Covid19 update

Here in Blaine County, as of July 2 there have been 14 cases of COVID19 reported, with half of those persons recovering.  In Watonga, 7 cases have been reported and five people have recovered. 

But in Oklahoma statewide, reported cases have skyrocketed, with some days this past week having reports of double the cases as the day before. With the July 4 holiday weekend starting today, the message is:  avoid large gatherings, stay home as much as possible, and wear a mask if you must go out.

Watonga is still going to hold it's July 4th fireworks display and gathering at Huff-Lorang Park, with free popcorn, possibly food trucks, and a fire truck on site to spray attendees. Watonga residents watch the fireworks at the park in a "tailgate" setting, so people can set up their picnic blankets and lawn chairs with sufficient social distancing space.  The temperature today (Friday) will be in the mid-90's with a chance of rain overnight, and around 90 degrees and a chance of rain on July 4 and on Sunday.  Oklahoma local TV weather forecasts cover the entire state, so we don't know if the chance of rain is in our area in central/western Oklahoma or in the east near Tulsa or south near the Red River. Our local newspaper no longer prints a weather forecast, so we just take things day by day.

Our house is on lock-down except for real necessities - grocery pickups, needed doctor visits -- and not much else. Andy does get out to mow people's lawns in town, but he doesn't have any contact with anyone when he is doing that.  I'm continuing my cardio rehab at the Fairview Hospital, and drive there twice a week.  All activities at our Bed and Breakfast and art center are canceled, including a summer youth program we had planned and all house concerts through the end of the year. Hopefully we'll be able to pick up activities in October but we aren't holding our breath.

The grasshoppers are a plague this year, eating most of our vegetable garden plants and produce and most of the flower gardens.  Some squash and tomato plants are surviving but just barely.  Even the monkey grass is being eaten down to the ground.  That plant always comes back, and some flowering plants are being spared -- mostly ones I'd rather the grasshoppers do eat like the 4'oclocks.

Roman Nose State Park no longer has any KEEP OKLAHOMA BEAUTIFUL recycling bins provided by PepsiCo.    Phoenix Circle Foundation, an affiliate of KOB, arranged for two collection bins to be placed at the Park's General Store, and the bins have "gone missing" according to the Store manager.  The bins were placed at the General Store with the permission of the Park Manager and the General Store manager, and it was a perfect location for aluminum and plastic bottle collection.  For the past two years, volunteers have picked up the bags of recycled trash and provided replacement trash bags for the bins.  We are disappointed that the current General Store management does not want to  keep the bins on their porch any longer. However, we still have two collection bins in the town of Watonga -- at the Hot Dog Joint and at the Watonga Airport--and appreciate those businesses' participation in the recycling program. Andy will also pick up any aluminum cans dropped off at the local Senior Citizen Center.