Pandemic - Chapter 8!

 December 30, 2021

Chapter 8! Why am I still blogging about this? When we entered the pandemic and saw how things were going, and the vaccines came out, my goal was to just get to the summer of 2021. Then things should start to get closer to normal. The virus would run its course with the aid of vaccines and ... But here I am, Chapter 8, and will there be a Chapter 9 and 10?

The saga goes on and on. The floods of November created havoc in parts of B.C. Naturally, the first thing people do in a crisis, at least that is what it seems, is to stock up on toilet paper. We are such a proper society and we no longer get Sears catalogues. Amazingly, the Coquihalla Highway, a major route into the interior of the province as well as the rest of Canada looked like it would be closed for many months because of bridge washouts and other slides. However, before Christmas the route was opened to limited traffic. I heard the other day that McDonalds in Japan was temporarily eliminating "super sizing" options and you could only order small sides of french fries, all due to the floods and landslides in B.C. Seems their supplies of potatoes from Canada could not be trucked to Vancouver for shipment to Japan so they have a spud shortage. One has to feel for the farmers who lost homes, livestock etc., and face a long period of rebuilding. The bright note was seeing the community banding together to help each other out. 

That fourth wave of COVID-19, which was ebbing in November is over. The Delta variant, a new strain of the coronavirus was more transmissible, causing a surge in new cases and a constant push for people to get vaccinated, at least in the wealthy countries like Canada, U.S., Britain, Europe, etc. African and other poor countries have less than two percent of their populations vaccinated, due to not only supply issues, but suspicion about anything government led or from outside Africa. When vaccination started the goal was to get at least 80% of our population vaccinated. At first this meant one shot, which provided over 90% protection. Then, it became needing two shots because the level of protection from the first shot drops after a period of time. Two shots was considered fully vaccinated, and with proof of vaccination allowed you to go to restaurants, sporting events, travel etc. They talked about 80% vaccination leading to herd immunity, allowing for back to normal activity. Here we are, many months later, and we are closer to 90%, and vaccines are now available for children as young as 5. No one is talking about herd immunity. On top of that, we now need a booster shot to be protected and I suspect we will see annual or semi-annual shots for some time to come. Our booster shots are now scheduled for early January. That should help for a few months.

Have you ever sat a the seashore and watched the waves come in. Some are larger, some are smaller, but they keep coming. The beach never has a time where all waves have disappeared. Only weeks ago, a new variant was discovered in South Africa. This variant, labeled Omicron, was many time more transmissible than the dreaded Delta variant. In only a few weeks this new variant spread all over the world, including all provinces in Canada. Wave number 5. Even vaccinated people are catching it. The good news though is that vaccinated people who catch it do not seem to get very sick and recover fast, with few requiring hospitalization. 

Omicron is causing daily new case numbers to increase exponentially, with record numbers each day. The world is reacting with new measures. It is so tiring. We have to rethink some of the ways we may be letting down our guard. I am also shocked when I discover people I know who refuse to be vaccinated. You just don’t know. Even our return to Sunday church services no longer seems like a good idea.

Personally, no one in my immediate family has caught COVID, though we know of many who have, and some who have died. Unlike last year, when we stuck to our immediate family, Christmas this year included a few more family members and it was nice to socialize with family we have not seen for some time. However, a deep rift has also formed as we do not see family who are not vaccinated, causing resentment. However, for New Years Eve, last year we spent time with friends online via Zoom. This year a party which was planned was cancelled due to the new restrictions on gathering and now we will spend the night with just the two of us. Are we going forward or backwards? Hard to tell some times.

A trip scheduled for mid January is still on, although our travel companions have changed because of COVID concerns. Does this mean we are going? Who knows. The only certainty these days is uncertainty. I can't be sure we will go until I actually step foot in Bonaire. The government has recommended not to travel internationally, but has not banned it, so far. I feel that living in our own rental unit and spending most of our time outdoors in a place with few cases seems safer than mingling with unvaxed people at the local grocery store.  Even some of the new rules about which businesses may operate and which may close, with no option of altering procedures, defies logic some times.  We will see what 2022 brings.

Now, I read a few days ago that after a huge surge in daily new cases in South Africa due to Omicron, without corresponding surges in hospitalizations or deaths, they are now seeing a sharp decline in cases. Before getting my hopes up that the end (of high infection rates) is near, it was pointed out that South Africa is in the midst of their Summer. That is a natural time for viruses to decline. So, is there reason to get excited? Probably not. We will just sit here on the New Year’s Eve, raise a glass to our Christmas Tree and pretend escaping this miserable winter for a Caribbean island is still possible. 

January 19, 2022

The virus rages on. New case numbers, attributed almost entirely to omicron, set daily new records and provincial governments return to publishing new edicts to stem the increases. That is now met with more criticism than in the past. For some the measures are not strong enough. For others things like shutting down one type of business while allowing others to stay open makes little sense, and then there are those who feel they are draconian and we are in a state of communism. While the effects of omicron are generally less severe than the delta variant, the fear is that the health care system may collapse if too many need hospitalization. What seems to be clear to most is that vaccines work, whether to lower the chances of getting sick, lowering the chances of infecting others, or just significantly lowering the symptoms of omicron. The gap keeps growing as more and more restrictions are placed on what unvaxed people can do. This creates greater and greater resentment and this is a worldwide issue. The fact that the majority of hospitalizations is now among unvaxed people and younger people makes no difference. It doesn’t help that the media seeks out the opinions of more and more professionals leading to more conflicting information and confusion. Despite some gloomy forecasts, the significant drop in cases in South Africa and Britain suggests that we may be nearing the end of this virus’s effect. However, what the last two years has taught us is that we have no idea what happens next.

Canada continues to have travel restrictions requiring travellers to be fully vaccinated and there is an advisory recommending no foreign travel except for essential reasons. We have been looking daily, uncertain about the upcoming trip to Bonaire and Aruba. It has been stressful and yesterday was the date we were to leave. While I know the world waits with bated breath what we decided to do and how that worked out, I would suggest you wait for the Bonaire blog which will be coming to a blog near you in the near future.

Pandemic - Chapter 7

October 20

 The saga continues. Beyond all expectations, the pandemic is still raging in ebbs and flows. It appears the "fourth wave" seems to be slowing. After seeing rises in daily infections and hospitalizations, we seemed to have peaked and the numbers are declining slowly although still higher than a few months ago. Over 83%  of eligible people have been vaccinated but I suspect that the remaining unvaccinated people are those who have chosen not to be, rather than those who have not had a chance to be. Now there is talk that a third "booster" shot would be beneficial and we can expect to see that roll out soon. As well, approval is being sought for vaccinating children between 5 and 12 years old. Unfortunately, while vaccination seems to be the only way out from the grips of the pandemic, the push for more vaccines and the growing number of jobs where employees must be vaccinated or go on unpaid leave is heaping fuel on the growing fire from those opposed to either vaccinations themselves or governments telling them what to do. It seems some feel that everyone should be able to do as they please without interference. Without vaccines, people can not attend indoor dining, entertainment venues, etc. It kind of reminds me of the Book of Judges in the Bible. The recurring theme there was "everyone did what was right in their own eyes". This did not go well. One restaurant in Hope remains open despite being cited for violating health regulation protocols, loss of liquor license and an order to close. Does the word "anarchy" mean anything?  But, I've said too much. I have tried very hard to not to respond to social media posts, etc. as I see nothing being gained by arguing for or against how the government battles this pandemic with those who are set in their beliefs. I am not sure though how we come out of this.

On a more positive note for those who have been fully vaccinated in B.C., restrictive measures are slowly being lifted. Federal vaccine cards are also in the works, but of course when it come to government, this will takes months and months to achieve for some reason. It will make traveling easier now that Canada has opened its borders to vaccinated Americans and the U.S. is set to open their borders to vaccinated Canadians in early November. Just hours ago I booked our flights to Bonaire and Aruba for late January and this time I may not have to cancel. Here's hoping. 

 The one thing consistent through all this though is that my football team continues to disappoint. Even a pandemic can not change that.

November 27, 2021

Guess what? We are still in the middle of a pandemic. It has now been over two years and it looks more and more that COVID -19 or some strain of it will be with us to stay and we simply need to learn how to live with it. How that will look for those who are unvaccinated is anyone's guess. For now, we in B.C. have electronic Vax cards which we must produce to go to restaurants and other non-essential venues. This is unfortunate for the unvaxed who may not access these places, but it does make one feel more comfortable knowing that everyone around you has been double-vaxed. I also have the Federal Vaccine card which must be used for international travel. Again, you need to be double-vaxed to travel. This is all OK for now to curb the spread of the virus, but is it sustainable in the long term? We already have many protests locally and around the world by people feeling their rights and freedoms are being taken away. Mask wearing in church allows for in person services but unfortunately, our church has many unvaxed people and there is no requirement to wear masks while conversing or singing in the pews. There was an outbreak at the associated Christian school which also included children and parents of our church. Some ended up in the hospital very, very sick from COVID. Have we learned a lesson from this? I doubt it. Therefore, since then, we have stopped attending and have returned to watching church online.

Our trip to Bonaire in January is a go for now. So is our trip to Costa Rica in March, if we secure a new accommodation after our last one suffered damage from the effects of a hurricane. Africa on the other hand is still questionable. A new, very aggressive variant was discovered in South Africa, and within a day or two, travel to and from Southern Africa was halted. Hopefully this variant is isolated, and the international community will support the effected countries with vaccines so that this is only a short setback. More variants will no doubt spring up though. The world is not back to normal in any way.

In B.C., eligible individuals are 87.6% fully vaccinated. That is people over 12 years old. When vaccines started, we were to have "herd immunity" when we reached something like 80%. Not so any more. Effective next week, approval has been reached to vaccinate children from 5 years old to 12. The vaccine rate will go down as the number of eligible people suddenly goes up. Of course, there is no general requirement to have the vaccine, but certain jobs that require working closely with people, including federal jobs, healthcare workers, etc. are required to be vaccinated or be terminated. Naturally not a popular move by those opposed to the vaccine who work in these industries. And now it seems the vaccines lose some of their strength over time and booster shots are now being administered. I suspect over time more permanent vaccines will be created. In Costa Rica, the vaccine rules are similar to here, but there is talk of making vaccines mandatory, even for children. 

On a side note, weather has been a major issue for B.C. this year. I guess this was to help distract us from COVID. With more time on their hands, the weather office has been busy creating or at least educating us on previously unused weather terms. The extreme heat wave we suffered in June was because we were under a "heat dome". Now we are inundated with extreme rain storms. Last week saw record setting rain over a 48 hour period which caused major flooding, dike and levee breaches and saw all major roads from Vancouver to the Interior cut off because of washed out sections of highway. The Sumas prairie in Abbotsford was under water. Supplies normally trucked in and out were cut off, as was gas from Alberta. Everything was disrupted. We used to talk about the "Pineapple Express", a band of rain coming up from Hawaii during the winter months. Not any more. We now have an "Atmospheric Highway", a long band of very intense rain. If I had a bitcoin for every time I have heard the phrase "Atmospheric Highway" in the last two weeks...  

A Whale's Tail...or Fin

 One of my favourite authors for light reading during vacation time is Patrick F. McManus. Pat was the author of such gripping tales as Never Sniff a Gift Fish, Real Ponies Don't Go Oink and They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? My library is full of such classics. Pat's books were mostly a collection of articles he wrote for outdoors magazines like Field and Stream, giving a tongue-in-cheek account of his life growing up in rural Montana and Idaho, and his dedication to his passion, using fishing and hunting to avoid real work. I recently began reading a few later books I found online and as usual I feel inspired. 

This leads me to my passion, wildlife photography. I am not saying my photos are works of art or anything, but I love wildlife and the pursuit of photographing as many different species as possible, perhaps even publishing an album or three, mostly for my own pleasure. To date I have photos of 264 species of animals, 868 birds, 256 varieties of sea life in addition to some insects, collected from four continents. I am always looking to add to my collection, or improve on photos I have now. 

When in a nature setting, you will not find me without a camera strapped on my back or in my hand. I have even been known to take my camera when going to an outhouse in some remote area, just in case I see something along the way. This is done to avoid my recurring nightmare, which I have had in various forms for the past 30 years. I am walking, driving, or as I am apt to do, flying and soaring like an eagle, when I come across the most magnificent sight. The image is unbelievable, the wildlife so amazing, that I know I could never do it justice by just telling anyone about it. Who would believe me? I grab for my camera only to find that I FORGOT IT!!! I break out in sweat. This is a disaster. I will never see this again! I completely forget about the fact that I am the only person in my dream who also forgot his clothes and is traveling around in underwear. Why do I keep forgetting to get dressed! By the way, I do not have a cell phone in these dreams, and I would never stoop to using a phone camera for such an awesome sight in the first place. I feel sick and depressed at not being able to capture this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Waking up is a relief. 

I live on the west coast of Canada and have done so for almost 60 years. Over that time I have traveled by ferry to Vancouver Island and its surrounding islands many times. This area is known for the orcas that frequent the islands. While others may spend their ferry ride chatting or sleeping inside, I spend most of my time on deck, sometimes bundled up against the wind, scouring the water for signs of whales. Once, and only once, I did see a lone orca for a few minutes. A few times I think I did see a quick glimpse of a tiny fin from a porpoise, but I could never be sure because they are too far away to confirm. 

This summer we went to Saturna Island. We rented a nice house, (converted trailer), which overlooked the channel between Saturna and a small neighbouring island. Just down the road, within walking distance, was East Point, a park which opened to the water. To the west you could see Washington State and to the north Point Roberts and the southern end of Vancouver's Lower Mainland. In addition to the sea lions who frequent the rocky outcrops, and sea birds, this is also the good spot to see whales. In fact the brochure advertising this place features the orcas that hangout here. We spent many hours here. Others are also often here looking for whales, including naturalists with cameras set up for action. On our final visit I did talk to the local naturalist. I was a little excited to report that that morning I did see two porpoises! He kind of yawned like I was boring him. He said that this area was a nursery for porpoises, so they are frequently seen in large numbers here. So my two little fin sightings were no big deal? Way to rain on my parade! Then he said that a week earlier, a pod of orcas had swam through the channel in front of our house, playing and breaching for quite a while. Well, whoop-ti-doo! Also, someone had spotted a humpback whale that morning. Other than that, there were no sightings. 

When we returned home I read in the local paper that the southern resident orca pod who frequent our waters had left the area and have disappeared for the past several weeks. No one knows where they had gone. Then, a few days later came a report that the pod was back, and there was a meeting of this pod with another pod of orcas, and they spent hours breaching and playing together. Salt in my wound. 

But, we are not done yet! Good friends of ours left a few weeks ago for their family house on Thetis Island. They shall remain nameless. We have visited there a number of times with them. He sent me this photo:

These four orcas and some porpoises were spotted from their house! Good grief! These things are everywhere but where I am. Later he mentioned that on the ferry ride home, the ferry captain announced that there were whales on the port side. I have never heard such an announcement. He claimed that for my benefit, they did not even go look. Was that really the case, or have orcas become so common place that they can't even be bothered with them anymore?  

Did I mention the time we were on an excursion in Costa Rica, and the guide showed me a photo his buddy sent him from back in town where we just left. It was a large boa constrictor wrestling with a wild rabbit in the middle of the street. Later, after we boarded the boat after going for a hike in a nature reserve, he told us that he was a little behind the group as we were walking through the jungle, and a tapir crossed the path, only a few minutes behind us. (Tapirs were on the top of my bucket list for that walk.) Does anyone see a pattern?

   

Pandemic - Chapter 6

 June 29, 2021

The province has done a great job of vaccinating. Today, over 76 percent of eligible people over 12 years old have had their first vaccine shot, and over 30 percent are now fully vaccinated. We have been fully vaccinated for over 3 weeks and supposedly have less than 5 percent chance of catching the Covid virus and its mutated strains. Today was a particularly good milestone. With vaccines increasing, the provincial new cases per day continue to plummet, with less than 30 new cases for the last few days. Today Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that with the increased number of vaccinated people, we will now move into phase 3 of the recovery plan effective July 1. Most of the health restrictions are being lifted, with moving from required to recommended. Full vaccinated people may visit indoors without masks, even hug loved ones, limits on how many people may eat together at a restaurant has been lifted, most businesses may open, outdoor gatherings may grow, and venues may accommodate the greater of 50 people or 50 percent of capacity. This includes opening up church services. While the wearing of masks in many places is still recommended, it will not be required for fully vaccinated people. Travel throughout Canada is allowed, although non-essential travel outside Canada is not recommended and has protocols for returning Canadians. The Canada-US border remains closed. 

This is great news, and while there are still restrictions, we are rapidly approaching a more normal existence. Meanwhile we battle a new experience. Western Canada this week entered a massive heat wave, which produced temperatures in the 40’s Celsius for several days in B.C. We happened to be on vacation in the Shuswap area, beside a lake, on the hottest days. Yesterday Lytton recorded over 47 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada, and higher than the highest temperature for Las Vegas. (DeathValley has recorded higher temperatures.) After last year at this place, I had no plans to swim in the cold lake, but this year has been dramatically different and I have taken the plunge regularly. The lake is much warmer. 

I am excited that CFL football will be returning August 5, and while there may be limited fans at first, by September we hope all restrictions will be lifted. Of course, there are always those who wish to dampen people’s spirits. While case numbers plummet and things look good at last, some medical people, trying to get press I presume, like to discourage people with warnings of possible 4th waves of the pandemic in the fall, and Pooh-hawing the lifting of restrictions. I refuse to let them discourage me as we continue to plan future trips. Even my foot, which has not improved for months, is finally starting to improve, and I am slowly increasing my daily walking. After all, a walking safari is still on the books for next August.

August 17, 2021

OK, those stupid pessimists that warned of a fourth wave were right! After case numbers and hospitalizations were going down entering the month of July, the wave hit. Many of the restrictions for wearing face masks and limiting gatherings were lifted. In Blind Bay, the result was immediate. Face mask restrictions were lifted on July 1, although they were still strongly recommended. We went into the local grocery store that afternoon and everyone from staff to customers had stopped wearing masks. By mid July, daily numbers climbed steadily, although hospitalizations stayed low, due to the fact that vaccinated people were not getting sick enough to require medical attention. Numbers skyrocketed in the USA as well, with the overwhelming majority of cases being among the unvaccinated. There, it seemed it was a political issue, with Republicans being the major group refusing vaccines. Now governments are considering requiring that certain people be vaccinated to protect the public but there remains pushback from those refusing to believe. 

For me, this has not had a large personal effect. We do see friends and family more now, although there remains high tension between vaccinated and unvaccinated family members. For now, we can meet outside with low risk, but once the summer weather changes, that may become an issue. The number of people vaccinated now goes up very slowly, not because of lack of supply, but because those not vaccinated do not want it. Clearly as a result, this pandemic will be with us much longer than I first anticipated. 

Actually, the pandemic has been superseded by the weather. BC has had several heat waves, with temperatures reaching the high 30's and even 40 degrees in areas. It seems that most areas of the province are being ravaged by wildfires. The town of Lytton was destroy at the end of June and each day communities are being put on evacuation alert due to approaching fires. 

September 14, 2021

I think we are all sick of the pandemic. Many, including me, thought that by the end of summer, things would be back to normal, or at least close to it. Even with the 4th wave, the number of vaccinated people continues to climb and should do its job of limiting the virus spread. However, it just keeps going. In B.C. it feels like those who want to vaccine have it, unless they were too lazy to go get it, and those who are unvaccinated are mostly so because they choose to be. On top of that, while being vaccinated has clearly proven to be effective in reducing the chances of being hospitalized from COVID, the newest estimates of protection levels are not as high as once thought, and now there is talk of possible booster shots, which unusual I guess. I can't blame doctors or scientists since we are all learning as we go, but it is discouraging. The numbers of new infections daily has jumped and continues to be higher than before the summer, and we are now heading into Fall and more indoor interaction. It is also frustrating to hear people who have been double vaccinated saying that they should be fine now to interact in a normal way with unvaccinated people. The majority of unvaccinated people of course are virus -free, but they are at higher risk of contracting the virus. Fully vaccinated can still catch the virus from them, and while they may have little or less severe symptoms, they become carriers and can pass the virus on to others, like my grandchildren! At this stage, it is more about them than me.

We have had several major developments locally. Effective September 13, people with at least one dose of vaccine may go to licensed restaurants, ticketed sporting events, movies gyms and several other businesses that previously were vulnerable to being shut down by outbreaks. By October, only double-vaccinated people may avail themselves of these businesses and activities. You need to get a vaccine card which businesses must ask for before admitting you in. For those like myself who are fully vaccinated but want to remain vigilant so I don't catch and pass on the virus, this gives me greater comfort that these establishments are safe. However, for many, it feels like the government has created two classes of people, denying services to those who are unvaccinated. The government insists that no essential services would be withheld from anyone, and that unvaccinated can still access take-out food, go to coffee shops and fast food outlets, etc. There is a lot of hostility. I tend to lean on the side of caution and pray that this measure will be short-lived, but understand the reaction of some anti-vaxers. It is just too bad that those who oppose vaccines are so militant and inflammatory. Some of the wild name-calling and outrageously offensive comments I have seen, even from Christians, is very troubling. To add salt to the wound, just yesterday our Dr. Henry announced that all healthcare providers, including anyone working in hospitals of other care facilities, whether employees or contract labour, must be vaccinated or possibly face unpaid leave from their work. Again, I applaud the need to protect the health of our sick and vulnerable, but this may go badly.

Someone recently told me that as far as he was concerned, we need to give more concern to the economy, and regardless of the numbers, there should be no further shutdowns. We need to move on. I suggested to him that if the virus continued to spread, and no action was taken, more people would die. I asked if he had a family member in mind that he would sacrifice for the sake of the economy. An outrageous statement of course, but sometimes people do not have people close to them who have died of COVID and need to have the issue brought closer to home. It may not even be a family member dying of COVID, but not getting a vital operation because the hospital is overrun with COVID patients. 

We continue to plan for 2022 in the hope that with the current measures in place, the pandemic may soon be at least controlled and travel will one again be possible. The wounds created by the rhetoric between friends and family make take much longer to heal.

Pandemic Chapter 5

 June 9, 2021

The next phase has begun. With over 70% of eligible British Columbians receiving their first dose of vaccine, the government ramped up giving out second doses, from 16 weeks between doses to only 8 weeks. We got our second dose a few days ago and it went very well. Despite some people getting a reaction for a day or two after the second dose, we had no problems. In another week or so, we should be well protected. The problem now is to get things opened up. While restaurants were allowed to operated indoors again, the next phase of relaxed rules was just delayed another week, from June 15 to 21, despite the fact that the daily new case counting hospitalization have been steadily declining. This will allow travel within the province and better not be delayed again, since we go to Blind Bay on Shuswap Lake for a week starting June 26. It does feel good to begin to see a few more people. We can even entertain a few people indoors, a no no for months now. The plan at this time is to see some rules slackened beginning June 21, with another easing of rules in early July, and full opening September 5. That bodes well for the CFL, which should announce next week whether they will play football this season. I really miss my Canadian football and have even resorted to watching hockey in June! I have never watched playoff hockey in June unless the Vancouver Canucks are still playing, which is not likely.

It has now been about 5 months since I developed plantar fasciitis and I am still not walking. My physio did not do much good, and every time things feel a little better, I seem to get a setback. Fortunately, I am often distracted by the heartburn that flares up often. This has also limited my red wine intake, offsetting my lack of exercise. To be safe, I am still not going to step on the scale.

We now wait with bated breath for the pandemic to be over, or at least that business returns to a form of normal. Borders remain closed with not clear indication of when they may be opened and international travel resumed. We have secured our trip to Bonaire and Aruba for late January, 2022, trusting that travel will be allowed by then. The problem is that we are unable to even plan out flights. Airlines have grounded most flights until things open up, except in the USA, where things have opened up much more quickly. Currently the Air Canada website only shows American flights to Aruba, and these require two stops in the US. Hopefully Air Canada and Westjet resume their Caribbean flights this Fall. We have lived with total uncertainty for almost a year and a half, so I am getting used to this.

 

Safaris and Rhythms

 If you know me, you know that I am not a morning person. Nothing good happens before 9AM. It is not unusual for me to see 1:30 or 2AM before I hit my pillow. Likewise, while I may wake up earlier, my morning routine does not usually begin before 8:45-9:00AM. I do not understand the need of golfers to hit the links at 7AM. The golf course is open all day! Similarly, why is it necessary to go fishing at 6AM? If the fish only bite in the early hours of the morning, why don’t fishermen pack up and go home at 9AM? 

My body is perfectly happy with my daily rhythm, only protesting slightly before or after dinner, when a nap seems tempting. If I conform to the notion that hours slept before midnight count more than hours after midnight, a conspiracy theory made popular by golfers and fishers, I can look forward to many hours of tossing and turning in my bed, resulting in less sleep than if I went to bed at my usual time.

This brings me to safaris. I love safaris. I have been to Africa twice now, and while Covid-19 is doing its best to keep me away, a third trip is planned once things settle down. Safaris have quite a different rhythm.  The day usually begins before the sun is up. A quick cup of coffee and a few African rusks, hard chunks of solid something not unlike biscotti, and its off in an open air safari vehicle, enjoying the sensation of the crisp morning air trying to form ice crystals on your nose and watery eyelids. As the sun wakes up, the day becomes quite peasant. The safari drive often lasts until 10 or 10:30AM, when we return to camp for breakfast. A second drive is generally scheduled for about 3PM and lasts until about 7:30PM. When the sun goes down, around 6 or 6:30, there is the traditional sundowners stop. Drinks and snacks or brought out and enjoyed while keeping an eye out for a curious lion or hyena. Not long after retuning to camp, after getting refreshed and washing off the dust cloud you probably drove through a few times, the group gets together for dinner, which can often consist of a brai, an African BBQ which always includes more than one kind of meat. Not long after dinner, everyone returns to their tents, (I love the permanent tents built on a platform, complete with showers, full bathroom, etc.). Often, you do not have a choice, as you need to be accompanied by a local like a Masai man just in case you run into dangerous wildlife. Presumably people go to bed then, at about 9:30 or so. 

This routine is so far from my own routine. What made me think of this is an article I read in my Travel Africa magazine. This magazine is how I stay connected with the African bush until I return. This latest edition reflected on missing the African experience since the pandemic shut down the safari camps for over a year now. The author, a guide, wrote about the healthy psychology provided by safaris. His first point was how it reset your circadian rhythm. Safari goers need to reset their internal clocks to the rising and falling of the sun. Now, one would think that I would have a great deal of trouble adjusting to this new rhythm. I think it might help that there is a 8 or 9 hour time difference between east Africa and home. On my first trip, which began in South Africa, we left Johannesburg for Kruger National Park mid morning, arriving at our camp inside the park after dark, at about 7:30PM. We ate outside, spent some time getting to know the people we would be sharing our time with for the next 19 days, and the went to bed at about 10PM. I had my own tent because I had no spouse with me, and there were no other single men in the group. I did manage to go to sleep fairly quickly, but was wide awake at 2:30AM. I waited until just after 3 o’clock to go to the bathroom. This required a walk to the facilities building. Outside my tent, there was a waterbuck, a type of antelope, grazing. I heard the grunts of hippos in the river not too far away, and the hoots of scoops owls.I wandered around the camp for a few hours until sunrise. After that however, I fell into the rhythm. I was able to go to bed and sleep often by 10 or 10:30PM, and had little trouble waking at 5:30 or so. The anticipation of wildlife viewing helped of course. 

I did draw the line one night. We were sleeping in regular tents in the bush in the Okavango Delta. The local tribe that poled our boats to the island we were on also guarded the camp against wildlife all night long. Our bathroom was a hole dug in the ground with tarps on three sides and a toilet seat suspended over the hole. (Make sure that when you camp like this for two days, you dig the hole deep enough. By the last morning there was no longer a hole.) After sunset, we sat around the fire and ate a delicious meal of kudu stew. The locals did not eat, but sat a distance away. When we were finished, they moved around the fire to eat their meal of freshly caught boiled fish. It felt like we should let them have their space, so everyone went to their tents. It was only 8PM! I am not going to bed at 8PM. However, with no electricity, there was little to do by yourself in a tent. Finally, at 10 o’clock or so, I thought I would go to the bathroom, just for something to do. Along the path was a branch sticking out. We would put something on the branch as a signal that the outhouse was occupied. On returning from the poop hole, I walked right into the branch, gashing my thigh and tearing a big hole in my pants. That gave me something to do for a while, trying to stop the bleeding. It was a long night. In the morning I was about the throw my blood-stained pants with the gash in it into the garbage. One of the locals asked if they could have it, so I gave it away.

So, did I become one of those crazy, “Get up at sunrise” kind of people? No. When I got home, I did struggle to stay up past 11:30PM for a week or so, but then my old rhythm kicked in. Until the next safari in 2022, I hope.

Pandemic - Chapter 4

 April 23, 2021

We have entered the next chapter in this struggle with the pandemic. It has now been 10 days since we received our Pfizer vaccine, or at least the first of two shots. Despite warnings of some mild symptoms, neither of us had anything other than a very mild sensitivity from the needle that night. Unfortunately, despite the needle, we are still warned to continue with the health protocols, including mask wearing in close public spaces, 6 foot distancing from others, not gathering indoors, etc. We are expecting to get the second shot in 4 months time after which our immunity should be over 90%, at least that's the current word. I have discovered that you can not anticipate anything for the future, as the medical officers keep changing directions as new information is learned. It's not their fault, but it is very frustrating, and leaves one reluctant to look forward to a date when things will get better, but rather taking a wait and see attitude. We have now entered a third wave, and while restrictions to gatherings, travel, dining out (no indoor dining allowed), etc. have been implemented until at least after the May long weekend, daily infections and hospitalizations continue to climb. Ontario is in the midst of a complete lockdown as numbers get out of hand in major centres. In BC, the latest measures include banning all travel outside of the local region, no recreational vehicles allowed on ferries, and today all flights from India and Pakistan have been halted. The rate of vaccinating the public seems to be slowing as supply countries like India delay vaccine orders because of critical needs at home. Our experience of getting the shot went very smooth, and we were in and out within 30 minutes, including the 15 minutes of rest time before you could leave. Some areas experience long line-ups that wind around the block. The sad thing is that the USA, which was so far behind because of President Donald Trump, is now far ahead of us in terms of doses applied. Their biggest problem may be the many Republican Trump supporters who refuse the vaccine. To get over this pandemic, all countries need to have a high level of vaccinated citizens, somewhere in excess of 65%. 

We did enjoy a distanced visit with some friends recently, although as restrictions remain tight or get tighter, we are taking a more concerted effort to keep away from anyone outside of our family bubble even with almost all of us vaccinated. We were blessed with some very nice weather, (shorts weather for me!), which allowed us to gather by our vehicles in the church parking lot for the last two Sunday services. Still not quite the same, as you can not talk to anyone, and I am not going to sing a duet in my car! As April showers return, I think it will be back to the TV screen for us.

I think the most difficult thing is simply following health orders quite frankly. There are definitely inconsistencies in some of the orders and inconsistent messaging as well. Dr. Henry will say that there should be no indoor gatherings with anyone outside of your family or bubble group, but outdoor gatherings are far less risky. Then she says those outdoor gatherings should not include people outside the family group, although you may add a person to the group. If you do, that person should always be the same. You may not meet with one person one day, and then a different person another day. The idea of seeming to loosen things up and then showing that it really isn't any less restrictive really frustrates people. With more people our age vaccinated, and the fact that outdoor transmission, if distancing is applied, is not very risky, the need for such stringent rules seems excessive. It is hard to stick to the rules when so many find all sorts of ways of justifying why the things they want to do are OK, even when they are not. I have been guilty of the same thing, and every now and then need to re-commit to following the rules so that together we can reach better days. Those better days were believed to be mid July. As we progress, that is not at all certain.

Travel wise, our Africa trip has not been moved to August 2022 and we do have a week booked on Saturna Island again in July, as well as the family week in Blind Bay at the end of June. The lake should still be nice and icy then, and I will need a good book to read on the beach. We have still got a booking for a few weeks in Bonaire in January 2022, and we were to go to Aruba for a few days as well, but is January too soon? Who knows? We would like to plan some travel with the kids to celebrate our 45th anniversary this year, but can we really commit to another trip at this time? We can keep putting things off but eventually I will die, at least that's my plan for the future. For someone who likes to plan and organize, this is very difficult.