Last Monday, August 8, my grandchildren returned with their parents to Los Angeles after a visit of several weeks with us here in Ohio.
For those weeks while their parents - for whom the visit was more of a "workcation" - set up their offices on the dining room table, the girls went about the business of filling the house with noise, life, and joy.
In the early days of June when the COVID infection rates were on the decline, I had plans for how this year's visit would be: Unlike during their summer visit last year when we were all sheltering in place at home against pandemic (see post from 7/16/2020, "A Month In The Magic Messy Kingdom"), this year I figured we'd go places and do things: A day at the Franklin County Fair, shopping trips, trips to the mall, lunches and dinners out, afternoons at the pool, maybe even trips to the art museum and the plant conservatory.
Alas, by the time the girls and their parents arrived in Ohio on July 20 COVID rates were were on an upward trajectory and the vaccination rate had fallen off a cliff.
Subsequently I had to drop most of my previous plans and afternoons at the small neighborhood pool two walkable blocks from our house ended up being our principal - though far from unpleasant - outing.
Alas, by the time the girls and their parents arrived in Ohio on July 20 COVID rates were were on an upward trajectory and the vaccination rate had fallen off a cliff.
Subsequently I had to drop most of my previous plans and afternoons at the small neighborhood pool two walkable blocks from our house ended up being our principal - though far from unpleasant - outing.
However we did venture out a handful of times over the weeks.
One time the girls and I went shopping at Target.
One time the girls and I went shopping at Target.
We took a couple of trips to the library.
...and one day, early in their visit, I took the girls out to Easton Town Center - Columbus's major indoor-outdoor shopping center - where we found an isolated spot of our own for some lunch from the food court.
The girls loved Easton and wanted to return again,
...but on the very day of our trip to Easton the news broke of a sudden steep spike in virus cases, and so I didn't feel safe taking them back there.
One time we picked up lunch from MacDonald's which we ate outside picnic-style.
One time we picked up lunch from MacDonald's which we ate outside picnic-style.
And one day we met some friends - the children of one of my daughter's school mates who happened to be in town visiting her family at the same time as my daughter was visiting us - at Creekside, the park in which the Big Walnut Creek runs through Gahanna.
After playing in the creek for a while we returned to Creekside Plaza,
...for ice cream.
Who needs the County Fair, after all?
Who needs the County Fair, after all?
To be continued...
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