Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge — Birds.
I may have too many photos to post, but life’s too short, so I had better get on with it.
Kind Regards.
Tracy
Good Company
Corvid-2020 Weekly Challenge #1
Hello Readers, I know we are all busy just trying to stay alive (welcome to the world of many trapped in refugee camps and in poverty), but if you have enough time (and photos, stories, poems in your archive), you may wish to participate in a new weekly challenge. I am calling it the Corvid-2020 Weekly Challenge. No, the virus hasn’t evolved. A corvid is a type of bird. The challenge will come out each Tuesday, all being well (if you know what I mean).
You can participate by creating a pingback to this post and/or by leaving a hyperlink to your submission in the comments. Tag your post Corvid-2020, or C20WC. I am looking forward to you joining me.
Here is my first contribution to kick it off.
I must fly now (very punny). I have to work out a way to get food to this self-isolating household. The last plan worked for about 10 minutes. No wonder governments everywhere are struggling to come to grips with this crisis. Three cheers for all those government, health and logistics workers (paid and unpaid) who are working tirelessly to keep us safe and healthy.
Stay well. Stay apart. Join in.
Kind Regards.
Tracy.
Also linking in to the Ragtag Daily Prompt — Flounder.
Crisis Management
Australia today.
Given the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment for health workers and the shortage of test kits, Australia appears unprepared for Covid-19 to accelerate rapidly. Governments have a duty of care to take all necessary steps to prevent infection or face another catastrophe. If the Australian government is not getting this advice, it is consulting the wrong people. If Government is getting sound, evidence-based advice (including on the level of preparedness) and ignoring it, then that is a significant issue. The advice of the Australian Medical Association should be heeded now. Is this a re-run of the bushfire disaster? I’m hopeful for a better response this time around. Much is at stake.
Irrespective of official advice, organisations that run public events and employ staff should consider the legal implications for their organisations, including the potential personal liability of directors/officials, if their event or business acts as a host for the spread of Covid-19. They should also consider their duty of care to participants, staff and the wider community, including the impact on local health systems and critical supply chains. Risk management should be part of all organisations’ planning. Thankfully, many are doing just this and are leading the way in responding to the crisis. Organisations/companies should not expect governments to indemnify them for bad decisions taken, should they?
Without a vaccine, enough PPE, or test kits, social distancing appears to be the only practical option to buy more time. This is not business as usual. Now where have I heard that before?
There is no time to waste, Australians. I went to my doctor for my pneumococcal vaccine last week. I overheard the receptionist talking on the phone about a potential Covid-19 patient who they had sent back to their car to wait to be triaged there. The office staff gave the distinct impression of rabbits caught in a spotlight.
UPDATE – I have been hearing from friends who work in the health system that our governments have been too slow to ban community gatherings. Those are on the front line are asking citizens to voluntarily quarantine themselves right now. NOT TOMORROW BUT TODAY. Act now to prevent the transmission of this virus in the community.
We (governments and the community) must do everything possible to protect front line staff and if that means being overly cautious, so be it. Be calm, but act.
How apt this video seems now. Sorry about the political stuff tacked on the end of it though. Let’s keep politics out of it and be guided by best practice.
Regards.
Tracy.
Further information:
https://ama.com.au/media/ama-federal-council-covid-19-national-public-health-emergency
From a respected immunologist at Westmead Hospital, Sydney. Share widely (and not just because he’s a Dan… 👍)… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…—
Daniel Jolley (@djoll) March 14, 2020
Journeyman
I feel rather odd ignoring the big issues. It seems wrong to post pretty pictures when really all I want to say is that I hope you’re okay. Nevertheless, there is a challenge on and finally I have some of my own photos to share with you. Read more
Suck It Up
For Sunshine’s Macro Monday #32
It was a public holiday in Canberra today to mark the anniversary of the official naming of Australia’s national capital in 1913. And a beautiful day it was. It is such a privilege to live in this gorgeous city. As well as being the seat of the Federal government, Canberra is the home to a number of research institutions and universities, so we have an abundance of very clever people living here. Some of those people have developed and maintain the Canberra Nature Map, an online map of Canberra’s diverse flora and fauna. It is a live map updated regularly by members. As a result of this wonderful resource, we now know the name of the funky fly I posted photos of recently (see original post). Read more
To Behave Or Not To Behave
Human behaviour is a funny thing, isn’t it? I suppose that is because we are all different. Some of us are naturally very organised. Some of us aren’t. Some of us are thin. Some of us aren’t. Some of us are old and some of us aren’t. Some of us are fearful and some of us aren’t. There is a spectrum, isn’t there? Also, how you might feel on any given day might depend on whether you managed to buy a few toilet rolls before they all sold out. It is all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?
Welcome to my regular Friday song day, ladies and gentlemen, where I pick a piece of music that reflects my mood or the times, to share with you. I am also combining my song day with the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge — Change Your Perspective. Let’s rock ‘n roll. Read more
Funky Fly
Welcome to the photo blog of Tracy’s husband. Just kidding. I did have an anecdote to go with this announcement but I will save it until another day. My bed is calling. Today I’ve got a couple of photos just to prove that we are still alive. Take care, readers. Rest easy. Read more
The Changing Seasons – February 2020
February (Australia) – another month of what Tracy does best. Catastrophising. Still, I’ve included a few nice photos.
After so much stress last month, it was not surprising that I seemed to have more than my fair share of illness. I started the month with a terrible head cold and I am finishing the month the same way. Lucky me. Many of my fellow Canberrans have been similarly affected by the strain. Read more
Bee-tiful
My contribution to Sunshine’s Macro Monday #30.
Hello readers, you all know how I love to share my True Love’s beautiful photos. He took this photo a couple of months ago. The photo was lovely in colour but someone else invited me to participate in a monochrome photo challenge, so I played around and converted it to B&W. I’m not sure if B&W conversion is allowed in macro photography? Any idea?
Anyway it was a very windy day so the photo is a little blurry, but still turned out nice, don’t you think?
Kind Regards.
Tracy.
Grey Days
The carnivores have moved into the neighbourhood. Over the last couple of years, we have had the occasional grey butcherbird visit but they don’t normally stick around. February has been the exception. The butcherbirds must have a nest nearby because a juvenile has been practising its maniacal cackle. It is very endearing. On the other hand, there have been few smaller birds around. Too tasty, I guess. Read more
