In isolation

Harvest Sky in red, sails, the dredge returns. More shots follow.

Loading coal.

Two coal berths were empty, the total is round 10 berths, the coal loader is yellow. A few other coal  berths are in another facility nearby. 

R U OK? the vital question is painted on a locomotive. There's a collection of locos to reap the coal harvest.

Wire works, very heavy very thick rolls, very few people could locate this spot...

Seafaring canine, likes barking.

The boat is a little out of the ordinary.

Escape

What's our motivating force? Emotion must be right up there. Pandemic fighters win by appeal to our good vibes but a touch of fear has a role.

Why have feelings? The risk is to suffer disillusionment over recent  gun slinging 'men of faith' or the alien policies from our dreadful  government. 

  Never the less, that's life, the good and the not so good, elation is a given and it is a cruel notion that all pain can be avoided. 

 Going...going....gone....

more

If this is lockdown I can't complain at this stage but can sympathise with the serious plight of others.

 Every man and his dog was on the sports field.

The whole state is in lockdown as cases are widespread, round 450; Melbourne counted 25, Brisbane is clear.

The size of the task, costs, stress, the 24/7 nature of work by state gov to manage response to pandemic is lost sight of and critics are very vocal. Various aspects are well  managed (and I'm not pro this gov).

As an elderly citizen, invisible is the term, we, more than others can see retrospectively along with the present, with limitation, to gain an overall perspective and on looking it seemed various moves became overdue some months ago. 

In one way, testing is not a treatment but assumes importance. The targets around vax are imperative including children, but are not the end of the story as evidenced by current reports overseas. Our experts will update all that again.

 Recovery is in our own hands, it is so much up to our own behaviour. It is up to neighbours, more than services, to act to assist others.

In meantime, the reprive on global warming continues, look on the bright side, skies are clear of jet trails, traffic and other pollution greatly reduced. Local dreaded coal export continues unabated. 

    Oddly, my android can parse this text, spell check would be useful.     

           

               

                         

                           

                

                   

             

           

Peace

War Memorial gates honour 378 men from the small neighbourhood of Waratah in a smaller country in 1914.  Lives lost on the other side of world.

The gates are 100 years old. Times change, just nearby is a mutlicultural centre where a bowling club is put to new use. Remnant signage is left standing. High noon is not a good time for photos.

Population

Census time right now this 2021. Every household is counted - the census is not an estimate - potentially every individual is in the count. The on-line census form is easy to do. 

 Most localities have a holiday caravan park that has become a de facto housing estate, lucky for us, anything goes with the local council, except that the rows of the cabins are deserted and vacant most of the time except for the annual holiday. The cabins are outside conventional and annoying building regs. 

 Homelessness is growing.

 Can efforts to provide housing for the homeless learn anything from the vacant holiday cabins? 

 A similar ease up on regulations around alternative housing would meet the human dream for shelter and is a need of greater import than that of a holiday maker. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!  (Yes, Gander is a destination but that's beside the point)

that was yesterday.

Stockton harbourside park has fun new activities to do as well as a kiosk in container style.

Our daily homily from NSW Health urges us to plunge into vaccinations. It is very important to act with haste. 

We hear that co vid cases confined to hospital are usually unvaccinated. They get seriously ill and some die. 

Of course the unvaccinated are involved because they are so numerous. Jabs only begun to increase not so long ago and not counting the elderly who had opportunities to have the jab much earlier.

Bad luck for several districts in short lockdowns, even Byron. Newcastle continues to have cases, 13 today, and lockdown continues. Sydney has over 300 today. Interstate are almost free of restrictions except Melbourne city.

Antiquity

Its all about food and there is plenty of it as well as the odd and interesting of these days. Aldi supermarket is generally quite good while some folk baulk at shopping there, not good enough they imply, which is a laugh.

This Spanakopita, made in Greece, was fairly good and the name is a novelty. 'Span' is related to spinach and 'pita' to pie, pastry, cake, the Middle Eastern cookbook led me to believe.

 

Greek lives are in turmoil from the wild fires which spread uncontrolled and force the people to flee. Neighbouring countries have the same fate. A suspect cause is climate change and it is not to late for us all to change and reverse the problems.

Ancient history study from school days had Greek topics like the surprising Minoan civilization, the Spartans also Alexander the Great but not easy to relate to the present day area. Imagine the heritage at risk from fires. The old text from Breasted was full of amazing accounts and pictures if only half the study was ever retained. 

Ciao Bella

...eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die....

A traditional Uruguanyan cake where peaches meringue and cream tottered and fell,  a pre lockdown treat.

 The East coast is in lockdown. That is, Melbourne and the state of Victoria, Brisbane and surrounds both with several cases each day of Delta. Greater Sydney has over 200 cases daily and Newcastle and the Hunter area, which began  lockdown yesterday, with about 5 cases of Delta. 

Dialing SOS

 Near the little subway to the beach is a public phone.  Pay Phone no longer, from henceforth calls will be free of charge.

Will our area change and enter  lockdown? A few infections are recorded. No escape.

Not exactly under the boardwalk but close and with a ubiquitous coffee spot. Look who can spell ubiquitous, that's worth gold!

the 'roof' has sea views. Surf Life Saving Club.

Newie

Newcastle Beach today. Warm, sunny, low tide, mild surf, a few surfers and board riders.