100 Days at Shelter Inn Place

It sure has been a long time since I've done a post, but we have not been doing much to write about. Like everyone else our life has become like the movie Groundhog's Day. On March 13 we started our stay at Shelter Inn Place in response to Covid-19. On that day Florida had recorded 51 cases and two deaths while the US had 1,666 cases and 41 deaths. The information we had told us that worse times were ahead and that sure proved to be true. June 20 was day 100 at Shelter Inn Place and the numbers are unbelievable. Here in Florida we are in a surge and they are now reporting 85,854 cases and 3,061 deaths, meaning we are in the middle of a Covid-19 hot spot.  In the US totals are 2,226,282 cases with 119,244 deaths. It is so sad that we have done such a terrible job of controlling this compared to the rest of the world. While the US has about 4% of the world's population, these numbers represent 25% of the cases and deaths in the World. After a couple trips to the beach early on we have been pretty much limiting our outings to grocery shopping. Last week we thought we might try an outdoor restaurant, but then the Florida cases began to soar and this week three restaurants in the area have closed because employees have tested positive. Unfortunately, we have to rely on word of mouth and the media to learn if a place has infected employees as the Florida UN-health department does not report information on businesses with positive cases. 

So much for the sad news. On the bright side, the CRV is getting about three weeks to a gallon. We continue to have our weekly driveway social distancing happy hour with our neighbors. We have stayed in touch with friends and family on the phone and video chats. I have been walking (Nanc runs) five or six days a week and I'm up to over four miles a day. That and eating healthy has helped me lose some weight. That said, the first time we do go out to eat I'm getting a huge greasy burger and fried onion ring, things I never eat at home. We do enjoy seeing many different birds and other animals right in our backyard. We took advantage of so much free time and have been going through thousands of picture slides from years ago. There are a few posted below and more are on the way. I gave Nanc another haircut and she was happy with it. VERY important!!!!

At this point we are planning to remain in Stuart and not travel. It is strange, staying home most of the time is very different after being in tourist mode for twelve years. Of course, based on how 2020 has gone to this point, we are pretty sure we will have to evacuate for a hurricane some time this year. Opus is in storage and available if we do need to get out of town. 

We sure hope all our friends and family are staying safe and healthy during these crazy times. You don't hear it as much anymore, but you need to keep washing your hands, maintain social distancing and WEAR YOUR MASK!!!!!  

Check out the personalized masks we bought from Tidball's Sounds and Spirits in Bowling Green, KY.

We are still able to do some birding in our neighborhood. Here is a great blue heron taking flight.

Here is something you don't see very often, a anhinga standing on a goose's back to dry its wings.  The truth about this is at the end of the post.

Caught this osprey catching and carrying a fish from the lake. He flew to the top of a light pole to eat his lunch.

Muscovy ducks and ibises.

Look closely and see if you can find five different birds: heron, wood stork, ibis, spoonbill and anhinga. Saw them all together one morning.

The only visitors who come to the door are the local wildlife. I got a picture of this rabbit and we have also had lizards, frogs and a black snake.

We enjoyed the full moon raising over Lex Lakes.

For several weeks we watched Venus in the evening sky. It was by far the brightest thing in the sky after the moon.

This is our first time being in Florida at this time of year. We have always been here during the dry season so it was interesting to see what they mean by "the rainy season." We had a river in the back yard and water everywhere. Just south of here in Hobe Sound they had 30 inches of rain in ten days and in some places there is still water on the road a month later.

This is one of lakes after the rain. During the dry season those trees are several feet from the water. The water is still higher than normal.

When you get rain you also get rainbows. The worst part of the weather is the lightning. Florida is number one in the country for lightning strikes. Sure don't want to be out in that kind of weather.

A few of our old pictures. Our dog Petey enjoying a PBR.

When he was a little older. He was the only dog we ever had and after we had to put him down we decided we could never have a dog as great as Petey.

A couple old pictures of Nanc with different hair cuts. The shag look.

She finally found one she liked but it has gotten shorter and shorter.

My hair was often long but not always gray.

Well the goose the anhinga is standing on is a plastic decoy to scare birds away. Looks like it does not work very well.