Our current thinking re COVID-19. Lots of uncertainty, two daughters in higher risk areas.

[NRaleighLiberal]

This is just a steam of consciousness ramble of things that rolled through my mind today while out gardening.

We just moved to a rural area in western NC - no incidences in our town, but they are all around us - Spartanburg SC just showed up on the map. We were at Costco and Trader Joe in Greenville SC last weekend - not overly crowded, no panic - but lots of people around, as well as in the crowded nearby lunch place. We are well stocked - and tomorrow we will take care of remaining errands and then see what happens.

We were to drive home to Raleigh next week - lots happening there, and one of our daughters is there - but are now thinking of cancelling. Thankfully we can close on the house we just sold there remotely/electronically. Our other daughter is in Washington, between Seattle and Tacoma - she is pretty freaked - one grandson (10 yrs old) has asthma pretty bad. We are concerned of what is happening out there.

My "job" is to fly to do gardening events - I was in Corvallis and Hartford in February - both flights, both around lots and lots of people. But - though it is still on, thinking April trip to St Louis and future ones to Clinton Library in Little Rock, Nantucket, DC, Michigan, New Mexico - will they happen? Should I cancel them now? I am 64 - so "high risk" age wise (though no risk factors). Very confusing - don't want to let down the hosts...but....

So we garden in our back yard on a beautiful day, coming to know our new yard - just here a few months after 28 years in Raleigh. We are pretty remote - we will be fine here for weeks with what we have. But we worry about our girls, have no clue as to the future. This is a very, very weird - and yes, scary - situation - for all of us.

I have degrees in biology and chemistry - it is hard to watch the bullshit going on, the disregard - even muzzling - of science. My wife and I were pretty calm until just today, when the numbers are now starting to shift into a scary area - and they will get worse. Weirdly, we just started watching the Netflix series on pandemics. Wow. We listened to the podcast "This Podcast Will Kill You" and their episode on COVID-19 - excellent, but already obsolete as it is a month old.

With trump as our so called president, all bets are off. I told my wife just the other day that I think it will take a cataclysmic event to wake up the cult and get the world working together again. Is this it? Not nukes, not an asteroid, not an earthquake, not a terrorist attack - but a teeny tiny agent that made the jump from animals to we extremely vulnerable humans.

Who'da thunk????

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended.

Trump, and his cult, think that they can legislate science out of existence. Like the refusal to address global warming, the refusal to address epidemics is insane. And warmer weather might very well increase the incidence of diseases.

In our area, near Chicago, most boxwood bushes were recently killed by a blight that flourished because the winter is not cold enough. Ignoring climate change cannot bring back those boxwood bushes.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. .

[guillaumeb]

3. My garden is 35 years old.

That boxwood, 10 feet wide and 8 feet high, was chosen by my youngest daughter as HER plant when she was 3. She is now 31.

I dug it out last year and built a stone bed that now has a small holly bush.

Good luck to you and your family. And, if I may ask, what do you do related to gardening?

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. expertise in tomato history and culture

developing expertise in container and straw bale gardening. Amateur tomato breeder. 2 books out, 1 in progress.

[guillaumeb]

7. Feel free to link to the books.

One of my neighbors is from Guatemala. He was a farmer there. He shared some tomatoes last year. The skin was peach colored, and the taste was incredible. Very smooth, and flavorful, and low acidity.

My garden is mainly native wildflowers, but I container garden my peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. I love containers because I can spot water.

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. here

https://www.craiglehoullier.com/intro

[guillaumeb]

9. Thank you. eom

[uppityperson]

5. It's pretty interesting, what's going on

With the federal disregard, as you say, it's appalling. Expect the numbers to go up fast as testing becomes more available as well as exponential spread.

I'm working on trying to slow the spread down so hospitals aren't overwhelmed. Am glad I live in WA, with a sane governor and insurance commissioner, though it showing up big here is bothersome.

Younger people as a whole are less seriously affected. Groups over 250 were just banned in the state. I'm glad people were prepped for earthquakes. Shortages have yet to hit, am hoping slowing the spread also helps that.

Don the Con is vile.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. .

[Hortensis]

10. It seems likely attendance at events will be modest at best for a while,

and of course they may end up canceled anyway. Perhaps suggesting a virtual symposium for those who sign up? Seeds not in commerce sent to participants? Nothing like special cuttings and seeds to awake the greed in me.

There's talk of the possibility that the incidences might take a seasonal dip, like the flu. It's apparently just not known yet, but summer might also turn out to be a time when people want to shake off being homebound and get out.

My sympathies with the worry over your family, especially that grandson. Ours also, though no lung problems thank all the mercies. My husband's older, a short hop from 80, although nice and healthy for his age, and this is the day I finally got scared that I could lose him. Nasty clutch each time the thought arises.

Congrats on your new home and garden. I know what a comfort gardens can be, as long as family are all right.