House Arrest

 January 12, 2021

One good thing about quarantining is having plenty of homestead projects in the works to keep me busy. Yep—got the news this morning that I was exposed last night, so for the next week or so, I’m keeping a low profile. It’s not like I had a lot of “people stuff” planned. A visit to the audiologist had to be postponed, but when you’re all by yourself, there’s not a lot to hear anyway. I’ll have more time for the laundry room project, but will miss having the grandkids overnight this weekend. They bring a special joy to our home.

For some time now, it’s been my belief that sooner or later, we’re all going to be exposed. It’s like my bees. One of the more devastating bee pests is the Varroa mite. They get into a colony and attach themselves to the bees. It’s not so bad for the adult workers, but when they get into the brood nest, they go for the larvae; when the larvae hatch, they often have deformed wings. Bees with deformed wings cannot fly, and if bees cannot fly, they cannot gather the nectar and pollen needed to sustain the colony. In addition, the mites carry viruses that weaken the bees so that winter survival is jeopardized.

It’s pretty much an axiom that if you have bees, you have Varroa. It’s pretty much inescapable, but it is manageable with a variety of options ranging from completely natural and organic to chemical treatments. It’s this axiom that I find significant for life itself. We live in a COVID world. It’s here, and is pretty much inescapable, despite what our government officials are telling us. Our own governor is calling it a war on COVID that must be won. If it’s anything like our war on drugs, we are in deep trouble. All the posturing in the world isn’t going to change reality. Can we mitigate and manage it? We can and will. Can we eliminate it? Not any more than beekeepers can eliminate Varroa.

So I am under house arrest for the time being, eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise, taking my vitamins and applying essential oils. Will I get it? Only God knows, and it is into his hands I commit myself, and knowing that my future is secure in him, I am at peace. And from the looks of it, my projects will get done ahead of time.