Boo Hoo Hoo

The Wuhan Flu fallout hits me. The $25 per visit walk in chiropractor  has been shut down by the state, and my right shoulder is out of alignment. I usually visit monthly. The shoulder is interfering with my sleep.

Social Distancing at the Post Office

On the positive side, you can’t tell how unprepared and dumb some patrons are, on a good day, when you are six feet behind them.

The Coven

Still meeting but now use three tables and keep to the 6’ distance rule.

Virga

Earliest I remember seeing virga. During the summer there will be bands east of the mountains where the rain shadow ends. In a light airplane you can experience a few “interesting” minutes.

We probably have virga year around and I don’t notice it.

Stay at Home

Coming east on Highway 34 (four lanes) from Longmont at 4 p.m. the traffic was sparse. A 65 mph speed limit limited access road, the usual speed at the time of day is down to 40-45 bumper to bumper. A car wash, one $13 monthly fee unlimited washes, I use had no one. There usually is a 6-8 vehicle line waiting to go in.

Scofflaw

That is me! I go where I want, when I want. Comically, my little part time gig is considered part of essential industry so I’m legal! (letter of the law; certainly not the spirit).

If It Bleeds, It Leads

That is the media. Hasn’t it always been that way? These must be halcyon days for the media. Breathless reporting, opportunity to criticize the Trump Administration (from a sanctimonious perch), and in a fluid situation that makes fact checking difficult. They seem to be falling all over each other congratulating themselves.

As my late mother would say, “Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back”.

UPDATE: Shit, the Sombrero Horse Drive is cancelled.

Visit Moffat County

5 hrs · 

The 61st annual Great American Horse Drive has been cancelled for 2020. Sombrero Ranches will running this important Moffat County event again in 2021.

Signs of Spring

In the years of off and on living in the Colorado Rockies, the arrival of Red Wing Blackbirds  always was my clue Spring was at hand. True, we might get more snowstorms and even a nasty blizzard, but the birds always made me feel cheerful.

This morning on my morning walk with Mr. Nose & Appetite, the nearby wetland has the early arrival birds. Roosting on the cattails, they are signing away. Made me smile.

Colorado has gone to “stay at home” and lots of people are out walking.  Knock on wood, none of my close family, in four different states; have come down with the virus.

Perverse humor. The State Lottery Claims Offices are closed until April 21^st, for now. Imagine, winning big on the lottery and not being able to get the money! I’m a $10 per week gambler. Yes, yes, I’m bad at math!

This Is Getting Serious

The Coven is no longer gathering for morning coffee. Banner is upset. His morning loving and treats are missing!

There were two main morning social groups, the Coven in the commons area and the anti-coven in the lobby. Both are on pause.

The afternoon gatherings are gone. One group gathered for board games. Another was a bible study group. We also have avid jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts.

Banner and I are passerby friends with all the groups but a member of none.

All of this was spurred by a second hand report that some resident may, just may, have come in contact with someone who may have been in contact with someone being “tested” for the Wuhan Virus.

We have 90 units and, with the exception of the in house maintenance man (no spring chicken) everyone is 65+. Many have serious health issues. Mobile oxygen generators and wheelchairs are common sights.

Maybe an over abundance of caution is warranted but Banner doesn’t understand!

Chinese Flu

Improvising

Several sources make a point about the limited number of respirators available for pneumonia cases. My medical knowledge barely extends beyond first aid so this may be a silly question. Can a CPAP be pressed into service? There are many in the hands of citizens. I alone have five, and am willing to donate some if they can be of use.

Kind Gesture

Walking to my car from the Safeway store this morning a woman passed me with a rather full cart.

“Do you need any paper towels,” she asked me. “I bought the last ones and will give you one if you need it”.

What a kind gesture! After thanking her, I explained I have enough on hand at home.

Health Impact Beyond Chinese Flu

Routine medical procedures are being postponed/cancelled. A neighbor was scheduled to have eye surgery Thursday. That has been cancelled. The number of postponements will probably run into the millions.

Paper Towels

Have a case of blue paper towels from the Auto Parts Store in my trunk. Might be an alternative source for you who need paper towels.

Plumbing

My sister does insurance adjusting for our city. She had an interesting discussion with a couple of city officials about what will happen as people start flushing paper products that don’t decompose.

Interesting Times

As I put as a comment on a blog, the Chinese have given the whole world an “Interesting Times” curse. Who knows what unforeseen challenges lay ahead?

Am I the only one who sees similarities between our current situation and the aftermath of 9/11?

                                                                  Addendum

Heard the Dutch have closed the Amsterdam Red Light District!

Adapt and Thrive

Seeing pictures of mobs panic buying took me down memory road to 1953 when my father was the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Section Foreman at East Portal, CO., responsible for the tracks in the Moffat Tunnel.

https://www.asce.org/project/moffat-tunnel/

Isolated, at 9,200’ ASL, the hamlet of East Portal was home to around 30 souls.

Most of the men were control room operators. The control room was staffed 24/7/365. After a train entered the tunnel, from either end, a canvas curtain came down over the opening and huge fans blew air the entire 6.2 miles of the tunnel. As an eastbound train approached the east portal, the curtain was raised.

 The other men were the section crew.

The nearest supermarket was 42 miles away in Arvada, CO., assuming the road past Rollinsville was open and the state highway was plowed. The town, other than the railroad, was often isolated for weeks in the winter.

Flatbed pickups were owned by some residents and shopping expeditions to Arvada were organized. The store manager loved seeing the mob arrive. After all the purchases were made, a flat bed pickup would be backed up to the entrance and loaded.

Dry mix milk was a staple as was powdered eggs. Most residents had chest type freezers. It was simple adaptation to the needs.

Adult recreation was Saturday night at the Rollinsville Stage Stop. Local musicians would play and adults would dance. No television reception was available.

We kids attended a one room school. Recreation was what we could make for ourselves. I fished and roamed the hills with my dogs.

Most people don’t realize how well they can adapt and thrive when faced with challenges, IMO. Root hog or die brings out traits they didn’t realize they had. We will survive the current hysteria and be stronger as a country when it subsides.

Wuhan Virus Planned?

A Facebook Page I read, Kiss My American Ass, had this up today.

Pay attention folks, there's much more going on here than what meets the eye.
Is it a coincidence that just when the economy is booming, the stock market is setting record highs, we are winning the trade wars, school shootings have stopped, our nation is at peace, the Democratic party is a disaster and so is their likely nominee(Biden). He hasn't a chance in hell & they're not about to let an outsider(Bernie) destroy their scheme.
It looks like Trump is a sure bet for reelection after fending off 3 years of investigations and impeachment, then all the sudden world crisis pandemic. Stock market tumbles, companies are laying off employees, everything is closed and canceled, CEO's of giant companies are resigning and indictments are coming.
Now they say there are a couple ways a President doesn't win reelection. Those are an unpopular war or a poor economy.
But there is something larger going on here driving this sudden outbreak right after Trump beats an impeachment. Especially the fact that it(Coronavirus)originated in China who we are in a global trade war with brought on by Trump. Let's not forget Biden's back door deals with CHINA as well.
China doesn't want 4 more years of Trump either. It all seems rather convenient for the nations and opponents of our current President and economy 5 months before an election. Couldn't have hit at a more perfect time.
With the Democrats running out of campaign talking points in light of no school shootings, no migrant caravans at the southern border, fighting in Syria winding down, North Korea not firing missiles and Trump beating a sham impeachment. The coronavirus gave them one last hail mary to try and point fingers at Trump with the clock winding down in 2020.
This is almost the perfect fascist playbook. Control the population with fear-mongering and panic, control the media, spread propaganda and the fan-favorite disarm the population.
Sorry but I don't think we are all going to die. Remember when Ebola was what was going to kill us all, and the media kept showing the piles of body bags that were prepared for the fallout. Then a month later it was totally forgotten.
The common flu has killed more people this year already and the media is SILENT!
A handful of deaths out of 320 million Americans and we are in panic tearing down our society and costing our economy billions in the wake. It all just seems fishy, a little too well-timed if you ask me.

Food for thought.

Enough for now. The dog wants to go for a walk and I need to do my daily mile.