Tom and I were supposed to leave for Georgia on December 28.  It always takes us two days to get to St. Simons Island and we like to have a day to get settled in before we start work.  But this year, because of the government shutdown, we are (currently) staying in Ohio.

So far the weather has been pretty mild and we are still getting out for a little hiking. But Ohio is not good for my weight.  When we are in Ohio we out a lot and don’t get as much exercise as usual.  I’m not complaining about the eating out – I am in charge of what I order and put in my mouth – but the sitting around is hard.  Tom and I are accustomed to being active.  We walk a lot, hike most days, and our jobs are pretty active.

Staying in Ohio means more time to shiver in the cold.  Mild means temps in the 30’s or low 40’s during the day and below freezing every night.  But the thing that really gets me is how gray it is all the time.  Yesterday we had a rare sunny day and we took full advantage with a long walk.  Living in Arizona, we rarely had a day that wasn’t sunny.  Georgia also has plenty of sun.  Ohio – not so much.

The government shutdown is really frustrating.  We aren’t allowed to get in to Fort Frederica before the government is open again.  Worse than the inconvenience is the breakdown of government.  It is the job of the leaders of our country, no matter what party, to put together a working budget.  Congress and the President have failed at that for years now.  Of course, the people who really get hurt are the workers.  Park Rangers rarely make much more than $30,000 a year.  This means they live paycheck to paycheck and can’t put aside much for a rainy day.  Even if they get back pay eventually, how do they pay for rent and groceries in the meantime?  For Tom and me it is an inconvenience.  For the Rangers it could be catastrophic.

We are blessed.  While staying in Ohio we have a good place to park the RV and family and friends that are still glad to see us.  But if the shutdown lasts much longer, we might have to head south in search of warmer weather and sunshine.