4 Months in COVID-19 Pandemic

July 11th was the 4th month since the WHO declared the COVID-19 Pandemic. I’m taking stock of what I have done over the course of those months.

In March – there was a significant shift in our perception of the virus. I gave up on trying to find a time I could go to the grocery store safely and was getting my groceries delivered by the end of the month. My last volunteer gig was just before 3/11; a daylong seminar my husband and I had registered for was cancelled. By the end of the month we were sheltering in place. We couldn’t find toilet paper, disinfectant, or hand sanitizer anywhere and were glad that we had a supply that would last if we were careful. —> Locking down

In April –my husband did a few contactless curbside pickups at Target; otherwise, everything was delivered to our front porch.  We got toilet paper in our delivery one time during the month. —> Stay at home as much as possible

In May – it was more of the same. My husband added PetSmart and Loews to his contactless curbside pickups.  The only time I got in my car during April was to return a large accumulation of plastic grocery bags to the outside collection bin at the grocery store; it was my test run away from the house and wearing a mask. Hand sanitizer came in one of our grocery deliveries. We attended a virtual birding festival. —> Stay at home as much as possible

In June – I started doing my own grocery shopping again: wearing a mask and going just after the store opened in the morning…every other week rather than weekly…lots of hand sanitizer in the store and when I got back to my car. The Community Supported Agriculture pickup was every week: outdoors, wearing a mask…hand sanitizer. Toilet paper became reliably available in the store. I attended a virtual Climate Change Education Conference and the Climate and Sustainability webinars started (would continue for the rest of the summer). —> + grocery store and CSA

In July – It was more of the same. My husband went out several evenings to photograph the comet with a better horizon that he has at our house. It was outdoors; he wore a mask but not everyone else at the location did…and was generally social distanced. I started doing some hour-long scenic drives to begin using up the gas in the car that is over 6 months old; I was generally in the car…got out to take a picture at each stop along my route (outdoors and few if any other people around). Both of us keep a supply of clean masks in the car. The store finally had some disinfectant wipes. Hand sanitizer reliably available in store. Enjoying naturalist related webinars as I find them. —> + low risk outings like scenic drives

Overall – I think we can cope the way we are for however long is required. There are activities that I miss but not enough to initiate any risky behavior. The cases are ticking up in Maryland this week…and we could make some changes for August. I’m considering what the criteria would be for me going back to getting groceries delivered.

Unique Activities for Yesterday:

Neowise. My husband provided an image of the comet that he produced from a series of pictures he took at Howard County Conservancy’s Mt. Pleasant Farm last week.