It has been fourteen days since I reached San Francisco – I am no longer going to leave you hanging. 🙃 I am happy to report that I have successfully navigated the COVID-19 mine field lurking between here and Vancouver, and remain virus free.
My daughter’s family and I have remained quite isolated for the past two weeks though quarantining is not required in California. Fortunately they have a home with a back yard and a butterfly that has adopted one of the bushes and made friends with my grandson.
We take walks with our masks that we lower when no one else is in sight, but put in place when others occasionally appear. And it is quite occasional; not many people are out and about in this residential neighbourhood and fortunately most are masked. San Francisco is doing well combatting the virus. Three days ago (the most recent data available) there were only 22 new cases. Free testing at several locations continues.
One of our favourite walks takes us up the 186 Detroit Street steps. While I labour slowly up, my grandchildren trot by and pause to offer encouragement at the top of each flight. The downward journey on a parallel set of steps is easier though my knees sometimes do not agree.
I also take masked walks with my camera, making sure to keep a distance from others. I have been documenting this pandemic since mid-April and posting daily photos on Instagram under @nancy.w.caldwell. I am continuing to do so here in San Francisco. Here are a few photos I have recently posted which give some idea of how empty my normally bustling adopted community of Glen Park is these days.
We have managed to escape San Francisco’s gloomy summer weather witih a couple of trips to the beach. At one beach there was plenty of space to socially distance. These huge California beaches are a blessing and provide lots of room for the kids to run around.
There was also bird life perfect for photographing. I thank my friend Don Ruh for helping me identify the egrets.
A second outing took us to another beach. This one was more densely populated but we were still easily able to socially distance. I am so sad this has become the new normal – who wants to worry about people running by when you’re there to chill and enjoy some freedom from your every day routine?
Freedom that day took the form of sandcastle building and boogie boarding for the kids, and shooting some pelicans for me.
I will stay with my daughter and her family for another four weeks, then fly home on August 23rd. I will have to quarantine for 14 days once home and hope for the same happy outcome from my COVID-19 road trip to San Francisco.
Take care til I see you again.
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