Acting Normal

This morning's 8.5 mile walk across the causeway was delayed for grocery shopping; the clouds were still lingering from yesterday. Normally, we try to shop once a week since that forces us to get creative if we run out of something. Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention, right? Now we try to stretch our shopping to once every 10 days.

Well, in the age of COVID-19, nothing is normal anymore. We suited up with face coverings and proceeded with vigilance. What used to be the highlight of our week was now the most dangerous point of our "safer at home" seclusion.

This week, we went to Publix only, instead of Walmart and Publix. To our surprise our total was less than expected. John has a knack for the BOGOs. Since Publix is much nicer and closer, we'll probably make that our grocery store from now on. I noticed that the store had installed plastic shields for the cashiers, and there were Xs on the floor to cue you to the register while maintaining proper social distance, one alligator's length, as they say in Florida.

I worked most of the day. I was a little concerned that my students would disappear after a three-week interruption of the semester, but almost all of them showed up. I suspect they've been bored out of their minds and were ready for some mental stimulation. A flock of white ibis were hard at work, too, in the neighbors' yard, hunting for grub worms. You can tell which lawns have professional grub treatments and which have the ibis do the work. So it was a productive day for all.

I finished my work just in time to enjoy my favorite Florida colors: blue, green, and white.