The forecast called for more rain and another thunderstorm overnight, and I kept waking, feeling for Lulu, raising my head to listen for thunder—it was Eric, snoring—and slipping open my eyes to watch for lightning. But we made it through the night with no dramatics from nature and none from Lulu, either.
This weekend was two days of contrast. Rainy yesterday. Sunny (mostly) today. The only thing of note I did yesterday was drive to a nearby farmer’s market and pick up a box of veggies (carrots, scallions, arugula, bag of greens, radishes) and a box of fruit (bananas, papaya, longan). They’ve got the social distancing figured out. Drive up. Walk to a gazebo. Find your box. Leave. Since I was the only customer at the time, there was literally no contact with anyone at all. It was a quiet day all around.
Today, Eric did some weed-whacking. I watched a photography webinar, read some, wrote some, and tended to some newly-planted koki’o ke’oke’o, a hibiscus that’s endemic to Kauai.
Meanwhile: Text. Phone. Email. WhatsApp. Slack. Facebook. Messenger. Twitter. Instagram. Zoom. Today was a busy day communicating with friends and family via the many ways we have to stay connected while we physically distance ourselves from each other.
Again, I keep thinking back to 1918. What did our ancestors do while sheltering in place? Read books? Read the newspaper? Play card games? Make bread? Likely, all of the above. Maybe, even, listen to the radio, but radio was an emerging technology in the first couple decades of last century. So, there wouldn’t have been much radio programming. But how did our ancestors keep in touch? How did they stay connected? Write letters? Honestly, we have it a whole lot easier.
Our mayor has been video broadcasting with daily updates on the County of Kauai Facebook page for a couple weeks. He promotes shakas 🤙 not (hand)shakes. #shakasnotshakes
Hawaii cases bumped again today to 175. Kauai added another, now at 12.
Be well.
kimsrogers.com 
Seriously: what DID people do back then? And not even just when they were sick. What did socializing mean 100 years ago, versus now even when there’s no illness? A book could be written on the subject…
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Socializing?
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Kim Even this old dog is learning new tricks with her computer! I am so thrilled to have the picture of the two albatross I was given by the Lighlhouse for my 20 years of volunteering there.
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I’m happy to hear you’ll have a photograph of mine to remind you of your Kauai life. We’ll sure miss you here. Thank you for your years of dedication to Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and the birds!
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As you may know I live in a small resort ton in Ontario Can. Bobcaygeon we are the eworst hit area In Pinecrest 9 people have died so far and over 30 staff and visitors have got it. truly frightening. I am quarantined for 14 days but will be in the house for far longer. a flock of Canada Geese just flew in. most of the ice is off the lake. diane tilley
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I am so sorry to hear of the losses so close to you, Diane. Please take good care of yourself. Thank goodness for the Canada geese.
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