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?
