Humor is in short supply in this upside-down world, but some days ago my older brother told me he was glad my Corona Child Care Center closed down many years ago. 

March 18  I have been self-isolating since my son Skyler learned today his partner Emma came down with what may be the virus. Emma is a health care worker in the Craig hospital, coming in contact with a virus victim two days ago. Despite our President’s assurance of adequate supplies, the Craig hospital cannot keep their employees adequately protected from the patients they are working to treat. It seems the President is more interested in talking about who does and does not like him instead of addressing what we all know, we are woefully unprepared for this virus in spite of our obvious future which became apparent when the virus genome was delivered from China to the Center for Disease Control at the end of 2019.

March 19 I had hoped, selfishly, Skyler might choose to shelter in place with me instead of returning home as he finishes up a week of work on a whole house remodel we are doing together near Grand Lake.  He had left Emma with plenty of food as she begins her battle with what may be the virus. Even though testing can return results in three days, the test available in Craig (and most everywhere it appears) won’t confirm the virus for a week after her test on Wednesday.

Skyler will do the right thing, returning home tomorrow to help Emma recover.  I worry how his inevitable infection will transpire. It is our health care workers who will suffer the most from this pandemic, it is them we have failed mightily already because of our lack of leadership. 

March 20 I thought my favorite skin track up Buck Creek would be abandoned by the normal snowmobile traffic. The parking lot behind Lakota was full of trucks and trailers and one large group of tourists also passed me as I trekked up the trail.  Easy to keep personal distance I suppose when on these machines, but I wondered what tourists might bring to the valley. 

Gunnison put up road blocks and sealed the town off from the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, and largely emerged unscathed. One report said the following year was tough on the county though as the epidemic returned.

San Miguel County will test everyone in the county thanks to the largess of a wealthy Telluride benefactor. I wonder if they are pondering roadblocks on top of Dallas Divide and Lizard Head Pass. 

 Our future may be brighter at least quite a way down the road. Harvard researcher and world-famous geneticist, George Church said on 60 Minutes on Dec. 8, “We have a strategy by which we can make any cell or any organism resistant to all viruses by changing the genetic code. So if you change that code enough you now get something that is resistant to all viruses including viruses you never characterized before.”

I am certainly thankful to be living in a place where social distancing is easy, and that we are surrounded by parklands where we can retain our health, happiness and strength.

March 23  After a careful review of the time-line – Emma was exposed a week ago today after Skyler left his house in Milner to work with me here – I decided to venture out.  I miss my daily walks to the Post Office and regular walks across the street to Safeway (it is a great comfort to be able to see my food source from my kitchen window).  Mail, and groceries. A few six-foot distant hello’s – and back to the house. 

I’ve acquired a good habit and will continue to keep my distance.  Good for 68-year-old me, but by far the best for the community if we do what we can to keep from impacting our saviors in local health care facilities