A Covid Christmas in California

December 23, 2020

Woke up to distressing news. Again. What else is new this year? Trump dominating the news with his heartless disapproval of the Covid Relief Bill that his party painstakingly tailored to suit his desires. Now he's faking concern and demanding $2000 individual stimulus checks. "Call his bluff!" yell the Democrats. "It's what we wanted in the first place!" Congress has left for winter vacation. All the bill needs is Trump's signature! 

We still have an entire month of this incendiary White House occupant. He delivered a flood of pardons to his corrupt cronies yesterday. How much more harm is he going to inflict on his way out?

Another disturbing news item is the discovery of the South African mutated variant of the virus in the UK. Scientists declare it's even more transmissible, with more genomic changes than the UK variant. What does this all mean? Are there other undiscovered dangerous mutants in countries with less sophisticated sequencing apparatus? In the US, I understand, there isn't a rigorous practice of sequencing the SARS-COV2 virus in new patients.

December 28

Rain at last! Went to bed with the splendid sound of a downpour, the first storm of the season. Waking up to the sight of water outside was a thrill. Anticipating a full day of rain fills us with joy. A brief hailstorm this morning - white pellets bouncing on our garden furniture - surprised us. After 7 dry months, a scalding fall, and a mild entry into winter, we are immensely relieved that our withering bushes and hedges will come back to life.

Trump has finally signed the Covid Relief bill so that's good news, though the delay did have some negative consequences. Three more weeks to inauguration day!

Another bit of good news is that the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine will soon be authorized for use in the UK. The scientists working on this vaccine claim to have arrived at the formula that will make it at least 90% effective against the virus. Phew! Other countries will no doubt follow the UK and a month from now we may be looking at a much rosier scenario than currently.

We are in the darkest period of the pandemic and Dr. Fauci warns that the worst is yet to come. Festive celebrations and gatherings which involved plane travel will translate to increased spread. Worldwide over 81 million people have tested positive for the Covid virus since the outbreak. Over 20 million cases have been recorded in the USA, with over 341,000 deaths. Daily new infections in the UK are now between 30,000 and 40,000. South Africa's numbers are soaring. They reached the worrisome milestone of 1 million cases yesterday and are recording 10,000 new daily infections. Medical experts are sounding alarm bells over the new variants which have now been detected in other countries. The president today announced a return to Tier 3 restrictions and mandated mask wearing.

California's Covid situation remains dire. We are currently recording between 30,000 and 40,000 daily new cases. LA can't seem to rein in the situation despite lockdown. The mayor and his team of health experts are speculating that the UK variant might be the culprit. Genome sequencing is in progress. LA is currently the world's epicenter of the pandemic.

Obviously, we'll never forget this festive season. We managed to make Christmas somewhat remarkable.

Our Attempt at Festive Ambience

On Christmas Eve, a mild, sunny day, we prepared a traditional meal centered around a Trader Joe's festive tofu turkey. Premi and Sri joined us and provided atmosphere and justification for our elaborate meal. I mulled a bottle of wine for the first time ever, thinking we'd need a hot drink to keep us warm outdoors. The heavily spiced hot beverage required some adjustment, but as it aired it mellowed out beautifully.

For dessert we had Christmas cake which I made a week earlier. Brandied fruit and more brandy after it left the oven kept it nicely preserved and moist. Served with créme fraiche it was a hit. We also had mince pies that Daryl labored over the day before Christmas Eve (and more on Christmas morning). I didn't realize how much I'd stuffed myself until later when my stomach felt like a lump of lead.

After lunch I had a video chat with Julia and Fabian in Germany. They were about to dive into their big festive meal all by themselves. Then I chatted with Max in Sydney and Pam in Perth. On Christmas morning - gloriously sunny - we took a walk in our neighborhood to deliver mince pies to dear friends. 

Then, relieved of pressure to cook a big meal, we chatted via Skype to the Ladysmith family. Daryl played Backgammon and chess via Zoom with UK family members. In the afternoon Bruce and Janette joined us for tea and desserts out on our patio. They brought along an exquisite pumpkin pie and sampled for the first time our very traditional Christmas cake and mince pies. We had energetic conversation, shared some laughs and avoided the current heavy topics. 

After they left we took a stroll in our neighborhood, which allowed us to admire the horizon at sunset. Yard signs are still around - comforting to know that we share our neighborhood with our tribe.

We ended the day with the final 2 episodes of an Acorn series we've thoroughly enjoyed - an Italian drama called "Sisters". Ideal winter holiday entertainment!

The next evening we discovered the Netflix series "Mismatched" which hooked us instantly. Avant Garde Indian movie makers exposing us to an unfamiliar, 21st century India where the youth are nothing at all like their parents and forebears. 

And so our sanity remains intact thanks to modern technology and scientists.

Festive Spirit Suppressed by Covid in California

December 14. A historic day in the USA. The Pfizer vaccine has been rolled out. Today front line health care workers will start getting inoculated. Back in the spring when I fantasized about this day I imagined we'd be uncorking champagne and dancing in the streets. But the daunting logistics and practicalities of vaccinating an entire population - a process requiring many months - takes the magic out of this miracle that promises to rescue us. Can't deny that it is most uplifting to know that each day will bring more bright news. More countries beginning their vaccination programs. More vaccines getting FDA clearance. Our individual turns to become inoculated drawing closer. The dismaying daily case numbers and deaths on Worldometers conjure up Dickens' famous lines. It was the worst of times. It was the best of times.

Covid numbers continue to skyrocket in California as well as in the USA. Worldwide, with some exceptions, the situation is also gloomy. Germany isn't succeeding in curtailing its numbers with "lockdown light" so from Wednesday the country will observe its strictest lockdown since the start of the pandemic. Christmas celebrations will have to be small and intimate. I know that things will soon turn around. When will that be? A month from now?

There's another reason that today is an important day in America. Members of the electoral college are casting their votes - a final procedure to confirm the president-elect before inauguration day. The Trump rascals will undoubtedly continue making mischief. We're 5 weeks away from inauguration.

Winter solstice is a week away. Had to don an additional layer on my morning 3 mile run due to the chill. Pandemic restrictions in the winter are so much harder to endure. With so many hours of darkness, a total absence of entertainment outside our home, and unable to entertain or be entertained by friends indoors, we are forced to confront solitude. Daryl and I have each other. We're able to keep sane. It must be hell for people who live alone. Thank goodness 21st century technology provides boundless opportunities for individual entertainment. And it's true that there is no reason at all for boredom. But we are social creatures, gregarious by nature. We thrive on interacting with our species even if its superficial. Now, more than at any previous time during the pandemic, I crave normal life with a manic desperation. Just a few more months. I can do it. And life for me will return to its technicolor splendor. Many in the world can't say the same for themselves. For many the aftermath will be awful -unpaid bills, job loss, grieving for lost ones, living compromised lives due to permanent effects of the disease, PTSD, and a host of other problems that don't even register in my life.

This year has taught me the importance of seeking out mood boosting activities. Bingeing on unhealthy food, though tempting, leaves me depressed! But splurging on fine wine and gourmet cuisine works. Nature immersion and brisk hikes are essential. Sunsets, the hooting of our resident Great horned owl, watching hawks in flight, the crashing of waves on a deserted beach, the sight of dolphins - balm for my soul.

December 17

Every morning this month we've been awakening to dispiriting Covid news. Record breaking numbers nationwide, statewide and countywide in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. California recorded a staggering 61,000 cases yesterday - almost double the previous day's new cases. There were more than 248,000 new infections in the USA with 3,600 deaths. We had 407 deaths in California yesterday. Germany recorded 29,000 new cases and 749 new deaths yesterday. Even South Africa is experiencing a frightening surge. After dropping to 18th place on Worldometers for holding steady at a low infection rate, they recorded over 10,000 new cases yesterday with 166 deaths.

Thankfully, another vaccine, Moderna's candidate is about to get FDA approval for emergency use. We know that things will get better. Other vaccines are expected to become available in early 2021. The tide will turn. But it looks like we're going to have to hunker down in our homes for a while.

Back in the spring when we watched how China was handling the impact of the virus we felt hopeful. They were able to get back on their feet and maintain an essentially Covid free existence. I imagined we'd get there too - though not as efficiently. While Australia, New Zealand and a handful of other countries had success, much of the world fell prey to the microscopic organism that aggressively latched onto hosts in order to create countless copies of itself. Interestingly, some countries escaped serious illness and fatalities. I gather the virus burned through Mexico. The government has been testing for antibodies and so far are finding 1 out of 4 to have been infected. Though many became mildly sick, the country endured a concerning number of Covid deaths.

Earlier in the week there were reports of a mutation of the virus in southern England where large clusters of infections were found. Questions of its transmissibility and change in the spike protein arose and so far not much is known. A mutation is unnerving. Will it respond to our current vaccines? This is why we have to eradicate the virus. Only possible with herd immunity conferred by effective vaccines. But it's necessary for everyone on this planet to understand this.

December 21

The new UK variant of the virus hogged the news in the last 24 hours. London and the regions south of the metropolis are under lockdown. EU countries are closing their borders tot he UK. There's palpable concern about the exponential rise in cases in England, dominated by the new mutation. 

A new variant in South Africa, identified a week ago, has triggered concern too due to its numerous genetic changes, including a change on one of the spikes. Though it spread rapidly within the country this new variant hasn't appeared anywhere else. 

Roll out of the newly authorized Moderna vaccine has been overshadowed by the new worrisome Covid developments. I think we'll always remember this period as a time of simultaneous hopeful and distressing news. We are witnessing the beginning of the end to the pandemic, but that doesn't translate to a less restricted, more relaxed existence.

It's the start of the 3rd week of lockdown in the Southern California region. Covid numbers here are still explosive. LA county is about to run out of ICU beds. New daily case numbers this week are now between 32,00 and 45,000 - a drop from last week, but still frighteningly high. Santa Barbara County's hospitals aren't overwhelmed yet, but our trend lines are the worst since the start of the pandemic.

It's the winter solstice. Today is spookily warm - a high of 80 degrees. It's been mild much of December. Dry too - with no sign of rain. Most dispiriting. But our weekend beach strolls were pretty uplifting.

Heavy surf, crashing waves, flocks of pelicans, a lone Great Blue Heron, blue sky, and a deserted beach - a great way to start our weekend.

Getting onto More Mesa Beach requires effort - an interminable flight of steps to negotiate from the bluff - but so worth it.

On Sunday morning we headed to a different beach - the stretch between Campus Point and Coal Oil Point. It too was surprisingly deserted. Students have probably left Isla Vista for the holidays.

Winter solstice ended with 2 noteworthy events. Congress finally - after months of deliberations - passed a Covid relief bill. $900 billion to enhance unemployment benefits, expedite vaccine distribution, and provide $600 stimulus checks for individuals.

The other big event was a rare astronomical phenomenon. The two biggest planets - Jupiter and Saturn - aligned together with the shortest distance between them and appeared in our sky as a big, bright star - the "Star of Bethlehem"!  

Covid Winter in California

 December 7, 2020

At midnight we in Southern California went into lockdown. We're back to spring restrictions with some exceptions. 

Months ago I was sure the worst had past. I was wrong. We have entered the bleakest phase of the pandemic. Hospitals are in danger of running out of beds and ICU units leaving the governor no choice but to issue a "Stay at Home" order. The state's daily case numbers have exploded this past week. Now the state is recording 25,000 and above daily new infections. On December 4 the state recorded its highest death toll at 204. We are so worn down by this virus. I don't think people are going to go into isolation like they did back in March. We know so much more now and this gives us a false sense of control. Dr. Fauci, medical experts and governing officials fear that with winter celebrations things could easily spiral into a bigger crisis.

Rudi Giuliani has been hospitalized for Covid. Yippee!!

Vaccines are about to rescue us but it'll be at least 6 weeks before the impact will be felt. The UK will be rolling out the Pfizer vaccine tomorrow. There's much excitement around that.

I generally hate being home this time of year. Ever since I retired in 2014 we've spent winter holidays somewhere warm and beautiful. I hoped to escape to Hawaii for the month of January, but it doesn't appear wise to do so at this point. Darn! The best way to keep my spirits up is to divert my attention toward big projects. I've taken on the huge task of scanning our photos from the pre-digital years. I've been enjoying resuscitating memories of adventurous trips as well as home events.

Dec 8

Historic day. V-Day. Today the UK began vaccinating the general public, with over 80 year olds at the front of the queue. 

The FDA is about to green light the Pfizer vaccine so the US will soon start its mass vaccination program.

December 11

Mum's 81st birthday. Had a Skype chat with her. She looks incredibly good but complained about the intense heat in Ladysmith. Luckily for her she has her grandsons to fuss over her.

Here in Goleta, we awoke to a chilly morning. After a week of obscenely mild weather, today I didn't rush out the door for my morning run. This resulted in elevated anxiety from checking out the news. Covid seems out of control everywhere. In California we are recording record new highs in daily infections and deaths. Same is true nationwide. Europe is having difficulty managing its surge, especially Germany where daily new infections are over 20,000 and daily deaths are over 500. South Africa is experiencing a new wave with steep rises in the past week. A nightmarish scenario as we head into Christmas.

Fortunately my morning runs ensure high levels of endorphins. At Stow Grove I've been seeing red shouldered hawks everyday. I've also been listening to Padma Lakshmi's memoir on my run. Enjoying it more than I expected. A talented writer, honest, observant, with an interesting life worthy of sharing with the world.

Festive baking has helped keep my spirits up too. I made Stollen using brandy soaked dried fruit and marzipan so of course it's a huge success. As with all yeast breads and cakes it swallowed up most of a day, so it'll be a year or two before I attempt it again.

 

Thanksgiving in the time of Covid

November 27, 2020

It's the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday. Traditionally the day when the hordes flock to the shops for bargains. Today, we aren't hearing horror stories about crowds pushing and pummeling their way to snatch electronics or whatever the latest craze is. One of a few bright sides to the pandemic!

Yesterday we made a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving meal consisting of Trader Joe's holiday tofurkey roast, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. We shared it with Premi and Sri who brought over home made ciabatta. 

We ate this meal out on our patio early in the day - at lunch time. The weather cooperated - sunny, mild temps, no wind. Yes, it's odd to have a holiday meal at separate tables, spaced out, but we probably had a better day than many around the country.

Election news has calmed down, mercifully. It's wonderful to peruse news websites and the New York Times and find more Biden coverage than Trump. Fifty more days.

With Covid now so out of control in the USA we have no hope of returning to a less restricted life until vaccines are widely available. I'm horrified at the numbers in California - twice as high as our July highs. What happened? We were making such good progress. If Europe can succeed in flattening their curve for the 2nd time, surely we can too.

Weekend morning walks spiked up our dopamine levels as usual. On Saturday after a pancake breakfast, we drove further than usual - to El Capitan - for a change of scene. It's within a state park so we had to pay $10 to park. We had no regrets once we stepped onto the deserted and delightful beach.

Cloudless sky, warm air, and the sound of crashing surf and sea birds provided a dream like setting for a morning stroll. A pair of dolphins close to shore greeted us at the start. A rocky headland forced us up to the cliff along the bike trail where a hawk perched on a tree gave us a curious stare. 

The campground buzzed with a few families feasting on celebratory meals.

Quite the perfect location to escape the reality of a pandemic and a messy presidential transition.

After a short stretch on the paved path we descended back down to the beach to enjoy its magical isolation.

On Sunday morning we hiked on the little trails around Lake Los Carneros. The air was chillier than we'd ever experienced this year. I had to wear gloves! But it was quite a delightful way to start the day.

It's December 2. The day began with the exciting news that the UK has approved the Pfizer vaccine and will start vaccinating health care workers next week. Here, in the US, there's much excitement about vaccines too. Pfizer and Moderna are awaiting FDA approval and anticipate a roll out in a matter of weeks. It's a weird time of the best and worst news of the pandemic. Experts are warning of an impending bleak situation due to family gatherings over Thanksgiving. In California Governor Newsom is grappling with how to avoid a lockdown similar to the one we had in the spring. Hospitalizations and ICU units are filling up. LA county health officials are urging people to stay home. The day ended on a sombre note. A new record of daily Covid deaths was recorded - over 2,800. New cases were over 200,000. Over 100,000 people are hospitalized.

Adding to our misery is another dry winter. Every year as fall transitions into winter I study the weather forecast hoping desperately for a chance of rain. So far we've been waking up to clear blue skies with not even a hint of moisture forecast. Fire danger remains high. This annual anxiety is my least favorite aspect of living in southern California.

Covid Diary as Winter Approaches

 November 19

Another "grim milestone" - 250,000 Americans lost their lives due to Covid. The situation just keeps getting worse. Now daily new infections hover around 180,000 and daily deaths are climbing toward 2000. In California our daily new cases are back to early August highs with daily deaths between 150 and 200. Our county, along with most of California, is back on the purple tier. We've lived with this level of restriction for most of this year. It doesn't affect my personal life and daily routines much. But it's heartbreaking that small business, especially those running personal services, have to shut up again. New York City closed its public schools today to stem the rise in infections. Yesterday, I saw a photo of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. Unadorned, it looked sad, a reflection of our national mood.

In Europe, the curve for daily new infections is flattening in most countries. Their mitigation measures appear effective. Daily deaths in England, France and Italy are about 500 each.

This will no doubt be the last big wave of the pandemic. In the next months vaccines will become available. Today, AstroZeneca (the Oxford vaccine) announced successful results with an older population sample. Widespread infection has the advantage of speeding up trials of therapeutics. Things will soon improve.

Thanksgiving is coming up a week from today. The CDC and Dr. Fauci are urging small celebrations and limited travel. We are planning to prepare a big lunch to share with Premi and Sri.

As if the pandemic isn't enough cause for high anxiety, the political situation still has us on edge. Trump continues to pursue corrupt means to throw doubt over the election results. Georgia conducted a hand recount which verified Biden's win though by a slightly smaller margin. The senate race is heating up. The democratic candidates are hands down more qualified and competent. But that's not what matters in a red state. Trump still denying the Biden team access to the information and means essential for transition. It's shocking that nobody has the power to right this wrong.

November 23

Started the day with good news. The Oxford vaccine has shown success in trials where they experimented with different doses. The lower dose produced 90% success. This is especially welcome as Covid infections escalate in the US. Daily new infections in much of Europe are now on a decline. South America has improved considerably too. In California we hit record high daily new cases a few times last week. But we are 36th in the nation in cases per million. On Saturday Governor Newsom announced a curfew starting at 10:00 PM and ending at 5:00 AM. Striking a balance between the economy and infections is impossible.

Despite the advice of Dr. Fauci and the CDC 2 million Americans were on flights this past weekend to get to their families for Thanksgiving. With festive celebrations coming up, things can only get worse ...

I feel less anxious than I was in July/August because I realize I can cope with the restrictions in place. I'm not worried about running out of essentials and I have the ability to do food shopping at Sprouts and maybe even Trader Joe's as long as I go either at opening time or at closing time.

We had a great weekend, considering the circumstances. On Saturday morning we woke up to a clear blue sky and mild temperatures. After a pancake breakfast we hit the road, driving out of town for the first time since mid-March. The big excitement of the day was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch out of Vandenberg AFB. At the exit off 101 we were astonished at the backed up traffic. We were clearly not the only ones with this idea! Once we entered Highway 1 it was smooth sailing. In Lompoc we drove down Ocean Avenue until a road block forced us to park in a shopping center lot. From there we marched past flower fields to a very decent viewpoint. Considering the number of cars lining the roads around us and the crowd on foot, we were able to easily keep our distance and enjoy the experience.

It was a breathtaking sight to see this marvel blast into the cerulean sky. The purpose was to launch an oceanographic satellite to measure the rise of sea levels - a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency. What made this even more exciting was that we got to see the booster return to land.

Hours later Stephen and Jacqueline joined us for lunch on our patio. We hadn't seen them for months so there was a lot of catching up to do. They are now settled in their new home and the one they had lived in for 40 years is now empty and about to appear on the market. We have so many precious memories of meals with them in a dining room designed especially for Jacqueline's dream round table. So we now turn to a new chapter to make new memories.

We ended the day with the final 2 episodes of the 2nd season of "The Hour", about a team of BBC journalists researching and reporting on important issues of that time (1957). A talented and endearing cast - sad for it to be over.

Sunday morning was less exciting than the day before but I can't complain about the 6 mile beach walk under a blue sky. Mild temps, few people, soothing scents and sounds - a beautiful start to our day.

In the afternoon Katya and Hugh joined us for tea and cake. They brought along their own tea in a thermos and home made poppyseed cake which they shared with us. We made a cranberry loaf to share with them. Like us, they've become disillusioned with the state of democracy in the USA. The GOP's shift toward uncompromising issues and refusal to respect venerated norms and traditions has moved the country toward a frightening brand of nationalism. The Democratic Party has an increasingly harder time to gain control of Congress and their progressive agenda doesn't have popular appeal. This is mind boggling and distressing. A lot of our conversation was about moving abroad. We weighed the pros and cons of living in the UK and mused about the choice of city and region. What about Portugal? They are currently pursuing the option of maybe a home here and another in the UK.

For evening entertainment we started watching Season 4 of The Crown. Everyone's talking about it so we decided it was time to see how Maggie Thatcher is portrayed and take a trip back to the late 70's and early 80's.

Today, as the work week started, there was much tension while we awaited Michigan's confirmation of Biden for president. One of the two Republicans on the electoral board which included two Democrats abstained, bowing to pressure from Trump and his supporters. Shocking and unprecedented, but the other 3 cast their votes and saved the day. In the late afternoon I was relieved to hear that GSA (General Services Administration) cleared the way for Biden to officially begin his transition.

Now we can turn our attention to other matters, like Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday.

Covid Times Post Election - November 2020

 November 9, 2020

We woke up to the momentous news of Pfizer's successful vaccine candidate. A greater than 90% success rate has been seen in their trial so far. They are in partnership with Germany's BioNTech and their trials are taking place in 4 different countries. The German husband and wife team of Turkish origin were quick to point out that they aren't funded under Operation Warp Speed. Pfizer has been promised federal funds for production after all trial criteria are met. What a great feeling to envision a Covid free future! Twinned with a post Trump era in just over 2 months, things are finally looking up.

November 12

I found myself humming and whistling a chirpy tune when I woke up and performed morning rituals. Unusual for me this year, and I realized it's due to elevated dopamine levels. Anticipating a Biden presidency and a Covid vaccine overshadows all the grimness of the moment. 

The Covid situation is spiraling out of control in the US. Even in California our daily infections are trending up. Nationwide, we are seeing record breaking daily new infections. In some places hospitals are close to exceeding capacity. No help or acknowledgment from the White House. PPE promised for the anticipated winter surge isn't available.

France is in lockdown and they're seeing close to 50,000 daily new cases. Italy is struggling with high numbers too. 

Trump still claiming the election was rigged and he's the real winner. Hasn't conceded. Continues to file lawsuits in states where the margin is slim. The nation's democracy being put to the test. How will this play out?

November 16

Eight months ago we went into lockdown. And right now the Covid infection rate and state of things is worse than ever in Europe and North America. Worldwide 55 million cases have been reported. The USA has now recorded over 11 million cases. Almost every state is experiencing a surge. Hospitals are in danger of running out of ICU units. Governors are reimposing restrictions such as curfews and gym and bar closures. Families are being urged not to travel over Thanksgiving. Locally, statewide and countywide numbers are returning to July and August numbers. In California currently daily new cases are between 8000 and 10,000. Daily deaths between 50 and 80. Our county is sure to return to the purple tier soon. Most depressing!

But, unlike in the spring, we now have an idea what's in store. We woke up this morning to the delightful news that another vaccine will soon be available. Moderna's candidate has demonstrated a 95% success rate in its late stage trial. It won't be available for wide distribution until spring of 2021, but at least we can see the finish line.

Meanwhile, a full week after election results were called, Trump still hasn't conceded. There's much anxiety regarding national threats and urgent domestic matters such as the pandemic and the economy. Biden and Harris aren't given access to the usual stuff to enable a smooth transition. The chaos and rot is sure to continue until January 20, 2021. 

Democrats have a small chance to control the senate due to less than 50% wins in Georgia resulting in both positions going for a run off in early January. The 2 Democratic candidates are solid. Jon Osoff has impressed me with his knowledge, confidence and charm. But Georgia is a red state. Biden won the state - just barely, but the senate race is a long shot. Stacey Abrams has been phenomenal with her "get out the vote" effort. Please, please, please, Georgia!!!

With the transition to fall I've adapted my daily routine somewhat. I still go on a daily run and spend a chunk of the day on writing and reading. But I now have to do gardening chores before dinner prep. It's dark at 5:00, forcing us indoors for too many evening hours. Our meals are different. Soups and stews feature a lot. Fall vegetables appear in our CSA box - yams, butternut squash, leeks, spinach. At Trader Joe's I've been please to find Brussels sprouts on the stalk. Young, tender, they are delightful shredded and roasted.

Our weekend morning walks are more enjoyable with the cooler temps. We went into the backcountry on a new trail - the Snyder Trail which starts on Paradise Road. It was necessary to have breakfast first - carb heavy almond croissants freshly baked (bought frozen from Trader Joe's) - in order to take on the steep climb. The air was crisp - we had to layer up, but we quickly peeled off layers. At first there was plenty of shade, but then the trees disappeared and a hot sun made the climb tedious. So we had to abort our goal of going all the way up to the top where, on a few occasions, we had begun this trail, doing it in reverse - also only half the way. 

Three and a half miles to start the day outdoors, immersed in nature, felt satisfying. 

On Sunday, at Coal Oil Point Beach, we witnessed a king tide for the first time. The first bit of beach was covered with water. Luckily the bluffs above provided an alternative way to access the wider stretch of beach where we were able to get down to the sand. A couple walking past us enthused about cavorting dolphins, but we weren't successful in glimpsing them this time.

The pleasant weather this weekend - after a chillier than normal week - was most welcome. We were able to enjoy drinks and nibbles with our friends Anna and Petar on their deck on Saturday afternoon. It's rare for us to have physical contact with people and when we do it's like a breath of fresh air.

It's Monday and a new pandemic week has begun.

Election Time During Covid

 November 2

On this day before the most critical election of our lifetime we can't allow ourselves to feel optimistic. Even if the polls are right and things go well for a Biden victory at the outset we are terrified of consequences. Cities all over the nation are preparing for unrest. Stores are boarding up with plywood. Both sides are volatile and fiercely desire victory. This is what it must feel like in chronically corrupt developing countries. The majority of Americans long to wake up from our four year nightmare. Now election day may mark the beginning of a new nightmare. Maybe it will all go well. Biden will win by a landslide and Trump will give his concession speech and we can then breathe and pop open the champagne.

November 3

Election day. We're all on edge, waiting for the results. Media warning us it may be days or weeks before we know the result. I think I can handle that. Much prefer every state carefully counting the ballots to a rushed affair and chaotic consequences. So far it appears there's calm around the nation. No reports of unrest yet.

It's a sunny day, mild temps, with signs of fall everywhere.

At 4:00 I'll meet up with my book group to discuss Alta California, a travel narrative of our state with historical context layered into the current account.

November 4

In 2016 Huffpost headlined with "Mourning in America" the day after the most disastrous presidential elections in US history. We've been in mourning ever since, willing time to speed up, desperate to live in a Trump-less future. Four years later, instead of a sweeping landslide to fire the most disastrous president, the race turned out to be scarily close. It speaks volumes about this nation.

Today we're still on pins and needles. When the results started coming in last night we were alarmed at the red electoral band across the country. All solidly Republican states remained loyal to Trump. After an awful night's sleep, tossing and turning, a sickness sloshing in my tummy, we awoke to hopeful news. Mara Liasson, national political correspondent on NPR, stated there's a clear path to victory for Biden. From the current state of things I'm worried that it could go either way though the NYT and CNN are predicting a Biden win. At the moment Trump is ahead in Pennsylvania, but as absentee ballots are counted Biden is closing the gap. It could take days for PA to finish up its count. If Biden wins this state it's one path to victory. Another path would be clinching AZ, MI and WI. Trouble is WI is showing a tight margin and Trump is already making noises for a recount.

We could be in this limbo state for days.

November 5

Starting the day with a headline like this helps cope with the tension that hovers over us. The whole world is holding its breath. Five significant, battleground states are still counting ballots and the difference in every case is razor thin. Arizona has been called for Biden by some news outlets, but ballots there are still being counted. Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina are hard at work. Every news outlet projects a certainty of a Biden win. Doesn't help my anxious state of mind though. If Pennsylvania finishes its count today and Biden wins it, we'll crack open the champagne.

Yesterday's NYT columnists, in their post mortems of the tight race, shared my disbelief. This election was no repudiation of four disastrous years. How do you explain why half this nation can't be bothered by what we endured? In the middle of a historic pandemic that is outrageously mishandled! Who are these people? They care about their own wallets, their guns and their desire to rob women of their freedom to choose abortion. Nothing else matters to these idiots. The scary realization is that had it not been for the pandemic, the economy would likely have held steady and Trump would have been re-elected. It's beyond shocking.

Another topic dissected everywhere was the polls. Why were they so far off reality? They suggested a landslide and wider margins in battleground states. Didn't happen. Even congressional races didn't go especially well for democrats. The Senate is always elusive - more red states than blue ensures that - but when a Democrat is favored in a presidential race, the democrats are able to wrangle a slim majority. Not this year. We are saddled with Mitch McConnell again! Worse, Biden's agenda will be crippled and in the midterms his inability to deliver will be used against him. The electorate isn't astute enough to see through this deception. Republicans will dominate Congress and so the pattern will repeat.

Meanwhile the USA recorded 108,000 new Covid infections yesterday. The experts are warning us that the pandemic is about to enter its darkest phase. Dr. Fauci's pleas for safety measures to bring the numbers down before winter fell on deaf ears. People everywhere in the world have reached saturation point. They resist the advice of experts, but if the central government supports the experts it's a huge help. Governors struggle on and in our state Governor Newsom's strict measures have made him unpopular. Our state is doing better than most of the country. This week the trend line is creeping up again.

A Biden win will help us get through the remainder of the pandemic. Sanity at the federal level will keep our dopamine levels up.

November 6

Still holding my breath. Progress on ballot counting in the last 5 battleground states going at glacial speed. More good news to start the day. Biden is now ahead in Pennsylvania and Georgia. Nevada appears solid. Arizona tenuous - gap narrowing. So hard to focus on anything else. Though every media outlet conveys a Biden victory the race is too tight for comfort. The best outcome right now would be a decisive win in Pennsylvania and if that happens before the day is over we'll be celebrating.

Trump sank to new lows at a White House press conference, disgorging wild claims of voter fraud and generally condemning the country's election integrity. TV networks, appalled at this attack on our democracy, walked away in the middle of the rant. Trump is pursuing several lawsuits, making demands to stop counting votes, and claiming fraudulent activity at polling places.

The Covid situation would've been the main news. The USA recorded over 118,00 new cases yesterday, and about 1300 deaths. France recorded over 50,000 new infections. In California and in our county new case numbers went up yesterday. There's frustration in the state that theme parks are closed as well as entertainment venues. Counties aren't progressing sufficiently to move to tiers allowing fewer restrictions. People don't want to follow safety guidelines.

November 7

We heard the ecstatic result at 9:30 this morning when we returned from our morning beach walk. Though media outlets conveyed confidence of a Biden victory in the past days it was a tremendous relief when Pennsylvania came through for him. Phew! Our four year nightmare coming to an end. Undoing the damage is going to be a monstrous task but for now we are savoring the moment. A historic moment with the first woman, black and South Asian, as our Vice President. There has been some unrest in a few cities during the week, but not at the level we feared. Today celebrations erupted in cities all over the country. So heartening to see this catharsis. Of course we still have to endure two more months of an unhinged Trump.

Covid news keeps getting worse. In addition to frightening surges, a new, mutated strain has appeared and it may not respond to the vaccines we're waiting on. This new strain migrated from mink farms in Denmark. Millions of minks will be culled. With few travel restrictions out of Denmark this new strain with an altered spike protein has been detected in a few other countries. Not good news at all!

Covid in the Fall

October 26, 2020

Covid alarm bells are ringing again with the urgency we witnessed in the spring. The expected fall wave is here after a summer reprieve in Europe. France is the worst hit with daily infections now close to 50,000. Partial lockdowns, curfews, earlier closing times for bars and restaurants and mask wearing are some mitigation measures. In the USA the heartland is having its turn, bringing our daily new cases close to 80,000. This third "wave" isn't a surprise. Epidemiologists have made the siren calls that without strong centralized government policy different parts of the country will be affected at different times. Utterly frustrating to hear the experts like Dr. Fauci urge safety measures and Trump the infant doing the opposite.

Fall is definitely here. Mornings are chilly. We've had to turn our heating on when we get up. Outdoor exercise is delightful in cooler temperatures. On Saturday at sunrise Daryl and I strolled on More Mesa Beach which we accessed from Mockingbird Lane. We had the beach to ourselves - so serene and magnificent - and we welcomed the strenuous climb up the many steps back to the mesa. On Sunday we drove to the backcountry onto East Camino Cielo Road to access the Fremont Ridge Trail. Cloudy cool weather was ideal for a good trek through the chaparral. A dense layer of mist obscured the normally breathtaking views, but we didn't mind. We went further than in the past, to a section where the trail narrows and drops steeply into the Santa Ynez River valley. The return, all uphill, gave us quite a work out. Normally, a 5 mile strenuous hike before breakfast drains me, but I stuffed myself with a scone from the previous morning's breakfast and that sustained me pretty well.

Cayden update: All evidence points to the acne treatment he has been on for a month. For some reason the prescription medication he'd been taking affected his liver and spleen, caused inflammation and persistent high fever. Biopsy results and blood tests exposed another issue - tuberculosis. Not the usual contagious kind that affects lungs and makes you cough. His is a latent form, which he might have been able to fight off had his immune system not been compromised. He was immediately put on a course of medication and all would have been fine had he not developed an allergy to one of the medicines he'd been given. He broke out into a full body rash so all medication was halted. He was thankfully released from hospital after a full week there. Now his rash is gradually disappearing and once his skin is fine he'll resume medication. We're all having an awful 2020 but for Cayden it's worse! Poor guy!

Eight days before election day. A tense time. Due to the pandemic states have opened up polling centers for early voting and turn out everywhere has been robust. Also many people are voting by mail this year.

I tracked my mailed in ballot and pleased to see that it's been accepted.

We are obviously hoping for overwhelming results in Biden's favor so that we won't have a long, drawn out fiasco after November 3.

The Trump team hoped for an October surprise similar to the Comey announcement last year. They tried to feed a Hunter Biden corruption story to the FBI and the Wall Street Journal. But only right wing fringe media went with the story, so it backfired. Hurrah!

Pleased with the lawn signs I've been seeing in my neighborhood!

For escapism at the moment I'm watching the Netflix series Norsemen. Farcical and satirical, it's hilarious. Just what the doctor ordered for these bleak times.

October 31

Three days until election day. We are nervous wrecks, wanting to believe the polls but the trauma of November 2016 keeps us wringing our hands. A Trump win will be unthinkably horrifying.

As the month ends the global mood is again one of anguish. In the USA daily new infections broke records with over 100,000 new cases reported yesterday. That's twice as many as India, 2nd on the Worldometers list. Europe's surge has exceeded Latin America's daily new cases. All of France will go into strict lockdown next week. So will England and critical parts of Germany and Spain. In the USA, mitigation measures are obscure. California is maintaining a low infection rate and my county's daily numbers are as low as they were before the summer surge. So I'm not despairing despite the fact that the country has now exceeded a total of 9 million cases since the start of the pandemic. 

We're ending the month with a week of summery daytime temps. Halloween today is subdued. Trick or treaters can't do their usual knocking on doors in their neighborhoods. Poor souls.

Almost 8 months of pandemic life and we've adapted to our restricted lives. No visiting friends at their homes. Nobody has come inside our home. Leisure shopping doesn't happen. Trips to the grocery store are infrequent, quick and guarded. Mask wearing is normal. Entertainment venues have remained dark. Though most of the world is in a state of limbo there are places where normal life continues. New Zealand, Australia, China, Taiwan, South Korea and a handful of others. We're all so desperate for normal. We're assured that vaccines will soon be available. Currently, the experts predict we'll know by December of a safe candidate. Then starting in January the public will start getting vaccinated, but it will take at least 6 months to reach everyone in the country. This puts us at June for a somewhat back to normal scenario.

Pandemic Diary - October 2020

October 2

The October surprise has landed. Trump tested positive for the coronavirus! Got the news just before going to bed last night. Melania positive too. Both have mild symptoms and will be in isolation for the next 2 weeks. It's all the news today. Of course I confess to Schadenfreude! By the end of the day we'll learn of more people in Trump's orbit who have the virus. My biggest hope is that it jeopardizes hearings for the Supreme Court Justice replacing RBG.

October 5

Donald Trump was helicoptered to Walter Reed Military Hospital less than 24 hours after news of his Covid announcement. So it's serious! Though all news outlets are covering the story details are murky. More White House positive cases emerge everyday. Turns out that the ceremony held to nominate Amy Coney Barrett in the Rose Garden was a super spreader event and many who attended tested positive. This includes 2 Republican senators on the judiciary committee.

Less than a month before election and the pandemic is again the big news. Trump's utter failure to handle the crisis. Plus his utter recklessness in continuing to campaign in front of crowds, endangering all involved.

My therapy this weekend was attempting to make sourdough bread. A daunting, multistep process that I doubt will become a regular activity. The outcome wasn't great, but it tasted right and looked passable.

October 6

A week of breathtaking Trump news. First, the New York Times exposé on his tax returns. We learned about his $400 million debt, that he hasn't paid taxes in years and paid just $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017. Next came the first presidential debate in which Trump shouted, bullied, interrupted and basically demonstrated just how obnoxious he is. And then came news of his Covid infection, serious enough to be hospitalized for 3 days to receive state of the art treatments, including an experimental monoclonal antibody medicine. His return to the White House was staged for television in keeping with his narcissism and dictator delusions. More appalling was his dismissiveness of the health crisis, showing no regard for the critically ill unable to access the services lavished on him, nor acknowledging the losses of grieving families. This is a desperate man who knows his days are numbered. 

We see ads like these everyday. In our community face coverings are the norm and when we see someone's bare face we cringe.

October 12

Confirmation hearings of Amy Cony Barrett began this morning. Utterly depressing on top of all the other depressing news. Talk about rubbing salt on a wound!

The news has moved on from Trump's personal Covid drama to his return to the campaign trail as an unhinged lunatic. It's been so stressful anticipating his corrupt attacks on Biden. Now we're three weeks from the election and my anxiety is even greater.

I confess I feel optimistic about Biden and Harris. The polls are showing strong leads even in battleground states. My concern is the senate. It's always nail-biting for the democrats to win senate seats in red states.

Covid news has turned grim again with frightening surges in the UK, France and Spain. The rest of Europe is seeing a significant rise in cases too. The dreaded fall wave is here. In the US, after leveling off at around 40,000 new cases a day for a month, our numbers are climbing to over 50,000 a day. Different states are at play now - mainly the midwest and northern states. California is holding steady at around 3,500 new daily cases and under 100 daily deaths. But much of the state is still in the purple tier. Our county has moved to the red tier. Curious to see if we can continue to keep our numbers down with the lifting of some restrictions.

October 19

California went into lockdown exactly 7 months ago, on March 19. While our state is holding steady with new daily infections, case numbers nationwide are trending upward. Numbers are climbing to July/August totals. Daily deaths continue to be close to 1000. Europe's situation is alarming. Daily new cases in France are exploding - over 20,00 and in the UK just under 20,000. Spain and Italy are reporting big numbers too. Daily deaths in Europe are currently low, but hospitals and ICU units are filling up. Australia continues to do well with a handful of new daily cases. South Africa also appears to be holding steady at between 1000 and 2000 new daily infections.

Elections in 2 weeks. I mailed in my ballot 4 days ago. Fivethirtyeight predicts 70% chance of Democrats winning a trifecta. But I'm nervous as heck. We absolutely cannot endure more of this insanity that grips us! The news these days is full of Trump's shocking assertions and denigrations of experts. "Dr. Fauci is a disaster," he vomited. It really does feel like a horror movie in which an entire nation is taken hostage by a lunatic, and amazingly about half the citizens are okay about it!

My family's main concern now is Cayden, who was admitted to hospital 4 days ago. Today, he was anesthetized for biopsy and fluid samples. A persistent high fever, an abscess on his spleen and swollen liver are symptoms presented. Kalvin is beside himself with worry. Initially, due to Covid precautions no visitors were allowed and that was alarming to leave a 14 year old overnight at a hospital. But Cayden tested negative for the virus and his parents have been visiting him daily.

Summer is over. We had long periods of extreme heat in September and October, but today the temperature feels autumnal. With the shorter days, my daily schedule has to change. I can't do garden chores after dinner anymore. Now I have to cut my writing and reading time in the afternoon in order to get routine tasks done.

Covid times Turn Darker

September 19

It's been 23 hours since I heard about the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The thing we feared most - and it happened 45 days before election day. When Daryl broke the news to me I screamed hysterically. For 3 minutes I cried with my head buried in my hands. I became lightheaded from lack of oxygen and walked around a bit, drank some water and then felt that awful despair blanketing me. Can 2020 get any worse I wondered? Silly question since the November elections could be a disaster.

Minutes after RBG's death was announced Mitch McConnell and Trump began making noises about filling her seat in the Supreme Court. Obviously, the Merrick Garland fiasco was ignored as you'd expect from the world's biggest hypocrites. We just may escape a 3rd Trump appointee if the few Republican senators with some heart decide not to vote. Watching our democracy crumble is heartbreaking. Why didn't RBG resign under Obama before 2016? Every answer I've read when the question had been posed to her is feeble. Points at remarkable naivety. She told Gail Collins of the New York Times, "Oh, I'm sure we'll have a fine next president." Seriously?

September 22

I've been waking up with a sinking feeling each morning since Friday's news. Of course the Republicans are going to fill RBG's seat. School kids decades from now are surely going to be horrified at this period of US history. Trump, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, the most corrupt creatures, were voted into power by an electorate manipulated by Fox news and who hold irrational views on guns and abortion. Driven by money, greed and power, Trump and his clan don't give a crap about anyone. A sobering lesson on how much power the president wields and how dangerous a corrupt politician can be. And now we'll have to live with permanent damage for decades.

The pandemic has been overshadowed by the earthshaking events of the week. Europe's surge is becoming a concern. The UK's Covid numbers are predicted to grow exponentially in the next weeks. Boris Johnson has imposed laughable restrictions such as pubs and bars closing by 10:00 PM. Locally, Santa Barbara and California are continuing to make progress. Good to see that even though it's taking us a while to get to low numbers, the current safety measures are working. It's very unlikely we'll ever go into a complete lockdown again. The worst really is over. South Africa is also continuing to show declining new cases and daily deaths. They've dropped to 9th place on Worldometers.

At this point we may have another 6 months of this unstable, restricted situation. Experts assure us that a successful vaccine may become available by December, but will need months for wide distribution. By summer life may be back to normal. New treatments may soon be available too as well as better testing capabilities. I'm just happy that it's no longer a challenge to access food supplies. In the spring and early summer we missed out on seasonal produce. Now I make a weekly trip to Sprouts early morning when it's quiet and I grab fruit, milk, tofu, etc.

September 27

I awoke to the dreadful news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's replacement, a devout Catholic, anti-abortion conservative. Thankfully, our Sunday morning beach walk provided distraction and therapy. Due to high tide and heavy surf, we saw more surfers than we'd ever seen this early. Dolphins close to shore and Canada geese flying in formation delighted us too. But after we returned home and went about our usual activities, my spirits fell again. It's staggering how fragile our democracy is. Watching the Republicans abusing their power with no one to stop them is jaw dropping. The Senate will always have a Republican majority with brief periods of Democrats in the majority. And now the Supreme Court is decidedly conservative too. Can nothing be done?

More bad news - another destructive fire broke out today in Napa Valley. A day of evacuations and structural damage. What despair! 

The day ended with bombshell news about Trump's tax records which the New York Times has published in detail. No taxes paid for several years and in 2016 he paid just $750. The report exposed shady business shenanigans and debt of over $400 million. Who does he owe this money to? Is this news going to have any impact on the elections?

September 28

Covid News: A million people have died from the disease. In the USA more than half the number of states are trending upward with over 40,000 new daily cases. Santa Barbara County has shown satisfactory declines and will be moving to the less restrictive red tier this week. With UCSB students moving into Isla Vista we're anticipating possible surges. Though classes are all online some students hope to experience some of that "moving away from home" excitement.

September 30

I feel restless, discombobulated, depressed. I can't wait for Trump to be booted out. Election Day is 5 weeks away but I'm bracing for ugliness for a while after while Trump attempts to pull out all stops to stay in power. How I wish he'd be dragged away, handcuffed and humiliated.

Last night at the first presidential debate Trump seized the opportunity to shout, bully, lie, interrupt and belittle Biden. Too bad Biden went on the defensive. Though he was mostly dignified he needs more practice fielding attacks from a reviled creature. All media outlets are headlining with the appalling shouting match that the debate turned into.

On this last day of the month, the end of summer, the start of fall, the Covid situation continues to dictate how we conduct our daily lives. Our county is holding steady with a low transmission rate and retail and personal services are opening up. Los Angeles has improved tremendously and statewide things are looking good. A 14 day average of 3,400 new daily cases and 84 daily deaths shows a promising decline from a month ago. 

Covid in California Six Months later

Summer is Ending

September 7 - My Birthday

A sizzler. Temperatures today and yesterday record breaking - above 100 °F. Every surface in our house hot to the touch in the afternoon. All windows and doors wide open. Yesterday we woke up to news about a ferocious fire in the Sierras and campers had to be airlifted to safety by helicopters. This morning an eerie sun glowed through haze. A heatwave, raging fires, a pandemic and a contentious presidential election coming up. I'm not going to forget this birthday!

Despite the gloom I spent most of the morning on video and audio calls with family members and friends. Comforting to feel cared for. Daryl baked a lemon cake and is planning to make quiche for a dinner we'll share with Premi and Sri.

It's Labor Day. Beaches are closed for stationery activities to avoid the Memorial Day fiasco which led to Covid spikes. Can't afford to undo the progress we're making statewide. Nationwide new daily infections and daily deaths are in a slow decline thankfully. Disappointing to see surges in Spain and France where they're back to April daily case numbers. It's a younger demographic affected so there may not be huge death tolls. We'll know toward the end of September. Meanwhile, India is the most affected with daily infections now over 80,000. Brazil appears to have leveled off. Latin America still a hot zone. Mysteriously, Africa's deaths are low. 

Vaccine news appears daily. Health centers nationwide are being asked to prepare for a possible delivery by the end of October. An optimistic scenario ... but, just in case ... Experts are telling us an available vaccine is more likely to appear in early 2021.

On the first Saturday of September we went to More Mesa Beach which we accessed via Mockingbird Lane. We followed the wide, straight trail to a steep flight of stairs allowing for an easy descent onto a sandy beach protected and shaded by cliffs. In the early morning, with the tide out, we enjoyed a magnificent stroll to Hope Ranch Beach and beyond before turning back.

September 10

The calamities continue to pile on. Currently, there are raging wildfires throughout California as well as in Oregon and Washington. Photos of an apocalyptic San Francisco with an orange glow over the Golden Gate Bridge appear everywhere.

Another disappointment is the suspension of the Oxford vaccine. A trial participant fell seriously ill with an inflammation of spinal cord nerve tissue. A panel of experts is reviewing the situation and will decide whether to continue or terminate. This vaccine from the Jenner institute, which AstroZeneca will manufacture, has so far been the frontrunner with thousands of participants in a Phase 3 trial in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and in the USA. Depressing with a capital D.

Making headlines this week is journalist Bob Woodward's new book in which Trump's disastrous Covid response is detailed. In recorded tapes Trump admits he's awareness of the scale of the impending pandemic back in February but deliberately chose to downplay it. Of course, none of this is news to us. Perhaps Trump faithfuls may actually demonstrate outrage. Maybe Covidiots will open their eyes to what we're dealing with.

Worldometers had good news. Covid transmission is on a decline nationwide and statewide. California recorded 1,616 new cases on Sept 8, the lowest since early May. Death toll at 83 and a return to double digits at last. The 14 day average of new cases is 4,316 and deaths 102.

New case numbers for Sept 9: USA 35,244; deaths 1,209; South Africa recorded 1,990 new cases and 82 deaths and has dropped to 8th place on Worldometers.

Though the trend lines look good, and I feel less anxious than a month ago, I can't relax. South Africa's economy now fully open can only spell a new surge in the near future. It's inevitable. We're seeing this in Europe right now. Here, in Santa Barbara county, students will soon be returning to Isla Vista even though all classes will be online. Everyone is anticipating a fall surge.

The fog rolled in yesterday and has kept our temperatures down, thankfully. The grey sky is a combination of smoke from wildfires as well as fog resulting in a weird light. I've been enjoying running on the beach. So effortless and energizing. Doing stretches on the shore facing the water is a thrill.

Sept 11

We've had just glimpses of the sun in the past few days. the sky is mostly blanketed by grey smoke. Even though there aren't any fires in our county, the rest of the state is being ravaged on an unprecedented scale. An apocalyptic orange glow bathes the Bay Area. A permanent dusk with ashy air. Similar to what we saw in Sydney in December. Our spirits are rock bottom.

September 17

With summer in its dying days we've stopped going for an after dinner walk in our neighborhood due to darkness setting in before 7:30. Our weekly walk up La Goleta Road to join Petar and Anna Kokotavich for a glass of wine has changed to an earlier time. Out on their deck the view of our backcountry is breathtaking especially as the sun is about to set.

We've been living with this pandemic for 6 months now and we've adjusted to a new normal. Life goes on while we employ modifications. Everyone accepts the need for face masks - glaring ads from vendors on every web page - and stores have been vigilant with safety measures. Restaurants have expanded their outdoor seating. Friends gather in backyards. My book group met at Oak Park where we sat on our folding chairs spaced out but happy to see faces. We've learned not to pine for normal and be grateful for what we have.

Right now, with less than 2 months before the elections, we desperately hope we are seeing the tail end of Trump and his clan. Though what he'll do in these weeks keeps us anxious. Will there be an October surprise?

It's a good feeling to see that our Covid numbers in the county and state are continuing with a downward trend. Los Angeles has made outstanding progress and their daily new cases are now back to pre Memorial Day numbers. The new daily case numbers curve for California shows a peak on August 11 and then a steady decline. 

But we can't sit back and relax. Nationwide, after a steady decline, new case numbers are increasing again, with 44,000 infections today. Europe's new surge is a concern, especially as numbers are exceeding spring daily totals. Many Latin American countries are still reporting explosive growth in infections, but Brazil has made progress. India's new daily infections are close to 100,000 now. A friend with relatives in India said that infections are mild. Deaths are relatively low and this could be due to strong immunity from living in unhygienic environments, eating street food, etc. Same is probably true in African countries which appear to have adopted a laissez faire attitude and not bothered to report daily new case numbers. Death tolls are low, so the guess is that infections are mild with few hospitalizations. We may yet witness natural herd immunity!

Vaccine news is prominent these days. The Oxford vaccine which was suspended earlier this month due to a participant developing a neurological reaction, has resumed trials at all their sites except in the USA. The FDA will need to give its approval. Two other leading contenders, Moderna and Pfizer, have released blueprints today. They essentially hope to have results in December or maybe January, depending on whether they obtain the minimum number of infections from participants on placebos. They are guessing that widespread distribution will start in spring 2021.

So we'll have to continue restricting our movements. Depressing, yes, but knowing what we're dealing with is helpful. The worst is over. We are more than halfway to freedom. There won't be food shortages. I can shop at Sprouts early in the morning and at Trader Joe's just before closing time there. Grateful for little things.

Wonder what the world will be like 2 weeks from now?

Covid in California as Summer Peaks

August 24

Foggy morning, thank goodness! After 2 sizzling weeks - due to tropical storm systems south of us - the lower temps  are blissful. Did my morning run on the beach, from Goleta Beach to the bluffs on campus, down to another stretch of beach and back. Found it soul nourishing. A balm for my battered spirits. Dry thunderstorm activity a week ago ignited raging wildfires across California. The northern part of the state is experiencing the worst of it, where evacuation orders complicate efforts to isolate and prevent Covid 19 spread. Our skies and air have been smoky. Firefighters from across the nation and even from Australia came over to help put out the fires.

Politics now leads the news due to the elections in just over 2 months. This week the Republicans will have their convention and Trump promises to dominate on each of the 4 days. Stomach churning.

The Postmaster General - DeJoy (a Trump appointee) - has been called for questioning by Congress. The Post Office has been taking down public mail boxes and other questionable actions are going on raising suspicions of potential problems with mail in election ballots.

Covid news has been muted. Daily case numbers and deaths in California and in the USA are continuing to trend downward. More states are showing declines than not. Europe, on the other hand, is dealing with new outbreaks and growing new daily infections. South Africa has stabilized to around 3000 new daily cases. There's still explosive numbers in Latin America and India but we aren't getting news that conveys the kind of urgency we'd been hearing about in Europe and the USA.

Cayden and Shrayen started school again today. Fingers crossed that all will go well until the end of the year. 

August 28

Covid anxiety lower in the last 2 weeks as countywide, statewide and nationwide new infections trended downward. California's 14 day average for new cases is 6456 and for deaths is 124. In the USA daily new cases in the past two weeks are above 40,000 and daily deaths around 1,300. South Africa's daily case numbers have declined to around 3000 or less in the past 2 weeks. India now holds the record for highest cases on a single day when their Aug 27 count was 76,800. Latin American countries continue to have high daily infections. Europe is seeing a worrying surge, especially in Spain and France. Everyone wants to avoid another lockdown, so mask wearing is increasingly emphasized.

I'm not expecting the current situation to change much until a vaccine is available. Openings, shutdowns, restrictions, the odd lockdown somewhere, successes, concerns, failures and disrupted student lives. There's talk of rapid Covid tests and new therapies (monoclonal antibodies in particular) and these will help with some sort of stability while we ride out the pandemic.

The Republicans just had their 4 day convention. Daily circus acts where they flouted Covid safety measures and spewed out lies and took credit for successes they had no part in. Trump gave his acceptance speech in front of the White House to an unmasked crowd - a grotesque act for multiple reasons. If we're lucky these may be the final months of this despicable administration.

My book group met at West Campus hosted by Adrienne. Perfect summer evening, mild temperatures, wafts of ocean smells drifting from the beach nearby. Chairs arranged in a circle on a grassy patch, overlooked by a row of towering palms. Over brown bagged dinners we shared our personal stories and discussed The Vanishing Half, a novel about twin black sisters from a small Louisiana town. One uses her light skin and straight hair to pass as white and moves to Los Angeles where she lives the American dream. The other marries then divorces a dark skinned abusive black man and returns to her home town with her very dark skinned daughter. Themes of prejudice in all its forms run through this very engaging book.

August 31

When NPR came on at 6:00 AM and I opened my eyes I was amazed at how dark it was. The peak of summer has no doubt past. Sigh! It's been the weirdest summer of my life. I want it to be over so that we can get closer to better days. Yet, I feel my usual sadness as it wanes.

Total identified Covid cases in USA 6,170,000; total deaths 187,000. Still trending downward with 42,000 new daily cases and 1,200 daily deaths. A while to go before returning to May lows of 21,000 new daily cases and daily deaths in the lower hundreds. Perhaps that won't happen since states in the heartland are now experiencing surges. California is making progress, reporting around 6000 new daily cases and about 120 deaths in the past 2 weeks. Governor Newsom has introduced a new color coded system for counties which details where they are and what they need to do to progress to a new level. Our county, like much of the state, is purple, the most serious level and this means no schools, no indoor dining, and restricted personal services. Other than that the economy is functioning with measures in place.

South Africa, after a week of an opened up economy still showing progress with new daily infections around 2,500 and just over a 100 daily deaths. Will be watching this closely in the next weeks. Curious to see the situation in mid September.

Australia has things under control again, with small numbers of new daily infections. It's the only country that has banned its residents from traveling out of the country. Max is stuck, unable to fly to Germany to be with his family.

Meanwhile, India now tops the world in daily infections which are close to 80,000. Significant new daily infections in Peru, Colombia, Argentina and other South American countrie. Europe grappling with how to suppress new surges.

It looks certain that there won't be another massive lockdown again here, or anywhere. Local governments may impose varying degrees of restrictions. In California, we've settled into a lifestyle that allows us to get through our days reasonably well. If this is sustainable then we may struggle on with some bumps along the way until we're saved by a vaccine.

Though we've found ways to keep our spirits up, the general state of things in the USA is unsettling. Black Lives Matter protests haven't stopped in some cities and often there's been rioting along with peaceful marches. In Portland there's been ongoing unrest, a situation not easy to solve and complicated over the weekend by a caravan of Trump supporters which resulted in a fatal shooting. Since mid-August Kenosha, Wisconsin, has been wracked by demonstrations. A Black man, due to illegal drug involvement, was shot 7 times by police and is now hospitalized. Trump's erratic actions and words keep us on edge too.

We're worried about the elections and the likelihood of corruption from the Trump camp.

I so badly want this pandemic to be behind us. I want to feel free to go to stores and visit friends at their homes and entertain people properly at our home. I want to go downtown and mingle with crowds, shop at farmer's market, have a Happy Hour drink, stroll through the Funk Zone, dine at a packed restaurant.

We've had some cool weather the past few days, which I liked. Made my morning runs more pleasurable. Our weekend morning beach walks were joyful in the fog. Coal Oil Point on one morning, and More Mesa Bluffs the next where we walked farther than ever before, all the way to the many steps that led down to the delightful beach. We headed east and found ourselves at Hope Ranch Beach where people were appearing in growing numbers. Climbing up the long, long stairway on our return gave us quite a workout! We were ready to pig out on crepes filled with sweet, juicy strawberries and rhubarb.

All of August, despite the pandemic, we were blessed with summer's bounty. In our CSA weekly box we've been getting exquisite tomatoes (heirlooms and other), juicy melons, bell peppers, strawberries and other luscious vegetables. I pop over to Lane Farms stand every Saturday for their delicious sweetcorn and whatever else looks good and easy to grab. I've also been popping into Sprouts once a week for peaches (at their peak now), blueberries, grapes, and figs. We've made peach cobblers and a peach tart so our splendid meals have been ending with scrumptious peach dessert every evening for a while.

Covid Diary August 2020

August 5

Overshadowing pandemic news today is the August 4 Beirut explosion of ammonium nitrate which was stored in a warehouse at the port. Massive destruction of the port area and numerous city buildings. 135 deaths and over 4000 injured. Heartwrenching.

Daryl and I have added tutoring sessions to our daily routines. Cayden and Shrayen, South African nephews who've been out of school since March, are falling behind in their math so we've been working with them via Skype. They seem to love it and are motivated and eager to please.

Covid numbers in South Africa are finally trending downward. 

California is showing improvement too, with new daily cases finally below 10,000. 

August 7

Due to computer glitches at the state level California's new daily case numbers this first week of August have been underreported, showing a 14 day average of 8436. Most frustrating. We are warned the number is higher. It's been over a week since the problem was noticed and amazingly it hasn't yet been fixed. Governor Newsom has been silent on the issue. We do know that the deaths are at a 14 day average of 130. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions have declined too after surging from June to the end of July. The new hotspot in the state is Kern County.

South Africa has leveled off at around 8,000 new daily cases and 300 daily deaths.

Everyday we hear about flare-ups in various parts of the world. It's clear that the Covid situation will continue to ebb and flow. 

My morning runs at Stow Park have been a blissful way to start my day. I'm thrilled to have found a successful way to get my daily exercise. These signs are posted at the park:

The shade from these redwoods, oaks and pines make it possible to enjoy my run. Smells, sounds and sights are all delightful enhancements to the experience.

August 11

Woke up to a foggy morning again. Most of July and this first third of August have started out with fog which lingers until midday to early afternoon. We welcome this. Reduces fire danger, keeps temps down. I'm able to go running on the beach, which I find immensely uplifting.

After breakfast I tutored Shrayen via Skype. I'm teaching him fractions, which is all new to him. My heart goes out to these kids who haven't been in a classroom since March. Though the school sends lesson assignments via email, it doesn't quite help them with absorbing new concepts. 

Russia headlined today with their announcement of an approved vaccine. Their new "Sputnik" moment is how they want it perceived. But the rushed process with no Phase 3 clinical trials is greeted with condemnation in the US.

Worldometers shows more than 20 million identified cases in the world with a quarter of those in the USA. India, at 3rd place, had the most number of new cases yesterday, followed by Brazil. New case numbers for the USA and California now showing a downward trend. We may be making progress in California but a technical glitch with the state's recording data systems have been showing underreported totals for the past 2 weeks. However, deaths and hospitalizations have declined and that's good news. Nationwide, deaths are declining too.

In South Africa, the trends look good too, with declining new daily cases and deaths.

I predict the same messiness we've endured the past 5 months for the next 5 months. Even countries with strong, ethical leadership can't control random hotspots. New Zealand, after 102 successive days of no new local cases, reported a small cluster identified in Auckland. Jacinda Ardern took immediate action, issuing lockdown until the matter was resolved.

China continues to have success, snuffing out hotspots, and able to resume somewhat normal economic activity. On Worldometers 30 countries show more total Covid cases than China.

Despite Covid gloom I'm anticipating reasons for optimism. The elections may go well. Vaccines may show success. The nightmare will end.

August 12

Kamala Harris! The news flashed on my computer screen yesterday afternoon and though I'd been wishing for Susan Rice to be the VP pick, I teared up. A woman with my mother's name could be in the White House in 5 months! My Sydney brother sent me an excited message as soon as he heard the news - early morning as he was getting up.

Good to have this bit of excitement overshadow Covid news. 

August 14

Awoke to a hot morning, but morning run in Stow Park went well thanks to the shade of the many towering trees. A sizzling spell is upon us through the weekend. Summer at its peak keeps my spirits. Balmy evenings, lots of daylight, bountiful produce, especially the tomatoes - heirlooms in our CSA box this week - welcome distractions from Covid. For dinner last night we started with slices of cantaloupe, which came in our produce box. Juicy, sweet, absolutely at its prime it reminded us of summer vacations in Europe. For mains we had plant based "turkey" cutlets and roasted carrots, zucchini and mini bell peppers. We opened up an Amarone to accompany this meal - and it matched splendidly.

The mood this week got a great big boost from Biden's VP pick, Kamala Harris. The more liberal left made some noises that their preference, Stacy Abrams, was ignored, but they're showing excitement too. I see now that Susan Rice - my preference - may not have generated the same excitement since she isn't as colorful and dynamic as Harris. In fact, everyone was sending links to each other of videos showing Kamala Harris showcasing her Tamil heritage. The Democrats have a strong ticket and if they don't get elected, this could only mean a deep dsyfunctionality that has to be addressed.

Covid News: Total identified cases in the USA has reached 5,400,000 with roughly 55,000 daily new cases. I'm not expecting this number to change since new states experience spikes as other states bring their numbers down. Daily deaths hover around 1,200. In California our 14 day average of new daily cases is now 7,700. Still too high. The past few weeks have been the deadliest since the outbreak. On 08/04 there were 202 deaths. Our 14 day average death toll is currently 136. In Santa Barbara County we had 75 new cases on 08/13.

This, I predict, is the new normal.

South Africa has bent the curve, reporting between 2,500 and 4,000 new daily cases. Daily deaths between 200 and 300 are higher than they've ever been. The country will lift most of its pandemic restrictions from August 17, 5 months after lockdown was imposed. Though this may result in a new wave of infections, the government is under pressure to balance harm to the economy versus Covid's impact. Same story all over the globe.

August 19

The Democratic National Convention which kicked off on August 17 dominates the news. A nice break from Covid coverage. The all virtual event is impressive in organization and creativity. The opening featured kids from every state singing the national anthem in the most heartwarming voices. Michelle Obama gave a stirring, impassioned speech on Day 1. Jill Biden assured us of her sincerity and compassion in a well delivered speech from an empty classroom at a school where she had taught. The convention has fueled hope and excitement. It looks likely that in November we'll be breathing sighs of relief.

In California an apocalyptic scenario from raging fires across the state, triggered by storm activity, has forced many people out of their homes. A ridge of high pressure moved into the state a week ago causing lighting, intense heat, and high humidity. We're wilting. Demand on energy has translated to rolling blackouts. 

It's six months since California's lockdown. The partially opened economy keeps us going. Grocery stores are stocked, restaurants are operating with expanded outdoor seating, and busy roads and people out and about give the illusion of normalcy. The state's Covid numbers aren't good though. The 14 day average of new daily cases is 8,089 and daily deaths 132. We're slowly bending the curve. Santa Barbara county numbers are trending downward as well. I would breathe a sigh of relief except that I know as soon as our numbers are low enough to be removed from the Governor's watchlist, we're going to open up schools and higher risk businesses and this will inevitably put us at greater risk of increased infections.

Nationwide the numbers are declining - daily case numbers hover below 50,000 - but we're also learning that testing has decreased. So, again, we're robbed of optimism.

South Africa has fully opened its economy since Monday, August 17. Tutoring Cayden and Shrayen may end next week when they return to school. The message given to South Africans is that they have just past their peak. Warmer weather is on its way and may help keep new daily cases low. The government is taking its chances out of pressure to resuscitate their fragile economy. Perhaps they will reach a stable, manageable situation until therapeutics are available. Also, the country's death rate appears lower than western countries, but there are rumors of inaccuracy. The African continent as a whole is showing relatively low cases and deaths. Not sure what the explanation is.

Covid epicenter still in Latin America (staggering daily increases) and the USA.

Europe's numbers are creeping up. Australia is showing improvement. China and most of Asia have modeled how to deal with a highly transmissible lethal virus.

I yearn for the freedom of normal life.