Our government is encouraging people to go outside but maintain social distancing. I had chats with 2 dog park acquaintances this morning - from at least 8 feet away. Everyone seems to understand and is observing the protocols. It's darn cold here too so everyone is also wearing gloves.

Trixie and I are going to the bank now - walking. I have one client who can not figure out how to use e transfer so I need to get that cheque to the bank. Trix and I use the ATM pretty exclusively. We will maintain distance from others and I will wear the disposable gloves at the bank, throw them away when done, and wash my hands after I get home.

Eventually I will run out of gloves. Not sure what I will do then. I'm hoping some stores will have them back in stock by the end of April.

Dagmar

Made the decision to comply with the government's edict to stay home from work for 14 days, even though I could interpret what I do as an "essential service" according to their list. All of my clients seemed sympathetic. After showering and having a nap I started eating cookies. Finished the package off just now and it's time to cook dinner. Better than getting slammed on vodka I suppose. I'm still functional but feeling pretty sick.

This is going to go on for about 2 years the people who know are saying. No idea how I'm going to handle it. I'm a mess after a week and the pay cuts haven't even come yet. Never mind the isolation and dread of getting sick or having DH get sick.

ARRRGH!!! I hate chaos!

Dagmar

Good idea to "shelter in place," Dagmar. It lowers your chance of exposure. Washing hands frequently is still the best prevention.

Our local grocery chain instituted a "seniors only" hour, 7-8 a.m. two days a week. What a failure so far! The first day was yesterday, and a friend who went said people swamped the place. No place to park, no carts, everyone packed in lines. So... I'm staying away during those hours. I'll go during regular hours when I think fewer people will be there. Fortunately we have what we need so far.

You can still go outside... you just have to keep your distance and avoid crowds. And wash hands. Did I say that?

I hope you can stay out of the cookies and the vodka. They don't help. You know, really, it's just scary stories the mind tells us. What if what if what if. I find it helps to look around, especially outside, and notice that the world is still going on. Birds aren't panicked... trees are peaceful. I'm not saying ignore stuff--just saying that the virus isn't the only thing happening.

May everyone stay safe and have what they need!

The "senior hours" are not working well here in central Calif either. Yesterday the Costco parking lot was full at the advertised 8 am special senior hour. I didn't stop there but I heard that hundreds were in line! What a perfect place to pass around a virus Same at Trader Joe's -- long line. I went to Albertson's, which had very few people inside, and was able to purchase a few things that hadn't been available, such as bread and milk! The stores are placing strict limits on how much you can buy.
I was still able to get a delivery from Home Depot and a local transport company, so now we have our supplies to work on our new walkway before the weather heats up. Keeping busy is important.

Stay safe and healthy, everyone!!!

They are now closing down all of our parks and recreational areas. Trixie and I are gonna have to get creative. Wildlife is coming into the City in a big way now with so few people out and about. This week I have seen a fox kill a squirrel in the middle of the biggest busiest park in my work area, a mink foraging for food in the grass at a local park, 3 hawks, 2 deer, a turkey vulture landing in a client's backyard, many raccoons (who are here all the time), a kingfisher, and the regular squirrels, sparrows, skunks (one strolls down our street around 5 a.m. every morning, much to Nat's dismay) etc.

I am determined that Trixie and I can go for walks.in semi-natural areas just after daybreak. Going to go explore to see if we have that option this morning.

And the senior's hours here are too early for me. I'm out walking the dog. So I usually get there just after everyone else has left. Still quite a lot of stuff on the shelves and I was one of 3 people in the local drug store last week. Going there this morning right after our walk. Then Walmart, which is still open to pick up an online order. Getting my snow tires off a week early too as the mechanic is convinced they will be forced to shut down by Friday.

And I may have a dental emergency happening. I'm going to leave a message for my dentist in the hope that someone is picking up messages and can give me some advice.

Also going to go check that our kayaks are secure before they lock down the sailing club this weekend. That one makes no sense. No one is out this early on Lake Ontario because it's freezing!

Tomorrow is insulation batts install day.

People apparently are having a hard time keeping busy. Not me.

Dagmar

Wow, Dagmar, your govt is being much stricter than ours! My DH is still playing golf. He walks the course and follows social distancing rules. I'd keep on walking Trixie! It's a few idiots than ruin it for the rest of us.

Very cool about all the wildlife. We have the occasional skunk but it's more like a desert here, so not a lot of bigger mammals except coyotes. In my 30 years living here I've seen a badger, some kind of weasel, a fox, and rabbits. We still have several jackrabbits in the field, but the cottontails have disappeared. We used to have endangered kangaroo rats, but I could understand why they were endangered -- very easy for a cat to catch! I've also seen one roadrunner, many harmless snakes and one rattlesnake. The agriculture keeps them away.

I hope you can get in to the dentist. What bad timing! Here they consider auto shops to be essential service, since no one can get anywhere without cars. The govt needs to implement Alert Levels such as they have in New Zealand. For areas with low rates of infection, let people at least go out while following the distancing rules. Once the hospitals start seeing an uptick, raise the Alert Level to red and THEN have everyone stay home! The best minds are never found in government from what I can tell.

"The best minds are never found in government from what I can tell"

I agree! But one size fits all is much easier to administer (and police if need be) so that's what they are going with. In our neighbouring province Quebec someone has been arrested for going out after testing positive for COVID. It's a very hard lesson but I'm sure it's one everyone noticed. This is such a new situation for North America. DH keeps mentioning "Spanish flu" but I don't think that's in many people's history or minds any more.

Dagmar

I heard a story today of a 101 y.o. woman who has survived COVID. When they were looking at the antibodies in her blood, they found what they suspect are remnants of antibodies from the Spanish flu!!! She would have been a year old for that.

Went hiking today with one other person. We met a few people on the trail, all following distancing protocol. But when we got almost back to the vehicles, we encountered a large group, probably 12 or 13 total, mostly kids and teenagers with a couple of adults. They were not spaced out at all. I sarcastically said to the adults "This must be the Social Distancing Club". I think we need to call out this type of idiotic behavior.

I'm hoping to go trekking tomorrow, but will be off-track, and in my 20yr experience here, i've NEVER met anyone off-track, so think it's ok. And it's within fuel distance, so won't be stopping for food or fuel etc.
On a contrary note, i went to the supermarket this afternoon - social-distancing it was NOT!! Complete debacle really, and to do it properly they'd have to completely overhaul the flow/timing etc, in fact to do it properly, you'd probably have to order on-line and pick it up at a specified time. Definitely something that needs work if we're taking this seriously!

I haven't seen it at the grocery stores here but a lot of the large chain stores are limiting the number of customers who can go in at one time and are encouraging online purchase and in store or curbside pick up.

I'm going to senior's hour and it's quieter then. Haven't been to the grocery store I usually go to and will try it today. I wear gloves and try to steer clear of the other customers but it can be difficult. I had to tell a guy behind me to stand behind the tape at the drug store. I have no hesitation now - am using my "old lady" status with impunity.

Dagmar

Sometimes a group home will take residents on an outing, under supervision. Since the residents all live together, the social distancing between each other wouldn't apply. I'm not saying this was the case in the group you saw, Howlin', but in general I'd rather just avoid groups like that than be confrontational.

Senior hours don't work everywhere, as I mentioned before. I find that non-senior morning hours are better. Gosh, I almost got TP last time!

I don't wear gloves when I go to the stores. Instead I use alcohol wipes (which I always carry) or the store-provided sanitizer wipes on my hands upon entering and leaving. And I wash my hands when I get home.

Hot soapy water is still the best defense.

I don't have wipes and there are none to be found, so I'll keep wearing gloves and will also start wearing a mask, since the CDC seems to be recommending that for at-risk such as seniors. I don't have an official medical one but I'll use the one I have.

The problem with not speaking up when you see groups not following the rules is that pretty soon they will ruin it for everyone. The National Parks are closed, and that eliminates many of the trails I'd normally use. If the BLM sees a crowd or two such as I encountered, I'm sure that place will also be closed.

JayEll, good luck in your area. Looks like Florida is one of the new hotspots.

Over half the Florida cases are in the three counties in the southeast peninsula--Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. In my county there are 111 cases as of last night. Our county population is just under 1 million.

The long time between exposure and development of disease symptoms is why this virus is so hard to control.

JayEll And a lot of people are carriers without getting sick apparently. We have a cold going around up here too so that's making people jumpy too. If someone coughs we all duck and cover now. I hope you and your partner remain well.

Alice The mask and gloves can offer some protection and they are good for the morale of the people still working in the essential services stores. We have one mask each but I'm not using mine yet. Hubby is at some risk due to physical stuff so I'll probably go without. We do have the heavy duty masks for when one of us gets sick. Hubby was using them in his contractor days to guard against dust and chemical fumes and he had one box left over.

I'm getting quite testy with those who are not distancing. I understand that a lot of seniors are very lonely but they can talk to me a hockey stick length away just as easily as beside me. We just have to use louder voices. I'm singling out seniors because that's who I'm encountering at the early morning shopping ops mostly. Today it's pouring rain so most stayed in. I got in and out using the self checkout in under 10 minutes. Shopping's done for 2 weeks I hope.

Walking my own dog is getting a lot easier. With so few people out (we have advanced our start time to 6:30 a.m.) we can move around really well. Trixie's reactivity to other dogs is not happening because there are so few other dogs.

Dagmar

I've enjoyed my "retirement practice" and will be resuming work on Monday. I will keep to all the City's health requirements and am really looking forward to being with all "my" dogs again. I've done pretty well with minimum weight gain and the stress eating and having focus again will help too.

Dagmar :