Natural Joy

Hello,

I hope your are doing well with your new routines.

A Morning Walk

This morning the birds were singing.  It was a lovely 52 degrees when I stepped out for my walk, my face-mask tucked into my pants pocket, my binoculars tucked under my arm. 

The trail that runs past our neighborhood is a state park and therefore is closed.  I have read it is scheduled to re-open on May 15th.  Breaking the rules, I walked down the trail because I had seen a nest of large white fluffy birds there the other day and I wanted to get a closer look with the binoculars.

I was alone on the trail and as I approached the lakes that boarder both sides of the trail in this area I was awed once more by the beauty.  A light swirling mist was rising up from the waters.

I suddenly missed George deeply.  I talked to him and told him so.  I also told him I was often glad he was gone.  At the same time I was appreciating the beauty I began to cry.  I told George I know how much he would also enjoy this walk and this scene.  He would also be excited to go get a closer look at the birds. 

I told him I missed sharing these moments with him.  I missed holding his hand and having him rub my back.   It was a lovely moment, really.  Missing him and imagining that his spirit still accompanied me on this outing.

I arrived at the place where I could observe the nest in a small cypress tree in the shallow waters.  The white birds have necks that move like Anhingas and when I got home I looked up Anhinga chicks and really think that is what they are.  I didn't see the parent today.

As I stepped away from viewing the chicks something large and silent swooped over the trail and landed on a branch over the pond on the opposite side of the trail.  I think it had found its sleeping perch for the day.  Its lids were heavy and it didn't move much.  I think it was a barred owl.

As I headed back home I saw a small possum next to the trail.  It's back legs sometimes giving out.  It must be sick that it didn't notice me as I walked by.  I took several pictures, none of them turned out.  I didn't want to crouch down or get closer,  I thought he might have rabies or distemper and I wanted to be able to move quickly if he started coming toward me.

Staying Positive During a Pandemic

It is Tuesday, April 28, 2020.  It took a while for me to figure out it was Tuesday since our days now don't have the normal structure that used to define our weeks.

If you spend much time looking at the news you will get frustrated, full of worry, and well just feel like crap!  So don't do it.   That's my advice, for what it is worth.

I suggest you step away and step out into nature.  And if you can't do that reach out to someone who is also isolated.

It also helps me to put these days in a historical context.

I don't know who to attribute this poem to but it is beautiful.  If you can't read it, I am re-writing it below.

This is Timeless...
And people stayed at home
And read books
And listened
And they rested
And did exercises
And made art and played
And learned new ways of being
And stopped and listened
More deeply
Someone meditated, someone prayed
Someone met their shadow
And people began to think differently
And people healed
And in the absence of people who
Lived in ignorant ways
Dangerous, meaningless and heartless,
The earth also began to heal
And when the danger ended and
People found themselves
They grieved for the dead
And made new choices
And dreamed of new visions
And created new ways of living
And completely healed the earth
Just as they were healed


The person that sent this to me also sent the information that pandemics come about every 100 years.

1720 - The Plague
1820 - Cholera
1920 - Spanish Flu
2020 - COVID19

The changes are just part of the ebb and the flow of life.

There was a time (and it may come to that yet) when wearing a face-mask was mandatory or go to jail.  I wear it when people are around, but when exercising I need to breath in fresh air and release the bad air.  So I try to keep away from people so I can breath freely when exercising.  

If you are still having a hard time with all the changes in your life, read this article from the Atlantic.

Weeroll Update

I called the campground in Wisconsin where I have reserved a seasonal site for the year.  The manager understandably is frustrated with the situation.  Wisconsin will be allowing campgrounds to open on May 15th, but the community areas such as the showers and the bar and grill must remain off limits.

She said she received my deposit but has not taken it to the bank yet because she is one of the vulnerable and isn't venturing out to the bank.

So now it is in MY hands.  Do I want to travel to a place without a shower, without gathering places like libraries and coffee shops where I can get good WiFi?

I am anxious to try out the Weeroll though.  I received my cot, the shelves and curtain rods are installed.

I am envisioning sleeping in the space with screens across the doors and the night breeze flowing over me.  I imaging peeking out at the star-lit sky.  I imagine sitting and walking with my sister (six feet away of course).

I also think that being that I am over 65 and being that I will be traveling over several days, that I would have to self-isolate when I get there for 14 days.  Yuk to that!  I imagine dealing with mosquitoes while I try to prepare my dinners outside or go for walks.

I have decided to wait until the lifting of restrictions has gone on for over 20 days and see if the new cases of COVID start increasing again.

In the meantime I will continue to work on getting my Weeroll ready... just in case.

Dodo Me

It was just in September or early October 2019 that I set down my purse and the wrong person picked it up and started using my bank card.  I was on my way home from Wisconsin and Indiana in a town in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The other day I went to the liquor store (yes, they are open as an essential business).  I was going to buy my friend that worked on the Weeroll some beer.  (That was my excuse.)

When I parked my car in the lot I pulled out my charge card and hid my purse.  I got out of the car and I saw an older man with a face mask that must have called in his order standing with the trunk of his car open.  A staff person was loading a case of something into his car and he showed her his drivers license.

"Oh!  I guess even old folks like us get carded here," I thought.  I better bring in my license just in case.  I reached into my car and retrieved my purse.  Still hanging onto my charge card.

I went in, grabbed a cart and placed my purse on the child's seat.   I zoomed down one aisle to the beer cooler and grabbed the beer, that zoomed down a different aisle to the check-out counter.  There were only about five customers in the whole store.

I paid with my charge card and went to my car, unloaded the beer and returned the cart.  Back at the car I noticed I didn't have my purse.
Was it hidden still?  No.
 Was it under the beer? No.
Was it in the back seat? No.
I dashed back in the store and checked the cart.  Nope.
I dashed down the aisles I had traveled, I looked in the hands of any customers I saw.  Nope.
I asked the clerk.  No.

Cuss words.  Hunt more in the car.  No.
Back again to retrace my steps.  No.
Ask a different clerk.  No.

Sigh.

I return home and start to make a call to the bank to report the missing bank card (at least I had my charge card!)

Then while I was making the call, in came a call and I decided to pick it up.  It was one of the clerks.  Someone had turned in my purse!  OH MY!  YAY!!!

When I posted a thank you on Facebook a friend said I was beginning to act like an old lady that keeps losing things.

Yes.

I have been instructed to put the dang strap (which it has) over my neck and shoulder.  If I did that it would be easy to keep it with me.  This is my new skill to practice... mindful purse carrying.

Writing?

I have started to gather data for book three, but I am mixed about what it will be about other than more memoir-journal-style ramblings.  It is hard to gather data when I don't even know what data will be useful.

In the meantime I will keep posting here, and as I tell my story,   I hope that you may find something to make you smile.

Refilling the Cup during COVID19

April 15, 2020

This is normally Tax Day.  But the government has pushed off Tax Day to July 15th.   What are you doing to celebrate not having to pay your taxes for a few more months?  Confetti Party?

Encouragement for Caregivers

AlzAuthors is an organization that provides networking and cross-promotion for authors who have written about dementia.  Many of the authors, like me, have written about their experience as a family caregiver.  Some are experts in the field and some have written books for children.  There is a wide variety of books.

This week I was invited to create a short video of encouragement and solidarity for caregivers dealing with even more stress during the COVID-19 stresses.

Here is what I sent them.






One day I was feeling teary... it is only natural with all the changes and worries we are facing.  I am sure most of us have our moments if not days.

I went to bed sad but told myself that it was ok to be sad but that the next morning I would do some things to refill my cup.  I had no idea what that was, but I have a few tricks that have worked for me in the past.

I woke up still sad.

That's ok, I told myself.  I massaged my cheeks upward to force my face into a smile.  Then I started thinking about who I can reach out to.  Who is having a rough time too and might appreciate a virtual or six-foot greeting.

Before the day was out I had set up four COVID-style happy hours.  Because we are in Florida we can gather in small groups at a distance outside.  So these happy hours are on people's driveways or on a shady patio.

COVID-Style means: 6 feet apart; chairs are cleaned or bring your own chair; fewer than 8 people; no snacks or drinks shared; no passing of dishes, phones or stuff;  no entering or passing through hosts home; bring your own beverage.

The gatherings usually last only two hours or less.  Time to connect and then our bladders or our hunger send us home.  

Blueberry Pickin' - COVID safe

My house-mate Carolyn and I rode our trikes yesterday down Hwy 44 to Floridas Best Blueberry Farm.  It was a blast.  There was a slight cloud cover protecting us from the full heat of the sun, the traffic was light, and the activity was wonderfully clean with wide spaces between people.

 Highway 44 has a sidewalk for about the first three miles heading east of Inverness.

 It was nice to see things up close, places I normally see while speeding by in a car at 55 miles per hour.

 I had read in the Citrus Chronicle about the coming of an RV park along Hwy 44 near Inverness.  Now there are signs up.

 The shoulder was roomy enough for three wheels and the traffic was lighter than normal.

 About the last quarter mile of the road into the farm was loose sand.

Even the grassy areas the sand was loose and we could hardly get traction.  So we locked our trikes and walked the rest of the way into the farm.

 When we arrived at the gate there was a sign with instructions on COVID safety.  There were hand washing stations, then the clean buckets and bags.  When we were done  there was a big vat of disinfectant water where we were to place the bucket.  Any cash payment we were to place in bucket with disinfectant also.

There were many many rows of berry bushes.  Lots of room for us pickers to spread out.

 I picked two buckets full.

While I was picking I heard familiar voices.  I looked up and there was my former neighbor Sara (on the right in pink).  With Sara was Wilma and Wilma's niece.   They are a little closer than social distancing rules allow for the picture.  Wilma's husband of 70 years passed away recently so closer proximity is needed right now.  Wilma and Hesh were our adoptive second parents when we lived in their neighborhood.  We spent many hours playing cards and chatting with them.

I wanted to step in and hug too, but real hugs will have to wait.

Book III

I have started... just started to gather information for a book about the time just before George's diagnosis.  A time when we rode our trikes from Northern Illinois to Florida.  It will be a while...

Weeroll Update

Whoo hoo!  A neighbor, Dave, is "stay-at-home" bored.  His wife is keeping him pretty busy with a to-do list.  But still he offered to help me with anything I needed on the Weeroll.  Isn't that fantastic???

Today we met and I showed him the trailer.  I had written out everything I wanted done.  He was good with it and offered to make me a table that will fold down out of the way as well as the counter in the front nose of the trailer.

I am excited to see what he does.  I am trying to keep it simple.  The less I have the less to maintain and the less weight to tow.

Another thing I want to do is remove far back seat of the van so I can lighten up and use the stow-n-go cubby hole for storage too.  But I have to think it through.  When I remove the seat, the floor of the van over the cubby hole disappears too.  I have to design an easy to lift and hold up lid for the cubby hole.

Well, I have time to think on it and plan.

Next time I post I may have pictures of the progress.  Until then, stay well and keep refilling your cup.

Bike, Clean, Happy Hour, Repeat...

4/8/2020

For years, on Tuesday evenings, a few of us that ride bike and live in our neighborhood would meet at the clubhouse and have a Happy Hour.  We would bring our own beverages and a snack to share.  There was always a lot of stories told and news to catch up on.

When social distancing was needed because of the COVID-19 virus, we stopped meeting at the club house.  Then a small group of us decided to continue with just the beverage, outside on one of our back patios, and plenty of distance between us.  It is just six of us catching up and sharing time with each other.  It is a special time, the conversation never lags into silence, there is always another story waiting in the wings for its chance to be told.

This Tuesday was my day to host on my back patio.  I cleaned up the patio and sprayed the furniture with bleach water.  It looks nicer now than it has in months!  I like that part of having company over, we get to enjoy a nicer, cleaner looking space for awhile.

Mari arrived first.  She is also in my neighborhood book club.  The book we are reading this month is one that I chose.  I loved it when I first read it years ago.  This time I listened to it on audio and loved it again.

Haven Kimmel is the author of A Girl Named Zippy.  I am amazed at her writing of her early years growing up.  She writes in the voice of her 4, 6 or 8 year old self.  Mischievous,  creative, simple... you know the saying... kids will tell it like it is.... no filter.  And that is how the little Haven Kimmel is.  The result is a joyous fun read.

Mari said she was listening to the book and she thought that Haven Kimmel writes just like me!  Wow!  What a compliment!  My heart skipped!  Thank you Mari for sharing that sentiment!  My head is so big now I can hardly sit upright!

While I was still beaming and patting my chest, Margaret and Zip arrived.  Both in their 80's they looked great and reported they had biked 50 miles that day.  How can I not be inspired surrounded by strong, up-beat, and active people?

I don't have a speedometer on my trike anymore.  So I don't know how far I have ridden lately.  I know the last time I did a long ride was on my way home from my attempt to fly my trike and me to Wisconsin.  That was a bit over 80 miles in July 2019.  I don't think I have ridden over 40 in a single day since then!

I got a flat tire yesterday so I didn't ride more than a few miles.

As I was strolling the neighborhood later that day, my neighbor and fellow yoga practitioner, Marilyn waved me over to chat on her back patio.  Her husband Dave was there and asked about my Weeroll.

"Do you need anything done?" he asked.

He explained that he likes to build things and he was going a little nuts being stuck at home due to the COVID restrictions.

"Oh?" I asked feeling my heart pump faster, ("Be still my heart.")  I almost jumped out of my seat.  "I need some shelves and a counter... but you would have to go out shopping..."

He nodded but didn't seem deterred.  So I told him I was thrilled with the offer and I would draw something up.  I was very happy!

I went right away and took measurements.  The next day I drew up a counter with shelves under it for the front nose of the Weeroll.  I actually wore my mask to do the writing so I wouldn't breath on the paper.  I then disinfected some cash to give to him to shop for supplies.   I texted Marilyn to see if he was home... I wanted to deliver it before he got another "job".   Ahh, too late... Marilyn said he was busy this week fixing their bathroom.  But my project was next on his list.  I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

One day this week I went to the bike shop to get a 20" tire for my trike.  I had gotten a flat and could see the tires was worn and it was time for a new one.

YES, (I know you are wondering,some may be shouting "stay at home!") I did use hand sanitizer and my face mask.  The shop has a large bright-pink sign in the door.  Call for an appointment it says and it explains that they can not have more than two customers in the store at a time.  I called on my cell while standing right outside.  They had no customers inside so I got right in.

Sherry who owns the store and got my tire for me said that people from the Tampa Bay area were calling wanting to ride the Withlacoochee Trail because they are "bored with their Pinellas Trail".  They are often looking to use her bathroom, she tells them no. 

The time in the store was very short and Sherry pointed to the hand-sanitizer right by the door to use on my way out.  Thank you Inverness Bike and Fitness!

I hoped to put the tire on and go for a little ride the next day.

I was doing well changing the tire but I could not get the last little bit of the tire over the rim.  I pushed and pulled and twisted and used tire tools.  No luck.  I went over and knocked on my next-door-neighbor's door.   Jerry, came over and he pushed and pulled and twisted and grunted and strained.  FINALLY it popped over the rim.  Wow!  I hope he didn't pop something in the fight.

The COVID Numbers

For those of you that are TIRED so tired of the COVID19 news... skip this section and jump ahead to the gratitude section.

Today is April 10, 2020 and those in the future may be wondering where we are in the pandemic right now.  They will know how it went, but we here in the midst of it, we have no idea.  Scientists are saying it will take a long time because we really either need to all get it or we need to create, manufacture, and distribute vaccines.  Politicians are saying by May, by June, we will be going back to restaurants and stores. 

So far I don't know anyone who has it... that I know of.  Except some famous people.  John Prine wrote a lot of songs and died from COVID this week. This info comes from the Worldmeterinfo.com

World Cases 1,687,857
World deaths 102, 198

US Cases 495,750
US Deaths  18,430

Deaths per million in the US  56.
Testing per million in the US 7,583

Just out of curiosity, how does that compare to other countries?


Deaths per million in Italy 312
Testing per million in Italy 14,999

Deaths per million in India  .2
Testing per million in India 137

Deaths per million in Netherlands 147
Testing per million in Netherlands 5,926

What this all means, I dunno, do you?

The stay at home order for 65 and older now asks that all of us wear face masks when we are out.  The lawyers of course have told the Board of Directors of our HOA to close the pool and the clubhouse.  Now my house-mate Carolyn can't practice piano which she has done at the clubhouse every day.  And our fun little (and safe) yoga group of 4 of us can't do yoga together at the club house.  I was feeling very fortunate to be able to gather at the pool (social distancing) and do the yoga.

Now I will find many other things to be grateful for.

Creativity

It is fun to see the amount of creativity coming from the stay at home order.  People are making face masks and getting creative about it.

My friend Mark in Waukesha has decided to take a picture a day and send it out to his friends.  Sometimes with just a short sentence, sometimes a whole narration.   I love it, distraction, and a focus on the beauty and fun in the world.

A fellow author and friend, Kathie Heimsoth wrote a COVID song and got our friend Regis Hampton to put it to music for her.   The video quality isn't that great, but the sound comes through good.  I love that they worked together to get this done!



I have been finding videos on Youtube that I love and sending the link to my sister or Facebook.  One has a six year old girl giving tips.  One of her tips is to crawl around the house on your stomach like a caterpillar.  She demonstrates.   Yes, I wanna do that!

Gratitude Corner

My sister (who I am extremely grateful for) sent me a list she had.  for 30 days, each day, there is a prompt to think of something to be grateful for.  For example I am on day three and it says, "A food that you love."

Oh my! I could go on an on and on! 

Top of the list is dark-chocolate with peanut butter.  But then there is good pizza, veggies with pesto, ice cream, smoothies,  cowboy cookies.  I bet you can think of many too.  What a bounty of things to be grateful for.

I am grateful for my neighbors.

Thank goodness the "Shutter-in-place" order allows walks and bike rides and hunting and fishing and boating as long as you keep your social distance of six feet.

Today I saw three Swallow-tail Kite Hawks all floating over the retention pond behind my house.  I saw a humming bird for the first time at my corral-something-or-other flowering vine that I planted last year.  I am grateful for cool breezes that come in my window.  I am grateful for mornings walks filled with bird songs.

I saw a post on Facebook from my friend Connie being grateful for her husband of many years.  Though it wasn't always easy she said she is so glad to have the rich accepting love of someone who has seen all sides of her and accepts and cherishes her.  Sweet!   Yes, long and trusting relationships enrich us and make us better people.  I am grateful for my time with George and for this time after George.

I am grateful for the people who love me with all my pimples and warts and quirks.  I am grateful to be surrounded by love-able and inspiring people.   

What are you grateful for today?

Oh!  And All Authors site sent me a nice mock-up of my book for Easter.

HAPPY EASTER!

Watching the Curve... What are you doing?

April 6, 2020

Each night I sit in my bed and write down the numbers in my diary.

Last night it was:
World Cases  1,272,860
World Deaths   69,424
US Cases  336,673
US Deaths  9,616
Florida Cases  12,350
Florida Deaths  221
Citrus County Cases  43
Citrus County Deaths 2

I look back and compare from a day or two ago trying to grasp and get my mind around it all and trying to see the bigger picture.

Then I write down the things that I am grateful for that day.  Because it's all kind of scary, isn't it?

I am grateful for blue sky, and butterflies.  I am grateful for conversations with friends.  I saw a humming bird today in the front garden.  I am grateful for the rain.

I am grateful for farmers and grocery store clerks and truck drivers.  They are still working and exposing themselves and when they return home, the expose their families to possible infection.

Since I last wrote the Governor of Florida issued a shutter-in-place order.  We are only to go out for a walk or bike ride, get groceries, go to the pharmacy.  All "non-essential" businesses are closed.  I think bike shops are essential because they are still open.  Some are reporting an increase in bicycle sales.

On April 3rd I received my first home delivery of groceries.  I had ordered the groceries from Publix online on Sunday and the soonest they could be delivered was Wednesday. 

I then set up a table to clean everything before I brought it into the house.

Here is a video of a doctor explaining the cleaning process.

And a nurse explaining how cross-contamination can spread the virus.

The future might look back on these days and wonder why we were such filthy folks.

"Do you mean they brought their groceries into their homes without washing them first?" they might ask, eyes wide in disbelief.

I had the grocery-delivery woman leave the groceries on the porch.  She had to see my license so she stepped back and I laid the license on the porch and stepped back.  She stepped forward and scanned it into her phone.  Then she stepped back and had me flip the license so she could see the back.  Always staying at least 3-6 feet away from each other.  The new COVID dance.

Maybe those in the future will wonder why we walked around with our faces naked to all those germs out there...

Yes, the CDC is now recommending that we all wear face masks when we have to be in the public.  They are finding that the droplets we exhale can stay in the air and able to infect others for up to three hours.

My neighbor, Carol, posted on our neighborhood Facebook page that she had made some masks for folks and I raised my virtual hand, "yes! I want one!  Purple if you got it."

She delivered mine last night and I had to have her leave it in a box by my porch.  No contact, six feet of separation from others and wash it before I use it.

I like the mask.  It's pretty!



Maybe we are on the cusp of a huge cultural shift.  And maybe it won't just be about sanitation or face masks.

I have seen a huge amount of creative videos on YouTube lately.  Singles, Couples, and whole families re-writing songs with lyrics addressing the new situation we find ourselves in.  Just go to Youtube and search for "Covid song" and you will get a long list of suggestions.

A family with four children performed a song from Les Miserables.


And I have read about engineers putting their minds to solving the need for more ventilators for COVID-19 patients.  One team I read about has created a working ventilator out of existing items like a blood-pressure cuff, and things you would find in a hardware store.  The FDA has promised to speed up the approval process for items that could be of help during this crisis.

My old neighborhood, Stoneridge Landing, has gotten creative and twice a week at a designated time they go out with their golf-carts and bicycles, and dog walkers and do a COVID-Cruise around the neighborhood.  Those that want set out their chairs and wave to the passers.  It is a great way to connect while staying safe.  They have decorated their carts for a Christmas theme and this week they are decorating for Easter.

I saw in the news that one neighborhood was all stepping out to music every evening and dancing.  Just one or two songs, just a quick, "here we are and we are OK" fun way to check in with each other.

Weeroll Camper News

Debra emailed me.  She had made reservations for Anastasia State Park (near St. Augustine, FL) for camping four nights in late March 2021.   I followed suit and made a reservation.  Then I wondered if we will be out of this crisis by then.  Will we still be waiting for a vaccine?   The only way I see this ending is we find a vaccine or we all get it and either grow immunity or die. 

The shutter-in-place strategy is trying to buy time so that the hospitals can have enough ventilators and equipment and staff to deal with the number of cases.

I then felt guilty about spending the money to make the reservation.  I vowed to donate an equal amount to help those struggling financially through this.

I spent an hour or two one cooler afternoon fixing the door screen on the Weeroll.  I am gluing steel washers below the door threshold and then sewing magnets into the hem of the screen.   I need about four more small magnets.

I was hoping to use those fridge magnets.  I have several of them, but they are not strong enough to hold the screen to the washers.

Bill, my friend that gave me the 12 volt battery wrote to me after my last post and told me that I should fasten the battery box to the tool box and then put the battery in the box.  He also told me to fasten everything down in the trailer.   Since it doesn't have shocks, like an RV, things will bounce around a lot.  So I have to keep that in mind as I decorate the trailer, I knew I was going to have to put in D hooks to strap down things. I will have to keep that in mind.  Thanks again, Bill!

Writing, Riding, Socializing

Some writers are really getting a lot of writing done during this safer-at-home time.  That is not me.

My books were selling at an OK clip until about a week ago.  Then the sales just stopped.  I know that if I publish another book it will help, but the commitment isn't there.  Just call me "Wishy-washy Suzy".

What are you doing?  

I bet you are doing great things.  I bet you are sewing facemasks or delivering meals or helping elder folks use Zoom or Facetime to visit their family or friends.

 Not me.  I am: calling and Face-timing friends; going to the pool because we can space ourselves out and chat; driving 40 minutes to Brooksville to ride a trail there; washing my hands; cleaning surfaces; and checking the news.  

Speaking of Brooksville.  I rode the streets from there to go feed the goats.  They were anxious for good veggie scraps, I could tell.

 Sometimes I will post on Facebook a bit of news that I think is reliable and good information.  Then I spend time responding to comments.  Sometimes I have to take the post down because it turned out to either be partially false when I checked on Snopes.com or it was causing too much political defense from both sides of the aisle.   We are walking a narrow line on Facebook these days.  No wonder so many people just post puppy videos. 

Glen and Debra and I set out to ride Turner Camp Road to the end the other day.  But the traffic was a bit too much for Debra and she turned around.  Glen and I went to the end and stopped at Potts Preserve.  The ranger was there and he told me I could bike in to use the toilet.  I think it is open for hiking, but I won't do that alone.  Anyone have good GPS and want to go for a hike?  6 feet of separation, of course. 

Potts preserve is where George and I got lost on the trails and ended up spending the night on the trail in February of 2016.   I will remember to take my cell phone this time and to let others know when and where I am going.

 

On my way to Brooksville I stopped at McDonald's and got a sandwich from the drive-up window.  It was my first time doing take-out since the "safer-at-home" efforts.  I learned that McDonald's is now delivering!  Wow.

I tipped the cashier... I have never done that at McDonald's before.  Strange times.

Stay safe... and let me know what you are doing these days.