Here is Esther skyping with the Victoria Grandkids, reading them a story. We
are self quarantined here on Pender Island and are substituting skyping for
face to face visits with Clementine and Eloise in Victoria.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada+2020/Pender/DSC_5870.jpg.html
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada+2020/Pender/DSC_5870.jpg.html>
I am on the Board of the Pender Island Health Care Society - we own and
maintain the building where all medical services are provided (two doctors and
one dentist and a host of other services) and on Monday this week we had our
last face to face Board meeting for some time. The next meeting in late April
will be done by video conferencing. We are on the search for more face masks
and hand sanitizer but otherwise all seems reasonably calm. The protocol for
someone suspected of having the corona virus is to call the clinic ahead of
time, stay in their car when they arrive and call the clinic again and a doctor
will come out to interview them in the parking lot.
We are an island of retirees - some quite well off - and winter cruising is a
common past time as well as taking trailers to the southern states to avoid the
winter.
We believe it is only a matter of time until someone tests positive for the
virus. Except for the grocery store, the liquor store (naturally) and the
pharmacy most everywhere else on the island is closed.
In our family our eldest daughter has had her upcoming play in Calgary
cancelled and the children’s school is closed there. We were planning to go to
Calgary to babysit Miss O and Aubrey but that is no longer necessary . Jenny,
my middle daughter in Vancouver who is in the movie production business has
had two Netflix features cancelled and my youngest daughter in Victoria is
still self employed with her architectural heritage business. Her husband may
not have classes to teach after this semester due to lack of overseas language
students.
My son and his family in Tokyo are hunkered down. Young Charlie’s school is
closed. They left Hong Kong permanently just a few days before travel
restrictions came into force and their shipment of household effects is in 14
days quarantine at Yokohama.
We sure do live in interesting times. We were living in Hong kong in 2003 when
SARs struck the territory and managed to survive that without too much
inconvenience. We hope (fingers crossed) to do the same this time.
Wash those hands!!
Howard (and Esther).
