STEVE CAMERON BLOG Shop, breed, grow

Still here.

Although...

Yep, I did make a midnight shopping run to Super 1.

Even at this bizarre time in all our lives, we’ve got to eat. And sorry, but I’m always going to replenish the stock of my only current taste treat, mocha coffee.

We’re very, VERY lucky to have our cluster of Super 1 stores throughout the county staying open 24 hours per day.

Now that we know our self-isolation will run at least through April, we must hope that the stores can maintain the same hours.

Not just Super 1, but ALL the grocery stores in the area.

I’m a teeny bit biased, though, because I’m a night person and shopping in the wee hours is perfect for staying sanitized — I wore gloves and pretty much wiped everything I touched — along with seeing very few other shoppers.

The staff is terrific, especially given the circumstances.

I happened to arrive on a night when they were restocking, and there were huge pallets all over the place, with goods hiding under shrink-wrap.

With little expectation of success, I asked a young man if there were paper towels, you know, maybe hiding on one of the pallets.

No hesitation.

“Megan,” he shouted, “could you toss me one of those paper towel six-packs?”

Here it came, chucked through the air without hesitation.

I love these stores, and I’m not the only one.

“We all should say thank you to the Super 1 stores (and all grocery store workers),” suggested reader Echo Schuon.

“They are working LONG hours, in crowded conditions, and usually with smiles on their faces to keep us all as happy as possible.”

Ms. Echo (her real name) volunteered that she’s 81, but that no virus – corona or otherwise – will be slowing her down.

Or life in general around North Idaho, for that matter.

“I know we are going to get through this just fine,” she said. “That’s how we roll here.”

Meanwhile, plenty of folks are trying to avoid any contact at the stores by ordering online.

I’ve done it, but Walmart and Costco both have web sales pages that can only be understood by Bill Gates.

Lord knows what will be in the packages that finally get delivered.

My only successes have generally come through Amazon, but that limits what you buy.

I did get some Hatch green chiles, though, so that’s a huge winner.

However...

There are other ways to prepare in case this might be a long siege.

For instance, I have a few friends who have purchased baby chicks – with an eye to the fact that ultimately they’ll grow old enough to be laying eggs for supper.

Or volunteering for the carving knife, perhaps.

Then there are plenty of people who’ve decided to grow their own meals.

It’s no isolated fad, either.

For instance, a New York Times reporter wanted to grow a little corn on a patch of land behind her residence.

“It feels like we are selling toilet paper,” Mike Dunton, founder of The Victory Seed Company, told Kendra Pierre-Louis via email — insisting he was too busy filling orders to come to the phone.

The seed outfit’s website had cautioned that all buyers were agreeing to abide by “pandemic ordering terms,” and warned that the current shipping backlog for any seeds was 18 to 24 days.

“We have called nearly everyone who has ever worked here and is already trained to do the job, and added a couple of new faces,” Dunton said.

“These are crazy times.”

Amen to that, brother.

Meantime, in case you’re not raising chickens or growing beets...

Fingers crossed that our neighborhood Super 1 stores can keep staying open all night.

Loading up and staying safe.

Yes!

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You’re welcome to join the blog, and later in the week I’ll publish some of the feedback we’ve received. Get in touch any time, on any subject. Or with any opinion that doesn’t get us sued.

scameron@cdapress.com