Well, just got back last night. Had to come back a week early because mud season was setting in fast. The lack of snow allowed the soil to freeze much deeper and store more water, and my truck never would have gotten out. Other than being banged up a little bit, me and the dog are all in one piece.
So, after four months of no internet, news or radio, it was interesting catching up. My gf came out a couple of times and and her family and my son came to visit once, but I explicitly said I didn't want to hear anything about the outside world and just wanted to enjoy my peace and quiet.
So, just skimming the news and talking to people, I see there was an insurrection by a bunch of dumbasses- surprise. Chick Corea, Tony Rice and Hank Aaron died. Talked to my BIL this morning, and he said Germany is a complete disaster right now and people are pissed and Europe is generally just flailing around. Got my first shot this morning. My gf and her kids and her parents already got theirs, all my kids got theirs, my dad and six of my siblings and their significant others got theirs, so it looks like anyone who wants to get it won't have a problem. No one in my family except for one of my daughters got covid, so we all got through it in one piece. The only one we were worried about was my dad anyway because he just turned 91, but my daughter and her two kids spent the year with him at his home and created a quasi human shield around him, so he had a normal life.
Nothing seems to have changed much here other than vaccines. Mask policies seem to be the same, and although I haven't touched base with all the people I know, all but one I have talked to have gotten the vaccine, so we (meaning, my friends) can start socializing normally again. Anyone who pushes back on the vaccine will not be allowed in my house indefinitely, and my friends feel the same. The great thing is these people are easy to identify because they make it a point to brag about it, so it's going to be easy to kick 'em off my friend list.
Hope everyone is doing well. You know what's funny? I took exactly 120 days worth of food with me, but the only thing I missed was fresh tomatoes. Going to have a big caprese salad for dinner tonight.