Circle the Wagons

Whatever day this is, whatever week this is, (because they are starting to blur,) I’m beginning to mark time passing by the food supply being depleted and if it’s time to wash clothes.  Unless I accomplish a project that can be a landmark, the miles of these days look very much the same.
 

I’ve been lucky to have spent time along the Oregon Trail, the expedition of Lewis and Clark, and other historical routes that our forefathers trekked to discover “somewhere” else. I’ve stood and  viewed museum displays that offered a glimpse into those wagons and what life might have been like on “the trail.” Momma’s wore  their treasured sewing needles in a tiny case like jewelry.  She  knew she would need a needle  to make and repair clothing for her family and most likely, stitch a wound or two. Men always had a pocketknife and it was a heirloom to pass down. There is a trail across America of large pieces of furniture that were considered essential when the wagon train left the east, but discarded along the way as unessential. The weight, the bulk, the impracticality of pianos, chairs and stylish clothing  was left behind as they pushed on. 

My imaginative self like to step into their sturdy shoes for a bit and try to picture what that life was like. No real direction, maybe occasional wheel ruts of those who had passed this way before to mark the way. But of course, those gouges in the dirt don’t signpost whether it was the best way or not, they just say someone else was here before you.

Keep imagining with me, and realize we are on a similar route right now in our world. No one really knows the road, and we hope we can learn from those that are ahead of us to mark the best way. There are many things that have been discarded because it’s just impractical or too much of a burden. We’ve discovered in our crazy, fast lives that we can actually slow down, and not attend an event every night, or need sports and celebrities to fill our time. We’ve decelerated enough to see some beauty along the way. Those homesteaders had time to smell the grasses of the prairie and recognize the different songbirds trills. We’ve taken more walks and listened to our family members in conversations that wouldn’t have taken place this time last year. 

The wagon trails worked together as a community crossing the wide, unknown. Tales were shared about the dangers that might be ahead. Of course, Hollywood has given us lots of images of how dangerous life was with wild animals and attacking Indians. But the thing that is worth noting, when it came time to build camp and be safe, what did they do? They circled the wagons. Why? Of course, it was easier to protect each other if all were within the boundaries of those wagon walls.

We are headed down a unknown trail. We are hoping and praying those leading this expedition are watching and listening for all the markers to keep us on the right and safest path  possible. We trust our city and state leaders, our hospitals and medical experts as they give us instructions of how to follow along. 

I  hope and pray that we “circle the wagons” and protect our community from outside dangers that might harm us. We are headed into what we Grand Lakers know and love as tourist season. People coming from who knows where to bring who knows what into our place. 

This is going to be a tough on our area’s economy, but “safer at home” will mean, don’t come into our camp. How will our leaders handle tourists, second home owners, and relatives that want to slide  into our area? “Safer at home” means circle the wagons. We’ve got to protect each other. Stay safe on the trail.

We Saw and Smelled

Our trip to Peru and Ecuador back on January 27^th of this year wasn’t affected by the travel bans that are grounding everyone now. I count it as a blessing that the multifaceted tour of two countries over three weeks was everything we hoped it would be. Husband Doug, edited hours of video footage and thousands of photos to put together a beautiful video that reminds us of what we saw and experienced. (it’s on our www.goodtogowithpb.com website if you would like to do some armchair traveling) Doug and I often comment that it’s a shame you can’t capture the smell and the feel of the atmosphere in places. However, many  times we can see the picture and our brain brings the rest of the memory in place, the aroma, the temperature, the sounds. We just needed that prompt of a visual image. 
 

I once visited a museum in Scotland, the first that I had ever been in that used the sense of smell to bring the exhibits to life. It was really more of an attraction than a museum. We got in these little roller coaster-like cars and rode through a medieval castle and the cobblestones of a  period village. The realistic displays of everyday life were well done, and there was a soundtrack that added the noise of the street and the sounds of the animals, but there was the smell. Yep, the scene became alot more realistic when we rolled through the area of the castle where the horses and sheep were kept. The smell of the burning peat fires was always present. And I’ll never forget going through the market where the fishmonger had her pile of dead fish… and what that smelled like! Some of the travelers didn’t care for the experience at all, but it certainly made an impression. For the life of me, I can remember the name of the place or the exact city, but I recall the experience.

We made some memories with our senses in Peru as well. Of course, most everyone is familiar with the amazing scenery that says Macchu Pichu. But we added a few layers to those images. We learned about the various types of llamas and alpacas. Each one is bred for a different purpose. The quality of their wool in the textile market has quite a range in price. We pet them, felt them and yes… smelled them.

We visited a traditional Peruvian  home. The small cooking fire in the tiny mud brick room certainly made everything from the blankets to the hostess smell like wood smoke. Dried fish and meats hung from the rafters adding to the aroma, even though they looked like they had been there awhile. But there was the  bouquet of fresh grass in the room. That’s because the home had a large pen of Cuy in the corner. We know “cuy” better as guinea pigs and these colorful rat-like creatures are a source of food -- not pets. They live in or near the home and are fed grass which they nibble on like rabbits. Cuy aren’t eaten on a regular basis, they are expensive and saved for special occasions or to offer the tourists. They are roasted whole and served on a stick or on a platter. Head, feet, teeth and all in place. The taste is something like rabbit or wild game with lots of small bones. The smell of roasted meat comes to mind as I look at the pictures.

Maybe with some extra time on your hands you might take a trip down memory lane. Look through some photo albums of past trips and see and smell your way through some memories.

Slivers of Silver

In some ways I feel like Bill Murray in the movie “Groundhog Day” where he keeps repeating the same day over and over and over. Our alarm goes off and my fuzzy brain tries to process where am I going and what am I doing today? Then the “repeat” mode kicks in and I realize, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not doing much. With a bit more clarity, I remember this crazy, world pandemic, state of emergency crisis we are in and I wish it was a movie. And I wish I could wake up and it wasn’t happening. But, it’s real.
 

I toted my teacup to my chair where God and I have some serious conversations. To be honest, I do most of the talking. I was already sighing with the “When will this end?” “What is going to happen?” and “I hate this!”stuff, and a line in my little daily devotion book caught my eye. Basically, it said God doesn’t like His kids to grumble, appreciation is a better approach.  Hmmmm, I usually consider myself to be a fairly positive person, but maybe there are others out there that could use some help finding some good. Maybe if I look around a bit, I can find some slivers of silver lining amidst all this anxiety. 

I’m so proud of our community and how folks realize that there are some businesses that really need support right now. The hospitality industry is taking a big hit, and trying to keep our money local is important. My dentist once told me to only brush the teeth I wanted to keep, we can apply that to this situation. Support the businesses that you want to be there when this levels out. The big boys will be back, it’s the lil’ guys that need a hand now. Consider calling and buying a gift certificate or paying for a future service.

I love hearing stories about how the home schooling is going. This might be the best thing ever to show the value of a public school system, campus, teachers and curriculum. Let’s hear a cheer!

Speaking of what’s going on on the home front, this quarantine is a like being grounded, together. When was the last time your clan spent so much time under the same roof? We have been mandated to spend time with our family, which should be a gift.

Occasionally there is a bit of positive on the news. Did you see where the NBA Pelican player paid the salaries of the arena despite no games? Fans have been forced to live without sports, but that player knew there were some workers that needed the work in sports to live. Zion Williamson is 19 years old. The New Orleans Zoo named a newly hatched penguin chick after him.  Zion. How cool is all of that?

There are more silver linings and I plan to discuss them, here. Stay with me with you want some good news.

How About Some Good News?

Please take a moment to soak this wonderful news in. It deserves to be shouted from the mountaintops, but amid the storm of fear, it has lost its volume. Not for me.
 

We are going to get our Fire and Tornado Safety Trailer. The order has been placed with the manufacturer. The money, around $100,000 is collected and ready for payment in full. This is a big deal. If you (for some unknown reason) are clueless, let me catch you up to speed. This has been a year and a half in the works. At one time our Grove Fire Department owned a little trailer that they took to schools and events to educate children on fire safety. It filled with “smoke” and children of all ages took away life saving skills. The firefighters literally wore the trailer out. It needed replaced. So a small team of movers and shakers started in with fundraising. We worked with professional photographer RC Livesay to produce a Fire Fighters Calendar. Chris Lietzke wrote grants and gently twisted arms, Sandy Coaly organized a “Fill the Fireman Boot with Change” drive, Sharon Lebow threw a community wide pancake party, Pam Sitton was supply and demand of calendar sales. I got in front of  every group or individual that would listen to our dream. 

One of those  groups I had the honor to address was the Grove High School C.O.W. organization. An acronym for Changing Our World (COW), the goal of these ambitious 9^th-12^th graders is to raise funds for a community project that will create change. (aren’t you already loving this?) This year the group of 27 selected our trailer, the fire and tornado classroom on wheels, knowing that educating a child means educating a family. 

It was quite an ambitious monetary goal and our small group was about half way there. The C.O.W kids jumped in and over. As the picture in the paper showed, $48,323 was revealed at the final assembly. These kids were more than amazing. Mrs. Donnetta Kerr,  their sponsor, helped with the planning, but the students did the work.  5K runs, T-shirt sales, Donkey Basketball games, a pageant,  a dog show, a fashion show, a talent show, dances and  crazy student activities to generate funds. The C.O.W. kids saddled up and ran the show. As I worked, volunteered and watched with them, they were more than I ever dreamed. They were organized. They were kind. They were encouraging. They were mature. They were successful.  They did  it. The C.O.W. kids put us over the moon.

Not only will our community and four state area benefit from the trailer and what it will do for safety education, our world will benefit from having outstanding young adults as our future leaders. We couldn’t be anymore happy and proud of this project. This is good news for all of us. 

Thank you to all that helped, big and small, we did it. Together as a community. Good News, soak it in.

Taking Extra Steps When Traveling

My last article was about the Corona Virus. If it sounded like I wasn’t taking it serious enough, I have continued my reading. In fact the recommendations for taking care of one’s health while traveling not only apply to this recent outbreak, but also is a good advice for any sojourner.


It’s good practice to travel prepared with alcohol wipes to regularly disinfect surfaces that get handled frequently (your phone is filthy!) On the plane, you can also use a wipe to clean off your tray table, armrests, and seatbelt. This may be more peace of mind than science, but it will help clean up the last passenger’s spills.

 Regardless of whether there’s a new coronavirus circulating, staying away from animals when you travel (even that cute stray cat or dog) is a sensible precaution. They likely carry bugs and germs that your body isn’t used to.

It’s wise to keep your distance from sick people, the recommendation is three feet. No hugs, kisses, or handshakes. Cruise lines have eliminated this practice for years. Smile big, nod your head and don’t make it weird.

At restaurants, do an extra hand wash, ideally after you’ve given back the menu and before you start to eat. At a buffet, only put food on a clean plate; don’t bring your used plate back to the smorgasbord.

We have traveled when the news was full of Bird Flu and Hoof and Mouth Disease. Images on television made it appear people were practically in HazMat suits. (OK, I’m exaggerating) But know that many Asians wear masks at all times, it’s easy to film pictures of that. They guard against pollution and the germs of over-population. If you’re sick, wearing a mask is a courtesy to the people around you. You’ll be less likely to spread your illness when you cough, sneeze, laugh or talk.
Fodor’s Travel writes, “There is no recommendation to wear a mask to prevent getting sick yourself unless you are in close contact with a sick person. The CDC is recommending that caregivers wear a disposable mask when touching a person sick with COVID-19 or when they have contact with the person’s body fluids, like disposing of their used tissues.”

If you are sick, stay home and avoid traveling. Your would-be fellow passengers will appreciate you protecting them (even if it’s just from the common cold). Given the increased monitoring since the discovery of the new coronavirus, travelers who do show signs of illness could be prevented from boarding a plane, cruise, train, or bus. Many airports and seaports have installed thermal imaging cameras to scan people as they walk by. Anyone showing a fever is pulled aside for additional questioning and maybe quarantine.

If you exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus—fever, cough, and difficulty breathing—follow the instructions of your health care provider as soon as possible. Usually, this means calling ahead to your doctor or hospital so that they can take precautions to isolate you from other patients while they carry out testing. Be sure to advise doctors if you’ve been traveling.

It’s important to know what your travel insurance (if you have taken it) will cover as far as cancellations. If you are ill and can’t travel, it will require a doctor’s letter that travel isn’t possible. Just being worried about getting sick, won’t be covered unless your insurance is a “cancel for any reason” policy.

If the virus isn’t bad enough, Scams related to COVID-19 are also starting to emerge. For example, there are  reports that criminals are using the government sounding  names to steal personal information and money. I think that is sick.

I’m still Good to Go, but I will travel with my Airborne tablets, my hand sanitizer, my wet-wipes, and will nod more and shake hands less.

I’m Still Good to Go

Well, I just hate this. I would much rather see you in town and you ask me about my latest adventure or where I’m headed next. But when the greeting is “Aren’t you scared to travel? What about that Corona Virus, are you cancelling trips?”
 

In no way do I mean to diminish the importance of being aware of what is happening with this prevalent concern. What I do wish to do is keep travelers informed and calm while this episode plays out. No one can predict what is around the corner (although our media tries) so getting overly anxious about a hypothetical situation isn’t a plan. So let’s look at what we KNOW. In reading many credible travel publications, here is some basic information.

In early January 2020, China and the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the identification of a new virus. It stems from several cases of pneumonia identified in Wuhan, a city in the Chinese province of Hubei, on December 31, 2019. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes coronaviruses as a type of virus that causes a fever and symptoms of the upper respiratory system like a sore throat, coughing, and a runny nose. Sometimes coronaviruses can cause more severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, illnesses of the lower respiratory system like bronchitis and pneumonia, and sometimes death. Other coronaviruses include the common cold, as well as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Disease).

Unfortunately, Cold and flu viruses generally change, which is why we keep getting sick from them and why we are encouraged to get a flu vaccine every year. 

According to Fodor’s Magazine, “Scientists pay close attention to new viruses because they don’t know how they’ll behave and how dangerous they might be. For example, a virus that’s contagious only when the infected person is clearly sick and that causes only minor symptoms isn’t a big concern. But a virus that transmits rapidly, especially before an infected person even realizes they’re sick, is more dangerous, as is one that causes severe symptoms. Viruses that are transmitted by direct contact, like touching mucus membranes or bodily fluids, are easier to control than smaller viruses (like measles and chickenpox) that are transmitted through the air by floating on dust particles.”

SARS-CoV-2 is called a “large virus that lives on droplets” by Dr. Chris Mackie, a Canadian doctor. Gravity pulls a heavy virus toward the floor and Mackie says SARS-CoV-2 could be propelled a distance of one or “mayyyyybe two” yards via a cough or sneeze.

So this is why travelers (think cruise ships) are being quarantined and areas in the East are on lock down.  Fodor’s also reported that, “On February 12, the number of new COVID-19 cases jumped by 33%, but this was largely due to a new method of diagnosing the illness.” the diagnosis method was changed “to include all those patients [in China] who have been hospitalized and have pneumonia,” even though the results of a positive culture test weren’t yet available. The good news? The new method allows doctors to treat and isolate patients more quickly. The bad news? The increased number of people being treated have given the media material to create a travel fear frenzy.

Until there is an actual travel ban to the place you have plans, the up-to-date sites and bloggers encourage people to follow the advice of health experts and the chances of getting sick from this new coronavirus remains slim. Actually, the advice is pretty easy and something we should be doing anyway during the cold and flu season. Fodor’s recommends the following and so do I!

·         Wash Your Hands: A 20-second scrub using warm running water and soap is best Then, rinse with clean water and dry your hands. If you don’t have access to a sink, using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is fine. Regardless, wash your hands often: certainly after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose; before you prepare food; before and after eating, and after using the restroom. And throw those used tissues away immediately (and then wash your hands!).

·         Avoid Touching Your Face: Most viruses and bacteria enter the body through mucous membranes like the mouth, nose, and eyes. It’s easy to re-contaminate your hands after washing them, so keeping your hands away from your face is the best way to prevent germs of any type from getting in you and making you sick.

·         Cough and Sneeze Into Your Elbow: Yes, covering your cough or sneeze with your hand is preferable to spraying all those tiny virus droplets directly into the air. But then you’ve contaminated your hand and you’ll inevitably touch something or someone. So, make a new habit of coughing/sneezing into the inside of your elbow. And while you’re at it, break that other habit of crossing your arms and putting your hands right onto your sneeze spots.

·         Note:  fake coronavirus news is spreading so fast that the WHO calling it an “infodemic.” Make sure your information comes from a credible source and not just making news.

Galloping around the Galapagos

Our adventure to South America didn’t stop with Peru. While we were in that corner of the world we took a week to explore the Galapagos Islands. Our flight into Quito was where we started the Ecuador part of our tour. Ecuador, like Peru, has plenty of beautiful woven handicrafts to offer at every turn, but they claim their chocolate is the best… and I can testify for the warm, creamy version that was served with every breakfast. The Andes Mountains continue up the western sea coast. Ecuador is number three for number of volcanoes, there are 211. Combine that with 15 languages and 17 ½ million people, wearing the “original” panama hat (they claim), this is quite a place to live.

Our tour guide told us that florals were the number one export, with the country raising most of the world’s long-stemmed roses. He gave credit to the great number of sunny days and the location near the equator to make the beauties grow straight and strong. We were surprised to learn that Russia imports huge numbers of roses averaging a price of $180 a dozen. The same dozen would bring $80 in the US, and there were locals selling them on every corner there, $5 for 25 roses. The same guide said it’s cheaper to fall in love in Ecuador.
 

My National Geography idea of what was in Ecuador and especially the Galapagos Islands consists of two things, the giant tortoise and the Blue Footed Booby bird. After that, I planned on being surprised. We joined a lovely cruise ship that was home to around 100 guests. Lucky for us, there were only about 75 cruisers onboard so we had plenty of room to take advantage of the hot tubs, exercise room and lounge area. More and more people are heading to the isles; they have about 300,000 visitors a year. With the increased traffic comes the need to monitor and control the impact on these small islands. Permits are limited. The islands existing in the Pacific Ocean have been declared a National Preserve since 1959. Only a few have any residents on them.

The rest are totally natural; no electricity, no buildings, no sidewalks, no docks. They are remains of volcanic activity and the soil and rocks have that pumice look and feel. I expected jungle growth, but I was wrong. Some of the islands barely have trees. I couldn’t help but think if I was shipwrecked and landed on a deserted island… this would be it.

Because it’s a National Preserve, the birds and wildlife have no fear of humans. Sea lions lounge around like teenagers even making similar grunting and grumbling sounds. Some curious ones would venture right up to us for a closer look. We got some fun underwater pictures while snorkeling of one particular nosy guy. He seemed quite happy to swim with us. We tiptoed around ground nests of Blue Footed Boobies and viewed the Red Footed Boobies in their tree nests. Only found here and quite different in how they survive on these rock piles with giant iguanas as neighbors. 

The Frigates were a favorite. The large black feathered bird has a long split tail which reminded us of the Oklahoma Scissortail Flycatcher. But these bad boys are the birds you’ve seen on nature programs that have the HUGE, bright red balloon under their beak that they puff out to impress the girls. We must have been there on a Saturday night because the males were really strutting their color! 

The big tortoises have been secluded to a sanctuary to help them repopulate. They can live to be 100 or better but they have been over-harvested like other creatures on the planet. Seamen discovered they could keep them alive without food or water while being hauled to Europe to be used for lamp oil. Of course, this no longer happens, but the sanctuary gives the little guys a head start by keeping them safe from birds to pick up and chomp down.

We will probably not be able to enjoy a zoo again after having the opportunity to explore some of these interesting creatures in their natural environment. We loved the passion the guides and naturalists had as they shared our experiences. We should all be so committed to our corners of the world.