Covid Diaries Week Five

I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who have gravely sick relatives in the hospital or care homes, who they can not visit. This week we had to take my mother-in-law into the hospital for a heart valve replacement. My husband and father-in-law could only take her as far as admitting. We had to trust that she was in good hands. She spent two and a half days in the hospital by herself. It was tough not to be there for her, and even harder on my father-in-law. We are fortunate, though, all went well. Sue was home safely on Thursday. My heart goes out to all those who are not as lucky.

My Covid Diaries

Here are the images I captured this week and my thoughts as I was taking them. As always, please stay safe, stay home, and stay healthy! Cheers until next week.

To follow along with my daily images, check out my Instagram Feed. You can find links to my past week’s diaries here:
Week 1
Week 2
Weeks 3 & 4

Day 29 – Friday, April 17

‘Two Metres’

I find it inspiring seeing all the artwork done by youngsters during the pandemic. From the painted stones I saw last week, to the hearts and signs in windows for the health care workers, and thoughtful sidewalk art. Today I saw a friendly reminder to stay a minimum of two metres apart on my morning walk.

Day 30 – Saturday, April 18

‘Happy Birthday Self Portrait’

I was feeling rather sorry for myself today, as it is my birthday. Dinner with my daughters was out of the question. I couldn’t have friends over for dessert. I couldn’t even go to Starbucks after our hike for my free birthday coffee. Yes, these are all first-world problems. What can I say? I’m a bit tired of being cooped up. I also couldn’t understand why my husband insisted on cleaning and putting out the patio furniture instead of helping me in the garden. We have had a beautiful spring, but it is only April, after all! What a surprise I had. Mid-afternoon, two sets of friends and our youngest, Lisa, dropped by with delicious goodies from a local bakery. They had each brought with them their own plates, mugs of tea, and chairs. We sat together in the garden, two-metres apart of course, and had a lovely time. It is a birthday celebration that I will always cherish.

Day 31- Sunday, April 19

‘The Past Passed Down’

I was looking for things to photograph today. Inspired by some of the still life images I have seen posted in the last few weeks, I decided to pay tribute to my grandfather. In 1925 he graduated from the University of British Columbia in the Mining Engineering program. Sixty odd years later, I also graduated from Engineering at UBC, but as a structural engineer. On my graduation, my Aunt passed down Gramps’s drafting tools and slide rules to me. His instruments are very sentimental, and I will always treasure them. And before you ask, yes, at one point, I knew how to do basic math operations using the slide rules! I’ve also included a photo, taken in 1941, of my grandfather holding Aunty Di, who gave me his tools.

Day 32 – Monday, April 20

‘Bedroom Window Humming Birds’

With all the negative connotations surrounding Covid-19, I am attempting to look on the bright side of my confinement and find things to do that I wouldn’t typically get a chance to try. For the past six days, I have spent three or four hours each afternoon hanging out my bedroom window. Besides street photography, I love to photograph birds. Outside our bedroom window is an ornamental cherry tree. These past few days, it has been in full bloom. So, I have been patiently waiting for the birds to feed on the nectar from its blossoms. I have a very narrow window (no pun intended) to get the shot I want. The tree only sees good light from late in the afternoon until about 7 pm. And, the delicate flowers only last a few days. This year I have been lucky, the weather has cooperated, and there are many hummers in the yard. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so I’m afraid my shooting window is closing. I didn’t manage to catch any male birds in the branches. However, I captured several female Anna’s and Rufous hummingbirds feeding. Having this time to photograph these amazing birds has been a gift.

Day 33 – Tuesday, April 21

‘The Box of Old Family Photos’

During our self-isolation, I have been thinking a lot about digging through the massive box of my Mum’s and grandmother’s old photographs. I know it will be a daunting, time-consuming task to sort through the images, most of which have no meaning to me. I’m kicking myself now for not sitting down with my grandmother and mum before they passed away to label and document the photographs. The box has images from the early 1900s through the 1960s. Most of the photos have fallen out of their corners in the albums. And many lie loose at the bottom of the box. My kids show no interest in the family archives, but I can’t bear to throw them out.

Day 34 – Wednesday, April 22

‘Bathroom Window Landscape’

Although street photography is how I spent most of my time on pre-Covid, I also like landscape photography. However, during a “shelter in place” order, it is hard to get out and photograph grand vistas. Instead, I stuck closer to home. In fact, I didn’t leave the house when I took this shot! It may not be the sharpest, as I shot it through the bathroom window, but it is my world right now. I feel genuinely grateful for this view.

Day 35 – Thursday, April 23

‘Cattuccino’

I was pondering what I would take a photograph of this morning. After over a month of daily shooting, I’m beginning to feel like I’ve done it all. That’s when I looked up from my computer and saw Daisy sitting on the espresso machine. It made me smile, so I figured it was worth a picture.