Monday, April 27, 2020

Virtual Islands: Tristan da Cunha

 
A small group of remote islands off the coast of South Africa in the Atlantic ocean...

Although, Tristan is inhabited...you won't find restaurants here. Or hotels. Credit cards are not accepted...and the beaches aren't safe for swimming.

There is no airstrip and all arrival is at least 18 days by boat.

And the locals...well they like it that way.

(...they must be getting the last laugh in this Pandemic we are currently facing...)

But today we are traveling virtually...so let's go explore.

The locals (all 270 of them), on this British Territory, not only live with their isolation...they embrace it. 

All electricity is supplied by generators...and there is literally only one road in and out.

The village (Edinburgh of the Seven Seas) is dotted with cottages, potato patches and grazing cows.



It is a peaceful, laid back existence...unless the volcano erupts...(and it has in the past). Then, I suppose, life gets a little more chaotic.

The volcano usually a sleeping giant that looms in the background.

Overhead Shot

Its last eruption in 1961

And the evacuation to Cape Town.




The entire island is roughly 98 square miles.




Most of the beaches fine black volcanic sand and are soft and perfect for walking.

But as Goldman once admonished in a review :

"If you swim...you die."

Between the rip tides, strong currents, undertow and sharks prevalent in these offshore waters...it is not worth the risk!


Life on Tristan

https://youtu.be/n4ElF8awm90

https://youtu.be/kgKYV5hplvM



Next time we will explore: Vigur

Till Then...



























Saturday, April 25, 2020

Brenden's 10th and My 60th Birthday!


Because we are just AWESOME like that!

Brenden is now 10.

He and Aiden are having their Beyblade Birthday Party together soon.
They are BOTH all about Beyblades this year!

Lucky to be quarantined together a family. Where there are 6 of you...all you really have to add is cake and presents for it to be a party!

And John and I broke quarantine and celebrated my turning 60 together, here,





With cherry birthday Crostini and Hagen Daz Vanilla.

It was amazing...

Complete with one of my favorite diner dinners...

And we are saving the bottle of Martini & Rossi he brought for our 2 Year Anniversary in May.

(...not married...never will be again...but we are exclusively together now...)

And there was copious amounts of chocolate...and other goodies...and even goodies for Sofi...lol!

 Even a single long stem red rose.



But the best was just having some time together...and hugs...and holding hands over dinner...and kisses and waking up in each other's arms the morning of the 24th with

"Happy Birthday, Honey"

and More Pie, Chocolate and Hagen Daz in Coffee...Breakfast of Champions!

This is the latest photo I have (from fall)...but basically still the same.

Sixty ROCKS!


Got a laugh out of Sofi...who spends inordinate amounts of time by the windows trash talking birds...so John brought her a red feathered catnip cardinal...


That made noise.

She ran terrified from it and hid in the bathtub...and no amount of sweet-talk or treats could bring her out.

lol

Apparently, she is all talk...and the real birds here are safe.

Sent it back home to Gadget

Who is also The Monster Under the Bed!

And has beat it up and tossed it around since he got home.

FEARLESS!

And the Morels are up! Anxiously awaiting my first batch of the season from James.

Birthday Morels!

(...the best part of being born in late April...)







Can't wait!

Still awaiting my "Guv'mint Cheese" as James referred to their stimulus check.

SSDI arrives with the second wave direct deposit.
Next week.

But all of the boys and DILS and the Grands have received theirs now.

Chris and Tina putting some in savings for a vacation when The Rona is calmed down a bit.

Lennon shopping a bit and saving the rest.

Chris stimulating himself with a NEW computer to build and enjoy.

James and Nicole doing their own new tattoo..

Nicole's Gir

and James' Boombox


James picking up his own weapon to go shooting with Chris.

Which they have done a couple times now on private property and enjoyed immensely.

"Found a discarded keyboard to shoot to bits, Mom...so damned satisfying!"
                                                                                              ~Chris

And I have my eye on a few WANTS when my cheese arrives too...

(...nothing semi-automatic...lol)

After several tigers and a lion in the Bronx Zoo...and now 2 domestic cats we have learned that cats (large and small) can get Covid-19. And show respiratory symptoms. Fortunately, they seem to survive it...

No word yet as to whether they can spread it.

The tigers, lion and domestic cats thusfar seem to have gotten it from infected keeper/owners.

So we will see.

No doubt about it though...The Rona has given us a New Normal.

Most everyone one out in mask and gloves now...both in the businesses and customers.

A lot of No Contact everything...food delivery...grocery and dry goods...pizza.

A lot of Zoom, Facetime and Skype.

A lot of binge watching...and day drinking...and just grazing....

"You going to EAT that?"

Settled into the New Normal routine now...but it was still comforting to hear Chris say his first week was a lot like mine...mindless eating..a lot of Internet...and highly dubious hygiene/staying in the same clothes for way way too long.

We can laugh about it now.

It wasn't funny then.

Oh...did I mention The Toaster arrived!

I CAN HAZ TOAST.

Yeah...I think this  New Normal is changing us...lol!

and I have decided NOT to get into the ravings of lunatics...but I am going to leave this timely message from LYSOL right here.

Spent today before the rains playing in the dirt, weeding the borders, trimming the bayberry bushes, planting six Hostas (well roots anyway) repotting the small fir we got last year at Cox's Nursery (...this year if I bend it over with a large red Christmas Ball it will be the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!) and planting the Morning Glories. My Irises are up with many unopen buds and will need thinning this year after they bloom.  The climbing rose we planted for Shelby is starting to wind is way up and over the arbor and the Knockout rose by my fairy is going strong.  Might get another to plant this year!

All in all some gardening made the day feel pretty wonderful...and a lot more normal!

Have a Great Weekend.

Love,

Carla

60 and lovin' it!!!!


And this guy???



Definitely Schrodinger's Dictator at this point.

Hong Kong says he is dead.

North Korean Sources say he is in a persistive vegetative state.

China says they don't know, but they assume he is alive.  

For the time being he is both alive and not alive.

Who knows?


















Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Virtual Islands: Pico in the Azores

Pico is in the Azores Archipelago.  Just off the coast of Portugal.
It is about 46 miles long and 16 miles wide and boast temperatures between 60-75 year around.

This morning it is 60 degrees and climbing.

Unlike a lot of the islands we have virtually visited...Pico has been inhabited by the Portuguese since the 15th Century and until 1970 was known for it whaling industry.

Now grapes and wheat are grown here in the rich black volcanic soil.

Let's go explore the island...

Tour

https://youtu.be/UUlr71vcTEs
 

\

 One of the more interesting things you will encounter on Pico is The Pyramids.

Tour

https://youtu.be/fJyDx19Vbqo



140 of them.  Some large. Some small. Some with open area suggesting plazas or market squares. All predating the Portuguese arrival in the 1400's by thousands of years. 

Very little is known about the builders and exploration of these goes on today.

Many of the houses and building on the island are crafted of the heavy black stone.





and cattle are also a common sight here.




There are 3 major vineyards on the island.

Vineyard

https://youtu.be/EKJ7Dkk-mz8

And wine can be bought here.

https://www.wine.com/content/landing/discover-the-better-way-4?s=psca_google_campaign_Head+Terms+-+Betas&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%2Bsale%20%2Bwine&utm_campaign=Head+Terms+-+Betas&showpromo=true&promo=PSNEW&gclid=Cj0KCQjws_r0BRCwARIsAMxfDRjT5pFW8gYGiyhnAFqB6BWFv9OwiIs4RDecwxfV5_YDQYja43JyjC4aAhJ1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#promoBarModal

Tours of the vineyard are also available...and tastings.

https://youtu.be/efctdT7fT3E
 

I find it especially interesting how they have incorporated the scattered volcanic stone into a maze of walls through the vineyards. These walls create a greenhouse effect and support for the vines.


And a visit to the Whalers Museum

Tour
 

https://youtu.be/PVRaL6q4aYw
























Can you even imagiine whaling from one of these wooden boats!





And some of the art work...




The whaling is different now.

And done in the form of whale-watching.

Whale Watch

https://youtu.be/jof9zIIT6pA
 

Which is much nicer for both involved, I would think.


 Hope you have enjoyed today's virtual adventure.



Next time we will check out

Tristan da Cunha