Rolled Up My Sleeve for 2nd Shot

 April 16

We woke up to another mass shooting - the 45th one this month! Eight people were killed at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. Yesterday we heard about yet another victim of a police shooting. A 13 year old Latino boy who had responded to police commands and was not a threat! When will this carnage end?

Globally, the mood is also despondent. Covid numbers are at their highest level worldwide despite vaccination efforts. India now reports over 200,000 new daily cases, triggered by a mega Hindu festival and driven by new worrisome variants. Brazil continues to see around 80,000 new daily infections. Much of the world experiencing vaccine shortages and challenges.

It's a weird reversal to now be in the more advantageous position. A quarter of adult Americans are fully vaccinated. In California half the adult population has had at least one vaccine shot. The road ahead, however, is by no means smooth. The nation's daily new cases hovers at just below 80,000. Michigan's crisis isn't letting up. But California's progress is a thrill. Our region will move to a less restrictive tier next week. Various organizations have started preparing for summer re-openings. Concerts at the Hollywood Bowl will be performed all summer.

April 20, 2021

On April 19, 2021, I received my second Pfizer dose at the DeWees Community Center in Lompoc where a mass vaccination clinic was set up. It was a smooth process, well-organized and efficient. How lucky I am to live in a wealthy part of the world and have access to inoculation just 4 months after vaccines débuted! It was lunchtime so Daryl (who dutifully accompanied me) and I drove out to Industrial Eats in Buellton for wood-fired flatbread to celebrate. 

Four hours after my jab I began to feel drowsy. Then my head began to pound. I lay in bed, listening to NPR. I started to feel woozy, as if I'd just been on a rollercoaster ride. Daryl could hear me moaning. He dashed over to CVS down Fairview Avenue for Tylenol. I didn't take any. My headache vanished after an hour. I developed a low grade fever and felt drained of energy. Four hours later, the bothersome symptoms dissipated. I was hungry, but could only tolerate something bland. Smashed avocado on a slice of toasted sourdough did the trick. By the time I brushed my teeth and turned in for the night I felt more or less normal again. I'm so glad I was prepared for possible side effects. My 4 hours of discomfort didn't worry me in the least. The vaccine was doing its job of revving up my immune system. 

Our relatives in the UK are excited for a loosening of restrictions after months of strict lockdown. New daily cases there now just under 3000 and daily deaths below 50. I was thrilled to see that South Africa has dropped to 20th position of total cases on Worldometers. Their daily infections rose a tad, attributed to Easter activities, but in general, they are maintaining a low infection rate. Thank goodness! My nephews, Cayden and Shrayen, love being able to go to school. Now they are impatient for normal interactions with their friends. Still a long road for them, and one with bumps, I'm sure. In a month or two, as winter approaches, they may not be able to avoid a third wave. Vaccination efforts are moving along. Their senior population has been invited to register online for appointments which will start in May.

Other big news: The Derek Chauvin trial has dominated the headlines in the past 2 weeks. This was the cop who knelt on George Floyd's neck for 9 minutes last May. Witnesses for the prosecution were emotional and authentic. A guilty verdict on all murder charges, much to the relief of many of us, was announced early this afternoon. 

Major accomplishment: A helicopter took off on Mars, flew a short distance and landed successfully. Another NASA triumph!

April 23

Day 4 since my 2nd vaccine shot. As my body builds antibodies I've been dreaming about how my life will change soon. When I return to the gym and dine at restaurants, the world around me will approach normal. California now has the lowest infection rate in the entire country. Even better news, this week's Covid numbers show a nationwide decline in infection rates. Michigan appears to be past its peak. Phew! What makes us nervous now is a decline in the rate of vaccination. Supply has exceeded demand nationwide. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is available again. The small number of adverse reactions have been analyzed carefully to figure out better treatments. Hey, people, let's do it! Go get your shot!

Outside the USA, the picture is bleak. The situation in India is horrendous. New daily infections at record breaking highs - past 300,000. Hospitals overflowing, oxygen shortages, the healthcare system unable to cope.

April 26

On Sunday, April 25, I went inside another person's house for the first time in 13 months. Premi and Sri hosted Sunday afternoon tea for a group of 7 fully vaccinated close friends. How sweet it felt to sit around the same table and engage in convivial chitchat with people we care about and whose company we relish. We stuffed ourselves with exquisite samosas, fenugreek dokla (an Indian savory bread), scones with cream and jam, homemade cheesecake, homemade baklava, and moist lemon cake (my contribution). Chai tea for the caffeine drinkers and herbal teas for the rest of us kept us hydrated. We hadn't seen Rayann and Marlene for close to two years. Much had happened in that time. Many challenges navigated. It was great to see Monica from the Bay Area again. Conversation was understandably robust.

Many parts of the world can only dream of the state we find ourselves in in California. Currently, India is in a crisis. For 5 consecutive days they broke the global record of new daily cases. But the 350,000 reported numbers are an undercount due to inadequate testing. Heartwrenching reports of oxygen shortages, overwhelmed hospitals, and awful deaths point to a situation worse than anywhere else in the world at any time in the pandemic. Immensely relieved to hear that the USA and the EU are stepping in to help. Other countries are lending their support too.

April 30

President Biden addressed congress a day before his 100th day in office on April 28. In a speech equivalent to the State of the Union he described his accomplishments, mainly the heartily welcome pandemic progress, and outlined a bold, ambitious vision for the future. His focus is on the economy, climate change, immigration, infrastructure, Russia and China. Media pundits have compared Biden's aspirations to Lyndon Johnson. The left, for now, is unified in their approval of Biden. We're in good hands for now and that feels tremendous.

As April comes to an end, the Covid picture is mixed. New infections in the USA are dropping. How good it feels to see the trend lines. Daily deaths below a 1000. Michigan now out of its nightmare. Parts of the country are seeing surges, but overall it looks like we're heading toward the exit. On April 27, the CDC loosened mask requirements for the outdoors. For vaccinated people masks aren't necessary unless it's a crowded setting. I noticed masks instantly ditched at the parks and by the beaches.

Now that vaccines are available everywhere at any time in this country it'll be interesting to watch the progress. We have a long way to go. A third of the country is fully vaccinated. The sooner the skeptics trust the science, the sooner we'll reach that light at the end of the tunnel.

Inching toward Normal times

April 10

It's been quite a literary week for me. Both my book groups met up this past week. On Wednesday evening we had an incredibly robust discussion on Zoom. Our selection, The Friend, sparked opinions and musings from everyone, each weighing in from their unique perspective. The book reads like a memoir, but it's a work of fiction covering themes of love, loss, relationships, pet dogs, writers, and the craft of writing. There's much philosophizing and analysis. The Zoom platform kept us disciplined - one speaker at a time - - sticking to the topic. Our next meeting in May will be like normal times at Leslie's home. We'll all be fully inoculated so we'll be sharing potluck contributions, and chatting unmasked. 

I met up with my other group (all fully vaccinated) in a garden under the shade of mature oaks to discuss the biography of Edward S. Curtis. He was a famous photographer of American Indians, and contributed significantly to our knowledge of native traditions. Our discussion was mellow, but it was great to see everyone in this period of transitioning toward normal.

This week I started reading Barack Obama's A Promised Land. I'm loving it. It's surprisingly accessible, and full of stuff that re-affirms my admiration for this remarkable individual that we were fortunate enough to have as a leader for eight years.

April 13

Good and bad news characterizes this phase of the pandemic. Now there's more supply than demand of vaccines. Discussions about when we can expect to reach herd immunity excite us. California may arrive there in mid-June to July. While daily new infections in the US are on a slow rise, California's trend remains good. 

Distressing news is a constant. Today the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been paused in the US. The first roadblock in the vaccination process since the Biden administration turned the pandemic situation around in the country. Six cases of blood clotting, including a death and a hospitalization is under review to determine linkage to the vaccine. The impact on the US isn't huge, since the government has secured adequate mRNA vaccines for all adult Americans. Europe and South Africa, which also paused use of the J&J vaccine, can't afford any more hurdles after the AstraZeneca headaches.

Overall though, things are looking up. Yesterday (April 12), for the first time in 14 months, Daryl and I spent the entire day on the road. We hoped to capture some of the exhilarating experience we'd had in 2019 on a loop that took us past Ojai through the rugged Wheeler Gorge landscape, the unspoiled Sespe, and then across an agricultural stretch before heading west on Soda Lake Road to the Carrizo Plains. A wet winter two years ago resulted in an explosion of wildflowers carpeting the landscape. Of course, the meagre rain this past winter kept our expectations low. Still, the scarcity of poppies and lupines and total absence of desert blooms astonished us. Clumps of flowering ceonothis on mountain slopes offered some satisfaction, but the already colorless landscape was dispiriting. Nevertheless, the drive out of town marked a change in our psyche. A signifier of a change from a year ago.

Sespe Wilderness as seen from Highway 33

Soda Lake Road is a narrow, unpaved road and for quite a long stretch the landscape is barren. Tumbleweeds provide the main entertainment. Then patches of white appear (salt pans). In a wet year the desert blooms would be at their peak in April. We ate our picnic lunch (focaccia, avocado, cheese, salad, fruit) at what would have been the heart of the area's beauty.

Salt Pan - Carrizo Plains

We gazed at the beige hills framing the plains, willing them to turn bright yellow like we'd seen them on our previous trip. We discerned hints of yellow and a bleak telegraphing of many months of fire threat in store.

The drive west to Santa Margarita was remarkably windy with steep climbs and descents. A coffee stop at the sleepy hamlet jolted our spirits for the simple reason that it was the first time in over a year that we were consuming coffee from a cafe. We were back in the world of people!

We hit the highway, crossed Cuesta Grade and exited at Shell Beach for gas and cake from our favorite Deli. Lemon bars and more coffee deserved to be enjoyed with a seaview. On this fine sunny day there were tons of people of all ages around us, but we were completely relaxed a safe distance away on a park bench with an unobstructed view of the blue expanse and iconic cliffs. 

Next, we headed to Pismo Beach. It's become quite the la-di-da beach town, thrumming with visitors. 

Pismo Beach Pier

We strolled to the end of the finely constructed pier, took in the views and then the wide stretch of sandy beach tempted us. It was low tide too and since we'd been in the car all day, a long, long walk in this gorgeous setting was the obvious way to round off our day's excursion.

Our minds are already on the post-pandemic future. Plans for the summer of 2022 already in nascent stages.

Covid Diary in Mid Spring

April 2, 2021

The good news is that over 3 million vaccine shots are administered in the US each day. A third of the nation has received at least one shot. Close to 20% are fully vaccinated. In my region there's definitely the sense that the end is in sight. After a traumatic January in California I've noticed more responsible behavior regarding face coverings and distancing. Now our local Covid picture looks more promising every day.

The bad news is that the virus mutants of concern have gained a foothold in parts of the US, leading to a 4th wave in these regions. Though the experts are passionately urging caution and patience, it's obvious that this wave won't be as serious as the winter surge. There's an expectation of things getting worse in parts of the US through April. More deaths, hospitalizations and Covid headaches. Humans, we've learned, are impatient, obstinate and selfish. Ultimately, vaccines will win the race. The month of May will be merry.

Outside of America the pandemic rages on. Europe's 4th surge. India at almost 100,000 daily new infections. Brazil a disaster. But South Africa is doing surprisingly well, with new infections hovering around 1000 a day. In fact, no new restrictions were imposed over Easter weekend, much to everyone's surprise. However, their vaccination program hasn't really kicked into gear yet.

It's Good Friday today - a normal day in the US. I made hot cross buns yesterday. The spicing and fruitiness were perfect, but the texture much too dense. I used a combination of whole wheat and white flour and I should've allowed more proofing time. But right out of the oven with tea, they were a treat. And then for breakfast this morning what could be better than warmed, buttered hot cross buns? In the afternoon Premi and Sri showed up with hot cross buns that Premi had made. They were huge, airy and conventional looking. We munched them with tea on our patio. I was too embarrassed to offer them any of the ones I'd made!

April 5

Another quiet Easter weekend. A highlight was a 6 mile beach stroll on Saturday morning right after breakfast (more hot cross buns). Thick fog, cool temperatures and low tide provided the incentive to head out to More Mesa. Delightfully quiet, we just kept walking until pressing home chores forced us to turn around. The fog dissipated and the sun became brighter and more intense on the stretch across the unshaded field. A perfect spring day.

In the early evening Bruce and Janette joined us for a convivial meal on our patio. Fine champagne, rosemary flavored cauliflower soup, a roasted beet salad, falafel, chocolate cake and pleasant conversation. Bruce's book Switched is launching this week. Particularly exciting because he took on a new concept and because his beloved departed Riley, inspired the story. What a timely tribute to his adored dog!

April 6

Caught this iris before it vanishes

Clivia - one of my favorites

Gardens in our area are at their best in the spring time, regardless of how little winter rain we've had. The long dry stretch from May to December is considerably less colorful!

Tomato plants are taking root in our vegetable planters, and in a week or two the seeds we've sown will emerge into seedlings and will need thinning. I'm loving the extra daylight after dinner for garden chores. Now I have more daytime hours for reading and writing.

The Covid landscape out here where we live is almost as bright as spring blooms. California now has the lowest positivity rate (1.7) in the nation! We were the global epicenter of the pandemic in January, so this is a drastic improvement. Now every adult is eligible to receive a vaccine. Today, Governor Newsom has announced that the economy will open fully on June 15. Of course, unpredictable factors could mar our progress. However, on May 4, I'll be two weeks past my 2nd shot and sufficiently inoculated to venture out into the world.

April 7 - Today the CDC informed us that the B117 variant, as expected, is now the dominant strain in the US. Depressing! 

The latest on the AstraZeneca vaccine is that it likely linked to rare instances of blood clotting. Mostly women under 60 were affected, but risk factors haven't been determined. Now, in the UK, under 30's will be offered an alternative vaccine. It's unlikely that the US will use this vaccine since we have more than adequate supplies of Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson. Thank goodness!

I'll remember this phase of the pandemic as one of disorientation arising from the mixture of daily optimistic news coupled with distressing news.