Some of you who read this blog may be old enough to recall a Stanley Kramer movie starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner based on a book by Nevil Shute that was released in 1959 …………… “On the Beach,”. I was thirteen at the time and it frightened the hell out of me. I’m still frightened.
A silent and deserted Bathurst
I shall never forget the scenes of an utterly deserted San Francisco following a Northern Hemisphere nuclear war, and the final shot of a dead and deserted Melbourne after it succumbs to creeping radiation, which left me fearful for a very long time. Going out onto to our pavement here at the centre of Bathurst late this morning after a live online video chat with all our children and grandchildren everywhere, and looking down an utterly deserted York Road towards an equally deserted Pig ’n Whistle verandah and car park, I was reminded of those scenes in the movie, and a horrible chill ran down my spine.
On the Beach confronts the viewer with a number of questions: How would you behave if—in the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse—you knew you only have a few weeks or months left to live? Would you carouse riotously, knowing the end is near? Deny that the entire thing is happening? Hope against all logic for a miraculous reprieve? Try to maintain a core of decency in the face of imminent death? Wish that you had done something long ago to prevent nuclear war in the first place? Questions not too dissimilar to some of those we are asking now.
Very much used to the hustle and bustle of Bathurst on Sunday mornings - people arriving for services at the Methodist church across the road from our house - more people arriving for breakfast at the Bistro and more still always arriving for a late morning ‘regmaker’ at the Bathurst Arms……..traffic and car doors opening and closing. Diagonally across from us and well within ‘noise’ distance the verandah at the Pig is always humming by mid-morning and it is impossible to escape the brulllll of motorcycles arriving there on breakfast runs from far and wide.
Outside and in front of our house there will be a slow but steady flow of locals with their dogs, who like us, generally take a leisurely walk down to the farmers market for one of Mike’s ‘moer’ coffees and a pancake or bacon and egg roll made by the indefatigable Sandy - all enjoyed in the company of friends and neighbours revelling in the ambience of our very special village …………… but not today - day 3 of lockdown.
Today the silence has been eerie beyond words for most of the morning ………… broken only towards lunch time by the sounds of voices on the verandah outside the pizza joint alongside Tekserve - some individuals no-doubt breaking isolation in search of company and food. Be it on their own heads! We can only hope that none are infected - and that if they are they don’t pass it on to any unsuspecting friends or family whose immune systems aren’t quite up to scratch. Rather than pizza, they should perhaps rather have stocked up on Matzos because when they get the virus that’s all their friends and family are going to be able to get under the door.
In coming to terms with the silence and isolation some very special things are happening. At about 11am today we were blown away by the shrilling of possibly 50 or more Green (Redbilled) Wood-Hoopoes that had uncharacteristically gathered in the large tree on the Bistro’s pavement ………… with the usual car noise and banging of doors they would never have been there. We sometimes get small groups in our garden, but these were something special indeed. And yesterday while tackling my 45 minute spell of lawn-mowing that I try to do each day to keep this one-acre nightmare under control (as well as viewing it as much needed exercise), two glossy Starlings spent the entire period hopping about within one metre of the mower in search of disturbed insects …………. of which there are a great many I might add - most of which seem to enjoy making a meal out of my ankles, calves and thighs.
The garden also seems to be thoroughly enjoying the silence, and blooms of every conceivable kind are popping out everywhere making a walk around the estate an absolute pleasure with a continuity of pleasant little assaults on the senses. Colours, shapes and scents are simply everywhere. When I compare this garden to what it was two years ago when we arrived ……….. "WOW Pat”, is actually all I can say - you have really worked miracles in the sixteen months since you started work on it.
As you scroll down all of the pictures are from my walk through the garden this morning...........but please keep reading.
We have a huge Euphorbia cactus which lives in the very large Coral tree in our garden - about ten days ago it presented us with stacks of the most beautiful flowers, most of which are going to turn into the incredible Dragonfruit which is really one of the tastiest fruits around - but we have to keep a careful eye and pick them as they ripen otherwise the monkeys will take most of them as they did last year.
The Euphorbia Cactus Flower and Dragonfruit
One of the things we always keep a relatively good stock of are the mussels that we go down to Kenton to pick each Spring low, and last night we hauled out a bunch of these for an amazing white wine and cream mussel spaghetti ………….. so sorry we couldn’t have a few of you around to enjoy it with us, but maybe some other time. We have also found time to pick apples and quinces - lots of apple sauce, some apple jelly ………. and then yesterday four bottles of really delicious quince jelly found their way onto the shelves.
John and Lynda arrived just as the Hunt’s (our daughter-in-law in Australia’s parents who have bought a house in Bathurst), were leaving, but we did manage to have a braai with all present before they took off. Being a really keen golfer John takes every opportunity to play the courses in the areas where he stays, but did find the Royal Port Alfred a little over the top in terms of fees compared to what he is used to paying elsewhere, so made a few trips up to the Fish River before I suggested that the two of us go and knock about on the Mashie course at the RPA where a round costs the princely sum of R10.00. It is thirty three years since I last swung a club, and with a totally stuffed rotator cuff on each shoulder I was somewhat afraid of what I might be left with after trying to swing a club or two.
Tom Barrett very kindly lent me a 7 iron, pitching wedge and putter along with four balls. The first hole is across a pond where I promptly hit two balls straight into the water - ever fearful of even trying to swing properly because of my shoulders. After about six holes and as many duffed shots I finally said “Stuff it”, or words to that effect and finally opened up ……… no pain at all - and finally a golf shot or two of sorts. I even managed a par on the eighth ……….. whoopee! Fortunately there were some guys selling cheap balls on the course as I managed at least three hooks out onto the road and two more slices into the water. But what a lot of fun we had - I will definitely do it again. We managed a break at the campsite after the golf, and a delicious lasagne at home the night before they left to get back home to the Big Smoke (Benoni), before the lockdown. Good times indeed.
The next three weeks promise to be extremely informative - they will, I am sure, take their toll on many of us in a great many different ways, but they do present the opportunity to re-establish relationships at many different levels - for parents who see little (or often next to nothing), of their children during the week, to bond again - to do all of those chores that have for so long been left undone - spend time together cooking and baking - making jams and preserves etc., etc. These are actually, in many ways, the best of times.
Stay safe - stay happy.
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