COVID 19 - And Now We Are Yellow

Well, I feel like writing tonight.  About a week ago on May 29th, Luzerne County moved up to the "yellow" phase of Gov. Wolf's plan for re-opening the state.  Lackawanna County as well as Montgomery County, where Rivers and Bloom families live, just switched to "yellow" yesterday.  What does this mean?  Well, some retail stores have re-opened (like Boscov's) and restaurants can now have outdoor seating.  Steve and I went had gone for a walk in downtown Wilkes-Barre last Sunday, realized that Boscov's was about to open up and couldn't pass up the opportunity to be among the first returning shoppers going in at 11 am.  Also, it seemed "legal" to spend an overnight with Grammie and Grandad this weekend, which we also enjoyed.  (It is truly disturbing that the spotted lantern fly is now well-established in Wyncote; we expect it to arrive in Northeast PA as well - hopefully none too soon.)  Rob, you were quite happy to stay home by yourself and enjoy quiet time with Jean Luc and Rambo.

So what have you been up to?  Alex, when we talked last weekend (as I took you to work at Gerrity's for 7 am, while the Camry was getting new tires) you told me the pace of work at your internship is still a bit slow, given the remote work situation.  Hopefully it will pick up soon as offices re-open over the summer.  The Camry is up to over 131,000 miles and is holding up well without major maintenance expenses yet (makes me very happy that we've gotten almost 10 years of dependable driving with it).  Chloe has recuperated from urinary tract and ear infections, but still may not be feeling quite right since she is cranky and aggressive with you in particular (less so with Taylor).  It sounds as if you and Taylor will be bike riding now that Steve spruced up your bike and we've dropped it off.

Rob, now you've submitted everything required for your AP Computer Science exam and are are trying to keep focused on wrapping up school work.  Only two more weeks of remote school - yeah!  Camp Orchard Hill announced that it will open for summer day camp on June 29 (this is great news since at least there will be some camp this summer, though cancellation of all overnight camps is a big disappointment).  We are still going driving together, and need to begin parallel parking practice.  What else are you into these days?  Impractical Jokers!  Here are a couple "punishments" from YouTube that you shared with us after dinner this past week.  I especially like chasing poultry around the office.






I am trying to be more active, and enjoying morning walks.  It's great to be out when the air is fresh, there is usually a breeze and I can avoid getting overheated.  Today we went for a walk with Grammie at Pennypack Preserve.  A couple weeks ago we went to the Seven Tubs in Wilkes-Barre, which has a nice hiking trail along beautiful water falls.  Here a couple nice pictures that Steve took along as we walked along the stream.

In the larger world, there has been some good news as the unemployment rate is improving slightly.  But overall this was been a very difficult week for the country - following the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.  There have been many peaceful and also some violent protests, along with property damage, injuries, looting and outrage that has its roots in systemic racism.  We heard from Mark yesterday that Grace has volunteered in downtown Philadelphia, helping any protesters who needed first aid.  A street in Washington DC was re-named Black Lives Matter Boulevard, with the new name painted in huge yellow letters.  Joe Biden has officially won the Democratic nomination for President, running against Donald Trump.  As we move into the final months before the 2020 U.S. presidential election and continue to navigate these dangerous times with COVID-19 sickness and death around the world, I hope that American people can find ways to focus on goals that help us address inequalities, protect the rights of all people in our our country and save our beautiful planet for future generations.