Living with Lockdown - 29

Life under lockdown is now at a level where it is pretty much the same as my life without lockdown. I've never been much of a social animal and so have not missed any dinner parties, weekends away, coffee mornings and such. I travel alone and have continued to do so on the odd occasion that I have been shopping - seeking the smallest shopping centres and avoiding big supermarkets. Driving is a bit of a novelty again, having to concentrate on other drivers and negotiating the huge new intersection at Sun Valley that has finally been completed. We still have to have normal traffic to test its efficacy, but signs are that it is going to be a huge success and a fantastic job was done by the contractors under very difficult circumstances.
Having had life return to relative normality, I now have to discipline myself into a routine of working on my novel/s, trying to paint decent paintings and planning a new project. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the imminent return to the mountains this Friday. The absence of hiking has taken its toll on many people, not least of all me, as it is one of the most effective antidotes to stress, depression and general anxiety, and it will be no surprise to see more hikers than usual in the times ahead. Nature is the cure and we had better make sure we look after it.
Here in Kommetjie the sea is a constant source of restoration of the soul, and yesterday was particularly so, with massive swells sweeping up from the South Atlantic and breaking along the shore in fantastic displays of power. Colours were of deep bottle green as each crest collapsed into a froth of spume and foam, spreading rapidly across the rocky ledges below the lighthouse and receding just as quickly in an almost tsunami-like ebbing before the next onslaught.
Banks of brilliant red and orange aloes line the path along the bay, and are currently reaching their peak of winter beauty. Myriad sunbirds are visiting them, creating a buzz of activity to rival the sugar water bottles now in almost every garden. Hopefully they will prefer the natural nectar!