I decided this week to take the first week in August as a vacation week. Like everyone, I have been inundated with daily pandemic news since March and I feel it’s time to take a break. I am going to grab some books, avoid TV as much as possible, and get outside to do some yard work, go for a hike, or a swim or two, and enjoy some summer days. I hope Mother Nature cooperates. I know it’s needed out in public, but I hope I won’t have to wear my mask for that week.

I feel like I have been trapped inside a calculator – all we’ve seen are numbers, numbers, numbers related to the coronavirus (tired of typing that word, too!). It’s been dizzying to try and decipher what it all means. Is Maine faring well or is it going to experience a spike of the virus since thousands of visitors from other states have been enjoying Vacationland over the past few weeks? Will we open the school buildings if there is a spike?

The latest news (hopefully it is wrong) is that a vaccine to fight COVID-19 will not be found for the rest of the year, or perhaps not for 18 months. In a July 13 report on the website, www.theguardian.com, over 140 teams of researchers worldwide are working on a vaccine, yet only a few have reached a phase where it is being tested with a small group of people to determine if the vaccine is safe and working correctly.

So, if you are as lucky as I am to get away from the coronavirus news for a week, enjoy it. I have a strong feeling we will be dealing with this pandemic for months to come.