Reset search
Coronavirus PandemicCoronavirus Pandemic
SatelliteEdit route

Coronavirus Pandemic

March 2020 - May 2021
A 408-day adventure by Two to Travel Read more
  • 78footprints
  • 1countries
  • 408days
  • 312photos
  • 14videos
  • -miles
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    1
    Day 12

    SQD12: April Fools

    April 1, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Self-quarantine day 12.
    Stay @ home order day 7.

    I wish this whole pandemic thing was just a stupid prank being played on us for April Fools. That when we wake up tomorrow there will be no coronavirus. That everyone who has been stricken with it will be well. That everything will be back to normal. Yeah right ... that's not going to be the case, is it? So let's continue to take all the precautions necessary to reduce the spread and flatten the curve. It's all we can do.

    Today we had some federal forms to complete. And they required signatures to be notarized. One would think that the requirement to do so would have been waived. After all, we're all either encouraged to or are under orders to stay at home. No such luck.

    So we called our bank to see if there was a drive-through notary option we could take advantage of. No ... lobby service was required. The good news, to limit the number of people in the bank at any given time, an appointment was required. Alrighty then ... 2:00p it shall be.

    There were indeed very few people inside the bank ... one of only three branches in the area with lobby service for the foreseeable future. It took all of five minutes to get the necessary notarization done ... our sanitized driver's licenses in a sanitized baggie ... the notary using fresh-out-of-the-box gloves to touch everything ... us using our own pens to sign the papers ... she using her own pen to complete her notary journal ... all three of keeping our distance.

    A quick stop at the post office to use the automated system to get the necessary postage to send off the form. And our outing was completed.

    I have to say that I was disappointed to see all the cars on the roads ... and in the parking lots at the various malls we passed. No way all those people were out to do "essential work." In our community, we've been isolated from the goings-on in the rest of Colorado Springs. I guess not everyone is staying at home like they should.

    Believe me we would have postponed our outing if we could have ... but that wasn't in the cards. You bet, however, that now that we've got the documents in the mail, we'll be back to our stay-at-home routine.

    All in all ... a good day.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 13

    SQD13: Brrrr! ... Otherwise, All's Well

    April 2, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 37 °F

    Self-quarantine day 13.
    Stay @ home order day 8.

    Did I describe Colorado's spring weather as finicky in a previous footprint? Yes, I did ... and it is oh so true.

    The forecasted 53F must have been reached before we even rolled out of bed this morning. The temp has been going down steadily all day ... I just checked Weather Underground for our neighborhood and it's down to 21F now. Snowflakes are floating on the air ... nothing sticking ... not yet.

    Yesterday, Governor Polis extended the stay-at-home for Coloradans to the end of April. It's needed IMHO. And we need more people to take it seriously and stay home except when they absolutely have to go out for unavoidable errands, doctor's visits, and such.

    As the stay-at-home order is being extended, we are nearing the end of our self-quarantine. Just one more day left.

    Our days are well and truly settling into a routine. A few chores ... some fun stuff. Before we know it, the evening hours are approaching. Dinner and a couple of shows on TV pretty much wrap things up. Thank goodness for Netflix ... we're binge-watching "The Crown." What can I say ... need fluff entertainment these days.

    All in all ... a good day.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy, One more SQ post tomorrow, and then I will only write if I have something exciting or different to report.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    2
    Day 14

    SQD14: And We Remain Healthy!

    April 3, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 27 °F

    Self-quarantine day 14 ... the last day.
    Stay @ home order day 9.

    It's over ... the SQ, that is. We'll still social distance for the foreseeable future, but it feels good to know that we didn't pick up anything during the two days it took us to get from İzmir to Colorado Springs. Now to remain as healthy as we are the moment 🙏🏻

    To be frank, we didn't have any reason to suspect that we'd come into contact with the dreaded coronavirus while we were traveling. We kept our distance from others. We had "safe" seats on the long-haul flights. We sanitized our seats and anything that we might touch around us using disinfectant wipes. We washed our hands frequently in the lavatory ... disinfecting as an added precaution when we returned to our seats. In other words, we practiced safety measures throughout our time in airports ... on airplanes ... and even in our room at the Hilton @ Logan Airport in Boston. Glad that our efforts were not for naught.

    Woke up to a winter wonderland today. The forecasted snow started late yesterday and continued through the night ... blanketing the area with fluffy white stuff.

    We didn't think we'd gotten three inches of accumulation. So, we figured the snow clearing crew would be a no-show. With that in mind, after breakfast, Mui went out to clear the driveway. He had barely started blowing the accumulation away from the garage door when the crew showed up. Yay! Minutes later, the driveway was down to bare concrete. Any patches that remain will be taken care of by the sun and warming temps.

    There wasn't much in the way of chores today. So, Mui installed my new keyboard tray. It tilts and swivels, allowing me to work more ergonomically ... that's a good thing since I am at my desk quite a bit more these days ... working towards catching up on photo processing and writing projects.

    In fact, today's processing took me to San Diego, California. The date was 21 January 2017. We had a terrific day — visiting the USS Midway Museum ... having a yummy meal at Sally's Fish House ... enjoying a colorful sunset ... and watching San Diego recede amid twinkling lights as we left after nightfall to begin our TransPacific crossing. Love armchair traveling when I can't travel for real.

    I've attached one of the photos I processed from our day in San Diego. Once I get a few more days of photos uploaded, I'll share the link here for those interested in reliving our RTW voyage with us.

    All in all ... a good day.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy. I'll write again when I have something interesting ... or just to catch up.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 16

    Change of Scenery

    April 5, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Stay @ home order day 11.

    We have a couple of great weather days to take advantage of before the next forecasted snow falls in Colorado Springs. So, we decided that we were due a change of scenery.

    The plan was to drive over to the Air Force Academy (USAFA) and walk around one of the lakes on base. No can do ... the grounds are apparently closed during the pandemic to all but those on official business. Alrighty ... we’ll switch plans.

    A quick drive from USAFA’s south gate to the north gate took us to the New Santa Fe Regional Trail. The parking lot is outside the base, so no problems accessing the dirt path that runs parallel to USAFA. I have no idea how long the trail is ... though we did pass a marker indicating we were at milepost 47. In any event, we were out for about two hours.

    The path is fairly level, but the area is at around 7,000 feet elevation. So we took it easy, enjoying the fantastic weather and the amazing scenery ... including Pike’s Peak peeking out from behind the nearby mountain range. I don’t know if we reached the day’s projected high of 66F while we were walking, but it sure was warm enough to shed my jacket shortly after we got started. We weren’t alone on the trail. There were other walkers and quite a few bikers ... but none that we saw except in passing.

    After our walk, we drove back home for a quiet afternoon. I had hoped to sit out on the deck, but there was a stiff breeze coming off the plains. OK ... plenty to do indoors, anyway. I went to my office to process photos. Mui went to his desk to do some grocery shopping ... on the Sprouts website. We do a lot of online shopping, but this is the first time he’s using a delivery service for groceries. We’ll see how it works out.

    All in all ... a good day.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 17

    Virtual Health Check ... Virtual Travel

    April 6, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Stay @ home order day 12.

    Mui saw the doctor today ... virtually.

    No, don’t worry ... it’s not COVID-19 related. His allergies have kicked into full gear these past few days ... possibly turning into a sinus infection. His “wet” cough has been the worst of his problems as the tickle in his throat wakes him throughout the night ... which means he doesn’t get a good night’s rest.

    He’s battled this respiratory issue all his life, so he knows the symptoms well. He emailed his primary care physician over the weekend. She responded Saturday with the suggestion he change his antihistamine and set up a virtual urgent care appointment ... just in case. Dotting all the i’s and crossing the t’s ... that’s a good thing.

    We picked up the recommended antihistamine yesterday ... and scheduled the virtual care appointment this morning. The process on the UC Health portal was easy peasy — select a time (there were plenty to choose from); complete a questionnaire that includes a description of symptoms and recent travel history; click the submit button to confirm.

    The appointment itself was a video conference. An admin person called 15 minutes before the designated time to confirm Mui’s identity and help him start the conference. Then a nurse practitioner took over. She listened to Mui’s concerns and agreed that his symptoms were not COVID-19 related (whew), and prescribed additional meds to help him get over the crud.

    By the way, she agreed with what we’ve been hearing on the news ... that the next two weeks are going to be the worst we’ve seen yet on the coronavirus front. So — stay home everyone and do your part to flatten the curve. That’s what we will be doing.

    If you enjoy armchair traveling, and you need something to entertain yourself while you’re home, here’s a link to the photos I have processed from our 2017 voyage around the world: http://2totravelrtw180.blogspot.com/p/our-rtw-i…. This link will take you to my blog page with a list of our ports of call. Where I have created online galleries, the name of the port is clickable and will take you to the appropriate gallery.

    So far, I’ve processed photos for 30 days of our 180-day adventure. Yeah ... I’ve got a long ways to go yet. But hey, I have plenty of time these days to get caught up.

    Oh, and if you want to see photos from our days at sea and some of our activities on board, you can click this link: https://eenusa.smugmug.com/RTW-2017/Voyage/Days….

    All in all ... a good day.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 18

    Testing a New Treat Recipe

    April 7, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Stay @ home order day 13.

    Gorgeous day here in Colorado Springs.

    We were really tempted to go to one of the nearby parks for a hike. But we had multiple deliveries coming ... with no scheduled time frame. So, we stayed home and made the most of the sunny, blue-sky day — with temps reaching up into 72F — on our own deck. Mui even set up an umbrella to give us a bit of relief from the sun.

    Mui was in and out of the house, working on a recipe he recently found for chocolate dipped orange peel strips. Yummy!!! One of my favorite treats. The result ... delicious ... although we didn’t have enough chocolate in the house this time to entirely coat each orange peel strip. You can bet that will change when he makes the recipe again.

    (His recipe is in Turkish, but you can Google chocolate dipped orange peel and come up with quite a number of recipes online should you suddenly have a yen to make your own treats.)    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 26

    All Continues to Be Well

    April 15, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    Stay @ home order day 21.

    It's been a week since I last wrote. We're well and truly into our routine. Nothing exciting to write about. Just wanted to let those few who are reading that all's well.

    We've had a couple of nice days that allowed us to enjoy the outdoors this past week with long walks around the neighborhood and on the plains on the far side of our arroyo. Al fresco meals on the deck added variety.

    We're in the midst of furnishing the deck so that we can spend more time out there as the weather improves. The grill Mui ordered arrived last week ... putting it together was not unlike a Lego project ;-) But we managed quite well. The chaise lounges arrived yesterday ... currently in quarantine in the garage. We'll get them unpacked and moved to the deck by the weekend. No reason to hurry before then since we have a second snow event forecasted for tomorrow ... this on the heels of the one that just about blew us away this past Sunday.

    Another project we've tackled is my walk-in closet. The doors we ordered from Ikea for our old cabinets have been installed ... as has the jewelry armoire. I'm using the "one bite of the elephant" method to reorganize the shelves and hanging clothes. It will take some time to finish the project ... but I'm in no hurry. It’s good to mix and match hobbies with chores ... adds variety to our days.

    Some know that I celebrated my birthday on Saturday. It was a quiet day ... but that is no different from our usual b'day celebrations. The highlight of my birthday weekend was Andrea Bocelli's live concert from the Duomo in Milan ... so uplifting! His rendition of "Amazing Grace" brought tears to my eyes ... just as it did when we saw him perform live in DC. I had to look up when we went to Bocelli’s Christmas concert and was surprised to see that it was 15 years ago ... WOW! Time sure flies.

    I can't think of anything else to write about. So, I'll end as I've been doing since the coronavirus became such a big part of our lives ... stay safe ... stay healthy.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 29

    Bobcat Surprise

    April 18, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Stay @ home order day #24.

    What started out as a nice enough walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air and exercise turned into a delightful one when we spotted a bobcat in a tree. That's a first for us.

    The bobcat remained in position — not moving a muscle — long enough for us to watch it for a while. When we returned 45 minutes later to check on it and get a couple of photos, he was still in the same position. We wondered if it might be stuck in the "V" of some branches.

    The question was answered when Mui stopped by after lunch to check on it. As Mui watched, the bobcat jumped down to a lower branch but made no move to leave the tree. At least it wasn't stuck or hurt. Maybe just biding its time until nightfall to leave.

    We've notified the sheriff's office ... they will check on it.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 29

    Thunderbirds Salute

    April 18, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Stay @ home day #24 (cont’d).

    The Thunderbirds — the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron — was in Colorado Springs today to honor the Class of 2020 at the US Air Force Graduation Ceremony.

    The squadron didn't perform its usual aerial acrobatics ... just did a flyover. But one that was appreciated by the graduates who had a most untraditional ceremony that was held in the cadet area near the USAFA Chapel instead of the Falcon Stadium. No cheering audience ... the soon-to-be second lieutenants all seated in a manner appropriate to the social distancing rules that govern our days during the pandemic. No hugging in celebration ... instead, they threw their caps in the air and donned face masks. Definitely a more solemn occasion this year.

    After the graduation ceremony, the Thunderbirds did not immediately high tail it back to Nellis AFB, Nevada ... their home base. Instead, they flew north and then made their way south, overflying Colorado's medical facilities along a previously determined flight pattern. It was their way of saluting essential front-line workers who are working tirelessly — and selflessly — during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    We had a great spot from which to watch the Thunderbirds fly over "our" hospital. I didn't get any decent photos, but I'm keeping them anyway to remember this most special flyover.

    Stay safe ... stay healthy.    Read more

  • Two to TravelCoronavirus Pandemic
    Day 38

    We Enter a New Stage in Colorado

    April 27, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    The stay at home order for Colorado concluded yesterday. It lasted 32 days ... 14 of which we were self-quarantining post-trip anyway.

    Today we began a new phase — "safer at home." What this means is that the state is slowly taking steps towards re-opening the economy. Personally, I think it's too early for us to be doing so, but no one asked my opinion. At least Colorado seems to be taking steps a bit more slowly than some of the other states are doing.

    This new phase won't be making much of a change in our lives. We'll continue to social-distance. For the next few weeks at least, we'll also limit our forays to within 10 miles from our home base as requested.

    It's not much of a hardship for us to take these precautionary measures. We have plenty of projects to do at home. Some small ... like sewing hook tabs on washcloths. Some requiring a bit more effort ... like building a small side table to use between the two chaise lounges on the deck. In a week or so, Mui will start planting flowers for us to enjoy on our deck.

    I'm still taking bites out of the elephant that is also known as organizing the walk-in-closet. A few knitting projects give my hands something to do when we sit down to watch TV at night. And, of course, processing travel photos is still at the forefront of my hobby taskers ... as is cleaning up the stash of photos on my iPhone.

    Spring has well and truly sprung in Colorado Springs. That doesn't mean that we might not still get winter-like weather in the next few weeks. I'm OK with that. We are in the mountains of Colorado after all. Nature is starting to green up nicely. The fountain at the entrance to the community is spouting high and the landscapers turned on the irrigation system today, so we'll see plants and lawns coming alive before long.

    We're making the most of the warmer temps. While we yearn to go hiking, we'll do our share in the pandemic fight by curbing our enthusiasm to visit nearby parks for a bit longer and make do with neighborhood walks.

    Having the deck is a delight and we're using it as much as we can between doing chores at home. Quiet mornings sitting on the deck with a cup of tea and my iPad is my favorite time of the day ... enjoying the birds chirping in the trees and the sound of the frogs croaking in the tiny pond that has developed in the arroyo.

    We're expecting the temps to rise into the mid-80s for a few days later this week, so there's definitely more deck time in our immediate future. And al fresco meals, of course ... with "wine-time" moved to lunch since it's still a bit too cool to eat dinner outdoors.

    All in all ... we're doing well. And so our families and friends. Stay safe ... stay healthy.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English