Covid Coping–June 1, 2020 Update

Adjusting to our California Covid Environment has produced many changes in behavior and lifestyle. I suspect many will become permanent.

For example…

  • The daily wardrobe now consists of baggy beach pants & pullover shirts.  Quite comfortable.
  • Shaving is optional–no more than twice a week!
  • By consolidating our “Necessary Travel” outings I can report our gas mileage has now increased from Three Weeks to Four Weeks to the Gallon!
  • Living in “Wine Country” I still enjoy a glass or two but it is no longer necessary to select the appropriate wine glass for each wine! Such a tedious exercise can be dispensed with!  A straw is all you need…

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Covid Coping…The Way We Live Now

As I Sit In The Garden Contemplating My Peoria Union Stockyards Straw Hat  And Rebuilding Together Petaluma  Shirt

A Few Observations On Our Times

Life under the necessary Covid Rules has certainly been a challenge for us all! Coping requires a bit of creativity.

  1. Many take long walks during the day
  2. Some spend their time working out complicated jigsaw puzzles
  3. Gardening & Landscape projects have taken on a new importance for many
  4. Many take advantage of  video streaming options to fill the hours

For us, it is a little of each of the above.  I did get a little carried away on the gardening option by planting a 100 or so sunflowers for the summer.

Our Covid Times also enables us to learn new concepts!! We now have a new mileage rating for our Honda—THREE WEEKS TO THE GALLON!!!!

To further take our mind off our Covid Coping…

  • We  are also occupied with planning ahead to deal with the Wildfire Season that will soon upon us.
  • And let us not forget the wonderful  Wildfire PG&E power shutoffs that come with the season!!

It is quite a task to keep all the protective gear in order (Wildfire or Covid) and the To Go Bags at the ready.

In closing, a few images from our Covid Wildfire Garden…Click on any image to open…

 

 

 

 

 

MLK DAY OF SERVICE IN PETALUMA–2020

Once again, more than 70 volunteers from Kaiser Permanente in Sonoma & Marin (medical & support staff, including family members in many cases) participated in the MLK Day of Service on January 20, 2020.

Rebuilding Together Petaluma (RTP) was the lead agency coordinating and supporting Kaiser’s efforts through project design and management–which is how I came to be there again with cameras at the ready! Their attention this year was focused on the Polly Hannah Klaas Theater in downtown Petaluma

They spent the day clearing the Theater from decades of unwanted accumulated equipment and broken items–plus more than a bit of landscape maintenance. This work was in advance of the pending purchase of the Theater by the Polly Klaas Foundation for eventual renovation and revival of it as a performing arts theater for children.

Once the renovation is complete, it will be the only performance theater in downtown Petaluma available for youth and after-school programming as well as local and visiting artists to provide live performances for our community.

Check out the complete listing of photos from the day at…. RTP Smugmug Photo Link

Before you do so, I offer a few photo teasers below to entice you to click on the link above!

KAISER VOLUNTEERS ASSEMBLED…

A FEW WORK SCENES…

KAISER FACES OF SERVICE…

AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO DUSTIN–WHO SECURED AND HELD THE LADDER WHILE I CLIMBED UP FOR THE GROUP PHOTO…He promised not to tell my Doctor!

In addition to the link to the complete set of photos at the top of the page, also check out these reference links…

Petaluma transferring Polly Klaas Center to nonprofit

Polly Klaas Community Theater Project

Sunflower Grove–2019!!

In keeping with a tradition of sorts I once again document the start of another Sunflower Season in our gardens.  The blooms from a 100 plus plants are starting to strut their stuff…

The Verbena (a.k.a. Purple Tops) are struggling to compete with the Sunflowers for attention from the bees and butterflies…

A few Sunflower closeups for your consideration…

Ongaro & Sons To The Rescue!

Owning an older home (built in 1968) presents challenges from time to time updating electrical, roofing, etc. Recently we had another experience coping with our ancient housing infrastructure–PLUMBING!

To be more specific–the sewer lines UNDER our house!

  • I will skip the “fun” details as to how it came to our attention.
  • Suffice to say, it was a memorable experience…one we do not wish to repeat!  😦

Equally challenging was finding a plumber contractor able to take on the task.  After several “misfires” we located a company in our area capable of taking on the job– Ongaro & Sons

They sent a very hardworking team who attacked the problem and installed new sewer lines under the house…

Pedro & Kurt

Travis

Ongaro On Site

To give you an idea what our main sewer line looked like after removal by the Ongaro Team, I offer these two images below. I will understand if you don’t linger over them…

As many of my followers know, over the years I frequently include work photos of various Rebuilding Together Petaluma job sites and Kaiser Permanente MLK Day Volunteers on this blog as well as my photo blog.

As all the work took place under our house I was not able to photograph the Ongaro Team at work. I trust you will understand why I did not join them to get a few images!! 🙂

The Warp & Woof Of Life

A common street scene in many of our cities…views within the vision of casual pedestrians…and beyond the comprehension of most….

God Bless The Child

By Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog, Jr

“Them That’s Got Shall Get…And Them That’s Not Shall Lose”

“Yes The Strong Gets More…While The Weak Ones Fade”