Homebound in Callao

A blog for residents of the Northern Neck of Virginia without transportation or technology.

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Advice for Homebound Residents

Greetings!

My name is Kay F. Davis. I am a native of the Northern Neck and a 1988 graduate of Northumberland High School.

I grew up in Callao and returned to the area in 2007. I was away for 19 years getting two college degrees in English and working in the publishing field.

I moved back to the area after a job loss, health problems, and crime presented a detour at midlife. I have settled back in and enjoy working at home.

Living in a rural area again made me realize that I took modern conveniences for granted when I lived in the suburbs. Instead of subways, cabs, and restaurants within walking distance, I see open fields, starry nights, and towns 15 miles from each other.

While I have always enjoyed the peace and quiet of this area, and the beautiful natural surroundings, I discovered on my return that the Northern Neck needs some upgrades to keep pace with areas that have more technology options and transportation possibilities.

This blog is called Homebound in Callao. The posts are about finding ways to work, live, and get around in a rural area when you don't have technology or transportation. I wrote them from 2018 through 2024. Suggestions or feedback? E-mail me at [email protected]. Enjoy!

Kay F. Davis, Author of Homebound in Callao, "at the light" in 2024

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Bay Transit

The only public transportation we have is a bus service called Bay Transit, [phone]. Fortunately, this is a reliable alternative to car travel.

Bus rides cost $2.00 per trip. Riders pay cash or present a ticket to the driver. Tickets are available in booklets of 10 for $12 from the driver.

The company offers appointments to pick up riders from their residences and return them home in the afternoon.

A dispatcher gives your ride to a scheduler who sets it up. You receive an automated message by phone in the evening to confirm your ride for the next day.

I used to think Bay Transit should have a public schedule and a series of stops along the routes. The Fredericksburg bus system is set up this way. However, while the Bay Transit appointment system seems antiquated, it apparently helps the company track who uses the service.

The company used to offer only one-way rides to local businesses. I began to make appointments when they offered round-trip service.

It is quick and easy to get around on the bus. The drivers are always polite. They chat with riders and play WRAR and WNNT, the local radio stations.

I have used the bus to go to the library and do my grocery shopping. The drivers help me take my groceries to my back step.

A Bay Transit Bus, Pulling Up to My Driveway on Locust Lane, Callao

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Richmond Cabs

Rainbow Taxicab, [phone], is one of the best. The owner, Mesfin Seyoum, used to live and work in Washington, D.C.

Mesfin is a funny, happy driver with a good sense of humor, accommodating to my schedules. He has a silver taxi. Sometimes he drove his private vehicles, a gold Malibu or a silver Taurus. He charges $250 for rides to and from Richmond.

Mesfin treated me to many fun rides listening to the music of his native country, Ethiopia, on his cell phone. He imitated for me Ethiopian dances from the video collection, shaking his shoulders quickly to the music while he drove.

At Henrico Express Cab, [phone], I found a nice driver named Tariq. He was polite and became animated when talking about his home country, Jordan.

Tariq was getting started in the cab business when I met him for a taxi ride. He came to me in a Come and Go Taxi minivan with a damaged window. Later, I saw him in a new minivan. Business had been going well for him. He charges $200 to $250 for rides to and from Richmond.

I used Arju Kibria at Runner's Taxi, [phone], a few times to get to and from Holiday Inn Staples Mill and back to Callao. He took me to a comic show at the Fairgrounds one day before going to Staples Mill. He charges $200 for rides to and from Richmond.

It takes a bit of time to get the taxi, as he usually starts his trips from his home. He is not always out on the road when he calls.

Runner's Taxi

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Satellite TV and Internet

For many years, high-speed Internet service was difficult to obtain in many residential communities. Internet service consists of Hughes.net satellite Internet, or ViaSat. Both are available independently and through a Dish or DirectTV, subscription.

I was reluctant to get satellite Internet due to concerns about signal interference, download times, and occasional outages. However, I succumbed in 2021 and ordered satellite service for the first time from Dish, [phone].

The satellite company that installed the service was a third-party vendor from Kilmarnock. The owner talked me into ordering Viasat with the Dish subscription.

Unfortunately, the satellite sat on my roof for several months without a connection into the house. The company drew a monthly fee from my debit card as if I was an active user. I still haven’t gotten my refund for the amount. This is why I don't recommend Viasat.

I now have HughesNet, [phone], through Dish. I am happy with my Internet service at $66 per month.

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A Word about Cable Internet

I spent many years trying to obtain Metrocast cable Internet and TV after moving back to the area. Metrocast representatives told me that Northumberland was one of the last counties to obtain service in the Northern Neck. At the time of the business’s closure, service was still unavailable in my residential area.

Atlantic Broadband took over the Penn.-based business with a new selection of products and pricing. A bonus seems to be the digital music product available through this company.

I managed to get an above-ground cable run to my home a few years ago. But the company would not return and run the line from the outside box into the house.

The company changed ownership again and became Breezeline, [phone]. I was on to satellite by that point and did not attempt to get this service.

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Order by Phone

I have discovered that several businesses still take telephone orders and ship products to home addresses. Among them are Target.com for groceries and Chewy.com for pet supplies.

Target, [phone], is a good place to purchase groceries by phone. The company has a call center in the Philippines, and a nice group of customer service agents that fill your grocery cart for you and mail your groceries.

Orders are shipped within a week. I have used USPS mail and FedEx to get my groceries.

The company also offers household items, health and beauty supplies, and electronics.

Several years ago, I received an advertisement in the mail from a company called Chewy, [phone]. The company offers more than 1,000 brands of pet supplies by telephone and Internet.

I usually picked up bags of cat food and cat litter at Food Lion when I had a cat. So, I set the ad aside. It included a card offering $15 off my first order of $49 or more, plus free 1- to 2-day shipping on my first order.

One day, when I was low on cat food and litter, I called the customer service number. A friendly agent named Brianna answered the phone.

Brianna stated that Chewy.com offers “food, clothes, diapers, and medicine” for pets. The company is headquarted in Dania Beach, Fla. Another headquarters office is in Boston, Mass.

The company has no stores. It has an entirely Internet-based operation with seven fulfillment centers. The fulfillment centers mail products to customers 5 days a week. Shipping is unavailable on Sundays or Mondays.

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Order Online

Internet service opens residents to many possibilities.

Online, I can order stamps from the USPS. I can print out labels to ship packages.

I can read newspapers and magazines, such as the Washington Post and Northern Virginia Magazine, without having to buy print subscriptions, though I do still read print magazines. In fact, I have many subscriptions to sustain me during days at home.

Instead of looking in my mailbox for my weekly red envelope featuring my latest Netflix DVD, I can view full-length feature films on Netflix.

Through Amazon subscriptions and network TV Web sites, I can watch television series. I can buy books and CDs through Amazon as well.

Walmart offers most of its products online. I have received my orders through USPS and FedEx.

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Mail-Order Catalogs

When I was young, my mother received catalogs in the mail all the time. She ordered my clothing for school and items for the home. I am used to using mail-order catalogs to purchase items when I can't get to a store.

Collections Etc., [phone], is an old standby. I've been getting their catalogs for 25 years. The company offered seasonal decor in the 2000s. The catologs began to offer clothing in the 2010s. The company offers items for the yard, and comfort items such as cushions and massagers.

L.L. Bean, [phone], has a unique phone system that I have not encountered before. A phone call to the 800 number alerts the company rep immediately to the customer’s name, address, phone number, and previous orders. Upon picking up the phone, the rep has all of the information and can address the caller by name.

I remember L. L. Bean from my youth because bean boots were popular at my private elementary school. The company also offers clothing and shoes for the outdoors. Service is professional, prompt, and efficient.

Montgomery Ward, [phone], has been "Improving American Homes Since 1872."

The company offers electronics and appliances through the catalog. The company also sells recliners, CD players, and laptops.

Starcrest, [phone], offers many games and puzzles for play at home. The California-based catalog company has bags, purses, cushions, aprons, and more.

Bits and Pieces, [phone], offers games, puzzles, brainteasers, and gadgets to keep you busy when you're at home.

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Attend Church Online

For residents who might miss Sunday religious services, many churches now offer broadcasts of services on their Web sites. It is a good way for residents to maintain contact with the church communities that they communicate with while active and mobile.

Let's start with my hometown of Callao. A perusal one Sunday morning brought up Web and Facebook pages with links to online services. Lively Hope Baptist Church has a Facebook page with weekly videos of church services.

Attendees at Lively Hope Baptist Church, Callao Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has a Facebook page with videos from Worship Anew, a Lutheran Ministries Media production.

Rev. William Mueller on Worship Anew, Lutheran Ministries Media Regionally, there is a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Heathsville, King George, and Tappahannock. If you can't make it to a meeting, JW Broadcasting offers an online video library with interesting monthly posts on various topics. The JW Web site offers beautifully made videos on topics such as children, teenagers, family, the bible, and music.

JW Broadcasting Studio More broadly, Christian World Media offers an events guide and sermon videos from churches around the country, for people of all faiths.

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Buy a Car Online

I have even experimented with shopping for a new car online. Through Web sites like Cars and AutoTrader. I have found vehicles available through certain dealerships.

Salespeople have offered me the option to order a new car by phone and complete the paperwork by mail. I can schedule a pickup for a test drive. I can even pay to have the car delivered to my home.

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Mobile Library

Area organizations offer a number of mobile services for residents without Internet or transportation.

Northumberland Public Library runs a mobile library that visits local communities throughout the county. This service is available year-round.

The mobile library offers laptops for Internet access and catalog browsing. Patrons can check out a limited number of children’s DVDs and books. Jane Blue, library director, says, "Our Library on the Go provided by Northumberland Public Library offers delivery service to anyone who can’t make it to the library. This service can be provided short- or long-term and can be signed up for over the phone."  

Contact the library for more information at [phone] or e-mail [email protected].

Northumberland Public Library offers a great mobile experience.

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Mobile Vet

For residents with sick pets, there is a mobile veterinarian, Pauline Knowles, in Colonial Beach.

The Mobile Vet Van, [phone], visits Colonial Beach, King George, and Montross to provide wellness exams and vaccines for dogs and cats. Wellness exams are $47. Vaccines range from $40 to $50.

In addition, the mobile veterinarian makes house calls in emergencies. House calls are $70 to $85 locally.

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Mobile Notary

A handful of mobile notaries exist to sign documents when I am unable to get to a bank. These notaries work within the Northern Neck area. Dedra Dunaway of Dee's Unique Mobile Notary LLC, [phone], in Weems charges $5 per signature for wills, deeds, affadavits, powers of attorney, and more.

She charges a convenience fee to cover travel costs. The convenience fee based on the geographic location of the client.

Dedra Dunaway of Dee's Unique Mobile Notary LLC

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Mobile Banking

When I visited the Primis -- Essex Square branch in Tappahannock, [phone], a teller told me about mobile banking.

The teller said I could make an appointment for a bank employee to drive to my home to conduct banking transactions.

Following up online, I see that Primis is calling the mobile banking service V1BE. With V1BE, Primis account holders can request cash, deposit checks, and get cashier's checks. They can stop payments, wire money, and get debit cards.

Teresa Rios is director of the V1BE program. She works in Tysons Corner and manages V1BE services in Northern Virginia, Richmond, Southern Maryland, and the Northern Neck.

Rios says that Primis hires bank employees to deliver services to personal and business customers. The drivers must pass a background check and be trained in security procedures.

Rios states that V1BE is available to customers in all parts of the Northern Neck.

This is a great service to have when homebound.

A Primis Promotional Photo for V1BE