Hi Tweeterdom - I think I agree with Gary on this. Yesterday, my co-habitant and I, in part to beat the midnight-last-nite locldown, but mostly to get out of the house, headed east to do a (permitted?) walk outdoors (and a bit of birding) in the Ellensburg/Vantage area. With a full tank of gas, we headed east on I-90, stopping only at Indian John's, touching one door handle and immediately washing hands, and passing within 4 feet of an innocuous looking guy. In stops and short walks down the old Vantage Highway, on Hunsinger and up Umptanum Roads, we encountered only one family, down at the (closed) campground at the Vantage (Grant PUD) boat launch (closed to camping); they passed by, with pleasantries, at about 12 feet (ignoring the very cute Canyon Wren, loudly singing on the bridge rail as they approached). Those were the closest encounters to humanity we had for the day, but, despite the occasional snow squalls, saw most of the hoped-for sage birds. Apart from the obvious global-warming impact from driving 350 miles just for our personal entertainment, I'm certain that we spread no risk of virus to the local populace, nor did we incur any risk to ourselves, other than the usual risks of highway travel (which, were remarkably reduced by the return to traffic levels of the '70s). Today, we spent a little over an hour in an Edmonds city park where we saw about a dozen folks (fewer birds), all noticeably practicing social distancing, but, none-the-less, in closer proximity than anyone we encountered yesterday. I think the Governor has reasonably allowed for outdoor walking in streets, roads and (maybe?) parks, while practicing social distancing. I'm just not sure whether driving 1 mile, or 100 miles for that walk is any more or less harmful to the imperative we have to isolate ourselves to minimize the spread of this plague? Here's to better birding, someday! Jon Houghton, Edmonds
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