Well, Lon, appears that life has got back to normal in many places in the U.S.. Where we live, restaurants are full of folks, with only a few waiters/waitresses wearing masks. MLB games, big concerts here at full-capacity attendance, with no mask requirements. Big professional rodeos happening, again with full-capacity and no mask requirements for anyone. No mask requirements anymore for shopping anywhere. However, the CDC and WHO are now saying that dropping most-to-all of the mask requirements could very well have been done to prematurely, due to the ongoing Delta Variant virus. A CDC doctor stated on CNN yesterday, "anyone that hasn't got fully vaccinated, is going to be in really big trouble".
My SIL (wife's sister) tells us the same thing about Ontario, California. But, then again, California was hit much harder than Colorado was, with the Covid 19.
There is a good size garden behind our building with a walk way that residents use for exercise walks. Our gourmet meals typically will include veggies from our garden. Tomatos,Squash,Cucumber,Beans,LettuceAsparagus and Artichoke are brought in. Oakmont resident gardeners and staff maintain the garden. A variety of flowers are grown in one section and there are always a display of fresh flowers through out the building and on the dining room tables. I am not a gardener but use the walkway for exercise.
Residents that are interested in going will be packed into our bus at 11:30 PM with their walkers and chairs. The restaurant is a popular Italian eatery. Diciccos Italian Restaurant of Fresno and the Central Valley. This will be a nice two hour respite from COVID confinement and restrictions.
So whatcha gonna order? Do you know yet? My favorite Italian restaurant has been on "CarryOut Only" status for a while. I'd do anything for an order of Penne Puttanesca and some of their fresh bread. I'd also like to see if Michelle (my waitress) and her family survived this mess OK.
I don't know about the Assisted Living in other parts of the country but here where I am we have far less residents than we had three years ago. Our management is offering one free month rent if we refer someone that will apply and move in. Along with the loss of residents over the past two years there has been a big loss of staff and care workers, due I suspect to the diminished cash flow from residents that left. One of the vacant apartments near mine is being used as a show room to show to prospective residents. I see several people every day looking at the apartment and taking the tour of the facility.