Greetings! It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world. Things are weird and rapidly changing. I am having a hard time imagining what the atmosphere back home is like but we’re in a sort of twilight zone here. We’re still in Marathon and things are normally laid back anyway, so we haven’t really run into any complete shutdowns per say. Most restaurants here in Florida are operating at half capacity and Key West has closed bars and restaurants completely. We’ll be back in Key West this weekend (staying for a month this time) and will probably get the full experience then.

We don’t watch tv which is probably a good thing.  We get notices each day via the net and marina staff about new city and state ordinances, social distancing, school closings, restaurants transitioning to curbside business, etc. However, we are still seeing many boats come in and out of our marina with families or fishermen aboard. We’re able to eat at our marina restaurant for the time being. Home Depot is still hopping. I just feel like in the cities and back home it’s probably a different story. 

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We are keeping close tabs on Mom, Hi Mom, and our kids, Hi kids! They all seem to be going with the flow, although Nick is home from his job for at least 30 days. Hannah sometimes works remotely anyway, so this is not a huge adjustment for her. If Mom needs anything, we know people in town who will help out, so that’s nice.

We’ve had some marine life sighting while here. Our first up close with a manatee and another jelly fish species floating off our boat. We also had some up-close time with a few dolphins yesterday while we were exploring in the dinghy.

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Tom got the opportunity to fish for a few hours and brought back some mangrove snapper. The restaurant here will cook up your catch and cook it up they did. I neglected to get a “before” picture, but you can see the damage we did devouring it.

Staying put for awhile gave me the opportunity to start and finish my piper piping ornament (lady dancing is next up). We were also able to pick up and install our new microwave/convection oven. I am looking for a reason to bake something in it just to try it out. In case you were wondering, it heats up day old spaghetti like a pro!

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As I sit here, I try and think up ways to help others from a distance. It’s difficult for me to sit still anyway so I feel moved to do something. I have the Touchnote app on my phone, so I am able to send a card with my pictures to relatives and friends who are stuck inside. People in nursing homes and the elderly who can’t get out much are a big concern. Kids who cannot finish out the school year in a classroom are another. I do have faith, however, that God has it figured out.

I have prayed, and will continue to pray, for those seriously affected in various ways by this virus. Let’s all pray for a quick and complete conclusion.