The Social Committee has been talking and we came up with the following suggestion,
I am going to write a note and tell you all where, how and what Dave and I are up to.
I will write my note and send it out to all WW friends.
*IF YOU WISH* you can and tell us how you are doing and what you have been up to. *IF YOU DO NOT * want to write a note even a sentence that is *OK. * *IF YOU WANT * to leave your name on and just do not write back that is *OK.* *IF YOU WANT * you can unsubscribe your email.
Dave and I left WW and drove up Interstate 75 stopping only at large truck gas stations such as Pilot, Loves, Marathon, etc. They are clean and really working hard to keep the stores and washrooms that way. Truckers stop there and shower then fill up for their long drives ahead of them. DD and I left WW at 4 a.m. and everyone seemed to be sleeping. We took Lysol wipes with us and everything was wiped down. I suggested Dave wear gloves filling the gas tank and then wipe down with wipes. He claims he has never been so clean. All our meals were eaten in the car and I packed lots of food. Good heavens DD and I like our food.
We did stop in London, Kentucky at the Hampton Inn at 4 p.m. and we were asleep by 4:30 p.m., up and out at 6 a.m. and on the road again.
The next day, we had a 15-hour drive ahead of us. The day went well and we got to the border to a very pleasant border agent who wore gloves and a mask. He was happy to see us wipe our Nexus Cards (passports) off before we handed them to him. He said we had to go into self-isolation and handed us an instruction sheet as to what we had to do after entering Canada. Of course, we had to stop for gas and then when we got to Bancroft, we stopped for food shopping. The instruction sheet did not tell us we could not do this. We distanced ourselves from the few folks in the store.
Now, folks from the USA to Canada may *not* stop anywhere, and if caught, there can be a $5,000. fine and/or prison. Our government is not fooling around. Because we are so rural, we did not realize there were folks in our community who would shop, deliver to us and then we would subsequently phone our grocery store with our delivered bill in hand and then give them our credit card number. The person picking the food and delivering it is paid a donation that goes towards the food bank. Where we live there are no taxis - good heavens I had my first *Uber* ride in St Pete's a month ago. Very exciting.
We got home at 9:30 p.m. and after having had the driveway cleared of snow earlier, we were able to proceed down it thinking the driveway was down to gravel. At the bottom of the hill, it was sheer ice. We unlocked the house and turned up the temperature and turned on the fireplace. Everything was warm quickly. In the morning, we looked at our driveway and realized it was clear, sheer ice all the way down. Oh well, what you don't know doesn't hurt you and we made it.
The snow is still deep and it is snowing presently but I have my lower level of the house cleaned and the screened-in porch clean. *NOW* we're just waiting for warm weather. The lower level sleeps 8 folks and I'm hoping the kids and grandkids will be able to come up really soon as they are off school. But for now, the government is asking the city folks not to go to their cottages because, in the cottage areas, the hospitals do not have the capacity to look after an influx of sick people. For example, the hospital in Barry's Bay, 20 mins away from us, has one emerge Dr on duty and eight beds in the hospital. The closest larger hospital is 50 minutes away from us, only has one emergency Dr and 20 beds. I have not heard of anyone in our region with the COVID 19 yet although Ontario is second behind Quebec for ill folks.
Our daughter, Lori, is a Professor of Nursing at a College and she is teaching online from home. She has changed all her courses over to operate on the computer. She is very proficient with the computer and this part was not a problem. Of all the facility, she is the youngest person by 10 years so many of her fellow professors needed help. But Lori loves teaching in front of the class, and suddenly teaching in front of the computer & sitting stationary in one place was difficult. Lori is very animated when she teaches. Tuesday she teaches three 2 hour classes so for six hours she was stuck in a chair and said her bottom was hurting.
Brian, her husband, was laid off. He is a laser tech/robotics/electrician who works in an automobile parts supply plant keeping all machinery and builds robots, then keeps them operational. Then there are the two granddaughters, 12 and 14, who were off for March break and now isolated for the 3rd week. They can go into the backyard and that is it. But the one experiencing the most difficulty is Buddy, their British Golden Retriever (a rescue pet), who just doesn't know what to make with all this constant attention. His biggest excitement has been the squirrels, chipmunks, and a cat that annoys him by sitting on a six-foot fence and looks like it owns the property (which understandably belongs to Buddy). But my goodness yesterday he was going nuts because for the first time a FOX entered their property and he went berserk not knowing what or who to protect first, kids, mom or dad, or the house. That was a big decision and as Brian just settled him down without letting him outside - he finally went into the family room and slept for the rest of the day with the family, except Lori who was still on her computer
Our son, Patrick, has a busy household too. His wife, an Atlanta Peach, developed a filter business and runs the manufacturing out of Atlanta, but lives in Barrie, Ontario. They are also isolated in their house with a 2 1/2-year-old girl, Harper, and a 7-year-old, Kensington. Harper thinks she owns everything and Kensington gets tired of sharing. Everyone is so happy when our delightful outgoing social Harper finally goes down for her afternoon sleep.
Patrick, our son, is the Elan Ski Rep for Ontario. He runs his wholesale business out of his home also. Now is the time he does his orders in time for our upcoming Christmas. If that isn't a constantly busy house, I don't what is. Isolation is difficult for them but they are managing really well.
So when I write this it is making me feel better about isolation with DD and me only, although I'm looking forward to everyone coming up to the lake as soon as possible.
I love sitting at my computer and writing to all to tell you how we are surviving at this very difficult time. Now you know my entire family and when I mention their names again you will know who I'm talking about.
I thought isolation would be great because I could get so much done. I want to paint the inside of the house, do ceramic tile work in the kitchen and another job I won't mention just yet because DD will freak out. I have to break him in slowly with some of these special projects. Then I remembered, I cannot even go to the hardware store to purchase my paint or tiles. Oh well, some more jobs that can wait.
Let's communicate between ourselves in this forum to make this difficult time as pleasant as possible for everyone.
I hope to hear some fun things you all have been doing during these unbelievably difficult times that we all will get through. Next fall we will look at this with different eyes and feel good we made it. Maybe the Social Committee will try for even more get-togethers because while sitting here now, they seem very important, necessary and something to look forward to.
*REMEMBER even a HELLO by email is a wonderful message. Maybe a happy face too. * *You can write a long email or a very short one - anything will uplift those who read it.*
*Stay safe friends!!!!*
*Joanne & Dave Wilson*