The family situation I eluded to a while back persists, and until that stabilizes or resolves I feel the need to stick around.
The other factor delaying my departure for points south are the unknowns around the virus. Way up here on the Olympic Peninsula the outbreak is under control, there are about 3 or 4 new cases reported every month with zero active cases at the moment. The two factors which contribute to this success are the diligence of the community and the masterful communication skills of the local public health officers. I am in the safest spot one could wish for. The family has been meeting regularly with Zoom, so making trips to Seattle has been minimized.
If I were to go south, my preferred route would have been along the coast, but wildfires stopped that. Evacuees are taking the camping and RV spots I would have relied on.
So, I’m here for the near future, at least until after the election but probably for the winter.