Last week, Ron & I went on the road to enjoy a change of scenery. Although we wore face masks at every restroom, store, and hotels we went into, we felt a sense of freedom. The first stop was an overnight stay in a downtown Hilton in Athens, GA. The next day, we moved on to the mountains of Jefferson, NC where Ron's sister, June, and her hubby, Chuck, had rented a house on the New River. The combination of camaraderie and fresh air were an awesome respite from our current COVID stay-safe-at-home way of life.
The guys fished and kayaked the river the three days we were there. Floating downstream in their kayaks was slow and didn't require much paddling. This allowed them time to absorb the sounds, enjoy the serenity, and fish all the nooks and crannies. They were rewarded with enough bass and trout to feed us all. YUM!
While the men were on the river, June and I explored attractions on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are so many unique sights along the way. Our first destination was Linville Falls. Linville Falls drops into the 12-mile long Linville Gorge with cliffs towering above the river. When we arrived at the visitor center to begin the hike to the Falls, we quickly realized we were not the only ones looking for an outside getaway. The parking lot and trails were jampacked. Fortunately, most of us adventurers were cautious and wore masks. The upper trail to
the Falls was closed due to maintenance so we followed the trail to the lower overlook.
The mountain laurels colored our short hike.
On our way back down the Blue Ridge Parkway, we stopped for a short hike and picnic lunch at Cascade Falls in the E.B. Jeffries Park, about 5 miles east of Boone.
The lush greenery and views were unique on the trail to the top of the Falls. The path was a bit rocky and rooty but very doable. We relished the earthy smell, similar to what you experience after rainfall as we walked the trail.
We heard the soothing sound of the rushing water long before we reached it. Is there anyone who isn't in awe of the natural, God made waterfalls phenomena?
During our stay, the four of us did after-dinner rides each evening along one-lane gravel roads to see if we could spot deer, rabbits, and other wildlife before they tucked in for the night. As we rode past dilapidated, unoccupied dwellings along the way I found myself conjuring up images and stories about the people who used to live in them.
Time to go home came too soon but in the spirit of our mission, we continued to explore. We meandered through the scenic back roads of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia all the way back to Tallahassee. We've resumed our COVID-19 routine with one exception. Now we have new memories and photos to reflect on as we perform our projects and daily activities. We are already pondering our next road trip.
It has been a little over five months since we became aware of coronaviruses, much less what we now refer to as COVID-19 and only 7 weeks since George Floyd's death. Think about it. None of us have even grown a year older. Yet, to many of us, it feels like an eternity. How are we doing?
Let's review.
The stages of COVID-19 reality have almost changed weekly, if not daily, for most of us. We've gone from the introduction, safer at home, social distancing, businesses/parks closing, re-opening, and closing again. Unemployment claims soared. Fortunately, the Feds came up with the CARE package which would help millions get through until July 31. Masks were always recommended in public. Now, in some areas they are mandatory. We all know we really are safer at home but the vast majority of the population does not have that luxury. As of this writing, there have been almost 3 million COVID-19 cases and 133,000 deaths confirmed in the United States.
On May 25, George Floyd, a black man, died under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis. Eventually, the officer was charged with murder. In the meantime, while many of us were still hunkered down at home due to COVID, the horrific video went viral. If we watched the news at all, we saw it over and over. We began to learn about other people of color across the country who have died because of the poor judgment of officers. It was sad and incredibly disturbing. The protest marches began and still continue all over the U.S. The demand for law enforcement reform and civil rights legislation has spread to all corners of our nation. The majority of the marches have been peaceful but the need to increase awareness about the inequities in our country has to be done.
As they say, we've come a long way, Baby... or have we? How are we adapting to this new pandemic and civil unrest environment? What have we learned about ourselves?
My heart goes out to all who have suffered or lost a loved one during either of these crises. As for dealing with the safer-at-home mantra, it has not been too difficult for me to adapt but I've been retired for ten years. I learned a while ago how to find new things to occupy my day. Being flexible and staying connected to friends and family is the key. Turning off the television and avoiding all the bad news magnified by rampant politics has also helped. I am thankful that, to my knowledge, none of my family or friends have contracted the virus so far. I do have a confession. I have become a jigsaw puzzle addict. I think my hubby and I are on our tenth puzzle challenge!
I am concerned about the long term effect on our children and grandchildren though. Are they negatively internalizing all the events or are they learning from them? My observation of the kids I am around is they seem to be resilient. They are spending more time with their families and, in spite of quarantine, have found ways to connect with friends through technology and one-on-one visits. However, this pandemic is long term and not likely to disappear any time soon. With their normal short-term attention span, are they simply going forward and accepting today as it is and not looking back? Mostly, I worry about the quality of education they have received during quarantine and into the upcoming school year. Will they be able to catch up or, down the road, will we see lower scores on SAT and college entrance exams? I guess we just have to trust our educators to foresee any difficulties and develop remedies to solve them.
How are you doing? What can you teach the rest of us about adapting to our new world? What are your concerns?
Last week, Ron & I went on the road to enjoy a change of scenery. Although we wore face masks at every restroom, store, and hotels we went into, we felt a sense of freedom. The first stop was an overnight stay in a downtown Hilton in Athens, GA. The next day, we moved on to the mountains of Jefferson, NC where Ron's sister, June, and her hubby, Chuck, had rented a house on the New River. The combination of camaraderie and fresh air were an awesome respite from our current COVID stay-safe-at-home way of life. 
