Good morning!!!!

[RedNeckGeek]

Just had a google news feed on my phone from a TV station in North Carolina...3 people died this week from the flu, which makes 134 so far this season in NC. I wasn't paying much attention at first and thought it was corona, but then realized no one has died in NC from Covid, but surprised to see that 134 have died from flu.

I think you're in the majority there, Wng, most people aren't aware of how many die each year from the flu strains that are already out there. It's tens of thousands here in the US alone. Mostly elderly people with other health problems.

What's got everybody's knickers in a twist about CoVid-19 is how easily it spreads (mostly from just breathing in air from an infected person), how long the virus can live outside a human body (days and maybe even weeks), how long a person can be contagious without showing any symptoms (probably about four days, but could also be weeks), there's no cure or vaccine, and the high fatality rate (about ten times that of the flus we're used to dealing with). If current estimates are correct, we could see as many as half a million die in the US this year from it.

 

[toppop52]

Cruises out of Baltimore are shut down.

They probably all are by now, but ours sails out of NJ.

 

[toppop52]

Drew, hope your procedure can get you some answers.

J- I believe many here have ideas about what they are going to implement, when the virus gets near. I know I do. Just not sure when to implement, or for how long. I would give it a wide berth if I were you. As many should here. There are more than a few that just scoff at it in the other thread.

Randy, work your fingers to the bone, whaddayaget?

I decided to clean the north side of my metal barn today. I did not want to use a bleach solution, for fear of accelerating rust. So I just mixed some simple green with some water and sprayed it on. It helped, but not nearly as efficient as the Jomax/Bleach solution. My arms got tired from all the pressure washing up high on the ladder.

I want to paint the fascia and my front porch tomorrow. Not sure if I'll get it all done.

Also need to till the garden to kill the sprouting weeds, plant the small baby squash seedlings and a few other seedlings. I hope winter doesn't freeze us again.

Ron, nice photos.

Been having a weekly study session with our associate Pastor and his wife. Studying C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. It's been good.

Another day older and deeper in debt.

 

[Bird]

We, too, have been sleeping on Sleep Number beds for a lot of years, currently have one in each of the two bedrooms.

59 degrees, going for a high of 62, currently raining and rain in the forecast every day for nearly a week.

We both have an appointment this morning for eye exams to see if we need new glasses, as I suspect both of us do.

Schools and colleges closed, businesses sending emails about the measures they are taking, My credit union is "suggesting" use of the drive-ins instead of going insides, everyone seems to be terrified of the coronavirus.

But we're pretty well stocked on most things, and my new icemaker has filled the tray so I expect to survive a little longer.:laughing:

 

[RedNeckGeek]

The news this evening reported that ALL public schools in the state of NM will be closed starting Monday. There are now 4 confirmed cases in the whole state. I guess it is a preemptive maneuver....

With no cure and no vaccine available, and no outward signs that a contagious person is sick, just about the only effective strategy for keeping CoVid-19 in check is to keep people away from each other. That's why the drastic travel restrictions are now world wide, and why authorities are cancelling many large events and closing schools. I'm not optimistic those tactics will be successful because people still have to be together at work; not everybody can telecommute from home. And that's why the stock market is panicking, productivity is going to take a huge hit, as will demand for new goods. Gonna be a rough year.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

RNG, I never even thought of getting pix of the tree. My wife helped load the pickups and our friend was amazing at helping, non-stop, with the splitting and loading and unloading. He counted the rings in the oak and aged it at 116 years old. It had a rotten area at the ground and the ants had tunneled through that short section, but the tree has amazing size and weight. We maxed out after 4 to 5 hours and there is plenty of rounds left for another day. We plan to tackle when 2 more friends are back in town.

How big are the rounds, Wng? Green oak is HEAVY, but you probably know all about that now! Sure burns nice when it's dry, making all that work well worth it...

 

[RedNeckGeek]

RNG, I need some exercise like you are getting. Wish you lived closer. I would be over helping.

I wished you lived closer too, Ron; I'm down to only 12 rolls of toilet paper!:laughing:

 

[toppop52]

The virus is performing poorly in warm humid areas of the world, looks like a seasonal virus to me, like the flu. As for it being more deadly, not much I think. The mortality rate drops daily as they find more mild and non symptomatic cases. A vaccine looks likely by November now, it’s responding to anti vitals in several tests. China is well past the peak and getting back to some normalcy.
It’s dangerous and is going to cause a lot of problems, but I think saying half a million Americans will die from it is preposterous. More like 10000- 50000, if that.

 

[riptides]

I wished you lived closer too, Ron; I'm down to only 12 rolls of toilet paper!:laughing:

The end for you is near.

I have a stockpile of leaves and moss. and a creek that has a nice water fall, if it comes to that.

 

[newbury]

What is it with our wives buying tractors, that痴 at least 3-4 of us so far.

Maybe there is a Covid 20. My spouse just asked me how much a replacement tractor would be for the B7610 I still have in Virginia. Upon further questioning she was thinking our eldest could use it (he recently purchased a house with a whopping 3 acres).