2021 September 08

We had the usual for breakfast.
***For*** lunch there was steak, potatoes, gravy, and spinach.
***This*** afternoon I blended ice cubes, milk, strawberry jelly and a little sugar. It made a passable strawberry shake for my bride. I made mine a vanilla shake but later added some chocolate syrup to sweeten it a little more.
***Supper*** was “catch as catch can” and everybody for themselves. I had a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich. Ella had a bowl of cereal.

***It’s*** Wednesday. Normally we would be going to our Grandies meeting. Tomorrow is Thursday and we would normally gathering with the Over The Hill Gang for food, fun, and fellowship. The spike in Covid cases in our city, county, Texas, and the country has put that on hold … again.

**As of September 6, 2021**
Williamson County, Texas
Total confirmed cases 55,728
Deaths 561
ICU Beds available 2. = O%
Daily new cases 237

It has been reported that Non-Covid patients are also dying because they can’t be admitted, there are no beds available, because they are occupied by Covid patients.

Prescott was a very small town in the hilly county of southwestern Iowa. The whole township covers less than half a mile. Currently has a population of slightly over 200 and at it’s heyday probably never topped 300. In the days when passenger trains still ran the rails, they would on rare occasions stop to disembark or load passengers at the small wooden depot, just down the hill from Grandpa’s house. Prescott was what was called a whistle-stop, just a small unimportant town along the railroad.
An unassuming two lane highway twists around and over tree covered hills before crossing those railroad tracks and enters town from the South Southeast. The highway becomes Main Street as it passes over those rails and stops being a paved road only a few blocks into town. From there on main street remained unpaved.
As I remember this town of my boyhood, coming into town the tiny white-painted brick gas station sat at an angle to the north. Not a service station. No repair work done here. I don’t think you could even get a soft drink, candy bar, or cigarettes. Mom didn’t have a car so I didn’t have reason to visit there. I do remember the sight of the single gas pump. As gas was pumped, it swirled around through a glass top with red balls that twirled like a propeller. I remember the ding ding of the bell as vehicles drove over a hose in the drive. Somehow the scent of sunbaked asphalt and hot oil accompanies my memories here.
TO BE CONTINUED

Come back tomorrow