Good morning

[travelaround]

"So far, 16,000 people have died and 280,000 people have been hospitalized during the 2019-2020 flu season, according to preliminary estimates from the CDC."
- ABC News - https://abcnews.go.com/Health/1300-people-died-flu-year/story?id=67754182

Flu is always dangerous. My father died after getting the flu. So - what makes the Corona virus worse? I don't listen to network news - no TV network accessibility.

 

[maki2]

"So far, 16,000 people have died and 280,000 people have been hospitalized during the 2019-2020 flu season, according to preliminary estimates from the CDC."
- ABC News - https://abcnews.go.com/Health/1300-people-died-flu-year/story?id=67754182

Flu is always dangerous. My father died after getting the flu. So - what makes the Corona virus worse? I don't listen to network news - no TV network accessibility.

I go to the websites for the local TV stations and select which articles I want to read.  I don't watch it on TV.

 

[nature lover]

The problem with the news, no matter the source, it is not reliable and often contradictory. There are some of my church people who do not do any vaccines at all. That makes it hard for others, but I can understand. The Dr says your child must have this or they could get sick or even die. Then he hands you a stack of papers telling you that the vaccine can make them sick or die and they want you to sign the papers so they are not liable for it. Tough decision - but I went with the "herd" and had it done as the Dr. suggested. I do have a good and honest Dr. I have been getting flu shots since my health problems started 14 years ago and have not had the flu. They say hand sanitizer is a good precaution and then tell us that new "bugs" learn to resist that so don't use it as much. With my health problems I would be one to most likely not survive this new virus. It is interesting that children seem to be not as affected by this one as much as adults. Even though most children are not getting it I imagine they can spread it. The vast majority of healthy people don't have much more problems with this than the flu. Not to preach at you - but the bible prophecies this type of thing and much worse. I guess we will try to be cautious but not panic and live with or die with whatever comes. I am not in control but won't live in fear.

 

[maki2]

It can be very mild in younger healthy adults. It also has a long incubation period during which the person is contagious with few to no symptoms showing and it can be transmitted during that time period. When you catch a cold you know it pretty quickly but not this stuff. The researchers at the Seattle Fred Hutchinson Cancer research center who are focused on this have concluded that it is already becoming wide spread in the area but the mild cases are going undetected and more people than suspected are in the incubation phase. They can tell by the genetics that the current cases that are showing up in the community were descended from the case a woman who lives north of Seattle brought back from China.

I guess it is here to stay, yet another crummy virus to catch that currently has no immunization vaccine. Hopefully I will manage to avoid it this spring and summer. I have too much I want to get done and if I get bad bronchitis following a respiratory virus infection, which in me it always does, then I won't manage to get it all done.

My new self advice.....go boondocking, be more of an introvert, you will be healthier, wealthier and wise too

 

[nature lover]

Good morning from the PM in PA. It was over 60 degrees here today. OH HAPPY DAY

 

[maki2]

We have had a few years where March had quite a few 60 degree days. But it won't be happening this year. We are stuck in a pattern of wet, cold weather that is worse than normal for this year's month of March in Seattle. But I don't plan on being here in March in future years if I can help it! Something to look forward to, very early warm springs in the Southwest and cooler summers in the Northwest. I plan to grow my snowbird wings

 

[Qxxx]

Just as an invidious comparison, 2 or 3 weeks ago I was at American Girl Mine near Yuma and then at Salton Sea SP, and it was sunny and near 90F in both places. 140' to -160' elevations. Small wonder snowbirds fly south in the winter. Quartzsite at 1300' was somewhat cooler for the month I was there. Overall, in 2 months, sunny almost everyday and only rained maybe 3 times.

Good morning, Dean and Buster.

 

[maki2]

I had forgotten all about this weekend being the day the clocks get changed to having one extra hour of daylight at the far end of the day. Looking forward to Sunday because this cold spell will be over.

 

[crofter]

My new self advice.....go boondocking, be more of an introvert, you will be healthier, wealthier and wise too

Ha! Yet another reason that being an introvert is beneficial. We are staying home these days due to being in the high risk group.

If your health is fragile, maybe you should move up your departure date and finish the build while boondocking in a dry climate. I did all of my van build in various driveways and parking lots. Keep being awesome. -crofter

 

[maki2]

Fortunately I do not have any fragile health issues other than being prone to getting subsequent bronchitis flare ups if I get any kind of respiratory virus including the common cold virus. Getting bronchitis is a miserable thing so during flu season I always avoid catching a virus including being sure to get a flu shot. But I am not in a panic mode, I am in normal avoid catching the flu mode. There is already a vaccine for Covid 19 in the trial stages. So hopefully I will be able to avoid getting this virus before the vaccine is available.

My build is being done in the driveway outside of my friend's workshop space. It is vastly easier to work here than try and do a build in the parking lot of a Home Depot or a camping spot. I have minimal contact with other people unless I choose to go into a store or coffee shop. It is the city, I can order groceries online and get free delivery to my doorstep

 

[travelaround]

Good morning - I can say that because it is 1:10AM - and now I need to go out to the van in a rainstorm to sleep. Everything is set up - and so much easier to deal with now that the van is pretty much empty of most things ... unless I will need them for sleeping in there.

I have been planning to return to North Idaho next month for my storage things - and wonder if the corona virus epidemic will keep me from going. Right now, I feel safe because, living out here in the forest we have less contact with people... of course, some people go out to civilization every week and could catch something then bring it back to our little town, so there's no guarantee of safety from illness, but it does seem like less than being in other areas.

 

[maki2]

Good morning - I can say that because it is 1:10AM - and now I need to go out to the van in a rainstorm to sleep. Everything is set up - and so much easier to deal with now that the van is pretty much empty of most things ... unless I will need them for sleeping in there.

I have been planning to return to North Idaho next month for my storage things - and wonder if the corona virus epidemic will keep me from going. Right now, I feel safe because, living out here in the forest we have less contact with people... of course, some people go out to civilization every week and could catch something then bring it back to our little town, so there's no guarantee of safety from illness, but it does seem like less than being in other areas.

I would imagine if you minimize your time in cities you will have about the same amount of exposure when boondocking along the way as you will have at home base. Wear disposable gloves when you pump gas, it is simple enough to do. Avoid public restrooms. Do your grocery shopping at hours when few people and few employees are likely to be in a store. Make your own meals, you likely would anyway to save funds for gas money. You can always boil drinking and bathing water if you are in doubt about it. Take enough clothes along so you don't have to go to the laundromat.

 

[travelaround]

I would imagine if you minimize your time in cities you will have about the same amount of exposure when boondocking along the way as you will have at home base. Wear disposable gloves when you pump gas, it is simple enough to do. Avoid public restrooms. Do your grocery shopping at hours when few people and few employees are likely to be in a store. Make your own meals, you likely would anyway to save funds for gas money. You can always boil drinking and bathing water if you are in doubt about it. Take enough clothes along so you don't have to go to the laundromat.

Good tips, thanks... I should get some of those disposable gloves. As if I weren't OCD enough already - now everyone is washing their hands and the hand sanitizer is sold out. LOL... good thing people aren't being told to buy the huggies wipes things too... I found a recipe for homemade hand sanitizer - one part aloe vera gel to two parts isopropyl alcohol 90% or higher. I got the last isopropyl alcohol 91% on the shelf at our little store, and the aloe vera gel is sold out.

 

[nature lover]

Hello Hello - this is the second day of 70 degree sunshine in South Central PA. and I get the van from the dealer tomorrow - WHOOPEE!!! (not Goldberg)

 

[maki2]

Hello Hello - this is the second day of 70 degree sunshine in South Central PA.  and I get the van from the dealer tomorrow - WHOOPEE!!! (not Goldberg)

congratulations on your new van. Have fun making it into your home.

 

[travelaround]

A new van!! Congratulations, Nature Lover! May it transport you to many exotic and peaceful locations!

 

[nature lover]

Thanks, forum folks, for the encouragement. Its not a new van its just new to me. I used to have a GMC safari with low roof. This is a full size dodge with a high top. I don't get it till 2 pm but got out of bed at 4 am because I was too excited to sleep. Like a kid on Christmas morning. I want to start building today and traveling tomorrow, but realistically, I am looking to be on the road full time sometime in April. Having a van like this one has been a dream for years. There are other rigs much nicer but this one is mine. Gotta love the one your with.(vans that is - as far as ladies there is only one for me but she doesn't reciprocate any more) That does bum me out but the reality is I would not be a full time Nomad if she had not left. Silver Lining to every cloud?

 

[maki2]

Thanks, forum folks, for the encouragement.  Its not a new van its just new to me.  I used to have a GMC safari with low roof.  This is a full size dodge with a high top.  I don't get it till 2 pm but got out of bed at 4 am because I was too excited to sleep.  Like a kid on Christmas morning.  I want to start building today and traveling tomorrow, but realistically, I am looking to be on the road full time sometime in April.  Having a van like this one has been a dream for years.  There are other rigs much nicer but this one is mine.  Gotta love the one your with.(vans that is - as far as ladies there is only one for me but she doesn't reciprocate any more)  That does bum me out but the reality is I would not be a full time Nomad if she had not left.  Silver Lining to every cloud?

...Listen to Forest Gump....Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what your gonna get

 

[crofter]

...and now I need to go out to the van in a rainstorm to sleep..... 

It rained here all night also, very unusual for southern AZ in winter. More rain today, 70's. Doing fixer upper projects and cleaning the van  -crofter

 

[maki2]

cold, cloudy and I can't seem to keep my eyes open despite a large cup of coffee.
But then I realized why that cup coffee was not waking me up, it was a container of decaff coffee beans.