Life in quarantine

There are groups around the district putting together essential information for locals, there will be links added to pages and information dispersed. Hopefully it will be kept up-to-date, and we won’t have to do this for too much longer.

I’ve added a page with quarantine information, that details what I’ve found about those local businesses that are still providing a service.

I also added one called Things to do in quarantine, that has some links on it with some Quite Interesting stuff (that I’ll add to the Quite Interesting page when this is all over).

Sophie Thomson - who has been a great supporter of our local Red Cross branch for nearly thirty years and is a well known Gardening Australia presenter - has put up some videos on establishing gardens. If you are a novice, it’s a great way to get some solid, practical advice.

Maggie Beer has also filmed some videos and I’ve included a link. Taste Australia is a great website to find recipes, and Jamie Oliver’s children also have their own videos.

Keeping your body active is a must. There are some simple things you can do that will assist, and I’ve added a link from Britain’s NHS, which has some good ideas and practical advice.

Clearly you need to keep your brain engaged and there are some really good links from Australia Reads to TED Talks. TED talks particularly cover topics as varied as the design of flags, to housing, to charity, to comedy. The list goes on. Dr Karl is an Australian icon, and he has a great page with information on all sorts of subjects - including COVID-19.

All through this and trying to keep positive is the real fear that so many of our small businesses may never recover, and that makes me sad, not only for those who have worked so hard, but also for our local economy. I am sure w’ll all do our part and support them as much as we can.

It’s a beautiful day for a picnic in the garden.

Raise a smile

So much creativity! Here are some funny websites that showcase ordinary people doing some really funny things.

This first one is a group of students from Birdwood Primary School:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YRiJnfzeEc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2AbDfdPb0r2lWvZny6RbPpAEw1-B-zsR-IDbp3NDQVGGCw9JRAV9Q--3k

Putting the bin out was never this much fun!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/306002627033697/about/

Then there’s this:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/515507852491119/about/

Lots more to find. Explore.

Printing newsletters

Nothing went right for this newsletter. The week before, after the last operating system upgrade, my mac decided that it wouldn’t open Word. OK - time was short, resort to Pages, the mac default. A basic programme and has some OK features, and I did use it last year, but bit the bullet and resumed Word, as it still has a lot more features - including indexing , which is vital. Frantic call to tech guy and after a couple of hours was all fixed. So, for the first time in nearly thirty years of mac use, there was a problem I needed help with.

Then deadlines from contributors were missed, and I was contacted to see if the article could still be used, which meant that all the formatting had to be changed when the article was inserted.

And that would have been OK, but then the printer decided to give out an error message, asking that the black cartridge be changed. Duly did so, as I am nothing if not prepared. Same error message. Another cartridge was purchased and installed - same message. Google was consulted. The HP website was consulted. No resolution. Went back through years worth of receipts and found purchase materials. Rang the number. Was talked through several scenarios, none worked, the technician then said he would transfer me to a hardware technician, but don’t worry if the call disconnected, they would definitely call back. Still waiting.

Luckily, there is another printer in the house. Only to be used as a last resort, the output was disappointing, especially when it wouldn’t print a pdf properly. Take the printer downstairs and print via my (now) reliable mac. No problem. But still not a good copy.

Too late to do anything else, so took to photocopier, and for once, it copied perfectly. No dramas. No running out of toner. All done. But, because it wasn’t a great copy in the first place, they’re not great.

Am now consulting google again to find a better printer, as this is the second HP printer that has quit because of a false error message.

Copies of the newsletter are at the Admin desk in the Market, and will be in the Post Office on Monday.

Cartoon is by Mark Parisi.

Ultimate live streaming

I remember watching a web cam from a waterhole in South Africa decades ago. They’ve come a long way! Check out some of these sites if you’re stuck for something to watch. It’s best to try and remember time zones. If you are watching during daylight hours, you need to watch a cam in your time zone. Night time - northern hemisphere is best. Some don’t buffer so well, some are pretty good. Some cams are also more sophisticated and follow the action!

https://www.earthcam.com/world/indonesia/bali/?cam=bali2

https://www.djuma.com/djuma-waterhole/

https://www.chobegamelodge.com/the-chobe-boardwalk-live-webcam/

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.webcams

April

Whilst the world grapples with the current crises, life goes on. The streets are quieter as we bunker down and learn how to cope with not being able to see and hug family and friends.

Keeping in touch via messaging on smart phones, Facebook, or any of the other social media sites, and for the more advanced, there is FaceTime, Skype, or apps like that. Chatting with the grandchildren takes on a whole new meaning as they learn to not drop phones and point it where they want you to look!

The kindness and resourcefulness of people never ceases to amaze me, and it seems most are determined that no-one is left behind. Disadvantage is a given, but hopefully governments of all persuasions will enact those provisions they’ve put in place before more damage is done.

In the meantime, fire up that sense of humour and buckle up - it may be a long ride!

COVID19 and the community

It seems that no-one is immune from the flow-on effects of the virus.

As many of our volunteers are older, groups are sensibly cancelling meetings for the next few months. Please check with your executive group either by phone or email to see what is happening with your group.