Well, that was a long two weeks with COVID, and I had a mild upper respiratory case, which meant I had no trouble breathing and never felt as though I had to go to the hospital. But I was tired, achy, feverish, with no sense of smell or taste, and no appetite. As families do, I passed it to Clif, and he is about five days behind me. But we both know it could have been worse, and we are grateful that it wasn’t. So far, Dee has not had any symptoms, and we are cautiously optimistic that she is either asymptomatic or somehow missed getting it. Fingers crossed!
According to NPR, COVID is surging across the United States, especially in the South and West, but also in the Northeast and Midwest. I’ll be immune for a few months and will wait until December to get my booster. When I did errands last week—Clif was too sick to even think about going out—I wore a mask even though I was at the tail end of my bout with COVID. The last thing I wanted was to spread this nasty virus to anyone else.
Now on to a happier subject…our one-year anniversary with Bolty.
Last year, we bid a sad farewell to our fifteen-year-old Honda Fit, which had too much rust for an affordable repair. While I was sorry to see the scrappy, little Honda go, I was thrilled to buy a car of my dreams, an electric vehicle that could be charged at home and didn’t belch carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
So how has the year been? In a word, fantastic. Bolty gets us where we want to go, on average, about a sixty-mile round trip from our home. But it will take us much farther, around two hundred miles, and in the few cases where we have gone beyond Bolty’s range, we just stopped at a charging station, of which there are many points south of us. (If we wanted to go to northern Maine, we would be sure to check out charging station availability and perhaps rent a traditional car for the trip.)
In Maine, last winter was very, very cold—well below zero for stretches of time—and Bolty started without a hitch. (We do not have a garage, which means Bolty stays outside in all weather.) Using the heater does decrease Bolty’s range somewhat, but not so much that it became a problem. Again, we had plenty of charge for our local trips.
Do I miss going to gas stations to fill up the car? I do not. Charging Bolty from home costs us about $15 a month, well below the $40 —depending on the price of gas—that fuel would have cost for our Fit. (Because Clif and I work from home, and we are not gadabouts, our cars have very low mileage.)
2026 has been a hot year with drought and fire for some of my blogging friends. (Actually, Maine is in a drought, but so far, thank goodness, there have been no fires.) We humans are making the planet a hotter place, and by having an electric vehicle, Clif and I feel as though we are doing our small part to combat climate change.
I know some of my blogging friends have EVs and are doing what they can to reduce their carbon output. In the comments, tell me your stories. We can’t all do the same things. However, if we do what we can, I can’t help but feel that the world will be a better place.
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Listening
Midnight Oil: Beds Are Burning
This 1987 song speaks to many issues and seems very appropriate for the times we are in.
Notes From the Hinterland 
So glad you are feeling better! I have family who are at risk, so I am also very careful, and have never had covid. But I’m not happy to hear cases are already rising for this season. Usually, I can at least get to January before I have to stop my group musical endeavors (singing and playing in a large ukulele group), Fingers crossed it doesn’t keep spreading so fast!
Darned virus! Good luck staying healthy for your family.
Glad you’re past the worst of Covid. It’s a ride, for sure. Took us about 3 weeks to feel normal again and it’s always worse when you’re both sick at the same time. No nurse!
Yup, a real kick in the pants. Probably it won’t be until three weeks that we feel completely normal.
Two weeks with COVID is definetely long but I am glad you both are doing fine. Wearing mask is a good choice.
Hope you get to enjoy the evenings on your lovely patio 😁
Yup, it’s been a long haul, but not as bad as it could be. We are now well enough to enjoy being on the patio.
Glad to hear you are on the mend! I didn’t realize it was surging right now. A good reminder for me to get the next round of the COVID booster.
Yes, get your Covid booster as soon as possible as you can.
Welcome back, Laurie. I’m relieved with/for you for not having had a serious case of Covid, but feeling sick for 2 weeks is taxing nonetheless. I hope Clif will recover soon also!
When we needed a new vehicle in 2024, we opted for a plug-in hybrid. The distances in the West and the dearth charging stations in some rural areas make driving with a pure EV challenging.
Like you, we love the car and the fact that we can run it as an EV for about 65 miles, which is sufficient for all our errands in town. And when we switch to hybrid, we still have a far lower gas consumption.
The electricity to charge the battery still needs to be generated, though, and the rare elements used in them mined, so EVs are not panaceas. But they are a step in the right direction and I hope that the materials will be recycled and the batteries will become more efficient.
Thanks, Tanya! Alas, there is no Sugar Plum Fairy to give us all that we need at no environmental cost. But electricity is the fuel of the future and at least has the ability to be produced cleanly even though we are not there yet. Burning dead dinosaurs is the fuel of the past and is destroying our planet. The EPA has an EV myths website. Check it out if you have a chance.
I am so happy that you feel better!
Congrats on one year with your electric car 🙂 I have an electric bike, and no car. I know that doesn’t work for everyone, but it works perfectly fine for me right now (and for the past seven years).
Thanks, Maria! No, not everyone can make do without a car—unfortunately, we can’t—but it’s great that you can. You rock!
Hi. I read today that updated COVID vaccines will be available very soon. It’s a shame that Clif caught COVID too, but I guess that was to be expected.
Get your vaccine as soon as you can! No surprise that I gave Covid to Clif. Sigh.
Glad to hear you are feeling better. Happy anniversary to Bolty.
Thanks, Judy!
So glad to hear you are feeling better Laurie and happy happy anniversary to Bolty! It’s great you have your own charging point at home, something that is alas not possible for us (we have to park across the road). We’ve been happy with our self-charging hybrid for the last six years and once there is a wider network of charging points we’ll be delighted to go full-electric too 💚 xxx
Thanks so much! Very difficult when you can’t install your own charging station. Hope the wider network of charging points soon comes to your area.
I am pleased that you are so happy with your car. There is no doubt that EVs are the way to go.
Glad you’re improving. I had a mild case in ’22, just before my husband died (obviously caught in the nursing home), and I’ve noticed since then I use a bit more salt and I sweeten my coffee. Hope you don’t have any aftereffects. I’m still driving my late husband’s ’09 Toyota, but not very much or very far. When it’s finally time to replace it I’d like to get a used hybrid or EV. My son-in-law and daughter have ranch property in central Texas, and last week a fire came within 1/2 mile. I am going to a retreat about 40 minutes from here in a few weeks, and they had a burn in one little corner of the property. It’s really scary.
So scary that the fire came that close to your daughter’s home. Even from afar, watching those fires rage is terrifying. Hope this never happens in Maine, but with the way things are going, you never know. Sigh.
Glad you’re recovered from the worst of it, and hoping the same for Clif. Can’t believe you’ve had your new car a year already. It sure gets impressive mileage! How is its AC? We never used to need it, but with a hotter world, it’s become pretty important.
Thanks, Eliza! Yes, Clif has recovered from the worst of it but is now in the tired phase. Bolty’s AC is fantastic. Keeps us nice and cool. Reduces the mileage a little bit but not in a major way.
👍🏼
Hope the Covid improvement continues . . . mine also was a mild case but it still took about 5-6 weeks to feel ‘normal’ again! Love the look of your Bolty . . . a very handsome pal to have and I cannot believe how little your costs are in spite of the fact you don’t have to travel to work! Truly all you need 🙂 !
It’s amazing how different people respond in different ways to Covid. Anyway, grateful to have had a mild case.
Yes, Bolty is all we need. For the most part, we are homebodies and don’t travel very far.
We run an EV, a hybrid and (shamefully) an aged what we call “ute” (pick up ??). The hybrid was to test the water of the new technology, we love our EV but it does have its limitations for which the hybrid bridges the gaps… and the ute. ..well, I make sure it is running efficiently as possible considering its age and dream of what will be available to replace it when it does give up. Hooray for including Midnight Oil! Also hooray for feeling better.
EVs have come a long way with mileage. Perhaps your next EV will get you where you want to go.
Love that song by Midnight Oil.
Thanks for the reminder on the Covid vax! I just made an appointment to get the new Moderna booster this Friday.
Very important to get the booster. Covid is out there and is not going away anytime soon.
Thank goodness I have no experience of Covid, but I’m certainly glad that you and Clif had relatively mild cases. The only positive I’ve found when it comes to feeling ill is how wonderful it is to suddenly feel good again; that return of energy is marvelous! I’m glad you’re back in shape to enjoy the rest of the summer!
Thanks so much! I’m very grateful it was a mild case that only lasted a couple of weeks. A friend of mine who recently contracted Covid had to go to the hospital because her lungs were swollen and she was having difficulty breathing. Always such a mystery as to how the same diseases affects different people in different ways.
Glad you are feeling better. I had Covid about 4 or 5 years ago but was vaccinated and was only really sick for a week, but tired for a week after.
I don’t drive, and have no interest in, or knowledge of, cars. Karl still drives a petrol one. Our neighbour has an electric vehicle and one our friends but don’t ask me what sort! I take a bus to work, but if I need to travel out of town for work I have to fly as there are no intercity trains. We do, however, only buy New Zealand produce.
Thanks, Barbara! My Covid ran a similar course to yours, and I am so grateful it wasn’t worse.
Excellent that you take a bus to work, and buying local produce is always a plus!
What a relief that you are feeling better! We don’t get COVID boosters in South Africa any more!
Thanks, Anne! I was surprised to read that you don’t get COVID boosters in South Africa.
Who can explain why? Not our government, that’s for sure!
Sorry to read this.
I’m so pleased you have had mild varieties. It is a pity that the administration don’t believe in it. We ar just booking our next boosters. Good to read about Bolty.
It’s absolutely crazy what this administration believes. Unfortunately, COVID is just the tip of the iceberg. Glad to read that you and Jackie will soon be getting your boosters. COVID is out there, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. Thanks in large part to vaccines, it’s not as deadly as it was when it first started.
Hi Laurie, I’m so glad you’re feeling better, and hope that Clif will soon be fully recovered too. Covid certainly takes it out of you – when we succumbed it seemed like months until we were fully “back to normal” (whatever that is!)
Happy anniversary Bolty! We currently drive self-charging hybrids, which definitely help to reduce carbon emissions. I imagine that the time will come when we go fully EV, but for now we don’t feel that the charging infrastructure is adequate for our needs when we travel to more remote parts of the UK.
Many thanks! Covid sure takes the wind out of one’s sails, doesn’t it? Glad to be more or less back to normal and working on projects.
Charging infrastructure is certainly an issue, and we are lucky that in central Maine and points south, there are plenty of charging stations. Points north is another issue, but we seldom head north anymore.
So glad you are feeling better my friend! And congratulations on your one year anniversary of Bolty! I’m coming up on one year for my hybrid and am happy to report that with the exception of two long drives out of town more than four hours each, we only had to gas up the car one time! Love it!
Two weeks of COVID was a long time. I wonder what strain it is now? A friend has just returned from America and after reading your blog and how quickly it is spreading, I am going to give her a wide berth.
Poor Clif…. sending virtual hugs
Yes, a bit of a grind, and we both had a mild version. You should know pretty soon whether your friend has Covid. The incubation period is usually about five days.
five days… right. Cheers
Welcome back! Another great post! I have a random question: Have you always had ads? Do you get to pick? Before I started paying WordPress extra, I had really undignified ads that I couldn’t control.
Many thanks! No, I have not always had ads and thought I would try it out. Not worth it, and the ads should stop shortly.
So sorry to hear that Clif succumbed to those nasty germs. Take it easy, Laurie; the worst is over but don’t hesitate to go S L O W.
Congratulations on the 1st Anniversary with Bolty. Wishing you another year of happy driving!
Thanks, so much! We have taken it slow and are grateful to be feeling better.
Sorry to read that you’ve been so sick. I’m sure that the covid numbers would be high here as well, but not many people test anymore.
I would love to get an EV!
Thanks for stopping by. Even a mild case of Covid, which Clif and I had, is no fun at all. Glad to be back in the saddle, so to speak, with everyday life.
Getting an EV was a dream of mine, but I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be able to buy one as we live on a very modest income. However, there are no second-hand EVs, and ours was reasonably priced. I think as more people buy new EVs, there will be an even better second-hand market.
I am glad to know you are better and hope Cliff is too. I would love an EV but they are expensive and my current car works fine. I have reduced my driving to a minimum as my contribution.
Thanks so much! Yes, electric cars can be expensive, but they are going down in price. We bought a second-hand one for a very good price. But reducing driving is an excellent thing to do, whatever one drives. One of my blogging friends who lives in a good-size city in Sweden doesn’t have a car at all. That is the best option, but those of us who live in rural areas often can’t do that. I know we couldn’t.