Sunday Salon/Coronavirus Diaries, 4th edition

Is it a grandson or a dinosaur?

Weather: Rain and shine, intermittently.

At home: We, like most people in the USA, are home, unless we walk the dog or make a quick trip for food, trying desperately to avoid contact with other humans while doing so. I watched a video about how to disinfect groceries and that was going one step too far for me. Since we aren't out in the world there is not a lot to report so I decided to spend this post highlighting some of the good aspects of this time of social distancing/stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Good things:

Bingley on a walk this past week in a wooded forest park near our home

Bad photo but the woodpecker is in the center of the frame with red head.

• Daily walks with the dog. He loves it and it helps keep us all sane. Last weekend we walked in a wooded park right near our home and discovered a fitness course that meandered around in the trees. We heard and then located a Pileated woodpecker who was busy searching for bugs on a dead snag. This week, due to rain, we have stayed much closer to home, just walking around the block on a few days. 
• Finding things to laugh about. We can't take the coronavirus news 24-7, so we take humor breaks often. One of those funny things I found on Facebook was the group: Crap Wildlife Photography. It is a place for people to post their bad animal photos and they all make me laugh. The photo I posted as my first submission as a group members was a photo taken in Alaska of sea otters with their pups. The only problem, the animals are so far off the coast, they look like little black spots on the water. Whenever I look at it, I end up laughing. The photo, above of the woodpecker, would probably qualify as a crap wildlife photo.
• Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream. All this hand washing has been driving my skin absolutely bonkers. I developed a rash on my hands that itched and cracked from dryness. Then I started using this skin cream, just a little goes a long way and I have been saved! 
• Phone calls and FaceTime. We have heard from several close and far away friends and family members. It is good to know that others are thinking of us as we are thinking of them.
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• Puzzles and games. We have completed our third puzzle and played lots of games...you know, those activities that you enjoy doing but never get around to? Now there is no excuse not to break them out and have some fun. One game that we both seem to like is one our daughter introduced to us this last Christmas break, Qwixx. It a quick game, usually lasting less than ten minutes.
• Follow some good advice to avoid the virus. This advice from a bone-marrow transplant patient is practical and easy to follow.  And this interview with Trevor Noah and Dr. Fauci and the virus is the best I've heard and the easiest to understand. (It is long, 13 minutes, so get some tea and settle in.

• Video Church on zoom. This morning about 25 members from our church gathered on Zoom to worship together. We even had a chance for a coffee break with a smaller group of people. 
• Weirdly good news:  Crime rate in NYC is down, way down. (Washington Post)/// China has passed a ban on trade and consumption of wild animals (Reuters).///Air quality in LA has improved measurably for the past three weeks straight (LA Curbed).///Many people and companies are doing selfless acts of heroism. Read the list in this article. It will make you smile. (The Hill)

• Books (of course). I finished The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. Fantastic book. I am still reading: Lonesome Dove, All the Songs, The Book of Books, and It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Today I will start Fleishman is in Trouble.
• And this...more of Carly's cats photos. She sends us pictures every day. Every day I thank God that those two boys went to live with our daughter just in the nick of time to keep her company and entertained.

-Anne