I got up very early (for me) on Monday in an effort to get to the supermarket soon after opening time to avoid any crowds. COVID-19 is surging again in Los Angeles County, as it is in most of California and much of the country. The ICUs in our local hospitals are reportedly already at capacity even without the influx expected to follow the Thanksgiving holiday, making me even more cautious about public venues. But the pantry was bare and the online grocery shopping I did during our earlier lockdown was frustrating to say the least so I didn't feel I had a good alternative. However, my reward for being up and dressed before dawn was a brilliant sunrise.
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| A slightly wider shot |
Did you notice all the boats sitting outside the harbor? Traffic was low for a time earlier this year but now cargo ships are backed up off-shore waiting for berths in the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports so they can unload their cargo.
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| On Saturday, I counted 25 ships anchored between the Port of Los Angeles (shown here) and the Long Beach port beyond. Seventeen are visible in this shot. |
It's not clear that the shipping backlog will be resolved any time soon. Labor and equipment shortages, as well as complications stemming from the pandemic, are elements of the problem. The delays may be something to factor into any holiday shopping you're doing online.
For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Wow that is a spectacular sunrise! It must be nice having a view of the harbor like that.
ReplyDeleteThe early morning and night views are the best - the rest of the time you generally see our perennial layer of dirty brown smog.
DeleteOh...so beautiful! Your getting up early paid off. I have been talking a lot of sunset photos during co-vid and keep telling my husband that one morning I will get up early and capture a sunrise. It hasn't happened yet!
ReplyDeleteI'd have though the time change would've improved the frequency with which I catch sunrise, Lee, but somehow it hasn't ;)
DeleteSpectacular sunrise (something I don't see much of myself). The shipping delays are a bit worrisome. I wonder what is sitting out there waiting... probably everything we use! Machinery parts, appliances... we don't make anything anymore!
ReplyDeleteYes, a LOT of stuff comes from overseas. Considerable attention seems focused on the lack of truck drivers to pick up the containers so they free space to unload other containers.
DeleteJust wear your mask and wash your hands. It was well worth getting up to see the sunrise, beautiful! All of those ships. Just makes you wonder what is or isn't going on.
ReplyDeleteI noticed there was a lot of finger-pointing when the issue was raised on a local social media site recently. There are a lot of former longshoremen in the area. It's costing the people doing the shipping a lot to have those piloting the cargo ships sitting idle like that.
DeleteLovely view Kris and glorious sunrise. Lots of good things happen before dawn, including lots of bird song. I don't know if you have cardinals there, but they are always the first bird to sing in the dark. Not many birds singing in the winter here, but the rest of the year it is glorious. Predawn is my favorite part of the day. Getting up at 4am for work is not, but I've learned to look for the benefits.
ReplyDeleteThere aren't any cardinals here, Cindy, but I do hear the birds singing early in the morning - if mostly in a semi-wakeful state! I guess I could get used to a 4am alarm but, as I'm retired, I'm glad I don't have to.
DeleteInspiring and informative (about the shipping backlog).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see you pop up again, Nell!
DeleteBeautiful sunrise! All the cargo ships...people buy too much junk.
ReplyDeleteWe are a culture of ardent consumers it seems.
DeleteI think I'd be making getting up early a habit if I had that view - it's gorgeous! I'm with you on the grocery runs. If I don't get to it in early morning, it just has to wait until the next day. I avoid the crowds as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside of shopping early (once one's up anyway!) was that the market didn't have many checkers but, even so, it was less stressful than shopping elbow-to-elbow later in the morning as I was doing prior to this latest virus surge.
DeleteIt reminds me a bit of Singapore, where there is a massive (and permanent) backlog of boats awaiting entry.
ReplyDeleteThe sunrise is wonderful.
We've done online delivery for as long as I can remember, it's a no brainer out here in the middle of nowhere when the journey to any decent sized supermarket is such a trek. It certainly has its frustrations. If there is a plus side it's developed my creative abilities in the kitchen.. finding a solution for the unexpected, and sometimes unfathomable, substitutions.
I hope the backlog off the shore here doesn't become permanent too. I plan to try online food orders again and hope that the delivery problems have been resolved.
DeleteLiving with someone who depends on things coming in on those ships I know firsthand what the delays are causing. Still, it's a beautiful view!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say that there are fewer boats out there right now than there were earlier this week, Loree. The fact is I don't see as many this morning but that's probably because we have a new rash of fires burning south of us and the smoke is too dense to see through well.
DeleteI only attempted online shopping once when we went into the alarming first lockdown. Next available delivery slot - six weeks?!
ReplyDeleteI have been to the mall weekly as usual ever since. At first there were queues, but now it mostly works smoothly.
Cape Town also had backlog chaos at the container terminal.
I'd used one food delivery service routinely about every 3 weeks for years before the first lockdown but, during that period, it became impossible to get any delivery slot whatsoever. I tried two other locally-based providers after that with mixed results but I'm told the delivery arrangements have improved.
DeleteBeautiful sunrise photos! I cannot get great sunrise shots from my home but can definitely enjoy the sunsets!
ReplyDeleteSunsets are harder to capture here, Kay, as the hill between us and the setting sun blocks some of the wonder.
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