The virus chugs on, the president denies he lost an election, 15 counties in Colorado go to the arbitrarily (?) designated “Level Red” which, when I looked it up only means:
According to the state, ‘level red’ indicates severe risk and is reserved for counties with high levels of transmission, hospitalizations, and positivity rates related to COVID-19. Under this level of restrictions, most indoor activities are prohibited or strictly limited. Among major changes with the shift to ‘level red’ includes a drop to 10 percent capacity at gyms and fitness centers, an 8 PM last call for alcohol, and the closure of indoor dining.
Surprised that this “Level Red” wasn’t much of a “thing” I saw that we now have an additional level which is “Level Purple.” At that point people would be told to stay at home. It is “a level of more extreme risk than ‘level red’, reserved for counties where hospital capacity is at extreme risk of being overloaded.“
I also learned yesterday that scientists have discerned that the virus probably DIDN’T originate in Wuhan, but somewhere in Italy. Va bene.
Such is life in America this morning, November 18, 2020. On a visceral level, since the beginning of this shit show, I’ve “thought,” “Avoid people as much as possible. Wear a mask if you must be around others.” Seems obvious to me, but for some it’s easier said than done.
That said, yesterday my neighbors and I took our little two-car caravan out to the Wildlife Refuge for a saunter. More cranes have arrived. It was a cloudless day with no wind. There was a couple there with a leashed dog so part of our walk was spent taking detours to avoid them. Bear really does not like other dogs. My friends are so amazing that they just went along with the bizarre little circuitous wandering we had to do at the beginning of the walk. It’s not like it was really punishment. We walked in splendor wherever we were.
As always, my neighbor’s husband and I were far behind the girls. We’re just slower. We noticed the girls had stopped ahead of us and were staring into a field. I knew why. There’s a big field with a small pond and the cranes LOVE it.
It was the time of the afternoon when the cranes go from the refuge to a barley field across the street so we were regaled with many large swoops of cranes taking off from this field, flying around us and off. We all stood there a long time watching the magic and talking about life right now. It was a beautiful afternoon, the kind you know belongs in a glass globe on a shelf so whenever you need a good day you can have it again.
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2020/11/18/rdp-wednesday-visceral/
Women's Wilderness Legend “Summer is the season of inferior sledding” - Inuit proverb 
From red to purple to … blue?
I guess blue would be the next step – the morgue. 🙂
Yesterday sounded like an ideal way to escape all the stressors.
It was perfect. I feel right now that every beautiful moment stolen from the madness is a triumph.
It certainly is!
We all need a snow globe of an afternoon like that. National idiocy it is and the levels of “threat” seem so arbitrary. If there was a NATIONAL plan for all of this, perhaps it would not be so random. I also distilled it down to…it’s an airborne virus, wear a mask…. It does seem almost too simple. I enjoyed your song choice too. 🙂
Maybe it’s because it’s so simple that people are so weird about it. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand these people being unwilling to do such a simple thing as wear a mask or just stay away from other people. There’s a culture of entitlement that’s incomprehensible to me. 😦
I don’t understand it either. Entitlement – that’s an apt description. A side of human nature that I had never seen in this way to this degree – in so many people. What is the big freaking deal? They say “it’s my right!” to not wear one.
So…is it my right to drive through stop signs and red lights? I could go on. 😕
A quarter of a million Americans have died for some shithead’s (sorry, I don’t have a more polite way to say it) “right” not to wear a mask and millions more have been ill, are ill, or will be ill. Thousands more will die for that same sh’s “right” not to wear a mask, right not to avoid large social gatherings, right to have holidays with the family, right to have a beer at a bar etc. etc. etc. Most of the time I’m pretty OK, then I have a day like today when I just want to pull the drapes (don’t have any) and stay in the “bunker” until it’s over. 😦
Shithead sums it up in a word. I saw that statistic tonight too and it is heartbreaking. I saw a report of someone coming off a ventilator saying “it’s a hoax!” to the nurse who was so upset. I don’t have drapes either but yeah pull up the blanket and wake me when it’s over. 😟
I saw an interview with a nurse in South Dakota who said she had Covid patients denying they had Covid and claiming they had lung cancer. They would rather believe they had lung cancer than abandon the lies and delusions given them by their hero, that amoral orange excrescence. 😦
Oh my. That is just incredibly sad and pathetic. It has been a form of brainwashing these past months (years?). With tragic consequences.
I guess people always have to fight to keep what’s good. I wonder why we were made that way. 😦
I wonder too. It’s exhausting though.
I’m definitely exhausted. Maybe this is a major evolutionary moment.
Is that your photo, Martha? The sun feels fierce to me here today. I will imagine your cranes and the cool air. I’m over people at the moment.
It’s either my photo or Lois’ taken 5 years ago. I’m over people, too. It’s not them; it is really me. I can stand a couple of days (and love it) and then I need a week or 10 days off. And, the absurdity of human behavior in general is getting to me. I hope the cranes stay a while, but if they do it means no snow. Tough choice. ❤
I think it is me too. Time those cranes were leaving then, except I think they know that hurricane season hasn’t ended yet down south.
My cranes have it good. They only go a couple hundred miles south to New Mexico. I think they are the laziest cranes in the world. They really know how to take it easy and find the best places. They don’t go any further north than the Montana/Wyoming border and no further south than New Mexico. I guess that’s why they can hang out a long time along the way.
🙂
There’s no understanding our national idiocy.
Love the music video. I found myself intrigued by the differing ways the brothers tap their toes 🙂
Me too. I thought that was cute. One brother alternates feet, the other one doesn’t. 😀
It’s an amazing sight watching those cranes Martha! Nature has a wonderful way of wrapping you in these moments and show you the good in the world. Take care and please give Bear and Teddy a big pat from us all 🤗💖🐕 xxx
❤
I’m there with you re: the orange one and the COVID response. We too are in the “red zone” or at least nearing it. We will be doing virtual church and there is no more dine in at restaurants…
❤