September 2021
Hard to bloody believe, but here we are in lockdown again! One person in Auckland responsibly had a test as he was feeling symptomatic and it was positive for the latest Delta variant. Jacinda slapped the whole country into Lockdown 4 (which was poo-poohed by the rest of the world) but an action which has done us well in the past. We're in Masterton this time around and have a much better choice of supermarkets, chemists etc. It's not all bad, I guess. The inoculation for covid is now available and oldies and the disadvantaged are able to get first dibs.
Trying to plan ahead for our 50th wedding anniversary in January 2022, trying to work out whether Lucy and kids are able to come out then, or in February, and everything else is up in limbo. That's what this pandemic has done to us all. Put us into a state of limbo. In some ways it's not a bad thing. In others, it makes you feel helpless and powerless. All the freedom we've come to think of as our right, has been curtailed. No social events, no dining out, certainly no travel - and yet, people think and work outside the square. Never before have there been so many Kiwi road trips taken by us all; exploring areas not been to, marvelling over the lack of tourists and having the places all to ourselves. Once the lockdown had been lifted and we could at least travel regionally, that's pretty much what the whole of New Zealand started to do. We went to New Plymouth, Rotorua, Waiheke Island with Anne & Tim and Viv & Alec. These three-day breaks were really great. Each couple took a turn to cook a meal and provide breakfast - lunch was eaten out. We had a lot of laughs.
