Pandemic Diaries Week #14

20 June 2020

J and I went to Atlantic City for a Juneteenth car caravan and demo yesterday.  It was organized by the NAACP, but various faith groups and other people spread the word so that the attendance was pretty good.

We arrived at the Martin Luther King Jr School Complex, and lined up with the other cars.  J found that the speaker was being livestreamed on Facebook, and she was able to play that on her phone.

I decorated the car with signs I'd made (mostly BLM in a variety of graffiti styles), and added crepe paper streamers out our windows (windows holding them in place).

Eventually, the speeches ended and the cars moved out.  I have no idea how many vehicles were involved, but I'd estimate over twenty-five and under sixty.  I really have no clue.

But we drove along MLK Boulevard, horns honking and people on their porches or on the sidewalk waving and cheering, some giving the "power" sign.  We continued on until the road came to the end, and then turned south onto Pacific Avenue, and drove a few miles along there.  This is a more commercial area, less residential - so there were more people on the streets, most waving and cheering and giving the power fist sign.

After possibly a half hour or so drive, we came to the end of Atlantic City, and the caravan/motorcade seemed to dissipate as people headed off homeward.  So, we did too. 

However, the highway was closed (turned out there had been two cars on a high-speed chase, people shooting at each other - one crashed on the on ramp, and the gunman was hiding in the bushes but was later apprehended by the police) - so we took the local roads home.  More waving, and at one stop light the young Black woman in back of us honked her horn and waved at us.

So, we were out there representing, in solidarity and unity and support in this very peaceful protest demonstration.  Silent allies.  

Because sometimes, just being there is enough.

Pandemic Diaries Week #13

15 June 2020

There isn't much excitement happening.  Things in NJ are very slowly opening up, although we haven't really joined in or experienced any of the changes.  There's a bit more traffic, partly due to more stores opening, partly due to the influx of people who vacation at the Jersey shore.

But we're still staying in our quarantine bubble, avoiding public places and contact with strangers.  As people over age 60, some of us with medical conditions that may make us more vulnerable, we're trying to avoid getting any coronavirus microbes.  Yes to masks in public!

We had a visit with the niece who lives outside Philadelphia, and her three kids.  They drove over to the shore to play on the beach, but stopped by before and we all sat outside.  Limited contact, lots of conversation, and virtual hugs along with virtual high fives.  It's always fun to see the kids as they change each year, not only growing in height and looking more mature, but more able to participate in conversations, more willing to talk about their lives and interests.  Plus I like kids, so it's always great to have a little time with them. 

Other excitement (such as it is) includes magnolia trees beginning to flower, with those huge exotic blossoms perfuming the air.

J and I took a drive over to Brigantine one afternoon, so I could see it.  This is one of the barrier islands, east and a bit north of here, just north of Atlantic City.  Richard and I were looking at a vacation rental in Brigantine, and I've never been there.  We found some pretty views of one section of beach, fairly empty on a Sunday late afternoon.  I absolutely could see renting a place for a few weeks and just walking the beach half the day.  But, well, we'll see, we have several options and are looking at

possibilities.

And that's it for this week.  No brilliant insights into life in a shutdown, no deep philosophical thoughts about life in a pandemic.  And no physical participation in the protests around the country, no matter how strongly we feel that the protests are justified and necessary.  We're still personally self-isolating and taking precautions to not get sick.

Yeah, a little boring.  I have various art projects, including editing close to 1000 photos for the blog post I'm working on at the moment.  (I promise not to post 1000 photos in one blog.)  Binge watching "Person of Interest," which I never heard of before because it wasn't shown internationally.  Taking walks to get fresh air and some vitamin D, and to just do something.

I'm also adjusting to a new format at our blogging website.  So, there are some odd spaces in this post.  It isn't as easy as the previous format, but I'm sure I'll figure things out.  So please ignore the odd spacing of the photos, and I'll keep working on it.

As I said, very little excitement.

But I wanted to get a blog out there.  And to say "Power to the people!"

Pandemic Diaries Week #12

2 June 2020

About two evenings ago, we had a couple of rabbits in the backyard playing.  The seemed to know each other, or maybe they were related.  Basic brown rabbits with little white tails.  The came out of different areas of the hedge, and both nibbled on some grass and clover.  As they hopped a little closer to each other, we waited to see what would happen.

One bunny noticed the other one, and hopped over to say hello.  The other rabbit turned around and we had a bunny face off, like two gunslingers in an old western - they just sat and stared at each other for a few minutes, neither one making a move.

Then suddenly, one bunny charged at the other, who leapt straight up in the air, a good foot or more!  The charging bunny sort of ran right under the leaping bunny, who came down and then chased the charging bunny and they ran in circles, hopping, running, a few leaps in there!  They'd rest a minute or two, face off, and then one would charge again and the other would leap up!  It was absolutely adorable, watching these two bunnies playing in the yard, as it got darker and darker outside.  We sat in the kitchen, the four of us watching bunnies at play, entranced by the cuteness.


3 June 2020

I looked out the kitchen window after today's rain, thinking maybe one of my bunny friends might be out.  Instead, there was an orange and black box turtle slowly making her/his way along the fence, heading in the direction of the road.  S and I went out to look at him/her - not a very large turtle, but not a baby, either.  Just ambling along, although she/he stopped when he/she noticed us.

Ms./Mr. Turtle eventually turned around, and it seemed that he/she was looking for a way through the fence to the shady garden in the neighbor's yard.  J came out to see the turtle, and said there's a hole in the fence a few spaces up.  We're hoping she/he finds his way back to the shade, and on to a spot with some water.

Turns out he/she is an Eastern box turtle - looked just like the photo here (not my photo).


5 June 2020

So, we've been looking for an apartment - not much luck finding a furnished apartment that we like and that we can also afford.  Most unfurnished apartments want a year-long lease commitment.  Most furnished apartment owners are used to renting their seasonal property on a weekly basis, which gives them more income but is out of our budget range.

Therefore, after much talk and searching online and more conversation, we compromised on a hotel in Atlantic City, half a block from the boardwalk and the beach.  With a chain hotel group that we often use, so that we'll rack up points to later cash in for free nights.  Sounded great, right?  King bed, small fridge, microwave oven, coffee maker, wifi, TV, all the usual amenities.

And then, J and S mentioned that a curfew has been imposed on the city due to the protests and subsequent violence and looting.  (And I'm sure the violence was on the part of both sides.  But still.)

ACK!  Now I'm thinking maybe we were too hasty in booking this - well, not hasty, but possibly only thinking through from our point of view and obviously not the bigger picture.  Oh well, we had 3 weeks of curfew in Lima, what's another curfew?  At least we speak the language in NJ.

But it will be nice to have our own space, however large or small it might be.  Plus a whole beach to walk (wearing a mask if others are around).

Does anyone else feel like we're all going to have odd tan lines this summer? 


6 June 2020

Well, after some research as well as reading the fine print (paying extra for parking), we decided to forego the hotel in Atlantic City.  S & J both thought it wasn't in a great part of the city, the reviews weren't so great, there aren't many places to eat nearby, plus with the casinos closed there isn't much happening in the city.  And on top of all that there's the curfew.

Our new plan is to do short trips, maybe 2 or 3 days at a time, a couple of times each month.  We won't need to schlep all of our stuff, but we can drive an hour or so away and explore some of the small coastal towns and beaches in this region.  We can even go down to Delaware if we want - the ferry leaves from Cape May.

I already had a few articles about the beaches of southern New Jersey, as well as the historic carousels of the various beach boardwalks.  I could absolutely see planning a few trips to visit carousels if they were guaranteed to be open.  Maybe not this year, but there are other sites and sights to visit.

So, we have a vague plan.  


8 June 2020

Normally I have too many photos, but not this week.  I'm still editing photos from a special project, which will be a separate blog post.  So, enjoy our friendly Eastern box turtle, and I'll overwhelm you with photos soon in another post!

Pandemic Diaries Week #11

26 May 2020

My sister-in-law (J) needed to drive down to Cape May for an errand, and I went along with her.  Took care of the errand, and the friend she saw (masked and distanced) suggested we continue down the road to the beach.  So we did.


It turned out that this was Higbee Beach, on Delaware Bay.  The bay is so huge, we couldn't even see the other side!

My best friend from high school was a Higbee, so I had to look up why this is called Higbee Beach.  This one and a half mile sandy beach was named for Joseph Higbee, a boat pilot on the Delaware River.  In the 1800s, people would sail down to Cape May from Philadelphia, and Joseph was a well-known river pilot.  

There are a variety of local legends about Joseph Higbee who owned the beach and the woods behind it - or more accurately, the legends are about his brother Thomas Horres Higbee.  Thomas inherited the property, and the story is that had a strange plan to keep the land in the family.  He allegedly told a friend that he wanted his niece to have the property after his death, so he made arrangements to be buried there, knowing she wouldn't sell the property with his body interred there.  Well, the niece didn't sell.  But after HER death, Thomas's remains were moved from the beach to a church cemetery, along with the niece.  And the property was sold.

Of course, now there are stories of ghosts haunting the beach at night, specters of an old bearded man who roams the beach.  We have no idea if this is true or not, but it makes for an interesting story.

The ferry still leaves from the mouth of the Delaware River, and we saw it pulling out into the bay.  Did a little bit of walking, dipped my toes in the water which was quite chilly.  I tried returning a horseshoe crab to the sea, but I think I was too late.

But it was a pretty day, and we enjoyed our impromptu visit to Higbee Beach and Wildlife Management Area.

More information:  https://njaudubon.org/wp-content/wildlife/DelawareBayshoreTrails/Sites/tabid/440/Scope/site/Guide/DELBAYSH/Site/35/Default.html


27 May 2020

I've been corresponding with various state and local agencies to find out about the sign for the senior park down the road.  The state agency said they have no problem with us making a sign, but that we should speak with the Linwood township government.  I found that the parks are under the city's Department of Recreation (and presumably parks and recreation).  I tracked down an email and sent them our offer to create a sign.

The departmental clerk said she'd need to see if a new sign had been ordered, and then wrote back to say it had not.  The department would like to see a sketch as well as the dimensions for our sign.  So I have to sketch out my plan, and I also measured the sign that is already there.  Once I submit that, we'll be all set.

My SIL suggested doing a mosaic, which would be fun, but heavy to hang.  I think we'll stick with some kind of exterior grade wood with exterior paint, and we'll work on getting the letters cut out with a router or whatever one calls those tools.


28 May 2020

Our little car Mr. Tiki is here!!!  Yay!

We kept our car from our year in Arizona and summer in Washington, and found a vehicle storage center in Bellingham.  Tiki was in an indoor garage, slot #2007 - so we envisioned the car pretending to be a James Bond vehicle with all those hidden abilities.  You know, an aquatic car that also flies, with guns under the headlights and taillights, maybe bulletproof, and probably self-driving as well.


Anyway, my brother picked little Tiki up last week, made sure he was running, and got him ready for travel.  Richard made arrangements with a vehicle shipper, and Tiki was picked up and loaded onto a truck for his trip across country.  It took just over a week, and we now have a happy car reunion!

He'll adjust to this new coast, and we'll adjust to driving around on the labyrinth of streets and highways and pikes that make up the New Jersey roads.


30 May 2020

On our walks, I always notice the flowers and take photos.  I do love flowers, however short their lives might be.  But now, we seem to find all sorts of quirky lawn ornaments.   

One house surrounded by trees on three sides had a lovely little wishing well filled with flowers.  They also somehow had an odd wooden two-legged deer propped up against the tree.  No idea why no one carved four legs when they were creating this deer of wood, but hey, who am I to argue?

Another house had old random bits of furniture planted with flowers: an old stove, an old school desk and chair, a bed headboard, an old treadle sewing machine table.  Gorgeous flowers and amusing little planters of repurposed furniture.

There were the usual little cement animals, including a happy rabbit family.  And a few elegant herons in some kind of metal casting.

The elementary school nearby has a school garden, not well maintained with schools closed at the moment.  But the clematis filling the tub were looking gorgeous, and I also enjoyed the cement stepping stones in the garden, embellished with glass marbles.

The school must have a creative art teacher - there are several panels of plastic-bottle-top mosaics hanging on the exterior of the school.  Really, each spot of color is a bottle cap.  What a great art and science lesson about plastics, re-using or recycling or upcycling non-biodegradable items!

And the peonies are especially beautiful right now.

I have one more chapter of what happened this week, but it's going to be enough for an entire blog post unto itself, so please check back for another pandemic break!