#66 Coveys Great Adventure – March 2020 – Benson AZ

March 2020 – Benson AZ

Spring in the desert

Wow, things change in a hurry, don’t they? At the end of February we were completing plans to head to the East coast in mid-April to tour Kentucky and Tennessee with Charlie and Mollie Kendrick. Our biggest concern was whether I’d be healed enough to drive. By the time I could drive, there was no place to drive to, everything was locked down and all of our reservations were cancelled. We went from making arrangements to tour the Toyota factory in Bowling Green to hunting down the elusive toilet paper fairy in about 2 weeks. Worrying about coach repairs dropped off our radar as we started to understand what was taking place in our country.

I can’t imagine a better place to ride this out than where we are.  When Arizona announced it’s first Covid protection steps in early March, our Co-op cancelled all indoor social activities for the rest of the season and closed the park to visitors. Given the average age here, those were clearly the right steps to take. Co-op members (like us) who would ordinarily start to hit the road this month are hunkered down, waiting to see how bad it is going to get.

As I’ve written before, Benson is kind of a quirky town. It serves a dispersed population that is large enough to support both Walmart and Safeway stores, helping us access food and sundries that are so problematic in many areas. The usual issues with paper products, hand sanitizer and certain food items have plagued us, too, but patience and persistence and sharing are working out for us. The local Tractor Supply and Ace Hardware stores have been selling TP, not the first places you’d think of when in need.

Like in most places, one of the biggest impacts has been to the local restaurants. We are getting take-out once a week to help support Mi Casa, a small Mexican restaurant that is a particular favorite. About half the places have closed completely, the others are trying to hang on with take-out orders. It looks iffy, at best for many of them.

It’s funny what is considered an essential business in Arizona. Restaurants that feed people aren’t, but gun stores are. There is something profoundly disturbing there, but it just makes me nuts to think about it.

Rehab is going well. I’ve been uncharacteristically diligent about following doctor’s orders and the rehab lady’s instructions this time, and it’s paying off. I guess it's never to late to learn. Kayeanne is ever-watchful and quick to remind me to stick to the plan. I must be getting old.

What with the Covid restrictions and my physical limitations, it sure is quiet around here. It occasionally verges on boring. We’ve become avid Covid news junkies because we are worried about family and friends, and because we aren’t used to sitting still for very long. “Hitch itch” is a well known malady among fulltime RV’ers and we’ve certainly got it. Coach issues be damned, we can’t wait for the country to open up so we can hit the road again. Candidly, though, I think we’ll be here through May, at least.

Wine pickings are pretty slim this month, with an unusually high number of “blech” varietals. A couple of good ones include Trader Joe’s VINTJS Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2017, and Martin’s Pickup Shiraz, an inexpensive Australian find, also from TJ’s.

I’m plowing my way through John Meacham’s biography of George H.W. Bush, Destiny and Power, for no reason that I can think of, but I am enjoying it.

More soon,

Bob