Thursday

Yet another picture of our snowy backyard.

The first thing I do each morning  is to look out the window. I am usually rewarded with a show of either stars or a colorful sunrise. This morning, I got a surprise - fresh snow. We have snow and wintery mix in the forecast for several days but last night was only supposed to be flurries. I was immediately like a kid in school again hoping for a snow day. It doesn't take much snow to shut things down here, so my hopes were high. I quickly called the weatherline for work to see the status of things. What a disappointment. Everything for my county was Code Green--meaning all systems were a go on a regular schedule. But here's the problem. We have four inches and it's still snowing at my house, but in the part of the county where they make the decisions, they only had 1/2 inch. It has been a long time problem because the county has different weather zones. But it is what it is. I will have to get ready for work soon. 

Our kitchen still has the 600 watt,
1989 microwave. This will change.

Otherwise, I've been busy with things I don't think you'd be too interested in (colonoscopies, allergies, and various other assorted things that have me going from appointment to appointment.) What's more exciting is that we are going to redo the kitchen. We have talked about it since we moved in, but the kitchen remodel has finally made it to the top of the list. So far, the only formal thing we have done is to find a kitchen designer but my mind has been very busy with various details. I have been thinking about how we will rearrange things so that we can continue with our daily lives for the months the construction will be going on. I think it's doable, but will take some effort. And all of the decisions to be made about materials, appliances, layout, etc. Much of this seems overwhelming, so I did something I know how to do. I went through all of the kitchen cabinets and drawers and got rid of anything we weren't using. Now we can understand exactly what we need to store.

Well, times up here. Gotta go.

Until next time...

Snow

View in my backyard this morning.

It's snowing again here today. This time is with big, heavy flakes that stick immediately to everything. This got me thinking about a poem Theo wrote when he was little. So for my pleasure, here's another post from the files.

_______________________________

The Joys of Winter

by Theodore

Snowflakes falling onto the ground,

Into your yard without a sound.

When you wake up, they will

Cover the ground to your window sill.

Break out the shovels, winter has come.

Clouds have just blocked out the sun.

Backbreaking labor, isn't this fun?

It's snowing again before you're done.

Scrape the ice off your car

Then start cursing when it won't go far.

Lose your key and get locked outside,

Winter time, it's so divine.
_________________________________________________________

Theo's thoughts on winter when he was nine.

Birds in Snow

The snow started Sunday night and it is still snowing this morning. Even with all of the precipitation we've had, it's not that deep because it has been intermixed with freezing rain and sleet. However, because of that, it is very hard to shovel. The end broke off one of our shovels, so we have to take turns with our other one.  The goal of the morning is to get enough of the driveway clear so I can get to work this afternoon. We haven't been out, but I assume the roads won't be too bad by then. However, I worry  about black ice on my way home when it will be dark and colder. We shall see.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from my files of birds in snow, just because.

Cardinal, house finch, gold finches, juncos

Dark-eyed junco

Female cardinal and dark-eyed junco.

White-throated sparrow

Mourning dove

Carolina wren

Male cardinal

 

Northern flicker

Female downy woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpecker

Male downy woodpecker

Blue jay

Tufted titmouse

House finches

Starlings

I guess I can't put it off any longer. Time to go shovel snow.

Until next time...

Thankful Sunday, January 31, 2021

 I am thankful for snow.

We are at home watching it snow. This morning it began snowing for what is supposed to be a continuous two day storm. There's a certain calmness to watching snow fall and for that I am thankful. 

The rest of the story:

I'm not sure that Theo would agree with me at this point because he had to go on snowy roads this morning to go to work and will have to do the same tomorrow. Amidst the snow, freezing rain is forecast which will make everything just that much more dangerous. I'm guessing I will be given the option of teleworking tomorrow, but we shall see. Ward works from home very day.  I understand how lucky we are to be in a warm house puttering around watching it snow outside our window.

A Personal Vaccine Experience, Part 2

Our friend, Kris, shared her experience of when she got the first coronavirus vaccine. Recently, she got her second dose and is giving us an update about the procedure.

Can you explain the overall procedure? Did you get a reminder? Was it at the hospital again? Did they use a different arm?

When I went for my first vaccination, I was given a vaccination record card which recorded my first shot and at that time I was scheduled for my second vaccination, which was at the same location in the hospital as my first vaccination.  My coworkers got a reminder call or text or email but for some reason, I didn't.  I received it in my right arm again.

Was the National Guard involved this time?

Yes, they were.

Was there any leeway on the timing of the second shot? Could you have slid the vaccination a day or two in either direction?

I didn't ask for any leeway but I've read that a few days either way don't really make a difference.  I don't remember the article I read to give you a reference, but it did state that you didn't want to allow it to vary by weeks or months because the results of that haven't been tested and the resulting immunity couldn't be assured.

Did you have any instructions before or after the shot?

Nothing new--I had to wait for 15 minutes afterward (which allowed me to catch up with a coworker who was also getting her second dose) and to be aware of the side effects.

What, if any, reactions did you have this time? How does it compare to the first shot?

The second vaccine has the reputation of having worse reactions, but this was not my experience.  If anything, my arm was not as sore as it was the first time around.  Then again, I was more on top of taking Tylenol right away (which I would definitely recommend to anyone planning on getting the vaccine).  

Are your coworkers, who have gotten both parts of the vaccine, having a similar experience to yours?

There has been a great variety in experiences.  I received my vaccine on Thursday.  I worked with a couple of people who had theirs on Wednesday and they were doing fine.  There were at least 2 people who called in sick due to the side effects and another coworker left work mid-morning due to feeling ill.  The symptoms seem to involve fatigue and aching although some also reported having fevers.  

The thing I have found to be most interesting is that I know of two people who previously had covid and who, after getting the first vaccine, felt quite ill (fevers, aching, and fatigue).  My biggest takeaway from these experiences is to anticipate not feeling great if you have had covid and get the vaccine.  Also, be aware that even for those of us who haven't been infected, you may feel ill the day after you receive the vaccine. Everyone I have spoken with says that the symptoms go away after about a day. 

How long before you develop maximum immunity from the vaccine?

7-14 days is what I have been told.

Were you given any information about the new strains of the coronavirus and the current vaccines?

Not officially, no, but an infectious diseases physician working on the floor where I work said that he anticipates the current vaccines will still provide good protection.  He also said that the way the vaccines are made will allow them to be more easily tweaked for new strains than, say, the flu vaccine.  

I think it's too soon to know, but were you given any indication of how long immunity from this vaccine should last?

Unfortunately, no.

How does it feel to have both vaccines now? When the proper time has elapsed to realize full benefit from the shots, will you be changing any of your habits?

I feel a sense of relief, and also of urgency to have others vaccinated, especially those in the highest at-risk populations.

From what I understand, we still need to be vigilant with social distancing and mask wearing, so in the short term, I don't think my habits will change drastically.  My in-laws had their first vaccination this past Friday so I am hoping by the time spring break rolls around that we can visit them (they live 8 hours away and we haven't seen them in over a year).  My mom's vaccination was delayed until February so I want to maintain my vigilance in the hope that I can visit her at some point.  I have toyed with returning to the gym--I have always tried to avoid the busy times, even pre-covid--but I'm not sure yet about the wisdom of that idea.  

Thanks for sharing, Kris. I think this is useful information for all who are considering the vaccination. I know I found your experiences very interesting.