River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[notamermaid]

Things looking brighter here a bit. Apart from it being a weird Rose Monday. My state now has an incidence rate of 48, that is one of the two lowest with 48. Others similar, just Thuringia not getting its feet on the ground. It is all a fat lot of good, though, as we need to be down to 35 as the new rule because of the variants.

 

Britain might like to open up in April, but that does not mean Germany and other countries will automatically let them in. We will see. That wild drunken stag night in Prague may have to wait.

 

@cruisr the state of emergency in the Czech Republic has been renewed. Traffic not quite running smoothly, but for those who are allowed to enter Germany and have no proof of a negative test, a test is possible on site.

 

The idea of keeping people out is to not waste the gains and have the citizens in Germany having sacrificed in vain. Quite right. The range of rates in municipalities is striking: from under 10 to over 300. Back with border controls, ignore the office guys and girls in Brussels, at this point.

 

notamermaid.

[Canal archive]

Although everyone is hoping for an April end to lock down there has been no discussion of opening up to overseas travel. CA

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Although everyone is hoping for an April end to lock down there has been no discussion of opening up to overseas travel. CA

Interesting. It has also been said here that people should assume a proper holiday at Easter is not possible. We should be content with day trips, that is in the realm of possibility.

 

I am getting kind of bored, seeing that I have not spoken to more than about twenty different people in the last two weeks. And that includes the assistant at the meat counter. 

 

Friends in the North of England have not had a single person into their house since October. They had a "birthday party" with a couple of people literally over the garden fence, at minimum three metre distance. Crazy world.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Problem is we’re getting used to it. CA

[notamermaid]

41 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Problem is we’re getting used to it. CA

You can say that again. The first event I will go to where there are 50 people, I will probably freak out over the sheer mass.

 

notamermaid

 

[djh1959]

Our Melbourne lockdown is due to end tomorrow, Wednesday, at 11:59pm.  The powers that be still haven't decided whether it will or not.

 

I suspect that the full lockdown might end, but we will still have very strict restrictions, such as mandatory mask wearing everywhere, very limited, or no, visitors to your home etc.

 

We are only getting 1-2 cases a day, so it is somewhat over the top compared to the northern hemisphere and people are really starting to get angry, so I hope something changes tomorrow.

 

Unfortunately travel is the entire issue.  We would have no cases here at all except for those brought in by returning Australians, as well as some other travellers.  I have absolutely no idea why they keep letting them in.

 

I really think overseas travel needs to be totally stopped until the world is vaccinated.  Unfortunately experts here have been saying that that could be up to six years away before all the lower socio-economic societies are done!

 

Scary thought.

[pully8]

Really hope Melbourne will be able to open soon.

We recently had a short trip to Tasmania and luckily did not need to transit via Melbourne with direct flights.

We had to get entry permits for Hobart and more to return home.

Flights were packed in both directions and masks were required.

It was beautiful to cruise on the Gordon river again the scenery in all of Tasmania is wonderful as is the food.

Nice to have some normality.

We spoke with a group who were going on a 10 day cruise in Tasmania on a small ship, all had to have Covid tests prior. 

Some had travelled from WA and were hoping no borders would close.

Strange times. Vaccines approved but it sounds as if roll out will be slow despite our small population distances are vast. 

[Coral]

We are currently at -31 F degrees. This is our 2nd coldest temp in history. They started rolling black outs yesterday. They were temporary paused but could start again at any time. The temps seem amplified because we have 7' piles of snow everywhere due to our almost 4' of snow on our ground. This weekend we will hit 31 F which will feel wonderful. With rolling black outs - I feel bad for those dependent on medical devices such as oxygen.

 

January was such a mild winter but we are making up for it now. March will be a wonderful welcome! We have can have high amounts of snow in snow storms in March but they don't stick around long.

 

My next house will have a generator!

[djh1959]

20 hours ago, pully8 said:

Really hope Melbourne will be able to open soon.

 

As you no doubt already know, our lockdown ends at midnight tonight.  We still have very strict mask restrictions, which I hate in summer, and also restrictions on visitors.  We can only have five at any time.

 

How lovely to visit Tasmania.  I would be too scared of going interstate due to the constant border changes.  Dictator Dan has an alarming habit of locking we Victorians out of our homes when there is an outbreak interstate.

 

Hopefully things will improve once the vaccine is rolled out.

[rcaruso]

Well here in North Texas, besides rolling blackouts (45 min off and 30 min on) since Monday, we have another 2 inches of snow.  The good news is the temperatures while still under 32 are higher than 1.  Many freezing pipes etc, so far we have barely escaped that, but all good.  By Friday we will finally be above freezing and by next week in the 60's.  COVID has taken a back seat--not too many people out and all our vaccination sites are closed due to weather (Northerners and Canadians it ok to laugh at us). Next week 2nd shots will be the focus to catch up and then re start the initial shots.  We are due are second shot next week but that may change to the week after.

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, rcaruso said:

Well here in North Texas, besides rolling blackouts (45 min off and 30 min on) since Monday, we have another 2 inches of snow.  The good news is the temperatures while still under 32 are higher than 1.  Many freezing pipes etc, so far we have barely escaped that, but all good.  By Friday we will finally be above freezing and by next week in the 60's.  COVID has taken a back seat--not too many people out and all our vaccination sites are closed due to weather (Northerners and Canadians it ok to laugh at us). Next week 2nd shots will be the focus to catch up and then re start the initial shots.  We are due are second shot next week but that may change to the week after.

As a Canadian, I won't laugh at you. Monday was a holiday here in Ontario, and Tuesday was supposed to be the first day back at school for many students who had been doing remote learning since Christmas. We had about 4-6" of snow Monday night into Tuesday morning. In one region near Toronto, schools were closed and no remote learning, in others, schools were closed but remote learning continued. Here in Toronto, they opened schools but school buses were cancelled. (The timing of the snow was really bad, because it ended just before the morning rush, but still.)

 

As to vaccinations, we were slowed down yesterday too, due to shipping delays from Kentucky due to the storm there. So all in all, much of Canada and the US has been affected by this weather.

[Daisi]

I wouldn't laugh at you either @rcaruso, our homes are built to handle cold (and our clothing is warmer).  We went through 3 weeks with no power and water several years ago when we had a bad ice storm, so I know how worrying it can be.  Make sure you run your taps at a drip so the pipes don't freeze...if you have water, I'm hearing that that is a problem with the water plants having no problems.

 

I hope you get your power back soon.

 

@djh1959glad to hear that you can escape!  Hopefully with the strict rules, you won't have to go back into lockdown.  We have been wearing masks here for almost a year, I do have to agree, it's not fun in the summer, but we have found that in the winter, it's a nice covering over your mouth and nose and saves you from having to wear a scarf!

[notamermaid]

@rcaruso your situation is beyond "poking fun", rather quite worrying. Dress in layers in the house if you have no real thick clothes, keep those feet warm and make sure you have candles in the house. Even if you have no electricity you can use tealights and small candles to get cold water to a pleasant drinking temperature easily if you have a thing like a rechaud.

 

Good advice from Daisi about pipes. Standing water can make them freeze up. I have an outside pipe to my utility room which freezes at around minus fifteen if I do not run it regularly.

 

I have seen the cold blown into Texas right from Canada as a giant pink long strip on the weather map.

 

Stay safe.

 

notamermaid

 

P.S.:  Our weather has changed, it is mild now and we will get a freak warm spell at the weekend.

[Coral]

We still have 4 feet of snow on our ground (7 feet in my yard when scooped). Yesterday was -31 F which was our second coldest day ever in our history. We won't hit above freezing until this weekend but at least it is in sight.

 

When at those low temps, we had rolling black outs also. Though I am told it had more to do with Texas than what we were having. We were all worried about frozen pipes. 

 

I tried to be at work Monday and just couldn't. One can't type with gloves. I stayed home yesterday.

 

This is going down as our coldest February in history. Ten days from now, we will hit 40 F and I can't wait. Worried about spring flooding when the snow melts. We had a similar situation 2 or 3 years ago and it devastating to our state. Mostly due to ice jams. 

 

I feel for all of those in Texas. The US power grid definitely needs help. I didn't realize how vulnerable it was.

[Coral]

13 hours ago, rcaruso said:

Well here in North Texas, besides rolling blackouts (45 min off and 30 min on) since Monday, we have another 2 inches of snow.  The good news is the temperatures while still under 32 are higher than 1.  Many freezing pipes etc, so far we have barely escaped that, but all good.  By Friday we will finally be above freezing and by next week in the 60's.  COVID has taken a back seat--not too many people out and all our vaccination sites are closed due to weather (Northerners and Canadians it ok to laugh at us). Next week 2nd shots will be the focus to catch up and then re start the initial shots.  We are due are second shot next week but that may change to the week after.

Hang in there.

[djh1959]

16 hours ago, Daisi said:

 

@djh1959glad to hear that you can escape!  Hopefully with the strict rules, you won't have to go back into lockdown.  We have been wearing masks here for almost a year, I do have to agree, it's not fun in the summer, but we have found that in the winter, it's a nice covering over your mouth and nose and saves you from having to wear a scarf!

Yes, I remember last winter here and wearing the mask outside was quite pleasant in the chilly air.  We have been in the 30sC here for the last week though and it is truly awful in the shopping centres.  My face is a sweaty mess once I finally get to take it off in the car.
At least now we don't need to wear them outside, so long as we can socially distance.

Stay warm!

[notamermaid]

B117, more commonly known as the UK variant of the common Coronavirus that causes Covid-19 which first appeared in China, is causing concern in Germany, almost increasing by the day. Over the whole of Germany the percentage is 22 percent, for the sleepy Northern town of Flensburg it is 50 percent. The area on the Danish border had been doing well throughout the pandemic until a few weeks ago. Now it is our Coronavirus hotspot, together with a municipality on the border with the Czech Republic, that country having been overwhelmed by the UK variant. Deutsche Welle has an article today: https://m.dw.com/en/covid-mutation-hot-spot-triggers-fear-across-germany/a-56619205 

 

Our health authorities are doing the weekly live report on the situation as I write.

 

Compared to last week we are not that much better off really. The magic figure 35 is still not close in sight. Apart from in Schweinfurt on the Main, where they are down to 6! A couple of other places are also down to 10 or lower.

 

Seeing that I cannot get a vaccine before July and the younger people in my family may have to wait even longer I cannot go to the UK before August. The longing is manageable, it comes back when I see an English village on television or look at my holiday photos from 2019.

 

Guess what? I saw a British car parked in my hometown. Normally the joyous wondering what they are doing here would have started, instead I just thought: "Oh my goodness, how did they get into the country?? Might they have Covid? Might they be quarantining with my neighbours?"

 

It is difficult not to get paranoid.

 

Oh, a sign of life from my workplace. I have been assigned to a project, starting tomorrow. Can do most of it from home and will just keep me at least a little occupied with tourism thoughts for a couple of weeks.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

A year ago today we had just finished three days in Disney Anaheim and we’re driving to Bass Lake, the weather was superb our grandson was still starry eyed from Disney and the rest of us were looking forward to a few days chilling. A year on and we haven’t seen each other except on zoom and face time, because we didn’t realise that the September unlock would lockdown again so quickly. Although our eldest daughter and her husband have both had the dreaded virus they are both now clear and back to full health. 
Now we’re really thinking of you especially in Texas (we’ve even been there) hope it all gets better soon. Greetings from the U.K. CA

[rcaruso]

29 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

A year ago today we had just finished three days in Disney Anaheim and we’re driving to Bass Lake, the weather was superb our grandson was still starry eyed from Disney and the rest of us were looking forward to a few days chilling. A year on and we haven’t seen each other except on zoom and face time, because we didn’t realise that the September unlock would lockdown again so quickly. Although our eldest daughter and her husband have both had the dreaded virus they are both now clear and back to full health. 
Now we’re really thinking of you especially in Texas (we’ve even been there) hope it all gets better soon. Greetings from the U.K. CA

Here in suburbia, North Texas, we will be for a few hours out of freezing temperatures and by next week up to 60.  We are cold this morning, but sun coming out will melt the ice/snow.  Our power went on full time Wednesday at 7:30pm.  Because we have had rolling blackout we have been lucky and have gotten through without broken pipes etc. Although we have been letting faucets drip. We feel lucky as have only had the rolling blackouts and not the full two/three day black out which is causing pipes bursting.  The pipes in my church burst in the office/great hall and all meeting areas--not the church or chapel.  My daughters church had major damage with pipes bursting too.  This is going to be major damage all over Texas with water damage and accidents due to ice. But for us we have been extremely lucky and will not go out for a day or two more.

[cruiselvr04]

Dallas area here.  We were one of the few who didn’t lose power. Very thankful.  Despite that we lost water for 2 days.  Cold water came back first, then 24 hours later we had hot water.  No damage we can see.  We are very fortunate.

 

I’m a nurse who was off early in the week.  My drive in yesterday took 3 times as long but I slept in my warm bed.  Other nurses have been sharing hotel rooms close to work since Saturday, 4 to a room. Not one nurse from our unit called in during this storm!  

[Second seating]

Thank you NH I got my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine today!

Second seating

[acwmom]

As predicted.....Pfizer has now stated that its vaccine can be stored at more "standard" temperatures. They will be presenting their data to the FDA to get the official recommendation. I feel for those who invested thousands in ultra cold storage.

Robin

[jpalbny]

Definitely good news, Robin. But yeah, too bad if you spent beaucoup bucks on a super cold freezer. 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, acwmom said:

As predicted.....Pfizer has now stated that its vaccine can be stored at more "standard" temperatures. They will be presenting their data to the FDA to get the official recommendation. I feel for those who invested thousands in ultra cold storage.

Robin

That is great news.

 

We are back to normal temps for this time of year. So 60 degrees warmer than a few years ago. Our rolling outages are over and my pipes did ok...... Now if we could just melt this snow. I hope to get some good sleep this weekend.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Coral

[Canal archive]

It’s a bit tatty but our first of the spring. CA