By Bruce A. Smith
Panic buying came to Eatonville today. The bread shelves had two loaves – both whole wheat. I took one. Then, I turned towards the nearby Deli section and asked the gal behind the counter when the next shipment of bread might arrive. Continue reading
By Bruce A. Smith
Columns like this one are beginning to appear throughout our newspapers and online, detailing the saga of so many of us in the early stages of self-protection at home. Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post is calling this phenomenon the “Great American Coronavirus Self-Quarantine.” Continue reading
By Bruce A. Smith
Snow?
You-gotta-be-kidding-me!
I awoke this morning to a couple inches of slushy, white stuff. Yesterday was springtime, but today I’m back in the wet slog of winter – just as the World is Coming to an End, too. Sigh.
My Covid saga has become an existential roller-coaster for me. This is the greatest natural disaster I have ever witnessed. Covid is the most profound event of my life, and promises to change the World-As-We-Know-It.
As a journalist, I feel like I am living in the heart of the biggest story of my lifetime, yet it feels so simple – somehow. It’s snowing outside and that is weird, but not unusual for March. My heat is on, and I feel cozy and healthy. But the Internet is telling me a different story, and the anguish I hear from friends and family in emails reveals that the turbulence of Covid is affecting others greatly. Continue reading
By Bruce A. Smith
March 12, 2020, 8 pm.
Today has been peaceful. It’s been like a snow day without shoveling. Plus, the sun was shining – again (!) – and temperatures in Eatonville hovered near 60 degrees.
So, I drove into town to stock up on Vitamins C, B-6, and D-3, which I understand are immune boosters and viral blockers. I had taken so much Vitamin C during my three months of bronchitis that I was down to my last three tablets, and today’s trip was crucial. Ironically, I’m not a big fan of vitamins and health supplements, but I take them in the hope that they do something. Gawd knows that after three bouts of bronchitis I’ve got to take everything that makes sense and is affordable.
Also, I’m not sure how many more days I will be able to travel into town, or if stores will be open or have anything to sell. We seem to be on the tipping point of that scenario since Washington Governor Jay Inslee closed all public and private K-12 schools in the Puget Sound region today, and President Trump not only closed US borders to European travelers, he hinted that the feds might quarantine Washington and California because they are Covid “hot spots.”< Continue reading
By Bruce A. Smith
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 (5 pm)
The sun is shining today and I feel light-hearted, which is surprising since the Covid epidemic is turning fierce around the world – 600 folks have died in Italy as that country goes into total lockdown, and in New York, not too far away from my 95-year old mother, 93 individuals in New Rochelle tested positive.
But I feel fine. In fact, my health is the best it’s been since early December when I began the first of three bouts of bronchitis that ran serially throughout this winter.
Perhaps the greater reason for my joy is that I’m taking decisive action to protect myself. I am in self-quarantine. Last night I informed my theatrical director, Stephanie Brooks, I would have to leave her production of Resi, The Musical, in order to protect myself from infection. Continue reading
By Bruce A. Smith
Friday, March 6, 2020
Since the world is freaking out about the Covid-19 virus, I thought I share a perspective on what is happening here in Washington.
To begin, the epicenter of the outbreak in Washington – and the initial site for the country – has been the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, which is about ten miles northeast of downtown, and about sixty miles due north of my home in Eatonville. In Kirkland, the hot spot is a nursing home-type of facility for seniors. Many of those residents have Covid-19, and about a dozen have died as of this morning. Overall, fourteen deaths have been reported in WA as of this afternoon.
Oddly, there is nothing being mentioned in the media about “regular” flu, aka “Seasonal Flu,” which kills 18,000 Americans on average each year. That’s about 300 deaths in Washington every year. So, the anxiety over Covid-19 is exceptional, I think. But it’s very real. The UW closed its campus today – and that’s something like 50,000 students over four campuses. Continue reading
Special to the Mountain News
From Carol Victoria Wright
The Graham-Kapowsin Community Council’s 17th annual fundraiser, Graham Home & Garden EXPO is Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10-4 pm at Frontier Park Lodge (21718 Meridian E, Graham, WA). We are looking for vendors, shoppers, fun run/walk participants, and sponsors to help raise money for this worthwhile cause. Continue reading
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