Lockdown 718

Lockdown Day 718-14 March 2022

With the weather still dark, cloudy and 16.5°C, the water was approximately 15°C and the short swim sweet! 

After the swim we tackled the beach which was full of wastewater debris. We picked up masks, take-away cups, a lot of plastic including empty bottles, chips packets, balloons, sweet wrappers and even shoes.

I have to say I was ashamed for the human race who don't even give a hoot about their environment. In a way this is also a war. There may not be moms and kids fleeing for their lives, but the number of fish and sea animals who die at the hand of the human race is a disgrace.

Among the careless people there's also the municipality who are not maintaining wastewater pipes and their filters to stop these things going into the ocean.

Also, a much worse problem has now shown its head: raw sewage. And it doesn't seem as if the people in charge really care about what's (not) happening at the treatment plants, and worse, the fact that raw sewage is pouring into the Bay.

The health of everyone using the ocean is at stake. Not to mention the detrimental effect on tourism. Concerned athletes and interest groups are also worried about the upcoming triathlon in the Bay this coming weekend.

So tonight I offer up a prayer to God to take back His ocean, because I don't know what else to do. Or maybe He should teach the human race what conservation is. Regardless, I also pray for everyone who sees these wrongs to help where possible and report immediately.

We can change it one chips packet at a time. Little things with God go far in His kingdom. Make it count. Even if you're living inland, be concious about waste disposal and recycling and do what you can to make a difference.

#Ggt

#oceanlover

Lockdown 717

Lockdown Day 717-13 March 2022

Time for a Sunday celebration. We were woken up this morning with a lightning flash and thunder, and wonderful cool, fresh rain!!! Thank you Lord!

By sunset we had 24mm in our gauge, also hearing from friends in the Langkloof who got 30mm and it is still steadily coming down.  

Gratitude was our mantra for the day as we celebrated our friend André's birthday and his amazing recovery from Covid last year.

As we sat around the table filled with their family and friends, I counted blessing upon blessing. And saw the love in everyone's hearts.  The words people of the earth  come to mind.

And through it all I experienced God's tangible presence, knowing that He's really and truly got this.

So here is one of my favourite songs just to celebrate our blessings, hoewever small they are, in a tangible way:

https://youtu.be/iZMLoBIz8wQ

#Ggt

Lockdown 716

Lockdown Day 716-12 March 2022

Today was a normal Saturday with our long walk along the promenade. Beautiful cloudy conditions with a slight breeze from the east and a promise of rain in the sky.

But at 11:00 all that changed. The humidity and the temperature went up, the cloud cover dissipated and the wind was nowhere. Searing hot describes the feeling when we arrived home and I went out to hang up the washing. It felt as if my skin was burning.

With any hope of rain dashed, we sat it out under the fan untill the sun set. I sat outside untill late and eventually retired under two fans, eternally grateful we have no loadshedding during the night.

With the boombox of a new pub not far from us thumping into the night, I pray to God for rain. For forgiveness for the Eastern Cape and a full Kouga dam. And for people to look up to God. Because He's got this.

Lockdown 715

Lockdown Day 715-11 March 2022

Today I want to give a shout out to all the people who have been victimised or robbed/stolen from.

This morning when I arrived at our Tribe's assembly point, one of our swimming partners was completely rattled after her car was burgled and she lost all her valuables such as her phone, ID, driver's license and bank cards.

The CCTv footage showed three men who did this through remote 'jamming' in the time she went to take the shopping trolley away.😡

She is a disabled person over 60 years old. Who is that cruel? Poverty is not an excuse for exploiting a woman. And poverty is certainly not an excuse to rob a pensioner. Not to mention a disabled person.

Although it is not a habit to become negative about our crime rate, this incident does deserve a mention for a number of reasons:

1. We are all in this together. Make a habit of helping your fellow countrymen by looking out for them.
2. Develop a safety regime for yourself to prevent things like these happening to you: be vigilant and over-cautious, choose your parking space and feel your doors once you've locked your car and watch your car for a couple of minutes from a distance after leaving it.
3. Help and teach other persons in the same parking lot to do the same, so criminals who are watching will perceive you as a threat rather than a target.

To bemoan crime will not stop it. Our ultimate protector is God and putting our lives in His hands is the ultimate way. He does have you in the palm of His hands, and He's most definitely got this.

Lockdown 714

Lockdown Day 714-10 March 2022

Still on the topic of large bodies of water being good for us, I wonder if a drought can have similar effects on us to that of war. If a large body of water can have health benefits , the absence of such water can most certainly cause the opposite.

Being subjected to prolonged drought measures causes mental issues as does a state of emergency for a long time. I can't help but wonder if this is why the people of the Eastern Cape are feeling the effects more deeply.

So tinight I share a video of water relaxation. Just sitting snd enjoying a river view like you would when in nature. Once open you can turn your phone to see left and right down the river.

https://youtu.be/ofUi0jY--jo

Be blessed!

#Ggt

Lockdown 713

Lockdown Day 713-9 March 2022

The Bay is very active this week. The dolphins were spotted yet again in large pods just off the pier. A moderate east breeze moved in overnight to create rocking chair swells, as one of the tribe described it.

So I decided to go and walk at Schoenmakerskop with Roxy, enjoying the crisp air and awesome view of the ocean.

I thought about the self care regime consisting of time with God, water and exercise I wrote about last week. How exercise can include a conversation with God ánd water.

Water is life, and drinking it is paramount. But spending time near a body of water such as a fountain, stream, dam or even the ocean, has a profound effect on our being.

The University of Exeter conducted a number of studies that proved humans not only need the green, but also the blue.

In fact, a direct link between health and the proximity of large bodies of water was found. Even city dwellers with daily exposure to man made water features reported better physical and mental health than those only exposed to green.

So tonight I offer up a prayer for the drought stricken Eastern Cape and the direct negative effect it has on its people and their spiritual wellbeing. For those in the Bay who never go to the ocean once in a while.

And I pray for a 100% full Kouga dam, because God has the power and I firmly believe He will fill it.

#Ggt

Lockdown 712

Lockdown Day 712-8 March 2022

After a very smooth and surprisingly easy swim this morning, I returned with the pooch to see the Orcas that were seen in the bay.

They were far for the natural eye, but I got good visuals with binoculars, with which I also saw a dolphin pod feeding on a school of fish near the harbour wall.

Seeing the abundance of sea life gave me hope for marine conservation, albeit in the wake of the plastic pandemic. Recently, a young lady by the name of Sarah Ferguson, started an epic swim from Durban to Cape Town after earning a Guinness world record in 2019 by swimming around Easter Island in record time.

All this to raise awareness for plastic pollution in the coastal ecosystem. Follow her on Instagram by searching breatheocean1. For those not on social media, here is the link for the SA People article in which the link to instagram can also be clicked on:

https://www.sapeople.com/2022/02/21/sarah-ferguson-begins-epic-1500-km-swim-from-durban-to-cape-town/

She has completed 12 days of swimming and a record 45km today in the Agulhas current! So far she has seen many "chips" packets 😒.

She has also seen lots of marine life and was also treated to a dolphin pod's playful visit.

So tonight I offer up a prayer for Sarah's amazing quest and for her success already apparent. For sustenance to complete this 1500km challenge she gave herself a year to finish.

And for God to carry her through it all.

#Ggt