This too shall pass

I am not a lawyer, a doctor, or a high-ranking politician so I have no idea whether or not the near panic over coronavirus is justified or not. Since there is no vaccine or known effective treatment it does seem prudent to limit travel, large groups, and wash your hands. I can even understand some school closures in areas of high infection to avoid young people from carrying the virus home to older, more vulnerable people. Like me.

I have a tougher time with the current run on toilet paper. I have seen folks with several years’ worth of TP, which seems excessive to me. Of course, I’m so old it is a risk buying green bananas.

Just a few weeks ago I had to put my third “last” dog down. He had a massive heart attack and was beyond help. As always, tears were shed and I had to work hard to convince myself that the twelve and a half years he was my Buddy more than balanced the grief of his death.

Yesterday, I acquired my fourth last dog confident she will outlast me so I will only have the joy and none of the loss. She is cute, full of energy and, hopefully, will be housebroken soon.

Drove the North Fork Road before the storm this week and it was in great shape. There seemed to be more “speed bumps” than usual, which must say something about how much frost we had and how much rain there was before we got snow. Thanks to Irv Heitz who put out a roll of pink ribbon to warn motorists of the sharp dip at the culvert at Holcombs, just north of the Hart Compound. There is also a dandy little lake at Square Peg Ranch just north of Polebridge. The bottom is rough but it is shallow enough that even Subaru vehicles can drive through if they aren’t going too fast.

I’m sure things have changed because of the near blizzard this weekend. Lots of wind and minus 10 F Sunday morning at Trail Creek. I’m glad spring is not far off. It makes it easier to maintain social distance and remember what Charley Wise said when he swallowed the marbles. “This too will pass.”

Spring may be close but it is not here yet. There are still parts of the road with ice or snow especially north of Polebridge. Trail Creek Road is solid snowpack and residents were out with snow blowers this week before the storm. The storm was more weird than snow but the low temperatures certainly set back any snow melt.

North Fork land sales seem to have increased and so have prices. One piece, with buildings, is listed at 12 million dollars and even one acre lots are listed at 30 to 60 thousand dollars. Since there are fewer and fewer parcels larger than twenty acres I look for small parcels to continue to rise in price since it is getting harder for developers to find large parcels to subdivide.

My original 10 acres cost ten dollars per acre so it is amazing for me to see one acre lots selling for thirty thousand dollars. Wish I had had more money when I was in high school. Back then one hundred dollars was the better part of my summer wages. I’m not sure higher wages translates to more buying power.

What do you think?

Larry Wilson’s North Fork Views appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.