We’re in the midst of an exceptional drought, so we were thrilled to see the snow. Andy didn’t take any pictures because he had to put chains on the Jeep to get to the land and didn’t get there until noon. He spent the afternoon plowing the roads. As usual, never a dull moment.
January 19, 2021
Andy uses bleach as a disinfectant in our water system up on the land. He used regular Clorox for years with no problem, but now, presumably because of COVID, our store hasn’t been having it. It does have fancier versions of Clorox, splashless, scented, etc. so he’s been using the regular kind of the store brand, blissfully assuming it was just sodium hypochlorite and water. It turns out they’ve changed the ingredients and Andy didn’t notice at first because the look of the container stayed the same.
However, when he needed to open the bleach storage tank to add more bleach, he noticed the scum. Oh, oh! This is a picture of the scum after he had almost drained the tank:
He cleaned the tank out today, and after we find where to order pure bleach he will eventually clean out the rest of our water system. We are working on that.
Down here we don’t have hot water because the hot water tank in the apartment below, which we share with them, sprung a leak and won’t be replaced until tomorrow. That one is easy. All we have to do is wait.
Anyway, never a dull moment, but no big crises.
January 18, 2021
In a comment yesterday B wrote,
I agree it is VERY complicated. That is part of what has thrown me for such a loop in what to do and how to proceed.
I am staying home mostly, for now.
I do like to hear how others are coming to their conclusions on what is best to do and understanding their thought process on it. What they are considering . I truly want to understand. I don’t like being so uncertain in my opinions. I use facts and they are hard to come by.
I’m mostly staying home and we go grocery shopping a lot less. Andy does still go to the hardware store, and he goes up to the land almost every day. I have given up my membership at the Y after 24 years and am having no problem exercising at home. We haven’t been affected much except that Kaitlin, Torben and the pups haven’t been here in over a year. They used to come once in the summer, once around the end of the year.
We’re not having any psychological problems because Andy is an introvert, I’m on the borderline between introvert and extrovert. He would have problems if he couldn’t go up to the land, I would probably have problems if I didn’t have the internet for blogging and for all the information at my fingertips.
We are happy to wear masks because we think we are safer when other people wear theirs. We don’t try to sanitize packages or anything like that, but we do wash our hands after we’re been out.
What about everyone else? Can you share your thoughts with B?
Thanks.
January 17, 2021
There it is … science over fiction!
That was Torben’s well-turned phrase about Biden’s pledge to put science at the forefront of his administration. Biden has elevated the role of science advisor to a cabinet-level postition and believes respect for “science, facts, and the truth” is necessary if we are to deal with the many problems facing us. I wish him, and all of us, the best of luck.
I used to laugh at Ashleigh Brilliant’s,
I have given up my search for truth. Now I’m looking for a good fantasy.
But that’s because my fantasies were always light-hearted and friendly. So many of the ones circulating now are scary and dangerous.
Fingers crossed!
January 16, 2021
Thanks to Sandra, Andy and I finally got our first Shingrix shingles shot a couple of weeks ago. It was about time, and our doctor will be happy. The pharmacy will remind us when it’s time for the second one.
Then yesterday I received this message from our senior center:
Today a request has come from Aging and Long-Term Services to better estimate the number of seniors that would be interested in receiving a vaccine, through the senior center.
If you are 75 years or older, we are asking for you to REPLY to this email with the number in your home needing vaccines. Simply Reply and a NUMBER. Please DO NOT CALL to tell us because our phone systems are overwhelmed….
They also gave us a link for signing up with the state.
So I replied, said there would be two of us, and then signed us up on the NM site.
This morning we each received this message,
Notice from the New Mexico Department of Health. You are receiving this notice because you are either in Phase 1A or are 75+ years of age. We are distributing limited doses of vaccine as quickly as possible. If you haven’t received an invitation yet, we appreciate your patience. We will reach out in the near future.
Thank you,
New Mexico Department of Health
We’re in no hurry…we’ve done our part and can forget about it until we hear from them. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
January 14, 2021
Apparently this sea lion came upstream looking for food and got a bit lost. It was later returned to the water.
We sometimes have problems with deer and elk on the roads up in the mountains…we’re careful not to overdrive our headlights at night just in case there are some on the road. But once they see us they, sometimes slowly, move out of our way.
January 12, 2021
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
—June by James Russell Lowell
I love seeing plants that have found their way through cracks. Kindred spirits?
January 11, 2021
Commenting on yesterday’s post, tammy and Nick said they didn’t understand how otters could eat spiny sea urchins. Apparently the otters have no trouble at all. I don’t like the music on this video (I mute the sound} but it gives the best view I could find of one eating.
The author, Neil Fisher, also has some beautiful shots of Milo
and Tanu
on Flicker (all rights reserved). Click on the first photo to scroll through some other pictures.
January 10, 2020
