My Corona...

 i head to work soon...so enjoy these shots of Miss Breezy Chatterbug and her beloved pups...mostly Ivy Rose.  she has a love/annoyed relationship with her canine friends.

 i shall ramble a bit about this Covid-19 Corona Virus....

 corona isn't new just this strain from what i understand.  at this point there are very few testing locations.  this may be increased from a few weeks ago though.  the CDC controls the testing for this particular strain.  so the bottom line on that is most folks who actually show up with any sort of similar symptoms will not be tested for Corona. 

 most people who get a bug do not go to a Dr or ER.  most cases of all of these are mild or even sub clinical with some having hardly any symptoms at all.  as far as i can tell this leaves them open to spread the virus...like all other viruses.

 i have a bit of a bug this week, no fever, but i will be headed to work. i will obviously wash my hands and wear a mask but the corona virus stays on  surfaces for up to 9 days...good luck controlling that.

 Alaska is a major hub from Asia, lets also mention that i have heard nothing that says that our robust winter Asian tourist season has been curtailed.  i have no idea how they are handling flights coming from the nations that seem to have corona outbreaks, but in a free society there is not that much to be done.  we have a culture that flies all over.  that spreads bugs.

 the ones impacted will be mostly the infirm, elderly and youngest populations. that is how most of the bugs work.  so that also means that most healthy adults will simply be carriers.  perhaps they will get a few symptoms...often not enough to put them off work or keep them from going to the store for supplies.  also not enough to cause them to visit a clinician. 

 so all those folks could already be out there with sub clinical or no symptoms leaving behind the virus. without a way to test rapidly and thoroughly...control will be hampered.

 could it get worse before it gets better, it could. 

 is our government prepared.....considering the history of misinformation from this administration, it's doubtful.  they have put a science denier in charge and they have now put a limit on those with the informations ability to share that information...it must go through Pence.

 this administration has also shut down or greatly reduced funding for departments that handled outbreaks.  the current potus is so jealous and spiteful of his predecessor that he slashes anything with the Obama name on it...without doing any investigation as to whether it has been helpful or effective at all...

 so that is where we are. 

 i wouldn't prepare for the last days quite yet though.  i suspect this virus like so many things in our nation will pass with some cases, some deaths but most likely we won't even know how extensive the virus is for a few years.  will it become mainstream...meaning will it's virulence worsen over the next few years.  will we see more cases in years to come...i have no idea.

 all those masks folks wear...they are only effective for a few hours at best.  people wear them for days some times. 

 viruses are tiny but very potent.  we think we are so big and strong but we can all be taken out by a tiny virus.  we can scream and pound our fists but in this modern world of constant transition we are somewhat powerless against them. 

 one person on one plane...they make a few flight changes, go to a few nations, touch stuff in all those places....they could be asymptomatic at the time but before you know it..the virus has been spread.  you can wash stuff but that is only so effective...besides, the more deadly to viruses the cleaning agent is...how deadly is it to us? 

 what cancer causing agents will we expose ourselves to in an attempt to kill off a virus...one that no doubt would have passed through us in a few days to a week like most viruses.

 don't doomsday plan yet.  panic in the streets is not merited at this point. 

 i have a sinus bug with a cough...i'm going to work.  i am not alone.  many people have bugs, almost none of us have been tested for corona virus and since there are only a few major hubs that are doing testing we aren't likely to get tested.  the only ones who will  be tested at this point is those who show some major symptoms, actually go in to a see someone and test negative for other stuff.  how long is the turn around on those tests?  what precautions will be taken. 

 we had an outbreak of influenza b...so much that we finally gave up doing total room cleans between cases...we had too many patients and it would take too much time...while those patients waited to be seen they were in the waiting area...how often is that area cleaned up? not often. 

 you have to protect yourselves.  wash you hands, carry your own sanitizer.  wipe up any surfaces you know are shared with other humans...

 good luck with that.

 off to work i go. 

thankful for A. the low chance of this virus becoming one that kills off a large percentage of the population  B. co-workers who will do the best they can...as they always do  C.  those who know about these things and are still somewhere in the cdc trying despite this idiotic administration

unimpressive owl shots and other stuff

 still cool to see owls.  most of the time i get no picture of the owls or even worse pictures.  usually none.  they go by and the camera is either not out or not ready. they are fairly quick really. 

 the owl sightings this week have been at Potters Marsh and at the back side of the airport...or the end of Northern Lights Blvd...past Point Worzonof.  i stayed for the sunset too today.

 i believe the owls i spotted on both occassions/places were short eared owls. seems to be a very common owl species for the region. i am not a birder though...but the people with the big cameras and binoculars said that is what the ones at the airport were. 

 last week i had a totally cool sighting out at North Bivouac. i am not entirely sure if it was a hawk or owl, though i am heavily leaving toward hawk.  i was more focused on the large animal it had in its talons as it flew quickly past me...again, camera not out so no photo.  it looked like it had a squirrel perhaps.

 got my friend/hairdresser Jesse to cut off 4-5 inches today and do highlights/lowlights. he's always fun and does a good job i think.  my hair grows fairly quickly i had chopped off over 8 inches just over 4 years ago.

 it was just looking too mousy.  i am no looker but i have my moments.  i figure i'm one of those folks like they had in a Seinfeld episode...where the girl looks pretty in the right light and then the light changes and he's all yikes, where did the pretty girl go. at over 50, ain't nobody looking that i've noticed anyway.

 i liked having it short too, but i like having the option of putting it up or in a braid or something.

 i look really attractive in this state....this is what you do to get the highlights/lowlights.

 really not a looker there.

 a few more from the beach trek the other day.

 i think i have successfully worn out the dogs this week.

 i have worn myself out as well. actually, woke today with sore throat, increased coughing and that sinus feeling again.  i have muddled through the day. no fevers.

 we shall see how tomorrow goes. i head back to work tomorrow.

 the big panic is over the corona stuff.  it may hit...we are a very likely area to be hit as we are a refuel stop for many planes coming from Asia.  also with the Northern lights we get a lot of tourists through the winter from Asia. 

 there were 3 moose out on Potters yesterday as well.

 this below isn't a good picture of either the moose or the owl, but they are together in a shot which is kind of cool.

 they are hunting and they like these open areas for hunting. 

 i could see these owls from the road so they are large enough and unusual enough for me to spot them. 

 this one is good of the wingspan i think.

 the bird landed on the fence, but it took me a minute to get the camera out and then the lens had fogged up...needless to say, more bad photos of owls.

 and it took off.

 they do relocate i think if there is concern for the planes.  wouldn't want to suck one of these big owls into the engine.

 the sun was setting anyway so i headed to Pt Woronzof to watch...leaving all the photographers and birders behind.

 the dogs had chilled in the car while i got my hair done so i let them out just to stretch and chase the tennis ball for a few minutes.

 the parking lot there tends to be pretty full and active but i caught a lull and took advantage.  many folks around here come to enjoy the sunsets each night year round.

 pancake ice floats by as the tide was coming in

 sun sets

 lots of camping spots available at Brooks late August..will there be any bears there still. i don't need tons of bears and it may be nice to go when it's not crazy crowded.  i'll do some reading and blog hunting.  see what others have seen that time of year.  they may go to permits next year so it may be a good time to finally get out there.

 need to work on booking a few cabins soon too.

 hoping to do a nice long drive as well.  top of the world over into the Yukon Territory and back through Whitehorse and perhaps a little side trek to Haines.  hmm...

 those are the summer ideas...along with the usual romps to Seward/Homer and Valdez. 

 after the sunset i headed back to look for owls.  this guy was on a post.  the birders/photographers had mostly left.

 the two owls from here and potters look pretty different as far as colors but that could be age or sex i think.

 better get some sudafed and hit the sack soon. hopefully, i feel better in the morning. 

 will the corona thing be bigger or over by the summer...? no idea.

 being in healthcare, you do have to be aware of such things.  we get exposed to all kinds of stuff. this virus can last on surfaces for 9 days they say.  that is a long time.  the latest i've heard is it came from bats probably, most likely in the place that was doing illegal sales of animals.  new information is always coming out.

 sorry, the spell check seems to have been removed from blogger.  all of this could just disappear i guess one day.  that would be a bummer for me...i will disappear too so i guess it would just be part of that process.  ashes to ashes, dust to dust i guess.

 the colors often turn more vibrant after the sun has actually gone down

 stopped to enjoy those post sunset drives as i headed home

 i am a socially awkward freak some times.  not sure how that happened. maybe i just never learned the skills you were supposed to learn. i was always a misfit in social settings.  the wall flower, the one forgotten....you would think you would get used to it.  there are times as well that i prefer to avoid social settings so even when invited it can be difficult to get myself to engage.  that strange balance of wanting to be included and actually showing up. we are all freaks in our own way.  all we can hope really is that there are some out there who don't find us too intolerable. who find our quirks not too off putting.

 i think we all just want to feel included and accepted.  i suspect that many of us try and fail more than we succeed.  some just make it look so easy, all that social stuff. i am often in awe and a little jealous of those with social skills like that...

thankful for A.  those who don't find me too  strange and include me despite my quirks  B. wildlife sightings. i never tire of them.  C. peaceful sleep, snuggled up with the pups and the cat.  good night.