It’s great to see people back out moving around again! The pandemic seems to be slowing down thanks to masks and vaccines, that’s helping out. It really is kind of nice to not eat “alone” like my wife and I have in the last few months at restaurants. Both the highways and businesses are looking more like pre-pandemic volumes. I’m sure the people that have been in the local nursing homes are happy to see people in person again. Our COVID rates are looking good and are down in the 3% range. I think a lot of people have been cooped up for the last year and are ready to get out and do things again, plus, I think it’s helped people with their outlook on life. There’s nothing like a smiling face to make you feel better. Iowa seems to have weathered the pandemic as well or better than most states. Keep up the good work on “beating up COVID.” It will make the rest of the year a lot more fun.
Flip side
The flip side of the pandemic is the huge jump in inflation. The cost of everything from food, to cars, to lumber — has went up big time! Also, many of these items are in short supply. Gas is over a dollar more than it was at the same time last year, plus the pipeline hack that happened this last weekend has made it more expensive and tougher to find in the eastern and southern parts of the USA. Chicken is also getting harder to find, thanks to everyone eating chicken sandwiches at the fast food restaurants. In fact, chicken prices have gone up 300% in the last year. Wings are in short supply and have now passed the price of white meat chicken! Heaven forbid if you need to buy lumber or pulp products. Two-by-fours are fast approaching $10 a board when just a year ago they were $2.50. The newsprint we use has been going up in price $25 per ton within five of the last six months. At this pace, by year end, it will have doubled. I could fill a page with all the price increases. The economy will suffer greatly in the next couple of years due to all the money sloshing around now.
Vets
This Saturday is Armed Forces Day, a way to say “thank you” to all our service personnel. There are several events going on around the community in honor of our veterans, showing that we are proud of them for their service.
Summer outlook
It looks like it should be a full bore summer with most events coming back up to speed. Locally, the Fourth of July fireworks festivities here in Creston are on track to go ahead. The summer Party in the Park on June 19 is also a go, as well as Balloon Days in September also being in the planning stages. The Iowa State Fair looks like it will go ahead as usual. The grandstand shows are almost sold out already. As ready as people are to go out and do things, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the attendance record broken this year. I see that several of the of the national concert performers are starting back up in June with many heading out on the road shortly after that. It also looks like Las Vegas is going to be full up for the rest of the year, judging by reservations. I think the whole country needs a vacation after the last year of what everyone has been through. It’s time to look up and laugh again!
Thought for the week: “Even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from here.” ~ Stephen Chbosky