The Cul-De-Sac During A Crisis

Even though COVID-19 rips through the world, the 100s cul-de-sac remains a joyful haven. Children play 6 feet apart, and the adults stand around and chat. In this photo, Charlie is turning seven. His family made cupcakes and everyone took turns going up to the table to get one.

All the kids lined up for our weekly cul-de-sac-wide Talent Show. Each kid performs a song, dance, or skit either by themselves or in a group. A famous favourite is I Want It That Way as performed by Amy and India. Neither Quinn nor Charlie looked very enthusiastic about the talent show, but Hannah sure was excited!

Evelyn is the oldest Older Girl in the cul-de-sac. She still is friends with all the Younger Kids and they all like to play Splatoon together by calling to each other through their windows. Evelyn took this photo essay on her phone using photography techniques she learned in Maker. She wishes she could have included herself more in her photos, but forgot until it was too dark. Evelyn hopes you will stay safe and healthy during this pandemic!

Soon, everyone gathers around Dean’s portable campfire and we tell stories and sing songs. Sometime the kids get out our sleeping bags and we snuggle in. In this photo, all the parents sit in folding chairs around the fire. The kids are still running around in the background, but soon everyone will congregate.

All the Older Girls like to stand in a circle and gossip. We can’t be as close as usual to prevent the spread of the virus, but we can still chat and make strange faces at cameras just as well as usual. In this photo, India made a very weird face, and Amy hammed it up as usual. Hannah smiled normally and Charlie snuck in to hug his sister.

As it became darker, the kids stopped riding their bikes and stood in a circle to chat. Commonly discussed topics include the Nintendo game Splatoon, the show Supergirl, and of course the ongoing pandemic. In this photo siblings stand together in groups 6 feet apart around the circle.

Camouflage is a popular game among the cul-de-sac kids. It encourages social distancing and it keeps us amused for hours on end. My favourite spot to hide is behind a bush. No one ever spots me there!

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