Gday! Welcome to my Bi Monthly Update #3 Covering July and August 2020. The iso year! Not a lot can really happen during iso restrictions but sit back and read away. I hope you enjoy it.

Now in my last update #2 I started off by saying this, Well knock me down with a feather, where in this crazy world did the last two months go? If you know, please let me know, cos I dont. Well, read it again!

Just for something a little different I had heard about some little fairy houses in Chiltern (this was before the current level 3 restrictions hitting Rural VIC again) Nth east VIC and just up the road a little from my base camp, so off I headed to check them out. There is a fairy family here in the CVP I am based at so when I arrived in Chiltern and finally found these other families could but think maybe they are all related cos the houses looked very similar indeed. A few pics taken then sent to my grandkids south of Melbourne for their enjoyment.

Chiltern is a very old town indeed and you look back at all the old buildings that in their day would have been a busy little town. I left there and headed to another old but bigger town being Rutherglen. I had lunch there sitting in the car, then headed back to base camp. Both towns are slightly south west of Albury/Wodonga. A nice drive on a sunny day. 

WOW! The beginning of July started with parts of Melbourne in lock down, threats to lock all Melbourne down and even a threat to lock VIC down, all due to the CV19. You would have read/heard that a second wave hit Melbourne due to, well, I might just leave it at that. One thing I will say though, you have to duck when walking around in VIC because there are so many accusations as to why being chucked around.

It only took a few days into July, in fact, 7^th and the NSW/VIC border closed to all VICs without approved reasons. Boy, did that cause an uproar. Not much anyone could do about it apart from do the right thing. Also, and as well even the very next day, 8^th July, Greater Melbourne went into lockdown with night curfews in place, so that didnt take long to happen at all. I am so glad I decided to stay put in Nth East VIC. A few days later Rural VIC went back to level 3 restrictions and mask wearing when away from home. As no one else is around during the day here and it is classed as home I am lucky enough to be able to do my walks around the park without a mask on but I have it around my neck just in case needed for some reason. With my continuing health problem, I could get an exemption from wearing a mask but hey, its not that hard and I am not venturing away from home that much anyway, just to get weekly food supplies. Just doing my little bit. Staying at home. I must admit I am a bit naughty though as while out I get something to eat for lunch and eat that in the car before I head back to iso. Its my new Dougs big day out

Doom and gloom everywhere in the news. Enough already!  

Just before going into level 3 restrictions I headed to the Pine Gully Nature Walk just down the road and up the hill Warby Ranges. I headed off on the walking path and during my slow walk up the rough track the weather started to change and light drizzle and the track started to get a little slippery and I didnt have wet weather gear so decided to head back to the car and call it quits maybe to attack another day. I have already had one bad fall last year and didnt want another one. The sun was shining when I left base camp. That said

Time for the weather report me thinks. So, lets get that out the way. July started with a few sunny days and that was very nice indeed, the temps were still very low and cold but I managed to keep warm due to the thermals on the getting older bones. Unfortunately, that didnt last long at all and by the 11^th Rain came down from the skies. We have had a lot of rain around the North East VIC area so already a bit damp under foot. The good thing out of that is, the local farms and properties have if not full nearly full dams already so great for them.

The temps for July ranged from -4c to 5c over night and 9c to 14c during the days. August saw nice sunny days for a week then grey skies and varying rain and still cold with temps much the same as July. Toward the end of August, we did get four days of strong to very strong winds arrive but no damage I noticed anywhere so all good. Even during winter, we have had the occasional lovely sunrise, if you are silly enough to be up that early in the cold. Did I see one I hear you ask? Yes, I was silly enough one morning. See pic below.

Oh! An update on the water hose mod. It has worked a treat so far and no frozen water. The people across the road from me were saying only last weekend that their water has frozen a few times and one day heard water running and found plastic pipe under the van had cracked open.

I used to have long hair when in my teens and until late-20s but since then short hair and cant stand it when I need to get a haircut and head of to the barber. Since CV19 it was getting difficult to find a barber open around the areas I am in so decided to get my own trimmer but found it difficult and wasnt doing a good job so looked around for a better system. I found a product in the Shaver Shop so looked up the nearest store, bugga, Albury was it but that was out due to the border closing so checked their website and it said a few other big retail chains had them so off I trotted but without success. Thats essential shopping isnt it? I found there was a Shaver Shop in Bendigo and due to being able to move about and most of the time I would be in the car anyway I decided to have a Dougs big day out. Again, this was just before level 3 hit. That also wasnt successful but they did a search on the poota and found some in Melbourne and suggested I ring and they could send up for me. I did but they wouldnt as they wanted to keep stock for people in Melbourne. Oh well!

Stop the press!

A bit of an update on the shopping centre I went to that day. I saw on the local news that the centre has had a few cases of CV19 test positive from there so it might get closed down for a while to deep clean. It did get me thinking though as to when I was actually there. All OK as it was too far back to affect me. Phew!

Start the press again! I had a bright light moment and rang a Shaver Shop in Townsville and had success. They had some arriving two days later from, guess, go on, yep, Melbourne of all places. They took my order and I paid. My Daughter also had some masks to send down for me and during the conversation with the girl in the shop said for my daughter to bring in the masks and they will send with the item I purchased at their expense, even better. That all done and when packed ready to send she even rang me with a tracking number and sent Express Post. It took a week but I had ordered something from Melbourne not long ago and took 3 weeks. Thank you and well-done Shaver Shop in Willows, Townsville. Great old-fashioned service for sure. OH! I used it a few days later after arrival and does a great job and so easy to use. Its called a Crew Cut hair clipper for anyone wanting to know.

My Grandson in Melbourne turned three 2/8 but Due to CV19 and restrictions etc in Greater Melbourne no one was there to help him celebrate so it was decided to do a Zoom video call so me never using such a thing and very few actual video calls on my phone a trial run with my daughter and her in-laws took place a couple of nights earlier. All went well but had to be done a different way. The video call took place on the big day and it was very successful and I actually enjoyed. Video calls, what a great invention!  

History was also made on his birthday too, CV19 hit Greater Melbourne that hard by then and caused major changes in Greater Melbourne and even Rural VIC. Melbourne went into Level 4 restrictions at 6.00pm that night with even a curfew in place from 8.00pm to 5.00am the next day. School kids etc back home and only allowed out with a 5km radius of home. The rest of VIC didnt escape and as off midnight 2/8 masks became compulsory when out of home and level three restrictions set in from midnight 5/8. Also, and as well even a State of Emergency/Disaster was declared. All of VIC changes take place until 13/9/20 at this stage.

Mmmm, didnt I say enough already above? So,

Moving right along.

Well, due to the CV19 level 3 rules in rural VIC I, like everyone else am unable to move far from base camp so spend most of my time around there. Luckily, I dont mind being isolated so no complaints from me. One day I like you, will be able to move around again with the aluminium tent in tow. Until then, stay safe everyone.  I have managed to get a few pics below.

Note: Sorry for the mistakes throughout but I can't seem to fix due to the cut and paste process into the forum.