COMMON COLD MAKES A COMEBACK

Every since the Covid-19 pandemic began, I didn’t have a single cold or bout with the flu. Thanks to all the masking, social isolation, and hand sanitizer, my body was shielded from those nasty cold viruses for a year and a half. In fact, the last cold I experienced was in February of 2020—right before we found out we were facing a pandemic. It was a really bad cold that went on for a month (might have even been the virus). But then the world got turned upside down, and I forgot what it was like to be sick. Now, the common cold makes a comeback.

In case you’ve forgotten, a cold creeps up on you gradually. You’re unusually tired for a couple of days. Then you feel a sneeze coming on. Next day, you’re feeling achy and just plain awful. It’s scary. Are you coming down with the virus? No temperature yet, or other symptoms like a cough, fever, diarrhea, etc. However, you make up your mind if it gets any worse, you’ll get tested. Lose a good night’s sleep with worry.. And then, you wake up, sit out in the sun, (yes it’s back to 80 degrees) and start feeling better. And that’s when realize you just had a plain, ordinary cold. On top of allergic rhinitis, maybe., because this is ragweed season. It all feels the same.

They say a change in weather makes you more susceptible to sinus problems. Last week, the weather went from 90 degrees, to an overnight 46. Cold rain thrown in to the mix. Being a fresh air nut, I’d left the windows open. Apparently, abrupt changes in temperature lower the immune system. It didn’t help the next day when I went grocery shopping during a cold, windy downpour. Only half the people at the supermarket were wearing masks. No one was social distancing in the long lines at the checkout.

Our defenses have gone down this past month, even though Covid cases have increased. People have stopped using hand sanitizer and started going to restaurants and shops. Most have quit wearing masks. The weather is often cold and rainy. And even though we’ve been vaccinated, we’re being exposed to germs that cause the common cold and the flu. The scary return of the common cold is a reality. Be careful. Mask up. Use hand sanitizer. Don’t catch a cold if you can help it. .

August 24, 2020August 25, 2020

FRONT PORCH IS A GODSEND NOW

Do you like old houses? If so, you’re definitely in the minority. Most realtors will tell you that they’re a hard sell. It’s amazing to see all the new subdivisions popping up all over town. And houses in every price range are selling like hotcakes. On the other hand, my husband and I live in a house that’s over 100 years old, and we’ve always loved everything about it. The beamed ceilings, pillared doorways, wooden floors. But now, one special feature of old houses has proved to be a blessing. The front porch is a godsend now, during this covid-19 pandemic.

A front porch is a blessing during the covid 19 pandemic — A front porch is a godsend during this pandemic. Friends can visit in fresh air, while social distancing.

For one thing, we’re not stuck inside the house all day—even if it’s raining. Except for the winter months, we always sit on the front porch and have a cool drink in the late afternoon. We live along a busy street, and simply watch the cars go by, or people of various ages and sizes jogging or strolling. It’s fun to see the different outfits people wear. Some are half-naked, sweat dripping off their shoulders. Others are covered in black workout clothes. And then, there are the babies in strollers, and families with little children. Until Covid-19, we didn’t realize how much we enjoyed this evening parade.

But the best thing about our porch during this pandemic is the opportunity to visit safely with family and friends who stop by . The porch is wide enough for social distancing if there’s only four of us. Right now, we’ve been starved for company and social interaction. But if a neighbor stops by to say hello, we feel safe inviting them to sit and chat for a few minutes while sitting in the fresh air. They may or may not wear masks. Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t, depending on how confident we are that they aren’t carrying the virus. We don’t invite them inside. But when they leave, we feel satisfied that we’ve seen and talked with someone we care about. Before the pandemic, we never appreciated how important that is. We took those random social interactions for granted.

Front porches are seeing a revival the past few years. Builders are beginning to include them in design plans. And if you’re lucky enough to have a front porch during this pandemic, put it near the top of your gratitude list.

August 10, 2020September 1, 2020

STOP! DON’T FEED THE GEESE

Our city is blessed with a beautiful park, and a pond which is home to many ducks and geese. Often, you’ll see parents and grandparents helping little kids feed the geese. They think it’s sweet, but it’s not. According to many wildlife and environmental organizations, the parks department should post signs : Stop! Don’t Feed The Geese

Stoop! Don't Feed the Geese. It's harmful to their health — Stop! Don’t Feed The Geese. Bread is bad for their health.

Bread is actually harmful to geese because it contains too many carbohydrates, and makes them fat. Bread, crackers, popcorn, and other high-carbohydrate foods are like junk food to birds. They provide very little nutritional content, and birds that fill up on them will not seek out other, more nutritious food. Furthermore, when bread gets wet it becomes sticky and can get lodged in the bird’s digestive system. As a result, impaction and fermentation may lead to death. This happens even when the bread is dry and stale.

While you may think that it’s kind to feed the geese, you can be jeopardizing their health, as well as polluting the environment. Wild geese have plenty of healthy food in their habitat. Let the geese find food on their own so that they and other animals in the environment can stay healthy.

The park is now overpopulated with geese. Little children walk among them, and the parents think it’s perfectly safe. Often, the geese stop traffic as they waddle across the across the road. They’re not in the least bit afraid of cars, dogs, or people. So, what’s wrong with this scenario? Geese who rely on humans for food lose their natural fear, and may become aggressive toward humans who do not feed them. Consequently, it’s not really safe to encourage a small child to wander into a flock of geese.

When humans regularly feed the geese, it can also cause the ponds to become over crowded, leaving weaker birds vulnerable. Overpopulation can increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks, such as botulism, duck plague, and aspergillosis, a fungal infection.

Talk to the maintenance personnel at the park, and they’ll tell you that it’s overrun with feces. And no, it’s not good for the grass, and doesn’t make for good fertilizer. Feeding geese bread will cause the birds to defecate more, leaving bacteria which helps spread disease.

Why does our city encourage this harmful practice? I suppose it has something to do with politics. Once, I complained about it on a local online chat room, and was lambasted as a mean spirited killjoy . Can’t you just see the headlines if the city council banned geese feeding in the park? All of them would be voted out of office for suggesting such an ordinance. We have a four term mayor, but if he proposed such a ban, he’d probably lose the next election. And so it continues.

I know it’s not going to happen. But I wish our city parks department would post signs near the water: PLEASE DON’T FEED THE GEESE.

July 29, 2020July 29, 2020

What Strip Clubs & Churches Have In Common

Last weekend, about 17 people at a local “Gentlemen’s Club” came down with covid-19. Contact tracing was pretty tough. Most people who go to such places don’t advertise their names. And some wouldn’t want family and friends to know they were there. On the other hand, it’s easy to contact trace churchgoers who’ve contracted covid-19. Nothing to be ashamed about when attending church. And yet, these two places have the same problem. They’re currently among the worst places for catching covid-19. What do strip clubs and churches have in common?

For starters, both are high intensity, emotionally charged atmospheres. If you’re attending crowded church services or going to a strip club during the pandemic, there’s a feverish quality about it. You’re throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of your passions or beliefs.

Consequently, religious services and choirs have been cited as clusters of spread of the coronavirus, A study published by the CDC  on May 22 shows how the covid-19 can spread in a church setting. Among 92 people who attended a rural Arkansas church, 35 people developed covid-19 infections and three people died. 26 more cases linked to the church occurred in the surrounding community, and one person died.

A crowded church service is one of the most deadly places to be . The combination of singing in close quarters and decreased ventilation is like a petri dish for viral growth.

Department of Health and Human Services officials say that entertainment facilities run the same risk of bringing large groups of people together for an extended time. In addition, social distancing is likely to fall by the wayside when alcohol is consumed. Like some fundamentalist churches, strip clubs also require yelling over loud music and singing, meaning the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is higher.

Like it or not, attending churches or going to strip clubs during this pandemic is risky.