#northernneckva

[homeboundincallao]

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.

[homeboundincallao]

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

[homeboundincallao]

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

[homeboundincallao]

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

[homeboundincallao]

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.

[homeboundincallao]

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.

[homeboundincallao]

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.

[homeboundincallao]

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.