How you doing?

Good idea, buddy. And I'm never at a loss for words!

Virginia has closed the schools until the balance of the year 'cause of the virus. Kinda interesting here because so few have internet (I'm lucky to have cell service), and even fewer have anything faster than DSL. Not sure how the kids are managing it.

I was supposed to have a procedure at the hospital tomorrow, they just cancelled all elective stuff and said "We'll call you in June." I had already gone to a walk-in clinic for the required blood work, and they turned our cars into waiting rooms. When you arrive, you stay in your car and call to let them know you've arrived. When it's your turn to be seen, they phone you back and tell you to come in...only one patient inside at a time. One woman must have thought she had the flu, so she didn't get to go inside...they came out in full protective gear, she rolled down her window, they swabbed her throat, she rolled her window back up, they went inside, and she drove off to await results. It's a brave new world and "never leaving my car" American, all at the same time.

Other than that, when the rain stops later this week I'll be outside with my Kubota digging up some small trees along the driveway and clearing a spot behind my garage to lay gravel for firewood and tractor implement storage.

Here are shots of what you're likely to stumble upon walking the remote parts of your property around here:

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These things are usually near the house. I've yet to find the foundation or any evidence.
 
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Yeah good question...That said, I also think people want to talk / think about something other than the "virus" so they stick to Mazdas (that is our purpose after all). First and foremost, I hope everyone is ok obviously...In Japan, things do not seem to be as severe as in other Countries (at this time).

I see this thread was posted in the Support forum which is for Site Support...Being that you're asking about the well being of fellow Members, that seems like a form of support to me so we'll leave it here for now.

Ps... @Avoidin Deer Did you find an old abandoned cemetery on your property?
 
Yeh, Antoine.

There are lots of family and local cemeteries in Virginia, especially the parts that are still rural. You drive down the roads here (and lots of places in these regions) and there are headstones in front yards right at roadside, always well-kept with flowers. Lots more cemeteries off the beaten path like mine.

I had no idea this was on a hill in the woods until the county historical society (which keeps a database of these) showed up with a guy who recalled attending his aunt's funeral here in 1975. We followed his recollection of that event of 40 years ago and found the cemetery.

There are unmarked depressions, and a handful of formal, very heavy (must weight a ton) granite headstones, the oldest of which dates back to the late 1800s. Most are from the 1930 to the 1960s. The right-of-way from the paved road to my house is about 1/2mile long. There are 3 smaller patches of graves (with formal headstones) on it.

It's funny talking to some of the locals I've gotten to know here about the folks buried there. There's one guy I talk to about local history and some of the folks buried on my property, and he can put together the different surnames with the stories of why Lucy Reeves is buried next to Dirk Henson, or why a mother and son are buried together but with different surnames, either with his direct knowledge or using historical inferrence.

I researched one of the graves that had the guy's WW1 battalion cited. The First Pioneer Battalion was the first all-black battalion in WW1 (mostly support troop and a handful of combat guys.) It was stood up in January 1918. He died in October 1918. A piece of history buried out here in my woods.

My mother was British (WW2 bride) and my father's parents were German. In a weird way, learning about these people gives me a deeper connection than I've had, albeit a vicarious one.
 
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Great thread idea 7.

Things are ok here in Manitoba (so far). Schools have been shut down and businesses are starting to close and/or begin doing temporary/permanent layoffs. Gyms are closed, and anyone ignoring the health and safety guidelines for self-isolation can be fined. Businesses are subject to a huge fine if social distancing measures are not enforced, and social gatherings are limited to 50 people max. It's nothing compared to what other cities are going through, but it's a bit unnerving regardless. Some companies are still operational (like mine), but have implemented non-essential travel bans and meetings/conferences.

Thankfully everyone I know is taking precautions and staying safe. Of the 21 reported cases, 20 have been travel-related and are self-isolating. The newest case is still undergoing testing.

Besides that, I've been keeping myself busy with other hobbies. Everyone is going crazy buying up home gym equipment now that the gyms are closed, so I've been able to offload some of the things that were collecting dust. I've also gotten back into aquariums.

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I started this tank in my office a few months ago. With extra time on my hands, I started to piece out stuff for a bigger aquarium at the house. I'm still in the planning stages of setting up the aquascape.

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Oh, and this weekend will be dedicated to the Mazda. Going to put my new jack to work and do an oil change, then swap the all-season wheels on.
 
@sm1ke:

Man, that brings back memories.
I used to have aquariums when I was a kid...all freshwater.

(4) 10 gallon tanks
(1) 5 gallon breeding tank
(1) 2.5 gallon sick tank

Back then, you could buy swordtails and neon tetras 10/$1. Nothing made me happier than the drive home from the pet shop and seeing the pregnant swordtail I bought giving birth in that plastic bag! What a deal...
 
@sm1ke:

Man, that brings back memories.
I used to have aquariums when I was a kid...all freshwater.

(4) 10 gallon tanks
(1) 5 gallon breeding tank
(1) 2.5 gallon sick tank

Back then, you could buy swordtails and neon tetras 10/$1. Nothing made me happier than the drive home from the pet shop and seeing the pregnant swordtail I bought giving birth in that plastic bag! What a deal...

Swordtails are beautiful fish! And yeah, its a bit of a tough swallow having to pay $40 for 10 tiny fish and $30 for 13 even tinier shrimp. But the shrimp are really prolific and I estimate that I have around 30-40 in there now, maybe more.

I used to be really deep in the hobby like 10+ years ago. Like you I had a bunch of smaller tanks, I think two 10 gallons and a 20 gallon, also all freshwater. Then I treated myself to a big 130 gallon tank and put a few cichlids in it. 10 years later the 130g is still going (gave it to my parents) and the cichlids are more or less still going. A few died over the years, and others grew much larger - I had a 3" parrot cichlid that is now probably 7-8" and is the king of the tank, haha.
 
I tried to resuscitate the hobby in my adult years, and listened to the kid at the pet shop when he said "This frog won't eat your fish." So one day I see it standing uright on the bottom of the aquarium with its arms in a "this is a stick-up" position and looking at the sky. I look closer and there's the head of a swordtail barely sticking out of its mouth. The sucker came up behind a fish that was about 1/2 longer than he was! Took a while for it to digest. But he got what was coming to him.

Fast forward some weeks, and I come home from work and look at my tank. I see that the frog is gone! So I look on the floor (because there's always a way out) and see a tiny green arm. Then I notice my cat on the other side of the room, just sitting there with a foamy mouth and that Purple Haze look in her eyes.

Have a nice trip, Snowy?
 
@Avoidin Deer Fascinating! Nice to know the people laid to rest in these remote cemeteries are remembered thanks to Historical Societies.

@sm1ke Good to hear what’s happening in your neck of the woods. I hope others give their Mazda / s some love and post about it as well...It’s a great time to tackle projects, upgrades, repairs etc that have been delayed due to a lack of free time at home.
 
@Avoidin Deer Fascinating! Nice to know the people laid to rest in these remote cemeteries are remembered thanks to Historical Societies.
The data is often used to support those engaged in genealogy research. Lots of inquiries flow through the original 13 colonies from all over the world. I've been online researching some of the folks who are buried on my property and I see inquiries from people in England trying to trace ancestors who got on a boat centuries ago bound for the New World.

I go to a church here whose congregation was founded in the 1700s. The founder's license to perform marriages was signed by Patrick Henry, the first (and 6th) post-colonial governor of Virginia. The first American bishop of the United Methodist Church (Francis Asbury) gave a sermon for this congregation shortly after we declared independence from the Motherland. Lots of history here. And lots of folks who know their ancestry well back into the 1600s.

It IS fascinating to have friends who can list their ancestry back so far, especially for a guy like me whose mother was an immigrant, whose paternal grandparents were immigrants, and who knows little of those who preceded them.
 
It IS fascinating to have friends who can list their ancestry back so far, especially for a guy like me whose mother was an immigrant, whose paternal grandparents were immigrants, and who knows little of those who preceded them.

100% agree. I'm a second generation Filipino Canadian, and it can be very difficult to explore my ancestry with my grandparents and great grandparents when they're 12000 kms away. It really helps me to appreciate all things historical in nature.
 
I've been fortunate I have a small backlog of video games to catch up on. Not to mention, I made some recordings on a cassette deck of some mixes I put together. Otherwise, I just walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air.
 
This weekend I swapped the all-seasons back on to the Civic. I was going to swap my all-seasons onto the CX-9 as well, but I'm due for an oil change so I figured I'd do both. As it turns out, the oil jug I keep used oil in was full, so I went to a nearby Canadian Tire to dispose of it. Come to find out that they no longer accept used oil at that location. Grr.. I scrapped the idea of changing the oil today and just left the winters on. I'll probably get around to it this week.

I also played around with a different aquarium at home. I think this one will house some cichlids, so I started painting the back of the tank a navy blue.

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I only got 3 coats down before I ran out of paint. 2-3 more coats and I'll be good to go.

EDIT: I also started a new Final Fantasy game on my phone. I believe its called "Final Fantasy Brave Exvius: War of the Visions". The name is a mouthful (lol) but it appears to be a very polished game, lots of similarities to Final Fantasy Tactics released back in '98.
 
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Last two coats are on.

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Now to get the stand for the tank ready.
 
Bonus points for showing a Varrstoen box in the pic!

eta: Until I get fish, I'll play with the critters here:

turkey.jpg


Just took this 5 minutes ago through my bedroom window, so it's not in focus.

He had his groupies right behind him. It's that time of year.
 
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All is well here.
Just really busy at work. Had to get my entire office working from home. I was already very into work from home and getting people on it so it wasn't difficult, but they are a needy bunch.
Ohio was one of the first states to lock everything down. Never liked our Gov much, Dewine, but he's impressed me so far.
So now, of course, the accounting firm... rolleyes.... is essential. Although I am grateful I am still getting a paycheck, I'd rather just take a few weeks off. I do have to keep going in to reboot this, or login that, but I'm only there for a few minutes at a time.
So I am working on the first floor at home, wife working from the upstairs loft area and while we both work we have to help our 9 year old learn how to do this distance learning crap. Kind of stressful. The elementary school should have taken a week off to get this down. Only lost my s*$@ a few times. I am far too emotional in general. LOL
Really not loving this. I love to WFH but when you're forced to? I do kinda miss my co-workers. And I'm a very social person.
We moved into this new house and my son started this new school. We were very worried about him making new friends and how he'd like this new school. Turns out those fears were unfounded, he's made a lot of friends and doing well in school... and then this s*** happened...meeting friends on a Zoom call now. Sigh... A bit depressing.
Hard to be depressed for long though as we are all, so far, healthy and someone is dying every 9 minutes in NYC.
One bright spot, we have been wanting to adopt a doggo since our last one died about a year ago.
Meet BRUNO! :D (Will edit from phone with picture).
No apologies for the novel. I got a mechanical keyboard and i can type REALLY FAST on it. :D

Love you guys.
 

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