Sunday
Today was the day…
The rain passed and the sun shone. We spent some time at Echo where we saw the doors are going in…
Chilling on our balcony was a good way to spend a bit of time. With this view, I may not need to cruise again (although we have a cruise booked for February if Corona allows).
The sea – the beautiful sea with its big variety of, often unseen, marine life. I was interested in the story that appeared this last week. A yellow-bellied sea snake had washed up on Fish Hoek beach, causing much interest and curiosity.
Ocean Pledge also posted this photo…
Quite a sight. It took me back to 2004 when we went to the Transkei for a week’s holiday. We stayed at a hotel on the beach front and enjoyed a very restful time. One of my joys during that holiday was collecting shells. Loads of beautiful shells washed up with the incoming tide and every day there were new treasures to find, including this one which has sat in my bathroom ever since.
We collected dozens of them and still have them. They will be taken to Echo and possibly used more usefully than being packed away in a box. I managed to find some really special shells and as the holiday drew to an end I was looking for just one more beauty. I was walking on my own about half a kilometre from the hotel. Scouring the beach without success, I ventured into the rock pools, walking from rock to rock with water swirling below scrutinizing the ocean bed for that last special gem. Suddenly I spotted it. I was in a rock pool and it was under a rock. It was very bright and I was so excited. This was the one. I reached into the water and started moving my hand towards the shell. To my absolute shock and horror, the ‘shell’ started to uncoil. I was reaching for a sea-snake! I LEAPT out of the water onto the rock and rushed back to the beach. I shook my hand and danced up and down in horror conjuring in my mind that venom had somehow been spat through the water. I was in a state, on my own, quite far from the hotel with no one around. I rushed back to the hotel as fast as I could, feeling more relief with every healthy step I took. Eventually, I concluded I was fine. The snake had uncoiled, but it hadn’t struck. I was fine. Deep breaths. The bright yellow shell that so excited me was the curled up tummy of a yellow-bellied sea snake. I was so grateful for the Lord’s protection and was far more circumspect about searching for shells after that.
I am surprised at the arrival of one in False Bay. Transkei waters are very much warmer than the Cape and I thought snakes prefer the warmth. It doesn’t make me warm and fuzzy knowing they are in our bay. Perhaps it’s another reason to keep swimming for an activity at the gym. There are no snakes there. No sharks, no rip tides, no rough water nor dumping waves. A calm 25C, the gym pool is the place for me! I can also see where I’m going without lifting my head. When I swam in the azure waters of the Red Sea, I thought I was swimming in a straight line when in actual face I was swimming at 45degrees. Difficult to do that in the gym pool where there are lanes. I’ll stick to that location for my swimming practice. Me thinks the beach is for walking on and the ocean for paddling in the shallows.
I end the weekend content.
Covid numbers in the Western Cape – 125 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Covid 19 stats – South Africa –
- Friday 24th July – 13944 new cases (maximum we had in a day)– 250 deaths (245 771 recoveries/169 882 active)
- Sun 20 Sept – 1555 new cases – 13 deaths (590071 recoveries/55187 active)
- Mon 21 Sept – 725 new cases – 39 deaths (591208 recoveries/54736 active)
- Tue 22 Sept – 1346 new cases – 126 deaths (592904 recoveries/54260 active)
- Wed 23 Sept – 1906 new cases – 88 deaths (594229 recoveries/54753 active)
- Thu 24 Sept – 1861 new cases – 77 deaths (595916 recoveries/54850 active)
- Fri 25 Sept – 1480 new cases – 29 deaths (599149 recoveries/53068 active)
- Sat 26 Sept – 969 new cases – 64 deaths (601818 recoveries/ 51304 active)
Total cases: 669498 Total deaths: 16376
We’ll keep praying for less.
Romans 8:24-25
Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
The best is yet to come.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Braces:
1 year and 319 day