April 30, 2020, Pandemic in Northern Ontario, Canada

Hello Fellow Social Isolators,

How is everyone today, April 30th, 2020?

Here in Northern Ontario, we are having crazy rains.  In the past day and a half we've gotten more rain than we normally get in a month.

Some of the rivers still have ice so this has caused flooding; two of our area rivers so far have caused washouts, closing down highway 556 in both directions to the North, and covering Bar River Road to the East.  Crazy times.

We are still in lock down here in Ontario, although Michigan and Alberta are easing up starting in May.  We still have a lot of new cases and deaths from Covid 19, so our Premier, Doug Ford has asked people from other provinces to please not visit Ontario for now, but that they will be welcome when things are better.

Yesterday I spent 5 hours helping my 80 year old Dad and 70 year old Mom order groceries online or by phone.  

Our first order, from Food Basics, arrived this morning already, which was great as we were running out of things. 

I've been telling my parents since February that we need to stock up on items...not hoard, but stock up to make sure we have enough because I was worried about food shortages.  They said I was crazy, but unfortunately I was right, and now meat prices have skyrocketed because two beef processing plants and a chicken plant had to close due to covid.  It's been impossible to get yeast since this all started, but thankfully I was able to get a LOT of flour and cornmeal last time I shopped online.

My parents are very frugal and so I had to check all of the local online flyers, then try to find the items they wanted at the lowest prices, while taking delivery costs into account.

The last time we ordered, only National Grocers Cash and Carry had open slots for curbside pickup, but this time I was lucky enough to get slots at Walmart (May 3rd pickup) and Romes Independent Grocers (May 10th pickup).  

I also had to order cow manure and garden fertilizer twice, from the farm store. Once for my Dad, which we picked up last week, and now again for my uncle, which we'll probably have to pick up this weekend or early next week. 

My Dad had some veggie seeds from last year in the basement, and I was able to get him more at the farm store. I also ordered some online.

I'm really glad that my new pressure canner arrived, but wow, it's huge, lol.

I'll be able to put up food from the garden.  I have some canning jars but suspect I will need more. 

I was able to go for my first two bike rides of the year earlier in the week, and it was great to get out.  I rode down quiet side streets and then down back roads in the country and it was great.  I was careful to not ride close to anyone and kept my distance, but unfortunately two cyclists passed me by so close they almost hit me, which made me angry.  I have severe chronic asthma and will be hit hard if I get the virus.

My cousin Ann Marie, who lives in California, has been giving online exercise workouts which my Mom has been following.  I've been working out with my Oculus Quest; mostly using Beat Saber, as it's a great workout, but now that I can get out on my bike that will be my main exercise.

We're allowed to go for daily walks or bike rides as long as we maintain social distance, and I feel a lot safer on my bike as I can get away from people who aren't careful a lot faster than I can on foot. 

I sewed several masks, for myself, my family, friends, and neighbor, but I will post about that in a separate post. 

I hope everyone reading this is safe and healthy.  Take care :-)

First Bike Camping Trip!

Last Friday I went on my first bike camping trip.  It's been crazy busy and I was away at our family cottage for a few days shortly after, so haven't had time to get on here until now.

I had such a great time!  (There are loads of photos, and each can be clicked on to make them bigger.)

It wasn't a long trip, only about 20 km there, 20 back, but they were hilly kilometers and I was carrying about 50 Lbs of gear on my 30 Lb bike....very different feel from my normal bike rides; much more difficult.

Loaded bike

 Here's my bike, all loaded and propped against the house because it was so heavy my kickstand wouldn't support the weight.

Getting ready to head out for my first bike camping trip

 Here I am with my trusty steed, Corabelle, getting ready to head out.  My Mom is in the background, telling me I'm totally crazy, lol.

Me and my loaded bike

 I'd never ridden a loaded bike before, and it took some getting used to.  I can't imagine how much harder front racks and panniers must be for steering.  I'm ordering some in the winter so I'll be all set for next spring, lol.

Creek along the route

 About half of my ride was along a quiet country road called Base Line. There were lots of pretty creeks and a few narrow bridges.  The above photo is one of them.  I was going so slowly that I was passed by a farm tractor towing a trailer, lol.

The turn from Base Line to Airport Road

 The turn from Base Line to Airport Road is tricky because the fist thing I had to do once I turned was climb a hill.  I made it up every single hill on this trip, and there were lots of them.  Thankfully not too big, but last year I wouldn't have made it up a single one, never mind carrying so much stuff.

Airport Road

 My bike is a hybrid bike, a comfort bike crossed with a beach bike, and it's very comfortable.  I love the upright position and I love my bike,  but in all honesty a mountain bike would be easier for carrying stuff, and for giving me alternate hand positions.  My hands grew numb quickly from the single handle bars, and I had to keep shaking them out.

Arriving at the campground

 This shot is "before the collapse" taken just as I arrived at the campground.  I felt fine until I stopped, got off the bike, and immediately became so dizzy I could barely stand up.

I went in to register and almost collapsed. The couple who run the place brought me to a shady spot behind the building and let me sit in a lawn chair in the shade until I recovered.  They said I had a touch of heat stroke and needed to just sit still and drink water.  I'd been drinking G2 on the ride but I guess I didn't drink enough of it for such a hard ride on such a hot day.  I had a sunburn on my face, neck, shoulders, and even the part in my hair was beet red.

As I sat, relaxing, I could feel eyes on my.  I looked up to see the cutest little red squirrel peering over the roof, looking at me.  We sat staring at one another for quite some time.  It's probably just me, but the squirrel looked concerned, lol

My camp site

 When the world finally stopped spinning, I went to find my camp spot, which was not easy, lol.  I parked my bike and decided I'd better eat something.

Lunch!

 This snack sized tuna kit was perfect; a tiny can of tuna, 6 crackers, a napkin and spoon.  It was yummy and I felt even better after getting some protein and carbs in me.

Close up of lunch (yum!)

 After lunch I set up my tent.  I was still super hot so I decided to change into my bathing suit and ride over to the beach.

Going for a swim

 The water was lovely; warm, for once.  Lake Superior is usually frigid. I swam for about an hour and a half, but leisurely.  I did laps then let the waves carry me away for some distance, then swam back, over and over again.

Pointe Des Chenes beach

 It was really gorgeous out there.  I love the beach.

My tent and bike

 My camp site was  rocky but OK.  My tent was a tad too small for me and I am considering getting a bigger one. THis is fine if it stays dry but if it rains I'd be in trouble because when I lay down, my head and feet touch either end.

Sunset at the beach

 I went back to the beach to watch the sunset over the water.  It was spectacular.

Wood was too wet to start a fire

 I tried to start a fire, but the wood was too wet.

 I gave up on the fire and cooked supper on my little cat can alcohol stove.  It's just a Friskie's can with holes drilled along the upper edge to let the fire out the sides so that the fire won't go out when a pot or pan is placed upon it.  It worked perfectly to reheat my burger, which I cooked ahead and then froze.  It was mostly thawed by the time I cooked it.  I then melted the cheese when it was done. It was yummy.

Supper cooked on cat can alcohol stove

I had a great time and am looking forward to doing it again.  The only downfall of the trip was a group of noisy people set up next to me and let their kids scream until about 1 AM.  I was exhausted and every time I fell asleep, the kids would wake me up.  The park is supposed to be quiet after 10 PM and that family was really inconsiderate. The adults were super loud too.  Other than that, I had a great time.

Country Road, Take Me Home...

...To the Place, Where I Belong...

Well, I've been looking for a house in the country.  I went to visit 3 of them today (and took pics of the 2 that I like).  Both houses have pros and cons...one has waterfront property, and is very pretty and quaint looking, but it's an awful mess as it's been empty for awhile.  It would  need new painting, wallpaper, floors, and one part of the ceiling would need to be restuccoed (or whatever that stuff is).   It also had hundreds of flies on every window sill, and I saw some mice traps that had been set and left.  So, even though it's a great property, and the house itself is really nice...or could be, with work...I'm hesitant.  Plus I don't know anything about the well or septic tank.

The other white house was in much better shape looks-wise.  Sparkling clean with bright, airy rooms and lots of windows.  It was a lovely house, but it also had flies on the windowsill, and on the ceiling in the basement...the lady there said that almost all of the country homes have them.  I wouldn't like that at all.  That house had a really scary basement, and the tenant said that it had 3 feet of water in it in the fall.  I asked if they had a sump pump and she said no...I wonder if a sump pump would help?  I was surprised to hear about the flooded basement, because the house is up on a hill.  Oh, the other problem with that house is that it doesn't have a well...they share the well with the neighbours.  I don't like that.

I'm not in a hurry; I can keep looking.