Back To Basics
Pre-Post Note/ Well, that was a roller-coaster of a week! Regular readers may have noticed that I missed my usual post last Sunday. Well, dad started coughing last week-end, so as you can imagine that threw us all into a bit of a loop. So we all got COVID-19 tests (yup, that lovely arm-length swab up the nose…it is NOT pleasant, by the way) and then waited anxiously for 2 days for the results. All negative thank goodness, so in the end it was just a regular ‘ol cold and we’re all in the clear. But I was far too nervous to blog! Anyway, with that said here’s last weeks post, finally getting out today. And as long no other crazy curve-balls come our way, I’m back on track again…
It’s the middle of August and the end of summer is in sight, or so we all hope.
We’re been chugging along in our day-today, doing our best to survive the last (please??) of the big heat-waves, trying to keep our plants alive (many are dying or drying up from the sécheresse), and tentatively, cautiously thinking about some French- based fall motorhome travel, assuming the government allows us to do it.
It’s all very new to us, this kinda-planning/non-planning thing which 2020 seems to have thrust upon the world. As a type A personality it’s been deeply disturbing to not have any kind of grasp on what we’re going to be able to do. Then again, in the grand scheme of things, I guess it’s a small issue. We’re comfortable & safe here in our little French countryside enclave, so we can’t really complain about the state of things.
On est bien là, tu sais (“we’re good here, ya know”)
Plus we did do something brand new this week, or rather something we haven’t done in a long, long time. And we’ve gone back to a few basics in life, other things we literally haven’t done in decades. You could say we’re regressing, or perhaps we’re progressing in an old way, the “new old” if you will. And with the way things are going in 2020, I guess it all makes sense. As the future becomes ever more murky, the past is something solid to hold onto.
Sometimes oldies are the best songs of all.
We Had Our First Meal Out (Since February)
Our biggest news of the week was undoubtedly Paul’s birthday. Not so much the fact that he edged a year older (or a year finer, as I like to say), but rather that we decided, quite impulsively to go out.
It was a….BIG….DEAL!
We haven’t been out to a restaurant since sometime in February, which is so long ago that none of us can really recall any of the details. Soon after that the virus blew up, and then of course confinement shut everything down. We’re not huge restaurant people, as we rather enjoy cooking and eating at home so the withdrawal hasn’t been too bad, but after 6 months of daily meal-making in the house I have to admit the idea of eating out seemed rather scintillating. Absence and fondness of the heart, and all that.
It would be a real treat….
So I started looking around, trying to figure out where we could go which would not only feel comfortable and safe (virus-wise), but also enjoyable for all three of us. Oh, and it had to be open for business, which is never a sure thing when the French August effect is going on. Lastly it had to have shade, so that we’d be able to sit outside and manage despite the crazy heat.
Thanks to a tip from our Swedish neighbors, I found the perfect spot!
Restaurant L’Olivier is a little place just ~30 mins from our home with a large garden setting and well-separated tables, each with their own spacious Tiki shade. All the waiters wear masks (as is obligatory these days), and there’s plenty of space between customers so we could relax outdoors. Plus like all places around here, they do a nice 3-course “formule” lunch for only €15 (~$18). Oh, and of course they are dog-friendly, as most country French restaurants are (although Polly didn’t join us this time, due to the heat).
So Wednesday lunch we all dressed up in our Sunday best, and headed out to a rather exciting meal cooked by someone else. It was hot, but the shade made it work and the spot was absolutely perfect. The setting was lovely and everything was well-managed, even down to the menu card which the restaurant had rather ingeniously turned digital (we scanned it from a QR code stuck on the table) so that we didn’t have to handle cards touched by everyone else. A nice touch.
Plus of course the meal was lovely too. We enjoyed a kir cassis (white wine with blackcurrent syrup) to start, some wine & beer with lunch, a salad, main dish and ice cream for desert. Nothing fancy, but all really, really good.
We Subscribed To A Real Newspaper
Another retro thing we did this week was subscribe to a real newspaper. And by that I mean the good old-fashioned paper kind that’s delivered to your mailbox everyday.
Yeah, we really took a ride back in the time machine on this one….
This was actually Paul’s inspired idea. He’s deep in prep work to take the level B2 French exam (a requirement for citizenship, if ever he decides to do that down that route), and wanted something physical to read each day. We’ve got plenty of French novels in our library of course, but a newspaper just seemed like the perfect addition. And despite our digital world and all the adaptations we’ve made to it, reading something printed that we can hold & feel in our hands, is still something we both thoroughly enjoy.
These days it’s rather a luxury….
So we signed-up for Le Monde, one of several “big daily” newspapers in France. Of course it took a few weeks before we got our first edition (nothing happens fast here, especially in August), but we’ve now got daily deliveries of a good ol’ fashioned journal everyday. And to be honest it’s been really interesting. Not so much for the daily news (we get that from the internet, whether we want it or not), but rather for the culture, history, travel and opinion pieces that are all unique & incredibly well-written.
For example, last week we read a 5-part series on Maria Montessori (who founded the Montessori school system), while this week we’re reading about the “oasis” movement in France, a group of over 1000 self-sustaining off-grid eco-communities where folks live and work the land together. I had no idea….
We’ve been enjoying it tremendously, learning a ton of new stuff, and absorbing quite a bit more French in the process too. Our “used” newspapers will either be composted, or recycled (so they won’t to waste) and in the meantime it makes me happy to support professional journalism. IMO we need it in this day and age.
We’re Harvesting What We Can
The only other thing we’ve been doing this week is trying to keep the few things we have alive in the overwhelming heat, and harvesting what we can.
Amazingly, our tomato plants are still doing well, and although our harvest has been rather small, it’s been out-of-this-world delicious. We decided on a minimal watering approach this year, on a wild tip from a neighbor, digging down eggshells (before we planted, for calcium), and fertilizing regularly with banana peels soaked in water (an excellent source of potassium). And it’s worked! The fruit has been mindbogglingly intense in flavor, literally the best tomatoes I have ever eaten.
Next year we’ll have to plant twice as many.
We’ve also been harvesting our grapes, leftover from when someone (sometime) grew actual wine grapes here. They mostly keep themselves entertained, apart from a bit of water every now and then, and like all our fruit this year, are small but incredibly tasty.
Finally blackberries are coming into season, a fair bit earlier than they should, but in great quantities. Blackberries are the one plant I have a solid love/hate relationship with. For most of the year it’s the latter, as they’re horribly invasive, kill just about everything in their way and are impossible to get rid of thanks to their abundance of thorns and seemingly indestructible constitution. If ever the apocalypse occurs, I’m convinced blackberries will take over the world (that, and cockroaches).
But once a year they bloom quite prettily, and produce a most tasty and luscious dark violet fruit. It’s a fleeting, but intense romance that lasts several weeks, during which time I am whisked away by the deliciousness of it all. It’s all so lovely that I start to question if I’ve been too hard on the plant. Surely something so delicious cannot be that bad? But alas, ’tis but a mirage and a ruse, a once-a-year tease that drags you along….until you realize once again that the little devils are taking over your garden and killing everything else.
Oh, the tribulations of fruity love….
And thus ends another week in SW France. We still have no movement on our septic tank situation (August and all that), so we’re just doing our best to hang on until the end of the month. And of course we’re anxiously watching the rising COVID-19 infection numbers, as almost everyone is these days. Cases have jumped all across Europe over the weeks of summer vacations, so now it’s just a matter of wait-and-see. Either results stay mild (thanks to better treatments, changing nature of the virus, more younger people getting infected vs older etc.) or they translate into a rapid rise in hospitalizations & deaths several weeks from now. I’m hoping for the former of course, but only time will tell.
As for us, we’re moving onto grainier things, and the start of a brand new project which should deliver rather tasty results fairly soon. Or at least that’s the plan….I’ll tell you all about that one next week 🙂
So I’m curious my dear blog readers, have YOU been out to a restaurant recently? Or a bar? What are your thoughts on it all? And how is the heat where you are? Still unbearable (I know there are many fires in the US at the moment)? I hope you are all safe!! DO share in the comments.
Wonderful post, as always! I’ve been a dedicated reader for some time now! I live in Santa Barbara County in CA – and on top of pandemic isolation, now the air quality has been SO poor that we haven’t been able to leave the house for over a week! 🙁 It’s all immensely apocalyptic, to be sure. Just trying our hardest to stay positive! We are deeply saddened by the loss of Big Basin Park – as I know you all will be. We haven’t been to any restaurants. We moved into a small, rural town called Los Alamos in between the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria in order for our son to walk to the elementary school and for us to walk into the main street that is loaded with yummy wine tasting rooms, restaurants, and boutique shops! We moved in March 13, 2020. YUP. So, we haven’t been able to do ANY of the above and now I’m homeschooling. 🙁 I always share your posts with my family and they enjoy them as well! I desperately miss Europe, so it’s nice to read about your life there! Thanks as always! Hang in there! Happy Birthday, Paul!
The fires in CA are horrible, and big basin is a HUGE loss. I went there many years ago, and it made such an impact on me. It’s such a gorgeous (and little-visited) park. I hope it, and the whole area recovers quickly. Hang in there, Tara!!
Nina
Your writing is so witty and entertaining and informative! That restaurant meal looked wonderful, and no, haven’t been to a restaurant since . . . . ? 2018? You guys have a lot to be thankful for, thx for sharing.
Regular life seems so long ago, doesn’t it? I really hope we get back to some kind of normal soon.
Nina
Here in Central Texas, we are enjoying coolth. We are now down in the 90s. What?!? Cool?? Yes, after days of 107, 108, etc. and humidity, it seems we have entered a new and better reality.
Beautiful photos, BTW, a visual feast
YES….COOOLER weather…every degree counts at those levels. Here’s hoping you stay cool going forward.
Nina
Glad your father is okay. Cheez, that would be a scare. Our son did Montessori from age 2 to 5 years old. We all loved it. Are you watering the tree? I would-out near the drip line. We haven’t been out to diner since February either. We had taken a trip to Tucson to hike the desert in mid February, so we had a couple of nice meals out. I haven’t left our 5 mile radius town of 2,000 people since we got back from that trip. I walk the town everyday though early in the morning-6:00am, very few people out and it is cooler. My husband does a grocery run once a week that is about 10 miles away. He also has had the privilege of working from home since we got back to Maryland from Tucson in February. I have no desire to go into a store until this thing is over. My gardens, house and working out have been keeping me busy.
We have watered the tree, although we try not to water too much (we’re under drought restrictions here). Hopefully it will survive!
I love Tuscon in the winter. I imagine it must be hot, hot, hot right now. Such a lovely city though.
Nina
We’ve actually had a pretty good summer over here in Michigan at your old stomping grounds . Our tomatoes have also been quite amazing this summer but as with you, not as abundant as I had expected. We only do take-out and haven’t been in a restaurant since early March back in Tucson. Home cooking is getting to be a bit of a drag except that I’ve discovered smoking or BBQ and my Webber has been busy! Thanks to our governor, things in Michigan are actually quite good, better than most of the US and even most of the rest of the world. At the moment and assuming things remain more or less the same, we are planning a departure to NV, AZ and San Diego once the leaves fall (mid-October or so.) Since we tend to camp off grid and not socialize with a lot of folks anyway, there really isn’t much difference in terms of COVID safety between RVing and staying home. And who wants to spend their winter in Michigan? Stay safe and I do hope you get to use a little bit of diesel in the camper yet this year.
Hope you manage to get out and do your winter trip, Bob. I SO miss the SW desert (pulls at my heart-strings). The BEST place to be in winter, bar none.
Nina
Enjoyed your post as usual!
Here in Hawaii, Big Island, we have been to 2 restaurants since March. It was indoor seating. Masks by wait staff and blocked tables. I felt it was ok. Outdoor would be better. I would not go to a bar. Masks are the only thing we have but it’s really the distancing between people that works best.
Your post are a delight in this world filled with such angst.
Thank you!
Hawaii has locked out tourists, so I heard? It must be strange, but perhaps also nice (?) to not have all the mingle of tourists there. It’s such an odd time 2020.
Nina
We are still suffering the heat and drought near Phoenix. It’s been record setting heat here-40+ days over 110F. So we too are unable to go outside. Arizona and California are on fire, and there have been no monsoon rains. We try new recipes and gain weight while living in our 399 sq ft park model tin house. It’s 97F at 9:30am. With the Covid19 numbers here we have not been out to any place; basically indoors since March. I love your posts; and am daily grateful for air conditioning, the internet, good books, and a loving partner.
SOoooo hot….UGH! We’ve been following the weather in Pheonix (I have friends there) so I know it’s just been unbelievably hot. And then fires next door in CA. Is the air quality bad there too? Hopefully the weather will start cooling down for you soon, or at least the monsoons will kick in. Only a few months until that gorgeous desert winter….hang in there!
Nina
We had 2 downpours last night! And a temperature below 80F! The fire 5 miles from us in now 58% contained. After over 50 days of 110F plus we are feeling blessed!
I am so very glad your father is ok!
I also take the daily newspaper. Something I got from my grands. They would read it at breakfast every morning. Here in the firebelt of California I am just about 10 miles from the evacuation zone. We have our rig ready to roll. We are surrounded by fires. Fires in Santa Cruz County, Fires here in Santa Clara County, fires in Salinas, we had to really reach for a place to go should we be evacuated. Many of our friends who live in the hills have already been evacuated.
My tomatoes are doing excellent this year as well. I would love to know about that banana peel/water concoction.
Oh geez, being that close to the evacuation zone is just terrifying. I have some friends who’ve already left the area, and others who had to pack their bags to be ready. It’s just terrible all around, both for the residents, the fire-fighters (who are being stretched to their limit), and the air quality. Fingers and paws crossed for you that it all gets under control quickly.
Oh that banana peel concoction is SUPER easy. Just chuck your peels into water. Let them soak for a few days and then use the water on your tomatoes. That’s it! You can also dig down banana peels in your soil (although that’s best done earlier in the season, before you plant).
Nina
So interesting that France requires one actually speak the native language to become a citizen! Too bad we don’t do that here in the U.S. We’re preached at and told we should be unified but it’s a bit difficult when we aren’t all speaking the same language. Loved your photos and writing, as usual. I do miss good newspapers; sadly most of them here have gone the way of the broadcast media and can’t be trusted to be objective.
The US does actually require that you speak English in order to become a citizen (I went through the process). It’s not a high level of English, but it is required. You’re also required to study and pass a civics test. There are certain exceptions (e.g. if you’re over 50 and have lived in the US 20 years as a Green Card resident), but there are requirements. I do think it’s critical to be able to communicate in the language of the country where you live.
Nina
We have been reading your delightful blog posts for many years, since we first started boondocking in the southwest U.S. As Canadians we won’t be able to travel south this winter and are already missing the camaraderie of friends we have made over the years, not to mention the lovely desert heat. We live in Alberta so have not had a really difficult time with Covid but like you and many others have not been out for dinner since March. Pizza pickup a couple of times. We are grateful that we travelled a lot the past few years (Australia/NZ this time last year) and of course Southern California every February through April. Bumper crop of tomatoes here this year as well! Thanks SO much for continuing to post your experiences!
So sad for you that you are missing out on the SW desert this year (I would LOVE to be there too). It’s really a strange, strange time for us all. I guess I can only be thankful we are all safe and healthy. I wish you a good fall, and winter, even if it’s going to be a colder one than usual.
Nina
In Sacramento Ca, we are suffering from air pollution from the many wildfires. We are told to have a to-go bag by the door with essential meds, water, food, etc. Personally, I’m staying inside as much as possible. Not a big change from the Covid isolation.
I worry about the young members of my family who need to work in this smoky air.
The children of my family are chomping at the bit to go outside, and the parents are trying to constrain them. It can be quite a struggle.
Online school has started, so that will keep the kids tied to the computer for several hours a day.
People are jokingly ask “ when are the locusts arriving?”
Take care you all
The air quality must be horrible. I can only imagine (and I’ve seen pics) what it’s like. Really hope the fires get under control and whole situation clears for everyone as soon as possible. It’s bad enough being in confinement, even worse when you can’t get a fresh breath of air outside. My thoughts go out to everyone in CA.
Nina
Haven’t gone to a restaurant since February but have picked up chicken a few times at the drive-thru. The virus is a lot worst here in north Florida than back in April and school started last week. They won’t tell the press about any new cases but the locals do talk. So we know some of the kids are sick already. There will be two hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in a few days at the same time which is a first. Turning into quite the year.
I enjoy your blog and looking forward to cooler weather. Stay safe
Paul has lots of family in Florida, so we’re following the situation there closely. It’s really quite scary. I hope that back-to-school goes well, despite the high case load. Maybe (just maybe) illness & deaths will stay low, despite the new infection rates. Stay safe!
Nina
I liked the way the tables looked in your restaurant with the umbrellas over them. Appears to feel safer to me when dining outside and enjoyable as well. We have been to a couple restaurants here in NY where things are going better but we have no desire to go inside to a bar at all. More fun fixing drinks at home and sitting outside in safer conditions. All have worn masks and I do like that tables are spaced apart as I don’t have to listen to someone’s conversations so close to me so I am liking these guidelines! I think businesses all were greedy fitting too many tables close together so we all were on top of each other everywhere we went whether it’s a coffee shop or restaurant so I will not adjust well when we return back to the old practices (if that does happen). Now with fewer tables, it’s pleasant to go out and you see them being cleaned better than before as they use to hurry that process up to seat another patron.
I have to admit that (rather selfishly) I liked the bigger separation between tables too. It really is nice to feel like you have your own space while dining. I know it’s not sustainable and restaurants needs all the income they can get, but it was a nice outing that one day.
Nina
Yes! So funny. We are in NY where things got much better quite faster than other places and where we are in the Hudson Valley which was not badly hit. Don’s birthday was just as Phase 3 (indoor and outdoor dining) kicked in so we went to an old favorite restaurant with the idea of eating out on the terrace. Just as we arrived though the heavens opened and we opted for an indoor space in a room that was empty except for us. Masks are worn by everyone except the patrons while dining. The meal was so good AND because it was his birthday Don was given $25 off his meal which meant it was free. Well, my birthday is oly 18 dAYS later so it was a no brianer that we’d go for a repeat performance. This time we got to sit on the terrace and watch the boats and waterfowl in the creek that flows by. Just lovely.
LOVE that you’ve gone back to the newspaper. WE just talked about doing the same and will use our discards to mulch an area in the back yard that hopefully after a few years of leaves, newspaper and compost will become friable enough that we can try another garden. Our house is in an old apple orchard and when they were built in the 80s each lot was covered with fill to provide slopes for drianage. That fill is basically clay. I have had some luck in some areas with flowers and the rock garden around the pond is going well but the veggie garden the first year was disastrous! 6 tomato plants and 2 tomatoes. Nothing else even bore!
Our heat has mostly gone away too but we’ve been lucky enough to have had some hurricanes drop rain with only a bit of wind as they passed us.
I do hope you get out on the road this fall. We are hoping to do the same but it’s still iffy.
Sounds like a lovely Bday (happy belated Bday!!!). So glad you made it out.
By the way we have clay soil too. I HIGHLY recommend “no dig”, really the best way to grow veggies in difficult soil. And it is SO easy. Check out this link: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/
Nina
We left Florida a week ago. We had only done takeout a couple of times – definitely not a restaurant visit there! As we’ve traveled across the U.S. this week, we’ve gone into a few buildings (previously we had only gone in 1 building through all of COVID!) to grab food or wine, and that’s been an adjustment. I haven’t dared to do an outdoor restaurant yet. I’m sure I will, but I’m still kind of nervous about taking my mask off at a table around other people. I think it will be easier when we’re in a state and an environment where we know people are taking it really seriously. Everything is a risk vs. reward conversation right now!
I completely understand how you’re feeling. Taking our masks off at the restaurant felt really odd (and definitely a little risque). It’s the first time we’ve done anything like that in months. I do think it’s important to listen to your gut, and go with what’s comfortable for you. There is zero pressure to eat out. When you’re ready, you’ll know.
Nina
Thanks for your beautiful blog and photos – always enjoy reading about your experiences.
We haven’t eaten inside a restaurant since early March when we were in AZ. Sadly, it was fast food (In N Out Burger). We do take-out meals regularly, but we really miss indoor dining at nice restaurants. We are full time RVers and are spending the summer in our home state (IL) where it has been very hot. This summer we recorded the 4th hottest summer on record. Can’t wait for cooler weather.
Ugh…a hot summer in an RV. That is no fun (and I know it). Really hope the cool weather comes your way soon.
And I know In N Out isn’t much of a fancy meal, but I DO miss those burgers. You have me salivating now 🙂
Nina
We are from Texas but spending the summer in Gunnison, Co. it has been hotter here than usual but will start cooling in another week. Our park closes Sept and on the 16th we head to South Fork until their park closes the 30th. New Mexico’s public lands have been closed all summer so our usual stops home won’t happen.
We will have to look elsewhere to avoid the heat.
We full time in our rig but spend months at home base on gulf coast near family. They are expecting two hurricanes this coming week.
We were booked for Europe in April but now looking at 2021.
We met y’all years ago at a gathering. We’re much older and our traveling has slowed down considerably. As usual, enjoy your posts.
Jo
It’s so difficult for fulltimers right now, with parks closing, public lands not accessible….honestly I’m not sure where we’d be right now if we were still in “the beast” in US. Really hope all this eases up soon, for everyones sake.
Nina
Loved this post! Happy birthday to Paul and happy the three of you got out to a restaurant to celebrate the occasion. And were declared COVID-free. Yay on that! We haven’t been out to eat since early March, and I am chomping at the bit. But our state still has rising cases, so we are waiting. Maybe sometime this fall???
Hopefully, hopefully soon for you!! Here in France it looks like we’re stating a second wave, so who knows when we’ll get out again. Crazy times…
Nina
I’m always fascinated by the clever ways different restaurants avoid contact and reduce interaction. Certainly we’ve all had to learn new ways. Alas a real newspaper becomes something new and wonderful! Your tomatoes look perfect – nothing better than fresh tomatoes from your own garden.
We haven’t been to a restaurant since mid March but have picked up several meals to bring home since July. It is tempting and our numbers are quite low here in Cochise County. But Bill is high risk so we’re waiting. It’s becoming as many things these days – a dream of better times. Hope those numbers come down again and aren’t as deadly in their results.
I’m with you…I really hope these higher infection numbers don’t translate into higher death rates again. Fingers and paws crossed…
Nina
Lovely post Nina and gorgeous photos. I can’t imagine how concerned you must have been over your father’s cough! Mike came in last night complaining of a sore throat–YIKES–but it must have just been the smoke we are enduring and his using a saw to cut concrete board (without a mask of course) because the sore throat was gone this morning. I have eaten in one restaurant in the last couple months–the restaurant was take out only, my friend and I were the only people in the restaurant ordering and we sat outside. Mike and I ate out a couple times when restrictions were lifted but just didn’t feel comfortable and didn’t do it again. My birthday is coming soon, a momentous one–my Medicare birthday—and I would love to eat in a restaurant. If the Cowboy cooks my birthday dinner I’m in trouble!
Medicare…..YEAH!!!!! Congratulations (and not often I say that related to healthcare)!! Hope you find a place you can both be comfortable for a meal out. That’s worth a big celebration.
Nina
Hello Paul & Nina, from the smoke filled air of NorCal with fires surrounding us in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Mt Hamilton, and Napa. I’m in Campbell which is in Santa Clara County. Far from any fire danger, thankfully, but air quality as a result is very unhealthy. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the fires. Our beautiful Big Basin State Park was hit hard, but the redwoods are hearty and they will return.
Yes, I have eaten out a few times, but only at one place in Los Gatos which spaced their tables out properly. We were making it a regular thing until we got hit with 100+ degree temps for 2 weeks straight, followed now by the unhealthy smoke which makes it impossible right now to eat out. But looking forward to going back soon.
Love reading your blog. Shared with a friend who is doing their first RV adventure across the U.S. in September.
Lived in Campbell for thirty years, just moved north to San Mateo last year. Air quality from the fires has been especially bad down there. And the devastation at Big Basin, one of the first place I took the kids camping 23 years ago.
Our first dine out was on July 10th, treated by good friends in celebration of our Zoom wedding back in June, up in Yountville at a nice place that did a wonderful job with social distancing in their courtyard. Was surreal dining out for the first time since February.
So VERY sad to hear about the air quality…and Big Basin State Park…such a wonderful place. I really hope everything clears and recovers quickly. My heart goes out to everyone there.
Nina
We in New Mexico are having fires, too, sadly. We’re about 8 miles away from it right now. It’s smoky, but they say that a lot of the smoke is coming from fires in Colorado and Arizona.
I haven’t been to a restaurant since March, but we’ve gotten takeout at a couple of fancy places for our anniversary, etc.
I’m so glad you’re all Covid-negative! Isn’t it interesting how people are still catching colds when we’re being so careful? It’s crazy here, as I know you know.
Really sorry to hear you’ve got fires in NM too…UGH…so many fires, all over the west. When will it end?
And yes, I have to admit dad’s cold threw us through a loop. How did he even catch it???? We think it was probably the fact that it was really hot last week, and so he was going from boiling hot, to airconditioning…back and forth…and somehow that triggered it? Anyway, I’m glad we’re all negative.
Nina
Greetings Nina!! I’m so excited to be back in our little RV and camping! We have a lovely state park 15 miles from our house. So today we hooked the camper up and ventured out! First time the campers been out of our storage barn since last September. We pretty much have the entire campground to ourselves! We brought 3 of our grandkids with us. They are enjoying a change of scenery to ride their bikes and play. It’s still nice and warm here in Kentucky. I’m not looking forward to cool weather at all! I’m definitely a summer elf.
HOW EXCITING Sherry!! I’m so glad to hear you got out. Isn’t it incredible what 15 miles will do, when you put yourself in an RV and just go? ENJOY and hope you get out again soon!
Nina
Hello (or should I say Bonjour)! Really enjoy reading your blog and glad you all tested negative this past week. I know it’s scary as my husband went through this in May with extremely high fevers and some GI issues, high pulse rate detected through his Apple watch one day early on, no aches or pains nor loss of taste/smell. Really thought in beginning it was food poisoning since he bought chicken wings and the next day he was in the bathroom, fevers started next day. Tested negative for Covid but four days later tested positive for the antibodies so definitely false readings somewhere. After a week of 100-104 fevers and appetite loss he was better, did get slight cough near the end of week. We had to postpone our 4000 mile road trip until next May from AZ to SC and back, postponed Navy reunion and most likely will cancel cruise for Feb 2021 since don’t think we’ll have vaccine by then. Also been cooking a lot, trying new recipes and ordered out a few times from our favorite Chinese and Italian restaurants. We’re breaking all sorts of temperature records in Arizona, more than 35 days over 110 and at least 10 days of 115 or over! Very little monsoon activity, nor rain unfortunately. The numbers in our state are finally coming down a little; our daughter is an RN in Phoenix and she just said she noticed a slight decrease in number of Covid patients and bed occupancy. We’re currently re-tiling, carpeting and painting in our home since we can’t travel 🙁 But we do have a timeshare week booked in mid December in Sedona, so looking forward to that time if we can survive this heat until then! Take care.
OMG….I cannot even imagine how scary that COVID infection that must have been! I am SO glad your husband just had the more minor symptoms, and did not have to be hospitalized. Did you yourself have no symptoms at all?
Also very happy to hear the numbers (and hospital load) are finally coming down in AZ. That is very, very good news. Lets hope the trend continues.
Nina
Hello. Been reading a long time. First time I have commented. I am close to retiring (at 45 years old). Been saving my whole life for this, since my grandpa used to take me boondocking as a kid. I plan to pretty much follow your loop except I am staying out of the PNW because of political reasons. It’s safer for me and them if I just stay away hehehe.
Anyway, I have been boondocking a lot, but not full time yet. My loop in the first year is SW Arizona up to Wyoming, and the bad lands. Back down through Utah and Nevada back through Las Vegas back to SW AZ in the winter again. I plan on staying on BLM land so I am not going further east than WY, NM, CO, ND, SD.
Sounds like a wonderful trip through some of our favorite areas. ENJOY!
Nina
Love to read your blog and missed it last week. And, am glad to hear that your father just had a cold. If you’ve done all the right things, you are probably not vulnerable to catching the little c.
I sure hope you get your septic tank installed. Just hearing about the delays makes me constipated. 🙂
Our daughter is looking for baby sitters and for the first time she said she might consider having an RV parked in her backyard if we drove out West to baby sit while they are confined to working from home. That’s made me happy!
We’ve ordered take out but haven’t gotten up enough nerve to sit around indoors or out at a restaurant. The positivity rate is only 7% and most of that is in Tidewater Virginia so it may be time to venture out.
Keep the stories, and the pictures, coming!
Baby sitting sounds perfect….a good little RV trip to do right now 🙂
Nina
Bonjour:
In answer to your question, a few friends who are in our now expanded bubble, had our first meal out in a restaurant. In a little town not far from the cottage where we have happily spent much of the summer. Covered screened in porch with no one near us. I did take my lysol wipes with me and cleaned everything. Had a huge craving for fish and chips and boy did I enjoy them. Not something I make at home so they were a real treat for me, as was the company out having a nearly normal dinner.
It has been hot and humid here in Ontario, Canada as well but now it is beginning to cool to mid 20s. Having complained about the heat, I am now complaining over the weather cooling off the lake temperature. All of this bitching will pale in comparison to my winter discontent.
Apart from Covid, it’s been a very mixed few months. Losing my dog Boomer in April was horribly painful and the first visit to the cottage without her seemed unbearable. Trying to decide if another dog is in my future but it is too soon.
On a much more cheerful note, a friend purchased an old 1985 trailer where she intends to live 8 months of the year on the family farm. Floor totally rotten. A real mess so each week for a day or two we make the trip to the farm to engage in the most frustrating task I think I’ve ever attempted, gutting it and replacing the floor, trying not to fall through the light aluminum cover under the rot. I’m 66 – what was I thinking? She doesn’t intend to travel in it, thank heavens, for I fear that when done, it would fall apart on the road. Nevertheless it has been a fascinating problem solving job. Too bad I can’t send a photo. You would be, I am sure, appalled at what 3 women aged 54 to 71 are bungling their way through. I must be masochistic because it has been the highlight of the summer.
I hope you all remain well and I am relieved to hear how seriously you have taken Covid. As far as I’m concerned, that makes you a good citizen of any country. How is Polly?
Oh geez Michelle. I am SO, SO sorry to hear about your dog Boomer. What a terrible thing to go through during this time. I know how much our fur babies mean to us, and I can only imagine your pain. My heart goes out to you.
And then ontop of that, your “new” old trailer sounds like a helluva project. Rotted floor? I think I would have thrown in the towel right there. You are made of stronger stuff than I.
Polly is doing well (thank you for asking). She’s healthy, enjoying life. We’re very lucky to have her.
Nina
When the lockdown started, restaurants in Maine were closed for indoor dining, but open for takeout or delivery. We decided to get takeout once a week, just to keep some money circulating in the local economy. Finally, in July, we ventured down to the coast of Maine, to a restaurant that had outdoor seating, right on the ocean. It was lovely! A few weeks ago, I met a friend for lunch, indoors, but with tables adequately spaced and all staff wearing masks. Last week, we met up with a couple of friends for indoor dining at our local Mexican place – again, tables spaced, staff wearing masks. It was nice just to have the change of scenery and routine. Glad your Dad only had a cold. Happy belated birthday, Paul!
A meal by the ocean….what BLISS! So glad you’ve been venturing out, and found some places you could enjoy safely.
Nina