There are now 6,396,349 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the USA. There have been 191,766 deaths from the virus here as well. A new model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicts that number could rise to 410,451 deaths by January 1, 2021 without a universal mask mandate in this country...but Trump will never go for that. In fact, he said recently that the main victim of the virus was his re-election bid...and pondered aloud if China had unleashed the virus purposefully to stymie his chances.
VIRUS NEWS:
A new book by Bob Woodward, author of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN about the Watergate scandal, is releasing a new book, RAGE, in which the president admits (on tape recordings that he had consented to) of knowing how deadly the virus is and how he has been downplaying it.
Trump admits that he "perhaps" mislead the public about the severity of the coronavirus to "reduce panic". (Not that letting 190,000 people die had a calming effect on anyone...) Various other Republicans also came to his defense about this issue. In the recordings, he says he didn't want to cause a frenzy. I believe he meant with the stock market. If he meant people in general and he knew how deadly the virus was and that it was airborne, why would he continue to have unmasked, non-socially distant rallies (such as the one in North Carolina earlier this week) and other events? Why didn't he push for and encourage his supporters to wear masks at the very least? That's not saving lives. That is knowingly leading them to death.
Joe Biden says Trump's concealment of coronavirus knowledge is "almost criminal."
Pence denies that the president's downplaying of the pandemic hampered the response to the virus.
Dr. Scott Atlas, the radiologist who apparently is the one Trump is listening to in regards to the pandemic, has been using made up statistics and false claims in his praise of the White House's pandemic response. He is so outrageous, he is making other public health experts nervous.
Republicans in general are also using debunked theories to lower/downplay the death toll from the virus.
The president has stated that North Carolina is using the coronavirus in an attempt to hurt his re-election chances (but, of course, offered no evidence to back this up).
A Republican official in Kansas appears to have blatantly said that his state would not have many cases because there were very few Chinese people there.
Recently, the president said we were 'rounding the corner' in regards to the virus. Dr. Anthony Fauci has no idea what he meant.
Medical records suggest that the virus was loose in Los Angeles before China even announced the outbreak.
The USAID is shutting down its coronavirus task force.
Half of our troops see the coronavirus as a major threat to the military. Wearing masks could become a standard practice for those in the service.
A poll in New Hampshire showed that those who consume conservative media are less likely to wear masks. (What a surprise. NOT!)
Alcona County in Michigan is telling its citizens to ignore pandemic restrictions and return to life as normal. This is in spite of the governor's plan to keep virus restrictions in place until there is a vaccine.
A QAnon reporter said that if anyone gets infected with the virus after attending a Trump rally, they are either a paid left-winger or a hoax.
A New York City couple were removed from a ferry for refusing to wear masks. They say they were targeted for being white.
In a London subway, a maskless rider was asked to put one on---and headbutted the person who said something to him.
Trump has boasted that his non-socially distant/mask-optional rallies are "peaceful protests" to get around COVID rules in various states.
The staff at a nursing home in Michigan where 18 people died were told not to wear masks for fear of scaring the residents.
Face masks with a built-in gun pocket are the new vogue thing for Trump supporters. (Hey, at least they are wearing masks...)
A 47-year-old man spit in a mask-wearing child's face in Florida and told the kid he now had the virus.
A small wedding in Minnesota has lead to at least 70 cases of infection.
Wisconsin saw roughly 1,500 Bikers For Trump rally their way through the state last weekend with little or no social distancing or masks.
More than 250,000 cases of the virus have now been linked back to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It is estimated that the cost involved will be $12.2 million for those infected. The governor of South Dakota who allowed/welcomed the rally says the number of cases related to the event are "made up."
Iowa refuses to close bars or require masks, despite surging cases.
As states loosen in-restaurant dining restrictions, the CDC warns of increased COVID 19 risk for dining indoors at eateries.
Members of a church congregation in West Virginia, including the pastor, have tested positive.
A Washington State University basketball coach hosted a party in her driveway in one of the states hot spots.
A carnival in Missouri was shut down for not having permits and not having a virus safety plan in place.
Nebraska has dropped almost all of their COVID 19 mandates and precautions.
TIME magazine posted an article on how America failed the coronavirus situation.
Wall Street research has become the latest source of coronavirus disinformation.
Since the Woodward tapes were revealed, a reporter asked Trump why he lied about the virus. Trump was not happy...
More than a half million children have tested positive since the pandemic started.
Kids with COVID 19 or the flu are equally prone to severe illness.
The post-COVID 19 inflammatory syndrome that has been showing up in some children is more puzzling than scientists first thought.
More students are back in classes now, and cases in children and those in college are now climbing.
Connecticut reports a rise in cases as schools reopen there.
Minnesota went back to school--online.
A school district in Florida has seen virus rates triple since school resumed.
A third-grade teacher in South Carolina has died from the virus.
The deaths of teachers from at least three states have raised the alarm about in-class education. (DUH!)
A high school in New York had to quickly switch to virtual learning after an adult at the school tested positive for the virus.
A high school in New Jersey also switched to virtual learning after an infection that was thought to have happened during a gathering over the holiday weekend.
A high school football team in Nebraska was quarantined after a player tested positive for the virus.
High school football is happening once again in Florida, but at a recent game, there was little social distancing or mask use. One doctor called it a "super spreader event".
The pandemic has experts worried about an increase in teen suicide.
A few student parties lead to a large outbreak and to State University of New York having to close down.
A maskless frat party in New Hampshire has led to an outbreak there.
Video of a large party in Washington Park had New York University reminding its student population to stay socially distant. At least 20 students were suspended.
Despite COVID 19 concerns, college students partied away over Labor Day weekend.
After dropping down to single digits, the University of Dayton is seeing double-digit new infections on a daily basis again.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has directed 9 sororities and fraternities to quarantine due to outbreaks there.
A Texas Tech student was at a party and claimed to have COVID 19 on video. The university is said to be looking into the video.
A 20-year-old college football player in Pennsylvania is believed to have died from COVID 19.
The University of Colorado Boulder had 30 more infections reported on Wednesday.
A pontoon party may land several students from Indiana University in hot water.
The University of Georgia has seen the number of cases leap up and up.
The University of Missouri chancellor has blocked students from tweeting about the lack of COVID 19 protections at the school.
The mayor of Tuscaloosa reopened bars...even as virus infections soar at the University of Alabama.
College students are already itching to sue fraternities over virus infections.
Northwestern University dismissed 11 students for not following virus guidelines and did not refund their tuition.
More than 600 University of Alabama students were sanctioned for breaking coronavirus rules.
College-age adults in Erie County, New York are driving up the COVID 19 numbers there.
A college in New Jersey already has 100 cases of the virus...and will probably get more.
This report shows every college in the New England region and the number of cases each college campus has.
Why are some students breaking the COVID 19 rules? This report looks into the psychology of their behavior.
The coronavirus is mutating. Here is why it matters.
A World Health Organization official warned that there is no widespread COVID-19 vaccine expected until mid-2021.
Kamala Harris says she wouldn't trust Trump with any vaccine that came out before the election. (She ain't the only one...)
Vaccine makers are pushing back on pressure to deliver by election day.
Even if a vaccine was miraculously available today, it would not instantly save the world economy or put things back to normal, says this report.
AztraZeneca, the company making a virus vaccine out of Oxford, has paused its study when a test subject develops an unexplained illness.
Pfizer's CEO is still optimistic about the company's vaccine's progress by October.
Volunteers in the Austin, Texas area are needed for a vaccine trial there.
Ivanka Trump said she would take the vaccine, once one is found, live on THE VIEW.
When and if a vaccine is found, 8,000 cargo planes will be needed to deliver it around the world.
Remdesivir, the drug currently in use to combat the virus, is being rationed here but is in plentiful supply elsewhere.
Costa Rica is readying horse antibodies for trials as an inexpensive virus therapy.
A type of UVC (Not UV) light inactivates the coronavirus in seconds. Low doses of it, which are thought to be safe for humans, could disinfect indoors, even with people in the room (as opposed to typical UV which harms eyes and skin).
Finding a COVID 19 testing site for children can be difficult.
The US has purchased all 150 million $5 rapid coronavirus tests Abbott has made and will produce this year.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate Joe Biden recently had a coronavirus test and stated he will now be tested regularly.
A Tennessee woman, who died six months ago, just recently received a notice in the mail that she tested positive for COVID 19.
There is a new test awaiting FDA approval that tests for COVID 19, the flu and RSV all at once.
Coronavirus testing is apparently supposed to be free...but the "surprise bills" come anyway.
The White House is ending COVID 19 screening for arriving international flight passengers.
A new 20-second screening test is being tried out at Heathrow Airport in the UK.
One report says that Trump has been very successful in slowing down testing.
Virus testing at one lab in Boston has been suspended after nearly 400 false positives were reported.
A study suggests that those with a Vitamin D deficiency are more at risk to COVID 19.
Researchers have more evidence linking smoking and vaping with more severe COVID 19 cases.
A teenage girl in India with COVID 19 was apparently raped in an ambulance by a bogus ambulance driver on the way to the hospital.
Why is COVID 19 so devastating for obese people, even the young? This article examines the situation.
A 73-year-old man in Southern California beat COVID 19, despite the odds being against him.
A 93-year-old woman also beat it.
A senior church leader in the Ukraine who called the coronavirus God's punishment for same-sex marriage has come down with the virus.
The woman who blasted politicians in her father's obituary, lashed out at the president for knowingly lying about the deadliness of the virus.
Healthcare workers have taken to Tik Tok to dispel coronavirus rumors.
The financial pain for Americans during the pandemic is much, much worse than originally expected.
If delayed mortgage payments from the virus are coming due, here are options for you.
The GOP's new plan for a stimulus plan (countering the one the House passed in May) does not include another stimulus check nor additional unemployment benefits for the millions still out of work, but includes a huge influx of cash for the already-dying and obsolete coal industry. Senate Democrats (and a few Republicans) blocked the Senate's bill. But as the talks stall, vulnerable democrats are anxious.
There are 57 people facing federal fraud charges for trying to steal $175 million in virus relief funding. Two brothers in New York face 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted in their scheme to steal $7 million in funding.
South Dakota's governor used $5 million in coronavirus relief funds for a tourism ad, even while cases are ticking up in the state.
An out-of-work New Jersey man started a food bank for those in need during the pandemic, which has grown beyond his wildest dreams.
A Southern California man is making desks for students who are having to distance learn at home who need a desk to work from.
A celebrity trainer says she let her guard down for an hour, went to a gym to workout, and caught COVID 19. Now she warns others to avoid gyms.
Scientists are seeing accelerations in many types of pandemics, including the current one, and point to climate change as the culprit.
A reporter on CNN revisited headlines from 6 months ago to hypothesize how this time will be regarded in history.
Travel shaming is a thing in this time of the virus. I understand it -- but have taken a few mini-trips myself and will very soon be flying (YIKES!) off to see my mom, brother and nephew. Life goes on... You just have to TRY and be careful.
The European Union is pushing for its countries to make common COVID 19 testing rules instead of travel bans.
Universal Studios Orlando and Disneyworld in Florida reached their coronavirus capacity crowd limits recently for the first time since reopening.
TENET, the movie Hollywood is hoping will lure people back into theaters, only made $20 million over the first 5 days of its opening. Many theaters across the country are still shuttered or operating on a limited capacity.
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE is back in production with new "COVID-friendly" episodes slated to start appearing next month.
An 80-year-old bakery is helping customers celebrate during the pandemic.
Home Depot has canceled Black Friday this year out of virus concerns.
The Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada is apparently eligible for a coronavirus relief grant.
GLOBAL:
There have been 28,161,373 confirmed cases of the virus around the world. There have been 909,479 deaths from the virus globally.
India is exploding with cases. On Sunday alone, the country reported 90,632 new cases for the day and more than 1,000 deaths.
According to Fox News, Mexico has run out of death certificates as the virus claims more and more lives there.
Peru locked down early---but now has one of the worst outbreaks.
Colombia's death toll has surpassed 21,000.
Chile had 1,482 new cases reported yesterday.
Brazil is looking to early 2021 for a vaccine roll out.
Europe has become a hot spot for the virus once again.
The UK had its highest daily number of confirmed new cases on Sunday since May, with 2,988.
The BBC announced new government policies in the UK that will be in place through next spring in an attempt to prevent another lockdown. Winter is predicted to be worse for virus cases:
Germany announced new travel warnings for European regions.
Germany's new infection rate has risen to the highest it has been since April.
France had nearly 10,000 new cases reported yesterday, the most since the start of the pandemic. The government there is having to make several tough decisions.
Despite a strict lockdown, Spain is seeing a huge spike in new cases. As the country is having a second wave, experts said the rest of the world can learn valuable lessons from it.
Italy's tourist industry will lose about 100 billion Euros in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Switzerland's post-COVID 19 economic recovery is among the best in the world.
STATES:
Massachusetts added 363 new cases and 20 deaths yesterday. The state listed the 13 communities within the state with the highest rate of infection.
New Jersey had 356 new cases as of Wednesday and 7 new deaths.
Maryland is planning on buying and deploying 250,000 testing kits in the coming week. The state added 503 new cases yesterday and has been added to the COVID-19 travel advisory lists in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut due to the recent spike in new cases.
North Carolina has been seeing a higher-than-usual number of deaths linked to the virus lately. This constant increase is keeping the state in the red zone. Yesterday, the state had 1,222 new cases and 32 deaths.
Georgia had 2,081 new cases and 60 deaths reported from Wednesday.
Last Saturday, Florida surpassed 12,000 COVID deaths. Deaths have risen sharply in the state. Florida reported another 2,583 coronavirus cases Thursday and 211 deaths.
Pennsylvania had 587 new cases yesterday and 15 deaths. Philadelphia is not allowing indoor dining restrictions to change, but is allowing larger outdoor groups.
Kentucky now has more than 1,0000 deaths from COVID 19. The state had 805 new cases and 22 deaths reported on Thursday.
Wisconsin added 1,370 new cases from Wednesday.
Minnesota reported 389 new cases and 15 deaths on Thursday.
North Dakota was up 337 new cases and 3 deaths yesterday.
South Dakota jumped up 263 new cases and 4 deaths as of Thursday. Despite having the second largest per capita hike in cases in the nation, the governor defended her strategy in order to keep the economy humming.
Iowa had another 819 cases reported yesterday along with 20 more deaths.
Kansas had 10 new deaths and 496 new cases on Thursday.
Louisiana is moving to Phase 3 restrictions, but is not ending its mask requirements. The state had 1,511 new cases and 15 deaths reported on Wednesday.
Texas announced 3,852 new cases and 161 deaths Thursday.
Montana added 196 new cases yesterday.
New Mexico reported 161 new cases and 3 deaths yesterday.
Utah announced 346 new cases and 3 deaths yesterday. The state launched a new scoreboard-type website with virus information.
One in five Washington residents could face hunger this year due to the pandemic, a report suggests.
Oregon had 187 new cases reported yesterday and 3 deaths.
The Kalihi area of Oahu in Hawaii has the biggest COVID infection rate in the islands.
CALIFORNIA:
There were 1,616 new cases reported on Wednesday.
Berkeley will open a drive-thru testing site.
San Francisco has closed its Ocean Beach parking lot after a crowd of more than 1,000 gathered there illegally last weekend.
A COVID 19 survivor from Riverside, CA shared her story.
The Foster Farms plant in Livingston that had the huge outbreak has been allowed to reopen.
Kern County expressed frustration with the governor's latest COVID 19 guidelines.
Governor Newsom is closer to announcing plans for reopening Disneyland and other California theme parks.
Enforcement of State Coronavirus Guidelines in Orange County falls to cities and the state, but not the county.
Inland Empire and surrounding areas still plan on having 9/11 memorial ceremonies despite the outbreak.
The salon where Nancy Pelosi was photographed briefly not wearing a mask was ordered to shut down.
Halloween is back on in Los Angeles County---with restrictions. Trick-or-treating is allowed, but not encouraged.
LOCAL:
Fresno County COVID 19 new case numbers have lessened, but authorities are waiting for a possible post-Labor Day surge.
The California Supreme Court ruled against Immanuel Schools in Reedley that opened for in-class education before being shut down by the state.
The annual Clovis Fest Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly has been canceled this year due to the pandemic.
VOTE:
If you vote by mail, vote as early as possible...and especially make sure your ballot is POSTMARKED! Take it inside if you have to.
If at all possible, deliver your mail-in ballots in person or vote on election day. In addition to the attempts to slow down the post office by removing sorting machines, someone has been dumping bags and bags of unopened, undelivered mail in Los Angeles. It is very suspicious and possibly something that could happen with the ballots.
USPS, under DeJoy, has removed at least 711 sorting machines.
Here are five common mistakes people make when using a mail in ballot that get them disqualified and ways YOU can avoid them happening to your vote.
Millions of Americans are receiving ballot applications from outside groups. How do you know who to trust and what should you do?
Here is how to make sure your ballot is counted.
Regardless of what the president says, voting twice is ILLEGAL and will get your vote cancelled.
Some election machines may be hackable. Paper ballots cannot be...and cannot be thrown away.
Poll workers are needed in Kansas.
Voting rights advocates filed an appeal with the Supreme Court saying the state's voting machines can very easily be tampered with or hacked.
Bernie Sanders is warning about the nightmare scenarios following the election -- especially if Trump loses.
CREATIVITY:
Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian (trademark), gives helpful hints on how spot Fake Christians in their natural habitat:
Here is a BONUS Betty, as she smartly points out that the virus does not have a political, religious, or news watching preference when it comes to victims:
This is fun. Fox News tries to slam Joe Biden for reading speeches off of teleprompter...but that is juxtaposed with Trump doing the same---disastrously:
Here is a whole new batch of smart and cutting political ads:
This one is especially for Mikey and Ray and everyone in Iowa:
MAIL:
Art in Boston sent a brief note with a quote from a local news source about the virus in his area:
"You've been to Massachusetts, but I'm guessing not to these five cities/towns," he said. "Unfortunately, they are low income ('shanty towns,' per se). '....combat the spread in five of those communities with persistently high transmission rates: Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Lynn, and Revere.'
"Overall, Massachusetts is doing well, but we're ticking up slowly."
I had a super quick note from my friend Kim, the CNA in Wisconsin:
"You've been to Massachusetts, but I'm guessing not to these five cities/towns," he said. "Unfortunately, they are low income ('shanty towns,' per se). '....combat the spread in five of those communities with persistently high transmission rates: Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Lynn, and Revere.'
"Overall, Massachusetts is doing well, but we're ticking up slowly."
I had a super quick note from my friend Kim, the CNA in Wisconsin:
"The friend of mine who tested positive is back to work," she wrote. "She said it was a rough two and a half weeks. Luckily, she only had mild symptoms. She thinks she may have gotten it from her son. He is positive with no symptoms. He is in his early 20's, so he was one of those who never thought about it.
"I am negative. The assisted living is good as well."
My former co-worker Sandy sent me a note. Not long ago, she shared that several members of her family had the virus, including her aunt that lived locally. As I recall, she had lost another relative to the virus in Georgia (?) as well. She sent an update:
"My aunt is better," she said. "She still requires oxygen. The doctor is not sure for how long. Her daughter is back to work, but on oxygen for long term, also. The doctor are not sure if her lungs will recover. She my need oxygen for her lifetime. My uncle is back to work as well, no oxygen needs.
"My son-in-law's mom's household all contracted the virus. They think the baby got it from being with his dad (visitation) and brought it to the household.
"His youngest sister, with underlying issues, was taken to the hospital via ambulance. She was cyanotic with chest pain and admitted to the ICU. She was one step away from intubation. It was very hard for them because of the visitor restrictions. and the family also having COVID. Since she has Downs Syndrome, they let her mom in to help ease her briefly. From then on, it was only FaceTime visits. That was distressing for them as they were able to see her with a simple cannula advance all the way to needing BiPap. We were very concerned as she has a history of heart issues. She is home now, doing much better. The princess had all the nurses wrapped around her finger. This helped her anxiety of being separated from family.
"My son-in-law and daughter were on the last leg of their road trip honeymoon when all this started.
This added to their stress level.
"I fear we will see a very big spike due to the fires and all that entails; smoke inhalation, emergency sheltering, etc."
My former co-worker Sandy sent me a note. Not long ago, she shared that several members of her family had the virus, including her aunt that lived locally. As I recall, she had lost another relative to the virus in Georgia (?) as well. She sent an update:
"My aunt is better," she said. "She still requires oxygen. The doctor is not sure for how long. Her daughter is back to work, but on oxygen for long term, also. The doctor are not sure if her lungs will recover. She my need oxygen for her lifetime. My uncle is back to work as well, no oxygen needs.
"My son-in-law's mom's household all contracted the virus. They think the baby got it from being with his dad (visitation) and brought it to the household.
"His youngest sister, with underlying issues, was taken to the hospital via ambulance. She was cyanotic with chest pain and admitted to the ICU. She was one step away from intubation. It was very hard for them because of the visitor restrictions. and the family also having COVID. Since she has Downs Syndrome, they let her mom in to help ease her briefly. From then on, it was only FaceTime visits. That was distressing for them as they were able to see her with a simple cannula advance all the way to needing BiPap. We were very concerned as she has a history of heart issues. She is home now, doing much better. The princess had all the nurses wrapped around her finger. This helped her anxiety of being separated from family.
"My son-in-law and daughter were on the last leg of their road trip honeymoon when all this started.
This added to their stress level.
"I fear we will see a very big spike due to the fires and all that entails; smoke inhalation, emergency sheltering, etc."
The entire West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California) is on fire. Here is some "mail" about this from various friends.
I talked to my friend Vye via text on Tuesday. I had no idea, but she and her boyfriend, Brian, were up at Shaver Lake over the Labor Day weekend...and had to evacuate due to the horrible Creek Fire that is blazing away just up the highway from here:
"We've been a bit distracted," she said. "We were in Shaver for the weekend and were told to evacuate on Saturday. We were never in any immediate danger, but it was hella nerve wracking and we still don't know the fate of our friend's cabin. It's on the south end of the lake off of Dinkey Creek Road, about a 1/2 mile from Shaver Lake Village. My cousin and cousin-in-law (My cousin married one of my dearest girl friends about 8 years ago. It's her family's cabin, but some of my actual family was there since they are in her family now. I love her just like family.) and other family and friends who also have cabins, are still waiting to hear if the cabins survived.
"Other friends at Bass Lake are all packed and ready to leave when the call comes. I've cried a lot today.
"The mandatory evacuation came Sunday morning at like 4 a.m. At approximately 6p.m. the night before, the sheriff came around saying 'we sure would like it if you left' and we did. The fires had been moving in the opposite direction, but as we now know, they moved back again. Cressman's, that little general store on the left when you're headed up, with the pie shop, is gone. We're just waiting. waiting. waiting to hear about anything else. Shookie has a friend who lives close to where we were, whose house and neighborhood survived, but still far enough away that our friend's cabin may or may not still be there.
"It's really really really bad.
"Someone on a Southwest Airlines flight took this on Saturday. Unbelievable.
"Other friends at Bass Lake are all packed and ready to leave when the call comes. I've cried a lot today.
"The mandatory evacuation came Sunday morning at like 4 a.m. At approximately 6p.m. the night before, the sheriff came around saying 'we sure would like it if you left' and we did. The fires had been moving in the opposite direction, but as we now know, they moved back again. Cressman's, that little general store on the left when you're headed up, with the pie shop, is gone. We're just waiting. waiting. waiting to hear about anything else. Shookie has a friend who lives close to where we were, whose house and neighborhood survived, but still far enough away that our friend's cabin may or may not still be there.
"It's really really really bad.
"Someone on a Southwest Airlines flight took this on Saturday. Unbelievable.
"This is from Sunday early evening, about a 1/2 mile from where we stayed.
"My friend on the Oakhurst side of Bass Lake took this Sunday morning.
"There is this other one, from Friday night I think (or maybe Saturday). In. Sane. And it's not even in the Shaver region.
"There is this other one, from Friday night I think (or maybe Saturday). In. Sane. And it's not even in the Shaver region.
"It's like something from a science fiction movie.
"Others in my family were northerly, in the tony part of Shaver, north of the point. They left, too. We think their place is fine, but no one really knows yet. The fire was butt up at the point and marina, but I've heard stories that the amazing firefighters staged it off and saved the structures. We'll see. There's an air of rumors and speculation going on, as people are just freaking out, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.
"It went from 250 acres Friday night to 150,000 as of earlier today. It's spread more now. They don't think they'll have it out for a month.
"I watched one guy being interviewed on CNN. His crew had been up for 96 hours.
"Oh, yes. There are more people who are trapped near China Peak, which is also in danger.
"When we went up there on Friday, we had no idea. When we woke up on Saturday, there was smoke and ash falling. We started monitoring and there is a BEEP BEEP BEEP warning you get on your phone when it's a mandatory evacuation. We were waiting it out, because at that time, no one knew it was going to explode like it did. I did want to leave a lot earlier than we did, but we were never in any immediate danger. Even the evacuation warning was giving you lots of time and space to get out. We definitely knew what the sheriff was there for. But we never saw the fire or anything that had burned. We just saw the smokey sky.
"There's a fire in Sequoia National Park that is creeping in from the Tulare/Visalia side. Hopefully it and the Creek Fire don't meet."
One of my former nursing students, Nick, texted me on Wednesday. He wants me to write him a letter of recommendation (which I will get to...eventually). He lives in Danville, CA. He sent a short note about the sky there as a result from all of the fires. It was just before noon:
"The sky is black here," he said. "There's no sun. It looks like 5:30 in the morning."
He attached a photo, saying the picture was actually much brighter than the real sky was.
My friend Erich also lives in the Bay Area in San Leandro, CA. He didn't send a note, but when he called Wednesday morning, he said he heard the garbage men making rounds at what he thought must have been 3 a.m., but later realized it was 8 in the morning. It was so dark out. He said the sky was like being on Mars or something. He said there was ash actually falling on his car and window sills. He took a picture of the sky, but it too came out much lighter than it really was.
He also sent a picture taken inside of his home (which also came out lighter than it really was, he says). He said it was so dark that he needed to turn the lights on -- even though it was high noon.
Robin and Skye live in Sutherlin, Oregon. They also had to flee a raging fire up there and went to my friend Ricki and her family's house in Florence on the coast, about an hour and a half away. Robin texted:
"We are okay," Robin said. "The kids (pets) are okay. When we left last night, the fire was 7.5 miles away and they had just ordered a level 2 evacuation for the east side of Sutherlin. Today, they upped that to a level 3. Ricki and her family have been very gracious. We are grateful.
"Sutherlin is rural, mostly farm land. Our population is about 8,000. Right now, the downtown is okay, in a stage one evacuation, east of downtown is at level 2 and level 3. There is lots of dry grasses and conifers. Plus, we've had a record low rain fall. As far as I can tell from the updates, our house is standing!?!?!? There is ash everywhere! What a shit show!"
On Thursday, I sent Robin a note to see if there was any news. We had a Zoom call to hear the latest, some of which I recorded. Apparently the fire had merged with a second fire east of where they live near a town called Glide. The progress west to where Robin and Skye live was halted and now the fire appears to be heading south towards Roseburg.
"What's happening now is that there is a third fire east of Roseburg in the Umpqua Forest on the 138." Robin said. "It's on the same route."
Robin and Skye and the animals will stay with Ricki and her family until Sunday. They are hoping it will be safe to return then and the smoke will have cleared.
SHIRLEY:
This is pretty much all I saw of Shirley on Friday:
Shirley was a big poop head on Saturday. She didn't want to come out of her box, so I put her plate of food in the box with her (although she has never eaten in the house before). I checked on her later and she had turned around, completely ignoring the food. Later still, this is what I found. She'd pushed the plate outside of her box, leaving me a mess to clean up. Thank you, Shirley... (Grrr!)
Monday (Labor Day) was the hottest day of the year so far. It was a staggering 111 degrees. The heat coupled with all of the smoke in the valley was just miserable. There were threats of possible rolling blackouts due to excessive power usage, but they never occurred. Monday evening, I realized the air conditioning had died. (More about that later.) I was so worried about Shirley. I didn't want to put her out---as it was hot outside and the air quality was horrific. Shirley was in her cardboard condo. I turned the ceiling fan on for her. I also dragged a smaller table top fan out to blow her way. There was a really large fan I found in the garage. I plugged that in and aimed it her way (on low) as well. I hoped she'd be okay. This is how I found her the next morning.
I was up early (7-ish) and put her out on the patio near the planter she likes. And she didn't move. She let me pet her and stuck out her head so I could rub her neck...but she just sat there. Was she okay? It was maybe 20 minutes or so before she finally got up and walked away.
She had needed to pee -- that was all. Thankfully, she waited until she was outside. (It would have been better if it wasn't on the patio---but better than the kitchen floor.) It was also completely liquid -- none of that weird white bird poop-like stuff came out, so I knew she was well hydrated after a hot night with no A/C.
Shirl wandered over to the fence and toddled around some plants there. It was the most active I had seen her in weeks -- despite the bad, smokey air. She started walking up to her favorite bush to hide under. This is a shot of it from earlier in the year:
A few days prior, it had fallen over. My guess is the post with the bird house that the bush had grown around had rotted and fallen over. I had meant to deal with it, but with the smoke and heat, I had forgotten about it.
The gardener had come on Friday. He must have seen it and decided to cut it all back. This was all that was left.
I watched as Shirley tortoise-trotted towards it. She saw that the bush was gone and just stopped. I had my camera out and snapped this shot of her. You can almost see the disappointment in her face. Poor Shirley. I felt so bad.
She spent several hours outside and ate fairly decently. But just before noon, when the day was starting to heat up, she came walking up to the door to be let back in.
She went back to her box house...
Then proceeded to push the box around from inside (in her own, mysterious, Shirley way), until it bumped up against her water bowl.
On Wednesday, I walked into the kitchen when I heard her walking around in the dining room. She was just heading back into her house. I thought she had maybe wanted out, so I put her by the slider, opened it and let her decide what to do. The smoke was just so bad that day, but I wasn't going to rush her. Eventually she did walk out...but paused as soon as she was fully out the door. I think she was pondering if she really wanted to be out on such a yucky day or not. She went out and spent a couple of hours in the nearby planter, but she didn't eat at all. I moved her food in front of her several times, but she wouldn't touch it. I think the smokey, orange-ish day spooked her. I later found her outside of the slider wanting in. She came, walked up to her house and went right in.
Thursday she stayed in her box all day and moved her cardboard house so that the main entrance is once again backed up to the cabinet to keep the light out. With the smoke and all, I actually ordered an air purifier for her. Really! But it won't arrive until Saturday. I worry about her little lungs in this mess...
ME:
I spent most of Saturday writing a blog post about the Madera 2 Drive In. I fleshed out what I had said about the place in my blog from my previous visits this summer with a little history about the drive in added in. But as I got into it, I found that I really didn't have much to say. I mean really, what can you say about a drive in? Oh well... If you want to see it, click HERE. (Or just pass...)
Saturday night fairly late, I opened my front door to get my mail and a big cockroach walked in or was on the other side of the door and fell in. YIKES! It crawled under the threshold. I ran and got some bug spray (thank goodness I had some) and I sprayed the crack all along the threshold. After that, the living room reeked of bug spray. UGH! I was worried it might affect Shirley in some way, so I got some fans and cracked the door open somewhat and tried to blow the fumes out on Sunday. I also opened the windows--but all I was doing was trading bug spray fumes for hot, smokey air. UGH! It still smells of bug spray, even though I've tried to wipe down the threshold and the tile in front of it. I don't know what else I can do until the air clears and I can open the windows again.
Not that I'm snoopy or anything, but the "fence neighbors" had taken off with their trailer for the weekend. I was shocked to see it gone...and that I could see my across-the-street neighbor, who was visiting with his next-door neighbor in the garage. Neither had masks on and they were not really socially distancing either.
As are most of the people in my town, I am guessing they are both Republicans and anti-maskers. But I wonder what the guy who lives there thinks of our president since the president's anti-military remarks have come to light. That neighbor flies a flag honoring M.I.A. military personnel.
Saturday night fairly late, I opened my front door to get my mail and a big cockroach walked in or was on the other side of the door and fell in. YIKES! It crawled under the threshold. I ran and got some bug spray (thank goodness I had some) and I sprayed the crack all along the threshold. After that, the living room reeked of bug spray. UGH! I was worried it might affect Shirley in some way, so I got some fans and cracked the door open somewhat and tried to blow the fumes out on Sunday. I also opened the windows--but all I was doing was trading bug spray fumes for hot, smokey air. UGH! It still smells of bug spray, even though I've tried to wipe down the threshold and the tile in front of it. I don't know what else I can do until the air clears and I can open the windows again.
Not that I'm snoopy or anything, but the "fence neighbors" had taken off with their trailer for the weekend. I was shocked to see it gone...and that I could see my across-the-street neighbor, who was visiting with his next-door neighbor in the garage. Neither had masks on and they were not really socially distancing either.
As are most of the people in my town, I am guessing they are both Republicans and anti-maskers. But I wonder what the guy who lives there thinks of our president since the president's anti-military remarks have come to light. That neighbor flies a flag honoring M.I.A. military personnel.
Sunday and Monday were the hottest days as I stated earlier. It was just miserable.
On Monday morning, my phone started making this weird BEEP--BEEP--BEEP noise. This alert showed up on my phone:
Golly, I knew there was a fire up in the hills near me, but Auberry? That isn't all that far away. How scary! The air was miserable. It was dirty and there was an orange-ish hue to everything. (My photos just don't show how nasty it was outside...)
The "fence neighbors" returned from wherever they had been for the weekend. (I believe it must have been somewhere other than where the fires are as they were gone the full weekend.) This shot kind of shows that the air is dirty--but not the color.
On Monday afternoon, I noticed the air conditioning seemed to be louder than it usually was. It sounded almost like an airplane flying over head. Was it always like that and I just never noticed it before? In my bedroom, I really couldn't hear anything. It was just in the guest bathroom and hallway that it seemed louder than normal...but I didn't think anything of it, really.
I sat on the couch working on a bunch of paperwork. I had the ceiling fan on above me, but after several hours, I still felt kind of warm--despite the fan and A/C. I thought it was just my body needing a shower. It had been 2 or 3 days since I had bathed. I walked down the hallway for some reason and I happened to notice the thermostat as I passed it. It was 89 degrees. Yikes!
The air conditioning was broken. The fan wouldn't even go without the A/C (which was just as well since it would have only brought smoke in with it). I called the air conditioning repair guy. It was after 5 pm on a holiday, so all I got was a voicemail--which was fine. I left a message, explaining the situation.
I went to bed that night after setting my alarm for 8:30. I was hoping for a call around the time they opened, which I thought would be around 9 and I wanted to be awake. They did call as soon as they opened...at 7 a.m. Oops! Ha! They came right out to fix it. Zowie! Thank goodness.
Amazingly, the air conditioning unit was still under warranty---barely. It was just shy of 10 years old. Phew! I didn't have to pay for the part (which, according to the invoice, was a "bad variable speed blower motor"). However, there were still charges for labor, warranty paperwork, and a service call. It was $400.
On Tuesday, I received an unusual gift in the mail. It was a single tiki Christmas postcard---unused. It was from my former co-worker friend, Mike. One postcard? Interesting...
On Wednesday, I received a pack of tiki playing cards with my name on them. They were also from Mike. I'm guessing this is my "retirement gift" of sorts from him. He had retired at the beginning of the year. I had given him the (I thought) perfect gift -- a WalMart greeter outfit. Golly--that was at the very beginning of the pandemic. That seems sooooo long ago now. (Actually, Mike's retirement party was in the very first part of these Coronavirus Diaries. You can see him and my gift to him HERE.) THANK YOU, Mike!
On Thursday, I received a set of pewter tiki cufflinks in the mail -- from France! There was no card attached, so I have no idea who sent them. Is this another surprise from Mike? If so, how did he arrange for everything to trickle in day by day? Or maybe someone else? Golly! What a surprise! THANK YOU, ...Whoever! They're groovy cool!
Stay SAFE! Stay HEALTHY! Stay ALIVE!
CHEERS!
Continue to the next part HERE.
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