This last weekend we installed two more large raised beds in the vegetable garden, which is great news on the food-growing front. We knew we were running against time in trying to get to Lowe's before things got really bad out there, virus-wise. One of our strategies was actually not to go first thing in the morning, as a lot of people have been doing, but instead going a half-hour before closing time.
At 9:30 pm, the home improvement store is an interesting place. Lacking the usual hustle and bustle of daytime hours, you have the aisles to yourselves. And strangely, the music changes, too, to dance mixes -- guess the kids on night shift get to pick the store's P.A. music. This leaves open the wonderful possibilities of mini-dance parties in the lighting or hardware aisles (done it; the lighting aisle is the most fun).
But of course we're not (only) there to dance, we're also there to get building supplies and seeds.Our food growing capacity has never been more important to us, especially if we want to stay the hell out of the produce section at the store. We're hoping that maybe by May, we'll be coming into enough peas, broccoli, cilantro and lettuce in our back pasture to keep our menus varied enough that there won't be Black Friday-style fights over fresh produce between Big Ag and I as we stay in lockdown together.
That's actually a joke; there is no one else I'd rather be in quarantine with. You can certainly tell the strength of a marriage during difficult times with lots of togetherness. We might bicker like crazy driving around Portland on a plain old Saturday afternoon, but when we're both stuck at home and faced with each others' company 24/7, we actually do really well.
I have scheduled two virtual cocktail hours with friends, and that's been fun. FaceTime has never been more needed!
Hope your isolation has been easy and your quarantinis are being served cold with plenty of olives.
I've found the same, going in to stores late and with few other shoppers. Works for me since I'm much more night owl and much less early bird. And cheers to homegrown goodness!
ReplyDeleteIt's been kind of fun in an eerie sort of way. When I lived in Los Angeles, I worked nights for many years, and actually had a "Night Directory" of businesses open 24 hours. Everything from grocery stores to dentists. There's a whole other life out there! Glad you are keeping well in all this strangeness, it looks like SLO County residents are being pretty good about staying inside. At least that's how it looks from the CalTrans webcams in your region. I still lurk there on occasion!
DeleteDidn't think to peep at CalTrans webcams, but I will now! We are hunkered down, walking only in the neighborhood but very grateful to have a big backyard along one of the creeks in town. I miss walking on the beach though, that is always the best medicine.
DeleteI can't believe they are not letting residents walk on the beach right now! Surely social distancing and a good sea breeze would remove any contagion issues. If you have a dog, maybe you could walk your dog on the beach, since, technically, exercise and dog walking are both allowed.
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