More on Covid-19

Governor Cooper passed a new Executive Order regarding Covid-19, which went into effect on March 25th. North Carolina has continued to show improvement in the number of covid cases, and vaccine distribution also increased with 31.7% of North Carolinians over 18 having received at least one dose of vaccine. Due to those facts, the governor decided to again ease some COVID-19 restrictions. The main changes include: the number of people who may gather indoors increased from 25 to 50 and the number of people who may gather outdoors increased from 50 to 100. This Order also fully lifted the restriction on the late-night sale and service of alcoholic beverages on bars, restaurants, and other establishments. The new Order is set to expire April 30 at 5 pm. The state’s general mask mandate remains in effect.

Here are the current Covid statistics: North Carolina has had 916,000 cases and 12,107 deaths. In the United States there have been 30.3 million cases and 549,000 deaths. Worldwide there have been 127 million cases and 2.79 million deaths.

Spring break is taking place right now, and with many states easing restrictions it remains to be seen what will happen with the United States covid numbers after all these travelers return to their homes or schools. It will be a month or so before the numbers will come in and be traced. Then we'll see if restrictions will have to go back in place. It's all a guessing game at this point.

On Squirrels and Birds

Despite purchasing an 18" hook as recommended by the seller of the new bird feeder I purchased, the squirrels out back have mastered the fine art of dining from the feeder without tripping the anti-squirrel mechanism it contains. This one went through all kinds of gymnastics to reach in and grab a handful of food. She is about to be outsmarted though, as I have purchased a shepherd's hook which will be placed away from any trees.

wily squirrel

The amazing array of birds out back continues to amaze and entertain us each day. It is exciting to see so many birds that I haven't been exposed to before. I am getting a lot of practice with my camera, and enjoying birding as a way to pass the time during the pandemic.

Eastern Phoebe, cardinal and bluebird

Luck of the Irish

Goin' Green at Imagery

Our 55+ community has been very conservative with events in light of the pandemic. We were fortunate to have not one but two St. Patrick's Day celebrations here, and the weather cooperated so they could be held outside. For the first event we had a man playing a guitar and singing, along with a lady playing bagpipes. A local Irish dance school offered up traditional Irish dances, and a food truck kept us from going hungry. 

Yesterday's event had entertainment by our own local disc jockey. He played Irish songs, including sing-alongs, and asked some Irish trivia questions. The dance school sent a different group of girls to show off their skills. Another food truck was here for that event, though no corned beef and cabbage was to be found. That was okay with me, as I'm not a fan.

Today St. Patrick's Day 2021 closed in a big way with the appearance of a beautiful rainbow over the lake out back. I didn't see a pot of gold, but to be sure it was a glorious sight!

rainbow over Mountain Island Lake

Jim's Shot in the Arm

Bojangles Coliseum

Jim turned 65 earlier this month, and I was able to schedule his first Covid-19 vaccination on March 6th. He was not able to get an appointment where I went until mid-April, so I went through a neighboring county to sign him up. The vaccines are being given out in multiple locations in that county, but his was at the Bojangles Coliseum. It is not set up as a drive through, which is unfortunate, but inside the building people were spread out and masked. He checked in, filled out a form, and was quickly taken back for his injection. Fifteen minutes later we were on our way home. His arm was a little sore the next day, but he had no other side effects at all.

Like me, he received the Pfizer vaccine, so the wait between shots is 3 weeks. He will return on March 30th for his second vaccination. I think we will rest a little easier once we are both fully vaccinated. We have been super careful in our activities, but not everyone has done the same. So you never know where you might be exposed to Covid. I have to say, it has not been too much of a hardship to stay at home when we can wake up to views like the one we were treated to this morning. Heaven painted a canvas in our backyard.

sunrise on Mountain Island Lake

Covid-19 Vaccine #2 Update

 

a new dawn

It has been three days since I received my second dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. As with the first shot, the injection site was sore for a couple of days. Saturday morning when I woke up I felt a little nauseous and I thought, "Uh oh!" Vaccine side effects generally start within a day or two of receiving the shot, and are most common after the second shot. But once I got up and had breakfast, the sensation went away. As I mentioned after the last shot, the tetanus and shingles shots that I have received in the past were way worse than this one in terms of side effects.

Perhaps we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. So often through this pandemic it has seemed as though we we sensing some light, but then something came along and made the tunnel longer. But it does appear that we can be cautiously optimistic this time.