Damn Covid, finally found us…

When Covid first made the news and began affecting our lives it was during the winter of 2019. The first impacts were figuring out how to get groceries, how to do our laundry and how to find parks not closing down to newer people.

We managed our way through that winter and again the winter 2020 which was a continuation of 2019. However,the world had gained a bit more information about what precautions we could take to make our lives safer.

Sharon and I, after much reading and research on our own, elected to get vaccinated right away. As a result we got all the follow-up vaccinations since then and the booster recommended for the Omicron variant of Covid just this year.

While we were fully vaccinated we were also aware this didn’t mean we couldn’t catch Covid. However if we did get Covid we were also aware by being vaccinated it was less likely for us to develop severe symptoms which may have required hospitalization.

We are also understanding of others who chose not to get vaccinated because, after all, it is your choice. Up until now we have been evading catching Covid by staying out of crowded enclosed venues preferring to be outside anytime we went out for fun.

Well our time without Covid finally ended this past week. We suspect we caught it at a Mardi Gras party but could also have contracted it somewhere else. Fortunately we realized we were sick early and stayed home not wanting to give even a cold to somebody else.

I felt like I was catching a cold since my nose was running on day 1. The next day I got a deep cough and thought it would be wise to test for Covid. I did, and it was negative. That same day Sharon had a sore throat and the next day she had a bad cough. To be safe we tested her for Covid and hers was positive. So I retested on day three of symptoms and I too tested positive. Sigh… we were both down with Covid.

We went to an urgent care to see what the current advice of doctors was because of our age. Let’s just say we got more politics than medical advice. This is not a political post so whatever your political beliefs are just know we respect them. This of course happened on Sharon’s doctor’s day off.  She messaged him knowing it could take up to three working days for a response.. After much thought and internet research we decided on our own that since we are over 65 we should take Paxlovid.

I was hesitant to do so since there is a lot of unpleasant side effects possible and it is said to be only 51% effective against the latest variants. We quickly embarked on our first day dose and both experienced an immediate lingering bitter after taste. Sharon also developed a rash the next morning. As a result we decided to stop taking Paxlovid. Sharon’s doctor has since been in touch and is supportive of our decisions.

For some comfort food during our sickness I made some red chili pozole.Sharon was especially thankful because her sense of taste (and appetite) had diminished. While we escaped Covid for 3 years, COVID finally caught our asses. We are fortunate so far as we both have what they refer to as "mild" COVID. We will just lay low and stay home until we both test negative…

Is Covid still screwing up your plans…?

We are back in the Rio Grande Valley for the winter. To celebrate we broke out the crystal and toasted to a hopefully good winter stay. We stayed at Isla Blanca RV Park last winter while were hiding out from Covid. We were also able to have our first two Covid vaccines here. Last year everything was shut down pretty tightly and thus it was a great location for us to ride out the unknowns of the Covid pandemic.

Fast forward a year later and nothing much has changed on the Covid front. We wanted to stay at Isla Blanca again hoping to be able to see what it was like to be here without a pandemic but alas, not much has changed, at least not for us. While many here in Texas have grown tired of the pandemic Sharon and I still respect the might of Covid and are staying pretty close to home.

That said we do have a few outdoor places we have enjoyed, as we did last year. We often hike at the Convention Center’s Laguna Madre Nature Trail and we often visit the deck at South Padre Island Brewing Company. Before the omicron variant of Covid hit the USA we were just beginning to feel pretty comfortable visiting some indoor places and being around a lot of people.

However, when the omicron variant reared its ugly head and proved to be much more contagious we began to retreat from both indoor places and people once again. Therefore here we are in South Padre Island one year later doing basically the same things we did last year when things were much more unknown.

While some will say we are crazy not to just live our lives and not worry about getting another version of the “flu” we have different feelings. While we both realize the disease is not extremely deadly it is the fear of having the symptoms for a lengthy period of time as the many who now have Long Covid. In addition, Sharon’s having survived breast cancer along with several previous bouts of pneumonia over the years have her really wanting to avoid covid.

I actually can't imagine what it would be like to not be able to smell or taste. So much of our lives revolve around food, drinks and the culinary delights in the many towns we visit. We both can’t even imagine not being able to enjoy two of our precious senses. That alone is enough for me not to take any unnecessary risks!

In the meantime we are enjoying our daily routine of walking the beach together  (weather permitting). so the photos today will be of some of the delights we see with our eyes and enjoy with our ears. Two other senses we value greatly…

NOTE: We are currently in South Padre Island TX until March 1st…

Fully Covid-19 vaccinated- What to expect!

Four weeks after our first Moderna Covid-19 vaccination it was time for our second shot. The day before we read up to be fully prepared for what the possible side effects would be and were mentally prepared for them. However, neither of us slept great the night before but I slept worse than Sharon as I was only able to sleep about three and a half hours.

The day to drive to our vaccination appointment finally arrived. We made the short 30 minute drive over to Brownsville, Texas and parked. The last time we were here we stood in line for hours and hours before getting our shot. This time it was much simpler. The guard entering the parking lot and another at the door verified that we were there for our second vaccine and we were allowed us into the building.

Once inside we were greeted by a person who had us fill out a form and then she placed us in a queued line waiting to check in. Once inside the check in area we were asked a lot of questions and were signed in for our shot. We then waited to see one more check-in person but neither of us understood fully why this step was necessary or what it was that she did.

Once finished with check-in they placed us in another queue. In each of the lines we were placed 6 feet apart. As soon as we made our way to the front and a vacancy inside was available we walked into a room with several vaccine stations. As our turn came up we were seated, received our vaccine and the nurse placed a band-aid over the vaccination site.

Next we were ushered into a waiting room where chairs were socially distanced apart.  We were told to wait there for our prescribed time (some were told to wait 30 minutes but we were told 15 minutes). This was a precautionary step to ensure we didn’t have an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Allergic reactions are the most serious side effect to the vaccine but thankfully are very rare. If we were to have had an allergic reaction we were assured they had everything there to treat us to ensure we left healthy. Water bottles were provided for those who wanted one.

After our 15 minutes were up we left the waiting room to check out. The attendant at the check out table punched our names into the computer and filled out our vaccination cards. As we departed we felt triumphant in knowing that in a few short weeks we would be fully vaccinated as it takes two weeks after the second shot to achieve the full 95% efficacy against the virus.

Now the wait began to see if we would experience any of the well known side effects for the virus. The word is that you will start noticing side effects 6-12 hours after your second shot and they could last 24-48 hours. Upon our departure we decided to stay and do a walking tour of the UTRGV college campus. We also did a little birding at their Resaca knowing we were good for at least 6 hours.

Once back home we waited with hopes that neither of us would experience side effects. Nine hours later Sharon started getting a headache and very slight fever. Hoping I had been spared time marched on. Before going to bed that night I was beginning think I was lucky.

The next morning I noticed a slight headache and noticed my joints (especially my knees) hurt when walking. Otherwise I felt fine. Sharon on the other hand was down for the count. Not only did she have fever, chills and headaches, now she ached all over, had no appetite and felt very tired. As a result  she slept nearly the whole day. By mid day I too had a low grade fever of 100.5 F but otherwise felt fine.

I did go to bed early that night and when I awoke the next morning I felt completely fine. After Sharon got up she too felt fine but still felt tired however not tired enough to skip a long walk to the beach. We are now past 48 hours and both feel fine. We are so glad that this is now behind us and feel fortunate to have been vaccinated from this nasty disease.

NOTE:  Photos taken at the South Padre Birding Center. We are currently in South Padre Island in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas until March 1st…

Choosing Joy and Vaccines…

It is hard to believe it has been a little over a year since the first person to have Covid-19 was announced in America. Over 400,000 people have died since then, quite the tragedy. And on the 20th of January America swore in a new president who hopes he will be able to turn the tide on this pandemic. We all certainly hope so.

Sharon and I were able to receive our first Covid vaccines as “Winter Texans” about three weeks ago. We had the Moderna mRNA vaccine and will receive our second shot next Thursday. Our daughter in North Carolina, a health care worker, had her second shot of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday.

For those who don’t know the Moderna vaccine requires a second vaccination four weeks after the first one. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second vaccination three weeks after the first one. They are nearly identical mRNA vaccines and as such seem to have the same side effects.

Sharon and I had sore arms with redness around the vaccination site as did our daughter who had the Pfizer shot. Sharon also had a very slight fever and a minor headache the first night.. After a few days both Sharon and Katie’s arm soreness and redness dissipated. My soreness stayed a day longer but my arm redness (and it was warm to touch) persisted for about 11 days.

I have read a lot about the side effects after the second vaccine so we will know what to expect. It seems the worst side effects are similar to a bad flu for 12-24 hours. It apparently is worse in younger people as they have a more robust immune system.

In the meantime I am also having fun with my new camera. I was even fortunate enough to capture a photo on one bird I have only seen a few of (taking a bath) and one I had never seen before, a “lifer” for the birders out there. I will add photos in a later blog but will tell you the first was a Clapper Rail and the “lifer” was a Least Bittern.

Sharon too is getting acquainted with my older camera and having fun now that she can zoom in on things.She enjoys taking pictures that reflect happiness whereas I focus on nature. She has become quite the photographer. Her favorites lately are landscapes where she often pronounces “I choose joy!” and as such so do I.

Everyday life has been different and challenging in the midst of the pandemic but we would like to invite you to choose joy with us as we continue to travel on our Road of Retirement…

NOTE:  We are currently in South Padre Island in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas until March 1st…

Pondering as we tour Appomattox Court National Historical Park…

Wow, we could not believe how much stuff we had taken from the RV to the downstairs apartment we stayed in once we began to move back into the RV.  It seemed to take forever to put everything back in its place. We started packing the night before and finally finished up in the morning. And good news, the RV started up just fine after sitting for so long and once it was fully packed we hit the road.

We drove a fairly long way the first day as we covered over 180 miles via small shouldlerless roads that years ago would have had me white knuckled but now are not a big deal whatsoever. Our first stop back on the road was at Parkview RV Park in Appomattox, VA.

I wanted to stop here to check out the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. The RV park we were stayed at was nearly within walking distance of the park but we drove over to the main entrance. There was no fee to enter and we had no problem finding parking near the main entrance.

With Covid-19 masks were required for entering any of the buildings and most buildings were open for touring except for the visitor’s center. There were a few people visiting the park with us but it was quite easy to socially distance ourselves the whole time we were there.

“On April 9, 1865, the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia in the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia signaled the end of the nation's largest war.”

This park is a preserved 19th century village which is where the house of Wilmer McLean is located. It was in this house that the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union commander Ulysses S. Grant took place on April 9, 1865. This act is what effectively ended the American Civil War.

The village was at one time nothing more than a stagecoach stop along the Richmond-Lynchburg stage route in the early 1800’s In 1842 it became the county seat and developers were excited about the possibility of its future growth. However, in 1854 train depot stopped three miles west in Appomattox, Virginia and the area went into decline ever since. The park service did an amazing job resurrecting it.

The park is rather spacious and as we walked around looking at buildings built during the American Civil War we could only imagine what life was like during that tumultuous time in our history especially given the civil unrest our country is currently going through. To see both Union and Confederate soldiers buried side by side gives one hope that better times are certainly ahead of us…

NOTE: We are currently in Raleigh, NC probably until the end of September…

Skyline Drive in Shenandoah NP and Final Days in the Shenandoah Valley…

One afternoon we decided to make a long loop drive of about 150 miles so we could drive the length of the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. We drove from where we were staying over to Front Royal VA and entered the National Park from the north entrance. Days like this we sure appreciate having our senior National Parks pass!

The weather was partly cloudy with intermittent showers. The drive was a wonderful, slow meander through the lush and green vegetation in the mountains of the park. Driving the length of the road we often stopped at the scenic pull outs to take in the serenity of such a majestic park.

Lots of butterflies were out and a few critters such as rabbits, squirrels and deer. While taking in all the scenery we took some time to talk about what our future plans might be once we leave our friend’s place. Our first thoughts revolved around where to go this winter.

With Bonita Springs Florida having been our original destination this winter Covid-19 has changed our thoughts about going there since we mostly stay for all the social events with our snowbird friends.. Likewise another winter favorite is in Mesa Arizona where there are endless activities and live music played daily. Most if not all of these will most likely not be available this winter.

So why pay $1100 to $1300 dollars per month when we won’t be able to enjoy what these two locations usually offer? Therefore, we decided to winter this season in Texas at Port Isabel on South Padre Island. Pricey by Texas standards but for under $700 per month we figured it would be a good place to wait out Covid this winter and not incur the additional cost of amenities we wouldn’t be able to use. Sharon totally loves the beach and we will have easy access at the park we chose. Decision made.

With that decided it was time to start thinking about heading south. We still have a reservation at John Pennecamp State Park in the Florida Keys in late October so our thoughts are to start heading that way and still have time to spend a month or so near our daughter in Raleigh NC. Time to start packing, well, maybe one last stop at Woodstock Brewery….

NOTE: We have left the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia until and are back on the road south as we are heading toward Raleigh, NC…

Waiting out the Summer at the Farm…

As summer began here in the Shenandoah Valley we spent a few days taking needed items out of the RV and moving into our “apartment” in the basement of our friends’ home. We are nesting here pretty well and have fallen into a bit of a routine.

The best part of our routine is our morning 1.5 to 2.0 mile walk along the roads on the farm and around this isolated farm community.When we first got here the wild raspberries were full of fruit. It was always pleasant walking the roads and picking raspberries along the way.

Sharon also settled into her routine of her daily workouts; me not so much. However, I did get into the habit of doing a little fishing in the Shenandoah River on the property hoping to catch an elusive small mouth bass. Our friends lent us an extra golf cart to use so we take it down to the river for happy hour occasionally.

We sure do miss going out to a brewery for our happy hour but have adapted here using a couple of chairs situated in the driveway overlooking the horse barn in the valley below. It is nice watching the 6 horses (one Palomino and 5 brown horses) frolic in the large pasture they call home. Recently 2 white horses were added in the smaller pasture adjacent to the larger one giving us added entertainment.

Wildflowers were abundant here in early to mid July with lots of various colors to see. Even the trees here still have that fresh green color usually seen in the newer growth of trees.Thanks to the generosity of our friends I am pretty sure we will be enjoying this gorgeous scenery for as long as we choose.

We do know that we will leave here well before it gets cold as we still have one saved reservation for Key Largo in October for Sharon’s 65th birthday. We also have finally decided that this winter we will stay in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas since it is about half the price of either Florida (coastal) or Arizona.

While we love Florida and Arizona we most likely won’t be able to enjoy all their amenities they are charging the higher prices for so we decided to stick close to the Texas coast where we can at least enjoy a beach walk on the warmer days down there…

Cheers to you all and stay safe…

NOTE: We are currently in the Shenandoah Valley near Woodstock Virginia until who knows when…