As many of my regular readers will know, I am quite an introvert.  So you would think self-isolation would suit me well, but even I am struggling.  My True Love and I have had a few tense moments too.  As we have no known cases of active Covid-19 infections in my fair city, restrictions were eased somewhat last weekend.  It is a tricky time.   Physical-distancing fatigue is definitely an issue for a significant proportion of Aussies.  Needing to protect vulnerable family members, among others, our family took cautious advantage of the relaxation of the lockdown rules to catch up with family on Mothers Day.

My almost-80-year-old father came to visit me.  He brought croissants.  We sat in the front yard, a good two metres apart, eating our croissants and chatting.  We saw another family with chairs set up in their front yard too.  It was lovely.  Later in the day, my True Love and I went bush-bashing at our local park to avoid the congestion on the walking trail.  There was a surprise for me there.  The red-browed finches.  Here they are.

That’s too far.

finch

A Zoom session.

red-browed finch

Then the pièce de résistance — two tiny birds sunning themselves under a bush.  The grass provides a protective screen.  They were too sleepy to move.   My True Love and I were too scared to move lest they fly off.  The little birds checked on us every now and then to ensure that we maintained our distance but otherwise seemed happy enough to hang out.

rbf1

A couple of friends can visit.  Physical-distancing rules still apply, so we kept our distance and used technology again to get a little closer.

rbf5

Comfortable enough for some preening and a nanna-nap, but I was worried that we might be boring them.  Clearly we had lost the art of conversation.

RBF2

It gets chilly meeting outdoors.
Members of the same household can snuggle to stay warm.
I guess we should have called to let them know we were coming.

RBF4

Restored, we went our separate ways.

That was my kind of Mothers Day gift.

I hope you enjoyed the photos (photos 3-5 were taken by my TL).

As for my own mum, I hope to see her again.  I would normally have visited her this winter, but that might be a little too soon.  C’mon Aussies.  Don’t stuff this up.

Take care everyone.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Lens Artists Weekly Challenge — Crop The Shot
I crop my photos to fit the story I am telling.  My philosophy is to emphasise, not to lie.  I also consider how the photo will be viewed, eg. if it is a feature photo for a WordPress blog, then I will crop to better fit that presentation format.  Photo challenge themes also influence how I crop photos.

67 thoughts on “My Day”

  2. Lovely. My sister was able to see her two adult daughters for the first time in months yesterday. Safely distanced in their backyard. Glad you were able to do something similar.

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  4. A lovely story beautifully told, Tracy. And I agree about cropping for the viewer, the purpose. You had a beautiful Mother’s Day – loved the little birds.

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  5. Great! What a wonderful mother’s day you had, Tracy! It must have been good to see your father.
    I loved the pics but that pic no.3 is something! How can one not fall in love with those stunning creatures! Loved the way you told their story.

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      1. Mother’s Day is always a bit fraught here. The boy offered to come round, but we’re so close to Level 2 and actually being able to hug each other, I’m happy to wait.
        Bring yourself and a drink; I thought I had a couple of things sorted then baked something else as well — so we’re not short of food!!

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  9. Well done Tracy – and what a special find those two colorful little ones were!! Now that’s MY idea of a mother’s day gift too!! You Aussies are doing a fine job over there with virus control. We are beginning to open up a bit here but worried it may be premature. We shall see. My own TL and I are taking it very slowly.

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    1. I took my online friend with me in spirit, Tina. She must have been a lucky charm. My heart goes out to people who are in much stricter lockdown.
      We are doing well in Australia. Maybe too well. Many in the general population feel they can just whizz back to normal. It is best for you and your TL to take it slow, Tina. Just see how things develop when restrictions are eased. People seem to go crazy for a while.

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      1. Sun shining but quite cold. My day started off with a Zoom conversation with a faculty member and an instructional designer about a new social justice course we’re developing. It was an exhilarating conversation, so much fun. The rest of the day was downhill from there.

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  20. I like your father, Tracy – everyone who brings croissants is welcome on my doorstep. 😉 Glad you could spend time together and hope you’ll get to see your mother soon too. What great news there are no new cases in your fair city! And thanks so much for the beautiful bird shots – love them all!!

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    1. We’ll see how long that lasts, Sarah, but for now it is nice that people get to see their family and catch up with (a small bubble) of friends. That’s the theory.
      I was delighted to see my dad, Sarah. He looked well and had been busy. I hope we can catch up again soon with or without croissants. 🙂
      Glad you liked the bird shots. They were such little dears.

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  22. Physical-distancing fatigue – you nailed it, Tracy. When the Covid 19 crisis began, I think many of us had visions of being home bound for a few weeks. Who would have thought this would go on for months? I won’t comment more on the virus.

    How absolutely wonderful that you got to spend the afternoon with your dad. Treasured moments. We visited our son and family under similar circumstances on Mother’s Day, keeping safe distance but sucking up the presence of people we love.

    Your photo essay of the two little birds (finches?) is brilliant. I read it twice, savoring your wit and humor and the lovely images of the birds.

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    1. Oh that is so nice that you got to spend time with your son and his family, Sharon. Does that mean the situation is improving in your small part of the US?
      I enjoyed my father’s visit, Sharon. For once we refrained from our friendly debates! It was so nice.
      Yes, the little birds are finches. They were good story characters, setting the tone.

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  23. Not improving at all, not if you pay attention to the real news, to the scientists. We face an escalating crisis this winter with the infection and death numbers certain to rise.

    Listen to Agent Orange and the whole crisis is over, we should all go back to work without masks, (many people without health insurance,) we should all just grin and bear the risks.

    OK, gonna leave on a sweet note: I have 2 new pieces of art made by our youngest grandchildren, and I see them every day.

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    1. It’s unfathomable to me, Sharon. The attitude of some in your country. I get that you are all to be warriors, but honestly, it is like leaving all the wounded to die on the battleground.
      But don’t think about that. Enjoy your painting with your grandchildren.

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  24. I totally get the distancing fatigue Tracy, even though I am an introvert like you. Working from home is something I have grown to despise too. It has helped that my wife can go to work at the plant nursery alone and I do at least get some time to myself during the day.
    I loved this post and I’m glad the Covid situation is easing where you are. X

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