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We frequently walked on campus and stopped to visit with other walkers. If Bear was with us, many residents petted him, and a few gave him treats.
First Day of Freedom – June 6
We were not allowed to leave the Manor House campus for nine weeks without isolating for fourteen days upon return. Jim and I did not leave. Phase 1 of reopening began June 5. Then we were allowed to leave campus two days a week without self-isolating upon return. We could come and go as often as we wished on those days. A week later, that was extended to allow us to leave four days a week.
Escape: We took Bear with us and went to the nearby town of Harrington to shop at Bylers, where I bought spices in bulk. Then we went to the Frozen Farmer for big ice cream sundaes and fresh produce, on to Lowes for some flowers for the garden, and a final stop at the park to walk Bear. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne at dinner.
I guess we haven’t been too deprived when those were the only things we missed. It did feel wonderful to be able to go out and do whatever we wanted to do. Of course, we were still wearing masks and spending very short times in indoor spaces to avoid possible exposure to the virus. Our lives will continue to be dominated by COVID-19 for many months, if not years.
A National Tragedy During the Pandemic
On May 25, a man named George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by a police officer who was trying to arrest him. The officer held Mr. Floyd down with his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck. It was horrible as Mr. Floyd could be heard on video saying, “I can’t breathe.”
This terrible event has brought new urgency to the Black Lives Matter movement, and there have been wide-scale protests across the US and in other countries for many weeks.
The protests and related TV, internet, and print coverage have helped publicize many racial issues and injustices. I think most of
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