrease in the daily growth rate of cases up to 20 days after the rule was put into place, the study found. Those reductions increased over time, shooting up to 1.8 percentage points 100 days after implementing the mask mandate.
Rules allowing for restaurant dining, meanwhile, were associated with a 0.9 percentage point increase after 60 days of greenlighting that activity. That figure jumped to 1.2 percentage points after 80 days. The study, however, did not differentiate between indoor or outdoor dining, the latter of which infectious disease experts say is much safer than the former.

• CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a recent press briefing, “I am really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures we have recommended to protect people from COVID-19.” 
• Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that it is a mistake to relax coronavirus restrictions when more contagious and possibly more dangerous virus variants are circulating in the US. He warned, “We're walking into the mouth of the monster.“  
• Dr. Anthony Fauci said the US shouldn't ease restrictions in place to prevent Covid-19 before the number of new coronavirus cases falls below 10,000 daily, "and maybe even considerably less than that…." He added that the country should pull restrictions gradually, after a substantial portion of Americans are vaccinated.
  The last time the US saw fewer than 10,000 new daily cases was almost a year ago, on March 22, 2020. The number hasn't fallen below 50,000 daily cases since mid-October, and the seven-day average on Wednesday was more than 64,000. 

Will Americans listen?
Some will. Some will not.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is listening. He signed an executive order once again extending the requirement that most people in Colorado “wear a medical or non-medical face covering” … for another 30 days. 

The following US states and territories have mask mandates:
Alabama | American Samoa | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Guam | Hawaii | Illinois | Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | Ohio |Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island | Texas | U.S. Virgin Islands | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming The following US states and territories do not have mask mandates:
Alaska | Arizona | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Iowa | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | North Dakota | Northern Mariana Islands | Oklahoma | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee
Details on each state’s mandate >>

Choose your summer vacation spot with care and an eye toward health.

***

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

Healthy planet, anyone?

To address and inform the public about how corporate and ideological interests spread disinformation across the US, and use their influence to try to stop climate action, the Guardian is partnering with Floodlight , a nonprofit environmental news collaborative partnering with local journalists.
Floodlight’s debut story  investigates how the gas industry is fighting to weaken the climate ambitions of two Texas cities: Austin and San Antonio.

***

Cyclone Winston devastated vital coral colonies off Fiji, but four years on, the reefs are alive again, teeming with fish and colour 

***

Photo essay: the week in wildlife 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Yesterday’s cooler weather allowed me to wheel my mother on a long-awaited trip outside the Care Center. We didn’t go far and, hunched as she is now, I’m not sure how much of the local flora she saw, but it made a welcome change for her. I’ll do it again today, but this time I’ll pad her with cushions to prop her up and prevent her slumping in the wheelchair.
I’m concerned about her swollen and painful right hand. She’d complained last week that her hand was sore and, as I massaged tight tendons in her palm near both pinky fingers, I’d encouraged her to flex her hands frequently. That hasn’t helped.
No red spots on her hand indicate insect bites or infection and she has no discernable bruising; puzzling.

***

House sale, ongoing: neighbors who have lived on this street for 30 years, indicated interest in viewing the house after the end of the sole mandate period. They prefer to make an offer free of an agent’s commission.
Yesterday, I showed them around the property. I discerned references to yet another suspensive sale. This relies on the seller assuming the loan while the buyer pays it off over an agreed period.
I’d refused a suspensive sale last week (the buyer tried a classic bait and switch) and informed real estate agents, “no more offers for suspensive sales – I’m not interested.”
Turns out this is likely the neighbor’s tack, too. I’ll refuse his offer, too - albeit with reluctance.

 
After more than a year living here, I’ve learned a thing or two about this country.
For one thing, I despair of what I call the country’s “reverse development” mentality: very little effort put toward educating workers about the benefits of high-quality work product. Planning is an alien concept as it what defines quality and/or a job well done. This means people work without a plan, or supervision, or quality controls, and or consequences for failing to perform adequately.

***

Days getting shorter, nightfall happening earlier:
Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.
March 6: sunrise 5:53am; sunset 6:25pm.
March 7: sunrise 5:54am; sunset 6:24pm.

Human hearts?

News blues…

One might despair of the lack of … humanity … humans display - and the seeming abundance of corruption lurking in the human head/heart.
Goings on during a global pandemic display a host of humanities worst “shadow” characteristics - more than enough to give some human hearts heart burn:

• Amid many other cases of corruption – SA health minister Mkhize and close associates have allegedly benefited from COVID-19 tenders that the Department of Health had issued at more than R82-million. 
• Despite recommendations from the US CDC for a combination of evidence-based strategies to reduce transmission of COVID-19, US politicians recommend the opposite 
• Significant amounts of fake vaccine have been uncovered in at least two countries – South Africa and China  – 
• Investigation uncovers countries “either less than transparent or in denial about the scale of the [Covid-19] problem” hide pandemic data. 

Take heart though. Some countries are doing well with vaccinations.

The next challenge is finding humane ways to share vaccines across borders, continents, and hemispheres.
From a recent policy paper published in The Lancet:

The COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to end until there is global roll-out of vaccines that protect against severe disease and preferably drive herd immunity. Regulators in numerous countries have authorised or approved COVID-19 vaccines for human use, with more expected to be licensed in 2021. Yet having licensed vaccines is not enough to achieve global control of COVID-19: they also need to be produced at scale, priced affordably, allocated globally so that they are available where needed, and widely deployed in local communities. In this Health Policy paper, we review potential challenges to success in each of these dimensions and discuss policy implications.

***

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

***

Remember The Lincoln Project? Here's another obituary...  (5:27 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

As countries locked down to control the rapid spread of Covid-19 and consequently reduced human mobility (‘anthropause’) — a unique opportunity emerged to gather far reaching insights into human–wildlife interactions in the twenty-first century.
Anecdotal observations indicate that many animal species are enjoying the newly afforded peace and quiet, while others, surprisingly, seem to have come under increased pressure.
Nature ecology and evolution’s addresses findings: “COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife” to review this ‘anthropause’. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I continue to run around in a tizzy - like a chicken without a head, or feathers, or chicken feet. (Cultural humor: bagsful of chicken feet are a popular food item in the refrigerator section of most South African grocery stores. Where do so many feet they come from? I assume from people like me running around in a tizzy….)
Yesterday I:

• went to the dentist. (South Africans complain about the “exorbitant expense” of dentistry. Yet, American dentistry is far more expensive. In the US, one x-ray, or a cleaning, costs far more than what I paid for two fillings.)
• met with my mother’s financial adviser and was provided further perspectives on possible directions to protect my mother and her future.
• met with a real estate management company to gather information on the potential for renting my mother’s house – since no sale is imminent.
• talked on the phone with the matron of two other care centers to gauge the feasibility of moving my mother away from the current center. (The latest eye-opening action? Someone decided to cut my mother’s hair. I know my mother would not have consented as her long, thick hair is her most prized vanity. Now, she’s lost not only her dog (the primary reason I’d placed her in that facility was because they agreed to take her dog), she’s also deprived of self-agency and her dignity.)
• met with the real estate agent that I trust more than any other and, to stimulate a purchase, lowered the house’s asking price, and phoned our neighbor who, during the house’s sole mandate period, showed interest in viewing/purchasing the house. He will view the house today. (A businessman, he intimated he’d pay cash although would not involve a real estate agent (to avoid the 6% commission). Yes, that requires extra vigilance, but I have a plan….)

It’s a busy time.
The best news? My California-based daughter’s recent vaccination against Covid allows her to consider visiting me. Yes, I worry about international travel and the potential for further exposure to the virus, but oh, she’d be so welcome.

***

With daylight savings time approaching in the US, my season-watch obsession continues:
Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.
March 6: sunrise 5:53am; sunset 6:25pm.

One year of Covid

© Mike Lukovich

News blues…

What’s up with them crazy ‘Mericans, anyway?

According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Kansas... the 24 counties with mandatory mask mandates saw an overall decrease in COVID-19 cases, while the 81 counties that opted out of the mask mandate continued to see increases in cases.

Today, despite warnings from experts across the nation, the trend is for “red states” (predominantly Republican-dominated states), always resistant to mask-wearing, push against continuing mask mandates.
Dr Fauci’s warning on governors deciding to ease coronavirus restrictions, even completely lifting mask mandates, amid the pandemic. (3:35 mins)

***

In South Africa, after a year of Covid, some sobering and not-so-sombre facts on the pandemic:

• The first Covid-19 case was recorded on March 5 2020. The patient was a 38-year-old male who had travelled to Italy with his wife as part of a group of 10 people who had arrived in the country four days earlier.
• On March 28, the health ministry announced the first Covid-related death. On January 13 2021 the country recorded its highest death toll in a single day - clocking in 806 new Covid-19 related deaths in 24 hours.

More facts on this topic. 

South Africa’s year of Covid in pictures 

***

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

Healthy planet, anyone?

(c) Our World in Data

Disclaimer:

I spent my adolescence, teenage years, and early adulthood, first, as a fruitarian then as a vegetarian. Oddly, when in South Africa, I occasionally eat chicken and, about once every two months or more infrequently, lamb chops. This year, under lockdown, I’ve eaten more lamb chops – about 8 - than I’ve ever eaten in my life.
I never eat pork. (A favorite childhood activity was watching – “helping” – staff clean then butcher and segment pigs grown and slaughtered on “the farm.” I was fascinated by the view of pigs’ interiors but eat them? No way..)
I seldom eat beef and, when I do, it’s usually while in South Africa.
Seldom eating meat presents an opportunity to notice the impact meat has on digestive system and my wellbeing when I do eat it.
I do not suffer digestive maladies. I notice a meat-based meal staves off hunger longer than a plant/cereal-based meal.
For me, an occasional meat-based meal likely is positive for my overall health. (Feel free to disagree. Healthy disagreement fosters enlightenment.)

 
With that disclaimer out of the way, Our World in Data presents fascinating information on the impacts, real and potential, of how adopting a plant-based diet could reduce global agricultural land use – from 4 billion to 1 billion hectares  (a size comparable to the entire United States and Brazil).
If you are a regular meat eater, how would you feel about adopting a predominantly plant/cereal-based diet?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

As of today, all, even the wishy-washy, property deals concerning the sale of my mother’s house are off the table. I’m back at square one.
It is worrisome, particularly as my mother’s care expenses have escalated alarmingly over the last weeks: health insurance increased by more than R1,500/ month; Care Center rate increased by more than R3,500/ month. Running two households on one fixed income is no longer feasible.
I continue to seek advice from an assortment of professionals: other care providers, realtors, lawyers, and, today, I meet with my mother’s financial advisor.

***

A good day to obsess about the sun’s trajectory as autumn/”fall” approaches:
Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
Feb 27: sunrise 5:48am; sunset 6:32pm.
Feb 28: sunrise 5:49am; sunset 6:31pm.
March 1: data missing due to failed battery on my iPhone 6SE. (Curse you, Apple! LOL!) March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.
March 3: sunrise 5:51am; sunset 6:28pm.
March 4: sunrise 5:52am; sunset 6:26pm.

On the cusp of Week 50

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new week on some level of Lockdown – and Week 50. In two more weeks, South Africans will have endured a year of Lockdown.
Vasbyt, mense!

The numbers of confirmed infection and death continues to rise:
Worldwide (Map) 
March 4 – 115,175,000 confirmed infections; 2,600,000 deaths
February 4 – 104,367,000 confirmed infections; 2,268,000 deaths
December 31 – 82,656000 confirmed infections; 1,8040100 deaths

US (Map) 
March 4 – 28,770,000 confirmed infections; 518,400 deaths
February 4 – 26,555,000 confirmed infections; 450,680 deaths
December 31 – 19,737,200 confirmed infections; 342,260 deaths

SA (Tracker)  
March 4 – 1,516,265 confirmed infections; 50,366 deaths
February 4 – 1,463,016 confirmed infections; 45,344 deaths
December 31 – 1,039,165 confirmed infections; 28,035 deaths

Graphic: Pieter van der Merwe – Source: Dept of Health 

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

News blues…

A landmark report from the World Obesity Federation prompts calls for governments to urgently tackle obesity, and prioritize overweight people for vaccinations. The report reveals countries with high levels of overweight people, such as the UK and the US, have the highest death rates from Covid-19.
World’s highest Covid death rates are in countries with majority-overweight populations. 

***

Prof Tulio de Oliveira of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Informatics and Sequencing Programme (KRISP) revealed, during a virtual media briefing on the latest scientific results on the Covid-19 variant, that those infected with 501Y.V2 (discovered in December) may have immunity against reinfection.

“… One thing that we see from these new results is that the plasma collected from people infected with the variant have good neutralising activity against itself as well as the first wave virus, but actually other variants of concern.
“What it means is that people infected may have immunity against the variant and other lineages but it also means that we know that immunity can decrease over time … in no way are we saying that these people should not vaccinate…” 

***

Police in China and South Africa have seized thousands of fake doses of Covid-19 jabs, global police organisation Interpol said on Wednesday, warning this represented only the “tip of the iceberg” in vaccine-related crime, AFP reports.

The Lyon-based Interpol said 400 vials - equivalent to around 2,400 doses - containing the fake vaccine were found at a warehouse in Germiston outside Johannesburg in South Africa, where officers also recovered fake masks and arrested three Chinese and a Zambian national.
In China, police successfully identified a network selling counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines in an investigation supported by Interpol which has 194 member countries, it said.
They raided the manufacturing premises, resulting in the arrest of some 80 suspects and seized more than 3,000 fake vaccines on the scene.

***

Healthy planet, anyone?

Use lockdown to entertain and educate about our amazing planet. A quick browse of what Netflix offers for “your edification and your delight”:

• Our Planet
• A Life on Our Planet
• Absurd planet
• Night on Earth Tiny Creatures
• Dancing of the Birds

Don’t have Netflix? Presupposing you have access to Internet, a quick browse of what You Tube offers:

• Our Planet series (Frozen Worlds, Coastal Seas, High Seas, Jungles, Fresh Water, From Deserts to Grasslands, etc.)
• The Story of Earth and Life
• The Whole History of Earth and Life
• The Earth in 2050

… and the shows go on….

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

The culvert curse cont’d:
Yesterday morning I was excited to see a backhoe arrive  and the prospect of cleared debris from two culverts. I imagined the culverts magically appearing and one long, happy tributary flowing unimpeded into the Umngeni River.
Alas, not so fast! That dream is dashed.
Behold! The results of March 3, 2021 culvert clearing… (compare to photos through the last 3 years...)

 Shows house side of road with 2 culverts
(compare to photos taken over the last 3 years...)

House side of stream with water receding due to partially cleared culvert 1 

Environmental damage as byproduct....

Culvert 1 still 80 percent blocked but at least water can flow through 20 percent now cleared.
Culvert 2 (circled in red) should be visible to the right of culvert 1. It has, however, been completely blocked with debris. No one would ever know that debris hides a culvert.
Archaeologists in 1000 years MIGHT find it again but it’s lost to your “average” South African!

Backhoe residue.

I imagine history will repeat and, in 5 more years, more maintenance will be required. 

What to say? 

This is the result of NO PLAN and an ad hoc just in time response. 

NO supervision. 

N0 post-work review. 

NO consequences for shoddy work.
I’m sorely disappointed - and demoralized.
Moreover, I pay “rates” (“property taxes”) for such slovenly results.
The silver lining?
I’ve been worried for 3 months about when I get my first “rates” bill for my new home. I’ve heard it can “take months” and that, eventually, I’d likely have to approach the over-crowded Municipality (and run the risk of Covid infection). Waiting for the bill, however, could mean months of ever-increasing debt – plus interest and penalties – culminating with a suddenly-due bill of accumulated debt. By the time the bill arrived I’d be over my head in debt.
Moreover, in what form would the rates bill arrive? In the post? But SA post office is moribund if not totally dead. (I've not seen my mother's water bill for 4 months; I pay an amount each month that may, or may not, have a basis in reality. Who knows what the actual debit - or credit - is?)
Seeking my rates bill, I’ve been regularly dropping by my post box in the Body Corporate (“HOA”) office.
Yesterday: No rates bill. Indeed, no post at all.

Then, returned to my mother’s house, I checked my email and – astonishingly - two rates bills resided in my email in-box. 

One was for my mother. One was for me: was my rates bill. Some enterprising official had reviewed the transfer documents and found my email address. Then, s/he and actually emailed my rates bill.
I was shocked! Wonderfully, happily, shocked.
What’s even more shocking? How excited I am about getting a bill!

I'm learning: in South Africa, everyday life is a game of "win some/lose some"....  

***

Meantime, summer is passing - and I'm tracking the sun’s rising and setting schedule:
Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
Feb 27: sunrise 5:48am; sunset 6:32pm.
Feb 28: sunrise 5:49am; sunset 6:31pm.
March 1: data missing due to failed battery on iPhone 6SE. (Curse you, Apple! LOL!) March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.
March 3: sunrise 5:51am; sunset 6:28pm

March 3: sunrise 5:51am; sunset 6:27pm

Ho, ho, the backhoe

News blues…

Post-Ramaphosa’s easing pandemic restrictions to lockdown alert level 1:

Co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says, “All district municipalities must, after consultation with its local municipalities in its area, alert communities within that district of the increasing number of infections that could lead to that district being declared a hotspot,”
“Industries, businesses and entities, both private and in the public sector, must operate within the alert level 1 regulations as gazetted. All people attending gatherings should endeavour to limit exposure to Covid-19 by adhering to all protocols and regulations.”
Dlamini-Zuma called on citizens to observe all the necessary Covid-19 health protocols and remaining restrictions to avert a possible resurgence. 

SA's Western Cape premier Alan Winde also urged residents on Monday not to be complacent under level 1 lockdown as this could lead to a third wave of Covid-19 infections, adding that the provincial government would still be on high alert and will continue to monitor the pandemic and track areas of concern.
“All of these changes require us to act with even greater responsibility. Covid-19 is still with us and we cannot rule out the possibility of a third wave. The responsibility rests with all of us — the Western Cape government, residents and businesses — to ensure we save lives and engage in safe economic activity which saves livelihoods."

***

Vaccine Refusal: It’s not just one problem — and we’re going to need a portfolio of approaches to solve it.

One-third of American adults said this month that they don’t want the vaccine or are undecided about whether they’ll get one. That figure has declined in some polls. But it remains disconcertingly high among Republicans, young people, and certain minority populations. In pockets of vaccine hesitancy, the coronavirus could continue to spread, kill, mutate, and escape. That puts all of us at risk. Last week, I called several doctors and researchers to ask how we could reverse vaccine hesitancy among the groups in which it was highest. They all told me that my initial question was too simplistic. “Vaccine hesitancy” isn’t one thing, they said. It is a constellation of motivations, insecurities, reasonable fears, and less reasonable conspiracy theories.
Read more >> 

***

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

Healthy planet, anyone?

Our amazing world:

Bioluminescence – the production of visible light through a chemical reaction by living organisms – is a widespread phenomenon among marine life but this is the first time it has been documented and analysed in the kitefin shark, the blackbelly lanternshark, and the southern lanternshark. 

Read >> “Deep-sea sharks glow in the dark” 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

The culvert curse cont’d: “Two ladies” came to the house yesterday, to understand the scope of what I’ve dubbed the culvert curse. Since I would be gone part of the day, I’d asked the Zulu gardener to explain the problem, in Zulu, to whomever showed up.
The gardener’s explanation included the reality that two culverts are blocked, one so utterly blocked that it’s disguised by healthy trees, vegetation and weeds. He also pointed out where, last year, their helpful grader and driver had deposited further debris into both sides of the culvert.
The “two ladies” told the gardener they’d “be back on the morning.”
Skeptic that I’ve learned to be, I asked, “do the “two ladies” plan to be back to look further or do they plan to bring a work crew with him?”
The gardener, experienced in the ways of South Africa, shrugged his shoulders.
The good news? A backhoe, driver, and two workers arrived. They’re been clearing the streambed for more than an hour now (so far, no tea breaks). 

Say no more? A thousand words in a few pictures.

One backhoe arrives...

A second backhoe arrives - very promising....

One backhoe departs, one backhoe remains - and ...
begins clearing the stream bed.

Tomorrow, photos of the results....

More of the same

News blues…

US CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warns the latest COVID-19 data could spell trouble: “At this level of cases with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained….” 

***

There are around two million traditional healers in Sub-Saharan Africa of which more than 200,000 live and work in SA.
Traditional healers are frequently exposed to bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B and HIV. In particular, they are exposed through the widespread practice of traditional “injections” by incision. This is when the healer makes small cuts in a patient’s skin using a razor blade to rub herbs directly into the bloodied tissue with their bare hands. They are also exposed to airborne pathogens such as Covid-19 and tuberculosis (TB) when treating patients.
… research in a rural South African town found that traditional healers are open to using gloves and masks, and many regularly do so. But they do not have access to formal training in putting on, taking off, and disposing of personal protective equipment. They also don’t have regular access to government-funded gloves or masks. Leaving aside any question about the efficacy of traditional methods for diagnosis and treatment, traditional healers should be made as safe as possible. 

***

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

Healthy planet, anyone?

There is a marked divide in the state of the world’s forests. In most rich countries, across Europe, North America and East Asia, forest cover is increasing, whilst many low-to-middle income countries it’s decreasing.
But, it would be wrong to think that the only impact rich countries have on global forests is through changes in their domestic forests. They also contribute to global deforestation through the foods they import from poorer countries.
Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics. 71% of this is driven by demand in domestic markets, and the remaining 29% for the production of products that are traded. 40% of traded deforestation ends up in high-income countries, meaning they are responsible for 12% of deforestation.
How much do people in rich countries contribute to deforestation overseas? 

***

In appreciation of our world and its amazing creatures: Cyclotron physicist outdone by persistent squirrel. (11:31 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Another example of the vast gulf between my understanding of good business practices and South African business practices:
I received the March invoice for my mother’s board and lodging at the Care Center. With no heads up, no indication at all, her monthly rate increased by more than R3,500 plus R1,777 VAT (tax). This does not include her miscellaneous expenses – hair salon (I wasn’t aware she was going to the hair salon, but okay…) and medical supplies, etc.)
I emailed the Matron asking if it was normal practice to increase the rate without any warning, especially in light of “us” having to give 30 days notice in event of departing the residence. Does it not work both ways? I fear not. We shall see. Naturally, I’ll pay the increase. After all, my mother is a captive audience.

***

The jokes on me: yesterday’s post  highlighted my emotional and psychological dependence on my cell phone and by association, on my battery charger. The irony? When I drove to my other home to pick up the battery charger I’d inadvertently left there, I left behind my laptop. This meant making a second trip back.
Am I just getting old? Or is lockdown getting to me and making me lose my marbles?

***

While picking up my phone charger, Winnie - a supervisor with the landscaping company that services the community – knocked on my door.
Last week, I’d introduced myself to Winnie and asked if her company might be interested in hiring our gardener (after we sell the house). She was interested enough to remember my address and, today, turned up to talk further about hiring him.
Since my Zulu is as elementary as Winnie’s English, I’ve asked a friend who is fluent in Zulu to ensure communication is clear.

***

The curse of the culverts, cont’d: Intense irritation about the continuing delay – after years! - in clearing two blocked culverts had me writing both another letter with photographs to Public Works and and an article for the local print newspaper. (Background – updated this week  and last month)
I’d recently acquired the name and phone number of the man in charge of the project and I called him. Mr. Biyela was pleasant on the phone and agreed to send “someone” to clear the culverts “today.”
Oh, joy!
I put aside the writing – I can come back to it, if needed.
An hour later, someone from Mr. Biyela office left a “missed call” on my phone. I called back. That person, a woman, no name given, said she was “too busy” to talk to me. I called back later. She was “in a meeting” and would call later.
I’m still waiting for her call.
Several back hoes and grader passed the house during the day. None stopped at the culverts.
Today, I texted Mr. Biyela to let me know when to expect the culverts cleared.
So far, no response.
Back to the writing desk?

***

Obsession: Tracking the sun’s rising and setting schedule:
Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
Feb 27: sunrise 5:48am; sunset 6:32pm.
Feb 28: sunrise 5:49am; sunset 6:31pm.
March 1: data missing due to failed battery on iPhone 6SE. (Curse you, Apple! LOL!) 

March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.

New days dawn

A new week, a new month, and a new lockdown level…

News blues…

South Africans skip lockdown level 2 and, from level 3, go directly to level 1.
President Ramaphosa announced last night that South Africa had seen new Covid infections reduced enough that the country will move from lockdown alert level 3 to lockdown alert level 1 regulations.  (3:45 mins)

Lockdown alert level 1 restrictions:

• Curfew from midnight to 4am
• Restrictions on social political and religious gatherings are lifted subject to the size of gathering – 100 people maximum indoors and 250 outdoors or 50percent of capacity of small venues
• night gatherings after funerals still not permitted;
• ongoing social distancing, health protocols (ventilation, hand sanitizing)….
• night clubs remain closed;
• sale of alcohol permitted according to normal license provision but no alcohol sold during curfew hours;
• Mandatory wearing of masks in public places; failure to do so “remains a criminal offense.”
• Border posts that have been closed (30 of them) remain closed; border posts that have been open (20 of them) remain open.
• Five airports open for international travel with “standard infection control measures remain in place.”

***

Extreme Covid measures – how the other half lives  (2:38 mins)

***

Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide 

***

Their former law professor calls out (US Senators) Cruz and Hawley behavior  (5:53 mins)

***

Republican angst:

"There are a lot of people in the party ready to move beyond Donald Trump. In fact, most of us realize he is much better at golfing than governing which is really saying a lot if you know anything about Donald Trump's golf game," before adding, "Donald Trump lost, not because more Democrats came out. Donald Trump lost because his own voters defected from him." Watch a Republican point of view of how to “move beyond Donald Trump” – from “crazy to rational”….  (5:58 mins)

Hmmm. We’ll see….

Healthy planet, anyone?

Photo essay: the week in wildlife 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Months ago, about the time my mother’s house went on the market, I talked to an electrician about surveying the electrical system to ensure it passes the mandatory inspection.
Background: The former owner had been an unscrupulous DIY guy who owed a lot of money around town. He’d kludged together a DIY electrical system based on guesswork and, maybe, dabs of super glue… in the same way he’d DIY’d other “fixes” around the house. This, to make the house appear sales worthy enough to a naïve, too trusting 80-year-old woman, (also too stubborn to heed advice). 

My mother paid his asking price for a house that required many fixes after she’d moved in.
Fast forward to 2020-2021. We’re selling the house “as is” – “voetstoots” in SA realtor lingo – but that does not mean illegal. Unlike my mother’s seller, we will sell the house with a functional electrical system, as per law. (My mother’s seller simply paid off the friend /inspector responsible for signing off on the electrical system.)
The electrician I hired showed up yesterday (after a 5 month wait) and began inspecting, then fixing, the malfunction system in the garage/workshop and upper apartment.
This included locating the second “DB” – sub distribution board - in the ceiling of the garage (a surprise: I had not known there was a second sub board).
Apparently, the wires in the ceiling were a rat’s nest resulting in the power failure - something to do with improper connection of live and neutral wires….
He also began replacing the remaining power-hungry incandescent and florescent bulbs with LEDs. (I replaced a handful last year as the incandescent bulbs burned out.)
My discoveries about South African building law continue: electrical outlets/wall sockets are not permitted in bathrooms. This explains why the bathroom in my new home has zero electrical outlets – other than two overhead halogen bulbs. It also explains why the bathroom light switch is located in a different room. This law makes it highly impractical for a residents to plug a hair dryer, electric shaver, electric toothbrush, etc., in another room but….
I’d thought the lack of outlet was a building error specific to my new home. Apparently, no such outlets are permitted in South Africa. (This explains, too, why there are not outlets for hair dryers in the public dressing room at the swimming pool – or the bathrooms at my mother’s house.)
Inevitably, electricians have a (legal) workaround… I’ll hire the electrician to install the workaround in my new bathroom.

***

Living semi-moved into two living spaces has drawbacks, the biggest of which is forgetting one's cell phone battery charger.
With the battery failing fast in my iPhone 6SE (and Apple’s ongoing refusal to address their “slowdown” of this device series) I carry my slowed-down phone and battery and charger cable everywhere. (Yes, I’m addicted to my phone … therefore it’s accessories.) Unfortunately, yesterday, I didn’t notice until after nightfall that I’d left my battery charger at my new home. My first reaction was panic: how would I handle my routine hours of wakefulness at midnight and 2pm and 4pm? Usually, I read my latest library e-book on my iPhone’s Kindle app. 

Could I survive hours of no iPhone?
How would/could I handle withdrawal?
It helped that the battery charger was not missing, that I knew where I’d left it. I wasn’t able to fetch it until morning, but the crisis was survivable.
True, I’ll also miss my daily routine early morning phone call with my friend in (his late night) California. My laptop, however, functions so I can email him and let him know. Then I plan to race over to my new home and retrieve the lifesaving devices.

***

Big social occasion: I had lunch with two friends in a café yesterday - first time in more than a year. What a treat! 

***

Our neighbor races pigeons and, yesterday, while training, one of his pigeons landed near our garage and limped under cover of a plant box.
I called to alert the neighbor and he arrived promptly to fetch it – one of his “youngsters,” he said, newly introduced to training.
He reported he’d lost several pigeons that day to hawks attacking mid-flight.
Training racing pigeons to return home happens by 10 kilometer increments: first trip away from home is 10kms distant, then 20kms, then 30kms… until the birds can find their way home from as far away as 800kms.
Now there’s an inbuilt homing device.

***

Obsession: Tracking the sun’s rising and setting schedule:
Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
Feb 27: sunrise 5:48am; sunset 6:32pm.
Feb 28: sunrise 5:49am; sunset 6:31pm.
March 1: data missing due to failed battery on iPhone 6SE. (Curse you, Apple!)