Lock-down Day 619

Sunday, 5th December

Still no power, but apparently some Internet.

On the PC, when the internet is wonky, I just  carry on writing  ... sooner or later it will safe. I  tried the same on mobile last night  ... and lost everything.

Not much of a loss, ha ha, as I was just repeating myself a lot, writing simply for something to do in the dark. A friend, having read a previous post, where I struggled to copy between apps, showed me how - I'll be trying that out today. I actually meant to try it now - but now the blog won't load.

I managed to publish yesterday's post, start today's post  ... and that was all.

We had more than 30 mm rain yesterday, with more rain coming down throughout the night. I've just checked, we had another 26 mm overnight. That's 1 inch. And more rain on the way. They forecast 100% rain for today, I've never seen that before.

Smeagol seems to want to move in. He's been out back until I refilled his bowl, wanted lovies, then came to the bedroom window! He's been hanging out behind the marigold, now he's back atop the freezer out back.

I'm enjoying my coffee, and just grateful that I could get a gas cooker and gas. Power outages are a lot less frustrating, knowing I can have hot food and drinks, regardless. That makes a really big difference!

Water is low, though. That's could be a problem  ... I have plenty of drinking water for me and mippies, and I can always use rain water to wash my hands. I don't have enough big containers, yet, to keep flushing the toilet, though. I did look for some, at Makro and online, but found nothing suitable.

I've already decided that I'll make pancakes to take to work, if I can't bake this weekend. I really don't want another week of takeaways. Not my thing. 

I seem to have Internet again. It stopped working just after I wrote that I seem to have Internet. Ironic, right? So I wrote in notes and tried to paste here, like my friend said, and it worked!

I see that the 100% rain forecast has moved to this afternoon. I wonder if it's worth trying to report the power outage?

Well, I'm giving it a try. It's been 17 hours.

In the meantime, I un- and re-packed mippies munchies. I couldn't get the usual, but they now sell the individual flavours in boxes. So I got them lamb, beef and chicken. I repack them so I rotate. Seeing so much munchies was just too much for Mewthos! Ha ha ha! He just had to get some!

The food in the fridge is still cold, but I packed the meat in the freezer, just in case.

Twenty past nine, power is back. But for how long?

I couldn't report the power outage, my old phone's battery ran down, and I can't recharge that with USB. It needs a unique connection. I should have charged it yesterday. Once a week. Well, I'm charging it now. 

I had just finished posting in our WhatsApp group, that I tried, but failed to report, when the power came back. Ironic, eh?

I'm now charging everything that can be charged, as I expect more outages. At least the water tank will fill up!

I quickly vacuum packed the meat and put it back in the freezer. I wonder whether I should turn the geyser on? And I should probably try to bake rolls. It's risky, the power might go off before they are done  ...

With the first drop of rain, the power went off again  - less than a minute, though.

I decided to take a chance and try to make dough. Less than half way through, Janey toppled the water fountain! She had been playing 'catch' with Ziva and in her enthusiasm toppled the fountain. Water everywhere! I had to mop that up, fast!

Janey gave me her special 'Oops, sorry!' look. Well, that's how I interpret it, anyway. Animals have no capacity for malice, and without malice, they don't have a grasp of guilt, either. I sometimes think what dog owners call 'guilty look' is actually fear.

Animals do know when they've done something humans dislike - hence the look. With Janey, she knows she's made extra work for me,  and THAT is what she's 'sorry' for.  At least there is no fear!

Aww, poor Smeagol just came out of the dog hut and trotted off ...  in the rain. No clue where to or why. He hasn't used the outside room. 

Bam! Power off! Shit! Less than an hour! Nothing is fully charged, bread dough had only 15 minutes  ... this is pathetic! It's not even a thunderstorm, just rain! And not even a downpour, either!

Two hours later, power back ... I turned on the PC, logged into Facebook ... and there's a notification from Eishkom: load shedding! Ah! So this last outage was load shedding! Sigh, I wish I had known that BEFORE I started the bread dough ... it's a mess!

I've done the best I could, kneaded it a bit - it's all sticky, though! Very unpleasant to try to work with. I've put it in the proving basket. I'll bake it with the rolls ... let's see what comes out of that! Meanwhile, I've washed the dishes, so I'll make another dough. I've got until 18:00, that's when our lights are scheduled to go off again. Scheduled, that is - it could go off unscheduled, as well ... given the weather!

Well, the bread dough, Take 2, is in the machine. Lets hope this one finishes! It's only twenty past two, so I have plenty of time ... unless there's an unscheduled outage, of course!

I've done a bit of gardening. Well, watered everything, then tied up the tomatoes - the so-called cherry tomatoes are growing taller than the big tomato plants! They are carrying fruit already, as well - looks like plum type tomatoes. Well, I've tied them upright, let's see what ripens! The two plants growing from the seeds I got from At ... got cuddled flat! I've watered and and lifted them ... let's hope they can uncuddle themselves!

I got mail about the other goods I ordered with the wheelbarrow. Apparently they're out of stock of the 25L grow bags, can they pack 20L bags instead? Okay, this time. Because I really do want grow bags - coming this week, so I can use them during my holiday!

Half five, and the oven is heating up. That messed up dough ... I think it might be edible, but it definitely isn't a success!

Smeagol is back for more lovies! I already gave him a treat, which I placed inside the outside room. He was all dry, so maybe he has another hide-away somewhere? I'm not sure what to make of his current love-attacks? He's not attacking my mippies, though the females clearly tempt him.

Come to think of it, ALL mippies are just as needy, as well, lately!

Well, I'm signing off for today. I want to finish this episode of Star Trek before the power goes off ...