Doing my part to suppress the spread of SARS-CoV-2, I dutifully stayed away from the supermarket for six months and two days between March 19th and Sept 22nd while regional test positivity rates steadily declined. Then before they could begin increasing again as fall arrived, I made a pre-dawn dash into a store during its old folks shopping hour and stocked up for fall and winter. I hadn't had fresh fruits for more than five of those months, eating canned and dried alternatives instead. Luckily the shelves were fully stocked with excellent products and I was damn near drooling like Pavlov's Dog as I worked my way down the fresh foods isles. I wanted so much to sample the goods as I shopped but kept my mask over face.
Choosing favorite, luscious fruits and veggies by the bag full before moving on to get other foods and supplies required for comfortably weathering the next six month stretch of this pandemic through to the first day of spring 2021, I exited the supermarket before younger shoppers started arriving. Grinning wide behind my mask and steering clear of the line of shoppers forming up outside, I hurried to the truck, loaded up and got the hell out of town.
Three days of blissful fresh food feasting have passed since the predawn shopping spree and no signs of infection so far, but I could die tomorrow completely happy and content with a belly full of fresh fruits and vegetables once again.The fresh stuff will last about a month which is plenty since there is ample supply of canned and dried fruits and vegetables in the larder to prevent making another trip into town before spring, and beyond that if necessary.
