Niagara Falls, New York during the Pandemic

 It seems that people are still out and about, but NOT at the Falls!

We were there today and saw the least amount of visitors to the internationally-famous Niagara Falls during the daytime hours! As you can see in this image, at the far left are the walkways in the Niagara Falls State Park. This is Prospect Point of the park, and before the pandemic, this would be packed with wall-to-wall people. Well, the fireworks has been canceled due to the huge crowds that gather and wait for hours to see the free fireworks. The night illumination lights are still lighting up the waterfalls each night, so you can see the colorful designs each night. 

If you do come to the Falls, please wear a mask and practice social practicing!

Back out in the Public Again

It felt so strange, to be pulling up to a restaurant and going INSIDE to dine!! 

We went to a local Longhorn restaurant yesterday. The parking lot was filled with reserved parking spots for those getting curb service for their food takeout, but saw many other numbered parking spots, for unknown reasons. It was a big parking lot, only used by Longhorn, so I just circled around and picked a spot that was completely unmarked. We had NO idea if I should call first or just go in, and since I saw some others already park and go in, we did too!

Of course we had our masks on, and the front doors were displaying signs of mandatory facemasks use, but we have been to many other places with similar signs, but while inside the facilities, you would see people with NO masks walking around. What good is having a sign stating wear a facemask or you will be denied entry, then seeing people inside NOT wearing masks with no problem or concern by anyone?

So we were shown to our table, but saw many tables marked not for use, to keep customers' distances apart. 

The floor was very slippery, as if there was a thick coating of either car oil or soap. The man who showed us to our table joked how so many people - as we were - expressed concern or indecision about coming out, and had even asked us if this was our first dining out since the pandemic started. We said it was, and reassured us with "No worries, everyone has been kinda wondering what to do after they walk in!".

The food of course was excellent as always. We always share a single order of their Parmesan Crusted Chicken with a side of the oven-baked sweet potato, and the chicken is so tender and so full of flavor you could cut it with your eyes!

Delicioooous!!

It was great to eat out again, but not a problem with us. We both enjoy cooking, and take turns cooking. Sheila is a fantastic cook, and we both do not eat red meat.

At almost 2 in the afternoon, there were few people in the huge dining area. Most were single older men - whom Sheila and I joked that they were just tired of cooking for themselves for the past few months!

Have you gone out in your area yet to support your local businesses and enjoy a dine-in meal at the same time?

It must be Western New York because

It just snowed so much it was a white-out for a few minutes, then it was ice-pellets for another few minutes, and all this with high breezy winds past 20mph, and now it's sunny! 

Yes, it must be western New York in May, and day 71 of the New York State (NYS) pandemic!!!

Sheila has finished more masks, sending 120 facemasks to a Veterans Hospital in the Bronx last week. She's still thinking of doing more facemasks, though she's taking a break for now.

Sad Sign and Current State of the World

Social distancing works. Wearing masks while outside works. Stopping the spread only works if everyone is responsible enough to recognize the virus threat and take a personal stand to stop the spread with simple means any and everyone can do. 

Anyone who thinks it's funny to cough in public places as a joke, and to get together with friends and act as if nothing is happening on a global-scale, is not only fooling themselves, but is a serious threat to everyone, including their "friends" and themselves. 

Social distancing works ONLY if everyone practices it. If everyone stays disregards that contact distance, then it's not social distancing; it will be ineffective and will just give everyone in those groups a greater threat of infection.

You can laugh all you want, if and after you and your friends get infected. If you are wearing a mask but your partner, spouse or children are not wearing a facemask, what good is that? Is your life or the life of your children or loved ones so insignificant that you do not require them to use a facemask? 

You are outdoors. Perhaps at a store buying food, or in a public park. Somehow and unknowingly, you get infected. You do NOT know you are infected yet. You visit some friends and spend some time together. 

Your friends are now possibly infected. Each one of you and your friends go elsewhere - not knowing each have been exposed and possibly infected - and individually visit some other friends. 

Now each of you have possibly infected others!

How long will this cycle of seeing, visiting others, and possibly infecting still more people, before you actually begin feeling the symptoms and go to a hospital before it's confirmed you are infected, and now have possibly infected a huge group of people, who will continue to meet up with many others, and based on your initial infection, will expose others?

A lot to laugh about. What friend exposes others, strangers, family members, friends, and more with a very deadly virus, and laughs about it because they think it is all a joke?

What a great joke!

We are ALL in this together! Unless we ALL work to stop the spread, then we all will suffer in one way or another!

On the other hand, the skies are bluer, there are much LESS jet-trails above, and the streets aren't as crowded with cars as before! 

Tomorrow will be Another Day

This image was posted some weeks ago, but due to circumstances beyond my control, it was not displayed. Now that it is open to be viewed, I would appreciate if you would please click on the image, or the link below for my thoughts on the current situation of world events. 

Your comments are always welcome and encouraged. Stay safe and be healthy. Stay six feet from others if you are allowed out in your area or country.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/fototakertony/works/45899642-tomorrow-will-be-another-day?asc=u

PSA: Disinfecting your groceries from the store

I just watched this PSA video and while it has many great points, I have a few items of concern about procedures displayed in the video. Many people live in small apartments, trailers, etc. They don't have the convenience of a garage or other type of room that can be used as a temporary "clean room". 

For those without that garage, you can clean and/or sanitize your groceries before you even put it in your car! Sanitize each item and place it in a clean pre-sanitized container in your car. We use folding cargo bins that fold flat, and this will be our clean area to move our groceries from the bags within the shopping cart into the car, and later into our home. Throw away all external containers, bags, etc at a trash receptacle at the store. Don't forget to maintain a safe distance between you and others of six feet!

If you do have a garage, I say to not consider any bag or container as being absolutely clean! Be careful to place the grocery bags etc on your dirty areas before cleaning, as in the case as seen in the video, in such a manner in which the bags are not agitated as to shake off any seen/unseen particles. 

I thank Doctor Jeffrey VanWingen for thinking ahead and making this video! Thanks to all who work hard to keep us safe and healthy during these crazy times!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjDuwc9KBps

Simple Tips to Stay SAFE

Here are some tips that have been recommended by health officials. Know that the current social distancing - closing down schools, offices and businesses - has been proven to work against such events as the current pandemic, as history shows. To stay on top of your and others' health, just remember these easy, simple tips:

1. Practice social distancing, which is simply limiting all in-person social interactions as much as possible. Experts agree that staying apart is critical if we want to reduce the strain on our health care system and slow the spread of any virus. If you have school-age children and now their school is closed, they will not be safe if they are outdoors and going to malls, etc. They need to stay home to limit their chances of being exposed to the virus. 
2. Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds. 
3. When coughing or sneezing, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue. Cough into your sleeve.
4. Avoid touching door pull/push handles, and other public surfaces. Use your sleeve to cover your hands when opening doors, or simply use your elbow to push the door upon exiting. Use facilities-provided tissues to clean push handles on shopping carts, etc.  
5. Avoid handshaking. Use an elbow-bump or other non-contact means to greet friends, etc.
 6. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. Use your sleeve instead.
7. Maintain a safe distance from others in public. Six feet or more is recommended. Are you traveling or have travel plans? Consider canceling unnecessary travel plans. The travel of unknowing infected individuals moves a virus from one place to another. 
8. Most of all: Stay home, even if you feel well! Most individuals who later tested positive for the virus did not even know they were infected! Sure, it's boring staying home but staying well and healthy is important to you, your family and friends. Keep your and our communities and neighborhoods healthy and safe by staying home!

Have WE Learned from a historic past Pandemic Event

Want to read a good piece of history about what happens when officials ignore common sense and allow everyone to gather as if nothing was going on?

Remember: hindsight is better than nothing at all, and decades later, they will be talking in the future about how the current pandemic we are living, was controlled....  or not!

As you read this article, keep in mind how many people today have so far been infected and died, and compare those numbers that are listed in this article. There is just a little difference in numbers!

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/philadelphia-threw-wwi-parade-gave-thousands-onlookers-flu-180970372/