Here is a picture of a Jurassic artist doing a self-portrait.
This TRex was spotted at the sip and paint place we went to in Austin. Has nothing to do with COVID-19.
COVID-19
Excitement during coronavirus isolation
COVID-19 can make people sick, kill people, wreck the world’s economy and isolate millions in their homes. But…. It cannot stop a good old fashioned thunder and hail storm.
It was in the low 70’s, our first really warm day of the year. We had heard some thunder with a little rain, then calm. All of a sudden and with no warning the hail started. Good sized hail!
Impressive hail stones fell
Sign of spring
It was over in a few minutes. The sky began to clear and you could smell the freshness in the rain cleansed air. Fortunately there was no apparent damage to the house or our vehicles. This storm gave us a nice change of pace during our isolation.
Texas distillery now at 100% hand sanitizer production
Treaty Oak Distilling in Dripping Springs, Texas is one of the best whiskey distilleries in the Hill Country west of Austin. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has shut down their restaurant and their distillery. To at least keep some income coming in, Treaty Oak is now only producing hand sanitizer.
According to KXAN TV, the NBC affiliate in Austin, on March 26th reported that the FDA is allowing distilleries to produce hand sanitizer. It must be at least 80% alcohol, have no other ingredients and be in a bottle with appropriate labeling. Starting next week Treaty oak will only produce the sanitizer, thus allowing some employees to remain working.
Last November we visited Treaty Oaks Distilling. Little could we guess back then that this distillery would be in the fight against a killer virus. You can read about our 2019 visit here.
Coronavirus is causing us to change our April
April is usually the month we start getting ready for spring festivals to sell our glass pendants. The pendants all need to be shined and all tablecloths washed. Usually we are getting ready for antique shows, where we sell antiques that we collect all year. In fact our first show of the year is usually in April. This year we’re not even sure if there will be any festivals or shows for us to go to.
Selling our pendants at an Austin show
We have gotten everything for the spring, but doesn’t look like we will able to do any. Not even sure that we can do any at all this summer. We are hoping that by fall things will back to normal, but we can’t count on it.
We’ve been in Texas for most of the winter and came back at the end of Feb. because of Coronavirus. Then when it was suggested that older people and people with other diseases were high risk, it caused us to “shelter in place” at our home. We still have family, kids and grand-kids that live in Indiana and Ohio and we’ve postponed seeing them for the time being.
We use facetime a lot and it has helped keep our sanity. Very thankful for all we do have. We have a warm home, food, and don’t have the virus. We have books to read, movies to watch and facetime with family. We have time to get caught up reading blogs we haven’t had a chance to read. And, we are so grateful for all our online friends that keep us on our toes.
Keep safe!!!
LEGO long distance babysitting
Our 5 year old grandson lives in Seattle with his parents. Both our daughter and son-in-law are currently working from home because of the coronavirus, work that requires both phone calls and meetings via video-conferencing, as well as other tasks that require their giving full attention. Our grandson is also staying home from his pre-school.
Sher and I have the absolute pleasure of distant babysitting our grandson via video conferencing technology. He loves building things with his extensive LEGO collection. When we connect, we are treated to a little show complete with his latest Lego creation and its associated story line. We get to see a new play each time complete with a song! We absolutely love talking with him and seeing all those LEGO creations he is working on daily. Being home is hard for him as he is used to being in preschool with his little friends. Lots of pent up energy there!
Not only do we get to “babysit” our grandson which is a treat for us, but we can give his parents some time while they are working from home that they can have to themselves. Plus it gives us something else to do. This isolation thing does get rather boring at times.
What are you doing to pass the time during these tense and uncertain times?
Corona virus, Indiana, and our take
Sher and I returned from Texas to our home in central Indiana the last week of February. The corona virus issue was heating up. We wanted to ride it out in an area we know. The news kept getting worse and worse. Indiana finally got its first confirmed case, and as of this writing there are now twelve confirmed in the Hoosier state.
Our situation
Yes, we’re both a little scared and a lot upset. I am the poster child for the high risk individual with underlying health issues. I have a Trifecta: 69 years old with COPD and heart issues. I can’t take any chances so we are staying in, hunkered down with our TV, internet and talking with our kids and grand kids via texting and video calling. Are you avoiding crowds? Paying attention to “social distancing”? (That’s a new term, huh? My how the world has changed in a few short months.)
Stocking up
Some experts say two weeks worth of food and supplies. I think a month is a safer bet, and we pretty much have that covered. What is your take on stocking up? Can you make it for two, three or more weeks without a trip to the grocery? Got enough medicines? A couple of our sons ran into shelves empty of toilet paper yesterday.
A Meijer in Ohio
A Walmart in Indiana
A massive shutdown
Things are going from bad to worse. Schools and universities are closing everywhere. No gatherings of any large size are being allowed. Sports events? Well, forget them for at least a month or two. Concerts, plays, festivals? Nope. (Here in Indiana the Governor has designated 250 as the magic number for the size of gatherings that will be allowed)
What’s your feeling?
We can’t understand why testing numbers are so low here in the U.S. The President says one thing, his top adviser Dr. Fauci says the opposite. Seriously? Hard to be optimistic about our government’s ability to handle the corona virus pandemic. What do you think?
To our blogging friends
Please please be safe! It’s bad, and we’re afraid it is going to get worse. We can communicate through our blogs and other e-methods which is helpful if, like us, you are wary of any public interaction. Let’s keep in touch.
Oh, wash your hands, wash your hands and wash your hands.
Roadtirement 