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Showing posts from May, 2020

Cherry Picker - Good Deed

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A post from October 2018 about my favourite client just came to mind this afternoon. The post that I wrote about what they did for their community attracted a lot of readers and must have created a lot of goodwill for that cherry picker company. During this time of COVID-19 lock-down it’s important that we remember such generous acts from people who care about others. SA Platforms, a fantastic client of mine, sponsored a cherry picker to assist with a power outage problem in the  Risiville/Three Rivers East & Property Community . They are people with big hearts and I'm proud to be associated with them. I have promoted their  services  before and this proves that SA Platforms is a community-conscious company that can be trusted to deliver valuable services at all times. Below is a copy of a message thanking them for their assistance. A HUGE BIG Thanks to  https://www.facebook.com/SAPlatforms / for sponsoring the cherry picker for BXC to use in ou...

Morning Walks-2

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On Sunday morning we went for a longer walk - about 3.5 kilometres. The app on my phone didn't co-operate so we walked without measuring anything. The photo-collage above shows that a number of people in our neighbourhood are getting out and walking, running, and cycling. Then you see two guys pushing lawnmowers on their way to work.  The weather is very mild and pleasant here at the moment. This is probably the best time of the year since temperatures are ideal. With fewer cars pouring gases into the atmosphere the air is much cleaner. It's like starting over.  Here we are thinking the way we always thought about things, but in the meantime we are at the starting blocks again with new sets of rules to cope with. We are faced with running a race into a future of unknowns according to rules we are unfamiliar with. I have built a good business with a fantastic bunch of people and everything looked like it was growing in the right direction. Due to recent eve...

Morning Walks

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This doesn't look like a morning walk. That's because Maggie wanted to finish the masks for our son, Michael, and his family in Pietermaritzburg. I also asked her to make some for another family. Then, it was time for my special coffee that I make by boiling the milk in the microwave. Then I use a special attachment to whisk up the milk to foam. This is poured onto the top of the coffee once it's done. The result is a creamy cup of the finest coffee and a delightful drink. We usually have one of those in the mornings. Yesterday we prepared a piece of ground in the corner of our yard to plant carrots and beans. Of course our dog had to go and walk all over our garden patch. No ears! We haven't given up walking. Just took a break for some important things. Thanks for reading.

Morning Walk in the Mist

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Because it's still very dark at 6 am this time of the year I thought it safer to start a little bit later on our walk. The photograph above was taken at about 7 am when we were returning. It just shows you how misty it was. On top of that Maggie couldn't see very well through her glasses because of the steam rising up when she exhaled into her face mask. Those face masks are a real irritation, but we are forced to wear them in public. Another problem during the walk was you could only see a few feet ahead of yourself because the mist was so heavy. We only walked for about 2.5 kilometres and chatted most of the time to keep ourselves occupied. It was also not a right time to photograph any passers-by because there was hardly anyone else crazy enough to be exercising during the misty morning. Anyway, we did go out in spite of the circumstances. Thank you for reading.

Morning Walks in my Neighbourhood

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    Yes, I have changed the name of my article. It is day 4 after skipping a day due to unforeseen circumstances. This photograph looks darker because the mornings are getting longer due to winter. This morning we started at 6 am sharp while it was still dark. The only remarkable thing to report is that we actually went for the walk. We took a different route again and didn't encounter anybody else that was exercising. Maybe it was too early. The distance was 1.95 km - nothing spectacular. But if you add it up over time it is still far better than doing nothing at all. A morning walk or ride on a bicycle is very beneficial to ones health. The reason why we are walking and not riding is because Maggie doesn't have a bicycle at the moment. Walking is the next best thing until she gets a bicycle again. With a bicycle it is easier to travel greater distances faster and you get to experience more than when you are just walking. Ultimately, we are feeling a lot healthie...

COVID-19 Walking-Day 3

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It is Sunday morning, May 3, 2020. I have spent some time checking out my Facebook notifications, my emails and what is happening on my blog. My thoughts go to a time when I communicated with an author from Seattle by the name of Charlotte Roth. As I look at the worldwide map of the COVID-19 hotspots I decide to enlarge the section around the State of Washington. I know that Seattle is located there on the west coast. The state of Washington has a larger circle than the adjoining states of Montana and Idaho and Oregon which means there are more people affected by the virus. I wonder if Charlotte and her family are safe. My other friend, Ken Findlay, lives in Lantana, Florida in the States. We used to be friends when he was in South Africa a long time ago. I really hope he is safe as well. Then over to Sydney, Australia, where another good friend of ours resides. When you study the Corona virus map on Google, you can zoom into areas and get a better idea of how aff...

COVID-19 Walking-Day 2

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Day 2 of our walking started a bit more organised because I understood the exercise app on my phone better. We left at 6:14 am and I noticed that we didn't have our masks on so we went back to fetch them and started over.  As you can see from the photo above (lower left) it was earlier and darker. Slight puffs of pink streaky clouds decorated the blue sky. It was another glorious morning and the birds cheered us on. Because it was earlier than yesterday we didn't expect to see the same people along the way. However, there are certain spots where our course was going to intersect with others and it did. You can see that today I secretly photographed them as they passed us and greeted us. I made their photos small so that it's impossible to make out who they are. These photos above are of myself and Maggie walking on the road that passes by the school in our neighbourhood. You can see the beautiful trees that form a canopy over the road going into the dis...

COVID-19 Walking - First Day

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The 1st May on Workers' Day we were finally allowed to leave our homes between 6:00 and 9:00 am to exercise following five weeks of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. It was 6:40 am when Maggie and I started out on our walk. I found an exercise app and started the clock. The morning was spectacular with the sun warming up a cloudless sky. The air was clean with not even a breeze, a great introduction to start exercising and enjoying less cabin fever for some time. At first it seemed as if we were two lonely walkers in our immediate neighbourhood and we said, "Look! we are the only ones interested in keeping fit." But a little while later we passed another couple walking in the opposite direction. Then a lady cyclist on a mountain bike came speeding past us. From there, a few blocks from our house more people were taking advantage of the new freedom granted to us. We followed our usual cycling route around the Afrikaans high school. The...