Roadkill?

I think Sprint has the corona virus. Some days I can do whatever I need to do and some days I can't. Sprint is our wi-fi provider.

Yesterday was a lovely day. I was so content to be outdoors most of the day. I pulled weeds and planted seed. I groomed my ferns and was so happy to be outdoors. Of course, I still had to answer the phone and take care of all manner of stuff. I was in and out, leaving the door unlocked. Still have the sign posted saying we are not open for business, but this does not seem to be a deterrent to people. 

I was inside taking care of a payment when I noticed two vehicles in the parking area. The hatchback of one vehicle was open and a young woman and a man were standing there talking. No pop-up camper or tent equipment in sight. I had no idea why they were there. I went back outside to continue potting plants and weeding, rake in hand. The woman approached and I could tell she was not interested in maintaining any distance from me, social or not. 

That was when the rake came in handy. Upon inquiring about how I could be of assistance (from a distance), she explained that they were "resting" and might want to use my facilities (maybe a hot shower?) before they got back on the road. I apologized that we were not open for business (assuming she might think they were in the state park, despite the fact that reading the sign upon entering the park would have let them know they weren't). After she told me that the state park wasn't open, she says "But, we are on our way to Georgia to work." Apologizing again, I told her that she was in a private park and that we were not open to the public due to the stay home order currently going on here.

She acted like this was a big surprise. How deep in the middle of nowhere would one have to be to not know about the current situation? I decided to just go about my business after locking the door. They stayed for about an hour, standing behind the open hatch back with a small child.

Later, after I had gathered my laundry from my clothesline and folded it, I headed back outside to play in the dirt some more. I was on my front porch still fiddling around with my plants when out of the blue I was approached by a man (no mask, just like the Georgia bound couple). This time I employed the shovel to mark the distance. This man had an even stranger request. This is a first!

This man wanted to use my grill. It seems that he is moving across country and has a car full of meat that will go bad if not cooked right away. I was rendered speechless. He went on to say it would only take a few hours. It was right at that point that HeWho drove up in his truck and I quickly referred the man with meat that will go bad to him. I averted my gaze so he could not give me the stink eye. He sent the man on his way.

Now I wonder what kind of meat the man had and where he got it from. Roadkill? If I were moving across country, would I load my vehicle with meat on the verge of spoiling?

Becoming Vegetarian

We all wait on pins and needles to see if we will reopen the state next week. Well, I  suppose some people are. I am still not sure we should resume normal activities. The store phone, which happens to be red, has kept me busy all day. I am accepting campers, no contact, using the night registration drop box. We have been pretty busy with just that.

I have concerns, though. Do I open the pool? How does one maintain social distance in a pool? My pool is quite large, but, you wouldn't wear a mask in the pool, now would you? Does the virus spread in water? Why wouldn't it? People spit water out of the mouths and sneeze in the pool all the time. I would hate it if someone were to be infected in my pool. It won't be me, since I am cautious enough to stay out of it if there is even a possibility of contracting the virus. 

I have been told by more than one person that I am taking this too far. They could be right, for all I know I may be immune naturally. How to know?

Having talked to health care individuals, I will continue to be overly cautious. Those who have died have done so alone. No family to comfort them. What a horrible way to go. The family members who are not allowed to comfort their loved ones are also traumatized. I think I will be sporting a mask for awhile!

I ventured out to procure pantry items yesterday. Some things are not available on the online shopping menu. This was the first time I had been out since my recent cardiac event. I toyed with the idea of just going to the local market, but HeWho quit smoking was out of Jolly Ranchers and Juicy Fruit. They were not available in my last online order and he wanted the giant industrial sizes.

So, Walmart, it was. The drive was nice. Mostly just big trucks on the road, traffic was not bad at all. I arrived to my destination. Only one way in to the store. All roped off and they counted you as you made your way in. The center aisles were wide open. No giant displays of merchandise blocking the way. 

I meandered back to the garden center (old habits die hard) and rescued some pansies, picked up some tomato plants and perused the seed display. Unable to help myself, I bought several varieties of flowers. After that I made my way back through the store, stopping for some vitamins I was out of and some medicine for Toni Louise. She apparently has a yeast infection on her skin. Vet says to try the same stuff you use for athletes foot. After carefully reading a few of the ointments available, I settled on some jock itch remedy in a spray form. She does not like it when I smear stuff on herself.

Then I was distracted by a clearance rack. Old habits again. I scored some t-shirts for $2 each and a lightweight sweatshirt for $3. Feeling quite smug, I headed over to groceries. All this time I have my mask firmly in place. It was hot and stuffy, but I slipped a tissue inside it to keep my bifocals fog free. I was very aware of touching stuff. I saw them clean my cart before they pushed it my way. But still, I remembered times past when I thought nothing of what came into contact with my hands.

I noticed a variety of customers, some with masks and gloves, some with just masks like me. The majority were bare faced with children and babies in tow. This annoyed me. Also annoying me were the people, customers and workers alike, wearing masks pulled down under their nose! Why bother? I have been known to share my knowledge with folks from time to time and yesterday was no exception. One older gentleman was thankful to know he was not protecting himself properly and he was also thankful for the tip about the tissue keeping the fog out of his glasses. The Walmart employees, not so much. They were young and probably still think themselves to be invincible.

Anyway ….. I think the pool will open, but will be limited to only those staying in the park and they will have to sign up to use the pool for a time, then let the next camper and their family have their time. This is the only way I know how to make it work. Of course this will make more work for me in my mask.

I just heard about 60 new cases of Covid 19 in a small city at another meat packing plant. Maybe I will become a vegetarian.

Need To Get Out

Internet service is S L O W. Could be the storms and wind and I doubt Sprint consider this a priority. I was going to post some pictures, but I would lose my train of thought waiting for them to appear.

Provisions are running low and it is time to place another grocery order. The novelty of hunting for my food items online has worn off. I want to stroll the aisles of a grocery store and ponder things. I want to peruse the clearance aisle and talk to myself about possibilities. Here is where I would insert the photo of the 12 pack of double roll Charmin HeWho is my hero scored.

Of course, one cannot build a sandwich with Charmin. Well, I suppose you could, but who would eat it? The sun made an appearance today. I mowed. I actually mowed the most I have managed so far and didn't have to take a nap! Progress! Tomorrow I plan to tackle the showers and restrooms. Need to get them ready just in case we open up next month.

I have to admit that I have enjoyed my hibernation. My canine contingent has enjoyed it, as well. But I am ready to get back to a semblance of normal. Just the other night I spent nearly 15 minutes try to coax my nightgown down from the bed to go out for a last bathroom break before going to sleep. The room was dark, with just the light from the hall and it looked like a dog on the bed. When the three dogs came into the room and looked up at me along with HeWho took them out.

Yeah, it's time for me to get out ….. with a mask and gloves!

Three Times The Treats!

It is Cujo here again. Mom says she is uninspired and that I will have to take over today. I am okay with that, but I am not sure what uninspired means.

My Mom wakes early. Well, actually, I have been known to put my feet on her shoulder and lick the side of her face. This will always let us dogs know what kind of mood she is in. If she pushes me off and tells me "no", that is not a good sign. Most days she will just laugh and put me down on the floor, then grab Eddie so we can go outside. She tells us to do our business. Why does she say that I wondered one day when Oscar (he was quite old and wise and has left us to go mover Rainbow Bridge) told me that he thought it was because peeing and pooping was nobody's business but ours.

Even when she wakes in a bad mood, she always give me lots of kisses when I come in. I really like kisses and some times I will stand on my back legs and smash my face next to her lips …. cause I really like kisses!

While Mom gets up early, Dad sleeps. His dog, Toni Louise sleeps with him. I don't know how she does it, holding her pee that long. Maybe because she is a girl? When Dad gets up, he forgets to let her out and Mom has to do it.

A couple of weeks ago Mom asked Dad if he thought he could accomplish one project at a time. He was sure he could and told her she was being sarcastic. I didn't think she was, but, as far as I am concerned, Mom is always right. So, she asked Dad if he would re-caulk the bath tub. He agreed that he could definitely get that done in one day.

Mom handed him the tool to remove the old caulk and went to her sewing room to make masks. It wasn't long before Dad was asking where the caulk was. She told him where to look and he told her there was no caulk in that area. Mom came out of her sewing room and found the caulk right where she said it would be and even found the caulking gun while she was at it.

She started to go back to her sewing and then decided to go take a look at what he was doing. She said, "Wow, you really got the old stuff off fast," as she was walking into the bathroom. He hadn't though. I heard her tell him he had to remove all of the old caulk before he put the new caulk in. He told her he knew what he was doing and that if she didn't think he could do it, that she could.

"Oh no you don't," she said. "You are not tricking me into doing such a simple task!" He should learn not to try to outsmart my Mom! She went back to her sewing room. He went back to his project.

Next thing you know, I am awakened by the sound of something loud whirring away in the bathroom. I don't know if I told you, but Dad likes noisy stuff. Mom came in from her sewing room and she heard it, too. She went into the bathroom and asked what he was doing. He showed her this drill thing he bought awhile back to clean things with and he was using it to get all the residue from the old grout off the tub. His battery went dead and he put it on the charger and said he would finish the next day.

He was all excited about this cleaning machine that made noise and even got up earlier than usual. He asked if we had any cleanser for the tub. Mom told him where it was and he was in the bathroom nearly all day. Mom was sewing and doing laundry and cooking. When she decided to get her shower that night she discovered that new caulk had not yet been applied, and that was not all.

"Hey," she said to Dad, sitting in his chair watching TV, "please tell me you didn't use Comet on the tile." He looked at her and said, "What do you mean?" She said, "What did I say?" in a way that made all of dogs look for a place to hide. I am pretty sure I heard the word "idiot" a lot and that he had scrubbed the finish off the tile.

This was awhile ago, like a week and the bathroom is still not finished. All of the tools he used are still in there, the trash can is full and he has not finished. Us dogs have been waiting to see who will complete this task. Toni Louise bet her treats for two days that Mom would do it and clean up after she finished. Eddie bet three days of his treats that Mom would do it and then make Dad clean up. Me? I bet a whole week of treats that Mom could hold out for quite some time since there is no chance of company and make Dad do it and clean up his own mess. So far, I am winning!

Just think, if I win I will be enjoying three times the treats for a whole week. Well, that is if Mom doesn't discover the bet we made. She has forbidden Dad from handing out more than one treat a day to us. She says I am fat! She told Dad that too much weight on my little frame is not good and she wants me to live a long healthy life. I am still not as fat as Martha, the boy cat!!

For Rent

Vacant, ready for immediate occupancy! Spring has finally sprung! My daffodils are at the end of their blooming and the tulips have started to pop open. The peony has made some impressive progress in just the past two days. As you can see the peach trees are blooming and the sweet smell is heavenly! Who needs a church when you have all of this?

The sunshine is making things bearable. Although I am quite used to being here all of the time, it is starting to be an issue with the rainy dreary days and a man constantly underfoot. 

Today is quite lovely. I am resting after a few hours of gardening and intermittent mowing. I usually have to acclimate slowly to mowing my usual 9 miles every third day. I will not be doing that anytime soon. Small bites!! I mowed some this morning, then rested. Then some more. I planted a maple tree where the apple tree once stood. Then I was done. Had to rest again. I find myself annoyed at my lack of stamina!

So, here I sit, through the hottest part of the day with two little dogs nestled close, one snoring softly. I have to admit I am enjoying the peace this brings. No noise from the loud TV, as HeWho and his partners in crime are making good use of the lift to do some tree trimming. I look out occasionally to see if anyone is bleeding. As long as I see no blood or hear any shouts of distress, I am quite content just sitting here.

Only thing weighing on my mind is what to prepare for dinner. Gone are the days when we could order a pizza or get Chinese take out. Not because those options don't still exist, but we can't eat that anymore. I would be content with cereal and early bedtime, but one can only pull that trick occasionally!

Grocery Shopping

Every day I make a few more and hang them on the pegboard meant to hold pool supplies and toys. I am running out of elastic pony tail holders and wishing that my 200 yards of elastic would appear like magic. I will resort to making ties for them before I will venture into a store. There are 15 hanging and I have forgotten how many I have handed out.

 This hardly made a dent in my fabric stash. After I made the first dozen, I washed them, then decided it would be easier to wash the fabric, then make them.

I have plenty to work on, at least 15 yards. I can get 5 out of 1/4 yard. I would need to make 4 15" ties per mask, so I really prefer elastic. I am sure that everyone prefers the elastic, as opposed to having to tie them on. The only advantage to one that ties on is that you can untie the top and leave it hanging around your neck until you need it. 

Another idea would be to use t-shirt bottoms and sew them to fit over the mouth and nose when needed, them drop down to the neck when not in use. But, I would get too hot. It would be like wearing a scarf around your neck to stay warm.

I am making another grocery order to pick up. So many things I can't get. I can't get chicken breasts, But they offer smoked turkey tails. I discard those. They are just skin and fat. No ground turkey, but they offer beef tripe (stomach). I can't imagine these items to be big sellers. Makes me wonder if they are trying to push these items to reduce inventory. I should just be happy I can get pony tail elastics with my grocery order!

Saying Goodbye To My Apple Tree

Even if you squint, I doubt you could make the image out. It was almost impossible to get the shot. It is an eagle. He swooped over our pond and I was told he snagged a beaver from the pond. If he did, he has the eternal thanks of HeWho has been trying to rid the pond of muskrats and beavers. That was the bright spot of my day.

I am sad to say this apple tree did not survive the winter. Our formidable winds pushed it over and the poor tree did not recover.

As you can see, it looks like it just lay down and went to sleep. This particular tree was always filled with fat crisp apples. I am truly sad to lose it.

It looks so empty now. I will need to replace the tree with something. This was one of the areas I would mow and sometimes take a break and eat an apple fresh from the tree, as I stood sheltered from the sun.

I am tired of being inside and hoping the sun will come back out soon. I suppose I should be thankful that I can go outside without being too close to anyone. Many people can't.

The Walmart I usually shop has employees testing positive for the Corona virus. Other stores in that city also have been hit. So many people are not taking this seriously. We were not able to get appointment for an online grocery order at our usual Walmart and drove further to another Walmart to pick up our order. The parking lot was as full as any Christmas shopping day. I sat in my car as the nice man loaded my groceries and saw entire families walking in and out of the store as if they had no idea of the current pandemic.

Our facility is closed. I will not open my door. If you need something, use the phone and I will be happy to assist you. When I am called to inquire about camping for the weekend I will tell you we are not open. If we don't all stay confined, going out only for absolute necessities, the virus will continue to spread. I can't tell you how many times I have said this to callers. Why is this so hard to comprehend?

HeWho Washed The Dishes!!

While I am inside I have been busy sewing face masks. I have plenty of fabric. I think I probably have more fabric that the fabric department at Walmart. And remember, I never throw anything away that I think might one day be useful. I am out of elastic. Can't find elastic anywhere. I ordered 200 yards on-line and it was supposed to be a 2 day shipment. Supposed to be. The estimated date of arrival is now at the end of May.

Might not be an urgent need then, but I will take the shipment. In the mean time I ordered some pony tail elastics from Walmart. Had to adjust my pattern a bit, but I made 6 this morning. Four of them are already gone.

It was brought to my attention last night that someone was making them and selling them for $45.00. EACH! I am giving mine away. I already have fabric and the cost of making them is minimal. I am planning to take them to the nursing homes, clinics and health department for the health care providers. They are washable and can be used over and over again.

$45.00 indeed. That is just wrong! I saw a tutorial on washable toilet paper. When I told HeWho routes sewer, he balked at that idea. He seems to think this is just wrong and wondered how you could even wash it. We had two babies in diapers at one time and used cloth diapers, so you would thing the concept would be logical to him. We are not out of toilet paper, lest you worry. We buy it by the case for the park restrooms. I still like to mention washable toilet paper daily, just to make him go into a rant, then leave the room.

My break is over and I am torn between painting a speed limit sign and sewing. I have managed to mow my back yard and get all the plants that were over-wintered in the store out on the front porch. I tried to do it all in one day. That was a big mistake. It wiped me out! It actually made me sick. I was drenched in sweat (60 degrees and windy) and my skin turned beet red. I was nauseous, then just had no energy whatsoever. HeWho took over the dinner prep and even washed the dishes! When he asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, I was horrified. NO, I do not want to go to the hospital! There are patients with Corona Virus in the hospitals!! I just stayed down until I felt better. I will wait a bit longer to try mowing again.