Afloat
This photo was my first thought when I saw the theme of afloat for #SundayStills this week – a boat bobbing around on blue water.
But then I got to thinking – the word afloat has several different meanings:
- not sinking – as in floating or treading water
- business/financial – having enough money to get by and continue operating
Tumbarumba
At the moment here in Australia, and my little town in particular, many of us are still in lockdown of some sort, due to the global pandemic.
I live in Tumbarumba, a small rural town in regional NSW Australia and thankfully we have no cases or exposure sites in our area, but we are still included in a whole state lockdown due to the rapid spread of Covid throughout the state.
The main street, called The Parade, yes we really only have one street of shops, is usually a bustling busy place with lots of chatting and catching up going on, but not at the moment. Everyone has their masks on and they are in and out of the shops very quickly, after completing the QR code sign in of course.
We can only leave home for a number of essential reasons and not mix with others. I completely understand the stay at home orders and am compliant. I am also fully vaccinated now as is most of my family. This isn’t our first lockdown and we have been lucky in many ways to live where we live. We have lots of open spaces around us and fresh country air to breathe.
I know other places have been through far worse and for much longer, so please don’t think I’m complaining or whinging! This is a way for me to document what’s happening now, in my little town, and share my thoughts, so I can look back on them in years to come.
Local businesses staying afloat
All local shops are closed apart from those given ‘essential’ status.
I feel for the local businesses in town that aren’t designated ‘essential’. But to their credit they are doing the best they can to be innovative and stay afloat.
We are trying to support as many of these businesses as we can by sharing our $ around. We have enjoyed takeaway meals, hot chocolates and treats from a variety of local shops.
The local bakery offer cold pies, sausage rolls for heating up later at home; family pies and delicious cakes and bread daily. They are deemed to be essential so are doing OK with the locals and tradies in town.
The pubs can’t have patrons onsite, so they have gone to offering takeaway meals with either delivery or pickup available.
Cafes have also made a change to offering pre-prepared meals for takeaway with great results, and coffees/hot chocolates are all available for takeaway.
The local artist cooperative have had to close their doors but have a window display of craft items and offer a phone ordering system for any stock they have on hand.
Most shops have moved to a click and collect system but some have simply shut their doors until the lockdown is over. That date is a moveable feast and has already been extended several times.
The local library is shut but publicise on their facebook page how members can access ebooks at their fingertips, all for free.
Florists and Gift shops which usually rely on tourists for much of their business, have gone online providing hampers, complete with free delivery.
And everyone is grateful!
Staying afloat with a Pink Flamingo
In my opinion this is a much better way of staying afloat and brings back happy memories of holidaying with my family.
How are you staying afloat these days?
What’s going on in your neck of the woods, are you in lockdown too? I wish everyone well as it really isn’t an easy time for many.
These are just my random thoughts for this week’s #SundayStills, thanks for stopping by!
Terri is having a break from #SundayStills this week, and Natalie has kindly taken over hosting duties. Make sure you visit Natalie to see her post and her wonderful photos. It’s always interesting to see what others are posting for the prompts too.
Next week Sunday Stills is Colourful Murals, again hosted by Natalie the Explorer while Terri is away.
Take care!
Debbie 🙂
All my Sunday Stills posts can be found here
Recent posts:
- A peek into a change of scenery #SundayStills
- The Thong Pole in Tathra #WordlessWednesday
- I’d rather be… #SundayStills
- That empty feeling when you finish a series #WOYBS
- Tell Us About…Scent
You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.
Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here
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Deb's World 
Hi Deb – lots of variety in this post. I’ve been reading lots of stories from those stuck in lockdown – the resilience of the human spirit always astounds me, but I really feel for the small businesses and the hospitality/tourism sector who have been impacted so much by it all. I’m grateful (but also feel a bit guilty) that we have it so easy in WA atm – but we’re always just a covid case away from ending up in lockdown again too. I just wish they’d sort the whole mess out. I’ll focus on pink flamingoes instead 🙂
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Thanks Leanne, I really appreciate your comment. That’s exactly why I added the flamingo photos, they made me smile and forget for a minute all the heartache we’ve been going through. The resilience of people astounds me too. Stay safe over there and enjoy your freedoms!
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Life has become far more difficult. Love the love here დ
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Thanks Cindy, I know this will pass so I wanted to capture my thoughts at this moment in time and afloat seemed a good way to do it!
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Good to see your sharing of covid reality where you are Deb. Thank you. Not everyone understands the severe restrictions and the impacts on small business. Where we are is somewhat more impacted by Covid but nowhere near as in Sydney’s LGAs. I was glad my daughter’s 50th could be celebrated by her at home with her school sending a bunch of flowers and cupcakes for her to enjoy with the family. We’ve only been doing a small bit of outsourcing and its to the great maker of money, Australia Post! So far this covid time I have sent 2 large care packs to grandkids and their parents, as well as special birthday packages. I know they are received with love and appreciation.
I did a water theme but with some differences..and yay for good and fun memories from you too.
Denyse.
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Thanks Denyse, it is hard for some who haven’t had to experience any sort of hard lockdown with how it can mess with your head! I’m lucky to live here where it’s not been too long (so far) or too hard but it still creates issues for us. I was glad the inspiration to use the word this way came to me 🙂
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I love your interpretation of afloat. We had long lock downs here and sadly a lot of businesses did not make it through to the other end. I hear Cheddar have turned their flower show into a scarecrow contest complete with trail map which I thought was a very good idea.
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Thanks Anne, it was a creative way to use the word, that’s for sure! Yes I saw the scarecrows in Cheddar and love the ingenuity of some people, despite tough times. Hopefully we will be out of lockdown soon 🙂
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Here’s hoping it won’t be for too much longer. It’s terrible for small business and glad to see they can still manage somehow. It’s nice to get a takeaway once in a while
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Yes fingers crossed Ali, we will be out of it soon. I like the way some people have been creative with how to continue their business, but it must be hard on them all the same.
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Yes I agree 🙂
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We have been in various stages of lockdown over the last 17 months. We are still under some restrictions, but businesses are open, unless they went under while in complete lockdown. I know a lot of people were affected by businesses closing. I am retired so it did not affect me personally and I, like you, have tried to support businesses when I can with takeout, click and collect etc. Right now, our cases are rising again, due to the Delta Variant, so we may go back into a strict lockdown again.
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Yes I know it must have been so hard with all the uncertainty going on Carla. Being retired has made life so much easier during all this I must admit. Hope you stay well over there.
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Hi Debbie, I love the colours in your photos and how you used the Afloat theme to document the lockdown and how it has affected your area. I empathize with you and others who are in lockdown. As you know, we had a very long lockdown from Nov 2020 to June 2021 and just started re-opening in phases with capacity limits. I’m hopeful that the dark days will pass and we’ll all have pink flamingo moments with family and friends again. Thank you for your contribution to #SundayStills.
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Hi Natalie, the word afloat was a good one for me at the moment and my creativity kicked in with how to share my photos. I always enjoy that aspect of #SundayStills finding the best way to be creative.
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So interesting to see how everyone there is handling lockdown – such a community spirit, and so difficult for all these business people. Sending love, Toni x
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So many different ways to stay afloat. I agree the pink flamingo is the most fun! I’m glad your town if finding a way to keep going during lockdown. It must be so difficult being a business owner during lockdown. Our shops are up and running currently, but with cases rising again, most of us are taking extra precautions while still trying to support the local businesses and hoping we don’t head into another lockdown. Here’s to helping each other stay afloat!
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Many thanks Christie, I do love the memories of the pink flamingo and had to share it! I can see that like you, we will be taking precautions for some time to come. Hope all is well with you.
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I love your uplifting ending to this very thoughtful post. Sending warm hugs your way.
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Thank you Donna, I didn’t want it to be too depressing!!
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With some downtime this week, I thought I would check out your SS post. Your creative posts never fail to inspire and impress me, Debbie! I saw that amazing photo of Tumbarumba on IG! Truly gorgeous. I’m still perplexed why some countries are still so locked-down, and so sorry to read that covid has such lasting staying power. Washington state has a mask mandate again, especially now that schools are starting back for Fall. You are so right on about how local businesses are staying afloat during these times. We always try to support locals before we moved and now, by buying locally from restaurants and small businesses. Best of all are your images of your family afloat on the pink flamingo. I had the pleasure to kayak near our home with some friends a few days before we left and I got to see a moose! Thanks for supporting Natalie these weeks and I can’t wait to get back to SS in a couple of weeks.
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Hi Terri, thanks for popping in to read my post. I appreciate your kind words about my ‘creative posts’, I find it a great way to find the creativity inside me and let it our by participating in these types of challenges. I also loved sharing the pink flamingo floating shots as they filled me with joy. I think we are all going to be trying to keep businesses afloat for some time to come, in whatever way we can. You saw a moose, how amazing! Look forward to seeing you soon and hope the travels have been fun, the photos I’ve seen you look like you’re enjoying it all, as you should!
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You say posted. So what did The Mathematician do or was it you that got a job there?
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This was supposed to be on your older post about your home town.
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Yes posted to a new teaching position, which meant we got to move to a new area.
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Pink flamingos for the win! I wrote a lot about lockdown when we were experiencing it. Other than grocery runs we never went to the city so didn’t really support local but then we don’t dine out or drink coffee to begin with so figured they didn’t miss us. I wish we were back in some kind of lockdown but our provincal leader lacks leadership and guts to handle the job so he’s just stuck his head in the sand. We have no restrictions and cases are rising like crazy so we are back to risk assessment per activity and really cutting back what we are doing. Stay safe and hope it turns around for you soon.
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Yes to the pink flamingo shots, they are definitely the winners here! Stay safe and hope things don’t deteriorate too much too quickly over there.
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Oh it’s going to hell in a hand basket really fast and the provincal government has just turned off that it is happening. Not much better federally where they called a snap election.
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Sounds like Tumbarumba is coping well with the lockdown, difficult times for so many people and businesses isn’t it? Masks and home deliveries have become part of normal life over here now, you don’t even notice anymore do you? Not too sure what the future holds for all of us as I can’t see the world returning to its previous state again.
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Hi Jonno, we are going quite well, all things considered. Not sure about the future here either but trying to stay positive as we enter spring here.
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You have skilfully worked your post around the theme; to update what’s happening with you, to encourage us to help those around us in need (little businesses, folks we meet), to cheer us up (the pink flamingoes brought a huge smile!)
Singapore is easing off on some of the restrictions – but numbers are still scary, so we are still staying cautious. You are right, there are many who are worse off – but I think no matter how little or how much restrictions and these pandemics affect us, it is still a state of anxiety. Here’s towards kindness and mental wellness for ourselves and those around us!
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Many thanks for your lovely comment Ju-Lyn. We’ve been following what’s happening in Singapore and wish you well.
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Thank you for the well-wishes Debbie; we can certainly use all the positive energy we can get! Enjoy your weekend!
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Love your take on the theme Deb even though it’s sad. Businesses, especially small businesses have taken such a hit this last year, while the big box stores probably thrived. We tried to order at least once a week from a different local restaurant to help them out. It’s tough. My place of work, as well as my entire family’s were considered essential. We stayed fairly busy. I work for a postal annex/shipping store, my daughters are baristas and my hubby works for a disaster restoration company. Love the pink flamingo post. I think some people are also just barely staying afloat mentally and emotionally with it all. I am so tired of all the negative posts I see on social media from all sides. It’s sad what we’ve reduced ourselves to when it comes to how we treat people.
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Yes it was sad to write this in some ways but also good to have it as something to look back on in a few years time. Things are picking up again now and hopefully we can get back to some form of normal life. Thanks for sharing your experiences too, it’s always interesting to read how others have managed.
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