It took three families to make this dinner.

It looks like a simple bowl of rotini. Rotini, yes. Simple, no. Pasta is sold-out in every store in the neighbourhood. The shelves are totally bare. Hoarders have bought it all. And vegetables are getting  hard to find as well.

But friendly, supportive neighbours are abundant. The ingredients for tonight's dinner would have been difficult to find at a store but our neighbourhood has pulled together.

I'm proud of them. Good people.

Who needs to hoard when you have Costco?

My toothpaste tube was empty. I had to go to the closet for another. I got down my unopened package from Costco. It had five family size tubes of toothpaste in one package. My granddaughter thought I looked like a hoarder. I'm not. I'm just a Costco member. Now, did I tell you about our toilet paper?

A project to fight social distancing boredom

With three little granddaughters to care for everyday, their parents are all still working, my wife and I are not just fighting the threat presented by coronavirus, we are also fighting the threat of boredom. And with three little girls, 6, 8 and 10, we take both threats seriously.

The photo shows something called Cake Pops. Make a chocolate cake, break the cake into small crumbs and then mix the crumbs with chocolate icing. Roll the mixture into balls and place in the fridge overnight. Thanks to the icing and the cold, the balls hold their shapes quite nicely.

Have the kids slide the chocolate balls onto rolled-paper, lollipop sticks and decorate. They will enjoy doing it and, if done right, it will kill a lot of time. Remember, the kids had to make the balls the first day and then finish the project the second day. That's a fine, time-consuming activity.

Cheers! Stay healthy!

With schools closed, grandparents have kids

Spring-break plus the coronavirus closures means that many grandparents in Ontario are taking care of grandchildren. The kids are getting antsy and spring-break had just started. There is nowhere to go. Essentially, everything is closed.

Oh well, there is still the backyard for entertainment. Hiding behind a chair back and watching the rabbits is always a fun way to spend a little time.

Some folk do not spread COVID-19; no contact with others.

COVID-19 is quickly turning London, Ontario, into a bit of a ghost town. Cinemas have closed as have libraries. Many shops tried operating at reduced hours but found their customers were operating on reduced hours around the clock. The shops have now closed.

But, some people have jobs that do not spread the COVID-19 virus. This city worker works most of the day almost alone. Well, at least at quite distance from other people. But, eventually the city's outside workers will be told to stay home. All workers. There will be almost no exceptions.

Coronavirus forces ski hill to close for season

I have never seen anything like the reaction by government, business and the general population to  the growing coronavirus pandemic.

Tomorrow is the start of springbreak. It is usually one of the biggest, most profitable weeks of the season for the local ski hill. Not this year. One day before the beginning of spring break the ski closed for the season. Why? COVID-19.

The virus is still a question mark. People are concerned and responding with caution.

And speaking of springbreak. It has been lengthened by an additional two weeks by order  of the provincial government.

String, the curse of the kites.

 

No breeze; no worry. Throw the kite in the air and start running. The kite will soar. Of course, it will come down as soon as one stops running. That's the theory. Now, about this string . . .