Open spaces offer refuge from virus, folks say

Community members were out and about at River’s Edge Park during a sunny afternoon last week. They seemed grateful for Montana’s abundant wild spaces, affording people the luxury of still being able to recreate while maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus scare.

Rick Berger, his son Caleb and their yellow lab took advantage of Caleb being out of school to stretch their legs and give the dog a swim in the river.

“I didn’t think anything of it at the beginning, but then you start watching the news and it starts to change your tone a little bit, ‘Wow, maybe I should have took it more serious,’” said Rick Berger. “Now they’re saying people are buying ammo and guns. For what?”

Berger noticed it’s more difficult to find dog food these days, having to go to stores he normally wouldn’t. Berger and his family are hoping to get out over spring break by taking their camper to Lake Koocanusa.

Annelies Pedersen, Cayuse Prairie school counselor, had her own plus two other families’ children under her care and was letting them run wild, playing tag in the woods near the river.

“We’re holding up,” said Pedersen. “Just having P.E..”

The six children under her charge were all Deer Park Elementary School students, out of school for the week. Everyone of them had experienced some type of disappointing setback from the coronavirus, but there was no shortage of laughter and excited energy among the group that afternoon. One boy had to cancel his birthday party, and two of the families canceled their spring break trips to Canada — which would have included skiing, hot springs and visiting grandparents — after Canada prohibited all recreation and tourism border travel. For now they’ve changed gears, and everyone is staying busy playing basketball in their driveways, reading, playing board games like “Cover Your Assets,” hot tubbing, and napping.

Active Word Ministries Pastor Frank Vargas was taking a stroll with three of his grandchildren. At the time, Vargas was wrestling with the prospect of having to close Sunday services at his parish, feeling torn between offering community and comfort in this time of distress, yet still adhering to prudent social safety measures. For Vargas, staying grounded has meant scheduled time away from media, he said.

Vargas also loves coming to River’s Edge Park where “I can relax and get away and not be bombarded by all the negative stuff, where there’s nothing here but the wind,” he said.