“Social Distancing.”  “Shelter in Place.”  “The Six-Foot Rule.”  “Wash Your Hands.”  “Don’t Touch Your Face.”

Whoda thunk these would be the Words To Live By for the 2020s?  Perhaps just for this year and, even better, perhaps just for this month.  But…  bottom line, we don’t really know.  With that in mind, I thought Governor Inslee’s tone was a bit soft last night.  After what many experienced along our coast this past weekend — an onslaught of tourists, apparently — I’m not sure he was firm enough.

I’ve always said  the bay side of the Peninsula is by and far the best side when it comes to living here.  This last weekend, for instance, while thousands of people headed for our beaches, we had very few visitors here in town.  Only two or three cars stopped at the church and one or two went (too fast!) through town toward Oysterville Sea Farms.  It was actually eerily quiet for a beautiful weekend in Spring.

Nyel and I have been sheltering in place for two full weeks now.  Nyel hasn’t been off our property at all and I’ve only been out to Jack’s (once), the  pharmacy (once), and the post office.  Oh… and to the bank once before they limited access.

But I’ve been working on complete isolation.  By doing that mobile app deposit thing, I’ve now cut out the necessity of the bank.  We’ve been ordering groceries online so that necessity is taken care of.  And, yesterday I read that the pharmacies of Long Beach and Ilwaco have a “delivery service for seniors” arranged with the local police.  I hope Ocean Park is figuring out a similar plan.  We don’t have police at this end and I know Deputy Sheriffs are already spread thin, but maybe there’s another way.  If there is, I’m sure the O.P. staff will figure it out.  They are THE BEST.

So, for me, that just leaves the post office.  I’ve been limiting my visits to three times a week but I can probably cut down to one or two.  Even so, yesterday I had to mail a package and, in the time that took, three people popped in to get their mail.  In case you haven’t been in our post office and don’t know it’s size, I can tell you unequivocally there is no way two people can be in there and have six feet between them.  I am tempted to make a big sign for the door:  ONE PERSON AT A TIME, PLEASE.  But I’d no doubt get in big trouble; the P.O. has lots of “can” and “cannot” rules about posting signs and notices..

Inside the Oysterville Post Office

I’m also thinking of carrying a yardstick when I go outside.  Added to the length of my arm, it’s still a foot short of the six-feet rule.  But, even so, I’ve found that many people “forget” or have a truncated idea of what six feet looks like. And even though it  couldn’t be used in the post office, it might serve as a reminder to  the stubborn and the gormless.