Black mark on my house sitting career

 When I went to bed last night, Oscar was still on her side, but there was a lot more oxygen circulating and I think I had done all that I could. I was reluctant to go to bed though and deep down didn't know if she was going to make it to morning. I'm afraid I went through first thing this morning and she was lying still at the bottom of the tank, no gill movement and starting to turn black. I knew she was gone, but couldn't bring myself to turn off the pump. I messaged the owners to tell them, but they didn't reply. When they got in just before lunchtime their son got out the car and headed to the lounge and I had to tell him. Was a horrible moment. I honestly don't know what else I could have done though and thinking on it, Oscar had stopped eating before the tank became murky due to the power cut. I do feel bad though, my first pet sit fatality to date.

Am back home now and sorting out my life and trying to think about school. My dogs are happy to have me back and have been reading emails from the great danes. I will miss the two great danes and in a way, poor old Oscar. I couldn't bear to sit in the lounge where her tank was when I waited for the owners to come back. I guess these things happen but I will not do fish in future, or snakes.

Isolation and keeping Oscar alive - just one more night Oscar!

 Although I personally didn't come into direct contact with the person who has COVID and only saw a person they were in contact with, the next day, I am still being careful. A friend is having a braai tomorrow and when I explained, she said she'd rather I didn't come tomorrow. I understand. Have been feeling a bit nauseous today, but think it's from too much rich food over Christmas. I went to bed early last night but woke up at what must have been midnight to fireworks and the dogs in distress. My medication usually makes me sleep through most things but I woke up. I couldn't rouse myself though to get up as I was barely awake. The dogs were in the kitchen, so couldn't run away or hurt themselves. I hate fireworks.

Spent the day at home, listening to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and clapping on an online app when prompted. On Wednesday, before I went into isolation, we were having coffee with Sr Paulette at Veldemeer's when I had the dress rehearsal trial run for applause. We must have looked funny as there were my mum, Sr Paulette and I, clapping into my phone and saying bravo in the middle of the restaurant. Today we had to turn the volume down of the concert when prompted and clap. It was being filmed but golly, a whole minute or more of clapping is quite something. I think we must have flagged halfway through and it probably is quite comical viewing. The concert was lovely, but I don't know that I am volunteering to clap online again!

I started looking at IGCSE geography and then stopped. I will contact the school and ask for the text book and access to online Cambridge resources next week. I did wake up this morning though and think I now have four months to get ready for the second term. We wait and see what happens about school for this term and whether it will have to be online again or not. I will have to adjust my lessons a bit if it is work packs and Zoom sessions again. I know one mother is not going to be happy at all if it is back to remote teaching, but there is nothing we can do if it is.

Made a ghost mobile for my godson instead, watched My Octopus Teacher again (highly recommend - made me think of friends and family in beautiful Cape Town, where the documentary was filmed) and then ... suddenly had to try revive Oscar, AGAIN!!! Had been noticing the pump wasn't churning up the water as much and Oscar started to flag this afternoon. I even got the whisk out again. Thinking I couldn't whisk all night and trying to think of a solution, I propped the pump up a bit with a rock. I had cleaned out the filters this morning. This still didn't do much so I phoned my friend William, the fish doctor!! He talked me through some things and eventually said I should try prop up the pump a bit more. This has made the air circulate better but Oscar is still looking pale and is not looking great. If she can just last until 12 midday tomorrow. I sincerely hope she doesn't peg on this my last night of fish-sitting.

Self isolation and tadpoles

 My mum and I took Sr Paulette out to coffee at Veldemeers this morning. As I arrived I got a message from a friend we spent Sunday afternoon with, to say the host of a lunch she attended on Saturday has tested positive for COVID. We're going to have to self isolate. Means will have to cancel New Year tomorrow and lay low a bit. We are being tested for COVID for school next week. 

The government has just announced a delayed return to school due to the increase in cases here and the new strain in South Africa. Will mean a different form of preparing for school, groan. 

Have found out what tadpoles eat - mosquito larvae amongst other things. 

Applaus rehearsal and blowing into the fish tank

 I noticed this morning that Oscar's pump seemed to not be circulating the water as effectively and there were fewer air bubbles. Oscar has taken to lurking by the outlet pipe which makes me worry she is again not getting enough oxygen. The owners said that as long as the pump and filter are still going it should be OK, hmmm. I was supposed to be exchanging some of my surplus of weed with someone in Hatfield and so went out to see my friend Nina again. Left the weed with her for the other person to collect for her fish tanks and once again I talked fish. Glynne, Nina's husband had the bright idea to look up the manual for the tank pump. As far as we could tell, cleaning out the filter regularly should do the trick. He did suggest thought that perhaps I should blow through the in pipe to the pump and check there isn't a blockage. Nina quickly piped in that perhaps I should just stand there blowing until the owners get back or until I or the fish pass out from asphyxiation. Nina!! I will try blowing though and see if this does the trick. Maybe not until the 2nd of January though! Nina said she was eying some bream at Mukuvusi today, as she thought perhaps we could paint one with orange and pass it off for an Oscar fish if all else fails. Apparently most fish shops here don't have oscars at the moment due to COVID.

I've signed up to watch the live online performance of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on New Year's Day. There is an online dress rehearsal tomorrow though. I have to sign in on the Applaus App. On the day they will show people around the world watching. Welcome to New Year's Day in 2021. A very different concert to normal but quite fun in some ways.

Having sworn I won't house sit fish again, I've taken on some tadpoles to put in my classroom when school starts. Not sure what they eat? Might try Pronutro flakes. Hopefully easier than fish! I've been going into school to do some sorting. Debating if I will go in tomorrow and Thursday. I'm no longer going to Nyanga next week though, so there is still time. Trying to fit in some geography prep for the second term too and will need to start getting organized for form 1 and 2 maths.

Oscar loves her weed and Fishmonger's for Christmas

 As there was another power cut yesterday and I didn't know how long the inverter was going to last, I made the decision to go across town to Hatfield to my friend Nina, to go get some oxygen weed from her fish pond. She gave me three large Kefalos yoghurt containers of the stuff. Neens got a little emotional at the thought that some of her tadpoles might be sacrificed to the Oscar fish, but she told herself to get a grip and that it was the circle of life. It was actually really special to see Neens and her family on Christmas Eve, as it is also her little girl's birthday. I gave her little girl an angel for her Christmas tree and had a slice of blue and green birthday cake. Wouldn't have happened if Oscar the fish hadn't nearly died.

Oscar is absolutely thriving now and adores her pond weed. Makes her tank more interesting as she only had sand before and she's swimming up and down and eagerly awaiting being fed. So thanks everyone who helped to keep her alive. Team William, Claire, Lucy, Brendan and then Nina, Glynne and Mrs Glover. Was also cool to see Mrs G as she was in town and she taught me high school biology. We had an interesting conversation about stem cells and the new Corona vaccine and mRNA. Mrs G was one of my all time favourite teachers.

I nearly spent Christmas Day in a petrol queue. My trip to Hatfield chewed up a fair deal of fuel and I got a nasty surprise on the way to church this morning when the Empty light started flashing. The car I have been lent for house sitting has an electronic fuel gauge and it is difficult to tell how much fuel you really have. I passed a queue on Carrick Creagh but that was before the fuel light flashed. I tried Helensvale but neither garage had. Crossing fingers and saying a little prayer I crept to Piers Rd and thankfully they were open, had fuel and there was no queue. I could have been really stuck. Got a full tank as petrol seems to be scarce. Crazy as we are now having to pay in US dollars, I don't see why there is a problem.

Had a lovely lunch with friends at the new Fishmonger's at Circolo Italiano aka the new Italian Club. Fish for Christmas lunch is just such a good idea. You don't feel as full and it's a treat. I had a yummy halloumi starter and then a Portuguese pan of mussels, calamari and prawns. The joy of not having to slave over a stove all day for Christmas and not having to do washing up after. We came back to where I am house sitting for presents and mince pies. Tomorrow have been invited to a waifs and strays left over bring and share and then on Sunday doing online games for my friend Heather in England's birthday.

Operation save Oscar at 1 am on Christmas Eve

  When the people I am house sitting for left they gave two instructions for Oscar the fish, feed him and then make sure the filter was clean. Well I've been doing the first but I kind of forgot the second and yesterday we had a power cut from 9 am to 6 pm which meant the pump wasn't on. I did look at the tank and think it was getting murkier but Oscar seemed OK. I had friends come round for a Christmas drinks party and we kept checking on Oscar. At one point my friend Brendan said he could do with some drama in the evening. Well we sure got it shortly after midnight. Oscar suddenly started floating on her side and the tank was really not looking great (although the pump was now working with ZESA). We went into panic mode and William and Claire took charge. Brendan had won a kitchen whisk in the secret Santa pirating game and this was used to try get more oxygen to Oscar. William dismantled the pump and cleaned out the filter (we noticed that the electric cable has exposed wires - water and electricity, not a good combo, eeek!)

Whilst all of this was going on my playlist happened to be playing Carmina Burana. We were so preoccupied though I didn't change it. Lucy started googling how to  save an Oscar fish. In her search she found "Should you flush a dead oscar fish down the loo?" and "How to comfort a dying oscar"! In the end we decided to put a little of the tank water in a bucket with fresh water and propped the water filter/oxygen pump in it and made sure it was plugged into the inverter in case there was another power cut. Oscar perked up a little and was upright again. This was the best we could do by this time 2am. This morning I tentatively opened the bucket and was relieved not to have a floating fish on top. I tried phoning the owners. They hadn't left instructions on how to clean out the tank. I opted to empty most of the tank and put in fresh water. Well I'm afraid I was a Borrowdale madame, Thomas the gardner carried the buckets whilst I directed operations in my pyjamas. When it came to transferring Oscar back, she suddenly got a new lease of life and bit Thomas (oh dear). She was on her side again initially but with the clean filter going she has regained uprightness. The owners have now said not to empty the tank (even though it is still murky). I need to keep cleaning out the filter and if ZESA goes again I must run the generator for the fish tank, eish!

So yes, after all of this I don't think I want to pet sit fish again. You can't exactly take it to the vet! Very grateful to Claire, William, Brendan and Lucy for helping hopefully save Oscar. Team effort :) I don't think I will be going to make the 500 meals for the homeless though. Have only had 3 hours sleep and I don't do too well on a sleep deficit. From lunchtime the house keeper and the gardner will have gone for Christmas, so it will be just me the great danes, Oscar!, the chickens and the rabbits. Hope nothing else goes wrong.

Navigating Greystone Park

 Am writing this as I wait for the mince pie pastry to rest. After that I need to cook Christmas hams. Going to boil with beer and then glaze (cheating with a ready made cranberry and apple glaze from Woolworths). Will get back to making a puppet ghost for my godson Philippe, he's into all things spooky at the moment.

Saw good friends from my dancing days yesterday at Bottom Drawer which was special. Hadn't met my friend Kelly's baby and got to see her bigger little girl too. It bucketed with rain, but we managed to get a spot on the verandah and had a yummy cream scone tea. This morning I went to Aroma Caffe at 167 Enterprise and saw my two close friends, Nina and Lucy. We chatted and laughed away. I got there a bit early and went into the new Andrew's farm stall. They have all sorts of amazing foodie things. Whilst in there I saw my former student Alberto whose family own Aroma and Alberto is now their head chef, after he went to Sardinia to train. He was making his own mozzarella when I taught him, but now makes all sorts of speciality Sardinian cheeses. Have bought one called caciotta to try.

I am having to guess my way around Greystone Park a bit as not all the roads have signs. The most direct route seems to go down Gaydon to Harare Drive. I am vaguely familiar with part of it as I did a report on the wetlands along it. All the wetlands are covered by cultivation of maize by local people. Whilst this is not ideal (causes siltation and damages the wetlands' functionality) it is better than construction on them. I spoke to my friend Fiona and to Chris Magadza and they are interested in us writing a paper together for publication. There isn't too much published literature on Harare's wetlands and the legality of building on them along with their economic value.

Getting used to the size of the great danes I'm looking after. They aren't too keen on having fly smear put on, but they really need it. Discovered where the chickens are kept this morning, just as well the maid showed me as otherwise I was under the impression they were free ranging round the garden and would have put out food for them in a different place. Locking up last night was a little complicated and finding light switches. There is a quite an extensive library of Terry Pratchett and then John Le Carre (who sadly passed away last week). Am still working my way through The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, I enjoy the descriptive bits and finding out about Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, but parts are quite heavy going. Lots of books to be read. I should make the most of time before I start teaching at Chisi high school, as I will have 28 students in a class and that is going to mean a far heavier marking load than I have every known, but I guess you do get some free periods in high school, but still, eeek!