Mount Vernon During Coronavirus

I'm feeling a little bit gothic. Hard times in a pandemic. But here we are, suddenly. We make the most of things, wherever we are. I get out and do my walks and runs, and sometimes I take pictures. There is much to find, in the alleys and on the hills of Mount Vernon.

Washington State like about three-quarters of the country is in a state of lockdown. Some call it shelter in place; Alaska calls it hunker down. Stay home, stay healthy. Trips to the grocery store are ok, as are walks and runs, but most are working from home.

The National Parks, State Parks, National Forests, and DNR lands are all closed, pretty much. Blanchard and Chuckanut are sort of off-limits. I haven't gone there, in any case.

I get up, and go for a walk around the neighborhood, alternating streets. I check out what people are doing with their homes. I listen to the birds, everywhere. I look at trees--the cherry blossoms are blooming right now. Spring is here, but it's still a bit cold. I "social distance" myself to the opposite crosswalk, when I see someone.

At lunch or in the evening, I try to put in a run. I've been running down by the Skagit River, down by the hospital, and around town. I carry my phone and take pics, sometimes. Its nice to run around town more, as so often I do my running in Bellingham.

Usually, this is Tulip Festival time in Mount Vernon. There are tulips, but no festival. Restaurants are closed, but I have noticed some lines outside, for take-out. It feels good to be a consumer sometimes, but every personal interaction may be a germ vector. Ugh.

Today Skagit County reported it is up to 128 cases. Seems like it was less than ten, not more than two weeks ago. The news is all fear. I try to use routine to hold on to the normal. Be well, friends.

Wiley Slough

Today was supposed to be the Chuckanut 50k. My progress towards a finish was going fine, until I rolled my ankle, bad, in the last quarter mile of the Ebey Kettles Run in late February. Nevertheless, I intended on toeing the line, perhaps with an ankle wrap, and tour the Chuckanuts today.

Nevertheless.

The world has changed dramatically in the past three or four weeks, although the birds of Wiley Slough are not in the loop. The coronavirus has hit the United States like a Hurricane Katrina, knocking society off its moorings. The government prohibits gatherings--first it was 250 or more, then 50, and now 10, or less. Chuckanut sadly postponed, like everything else. I'll let others write about the particulars, but this is a time like no other, where we are supposed to stay home, and businesses are shuttering everywhere.

Well, maybe I'll say a little more. It is a time of fear. Fear of grabbing a door handle, fear of getting too close to anyone, fear for our relatives and friends, fear for ourselves. There is uncertainty, with announcements from DC, the Governor, the Mayor, every day, ratcheting down our freedoms for the benefit our public health. A common good. Only two or three weeks ago, things felt relatively normal. But now, Sauron has come to the Shire.

But not so much Wiley Slough, one of my quiet places, on Fir Island. Instead of Chuckanut, or even a long run, I took a slow walk through some of my favorite marshlands. The water level is down lower than I think I've ever seen, and a pair of mudboots might've made for.a wholly different adventure, off trail.  Eagles, hawks, herons, waterfowl, an owl hooting, unseen. A slow walk as opposed to a sweaty run. The worries remain, but a little bit of outside goes a long way.

Friends, the best of health to you--both physical and mental--in these difficult times.