March 25, 2020

LIFE GOES ON … AMID COVID CLAMPDOWN

MUSKOKOA — Park it is the latest law emerging as the COVID clampdown continues.

Day 1 of the workplace lockdown sees parks and playgrounds the next public spaces you can expect to close in your town. Just wait.

Across the province that’s the new reality — for today.

Soon streets will empty, left to stray dogs dragging pandemic pedestrians by the leashes.

For now, Muskoka is feeling a lot like a collection of ghost towns — or what it was like to wander the streets after the last Great War.

Still, life goes on as the lockdown tightens ….

Here are a few of TODAY’s random drive-by observations, for the most part heartening — but too often harmful:

Stern social distancing reminders remain a distant memory for far too many — who still can’t resist the urge to turn exercising into socializing — when meeting up, walking the dog or shopping for essentials.

Takeout now refers to businesses that deliver door-to-door at your SUV, as today we witnessed Well Fed owner Annette Gillan do in Gravenhurst.

She delivered takeout to driver Wendy Beverley, who drove down from Bracebridge. Gillan joked she’s thinking of opening a drive-thru — or as we suggest a drive-in, so she can don roller-skates to deliver pick-ups.

Grocers, too, are now booking weeks in advance for curbside pick-up. Seems most people are eating at home, with sit-in restaurants closed and the barbecue still in hibernation.

Cavalcade Color Lab in Huntsville has a photo contest, which this Friday March 27 will award a prize for photos taken at home. Self-isolation selfies?

Dogs are getting more exercise than ever, taking their masters for longer walks. (And with dog parks likely to close, you’ll be seeing more of them on the streets.) What about cats?

Muskoka Airport services remain open, but with fewer takeoff and landings than Santa and Rudolph on Christmas Eve.

Manager Len O’Connor says the landing strip has to be open for emergency landings, including military planes.

Muskoka is Pearson’s parking lot. Air Canada has parked eight Embrarer jets at Muskoka, as hundreds of flights are grounded with the U.S. border closed and fewer people flying these days, even domestically.

Painters and aircraft mechanics at the Muskoka Aircraft Center and SkyServices, also deemed essential services, continue.

With most service workers restricted from going into homes on service calls, Lakeland Home Network employees have been busy doing work outside.

Nate Frenssen and Mason Sexton with shovel in hand were doing advance work digging in underground fibre optic cable in Gravenhurst and appreciating the unusually good spring weather, too.

Can you believe it? CTC gas in Gravenhurst Wednesday was a whopping 63.9 cents a litre. In Bracebridge it was still 78.9 cents. How long till two bits (not bit coins)?

Praise the Lord and pass the credit card. God works in strange ways.

Churches are showing signs of love and advertising online access to the heavenly father in the Cloud.

Seriously, speaking of signs, why aren’t town signs — like the nice new one on Winewood Avenue in Gravenhurst — not sending out messages about social distancing, self-isolating and handwashing?

Let us know what you’re seeing, hearing, thinking and doing to avoid an Armageddon.

Until tomorrow, mon ami….

See 11 more of today below …