So, How's everybody doing?

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

To all the one's who've got IT, how are you feeling?

To all the one's who've not got IT (yet), are you staying safe?

Alan

[Rick]

Staying safe. Staying home and staring out the window like a lonesome dog. It's been one month today since I've been out.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

You don't go out at all?

Alan

[WolfVanZandt]

My 7 days of isolation is up tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that shower tonight. The isolation has been much worse than the virus.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Good to hear you made it through. We didn't have to do isolation as such. We both had it and we're the only ones here. We're long past recovery periods but we're still gunshy about being around the grandkids.

I missed out on donating for the plasma thing. No positive test. I'll bet they'll still take a bag of blood though.

Alan

[crashdive123]

Doing well. Going out for walks every day. Going out for groceries as wanted (needed is such an over used word). Finished putting a roof on the pergola that I built. Yard is looking good. Neighbors are good. Life is good.

I kind of get a kick out of the complaining that I hear about being isolated. After over 20 years in Submarines........this is a piece of cake......and I can go out and buy cake if I want it.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Doing well. Going out for walks every day. Going out for groceries as wanted (needed is such an over used word). Finished putting a roof on the pergola that I built. Yard is looking good. Neighbors are good. Life is good.

I kind of get a kick out of the complaining that I hear about being isolated. After over 20 years in Submarines........this is a piece of cake......and I can go out and buy cake if I want it.

Isolation with 130 some odd other guys, but no cake.

Alan

[pete lynch]

Doing well. Working everyday with few restrictions other than following guidlines.

[Rick]

Nope. Between what I have canned and frozen I don't need a thing. I am not going to the store in this mess and take a chance on ending up in the ICU or worse. I'm making a blackberry cobbler today from berries I had in the freezer. I had one last week, too. Besides, it's still winter up here and the numbers are still going up. So, Netflix is your friend.

[madmax]

We're fine. Practicing social distancing yet hiking everyday. Kelly is handling the few students (and parents that care) on line and through zoom. My balance is coming back and I got on the mountainbike yesterday. Got some tomato plants in the ground and herb seeds planted. I'm not too hip to Kelly going back to school for the last month of her teaching career. Gov DeSantis is being one of the more aggressive govs in getting us back to "normal". So I guess we have to take the good with the bad. I hope if the kids go back he opens the boat ramps, campgrounds, and beaches. The kids will spread it faster than people on the beach. Ask any elementary school teacher.

[LowKey]

Mostly working from home but have been sent to a few jobsites to do field verifications. So far those sites have all been monitored because they are state or fed gov operated - the only things still allowed to be open under construction. Mask required. Temp taken before you get through the gate. Decontam in the garage when back at home. Not happy about it much as I have an immune-compromised person in the household but the state is about 6 weeks behind on figuring out how to handle all the unemployment claims now. Shoulda just said "Yes, thanks" when I was offered a furlough 4 weeks ago.
Otherwise, don't need to go out. After the initial week, I had it down. Could go another 4 months on supplies and starting to get green onions and lettuce from the garden.

Anyone got their check yet? I didn't have direct deposit on my tax return so waiting for my autographed check from the IRS. I hear that's delayed as well but not for lack of trying on their part, it seems.

[WolfVanZandt]

I used to work on a lay barge. Interesting life.

The difference with this isolation is inactivity. It's going to take a few days before I can get back to my regular routine. But I'm happy to be out of that room.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Wolf, good to hear you're out of the woods, or uh, back in the woods....



Seems like all I did while they were locking things down was run around managing to set foot in seven states. Now that things are getting back to some kind of normal I'm staying home. Finally got to see two grandkids. It was great! Two down, four to go...

We're picking green beans, eating green beans, giving away green beans.... I planted two 75 foot rows of them and one whole row didn't come up, thank goodness...

Plenty of onions. The spinach and turnips are about to bolt, broccoli didn't make at all. Lots of carrots. I always plant a bunch and the grandkids pick them at Easter. No grandkids or Easter this year, still lots of carrots left. Dug the first potatoes yesterday and put in about 20 some odd tomato plants and some banana peppers and sweet peppers. The only hot peppers I planted this year were poblanos and just two of them. I guess my hot pepper days are over. Last ones tore me up, especially jalapenos.

I had some calavasa seeds that I'd hidden away and forgotten for about 40 years. I found them during the move and planted them this year. Out of probably 30 seeds I have one(1) plant sprouting. They are the big green with dark stripes Mexican calavasas. We'll see. If I can get one plant and one squash I'll have plenty of seed. Also planted cucumber, cantaloupe, cucumber, lima beans, yellow squash and zucchini seeds and now it's raining. So far so good. The okra is up.

Next week, another row of green beans, and a big purple hull pea patch.

Glad everyone is still kicking around.

Alan

[Phaedrus]

It sounds like everyone's getting by pretty well!

[WolfVanZandt]

Sounds like a dream. Most of my life I dreamed of having a garden, and now that I have plenty of time, the two things my heart condition won't let me do is bend and stoop. With so much irony, maybe I could be a blacksmith.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Well, there's certainly some bending and stooping involved in the conventional, traditional way of gardening. But, there are less labor intensive methods that produce good results.

For years my cousin grew a great garden using "no till" methods. He had a thick mat of hay over an area that he had tilled initially, but never did again. He would scratch down through the hay to the composting layer and plant his seeds. When the seedlings were up he'd pull the hay back around them and they were good to go. He'd pour a little miracle grow on them periodically but that was it. I never could get that style to work for me. It worked great for him.

Another lady I know puts square bales with the straw on end-to-end digs out a hole in them for some dirt and tomato plants, and keeps them watered and fertilizes with MG. Just sticks a cage in the straw.

Alan

[Rick]

You could also do container gardening. Doesn't take a lot to do container gardening. Not much more than taking care of flowers.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Around here a lot of the ranchers feed molasses to cattle. There's tons of those black "molasses" tubs around and a lot of folks use them for container gardening.

They just cut some holes in the bottom for drainage, put some rocks and sand in about 6 inches and fill the rest with topsoil mixed with a little store boughten dirt.

Alan

[crashdive123]

All of my gardening is container gardening (Earth Boxes). Very little bending and stooping involved (especially with the containers on a raised platform).

[WolfVanZandt]

That's probably what I would have to do. On the other hand one of my housemates is really into it. She has no difficulty with the physical part of gardening.

[Rick]

Well, there you go. Sounds like she's in need of a supervisor.

[oldsoldier]

Staying safe. Staying home and staring out the window like a lonesome dog. It's been one month today since I've been out.
I've got a couple of extra leashes. Should I come take you for a walk?

[oldsoldier]

Being a sacrafical.......er...... essential worker ( somebodys gotta haul the booze and GOLF BALLS) it's pretty much business as usual for me.

[Rick]

Yeah, you can do that. LOL

[crashdive123]

I go shooting a few times a week (my gun range has individual ranges separated by cinder block walls. I walk a few miles every day. Finished up a few projects around the house. Time to start working on a few knives.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

.... Time to start working on a few knives.

Well now, THAT is encouraging! Have you ever done one of your "Bird and Trout" types with a sheepsfoot type blade?

Alan

[crashdive123]

Well now, THAT is encouraging! Have you ever done one of your "Bird and Trout" types with a sheepsfoot type blade?

Alan

I've done a few. Let me see what I can come up with.

[BENESSE]

Despite everything around us, I count our blessings every single day. Just having running water and electricity makes a huge difference. The stores are well stocked and on Saturday even found the "good" TP after 4 weeks of empty shelves. I didn't need it but then I never wait til I need something anyway.

I do go out a couple of times a week for fresh fruit and veggies but could stay put for several months if need be. What we miss most is going out to the park, socializing with friends and dining out in our favorite restaurants. We also miss not knowing when we could travel next. Having a trip to look forward to has made the daily grind more bearable.

All in all, not bad for us so far but my heart aches for all those who have been affected and whose lives will never be the same.