March 2020 - corona Kicks off

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At the end of March things had certainly changed for the AthoTurnbulls - indeed much of the planet. Stephen & Paulie's visit home to Australia had been for 4 months and by mid March international flights were non-existant. Not that it wasn't great being back. Mind you.... the oldies were not exactly home as March saw Paulie and Stephen move into their fifth accommodation. But all was well, if not somewhat confined. Paulie's work hours increased significantly as she supported spinal injury clients for longer shifts. Olivia also worked her guts out as she worked at Redcliffe hospital where she was brought into the Intensive Care Unit team (with a future COVID-19 focus) and did some weekends at Mater as well. Nick was back in Oz also staying where he could, and James and Keno continued working from home in Oxford.

December 2019 saw the new virus kick off in Wuhan...	This virus was a long way off from Brisbane when the month kicked off	Cafes were open so two Atherton brothers and brides could get together
Olivia and her flatmates could have an outing to a puppy cafe.	March 3 - home for some of this month was in Moorooka	Still time to do some chores at the real home.
March 5 - Nick eventually makes it over from Italy just as the virus makes a big impact there! He spends a some days in Brisbane then heads north for unpaid work	Meanwhile back in Moorooka our guests share time with us. Daniel is head chef today	Paulie and Stephen have their own outside area
Mojito the cat enjoys the lawn near Storm's art studio	A visit to the artist	March 9 - Paulie and Stephen put on an apero
Mojito escapes the upstairs antics	March 12 Paulie has a walk in town after working for a client	Nick returns across the border to Whian Whian to stay with Uncle Jon and Bea. In Lismore Jon asks him to model a jacket
.	Meanwhile at Olivia's it's still possible to be closer that 1.5 metres	.
And even possible to have gatherings. Tony Donovan celebrates Patties' birthday. People were told to keep their distance.	Paulie and Stephen took a number of walks around Moorooka where some streets were named after French towns in WWI. A premonition of the war France was about to have with contagion?	.
But exercise with this Frenchman is still ok.	Mid month and "social distancing" was not yet in place	.
Not exactly effective. But vodka @ 40% alcohol soaked into hand wipes won't kill a virus. But can't hurt!	.	Still able to catch up with St Lucia Athertons
And babysit said St Lucia Atherton grandchild	March 20 - A chat with the Oxford lads. Europe and the UK now very much hit by the corona virus	Amazing! At 7pm the Oxford streets were empty
.	Their walk to Keno's college was for life essentials! An amazing college cellar gives great staff deals.	Interestingly, it's empty at our university as well. Classes are now all online.
The Atherton Elders are based themselves in the Granny flat that Owen and Denise Traynor generously offered from the 18th. They had moved back from Melbourne only weeks before.	.	A weekend babysitting the St Lucia Atherton home and canine whilst Chris & Louise were at their beach apartment
More work at Chateau AthoTurnbull for the tenants	.	Dinner at St Lucia
And a relaxing weekend	.	On Paulie and Stephen's walk around the University campus they spotted distressed curlew chicks who couldn't climb the gutter
After building a ramp and 20 minutes of trying to herd them up it, a more direct approach was required	Video - Famously protective adults don't seem apreciative	Olivia and Rosie have a leisurely start to the day
March 24 - up Mt Cootha. Folks are still allowed to exercise. As long as they are not near others (unless from the same household)	.	Uncle Jon and Bea are in town and NIck returns back down south with them. Restuarants are empty. Soon after all restaurants and cafes closed doors except for take away food.
Off to work. The vehicle is care of Nephew Toni Dunlop. A car his company was going to sell becomes a loan. Thanks Ausroad!	In Brisbane and elsewhere, some folks -especially the young - ignore government directives. By month end many beaches are closed and police fine people.	At the end of the month... this, on the other hand, is how to do it. And it's legal. Empty beach near Jon & Bea's
And Nick is a safe distance (although they share a house so not required). BTW that's kombucha in the champagne flute we were told.	March 27 - Daniel receives news that his pension has been approved. Although French, he has lived and worked in Australia for decades.	Group gatherings are now outlawed so a virtual toast is in order
And a catch up with Michael in France	The girls are up to watching something together	So they do it Social Distancing style- one in one suburb....
...one in another.	South of the border Uncle Jon asks Nick to perpare some in kava using his antique Fijian tanoa.	Time to do some work around Owen and Denise's house
.	And then join the gals for another walk up the mountain	(at a distance)
Being in their 70s, Jim and Jan Dunlop isolate themselves totally but take time to exercise	March 31 - No more social groupings at all. So Paulie takes an online yoga class	A nice way to reconnect with folks Paulie knew from when the group physically attended classes together
The teacher shows the 12 students, watches them in action, and gives feedback	Balance is restored

December 2019 saw the new virus kick off in Wuhan...

This virus was a long way off from Brisbane when the month kicked off

Cafes were open so two Atherton brothers and brides could get together

Olivia and her flatmates could have an outing to a puppy cafe.

March 3 - home for some of this month was in Moorooka

Still time to do some chores at the real home.

March 5 - Nick eventually makes it over from Italy just as the virus makes a big impact there! He spends a some days in Brisbane then heads north for unpaid work

Meanwhile back in Moorooka our guests share time with us. Daniel is head chef today

Paulie and Stephen have their own outside area

Mojito the cat enjoys the lawn near Storm's art studio

A visit to the artist

March 9 - Paulie and Stephen put on an apero

Mojito escapes the upstairs antics

March 12 Paulie has a walk in town after working for a client

Nick returns across the border to Whian Whian to stay with Uncle Jon and Bea. In Lismore Jon asks him to model a jacket

.

Meanwhile at Olivia's it's still possible to be closer that 1.5 metres

.

And even possible to have gatherings. Tony Donovan celebrates Patties' birthday. People were told to keep their distance.

Paulie and Stephen took a number of walks around Moorooka where some streets were named after French towns in WWI. A premonition of the war France was about to have with contagion?

.

But exercise with this Frenchman is still ok.

Mid month and "social distancing" was not yet in place

.

Not exactly effective. But vodka @ 40% alcohol soaked into hand wipes won't kill a virus. But can't hurt!

.

Still able to catch up with St Lucia Athertons

And babysit said St Lucia Atherton grandchild

March 20 - A chat with the Oxford lads. Europe and the UK now very much hit by the corona virus

Amazing! At 7pm the Oxford streets were empty

.

Their walk to Keno's college was for life essentials! An amazing college cellar gives great staff deals.

Interestingly, it's empty at our university as well. Classes are now all online.

The Atherton Elders are based themselves in the Granny flat that Owen and Denise Traynor generously offered from the 18th. They had moved back from Melbourne only weeks before.

.

A weekend babysitting the St Lucia Atherton home and canine whilst Chris & Louise were at their beach apartment

More work at Chateau AthoTurnbull for the tenants

.

Dinner at St Lucia

And a relaxing weekend

.

On Paulie and Stephen's walk around the University campus they spotted distressed curlew chicks who couldn't climb the gutter

After building a ramp and 20 minutes of trying to herd them up it, a more direct approach was required

Video - Famously protective adults don't seem apreciative

Olivia and Rosie have a leisurely start to the day

March 24 - up Mt Cootha. Folks are still allowed to exercise. As long as they are not near others (unless from the same household)

.

Uncle Jon and Bea are in town and NIck returns back down south with them. Restuarants are empty. Soon after all restaurants and cafes closed doors except for take away food.

Off to work. The vehicle is care of Nephew Toni Dunlop. A car his company was going to sell becomes a loan. Thanks Ausroad!

In Brisbane and elsewhere, some folks -especially the young - ignore government directives. By month end many beaches are closed and police fine people.

At the end of the month... this, on the other hand, is how to do it. And it's legal. Empty beach near Jon & Bea's

And Nick is a safe distance (although they share a house so not required). BTW that's kombucha in the champagne flute we were told.

March 27 - Daniel receives news that his pension has been approved. Although French, he has lived and worked in Australia for decades.

Group gatherings are now outlawed so a virtual toast is in order

And a catch up with Michael in France

The girls are up to watching something together

So they do it Social Distancing style- one in one suburb....

...one in another.

South of the border Uncle Jon asks Nick to perpare some in kava using his antique Fijian tanoa.

Time to do some work around Owen and Denise's house

.

And then join the gals for another walk up the mountain

(at a distance)

Being in their 70s, Jim and Jan Dunlop isolate themselves totally but take time to exercise

March 31 - No more social groupings at all. So Paulie takes an online yoga class

A nice way to reconnect with folks Paulie knew from when the group physically attended classes together

The teacher shows the 12 students, watches them in action, and gives feedback

Balance is restored