June 13, 2021

15 months in COVID-19 Pandemic

June 13, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

15 months in….The pandemic is waning - although not as rapidly as it would be if more people were vaccinated. It is frustrating that we have not reached herd immunity levels via vaccinations already. At this point, there are vaccines available to all over the age of 12; many states have closed their mass vaccination sites and transitioned to smaller venues due to lower demand. The variants are causing localized surges in cases among unvaccinated people; so far, the vaccine is still effective against the variants although a bit less so for some variants. I am continuing to wear a mask any time I am in close proximity to other people (particularly indoors)…thinking about those that are too young or impacted by immunological challenges. I’m glad that most states are working to address vaccine hesitancy….hoping that those efforts will increase the numbers of people vaccinated enough to achieve herd immunity but worried that some areas of the country will continue to be hot spots for COVID-19 into the future. As time goes on, it is harder to be sympathetic with people that refuse the vaccine…and then get sick…and increasing the probability that at some point a variant will emerge that the vaccines don’t stop.

I continued the trip way from home over the past month and returned home. It was a huge change after being at home all the time during the pandemic. It was invigorating and stressful at the same time; I became more aware of my changed perception of other people. Keeping distance has become habit. Many times wearing a mask prompts silence too; it’s time to reinstate greetings to people we meet on sidewalks and gardens!

After I got home, the different between my area of Maryland and the places I traveled through (in Texas and Missouri for the most time) were noticeable. The CDC map shows that Maryland’s vaccination rate is higher than where I had travelled – but I noticed that people here are still wearing masks more frequently too. When I got to the grocery store (in the early morning), everyone is masked. At the Farmers Market, most people are wearing masks even though it is outdoors (likely to be close to other people though). At Brookside Gardens, people have a mask with them and put it on if they are close to other people. I haven’t ventured out more than that. My husband (also vaccinated) is still doing curbside pickups rather than going into stores.

I have re-started checkups. Dentist was first; I needed 3 crowns (one a replacement of a 30-year-old crown and the other two were for teeth with big fillings). Optometrist was second; my eyes had changed enough (my eyes has improved!) to need new glasses; I used that as an excuse to get red frames for my computer glasses. There are still more appointments to catch up on everything I delayed since March 2020.

I’ve started wearing earrings and makeup again although not on days I will be wearing a mask.

With all the activity of the road trip, the number of webinars over the past month dropped. Now that I am home again, I am enjoying the Maryland Ornithological Society Convention webinars with my husband. Others are on my calendar for upcoming weeks. There are some that I might watch that were recorded while I was traveling…it’s a bit overwhelming!

Overall, it’s been a good month. I’ve expanded my horizons, but life is not back to the way it was pre-pandemic. There are some aspects that maybe I don’t want back!

May 23, 2021

Missed seeing the Indigo Bunting in my Maryland Yard

May 23, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

My husband saw an indigo bunting on our deck on two days recently. On the first day he got a picture of the back of the bird – enough that Merlin could provide the id.

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He was more prepared for the second visit….got a picture of the bird snacking at our feeder.

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Last year seeing the indigo buntings and other birds returning in the spring, helped me during the highest COVID-19 death days in Maryland (April-May 2020). This year – not being there to see them – is making me homesick. After staying at home as much as possible from March 2020 to mid-April 2021, it has been quite a change to be away from home for over a month. I’ve savored the change of scenery and seeing my family again but am conscious that I am missing the details of the area in and around my house in Maryland. My husband is helping with occasional pictures…like these of the indigo bunting.

May 12, 2021

14 Months in COVID-19 Pandemic

May 12, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

I celebrated my vaccine becoming fully effective (2 weeks following my second shot of the Moderna vaccine) during the 14th month of the pandemic. It was a significant milestone. The big change was feeling safe enough to set off on a road trip to see my parents; I hadn’t seen them since the January before the pandemic was declared.

There are non-critical appointments that are being scheduled now – dentist, eye doctor, haircuts. My parents may be mostly caught up on those types of appointments before I go back to Maryland; I’ll start catching up for myself by June.

What a difference from May 2020 when the news was dire – hospitals overflowing in some areas of the country and many deaths were in senior living/nursing homes. We know a lot more about the virus now and there are effective vaccines. It surprises me that we may not reach herd immunity for COVID-19 because there are too many people that are reluctant to get the vaccine. I remember in the 1960s with the roll out of the polio vaccine…everyone going to the local school for the sugar cube. It made polio an extremely rare occurrence very quickly. It is frustrating and sad that there is a segment of US society in 2021 that is seems to be focused on their right to not get vaccinated rather than their health and the health of others.

Trying to end on a more positive note….

I have gone back to carrying a purse rather than carrying minimal essentials (car key, credit card, id) in a wrist band. The purse has room for my mask although I still tend to put my mask on in the car before I walk across the parking lot into the store. I like to not be in a rush to put the mask on or do it while I am walking.

It’s hard to know how crowded a park will be so I generally carry the mask with me….and put it on if there are too many people sharing the trails. I am conscious of probably wearing the mask more than the new CDC guidance. As it gets hotter, I’ll pay close attention to the guidance and be keen to take the mask off whenever I can!

April 10, 2021

Gleanings of the Week Ending April 10, 2021

April 10, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Top 25 birds of the week: Green Colours! – So many beautiful birds…

150-Year-Old Boxwoods Lost To Blight At Carl Sandburg Home – My daughter and I visited the Carl Sandburg Historical Site in 2003 when we were on our way from Maryland to meet family members coming from Texas for a Georgia vacation. It was the first time I had driven a car with a nav system! We enjoyed walking the grounds and touring the house more than we expected. It’s sad that the boxwood there will be cut down.

What early-budding trees tell us about genetics, climate change -- ScienceDaily – Our plum and cherry trees are the ‘fruitless’ kind but they were in full bloom when our temperatures dipped into the mid-20s. I wonder how many orchards are going to have less fruit this year.

Hope and Peril for North America’s “Snow Parrot” – A parrot that lives in pine forests. Their range once extended into the US from northern Mexico, but they’ve been gone since the 1930s.It’s only in the past few years that their migration and winter grounds in the Mexican state of Durango have been discovered. There are efforts to safeguard the free-living birds and continue captive breeding programs in zoos (like the San Diego Zoo) with the plan to begin reintroducing birds into the wild in the future.

The Kodak Brownie: The Camera That Made Photography Accessible – My mother was taking pictures of her siblings in the 1940s….with a Brownie. There is one of her twin sisters (maybe 4 or 5 years old) peeking over the windowsill of the bathroom window (they were standing in the bathtub!); I always wondered if she had help on the inside positioning them while she got outside to get the picture. It must have been a warm day since the window was open!

Dangerous landfill pollutants ranked in order of toxicity -- ScienceDaily – The technique can help landfill managers mitigate risk for a particular site rather than taking generic actions that might not address the biggest problems.

For the First Time in 75 Years, a New Invasive Species of Mosquito Was Found in Florida | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine - The mosquito that can carry yellow fever and other diseases was found in Florida last year. That does not bode well for keeping tropical diseases at bay in the US as the climate continues to warm.

Scythian people weren't just nomadic warriors, but sometimes settled down: Varied diets and limited mobility challenge stereotypes of ancient steppe populations -- ScienceDaily – Not all Scythians were nomadic. The majority of them might have remained local…farming millet and raising livestock!

Lessons from Darwin's "Mischievous" Birds | The Scientist Magazine® - The striated caracara of the Falkland Islands…we’re familiar with the crested caracara from the south Texas.

Newly Restored Pompeiian Frescoes Capture Hunting Scenes in Vivid Detail | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine – Part of an ongoing conservation initiative funded largely by the European Union launched in 2012.

April 06, 2021

13 months in COVID-19 Pandemic

April 06, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

It’s been over a year now. I am doing the post for this month a few days early in celebration of getting my second Moderna vaccine shot and having only mild side-effects (sore arm, a few aches) that were gone in less than 48 hours. Our county did 2,190 second doses of vaccines on the day my husband and I got our shots…in the US 54.7% of the people over 65 years old had gotten a second dose.

In the past month:

Volunteering is on my radar again. It’s not the same or as much as pre-pandemic yet…just a start.
Taking mini road trips at highway speeds has become a prelude to anticipated longer road trips. The first ones were a little discombobulating….I need the practice. The little trips sometimes are primarily for the drive; it feels good to be out and about in the springtime too.
Continuing curbside pickup for groceries rather than shopping in the store was a reluctant decision but based on Maryland’s increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations and % positive tests. The state has ramped up to about 70K vaccinations per day; but, so far, there are not enough people vaccinated to start bringing the numbers down. Similar trends are being seen across the country – reversing the decline from the previous month.
Transitioning away from webinars is happening gradually. I enjoyed two from MoMA and one from Brookside Gardens…but am drawn by the better weather to get out and about – leaving less time for webinars.

In the next month – I am anticipating a longer road trip …seeing family I haven’t seen since pre-pandemic ….enjoying the warming trend of spring!

March 20, 2021

Gleanings of the Week Ending March 20, 2021

March 20, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

The greatest security threat of the post-truth age - BBC Future – The chilling observation that we might be in a period when “Although information is easily available, people cannot tell whether anything they see, read or hear is reliable or not.”

Top 25 birds of the week: Waterbirds! – From around the world…and the first one is a bird I’ve seen/photographed too in Texas, New Mexico, Delaware and Florida: the American White Pelican!

Diets high in fructose could cause immune system damage, study suggests -- ScienceDaily – Another reason to avoid processed foods….

Easy Nature Adventures to Enjoy Near You – Enjoying the place where you are…outdoors! This time of year, there is a lot of things to see close to where I live and I can choose the places/times to avoid any crowds (still a good thing in this pandemic time until the vaccination rates get much higher and infections begin to plummet).

Stealth Chemicals: A call to action on a threat to human fertility – Evidence has been accumulating…and there are a lot more observable problems at this point. I was glad that near the end of the article, there were recommendations for people trying to have children and/or for young children. And we need to move forward on top-down approaches if manufacturers don’t take near term action.

Helping Birds Adapt to Climate Change in the Nevada Desert – Replacing lost riparian areas after removal of invasive tamarisk.

Earth Matters - What in the World Are Moon Trees? – Trees grown from seeds that were taken into lunar orbit 50 years ago!

Climate Change, Deforestation Hurting Monarch Butterfly Migration : NPR – So many problems for the migrating populations of these butterflies. Soon we might only see this butterfly in areas where they don’t need to migrate to survive the winter.

Remnants of Iron Age Settlement, Roman Villa Found in England | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine – 15 cone shaped roundhouses dating from 400 BC and 100 BC and then a Roman villa from the 3rd to early 4th century AD. It must have be a good place to call home over a long time period!

Ice Age Carolinas – Carolina Bays….indicators that permafrost extended for several hundred kilometers south of the ice sheet during the last ice age.

March 13, 2021

Gleanings of the Week Ending March 13, 2021

March 13, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

Spring is starting here in Maryland…we have a clump of crocus up and blooming in our front flower bed!

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Top 25 birds of the week: March 2021 – Starting off the gleanings for this with bird photographs. I found myself looking at eye color as I enjoyed this group of 25.

Satellite imagery shows northern California kelp forests have collapsed – I had read a story about this previously….but this article include visuals: satellite image and underwater images of what it look like before…and the urchin barrens that are there today.

Kauri trees mark magnetic flip 42,000 years ago | Science – Analysis of a tree preserved in a bog. It lived during the Laschamp Excursion (the last time the poles flipped) The climate instability lasted about 500 years.

Giving Wildlife Room to Roam in the Face of Climate Change – The importance on microhabitats in wildlife conservation particularly as climate changes.

Small Particulates From Burning Fossil Fuels Kills 8.7 Million People Each Year – And this is a form of pollution no one escapes….unless you choose to live in an enclosed and continuously filtered environment (like on an planet that does not support life as we know it). Right now, there are areas outside cities that have lower levels of the small particles in their air but eventually the continued increase in particles and circulation within the atmosphere will spread the ever increasing particles over the entire planet.

Even for Solitary Squirrels, It’s Better to Know the Neighbors – Red squirrels that have the same neighbors year after year…live longer! The study was done in a remote area of Canada over 22 years.

Thanks to Etsy, You Can Now Purchase a Gee's Bend Quilt Online for the First Time | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine – Folk art…museums…and a modern outlet to improve the artists’ ability to sell their work.

There’s a Koala in the Backyard – A description of what it’s like to have a koala in a tree near homes – serenading.

Geologists Share Their Concerns With Drilling For Oil In Big Cypress – Hopefully the project will not move forward….a national preserve should prioritize the natural environment, not the degradation or destruction of it.

Eight ways chemical pollutant harm the body – From Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health: oxidative stress and inflammation, genomic alterations and mutations, epigenetic alterations, mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine disruption, altered intercellular communication, altered microbiome communities, and impaired nervous system function.

January 11, 2021

10 months in COVID-19 Pandemic

January 11, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

The vaccines began in the 10th month of the pandemic. It is a grand hope tempered by a sluggish rollout so far and a more contagious variant that is already problematic in the UK and being found in the US now. We have stopped most of our ideas of ‘getting out’ more…we are back to the strategy of ‘staying at home as much as possible.’

The 10th month included a crescendo of events other than the pandemic that ramped up stress levels higher than ever before. As I write this – the events of January 6th are at the top of the crescendo. I will always remember being at home trying to keep an eye on the news without being overwhelmed by it just before things broke apart. I was frustrated and a little angry that the Missouri and Texas Senator (and too many of their cohorts in the House and Senate) were using a usually mundane session of Congress as a political grand stand to perpetuate statements that had already been investigated and proven untrue – sometimes in a court…..and then it got worse very quickly with a mob storming the US Capitol – pushing past barricades, breaking windows, climbing walls, wearing costumes and seemingly treating the event as a party in the Capitol complete with damaging the building and the people trying to preserve it and the institution in houses, the House and Senate members evacuated from their chambers. It was horrifying. I didn’t stay up for the Congress to complete their work of the day…kudos to them for the long day to get it done. In the aftermath – the extent of the problem in our country became clearer…and the discomfort of knowing that the delusion of an election stolen from Trump is so deeply anchored in the belief of some people that it became an effort to overturn voters, the Electoral College and the rule of law. The country is more fragile than it has been during my lifetime…because of the failure of the Executive Branch of our government (through ineptitude and malfeasance) and the pandemic. We have so many concurrent crises (which could have been avoided or ameliorated with competent leadership); we are not as strong as we always thought we were.

In the best case…I hope the focus over the next month can shift away from worrying about the next surprise from the President to getting as many vaccines delivered and into people plus following advice to reduce risks (masks, washing hands, social distancing, avoiding being in indoor spaces with people outside our ‘bubble.’ My husband and I have bookmarked the vaccination site in our state to sign up for a vaccine as soon as our group is eligible.

The high points over the past month have been associated with family events – birthday, anniversary, holiday – celebrated virtually with Zoom calls and (in the case of the birthday) slices of red velvet cake enjoyed by several of us in different states on the day. Special foods almost every day like pumpkin roll, hay stacks, and snow ice cream. There were events in nature to enjoy too: a pileated woodpecker in the forest, sunspots, and lady bugs occasionally on the walls of my office escaping the cold. I donated another porch sized pile of stuff – clearing out some household accumulation that we no longer need. There were good things that happened in pandemic month 10.

At the 10-month mark – there is a ‘light’ at the end of the tunnel - getting the two doses of the vaccine. I don’t think it will happen for us in the next 30 days but sometime after that…early spring if the projections hold. We have tightened our risk reduction strategies somewhat because of the more contagious variant and may do more in the 11th month of the pandemic. And I am hopeful that the trauma and drama from the top leadership of the US might be significantly reduced as President Biden takes office. We will all be healthier with less stress caused by the actions of our government day to day.

January 02, 2021

Gleanings of the Week Ending January 2, 2021

January 02, 2021/ Gwen Morrison

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

2020 Year In Review: Top Stories From Around The National Park System – Issues discussed in the post: COVID-19, Great American Outdoors Act, border wall, invasive species, wildlife issues, climate change, crowding in the parks, wildfires.

New Discoveries in Human Anatomy | The Scientist Magazine® - So much study of human anatomy over the years….and there are still new discoveries.

50 Satellite Images from 50 Years of NOAA | NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) – Visuals from NOAA – beauty, science, education….so much has happened over the 50 years of NOAA’s existence.

2020 Year In Review: Parks, A Pandemic, And Photography – Lots to see in the National Parks…I hope to be able to get out and see some in-person before the end of 2021.

Top 25 birds of the week: Birding! – Wild Bird Revolution - And I want to travel to some birding festivals too!

Recycled concrete could be a sustainable way to keep rubble out of landfill: Can even outperform traditional construction, says researcher – ScienceDaily – A Canadian study…seems like the results should be pertinent to the US too. The research indicates that “recycled concrete can be a 100% substitute for non-structural applications”….and might also be a substitute within more structural applications as well if innovations in the composition of recycled concrete continue.

Top 10 States For Renewable Energy, & Their Renewable Energy Splits - Interesting mix of states on the list with quite a difference in the amount of hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass among the top 10. California is the only one with all 5. But there are 5 states that have 4 of the 5.

Scientists reverse age-related vision loss, eye damage from glaucoma in mice – ScienceDaily – Hopefully this research will translate into treatment for people.

Take a Virtual Tour of the World’s Largest Circular Tomb, Augustus’ Mausoleum | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine – The virtual tour takes a little bit to load….but is worth it. Note that the ‘chapters’ are along the bottom of the screen.

Desalination breakthrough could lead to cheaper water filtration – ScienceDaily – Increasing efficiency of reverse osmosis filters by beginning to better understand how they work. This is something that will be more important as climate change and our own production of pollutants makes obtaining clean water more challenging.

The sunrise on the 1st day of 2021 was blocked by clouds but the one on the 31st was good. I took a picture of it that included a large electrical transmission tower and some birds making some morning moves!

December 13, 2020

9 Months in COVID-19 Pandemic

December 13, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

The first vaccine for COVID-19 was approved in the US by the FDA on the 9-month anniversary of the WHO declaring the world wide pandemic. The rollout will take months but there is more hope now….if we can just get through the months until enough people get vaccinated to provide herd immunity. The US is not in a good situation right now with hospitals filling up, larger than ever numbers of people testing positive, and deaths per day about the same as 9/11/2001 – the trauma of that death rate repeated again and again instead of one day. Even a month ago, I thought there were more effective treatments that had been developed since last spring, but it now seems that either they don’t exist or they are in such short supply that they don’t make a difference. Even worse – the best treatments only seem to be available to favorites of the President…implying (or confirming) the corruption of at least part of the medical system in the US.

The psyche of everyone in the country is impacted by the pandemic – made worse by the leadership of the country, particularly at the Federal level and trickling down to some states. There is a lack of caring in American society that still surprises me. I limit the time I spend watching/reading news…stay more with stats and public health recommendations to guide the actions I take relative to the pandemic.

I have elongated my time between trips to the grocery store to every 3 weeks (rather than every 2 weeks like I did over the summer and fall or every week I did pre-pandemic). It takes more planning but is preferrable than going back to grocery delivery. I like to choose my purchases directly!
My husband and I celebrated Thanksgiving on our own at home and are planning to do the same for all the upcoming holidays. Special foods are still part of the celebration but we cook for 2 (or enjoy a lot of leftovers). I am intentionally trying some new recipes for desserts. We also do telephone calls/Zoom sessions with family on the special days.
We are getting take out every week or so. We haven’t eaten in a restaurant since back in February. It’s impossible to know how good the air circulation/filtration is in an enclosed area where 6 feet distance may not be adequate….and one cannot wear a mask while eating. Many municipalities/counties in Maryland are going back to take-out only because of the dramatic rise in cases over the past few weeks (although the rise might be more because of behavior around the Thanksgiving holiday than restaurants); whatever the cause - the likelihood of asymptomatic people in our community has increased and there is a need to respond to that to help avoid hospitals overflowing/starting to ration care.
My husband is still planning to do some amateur astronomy sessions with the local club…outdoors and masked and telescopes set up at least 6 feet apart….if the weather cooperates. He did some solar astronomy on his own from our driveway and backyard in November. The club meetings have been via zoom for months.

Over the past month, we enjoyed

The virtual Crane Fiesta (from Bosque del Apache)
The virtual Maryland Water Monitoring Council Conference (me)
The virtual AGU fall meeting (my husband)

I am looking forward to cooking holiday desserts, watching a virtual Holiday House Tour being produced by my county and a session on Wild Birds in Winter from our state Department of Natural Resources, and filling up the porch with items for a charity to pick up…and continuing day to day activities that give me joy like Zentangle tile creation, photographing birds and wildlife from my office window, finding good books to browse, and writing a blog post….taking a walk in the neighborhood or watching the trees gently moving in the winter wind from my office window.

Over the next month, we might get a better sense of when we will be able to get the vaccine. My plan is to get it as soon as I am eligible. Once I’m protected by it and my parents are in the same state…a road trip to Texas will be my first post-pandemic travel.

At the 9 month mark – I am more hopeful for 2021….but very focused on staying hyper vigilant – doing everything we know to do to avoid getting COVID-19 until we are protected by the vaccine.

November 13, 2020

8 months in COVID-19 Pandemic

November 13, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

It’s a challenge to stay vigilant with masks…handwashing…distancing from other people – but even more important now with the cases spiking all over the country. Maryland is back to numbers we haven’t seen since June and the trend looks like it will go higher. The metrics that were established to open restaurants and bars are now indicating that the capacity needs to be reduced…and the governor did that this week.

My husband and I got our first haircut of the pandemic in mid-October; our logic was to get it before the anticipated increase in cases as people began spending more time indoors….anticipating that our next haircut would be after we are vaccinated. Our timing was good based on what is happening now…just 3 weeks later.

The CSA ended the third week in October. That was my only weekly errand away from the house and it was one I enjoyed. I am considering some kind of outdoor foray that I can do every week --- someplace not far from home…but a change of scenery once a week. The end of the CSA impacts my grocery shopping as well. I’ve already started buying more produce; it will increase as I clear out the veggies I froze over the course of the summer. I’ll still be shopping every other week rather than my pre-pandemic weekly habit; I’ve discovered that every other week works well for me.

After the CSA ended and I didn’t have a dusty gravel road to traverse, I got my car washed (drive thru) --- it’s a joy to have a clean car. It’s good for the winter now. I also bought gas – the first tank since January. So now I am back to charging the car and doing my driving as an EV. It was low risk since everything was self-service and I wore a mask just in case someone else pulled into the slot next to me; and used hand sanitizer after I got gas…and after I put the code in for the car wash. My car is probably set with fuel and maintenance until after the vaccination is available.

I had a porch full of stuff to donate. It feels good to get rid of items we no longer need. We also made a trip to the county landfill for some larger trash items and hazardous waste (large fluorescent bulbs). The charities and county facility are probably at lower capacity but functional at this point. Their processes for protecting their employees and the public are established.

My husband and his doctor have changed his prescriptions from mail delivery to pickup at a local pharmacy based on the challenges with timely delivery from the postal service in our area. I’m not sure if this is related to the pandemic at all…but it is all happening at the same time. There are layers of anxiety that sometimes are separate…but tend to meld together over time, stretching our ability to cope with more and more and more.

We made a field trip to Howard County Conservancy’s Mt Pleasant for birding. It was outdoors, small group, distanced, mostly masked. It was OK…but now that the cases in our state are spiking, we might not do something like that again. We can still go to places like that but just on our own.

There were joys of virtual events over the past month. My favorite was the Hawaii Island Festival of Birds. It was good for the moment…and gave me ideas about the future…things I want to do post-pandemic.

It’s fall. We thought we would take some fall foliage drives but we missed the peak so the main fall activity has been mowing leaves in our yard! Still – the continuity of the natural cycle is something that buoys my spirits.

Right now, I am aware that there are multiple anxieties beyond the pandemic. After 8 months – the pandemic is the one I am coping with the best; I know how to reduce my risk and I have developed habits that are easy to maintain because they incorporate activities in my every day activities that are joyful…it is easily sustainable until the vaccine is available.

My hope for the next few weeks is that several of the other anxieties will reduce dramatically (since I have not discovered good ways to cope with them – who would have guessed that the transition from one US President to the next would be so fraught) and that we’ll be settling in for Thanksgiving and then Christmas with lots of virtual interactions with far flung family and the usual good food/decorations…savoring home and health…looking forward to a post-pandemic sometime in 2021.

October 30, 2020

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 31, 2020

October 30, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

What’s That Cloud? Your Guide to Cloudspotting – A little tutorial. Maybe a prompt to do some cloud photography too.

This white paint keeps surfaces cooler than surroundings, even under direct sunlight -- ScienceDaily – I remember being at White Sands National Park on a hot day and walking on the sand barefoot (i.e. the sand was not hot!). Hopefully the architectural norms will begin to shift toward white roofs and then durable paints/shingles will be readily available to make it affordable. The heat islands of cities would be reduced…which could be helpful now and an increasing benefit as climate change continues.

Google Maps Gets More Electric-Car Friendly – Android Auto (not the phone app) adding features.

Top 25 birds of the week: Land-birds - Wild Bird Revolution – Enjoy bird images!

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully touches asteroid -- ScienceDaily – We went down to Florida for the launch back in 2016 so I try to at least scan articles with updates. The sample is now safely stored away and will be heading back to Earth…arriving in 2023.

Why older people are harder to vaccinate - BBC Future – What vaccines can do…what they might not do. For example – did you know that the flu vaccine reduces disease but does not do much to reduce transmission because a vaccinated person can still shed virus particles?

Black Witch Moths: A Night-Time Trick or Treat – Because it’s Halloween….it will be a very quiet one this year with the regular form of trick-or-treating called off in our area.

The rats evicted from paradise - BBC Future – A positive result for humans correcting a problem we caused….only able to succeed because of the resilience of nature (and because we corrected before it was too late for recovery).

Flowers Are Changing Color in Response to Climate Change | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine – Adjusting UV pigmentation to protect themselves (rising temperatures/thinning ozone)…maybe confusing pollinators.

Nature Nerd Trivia: Wild Canids – Dog relatives from around the world.

Unique Activities for Yesterday:

Firsts for the season at our deck. We saw our first Dark-eye Junco for the season. A small flock has spent the winter in our area – frequently visiting our feeder – for many years. We think they go to the Appalachians/Alleghenies for the rest of the year rather than the far north.

I finally managed to get a picture of a Red-breasted Nuthatch enjoying the seed spilled under our feeder. There were other times recently that I thought I saw one but was never fast enough with my camera.

Hawai’i Island Festival of Birds Swag pack arrived. It took more than 10 days for the small envelope to get from Hawai’i to Maryland. I don’t know for sure how long it took because there was no postmark. I will use the field notebook (upper left, a nice fit for one of my photo vest pockets) and the magnet (lower right) is already on our refrigerator to remind us of the virtual festival…and we’ll sign up to go to the festival when it is held ‘in person’!

September 26, 2020

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 26, 2020

September 26, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Closing the Racial Inequality Gaps – Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions – The report (summarized by NPR in Cost of Racism: US Economy Lost $16 Trillion Because of Discrimination, Bank Says) details the analysis done by Citi that calculates the economic impact of racism….and thus puts a value on proposed government and individual actions to close racial gaps.

Top 25 Birds of the Week: Birds in Flight and Bird Interactions – Double the bird photos this week!

Infographic: Dialing Down the Glitz | The Scientist Magazine® - The mechanism that makes dramatic sexual dimorphism in some finches.

How vitamin C could help over 50s retain muscle mass -- ScienceDaily – Another reason to eat Vitamin C rich foods (and take a supplement when that is not possible).

A guide to natural sweeteners – in C&EN – Compound Interest – A good summary of the chemistry behind natural sweeteners. I am enjoying the stevia leaves I am getting from the CSA’s cutting garden right now – building up my supply a little every week of dried leaves and stems to enjoy even after the cutting garden ends for the year.

Schooling is critical for cognitive health throughout life -- ScienceDaily – Boosting cognitive skills early in life not only expands career opportunities and provides progressively higher salaries…it also pushes back the point at which age-related dementia begins to impact a person’s ability to care for themselves. Education is a good long-term investment for everyone.

Study Tracks Geographical Gene Flow and Ancestry in the US | The Scientist Magazine® - Beginning to get deeper genetic studies that might translate to better understanding of risk of disease across sub-populations within the US.

Scientists use fruit peel to turn old batteries into new -- ScienceDaily – Recycling metals from lithium-ion batteries with food waste…an example of the types of processes we need to develop for a circular economy (zero waste).

Hike in Walnut Canyon – A short video of a special place. I first visited in 1971 in the winter. It was memorable. Maybe I’ll go again after the pandemic is over; it’s high enough elevation I’ll make sure I am acclimated before I hike the trail to see the cliff dwellings up close.

The Undoing of US Climate Policy: The Emissions Impact of Trump-Era Rollbacks – Many young people see climate change as a high priority for the government to address….so do I. This research shows that the actions of the last few years have moved the US in the wrong direction. I usually prefer to focus on solutions and what individuals can do….but the government has a roll to play and, right now, it is moving opposite of the way needed.

Unique Activities for Yesterday:

Letter sweater. I found my 50-year-old letter sweater (academic…not sports) from high school when I cleaned out the coat closet. It still fits! It’s a little chilly today and I am wearing it. I took the letter off years ago but the flap in the pocket has my name embroidered on it. One of the buttons aged differently than the others – looks reddish rather than black. I’ll wear it as a basic black cardigan (with the odd button) in the fall and winter. I made a small pile of some other things in the closet to give away. My pile is big enough now that I am scheduling a pickup from my front porch!

August 10, 2020

5 Months in COVID-19 Pandemic

August 10, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

August 12th will be the 5th month since the WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic. I started a monthly post taking stock of the impact on day to day life last month (see July post here). In this month we had 2 household maintenance appointments which we handled by requiring masks and then wiping down surfaces after the maintenance person left. The first one was seasonal check of the air conditioning/heating that we had delayed from late May. The equipment was inspected, and we got a new filter installed. The second one was the repair of the clothes dryer…which will be next Saturday. If it is the heater element is should be a quick repair.

Maryland has a relatively low rate of infections…but not enough to open schools (they are virtual…hopefully the prep that has happened this summer pays off)…there is still a mask mandate too. I am glad that when I go to the grocery store and the Community Supported Agriculture pick up – everyone is wearing a mask. It is concerning that the state has had a slight uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations recently.

Every time there is an opportunity in the community or for volunteering (and there have not been very many of them) – my husband and I talk about it and have – so far – decided against. Our social interactions on limited to each other and virtual.

During this 5th month, I enjoyed quite a few webinars on a variety of topics (regenerative landscaping, moths, bats, pandemic and climate change, NOAA sanctuaries, microplastics, the power of individual choice) and watching the recently released 2nd season of The Umbrella Academy.

I’ve recently increased my outdoor time from 1 hour per day to 2 hours….generally from 6:30 – 8:30 AM. We’ll see how long that continues. There is a lot to do around the yard; maybe I’ll finally get it in shape during the 6th month of the pandemic!

Unique Activities for Yesterday:

22 20 08 (9).JPG — **Escher prints on Internet Archive.** There is a collection of 279 images by Maurits Cornelis Escher on Internet Archive. I’ve been intrigued by his work for a long time; this is the largest number of prints I’ve seen in one place! It includes one that I bought as a poster and framed: a fish in a flooded forest. The butterflies/moths were new to me….a clever geometric shape with natural forms.

**Office bouquet.** The flowers I cut at the CSA this week are holding up well. I am noticing that they are using a lot of water. I’ve already put more water in the vase twice.

June 10, 2020

Blue Jay Photo Shoot

June 10, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Unique activities for yesterday:

Blue Jay photo shoot. I was in my office early and responded to a nearby blue jay call by grabbing my camera and going to the window. The bird was on the deck railing but on the move before I could get my camera turned on. It flew down to check the seed scattered under the feeder. Unsatisfied with that, the bird flew into the sycamore and started some great moves…quite the model bird. There were times I thought that he saw me through the window and treated me as an audience.

The temperature was still in 50s and the bird sported fluffed out breast feathers to provide more warmth. It is surprising how much fatter a bird can look when they are cold – all with a small reorientation of their feathers.

It all happened in just under 30 seconds. The bird flew off to the left.

A code orange air quality day. I spent an hour on the deck reading before the temperature climbed into the 70s (and kept going) …. already aware that there was an air quality alert for our area. I opted to not work in the yard. My husband took a walk in the neighborhood a little later and came back saying that it felt hot and humid even though the temperature was only about 75. We stayed indoors for the rest of the day. I wonder what caused the air quality issue. I heard pre-pandemic level traffic noise while I was out on our deck; our part of Maryland is in stage 2 of COVID-19 recovery as of last Friday at 5 PM. I’ve been at home since then so the traffic noise from outside my neighborhood is my first direct observation of the change.

A Zentangle Prompt

Experiment with the DIVA DANCE pattern in all its forms: waltz, foxtrot and rock ‘n roll! So many possibilities.

Here is a tile I made yesterday based on the prompt: Make a tile with TWISTEE and UNDLING

The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. "Zentangle" is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

June 09, 2020

eBotanical Prints – May 2020

June 09, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Continuing the blog post series prompted by COVID-19….

eBotanical Prints – May 2020

There are 16 new books this month. The volumes are all freely available on the Internet by clicking on the hyperlinked title. The whole list of 1,895 books can be accessed here. Sample images and links for the 16 new ones are provided below. (click on the sample image to see a larger view). Enjoy!

There’s quite a variety this month starting with 6 volumes of Florists Journal from the mid-1800s and 3 books that could be finished with watercolor paints (or Zentangles) from the later 1800s. Following that come two botany texts from the 1800s (the one with the color illustrations was published more than 40 years before the one with drawings) and a book about trees with photographs of winter/summer versions of the same tree (this is a good book to learn the shapes of different kinds of trees with the oak being the ‘sample images’). Then there are two volumes by Hooker of northern British American plants and the last one with a sample image is plants from around Paris. The last volume for the month is a website and I included it because it is a current – and excellent – reference for the northern forest…lots of detailed illustrations.

Florists Journal V. 1-2 (1840-1841) * How and Parsons (publishers) * sample image * 1841

Florists Journal V. 3-4 (1842-1843) * How and Parsons (publishers) * sample image * 1843

Florists Journal V. 5-6 (1844-1845) * How and Parsons (publishers) * sample image * 1845

Florists Journal V. 7 (1846) * How and Parsons (publishers) * sample image * 1846

Florists Journal V. 8 (1847) * How and Parsons (publishers) * sample image * 1847

Florists Journal V. 9 (1848) * How and Parsons (publishers) * sample image * 1848

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (poem) * Whittier, John Greenleaf * sample image * 1883

Flower Designs * Bradford, Marcia A. * sample image * 1882

Floral Birthday Book * Sharrad, Alice B. * sample image * 1888

Fourteen weeks in botany : being an illustrated flora * Wood, Alphonso; Steele, Joel Dorman * sample image * 1879

Bingley's practical introduction to botany * Bingley, William; Frost, John * sample image * 1831

Trees and their life histories * Groom, Percy; Irving, Henry (photographer) * sample image * 1908

Flora boreali americana, or, the botany of the northern parts of British America V1 * Hooker, William Jackson * sample image * 1829

Flora boreali americana, or, the botany of the northern parts of British America V2 * Hooker, William Jackson * sample image * 1829

Atlas de la Flore des environs de Paris * Cosson, Ernest; Germain de Saint-Pierre, Ernest * sample image * 1882

Woody Plants of the Northern Forest - A Digital Atlas * Jenkins, Jerry * 2019

Unique activities for yesterday:

Noting the sycamore recovery from May frost damage. There are small dead leaves on the tree but there are also green and growing leave of all sizes.

Processing mint. I worked on the front flower beds pulling grass and cutting vines growing up through the bushes. I also cut a basket full of mint. It’s growing fast right now and the tender leaves are excellent additions to smoothies, salads, and tea. They smell so good! I rinsed the whole ball of leaves and stems, let it dry a bit, separated leaves from tougher stems and processed all those tender parts in the Ninja. Small pieces compress a lot. They are now in a gallon Ziploc in the freezer, pressed thin so that I can easily break the contents into whatever size I want.

Day lily buds. There are day lily buds coming up through the leaves. I was excited to see them. I’ll have the flowers to bring indoors soon. Maybe the milkweed that is in the same flower bed will hide the buds from the deer (in prior years, the deer had gotten most of the buds before they could bloom). I’ll cut the buds this year as soon as they’re big enough to bloom in water. There are also black-eyed susans amongst the day lilies and milkweed. Hopefully, they’ll provide flowers later this summer. The deer generally leave them alone

A Zentangle Prompt

Make a tile with TWISTEE and UNDLING (feel free to add another pattern or two of your choice).

Here is a tile I made yesterday based on the prompt: GINGO and TUMBLEWEED

Links to my previous “filling a day of social distance” posts here.

June 08, 2020

The New Normal – New Goals

June 08, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Continuing the blog post series prompted by COVID-19….

The New Normal – New Goals

Many of the goals I’ve had for years still make sense –

Steps per day
Books per month
Mindfulness (meditation and Zentangle) every day
Weight control
Writing (words) per day
Giving back

But the way I achieve them might be different…the balance has shifted. For example – the steps are now all on my own instead of being part of hiking during volunteer gigs. I have increased my reading a little….it fills time that I might otherwise fill watching too much news. Mindfulness has shifted toward Zentangle – I think because I am trying new patterns…invigorated by the increased variety. My husband and I are changing our eating habits…what better time to do it than when we are at home for every meal; I’m not sure he is losing weight, but I am (slowly). I find myself writing about different topics these days because I am filling my days differently. The most substantial change in my goals – and one I am still struggling – is with giving back; my volunteer activities are gone right now (and probably until a vaccine is available) so I find myself paying more attention to financial donations – but it’s not the same.

Now – as we’re entering the 2nd phase of our ‘stay at home as much as possible’ – I’m thinking of new goals for this summer and into fall.

Maintain our vigilance re COVID-19 preventions: distance from other people, face mask, hand washing, no face touching…still at home as much as possible. We are getting out for groceries and CSA pickup….but still taking precautions.

Enjoy the covered deck to relax outdoors. I’ve always wanted to use our covered/screened deck more…but I haven’t. Now I have established a goal to be out there at least an hour every morning which I started on June 1. So far – it’s been nothing but positive. I choose the hour that is the best temperature and usually our cat joins me. Bird song and walls of green leaves…best hour of the day!

Do more for the yard than mow the grass. I learned to mow leaves last fall and have taken over mowing at least half the yard from my husband so far this summer. Now I am ramping up to do more clearing out of the flower beds and trimming of bushes and trees.

That’s enough for goals…if I am comfortably achieving all of them through the next month…I’ll add to the list later.

Unique activities for yesterday:

Getting to know my daughter’s cat virtually. I am in Maryland…my daughter is in Missouri…and that’s where the new cat in the family is. My daughter has been texting pictures to us. The cat was supervising the lawn mowers this morning. Even in a pandemic – grass mowing is something that must go on.

Tom Roberts paintings. A little art…a little history. Internet Archive has a 171 image slide show of his paintings. He was Australian and painted portraits, places, and activities of his time. The last category was probably my favorite….and is reflected in the sample images I’m including with this post.

A Zentangle Prompt

Two patterns today: GINGO and TUMBLEWEED. I like both these patterns (although I usually just use one of the tumbleweeds as a string rather than a ‘pile’ of them).

Here is a tile I made yesterday based on the prompt: *Three patterns for today’s tile: SAFFLOWER, SQUID, and TRIADZ.* This was the first time I used SAFFLOWER patterns in a garland. They do very well for the border of the tile!

Links to my previous “filling a day of social distance” posts here.

June 07, 2020

The New Normal – Relationships

June 07, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Continuing the blog post series prompted by COVID-19….

I try to put something new into every day…something that is not just routine…that stretches me in some way. It’s the best way I know to put a positive spin on being at home virtually all the time during the pandemic….and trying to stay resilient to the wave after wave of negative news. I am appalled by the racist behavior exhibited by police (and other parts of our government). All Americans need to take as stand against racism – particularly when it is in institutions that every American should be able to trust.

The New Normal - Relationships

Being at home for months changes relationships to other people.

There are no interactions with people like I had through my volunteer activities – leading hikes for school field trips at Howard County Conservancy, introducing visitors to the Touch Tank animals at Robinson Nature Center, and maintaining containment/assisting people that came to the Brookside Gardens Wings of Fancy exhibit. I enjoyed my conversation with fellow volunteers as well. Similar conversations happened when we attended birding festivals too. There is no replacement for those short duration, stimulating interactions. The partial substitute I’ve nurtured is watching a variety of videos of wide ranging topics (astrobiology, birding, zoo, Coursera lectures to name a few, and a virtual Cape May Spring Festival). The reason videos are only a substitute rather than a replacement is the one-way nature of watching a video; there is no interaction or relationship --- even if you are learning something new from watching the video.

Then there are the synchronous but virtual forms of relationships that allow real-time communications; phone calls and Zoom sessions are two examples. These are OK and they probably allow maintenance of long-standing relationships…but they aren’t the same as being in the same place and face to face. They are often more planned, not as frequent, and can be awkward.

The only face to face relationship maintained through the pandemic is with my husband. It’s a good thing we get along well! We have shared some projects, but we also have activities we enjoy on our own and our house is big enough for us to be ‘alone but not too alone.’

So – what is the new normal when it comes to relationships? It’s a work in progress. I am not keen on Zoom meetings. I do enjoy the more frequent phone conversations with family members. My husband, and I are probably doing more shared projects around the house than we did previously. I’ll be thrilled when we get a vaccine for COVID-19 and I can get back to my volunteer gigs. Travelling is something that we can look forward to as well.

Unique activities for yesterday:

SongSleuth app. Every morning that I sit outside, I realize I am hearing birds that I don’t recognize. When I came indoors today, I looked for an app that might help me identify more of the birds in our forest that don’t come to the feeder where we can easily see them. I opted to try SongSleuth. I’ve done a ‘test’ with a Carolina Wren (in the forest…and I knew what it was) to learn how to record something…select the clip…and then see what the app tells me. The app identified the bird! I’ll take my phone out with me tomorrow morning to see how well it works identifying birds whose songs I don’t know. By the time I go out in the field with the app…I need to be well versed in its use!

Gustave Caillebotte slide show. Internet archive has 258 images by this French painter. He was also a patron of the arts, particularly the Impressionists. The slide show has a brief biography under the panel that displays the paintings. I enjoyed the gardens and botanical images the most but his choice of subjects and perspective (buildings and city scenes, people on balconies…rowing….refinished a wood floor) were interesting too.

A Zentangle Prompt

Three patterns for today’s tile: SAFFLOWER, SQUID, and TRIADZ.

Here is a tile I made yesterday based on the prompt: *Make a two tangle tile today with* *ROSCOE* *and* *SAND SWIRL*. SAND SWIRL is one of my favorite patterns. It’s easy and the result varies….emerges as the pattern is completed.

Links to my previous “filling a day of social distance” posts here.

June 06, 2020

Gleanings

June 06, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Continuing the blog post series prompted by COVID-19….

Gleanings for this week

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Volunteers Spot New Sites in Aerial Images of England - Archaeology Magazine – Volunteers and lidar scans…a productive combination!

Seven highlights from 70 years of the National Science Foundation - The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy - AGU Blogosphere – Deepwater Horizon oil spill, public radio and television, ozone hole, strong curricula for introductory science, deep-sea exploration, student opportunities, and COVID-10 response. It seems like the list it too skewed to recent years.

We don’t need nearly as much protein as we consume - BBC Future – Another recommendation of getting nutrients from food rather that highly processed food or supplements….and moderation too. Skewing the diet toward protein at the expense of other nutrients is not healthy!

The Coolest Kingfishers from Six Continents – I’ve seen the first three! All three in south Texas and the Belted Kingfish elsewhere too. Kingfishers are an easily recognized shape….heavy bill, bigger head relative to body…etc.

How Americans are coping with COVID-19 stress -- ScienceDaily – This report was prior to the additional stressor of George Floyd’s death….the racism of police evident in the videos of the event and the response to protests that seems too militarized. It seems like 2020 will be a pivot point in our nation’s history and how we all respond to the stressors of the year is important in the outcome. I hope that we can show the best of ourselves…our utmost caring for all people and our planet that is our home.

Ice Arch Persists Despite Warm Arctic – It won’t last long…the ice arch which prevents sea ice from drifting south generally breaks up in June or July. Last year it broke up in mid-April.

'New' Footage of Benjamin, the Last Tasmanian Tiger Ever Seen Alive | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine – A 21-second video from 1935.

Top 25 birds of the week: Seabirds - Wild Bird Revolution – I’ve seen most the North American birds in these photographs….except for the puffins.

Babies know when you imitate them -- and like it -- ScienceDaily – Most parents probably realize this to some extent…but the research teases out more specifics about how babies respond to knowing they are being imitated.

The remarkable power of the prickly pear - BBC Future – Grown as a crop for food in arid areas and then using the waste left after the food is extracted to generate biofuel. Wish we had more processes like this.

Unique activities for yesterday:

Aftermath of thunderstorm. I did another early morning in the outdoors – noting the aftermath of the thunderstorm the night before. Both birdbaths had been filled by the rain. The one in front is surrounded by day lily leaves…I’m not sure how often it is used by birds, but I like the way it looks from our front door.

2020 06 IMG_0077 (7).jpg — The sycamore tree trunk still looked very wet. I had forgotten the Virginia creeper climbing up. There were a few sycamore leaves that were blown into the yard…but the wind must not have been too bad.

The wetness of the leaves kept some of the maple leaves flipped over. It’s always surprising that the underside is so light in color.

Finally, I noticed a dead bee just before I settled into my chair. It must have gotten into the screened part of the deck and not been able to escape.

The rest of my outdoor time I spent making a couple of Zentangle tiles….and listening to the birds.

Mint as a fresh veggie. Mint grows so easily and comes back year after year. My front flower bed has a lot of it…enough to use it for more than a garnish. I cut a handful of stems and strip the leaves – it is the leafy green in a smoothie with chocolate protein powder. Yummy!

A Zentangle Prompt

Make a two tangle tile today with ROSCOE and SAND SWIRL.

Here is a tile I made yesterday based on the prompt: Three patterns to combine in a tile today: FAUX WEAVE, FEATHER FALL, and MEER.

Links to my previous “filling a day of social distance” posts here.

June 05, 2020

The New Normal - Shopping

June 05, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Continuing the blog post series prompted by COVID-19….

The New Normal – Shopping

From the later part of March to the end of May, we didn’t go into a store at all. We had groceries delivered to our house, picked up orders a curbside at Target and Pet Smart, and items from Amazon and other vendors delivered to our porch. The single most expensive item was a new desktop computer for my husband – shipped from Dell. Grocery type items were the most numerous…mostly coming from the grocery store delivery but soft drinks and cat food were sometimes obtained from Target or Pet Smart when we couldn’t get it from the grocery. We had enough problems getting tomato soup and my husband’s favorite brand of canned tamales that we ordered them from Amazon. And we got masks from Amazon.

We are shifting now to in-person grocery shopping…which is one of the major changes that marks ‘phase 2’ of our coronavirus strategy. I can a good first experience this week – going first thing in the morning, wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer frequently…and then handwashing after I had put the perishables away, disinfecting surfaces touched inside the house as I brought groceries in. Prior to the pandemic I always shopped once a week, but I am shifting now to every 2 weeks to reduce risk.

I’ll pick up my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share every week once it starts (hopefully next week) so fresh veggies will come in every week. The less frequent shopping might become a habit that will continue after the pandemic is over. It takes more time to shop in one week…but nets a reduced shopping time since there is only one trip to the store every two weeks.

Pre-pandemic there were a lot of products that we were already buying online; that shift is more pronounced now. Something that is a variation in that trend is new: ordering online from a local store and then picking it up at curb side just outside the store. We are thinking about buying an electric lawn mower…and that is probably how we would buy it.

What about things that we like to examine before we buy? Aside from food there is not much. I suppose there are some types of clothes I would want to try on….but I don’t need any new clothes at the moment. If I think back, I’ve been ordering clothes all my life….starting with the Sears or Wards catalogs! Shoes are an item I like to try on before I buy…but I don’t envision needing any new shoes in the near future. Now that the weather is warm – I am going barefoot around the house and wearing sandals or flip flops when I am out…an old pair of hiking boots when I mow the grass.

We aren’t in the market for a car. In the past we have always taken a test drive of the car we bought. I’m not so sure we will do that for the next round although I’m not sure the pandemic has that shift (it was already the trend). My current car is a plug-in hybrid and the next one will probably be all-electric. My husband’s next car might be a plug-in hybrid…or maybe an all-electric (it depends on the infrastructure available for road trips).

Related to shopping --- it’s not just how we shop…it is what we are shopping for. Three thoughts:

I am buying more things locally and buying some items I want to have in the future that I didn’t buy frequently in the past. Cut flowers is something I am buying more frequently; once I discovered how much I enjoyed having the irises in my office, I decided to buy a bouquet every time I go to the grocery store (when I don’t have something blooming in my garden to bring indoors). I want the vendors to stay in business. As far as buying locally – I’ve gotten produce from my nearby CSA for the past few years and will continue to do so. I’ll also be more likely to buy items from local stores that I can pickup curbside rather than having larger items sent through the mail…to reduce transportation costs.

There are somethings I am more likely to not buy at all. I’ve become more intentional about my buying during the ‘retreat’ at home. I am more likely to think harder about whether something I am purchasing is a need…or a want. If it’s a want…I want to understand clearly why I want it. Once I do that, it is often an easy decision to not make the purchase.

Buy ‘green’ whenever possible. An example is replacing an aging lawn mower with an electric version. It’s good for my lungs…and for the planet! I am keen to avoid plastic – particularly single use plastic; I’m thrilled that going back to doing my own grocery shopping means that I can avoid plastic grocery and produce bags.

In a few days, I’ll share my thoughts about the new normal…interactions with people.

Unique activities for yesterday:

20200603_193233(0).jpg — **Enjoying flowers in my office.** I bought a bouquet of cut flowers at the grocery store yesterday – the least expensive they had at $4. It’s a little splurge but worth the positive vibe it adds to my office; it puts the room over the top just a bit more than it already is as my favorite room in the whole house.

Writing most of the blog post sitting outdoors in the morning before it got hot. I typed on my laptop for about an hour before 8 AM. I heard some neighbors out enjoying the morning too…on the other side of some pines along the property line. The temperature forecast was over 90 degrees for the afternoon. It was good to get an hour-long nature fix while the temperature was still in the low 70s. Being about a story off the ground and having the greens of cedars, maples, tulip poplars and pines filling my field of view everywhere my laptop screen was not….it was a great start to the day.

A Zentangle Prompt

Three patterns to combine in a tile today: FAUX WEAVE, FEATHER FALL, and MEER. We already made MEER Feathers back on May 24th…this time try a more traditional use of the MEER pattern.