Miraz Jordan

Thanks to John McWhorter in the excellent Lexicon Valley podcast episode The Many Meanings of Too for playing part of this wonderful track Cow Cow Boogie by Ella Mae Morse. If you need cheering up, give it a try. 😀 Or just listen anyway. 👍 🎶

I did sleep last night but with winds gusting up to 80+ Kph it wasn’t a good sleep by any means. Our house is on 6 metre piles and shakes even with the washing machine or a heavy footstep. Gusts of wind meant constant motion, and noise. Exhausting!

I just finished reading Nichelle Clarke Crime Thrillers, Books 1–3 by LynDee Walker, and enjoyed the books enough to buy the next box set. The books are well written, hold my attention and the solutions follow from the clues but are far from obvious. 👍 📚

The farmer next door runs dairy (not by us) and beef (over our fence). Today though there were 4 sheep in his next-but-one paddock.

Two very surprising finds in the news: first name only and lack of upper case for Queen Elizabeth and Pope Francis. I’ve never seen either simply referred to by name without title before. Next up: Lizzy and Frank? I’m neither monarchist nor Catholic but this does ‘startle’ me.

I’m glad homeless people will have (temporary) houses, but what bugs me about this is the phrase ‘homeless community’. No-one should be homeless in Aotearoa New Zealand. These should be homeless people. The ‘community’ phrase accepts a permanent status à la ‘Thai community’.

This ‘fountain’ in our back yard was courtesy of the warning light on our septic tank. First I jiggled the pipe that makes a stuck pump run and reduces the fluid level in the main chamber. The pump hummed but nothing else. So I found the release tap and thar she blew. Success. ☔️

This is such a clear explanation: How Privacy-Friendly Contact Tracing Can Help Stop the Spread of Covid-19

Nicky Case, working with security & privacy researcher Carmela Troncoso and epidemiologist Marcel Salathé, [explain] how we can use apps … while protecting privacy.

There was a bit of a swell in the sea today. First walk on the beach together with Deb in ages.

Apparently the farmer’s tractor, with post hole digger attached, is the place for all the cool cats to hang out today.

👍 👍 Maybe handy:

Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. …expert input: …and …advice from … teachers and a child psychologist.

Waaaaay back on 13 February 2020 (about a lifetime ago now) I ordered a pair of neoprene booties from AliExpress. Today they finally arrrived, but I can’t go kayaking in a Level 4 Alert so I can’t try them out. They fit fine though. I wish the bike carrier trunk would arrive.

When things happen at Waikawa Beach the caring side of the community really shines through. A few weeks ago numerous black-backed gulls were found distressed and dying on the beach.

Several locals immediately started to help, scooping up sick birds and caring for them, taking some to Massey Vet Hospital and calling in various bird rescue groups. It seems possible the birds had ingested a poisonous substance, but the virus outbreak has interfered with getting toxicology back from Massey.

Then along came Covid-19. The Waikawa Beach Facebook group members immediately started checking in with folks, offering practical support as well as a safe way to chat. A new Reay Mackay Grove sprang up too, getting a roll call going and again offering chat and even a free piano concert by a local.

The Ratepayers Association of course also provided a lot of information on its website and encouraged people to look out for their neighbours. We have reports of some older community members receiving multiple offers of help and expressions of concern.

Quite a few people left their usual city residences and came out to the beach to wait out the Level 4 Alert period, while others offered their baches to guests who needed a place to self-isolate.

If you're out for a walk there are plenty of cheery waves from others taking exercise. It's a delight to reclaim the streets for pedestrians and cyclists. There are no worries about tradie vans, and trucks servicing the various building sites around the place.

Waikawa Beach is pretty quiet at the best of times, but now it's rare to hear any vehicles at all. There's a bit of mainly silent gardening going on and it's mainly birds and a few buzzing flies providing the soundscape.

Waikawa Beach has always been at the end of the line, because it's not on the way to anywhere. At this unique time in history it's also in its own little bubble.

Originally published in Ōtaki Today, April 2020, page 12.

I’ll see your cat Paladin on the railing @dejus and raise you a dog on a tower of beds. Oshi. 🐶

The Levin New World supermarket had things well-organised this morning. Just as I was wishing I’d brought some water while waiting in line a worker walked past offering a free bottle of water to anyone waiting.

Another worker went down the line regularly to identify folks who should be moved up. One woman (slightly breathless) moved in front of me. She is vulnerable but has no-one to shop for her. I mentioned a couple of sources of help (Red Cross and the local Regional Council) to turn to in future.

One person was allowed in for each one who left. Staff were busy directing shoppers and cleaning.

Apart from the necessary queueing it was actually a very easy visit, with uncrowded aisles. And, I’ve only just realised, none of the usual music and urgings to buy, or to not let kids hang off trolleys.

Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is amazing. Relaxed, authoritative, really knows her stuff. Patient, kind, has a sense of humour, trustworthy. Every time I see her doing a briefing she just rises even more in my estimation. We’re so lucky to have her leadership at this time.

Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, says statistics suggest we have only 25% Covid-19 infections as modelling predicted. 1,000 against 4,000. Swift closing of borders and our self-isolation seem to be paying off.