Lets see…

NY is slowly opening up, or at least the Central and Upstate regions are.  There are many many more cars back on the roads than there have been in months, and parking lots are full again.  In fact they’re so packed that I’m betting that the restaurants are failing at keeping tables separated.

The change has been noticeable at my work too.  Online orders have slowed (though not back to pre-pandemic levels by any stretch), and instead people are coming into the store to do their shopping.  I’ve discovered that my definition of a “slow day” has changed drastically.

We’re still out of pressure treated lumber, and no date yet on when we’ll get a truck.  It’s going to take multiple trailer loads to fill back up just the one store, and the whole region looks like this (if not the whole country)!

We’re still sold out of firepits, and are selling out of grills.  We can’t keep riding lawn tractors in stock for more than a few days at a time.  Walk behind mowers aren’t much better.  Blades and basics to maintain them are also running short.  Certain models of weed-whackers are also running short to non-existent.  Hand garden tools are running out, I hope you don’t need a post hole digger any time soon.  Cleaning supplies are still short to non-existent, especially if you want something disinfecting.

Paper goods such as toilet paper or paper towels, might be recovering.  My work has managed to have some sort of both in stock on the shelves for a couple weeks now, and the local grocery stores have managed to have some on the shelves every time I’ve been in, though their shelves aren’t full by any stretch.

Meat and grocery prices are still going up.  Though my local grocery stores have managed to have flour on the shelves now for a couple weeks.


Picture from my work

That’s the front half of the main lumber aisle. Our pressure treated lumber delivery is over 2 weeks late. We’ve got some 6×6 posts left, and some of the 12″ wide pressure treated lumber, which is located in the back half which I didn’t photograph, and some random odds and ends. But thats all thats left for pressure treated lumber. Were mostly ok on the non-pressure treated lumber, though there’s some gaps showing there too. Its not just Home Depot either, the local Lowes looks just the same, as do the smaller local places.

The cleaning supplies aisle is just as empty. We have managed to get in a SMALL selection of seed starting stuff, mostly because people are done with seed starting. We’re out of weed barrier, and weed barrier staples. Tomato cages have become a precious commodity. Garden/food seedlings are impossible to keep in stock. We have no fire pits left, and patio furniture is down to the dregs (and most of both of those aren’t available online to order either). Lawn mowers, both walk behind and riding, are gone except for a couple random models of walk behinds. Our paint delivery this past Monday was 17 pallets of paint.

Crowds have slowed down just a bit this week, but only in comparison to the last 2+ months. In comparison to normal weekday crowds for a normal June our parking lot still looks like we’re holding a Black Friday sale.