I am calling this edition of Monochrome Madness Forbidden Places because everywhere is forbidden to me right now unless it is within 5 kilometres of my home.
It has been hard to get motivated to do blog posts at the moment. I have always felt that I should put photos with them, but I don’t always have photos.
We here in Melbourne are in Stage 4 lockdown, which basically means we can’t go anywhere outside of a 5 kilometre radius from our home. We can go to the supermarket or get essential items, we can exercise within that limit but only for an hour. There is now a curfew. Basically we are stuck at home.
This means taking photos is restricted to our homes. I have been taking photos here, but they aren’t the type of thing I want to use for Monochrome Madness. So it occurred to me that I could look at the images I’ve taken in the past of places that are not forbidden to me.
Port Campbell is now a forbidden place
This was taken 12 months ago when I was down at Port Campbell. I loved these photos and have always wanted to take more, but haven’t had a chance to get to somewhere like this.
Perhaps it is a place I can put on the “after the virus” list.
I hope you are all doing well during this time.
Joining in
It would be great if you would like to participate, especially if you are enjoying the monochrome challenge again. If you want to contribute there is a Facebook group, TPM Photos which you can join and share your images. Of course, if you are blogging no reason why you can’t post your own. I like this challenge and it is nice to be thinking in monochrome again.
Monochrome Madness – Forbidden Places
On another note, there are going to be posts with no photos. I just want to talk sometimes, and I hope you won’t mind that.
Great post. I’m really pining for the end of the 5km restriction. I started a 365 project to keep myself sharp during these times, so that’s my “hour of exercise” – camera in hand.
I just hope they don’t lift the restrictions too soon, I don’t want to see a third wave because we rushed it like we did before. The 5 kms apparently hasn’t been too bad for me, lol. Apparently I don’t often venture too far. Great to hear about your project, it can be a good thing to do. Good luck with it.
Your restrictions are significant. Even when we had mandatory stay-at-home, here in Colorado, it wasn’t like your Stage 4 restrictions, and not everybody wore masks. While we have a mandatory mask order, still not everyone is wearing a mask. When I went out to pick up cat supplies on Saturday, it was the most people I had seen out and about since last year. And, on Monday, school restarts region-wide. Both parents and teachers are uneasy. I don’t see how kids will be expected to learn. I suspect the first few weeks will be catching kids up to their grade level.
Stay well, stay safe, Leanne.
They have been very strict here, and if you don’t comply then the fines are pretty hefty. If you don’t want to be fined you do as they say. It is working, our numbers have gone from being over 700 a day to being under 100, so it is good that we did what we did. Apparently we had a warm day the other day and lots of people went to the beach, so stupid. I hope the school thing goes well, I can’t help thinking pushing the economy is the last thing we should be worried about right now.
Thank you David and you stay well and healthy too.
I am from the United States, North Carolina. I appreciate your willingness to go along with what your government has set in place. I believe if people would do that here, or at least try, we could move further along. I understand people here feel as if their rights are being taken from them, but, at the same time I believe the government here is just trying to stop the rise of COVID-19. I too am staying in as much as possible except for when I have to go to work. I do play piano for a Church, but, we are wearing mask and still have certain restrictions. I don’t spend much time there when service is finished. If I am not at my parent’s home, I am at my house.
I think we don’t have much choice really, other than to go along with it, though here there are very hefty fines for not complying, so best to do as told. I guess for me it is that my rights are not more important than other people’s right to live. Freedom is fine when it doesn’t affect others. With a pandemic, you see that some people think their rights are more important, it is really sad. I have to admit I”m staying home as much as possible and only go to the supermarket when I absolutely have to. Thank you Joshua, stay well and healthy.
Think of how special things will seem when you can venture out again. Lots of times it leads to seeing things in a new light. I know it did for me after our first shelter at home. I tried to learn things I was weak at during the lock-downs. (a long list) Please stay safe.
Thank you Mike, you are spot on, lockdown is a very interesting time. It is good to have the time to learn new things, or work on other things.
That indeed was an errie picture. Superb shot. I am in the same boat as you Leanne. Living in Western suburbs is no different than the rest locked down places. I haven’t gone out at all in the past week. This Saturday I might take a walk within 5k for 1hr.
Thank you. We are in the North East, so away from most stuff, but also too close. I haven’t been out either, the only place I go is to the supermarket about once a week. I hope you have a great walk. I’ve been trying to do stuff in my garden. Stay heathly and safe.
Thanks Leanne. Now even the walk is restricted to 1 hour and within 5k 🙁 But will keep healthy as much as possible.
Yeah, I’m not too worried about the walking, I’m surrounded by parkland and an hour is enough. Staying healthy is the most important thing really. 😀
Stay well – things have loosened up here but cases are on the rise again unfortunately 😥
Thank you Nora, we are definitely not going anywhere. It seems to be happening all over the world. You stay safe too.
I am sorry you are back in lockdown. I hope it has the required impact on your community’s public health. The members of my household have continued to behave like we are in the lockdown we went into in Spring except that we have walked on trails further from home (but mostly because we are in search of more isolated places free of people). However, I have a feeling our area will be back in lockdown around the time flu season kicks in. My kids are going to be doing 100% virtual learning for the foreseeable future and my husband is working from home until 2021. Life is very peculiar right now and quite stressful but I am focused on the fact that we are staying safe and healthy and are doing the best we can to contribute to the wellbeing of our community.
It is sad, but at the same time, I’m kind of glad. The more people comply with the lockdown the sooner we can go back to normal. I think that is how we should all be thinking about it. It is strange how the number of cases for the flu have gone right down this year. Possibly the same with many winter viruses. Sounds like you have put yourselves into lockdown anyway, it can’t be a bad thing. My husband is working from home too, I think he is hoping to continue long after this. He likes it. That is all you can do, focus on those and hope they find a vaccine soon. Tahnk you Laura, great to hear from you.
Hi Leanne. You know they say it could always be worse. You could have an idiot for a leader who divides the country, rejects science and then embraces it and starts thinking of people way too late. Be happy your government is acting with what science says and is keeping you safe. We’ve been shooting locally, taking separate cars, wearing masks and keeping a safe distance. Take care!
Well, we do think our federal leader is a bit stupid, but not on the same level as yours, thankfully. I don’t understand how people in your country don’t have whiplash with all his twists and turns. It is so hard to keep up with him. Good to hear Anne, and thank you, you take care too.
That is a great picture. Sorry to her you are back in lockdown. When we where in the same situation i tried to record things on my walk each day. Quite often it was of empty streets, posters in windows or queues for supermarkets. It is amazing how quickly these have become important images. They are still on my blog. Take care.
Thank you Ian. Yeah, we are, but better that than the virus taking hold and getting out of control.
That is a good idea. We live in too much parkland and it looks much the same as it does every other year. I have to admit I’ve started to fear going to the supermarket. It really is the only place I could catch it and I find I just don’t want to go. Now only one person from each house can go, that means only I can do it as well. Oh well. I try to limit how often I have to go, so that makes it a little easier. YOu take care too
The nature of this thing has changed our behavior. I know what you mean about the supermarket being a frightening place. Hopefully it will pass quickly. Stay safe
It really has changed things. You have to wonder what the long term effects will be from it. I hope so too, though I think when it does our lives might remain very similar to now, I just won’t be scared to go to the supermarket anymore. Thanks Ian.
Hello from the other side (of the lockdown.) We experienced this in Croatia where we are living right now, and it was an extremely difficult two months. Our friends in Italy experienced it longer and couldn’t leave their apartments except for groceries and walking the dog. My friends didn’t have a dog and she was a dancer, so felt really imprisoned. It really plays with your mind, especially if you are a free spirit and used to roaming the countryside and traveling. Please feel free to vent as I think writing about it helps. My heart goes out to you. Right now Croatia has gone to the opposite extreme and is open and letting everyone in the EU here. It’s worrisome as I’m afraid we’ll go back to where you are in the fall. The bright side of the lockdown was that both Croatia and Italy got their numbers down dramatically. Take care.
Yeah, this is the second time for us. We were in lockdown early in the year, then came out of it, but then back again about 3 weeks ago and now we are in even stricter lockdown. They are trying to restrict our movements to stop the spread, so we are following it. Hopefully it works.
It is strange how it plays on your mind. Weird, I think it is the uncertainty of it all. Thank you Cindy, we are doing well stuck in our house, at least I have a garden I can go out into. Though too cold to do much of that right now.
Opening up can be so scary, have to be really careful with that. Many places are now having second waves, like us.
Thank you Cindy, and you take care too.
I’m finding it harder to come up with new posts too, as we haven’t travelled since January. Stay safe and well!
It is so hard. I think I’m just going to start blogging about all sorts of things. See where I go with it. haha. Might be a mistake, but I don’t want to give it up completely.
Hi Leanne, Hope you and your family are well and staying safe. Take care, my friend!
We are doing what they ask us to do, so following all the rules really. Basically we are staying home unless we need to go to the supermarket. lol. Boring life, but it is what it is.
Thank you Fabio, you take care too.