Tuesday, March 17 - We're home. Got back last night, after a 12 hour drive from West Virginia. Once we saw the shining waters of Lake Erie, we decided to forego arrangements made to get the r.v. winterized in Erie, and instead forged on towards the border cross-point. We expected a considerable delay in crossing over. But you may not believe this, we were through in less than 5 minutes. There was one car ahead of us, and once he was through, we rolled up, answered 4 questions, the usual ones except "Are any of you feeling sick?". We are feeling fine, of course. Passports handed back and on we went. Not even a hand-out about what to do in view of this pandemic. Rather surprising, as friend Kathy crossed at Windsor yesterday, and got a 5 minute interrogation and info session. Not too consistent!

By this time, why the hell should we motel it when we're within 4 hours of home. So we booted it on through, bleary eyed and in some kind of zone, staring at white lines and trying to stay between them. Somehow I missed the 401 transfer from the QE, so ended up downtown and then onto the Don Valley. Wondered why the lanes were so narrow and why so much construction, until it dawned on me that I was downtown. As I say, you get into a zone, and hardly know where you are.

Anyway, we arrived in Belleville at 9 p.m., in time to have a hastily thrown-together birthday celebration, thanks to Jeff and Sharon. Even had a birthday cake and presents for the newly crowned 77 year old who looks like she's 20 years younger than that. They made a big decision to go into voluntary seclusion, given that Anna has just returned from the U.S., and thus if she is to stay there, they are subject to the same rules as is she. Not good for sister Kate, as it means she can't see her boy-friend for two weeks. The sacrifices one must make for one's sister.

And now we're home. Slept about 11 hours last night, and now have the r.v. unloaded, pretty much, and the mail sorted, emails caught up, and the floor swept. What the hell do we do for the next 13 days? We've had numerous calls from friends, which are much appreciated. That will be our pipeline until we are liberated. We can still go outside for walks. Just don't come near us. We do take this very seriously, and keep saying this is like nothing any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. We were born during WW II, but since that time, nothing has really impacted the world as seriously as this which we face today.

So we wash our hands regularly, cough into our elbows, stay away from people, and drink lots of fluids. I'm on my second whiskey for the evening as I write. I'll no doubt have another cup of tea as well.

This year will no doubt go down as the Century Year, the one that we will all remember for a long time. Many will not live through it. We will!! And life will go on, as it always has. We are truly glad to be home in our little house, safe and sound, and thank all who have followed our adventures, dull and mundane as they may have been. We will travel again. But not for awhile. So more later. Sometime. Stay tuned.