Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
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NOTE: The comments page will now split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the link.
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– Page One of Comments is HERE!
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Wednesday Meese. 64 going up to 79 with rain here in the Hudson Valley of NY. I’m speaking at a local BLM rally today – hope I don’t get drenched.
Puerto Rico/USVI
Denise, good luck with the speech! Hope you don’t get drenched and also hope someone will take photos that you can share.
Goddess help PR. Doesn’t look as if anyone else will.
Skipped my walk again, dusty & humid and 81 degrees at dawn. Going to run in to the office this morning to get new applications. Other than that, just a normal work-from-home day. Listen to music, and read about how streaming services work, because I have to get Disney streaming for long enough to see Hamilton.
Good Wednesday, Meese! Can you believe the year is half gone? Difficult, isn’t it? For once we woke up to a fair morning, although it doesn’t qualify for a “10.” The sunlight is weak, the shadows are not deep. Currently the temperature in Ashburn is 75 F., on its way up to 86 F. The humidity is 77 percent. I want to go for a walk El Soono, before it becomes too hot.
Not much news on the home front. Several people on the NextDoor app have offered to translate a sentence from Englisch to Deutsch for me, so that’s good. I want to write a rant about the disrespect toward old people, to which group I eminently belong. I finished the letter to my son and mailed it on Monday, uploaded Chapter 4 of Iron and Scarlet to my website yesterday, and am beginning to get organized on other matters.
I feel as if this lockdown will go on forever. Well, we have started venturing out, with great caution. We’ve made plans to go to a barbecue at Elder Son’s house in two weeks. It will be just us and his little family of three. Well, four, if you count the long-suffering Labrador.
Feeling the need for blueberries this morning. Might run to Trader Joe’s for a pint because I feel Jane Brody’s Blueberry Cobbler coming on. Was wondering what to get M’daughter in Lakeway for her birthday, which is the same day as Dee’s birthday, and thought Aji’s new bracelet would be perfect. Saw it on Twitter this morning.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and Goddess, please give us some GOOD news!
Started the month and day at 78 – I’ve already closed up for the day. Going to mid 90s. Heat index probably over 100. Happy Summer. We wrapped up June very nicely. We got just over 14 KWHs for the day but set a new record at 575.6 KWHs for the month. And for that matter for any/all months for the life of the system. That may be the only place we did good for June, but we did good in that place.
Aji’s under the gun for the $3K taxes due 7/15 – not negotiable or put-off-able so that’s what she’s focusing on of all the things she needs funds to cover at the moment. She’s got a line on a pair of rescued pups at the Shelter but it will be several weeks before she can have them even if it works out. Fortunately the neighbor dog has been visiting again and playing with Cricket. Amelia’s situation just got worse. Her emotionally-abusive father who’s had her on his family phone plan is cutting her off it. (She wasn’t properly grateful for something she hadn’t known he did – putting a birthday wish to her on his own FB page.) We’re working on it. And on the “rent”. She needs to see the doctor and get her meds but there’s nothing anybody who isn’t physically there can do to help with that. (Hoping the doctor can do a telemed visit – that would solve a lot of problems. Especially IF the pharmacy can take a telemed Rx for stuff that normally requires a handwritten, hand-signed one.) Other folks still hanging in and/or awaiting results of this or that.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to get any walking in today but I’d best try. I’m trying to keep the A/C off – I breathe so much better without it – but I’m not sure I can make it much longer. This is supposed to be the worst for the 10-day forecast. The lows are dropping back to upper 60s and highs to low 90s – and it’s those lows that make all the difference. Starting today at 78…sigh. Channeling Healing/Helping Energy to everybody everywhere, to your shaping. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 55 and raining in Bellingham. I see a new dermatologist today, and I hope she has the files from my previous doc. It took a while before he understood the auto immune issues I live with, but once he did he was very helpful. He is retired now and I’ve waited 6 mo’s for this appointment so I hope all goes well. Oh well, need a change of scenery so a new doc’s office will at least provide that!
Rain is forecast for the rest of the week so we are slow to make 4th of July plans. Might just be the two of us and a car picnic this year. Best wishes to all on this rainy July day.
{{{princesspat}}} Holding the Good Thought on the dermatologist visit & doubly so for the new one to understand how autoimmune issues interact with just about everything. A car picnic sounds kind of nice actually. Depending on how comfortable your car is, of course. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}
PR
Good morning, meeses! Thursday that will be like a Friday …
It is 63 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 88. The weather widget says “variable cloudiness” which means mostly sunny with a few clouds wandering through. Yesterday I spent some time on the deck baking because it feels good to sit for short periods of time in intense heat. Air conditioning is essential but is not like real air and humans need real air.
I am avoiding the news because it is so ghastly – I truly hope that the shutdowns from March and April achieved something and that the #RepublicanDeathCult re-opening their states will not set back the other states that did it right (or tried to do it right as was the case in Wisconsin). Dane County shut down the bars except for the curbside carry-out but has not issued a mask mandate. I wish they would, there are still too many people in the stores maskless, coughing their COVIDs all over the workers and other shoppers. In Racine County, a state judge felt emboldened by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and declared that the City of Racine’s health care edicts about gathering sizes and business restrictions are “tyranny” and “an assault on the Constitutional right to free assembly.” JHC, right-wing judges will literally be the death of us. Anyway, Milwaukee is considering a mask ordinance – I hope they do it and then Madison follows. When the UW-Madison students arrive next month from out-of-state and the COVID Counties of Wisconsin, they will likely kill us all.
p.s. Trump not caring that his pal Putin is paying bounties to kill American soldiers will not sink him. His fans don’t care and the Republican Party has given carte blanche to their leader to do whatever he wants to regarding foreign policy. See “Vote in Senate to acquit Donald J. Trump for Using Foreign Policy to Interfere in the 2020 Election.” He owns them and he knows it.
I have a half dozen projects I need to get done or staged for the long weekend and I had to declare today June 32nd because I still have one June project to complete. I will go finish that and move quietly into July.
See all y’all later!
Thursday Meese. 63 and foggy here in the Hudson Valley going up to 92! (I’m staying inside)
Puerto Rico/USVI
A really well written story
81 degrees at 6am, dusty & yet also humid. Blech. Plan for the day: work till 4, then I’m done for the week. I’ll watch something on Disney to celebrate. I do wonder what tonight’s “Friday” night news dump will contain. Trump always has more horrors he hopes no one will notice before a holiday weekend.
It’s 80 but there’s a breeze so I’m waiting another 10 or 15 minutes before I close up. Overnight was supposed to be low 70s but I’m not sure it got down that far. High is supposed to be low 90s – with the heat index over 100 (as it was yesterday – like 9 degrees over 100). First day of July was cloudy enough we only got 17 KWHs – the goal for the month is 563 so we’re almost but not quite on track to start the month. It is hot and humid. So far I’m managing to keep the A/C off. I’m not gonna call it comfortable, especially in the late afternoon/early evening, but I’m breathing better than I would with the A/C on and I’m rather fond of breathing.
Twitter just logged me out in the middle of an RT and when I logged back in it informed me I’d done so from a “new device”. Since this most certainly is not a new device I hope to heaven I haven’t just been hacked. I did just post a tweet saying pretty much this & @’d twitter support so…we shall see what we shall see.
There’s a bunch of urgent stuff that needs to be done, none of it for me or by me, that is messing with my tummy. If I actually could do it, I would and I’d be fine. Grumble about it, as is my style, but fine. But I can’t. So…Channeling Healing/Helping Energy to everybody everywhere, to your shaping.
I need to go close up the house. The breeze that just reached me wasn’t cool. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
PS – whatever logged me out of twitter also logged me out of Moose. Fortunately I’d copied this before I hit “post” so didn’t have to try and recreate it once I’d logged back in.
Good Thursday morning, Moosekind, and a gorgeous morning it is, too. I’m so glad, because today is Elder Son’s 50th birthday and he’s off with his family to a little resort near Charlottesville. The family Labrador is accompanying them because he likes to swim in the lake. Our son is very careful about adhering to safety precautions, so he and his family will be in a house of their own at the resort.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it’s 75 F. in Ashburn, on its way up to 90 F. I’m going out for a walk and to water the garden as soon as I finish my covfefe.
Still feeling distinctly off-color, as Dearly Beloved would put it, but am starting to feel a little better day by day. Will get as much done as possible this morning because I know this afternoon will be all downhill.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond and a bad day to the Narcissist-in-Chief.
{{{Diana}}} 🎶🎂🍨🎁🎉🎶 Happy Birthday to Elder Son! (Mine turned 49 in March.) I hope he and his family have a pleasant and safe celebration. Healing Energy to you & your household. moar {{{HUGS}}}
Thanks, bfitz!
Good morning, 54, cloudy and breezy in Bellingham. To my relief my appointment with a new dermatologist yesterday went well. She is nice, had read my file, and was very supportive, yay! My past history with doctors makes me cautious, but I let my nerves get away from me this time. Needed a long nap to recover!
We’ve decided to not make 4th plans this year. We’ll all barbecue at our own homes and share photos via our phones instead. Such is life in covid America.
Best wishes to all on this quiet and cloudy morning.
Good morning, meeses! Friday …
It is 68 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 86. Chance of thunderstorms this morning. The next 5 days will be hotternhades. Sadly, that will probably drive people to the beach where they will cough COVIDs on each other.
The new infection vector in Wisconsin is young people from 20 to 23 – the Invincibles! – and it is causing some alarm at UW-Madison because Dane County has shut down bars again and limited gathering sizes and that makes some of the Welcome New Freshmen/Back to School events risky. They are not subject to Dane County or City of Madison regulations but they do have to think about the dangers to their students as they gather during a pandemic. I personally think that schools will go online-only again for Fall because the state Supreme Court made it impossible for the state to manage a public health crisis and counties and cities who are trying to do so are getting sued. Right now, the Tavern League of Wisconsin, one of the strongest most assholish lobbying groups in the state, is planning a lawsuit to preserve their right to die serving shots and beer and state business groups are suing to block the release of public health information regarding which employers have infected workers. I want to know who to avoid!
The current Republican Party line is that “the virus will just go away” and that the economy is more important than the lives and health of Americans. This is essentially embracing the “herd immunity” theory and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of crap. The Texas governor is finding it hard to undo two months of lies in order to sound the alarm. It won’t work – you can’t unring the bell of “left-wing hoax” that is now embedded in people’s reptilian brains. The only thing left is for sensible people to hunker down again and hope that Nancy Pelosi can get some more money to people who aren’t working and money to the states and municipalities who are working to protect people.
Joe Biden is up 10 points in national polls but the important number is that he cracked 50%. That leaves 9% undecided and if history is any indication, they will break 40-60, 50-50, or 60-40 dooming tRump. In 2016, Hillary had a national polls lead but never cracked 50% and the undecideds broke 60-40 for tRump. I hope we can maintain that lead and keep reminding people that the best chance to survive COVID-19 is to put scientists back in charge of the virus response. That will never happen as long as anti-science Republicans run the government.
Today, many of my clients will not be working, banks will be closed and there will be no mail delivery. I am going to pretend it is a normal Friday and use it as a day to catch up. I think I will take Sunday off as my holiday although it seems hard this year to celebrate anything that extolls the greatness of the United States of America. Basically, right now, we suck.
See all y’all later!
Friday Meese. 68 here in the Hudson Valley of New York. Going up to 85 with thunderstorms. The week ahead is in the 90’s, with thunderstorms every day. Hoping for a patch of dry weather at some point since I have a leak in the garage roof. Sigh.
Bummer about the roof! I hope it turns out to be an easy fix.
An extra Saturday this week, I’m watching the local news & eating my overnight oats. I got a free trial of Sirius radio so I can listen to the new U2 station. Lots of music & interviews, and a lot of my twitter friends are live tweeting almost like they did the concerts. Anyway, that’s my day — Hamilton and U2 radio.
Hi, another! I’m HOPING that Dearly remembered to subscribe to the Disney channel so we can watch “Hamilton” tonight! I’ve longing to see it.
I have already used my free trial and I have to see if it remembers my location or my email address. For some reason, I think it remembered my Internet location when I tried to set it up using a different email address after the first trial failed (the web site was confusing). I want to see Hamilton!!
It’s 68 here, heading for 90 – and the heat index isn’t supposed to hit 100 today! Yesterday was being hot, humid, and miserable until 6:30 pm when a storm blew in – not a lot of rain (about .2″) but a soaker while it was coming down. Don’t ask me how the rain can come straight down while the wind is blowing deadwood out of trees. I’m just grateful as it meant the windows stayed open while it rained. The temps went from 94/heat index 114 to 80/no heat index by 7 pm and then more slowly dropped to 68 by 9 – where it stayed until now. Everything’s open and the fans on to keep cooling the house. The heat build up over the last week takes some time to move. We generated a hair under 17 KWHs yesterday and the m-t-d is 34 – not on track for the July goal of 563 but not far off it.
Those of us who can stay quarantined gonna just have to accept this as our “new normal” and be grateful for the internet age that allows us to connect without connecting, unlike the 1918-19 flu pandemic. And of course take every precaution we can when we have to go out (or let people in). Folks who can’t? Maskup, keep as much distance as they can, and pray. At least our governor, R-death-cult jerk though he is, didn’t override our “mask in public spaces” city ordinance. Heaven help the kids when they come back to UA next month. At this point nobody knows if we can develop immunity, individual or herd to this thing. And we won’t find out until we get Dems in office who will put scientists in charge of doing so. Too many people have already died, too many more are going to even if this is a sweep election (which I doubt – the RW propaganda machine is stronger than ever).
Aji’s had a few good sales (blessings on the buyers – of course Wings’s work is a blessing in itself) but not enough to cover the $3K taxes due on the 15th (just 1st & 2nd quarters) much less everything else. As for that well/irrigation system…they’re guesstimating $15K. But it’s needed. Needed now but they can’t get it until next month at the earliest. IF they can bring in the money. The north field in a “good” (what used to be normal) year produces 300 bales of top-quality hay per cutting and usually has 3 cuttings. Plenty for their own horses (even when they had 4 instead of 2) and to help the neighbors at need. This year started OK and they seeded the field. Then the rain stopped a month ago. They cut this week and might get 30 bales. Maybe. They gotta irrigate. Lisa’s “rent” should be dealt with this morning. The phone? She’s going to try to reason with her father. I doubt it will work. Unless he realizes he’s throwing away a weapon he can use against her in the future. Then he might give her a month or two before threatening to do it again. But that would give her time to arrange something else. Other folks still waiting on results of various tests for themselves or various family members. Or the rain.
I need to do my online stuff then get on the treadmill before it heats up. Channeling Healing/Helping Energy to everybody everywhere, to your shaping. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good Friday morning, Moosekind! We’re off to another hot, beautiful day. Already, at 9:30 a.m. it’s 86 F., on its way up to 96 F. The TV weather forecast this morning warned that it could get up to 100 F.! I decided to walk Monty early because I don’t want Dearly doing it in the heat.
Monty and I had a 20-minute, four-baby-carrot walk, during which I prevented him from eating 75 percent of the dead worms we encountered on the sidewalks. He has now passed out in his bed in my office. The boy has no stamina to speak of.
Need to do massive amounts of laundry and writing today for as long as I can sit upright. Had to get up much too early this morning, so I’m already looking forward to a nap.
Wishing a nice, peaceful day to all at the Pond with no bad news.
Good morning, 55 and raining in Bellingham. The house is quiet, it’s dark, and the rain lulled me back to sleep. I seem to be losing track of time as well as being uncertain re what day it is so I need to pay attention to the reality of covid confinement. We have officially cancelled all 4th family fun so I’m free to plant some flowers. I’ll get wet and tired doing so today, but being outdoors should help lift my spirits.
Best wishes to all.
Fourth of July Meese. 67 going up to 88 here in the Catskills.
Watched Hamilton yesterday – going to watch it several more times today.
Woke up to see the usual suspects from the faux-left attacking Hamilton and Lin-Manuel on twitter. Wonder how many of them have raised even one penny for Puerto Rico support and relief?
I am going to order a month-by-month Disney+ so that I can watch Hamilton (apparently it will not be available to those who do a free trial!!). I want to wait until I have time to watch it – streaming means sitting in front of the TV which takes a block of time. I much prefer having movies on DVR or DVD.
I’m gonna be watching/listening again today – on a loop