Final (Maybe?) plans and pandemic update

 When I started this blog in the early planning stages of our trip, I didn't know a pandemic was on the way.  As I just reread my earlier posts, I realized that I was also documenting our experience with the pandemic as well as our trip.  So I'll share what Bill and I have experienced for anyone who is interested, and for us to remember as I go back and read this years down the road.  And FINALLY there will be pictures to share. 

Shortly after we returned from our Florida trip last March, things got really bad really quickly.  We cancelled our trip to Oregon and then our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains and finally a family trip to the beach - all because we deemed them unsafe situations.  For a couple of months we were in lockdown.  Mom was unable to receive visitors, but I would go get her groceries every other week and we would exchange them with a facemask and a blown kiss from 6 feet apart in the parking lot.  All of the facilities just about everywhere shut down, and basically you were only to go out for essentials.  My Meals on Wheels work continued for all who were willing to still volunteer and I'm proud to say we never missed a meal delivery.  The rescue where I volunteer stopped allowing volunteers to come in to limit exposure and we were asked - and happily agreed - to foster our favorite visitor, Peggy.  

Masks were required just about all the time we were out of the house.   Traffic stopped.  We could walk Peggy and never see a car.  Most people, including our kids and their spouses started teleworking in some form.  Our granddaughter began distance learning via zoom.  Our visits with family and friends were via Zoom also.  

The unthinkable happened in February of 2021and we lost a dear friend to Covid.  Don Crimmins, whom we have known and loved for almost 40 years, was taken by this awful virus.  We had known people who had gotten sick, but none seriously ill until this time.  Hundreds of thousands had been taken but this... this made it ever more real.  The numbers became personal and broke our hearts.

Slowly things began to ease up and we were able to go get carry out from restaurants and were able to see Mom again - masked and temperature taken before we were allowed entrance.  As we approached the new year it was evident that vaccines were indeed going to happen.  It became kind of Hunger Game like trying to get one, but Bill and I were able to secure our first of two shots of the Moderna vaccine on Feb. 14.  It was a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day.  

Here are pics of Mom and I doing errands and our grandson's first visit to a store since he was a tiny baby. He said loudly "STORE" after entering Petsmart via the fascinating (to him) automatic doors.  

Now it's May, and things are continuing to improve.  The virus is still stalking it's next victims, but between vaccines and careful precautions things are better.  

Our planning continued to morph during the time between my previous entry and this one.  It has become clear that the situation at the border with Canada will remain unclear for some time.  We decided to bag the Canada portion of our trip and go with our alternate plans - and reservations - to go to the Grand Tetons if Canada wasn't an option.  So Grand Tetons it is!  Additionally the Blackfeet Indians have opened access to the east side of the park allowing us to use the reservations we have there.  We are not so confident that things will not deteriorate and the east side close again so we have not yet cancelled our backup outside the park ressies on the west side but we will in the next month if things remain open.  

Now it's May, and we just had our first visit from the Maryland part of our family including that adorable grandson.  Insert much hugging here.   In August we will see the Oregon part of our family and it will have been the first time in two years that we were out there and the first time since Dec of 2019 that we will have seen them - and finally get to hug them too.  And so, that's where we stand as of now.  We are in hopes that things continue to improve, people who are vaccine hesitant get over it and get on board, and that by August things will look much better!