Another beautiful and fresh day with temperatures around 20C.
Rain free and sunny of course! The only rain we have had for weeks now was last night with a drizzle for two hours. The remainder of the week is forecast to be hot and sunny. I dread the heat, when noramlly I love it, spending most of the day and night outside. Not so this year. I wish it would stay cool for another four days so we can have the IBDP picnic without the pesky Cicadas crawling all over the place.
Their emergence has been delayed by the cool weather. Based on current predictions they are to come out in full force in the second half of the week. Impeccable timing to ruin our picnic! I mean after a really shitty year for the Seniors who were stuck in endless zoom classes and had a rainy Prom, why should they now enjoy an outdoor gathering or an outdoor graduation where one can actually hear what people have to say? No, mother nature decides to send another curse right our way. This time in the form of bloody Cicadas. It is as if the universe has conspired against the kids. With a little luck the Senior carnival on Wednesday may still be Cicada free, but I am not banking on it. No small pleasures for our Seniors, it seems.
I left for the pool a little earlier than I would have as EM started work at 16:30 and the BF did not show up in time to take her. Walking out of our house I noticed that one of our yard signs has gone missing. The “Black Lives Matter” & “Silence = Violence” sign lasted for roughly a year, before it suffered the same fate as so many others of these signs in my neighborhood. Well, let it be said, black lives still matter and I have an extra IBDP yard sign which I shall - post the picnic - write “Black Lives Matter” on with the biggest sharpie I can find and then it goes back out there, right in your face! The Listserv encouraged me to report this incident to the non-emergency police number of the county as reports of vandalism lead to increased police patrol in the Hood, so at least the theft may serve the common good.
Not that I have felt unsafe; more often than not, we forget to lock at least one of our doors. Like today, the front door was locked, but when I came home from the pool the back door was open. I suspect Max wanted to go out and opened the door by jumping against it. I am sure it was closed (but not locked) when I left.
Also, the new lawn mower arrived today, and the BCC Junior has agreed to come and mow the lawn, which is turning into a wilderness, on Wednesday. Just in time, as I have a couple interested in a house in the Hood coming to view my place on Thursday, knowing I may or may not sell towards the end of the year. I have a sense the house will sell quickly when the time comes. Given EM is of to IE Madrid in September and my contract here ends on January 1st, 2022 I am preparing to decamp. I would love for someone to buy the house who will love it as much as we do and who will hopefully be as happy here as we are. It is a house filled with light and bird song. EM did well when she chose this as our home.
Life is returning to normal for us. Not only because we have a trip to California planned, but also because things are reopening. The Dojo will add an indoor class on Thursdays. Sad to miss one as I have committed to meet friends to play cards in a week, not thinking the reopening would be this fast. I have resolved to go to every class on offer to make up for the twenty or thirty missed years, when I did not know Aikido existed.
The past twenty-four hours saw an additional 21k case, down by 4k from yesterday, to bring the US total to 33.74 million. While most vaccinated people can resume normal life, those immune compromised will need to continue to be careful, mainly because they may not be able to develop antibodies the same way other people can. This of course reminds me of my brilliant friend who has been strangely absent. I was so sure I would hear about the need to get vaccinated, but all I hear is silence. I have fretted over this the past few weeks, but I think I am now moving on, expecting to never hear a beep again.
Scientists agree COVID is an airborne disease. I mean really? Now? Aerosols have been discussed for over a year. All that mask wearing was because of the aerosols.
At least better late than never, as this recognition will have implications for how ventilation systems are designed or may need to be redesigned.