Troubling update from Cuba

I received his update about 10pm Sunday (3/29)/2020:

After four days here in xxxxxx, Cuba, under a mandatory lockdown inside our home, I’ve spent a lot of time in our rocking chair out on our balcony reading (“Splendid and the Vile,” by Eric Larson) and observing the certain changes in the daily behavior of the thousands of pedestrians, bicyclists, etc., dashing here and there on the street below. Likewise on several occasions I’ve been out; on my bicycle also, scurrying about with them, searching for necessities for our survival: water, food and to get things that were broken heretofore, repaired. Hence, I’ve had a birds eye view of the sense of urgency that has been cast upon the citizens as they attempt to face head on, comprehend, and adjust to the inevitable. The arrival of an invisible enemy (Covid-19) that has been long talked about by their government and its media apparatus. But now a stark reality of a possible death within their midst; abounds! And if you recall from my previous report. Last Tuesday the twenty fourth of March everything changed when the government here in our city closed the schools, virtually all public establishments, and told every one to go to their homes and stay; especially the children, and stay their with few exceptions. But since then; I’ve noticed a gradual up-tick in pedestrian activity here in the city. And at least ninety percent of them, or waring face mask as they move back and forth. I believe the reason for this increase in pedestrian activity is because many essential services have been ordered to reopen. And a good number of these individuals are waring federal uniforms of all kinds. And that most government offices have scheduled their employees to return to there workplaces for security reasons, to prevent looting and be available for vital services if needed. Thereupon each employee is working at least one day a week or more as a guard in his or her place of employment. For example, yesterday a friend, neighbor and a boss here in the city pounded on our door and shouted, “Yxxxxx (my wife), I need a mask! Well, I need five face mask to be exact, because no one is allowed to go into our office building without one.” Then he handed my wife the money in advance of making them, “but I’ve got to have one for me, right now,” he continued speaking to my wife’s mother Nxxxxx who didn’t have a single one completed. Then Yxxxxxx took upon the task and hurried back to her machine, made one, walked downstairs and handed it to her mother within 3o minutes. Then Yxxxxx walked on over to the clients home to inform him that one of the 5 he wanted was ready, but he wasn’t there so she returned, but as she approached our’s and her mother’s doors, she noticed her mother taking money from another customer through her door, then Yxxxxx asked her. “What are you doing mama?” “I sold him a mask, what do you think?” she murmured. “What mask?” Yxxxxx asked. Her mother stared at her with absolute amazement spread all over her face while pondering the question, this I was told. Then her mother exclaimed! “ The mask you just handed me!” “What!, I made that was for the neighbor, and he has already paid-for it! The words ejaculated from my wife’s lips. “WTF!” So down the stairs I bounded to witness the misunderstanding, between my wife and her mother, but after a few choice words and some deadly facial expressions passing back and forth between them, they both shook their heads smiled and resumed the task of producing the five mask they were under obligation to produce before the customer returned to take them, at eleven. Then, on another occasion; just this past Friday, a sweet little lady rushed up to Yxxxxx’s mother’s door, desperately needing a mask; on her face, before entering her place of employment. Nxxxxx promptly handed her one through the door and the lady handed Nxxxxx the payment, neatly folded. Then after taking the money, Nxxxxx turned her back to the entrance and headed toward her work station 3 or 4 yards back inside her home, but just before she reached the back of the chair she was anticipating taking a seat on, she discovered in her hands only half the money she had charged for the mask; “she wailed,” to the top of her voice. Yxxxxx’s sister ran to the door and stuck her head beyond the jamb and looked right, there she saw the woman as she turned right at the corner 30 yards away and then, out of sight. Yxxxxx leaped from the door landed on her feet in a full stride toward the corner, there she looked around it but the woman had vanished. Pissed! Because, we had no drinking water in the home, so I was forced to take a perilous trip on my bike to refill one of two, of our six gallon empty water jugs and procure a few other items on a growing list of things we needed to acquire while I was out. But because I had a couple of “spokes” broken away from the rear rim of my bicycle, I was afraid to load the additional weight of water (50 pounds), upon the rear wheel for fear of breaking another spoke, so as a precaution, I stopped by a repair shop to have the two broken ones replaced, and the others fine turned. Done, I dashed directly to a nearby outdoor market: purchased a few more pounds of black beans; a staple in times like this, a couple of large papayas, a string of garlic and some onions, then over to the ice cream factory, and filled the jug I carried with fresh water to drink. But, during my quest for our necessities I couldn’t help but notice, all but a few people scurrying about including myself were waring face masks that reflected every color of a rainbow, and also moving about with a sense of purpose. And not one person was dawdling an attribute of Cuban society, and another attribute of the Cuban culture is that the older kids play kick ball in the middle of the streets for entertainment when not in school. As a result of the present danger that activity has disappeared too along with our grandchildren which I’ve not seen since the lockdown was announced last Tuesday. But I’ve heard that some of the younger children, within different neighborhoods had been venturing out of their homes and into the streets to play,... but that activity was squashed immediately by the authorities who announced over the radio, as well, for this activity to cease, and if seen by anyone; any where, please call the police. Long lines prevail wherever: food, paper products, soap, oil, toothpaste, etc., are for sale. Not because those wanted items are in short supply, but because of the exponential rise in prices of everything essential. And with out a doubt. Heretofore the virus too, was was kilometers away in some distant provinces or countries. Thereupon, deviation from normal behavior was not necessary and the people responsible for those kinds of things; thought they only needed to curtail the transportation system and close the borders until the threat abated. However, today Saturday March 28th there’s one case of the Covid-19 amongst the population here in our quiet little city despite all our efforts to prevent that from happening. And as a result, and without a doubt there is an obvious change in the Citizenry’s: postures, demeanors and their overall appearances, as the news that one of their own has been infected by this life threatening influenza. As a result of knowing the unimaginable is amidst, they’re actually trotting through these almost empty streets without tarrying in the least bit, with their heads lowered looking straight ahead, shoulders rounded, faces shrouded from the crown of their noses down and beneath their chins. Another reaction, from this depressing discovery is that everyone “today” is waring some kind of eye protection; in addition, the women that are “with child” even have their heads wrapped. Thereupon, unless, you know the persons you’re observing very well, they’re almost unrecognizable in their rigged, colorful and protective attire, which is a stark contrast to the carefree and dawdling behavior that was exhibited amongst the population here in eastern Cuba; just one week ago.” When “I” too began pining for the return of normality(?). 

Tennessee: 1834  Loudon County: 8

Every Day is Saturday

Sailing with Tristan - Many moons ago

When you are retire, the saying goes, every day is Saturday and to a certain extent, that is true.

You eat, sleep, and play when and where you wish.  You do need a little discipline medications need to be taken on a schedule, regular meals keep you regular and you need to know that it is Sunday and Mary will not be happy if she misses her 9:00-10:30am date every Sunday with Jane Pauley and CBS Sunday Morning.

Other than those few things, your retirement time is your own.

Until you have an appointment or a meeting it muddies the waters somewhat.  You have to be somewhere or do something at a prescribed place and time stress is introduced into your life and even if it is something you really want to do, it is stressful.

Fishin' at the coast

My first realization of this condition was in the Spring of 2010.  We had brought our sailboat from North Carolina and placed it in a slip at the Yacht Club where we expected to sail several times a week whenever it was sunny and warm.  After all, every day was Saturday.

Then came golf.  Golf is a great pastime for retired people.  Fresh air, sunshine exercise; we can do this several times a week whenever it is sunny and warm. After all, every day was Saturday.

Oh, fishing.  When I worked in my own business, 60+ hour weeks were in order but I regularly went to the lake after work and fished for an hour or two.  It is very relaxing I can do it several times a week when the weather is sunny and warm.  After all, every day was Saturday.

Kayaking on the lake

Oh, clubs.  If there is  anything a retirement community excels at, it is supporting a myriad of clubs. New Villagers, Home Owners, Book clubs, Knitting, Cards - pinochle, poker, canasta, rummy, euchre,  golf groups, fishing clubs, shooting clubs, VFW, American Legion, Lyons, Kiwanis -- over 100 clubs and we can do them several times a week whenever it is warm and sunny.  After all, every day was Saturday.

Don't forget the "Doctor Dance", this is my term for an appointment or two nearly every week to add another drug to your daily intake and remove a few dollars from your wallet.  Internists, GPs, Chiropractors, Dermatologists, Rheumatologists, Cardiologists and a whole bevy of other everythingologists clamoring for your time and money.

ARRGGHHHHHH! It isn't warm and sunny every day and maybe I need a job just so I can have some time off.



Tennessee: 1537  Loudon County: 8

Herding the pigs

Oink oink! Congress has completed a 1400 page $2,000,000,000,000 (that is 2 TRILLION dollars)  "Stimulus package" to get the country moving again.  Can you write, read and understand a 1400 page document in a week?

Use Money, cheaper than TP!

How did every congress person vote? Sorry you can't know that, you are just one of the little people and wouldn't understand. My congressman voted for it and even sent me an email bragging about it.

I'm going shopping for a new one next time. Vote them all out!

Tennessee: 1373   Loudon County: 6

Chores and Pizza

Ocracoke Vacation - A long Time Ago on an Island Far Far Away

Today (Friday 3/27) was a beautiful 91 degree Spring day.  I have been putting off spraying my super homemade weed killer because it needs heat and dry conditions. We had both today so I mixed up a batch (1 Gal White Vinegar: 2 Cups Epsom Salts: 1/4 Cub Blue Dawn) sprayed on in the morning and weeds dead at night.  Will let you know how it did tomorrow.

Putting around in the garage and I found the missing parts of our sliding front door screen.  I took it down last Fall when we had the front deck rebuilt - then 3 months later I sealed it and a month after that it started raining - and after a few warm dry days in January, I couldn't find the hardware (I stored it in a safe spot) then it rained, and rained some more. Today, the hardware returned to the place I remembered and I got the door re-installed.

We uncovered the deck furniture, cleaned some window screens and colaspsed on the couch for 3 hours of "The Return of the King" finishing off the third episode in ad many days.

More puttering around the house and yard and we opted for a take out Pizza for dinner.

Just an ordinary day in a world gone mad.

Tennessee: 1203  Loudon County: 6

Tic-Toc Trip to town

Tic-Toc Ice Cream

Today (Wednesday 3/25) we ventured forth from our fortress abode in search of food, wine and adventure in places not too populated for safety.

The local Food Lion store was comfortable with a minimum number of shoppers -- all were quietly picking up what they needed.  One of this and two of that, none of the gimmie all you got frenzy of a week ago,

There was plenty of stock but the shelves were not full and a few items were absent or very low.  TP and hand sanitizer were absent altogether but most other things were available although not necessarily all sizes and brands or flavors. Prices were up slightly of some thing but most were little changed from our last visit. We bought groceries for a week and they had everything on our list except Wine. (This is Tennessee after all and if a grocery store is not inside city limits, then can sell beer but not wine.) so we had to drive to the big city of Loudon to get some wine at Grove Liquors - they were open and friendly - I was the only customer when I entered but when as drove off, another customer was pulling in.

Driving down Grove Street, I noticed lights and an Open sign at Tic-Toc Ice Cream Parlor.  Mary and I stopped in for a scoop - Pralines and Cream for her and Mountain Berries for me.  This locally owned and operated business can only sell as take out with the "Restaurant" regulations so we carried our ice cream out and ate it as we strolled around the empty square and enjoyed a bit of normalcy in a world gone mad.

Tennessee: 957  Loudon County:6

Note from Cuba

Public notice from Cuba

We have a friend who lives in Cuba, they have had a pretty normal life in their small coastal city until today.  Here is a text I received Tuesday:

Here in xxxxxx, Cuba our family (they all have new “Singer” sewing machines), is making mask for: the citizenry, hospitals, clinic’s, students, etc. Unfortunately, much sought after face mask are basically nonexistent here in the city, and needless to say business is booming at a reasonable price of $.75 cents each. In addition there is a shortage of petroleum. Thereupon some food stuffs are in short supply: beans, spaghetti, rice, and cooking oils. Regardless, and as most of us know, with enough money anything that one desires can be found. Furthermore, despite the information available to the public about the spreading of the “Coronavirus” schools had remained open and everyone appeared to be going on about their lives as though the pandemic was not a real threat; whatsoever, to the Island. Not withstanding, today March 24th, all has changed in xxxxxx as far as I can see: schools are closed, the libraries too, public transportation has been shut-down across the provinces, the citizens are not permitted to leave the island and the citizens returning from their visits to other countries must go directly into quarantine for a minimum of 14 days after arriving here in Cuba. And any non-resident Cuban living here has been asked not to venture out of their homes into the streets. For many reasons.

About two weeks ago our family started manufacturing “face mask” because there were inadequate supplies being made by the local government owned workshops to handle the anticipated demand. There were already, long lines to procure a face mask from them, and as a result the our family’s small enterprise has grown beyond our imagination and we’re struggling to keep up with the demand from people just passing by the door on the street, wanting some kind of basic protection from just coincidentally meeting another person on the narrow sidewalks, as they walk from here to there or the spray from another person’s mouth after they spat in the air or sneezed from their bicycle just as they passed them by. Admittedly.

The Cuban people are an independent lot by nature, and they virtually produce almost all the food necessary for their existence right here on the island. But recently because of the petroleum shortages here on the island their ability to move produce efficiently back and forth across the country from where they are produced has been curtailed. Items such as: black beans have been hard to find, red beans are plentiful but 25% higher in price. Chicken seems to be nonexistent, unless you have one in the back yard. Pork, has all but disappeared from the normal places that sale meat, and we’re having to locate a person that has raised and held on to the animal until the prices increased from the normal price of a dollar pound, to a blistering $1.50 cents, before he slaughters it. But because of the request from the government, for all its citizen to take cover!

Today, most Cubans here in xxxxxx have disappeared from the streets. The schools are closed and believe it or not, I’ve not seen one child out and about, but there are many adults meandering around searching for necessities for their families, whereby these strays are masked and noticeably spread apart. In addition, most families from what I hear have a Clorox solutions available in their home for that occasional visitor that normally drops by. This practice —addiction— has been discouraged by the authorities, even amongst family members. Therefore, frustration abounds. In addition.

All those packed buses that passed by our front door just yesterday; one after another all day long; moving thousands of citizens packed inside of them shoulder to shoulder; like earth worms back and forth throughout the streets in xxxxxx, have vanished like some puff of smoke from this one way street. But to my pleasure though; the loud air-horns that the bus drivers blew as a warning just before the intersection 30 yards further on to my right, and just outside of our balcony, as they passed beneath are unheard now, and a welcomed relief for me. As a result though: this lockdown by the Cuban government is to save the lives of it’s helpless citizens. As a result.

We’re safer, but are all, restricted from moving about unnecessarily to: one city or another, or even considering traveling in any direction to a resort, or an airport to take us away from Cuba to another country; if we so desired. The first day. 

My friend said they have had large numbers of tourists recently. Mostly from Italy, Spain and other European countries.  I'll let you know if I receive anything else from Cuba.   

 Tennessee: 667  Loudon County: 2

If we could only see it

Brody Blue is not taking any chances

Yesterday I talked about the flood and watching the waters rise but this situation isn't like that at all.

You can SEE the waters rise but you cannot SEE a virus approaching.  Oh, there are charts and graphs that show us the global spread of the virus and the ever larger numbers of cases across the globe but you cannot SEE the virus in the air or on your hands or your doorknob or your friend.  You cannot see it so you cannot hide from it or sweep it away.

I have nearly always used a double space at the end of a sentence.  I just seems like the right way to do it even though the grammar books say that it is not correct.  This morning, I saw a note on Facebook that it there is a movement to use the double space to remind us that we need to practice social distancing.

Speaking of social distancing, my neighbor Chuck Blue is helping his puppy Brody by seeing that he has an appropriate mask.  (Now if Brody would refrain from breaking the 6 foot rule he would be just fine.)

Stay Safe out there.

Tennessee 615 Loudon County 1

No pickin' in Jonesborough in June

"Mean" Mary James

Those of you who know me love me in spite of (or maybe because of) my poor banjo playing.  I took up the 5 string banjo shortly after retiring as an attempt to keep a 40 year old pledge to myself.  In 1969, I was a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. As a US Navy Officer Candidate, I was obliged to wear my uniform to class a couple of days a week.  For those who lived the era, you know how welcome a Navy Uniform was on a major college campus - for those who did not, a plague rat was more popular. 

This presented a problem for a single 21 year old man with a desire to meet young women.  Even those young ladies who might have considered going out with me (a not so bad looking guy with a sense of humor and a pretty good income) shied away from the uniform - 1969, Vietnam, bombs, Beatles -- you get my drift. The Tar Heel Gals just couldn't take the chance of being seen with the war monger in the sailor suit.

Fortunately, about an hour was a women's college (now UNC Greensboro and co-ed) and it was there that I met Myra -- a genuine "Southern Belle" from South Carolina with the accent to match the geography. While sitting and sipping in a bistro one Saturday evening listening to a 3 piece country band, Myra (a music major) said to me between song, "I just Loooove the Banjo don't you?" Well, of course I told her I loved the banjo and was learning to play too. The next week I bought a 5 string banjo and attempted to play it well enough to impress Myra.

I didn't learn it and what I could play was unimpressive except as a way to repel feral cats.  Myra and I didn't last too long after that and a few months later I sold that banjo to someone who could actually play one. But I digress.

I bought a banjo not long after I retired and actually did learn to play.  I'll leave the torture my wife Mary endured while I learned the basics to another tale.  But over the last 10 years, we have traveled throughout the Southeastern US in search of banjo players and good music and one of my favorite pickers is "Mean" Mary James. We have made it a point to travel to listen to Mean Mary whenever she was nearby. We were going to see her in Jonesborough, Tennessee on June the 5th.  Her concert is a casualty of Corvid-19.  See her HERE

Sobering Day

Pretty but Deadly: Covid-19 Virus

How can something so beautiful be so malevolent?

We are beginning to feel like someone sitting on a hill watching flood waters rise. Everything is just fine right now, the waters are not too high to get across the river but they are higher than yesterday. Probably lower than tomorrow and the day after and the day after that. But the waters only rise at this point and the question is when will they begin to recede?

After CBS Sunday Morning today we took a long walk and passed several couples out walking too - hellos from were passed from a distance.  Everyone seemed subdued as though the news of the infected third grade student at Vonore Elementary School about 5 mile from us. We learned later that there are 3 more symptomatic people in the household that aren't being tested due to a lack of test kits. The child was in school and symptomatic for 2 days before being tested.

Looks like we will probably have more fallout from this event.

371 cases in Tennessee today 57 a week ago.  Be safe!

Social Distancing

The new reality of "Social Distancing" is upon us. This new reality of keeping 6, 10, 3 (or plug in your own number) of feet between you and other people is in stark contrast with last month's belly to backside lines everywhere.

Keeping a little distance between yourself and the other guy seems foreign to all of us but actually it feels pretty good to me. I remember way back in the early 1960's when I was taking a driver education class in High School (a driver's license being an absolute necessity to a 16 year old boy in Southern California). I was talking with some fellow students about how difficult it would be to maintain the prescribed distance from the car ahead (one car length for each 10 miles per hour) and we came to the conclusion that you would have to be backing up because every time you left an inch more than a car length, someone would pull into it.  Leaving space is more comfortable now.

There are very few cars on the road in our neighborhood today so the noise level is way down - we occasionally say hello to a neighbor as we pass on opposite sides of the street and we seem to see and hear many more birds while walking.

Things go slower. There is more time to think. Covid-19 is now in our county. 

It is all about TP

Yesterday I mentioned that the stores got cleaned out of everything this past week but by mid week, the shelves here were re-stocked with most items although the variety was down and many shelves weren't full but all of the TP was gone.

Every shelf but TP had something on it but it seems that the store sold out of every roll the minute it was placed on the shelf.

Now if you are faced with possible starvation or wiping your behind, which would you choose?

For a few years in the late 1970's, I lived in Maui, Hawaii. Nearly everything we needed came to us on a Young Brothers Barge from Oahu.

Building materials, clothing, food, gasoline, TV sets and refrigerators - oh, and of course, TP. Small high value items came by air but everything else arrived via, "The barge" and life was good.

Young Brothers seemed to always have delay problems - storms, labor problems and so-on but whenever the barge was delayed, the TP was the first thing to disappear from the store shelved and the last thing to reappear.

We and nearly everyone that we knew kept a 96 roll case of Scott TP in our attic just in case the barge went on strike or was delayed.  It got to be a habit - use the TP from the attic and replenish the case with a new one when we could. I still do this more than 40 years later.

Maybe I ought to sell some to replenish the money I lost in the market last week. When the stores have plenty of TP, perhaps the end will be near.

Awareness

Ground Zero

The year 2020 started pretty much as a copy of most years -- life as normal, not too many complications just a few minor medical issues, a planned trip to the Outer Banks in April and a Summer gathering with family from Missouri, Rhode Island and North Carolina at our home place in the mountains. Then came Covid-19!

At first a bit of info about an outbreak of a new Corona Virus in China, then Korea, then Japan, Italy, Iran, France, England and then Washington State. The close quartered and mostly sealed environments of Cruise Ships and Aircraft provided mobile petri-dishes that grew and distributed the virus. People started dying and case numbers started growing exponentially and, in the second week of March, people began to notice and many were afraid. Stores were stripped of needed supplies and food and anything from the latest rumor of preventive measures.

March 13 (a Friday this year) began my wake up and a week later I began this blog.

Mary and I have begun our self imposed isolation - no gathering with friends, neighbors or family. Our club activities of Silver Sneakers (senior exercise 35 people),  card group (7 people), weekly Linksters golf, Knitting group, VFW activities, Tellico Connection Bluegrass group ---- All cancelled or deemed unsafe by us or the various authorities.

There are thousands of blogs and news sites that will tell you what you need to know about this virus among us, this one will tell you about us Mary and Richard and life in our little round house in Tennessee.

We are two retired early 70's people trying to find our way in a new reality,  "Living Under the Sword of Covid-19."

Please come along for this journey.