Detroit

[DetroitOtherday]

Hello?

Good luck finding wood, and hope you find somewhere peaceful to wait out the winter.

Hello. How are you all doing? It's all gone a bit apocalyptic hasn't it...

I'm safe, all the campgrounds have closed but a nice person is letting me camp on their land. I've even got a shed. It's pretty out of the way here. I even made vague steps towards surviving by buying seeds.

The chaos of grocery stores is not fun. I made myself a mask out of a bra, sewed elastic onto it, bandanna over the top like the good outlaw that I am.

I live social distancing, so I'm pretty much unbothered by that part. I am, however, horrified. Thank God for this camp spot! I'm NOT going into shelters, i'ld rather walk into the wilderness and find a cave. People won't tolerate being forced into shelters, kept apart and off streets. I feel vaguely queasy at the thought of a lot of poor souls with addiction they can't maintain, and mental health issues, cooped up.

I've decided I won't be going to any hospital if I feel unwell. For once being a stubborn social outcast might work out ok for me.

How are my friends here?

A cold winter followed by global pandemic...I'm almost finding this too much.

Good to hear from you Detroit - loving the bra mask. Given my plumptitudinousness my bra would probably cover my entire head. Might not be such a bad idea if this continues to get worse. Which it rather seems it will.
So pleased that you have somewhere to camp. Hope that the nice person continues to be nice. Take care of yourself sister.

Stay safe please.

Detroit! I've been thinking of you and couldn't find this thread for some reason so great to hear you are surviving!

Social distancing can be the norm for some, but I'm sure it doesn't make it easier to know that others are doing it too and we all need space around us so we don't get ill.

Lovely to hear about the seeds, I have taken to doing the same and there is something very Life-affirming (in the original sense!) about growing something, giving it life, from scratch.

A friend had reason to take her little one to hospital the other day, here in the UK, and she decided not to go and treat at home (with expert advice). I imagine hospitals to be like war zones right now. Best to stay at the camp and only venture closer to others when food is required.

Happy pottering in your shed. Let us know what grows xx

I'm going to do ok, now I'm away from the closed campgrounds. Showering is now problematic, but not impossible. I'm very impressed with the shed,which I might turn into a small living space.

There's one other person camping here, and im away from people in a hollow.

I think I'll be ok here for a while.

I'm so glad to hear about your shed. It sounds like a pretty good situation to me. How's the leg?

The leg hurts, I use a cane on bad days.

I'm staying away from everyone as usual. My new 'land' Lord delivered drinking water. I'm warey of getting too comfortable here.

I'm a local, so still welcome. It was nice to be considered as being from round here. Times like this, it's not a good thing to be a stranger. I've been pottering round the shed. Scrubbing things. I can have a fire, which is good. Bears stay away generally from this area, cougar are further out.

I'm so sorry to hear of people not being able to get health care, just because it's normal for me doesn't make it ok, especially when a child is concerned. Good idea not going into the hospital!

How did it all go so wrong? I'll take a few photos of the seeds I'll start, and the farmland. It's kinda cool.

Except for the fact it's all so odd.

Please stay safe, sisters!

Maybe once I've stopped spinning I'll start up a blog. I put out the word for a dog, and I'm going to try survive this out of curiosity. I might be able to help a few people get through it, with any luck

Hello Oldstyle my gorgeous one! Nice to see you again

Oholyjesus, good name. I've been saying that a lot over the last few days! I don't know what else to do.

I will say some people are being kinder. There's a real sense of compassion there next to that anger. I'm trying to smile at people more. I usually growl, but asking how people are, smiling, giving a word of encouragement is free. I'm doing my bit as best I can.

I've a surplus of green bean seeds. Hope people like beans! We might get our retreat after all, one day.

Commiserations on the leg. But I'm glad to hear about your beans and the kindness. I've been thrashing hell out of the garden for the past week. It's therapeutic.

What are you growing? Anything fun? I'm getting some herbs going.

Prepping beds so far - getting compost obsessed. Too cold to actually plant any thing yet, but I have old windows I might try and rig up as makeshift cloches. Then I'll get in beans, peas, spinach, kale, potatoes and onions. With any luck - I'm a disastrous gardener but it's worth a shot.

Worth a shot is exactly where I am.

I've melon seeds, beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, camomile in case tea runs out, and Lima beans. ...and 5 marijuana seeds for barter material. (Legal). I hate the stuff, but, it's useful.

No camp shower is proving difficult...

Brrrr

Just seen your posts Detroit. Glad you are managing to keep going. Glad you have somewhere to stay. This is a time when your resourcefulness and self reliance are going to help.

I'm doing quite ok. I'm used to no medical care, I have very little to do with people. I've got a good spot on private land. The weather is better, and my seeds are started off. Not much more deprivation than usual, and I'll even have a fire going. The bucket bath was a touch cold. I'm feeling alright. I'm more worried about everyone else to be honest! Are you all doing ok out there!?. I think i might just live out of stubbornness, God willing. If not, then I've had a good run of peace and freedom.

Well, I'm clearly not going to make it through this. Thank you for the friendship, the cute animals, and keeping me company. Someone give Oldstyle a kiss from me if you ever see her in person.

Detroit. Are you ok? Are you sick? I'm sitting here in scotland thinking of you and willing you well. Stay with us please.

Not sick, just the sniffles, allergies I think. Don't worry, just the world fell down around me, and I'm out of options. It's just not doable. I've had great fun since I got away, for the most part. I'm glad I did it. I'm sorry.

Oh Detroit. What will you do now? I know things are tough. I was feeling really low today but then saw the sun on the daffodils. Your tales of the creatures you see and your life on the move have made me long to see the places you have been to. Please stay strong and don't be sorry that you got away.

They closed all the campgrounds. All of them. All the showers. All the camp bathrooms. I got a camp spot on a bit of private land, cold water, a sewer drain, electric outlet and a shed. One other camper, and a person in a house. But letting a little kid run through my dang camp. I'm trying to stay away from people. My food is low, but can't get in till Friday to get more. And I don't think I can stay here.

There's nowhere to go.

I've had to give myself a skinhead so I can keep clean. I know I'm just an ugly older woman, but, that is unsettling. And fucking politicians don't seem to know what they are doing at best, hostile to the poor at worst. I won't go into a shelter, I won't be made to sleep in some parking lot in the city.

So that doesn't leave much for me.

I miss ...people...it's the wrong time of year. It's just too much.

If they let homeless camp with showers in set up campgrounds where we can distance, but they just want to herd us into confined spaces. And the fucking dudes are still in dv shelters. I just called one up.

It's not surviveable for me.

Hey, but at least I didn't let him have the satisfaction of doing me in. Win! The dudes in dresses can go get lost though. Still they are being put before women!! Still!

Don't have any words of wisdom just keep hanging on in there for a bit longer. It will get better.

Thinking of you, Detroit.

Are you still at your camp with your shed? If so, could you ignore the kid running through it, and hang in there?

Do you know if the dv shelters actually have men staying there, rather than just having as a policy that they could? The two might be different, iyswim?

The issue with guys being allowed into dv shelters, Even if there's none there currently, i'ld have to leave if one turned up. I could not feel safe, and it's just not possible. I'm not hassling anyone else. I'll do what I can as long as I can, but it's too much.