Arizona Shuts Down Again, Kinda Sorta, for Covid-19, Monday, June 29, 2020

After "reopening" our economy in Arizona in mid-May, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations increased, setting records for several days in a row.  Hospitals began initiating crisis surge plans.  Finally, our governor ordered a 30 day closure of bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks.  Swimming pools were limited to groups of 10 people.  Events were limited to 50 people.

The 50 person per event limit comes after a Trump rally where more than 3,000 people attended at a church that advertised it had a technology that eliminated 99.9% of coronavirus.  The AZ Attorney General then issued a cease and desist letter for false advertising.

You cannot make this stuff up, it is so unreal.

And so we do not live in Arizona anymore, we live in a state of denial.  Or as Dorothy said to Toto in The Wizard of Oz  - "we're not in Kansas anymore."

Lava's Edge Trail, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Sunday, June 28, 2020

For a change, we drove out to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.  A couple of weeks ago, we hiked three of the shorter trails, but Lava's Edge Trail was not open - but it opened on the 17th.  There is a lot of black sand - it is the ground up black lava and the trail was mostly walking on soft sand, much like sand dunes.  That meant it required more work to walk than being on hard packed sand or dirt.  The info from the park was that it was 3.5 miles - my pedometer had it at 4.5 miles.  I think the difference was that we started at the Visitor Center rather than at the end of the campground.  They do label the trail as moderate and say it takes 2.5 hours to walk, probably because of the soft soil.

As the name implies, we walked near the edge of the lava flow, in places it was 15 to 20 feet tall.

Saw many snags - the remnants of trees that had died.  This one looked like some of the metal sculptures we have seen, but it is wood.

Many shapes and sizes and caves and piles, all to amaze you as you walk past them.

Many plants growing on the lava reminded us of the saying, "Nevertheless, she persisted!"

In places, the trail was on top of the edge and you could see the A'a lava for hundreds of yards in all directions.

It was hard work but well worth the effort.  Afterwords, we went out to lunch - for only the second time since March.  And again, it was a drive up booth at Sonic Burgers, we ordered from our car, our lunch was delivered to us and we ate in the car again.

We Continue to Stay at Home due to Covid-19, June 19 - 25, 2020

We celebrated many things this week.  Fathers' Day was Sunday June 21.  Megan sent me a very funny card.

Ben and Martha also sent me a Fathers' Day card that was made in Portland.

One day at Homeco Hardware Store, Patty was with me and encouraged me to get a new walking stick for Fathers' Day, this one made from a sassafrass tree branch in Texas.

June 21st was also our 45th Anniversary.  Ben and Martha also sent a card made in Portland for that.

Helen sent an anniversary card and I got one for Patty, as well as some flowers.  Since we can't go to restaurants, we had a cookout in the back yard.

Megan's 34th birthday was on June 22, so on Friday June 19, we drove from Flagstaff to Henry Cordes Park, just off the I-17 Prescott exit, and Megan drove from Phoenix.  We had a picnic lunch together to celebrate.  Face masks were used when not eating, as well as being outside and keeping our distance.

I spent five weeks working on a 1,000 piece jig saw puzzle.  Every day, I would try and towards the end, would get only a few pieces after an hour or more of searching.  This is what the puzzle should have looked like - it is called Night Sky Over the Grand Canyon (excuse my thumb).

This is how far I got when I finally surrendered and quit.

After receiving our biweekly CSA distribution, Patty made some cold sesame noodles that included pieces of the Armenian cucumbers from the CSA, home made sesame paste, peanuts and a variety of oils and spices.  It was too spicy for her, so I had it for two meals.  It was spicy but I still liked the flavor.

Paulie and I have been consistently walking more than a mile each morning.  I find it best for her if we stop and take a rest during the walk - here she is resting at the playground in Arroyo Park.

When we go out walking, we often see beautiful flowers.

Gov. Ducey allowed the state wide stay at home order lapse on May 17 and prohibited cities and counties from imposing strict rules.  People were eager to get out and do things, and many ignored the recommendations and pleas to wear face masks and keep social distance.  Restaurants, bars and clubs were flooded with people - without face masks and sitting too close.  The result was very predictable - Arizona now leads the nation in the rate of Covid-19 infections.  So on June 17, Gov. Ducey relented and allowed cities and states to mandate wearing of masks (but he did not issue a state wide order).  All of the large cities and most of the counties in Arizona have mandated wearing face masks, most starting around the 19th or 20th of June.  So we stay at home and watch what is happening, and dread the illness, death and damage to the economy.

We Continue to Stay at Home due to Covid-19, June 11 - 18, 2020

We continue with DIY projects while we continue to stay at home.  We ordered a custom combination screen door/storm door.  The frame on which it is mounted had to be rebuilt because the frame had a one inch thick horizontal board across the top but only 3/8 inch thick vertical boards on the sides.  That meant screwing and gluing one inch thick boards for the sides, installing the door to make sure it fit, then removing the door, sealing the screw heads and seams with caulk, painting the frame and then installing the door again.  This is a very nice door with the hydraulic closers at both the top and bottom - and as with many prior projects, one with many pages of instructions and dozens of parts.  The reward is that we can now have much more of the fresh mountain breezes through the house each day.

After that was done, we started with sanding, staining and polyurethaning the door and side panels.  That has gone slower than planned and will get finished in the next week.

Flagstaff has weekly pickup of trash and recyclables plus pickup of large items every five weeks.  I have seen beds, sofas, fridges, televisions, desks and all manner of household goods put out - one morning I saw this huge stuffed animal, as big as me.

While out walking, I continued to see wildflowers in many places along the trails.

Several of the trails lead through the NAU campus, and since most students are gone due to Covid-19, it is very peaceful and pleasant to walk through the very pretty campus.

The number of positive coronavirus/Covid-19 test results, emergency room visits, ICU bed use and ventilator use continued to increase, on Wednesday the 17th, the governor allowed cities to require face masks - Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson and many others have done so.

All that means we will continue to mostly stay at home except for walking the dog, hikes, food shopping and periodic purchases for DIY projects.  We are most fortunate that we remain healthy and able to weather this storm in relative comfort.

Remember to wear your mask, keep your distance, use hand sanitizer and wash your hands.