COVID-19 Lockdown, continued

There are several comments at the originating post, yesterday.  In addition (this will be continued):

Long-time friend Peter, ‘out east’, is a gifted writer, and passed along a recent blog of his. You can read it here.

This mornings Just Above Sunset nailed it, as usual: Present at the Apocalypse.

John, 41 years a Californian, writes from Davis CA: Life is getting really interesting here real fast – the county that I am in (along with virtually every other county around) is in lockdown status – only “essential” journeys out. And no congregating in group of more than 3. For now, I am considering my solo bike rides/photo trips or outings with One close friend to be essential travel for now. We’ll see what happens next.

Stu passes along some interesting data being compiled by a friend, a physician in a well known hospital: Pandemic update as of Mar 17.  (Click on the image to enlarge).  The document is one page, as of March 17.

Flo passes along her thoughts: Well taken. Unfortunately, eating less and exercising more would be a boon to over half of the US population. Stores/food service agencies (like schools!) can only supply what is delivered to their door by truck drivers. Keep their wellness in mind, too.

from Fred: Have to admit I get nervous when considering our unwanted visitor, coronavirus, but then I think of our Commander and Chief heading up the national response and totally panic.

from Barb, commenting on first COVID-19 at my college, Valley City ND: Yikes – I am now thinking it is time to stay at home, and not to have some of my planned work done in the house – we were supposed to have a couple of our bathrooms painted in the next week or so, and a handyman was coming to help us hang pictures.  I think I will postpone, if the virus is as close as Valley City!

Dick: The comment from Barb sticks most with me…the virus will not become real until somebody or someplace very real to me is affected.  We don’t know who, when or if….  It is a bit like being in a torture chamber, waiting to see if today is your turn to be persecuted.

Nobody knows the ultimate outcome.  The odds are, whatever it is, it will be serious, and it could be months before we can relax a little, and life may never be the normal we had become accustomed to.

March 20, 2020

William McRaven U.S. Navy Admiral (Ret) has a wonderful column in the Mar. 20 Washington Post, here.

I did about an hour ‘in the woods’ walk through Carver Park this chilly, breezy morning.  I met three people passing by.  We went on our way.

Monday is Grandson Spencer’s birthday.  He’ll be 20, and he’s in the Marines at Miramar, CA.  I got to thinking back to the day we went to his induction into the Marines, the summer of 2017 (He was becoming a senior in high school, and actually went to basic training a year later.)

The day he was inducted at the Navy office at Ft. Snelling I noted and took photo of the “Chain of Command”, specifically because of the many vacancies.  It says “Photograph Not Available” for each, which likely meant there had been no one appointed to the position.  It’s easy to beat up on “Big Government”, but in a time of crisis we need the very entity some of us dislike.

Aug. 7, 2017, Navy Office Ft. Snelling MN