Last week, as we finally got going on our spring chores, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball and treated us with a snowstorm on Saturday.

Here on the coast, it was warm enough to melt the flakes as soon as they hit the ground. Not so up north where the TV weathermen gushed about measurable snowfalls.

In case you missed it, 2020 is turning out to be a year for the record books.

Our local news, as reported by my favorite newspapers, the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper, featured a combination of good news/bad news. The good news was that our friends and neighbors continue to help one another.

The week's highlight came on Wednesday when up to 50 cars parked across the street from the Hannaford Supermarket, where grateful customers cheered, waved signs and honked horns to thank store workers. Despite the threat of the invisible virus, store cashiers and clerks bravely stayed on the job to provide us with groceries.

One smiling cashier told me how the demonstration brought her to tears. And, as she related how the employees appreciated the gesture, I noticed another tear forming in her left eye.

The bad news was the cancellation or postponement of some of our favorite summer events, including Windjammer Days.

As economic indicators tell us our national unemployment numbers are at a level not seen since the 1930s, national leaders push us to restart the economy.

As of last weekend, more than 78,000 Americans have died of the virus. At the same time, two White House staffers, including the press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence, tested positive for COVID-19. This new infection forced a trio of public health officials who are leading our national response to self-quarantine.

Back in Maine, as the number of cases passed 1,400, we have seen 64 deaths. Gov. Janet Mills eased restrictions on 12 rural counties, including Lincoln, allowing retail stores to open. Next week, some restaurants will be permitted to open if they meet public health requirements.

The unanswered question for local businesses is whether the public will come out of their self-imposed cocoons and visit restaurants and stores.

Experts warn that the national and local economy cannot be switched back on like a light switch. They warn that as we emerge from our homes and, as our summer friends trickle back to their vacation retreats, the virus may strike. In two weeks, we may see another spike in new cases.

One thing is for sure, the one word many of us despise – change – has become a reality.

In a typical year, we would be talking – and arguing – about politics. Virus or not, in November, we will vote to elect a president and, in Maine, a senator.

Much of local political gossip is confined to letters to the editor and social media. Social media seems to focus on the President and how he handles the public health crisis. His latest suggestion is that the virus will disappear. If you believe that, I can get you a deal on a bridge over the Townsend Gut. Health experts predict the virus will threaten us until Big Pharma comes up with a vaccine.

National polls suggest the economic and public health news is not helping the President's reelection bid.

Here in Maine, incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is in a nasty political fight with Democrat Sara Gideon. National experts say much of the opposition to Collins is linked to her support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Because of the public health restrictions due to the COVID-19 virus, the candidates can't campaign in person. Instead, they must seek votes via computer app and by telephone. It is tough for smalltown voters who usually see and talk to candidates.

Last week, we celebrated Germany's surrender and the end of World War II in Europe. It was a day that few remember.

Boothbay Harbor's Florence Rosenberg, a delightful Frenchwoman, still tears up as she relates how she felt watching French and American soldiers march into Paris.

Even though I am an old dog, I can remember VE (Victory in Europe) Day. When the news flashed over the radio, everyone in our neighborhood ran out on the front porch to cheer and celebrate by banging on pots and pans.

Lastly, I want to remember a man whose voice brought joy to a lot of 1950s teenagers. "A wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!" RIP Little Richard.