Yesterday a good sized storm blew in, winds, thunder, and a day of rain and 38f. Today it's bright sun, blue sky, and 22f on the back porch. This has been the nicest October I remember, shirt sleeve weather much of the time (here that means over 50f). Four years ago around this time it dropped to -20 for a week, day before yesterday it was 60. It'll end soon, the forecast is for snow in a few days, but right now it's lovely.
As you see, the mountains surrounding us got a light coating of snow.
On another note, a good friend sent me an column by David Brooks, from the NY Times. It's a piece he wrote about fear in the US, and it's link to Ebola, giving a larger context to the reaction here. It's well worth reading.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/opinion/david-brooks-what-the-ebola-crisis-reveals-about-culture.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Now that you mention it, it's been rather pleasant October here too. The rain/snow has helped from keeping us from getting too dry, but no major blizzards or cold snaps.
ReplyDeleteLovely photograph. You have better color than I right now...
Looking at the mountains a mile east today, I'd guess the snow level was about 7,000 ft. here last night. Today was pleasant, got up to 52.
DeleteHe is often right on and in depth. I suppose among the "true believers" he is considered a R.H.I.N.O. Or in my take a nigh extinct species, a moderate Eisenhower Republican...
ReplyDeleteThey are past being on the endangered list, for sure.
DeleteHave to be some trout in that stream!
ReplyDeleteYou might like this post about Ebola: Dr. Vinnie is the son of a frat brother, quite a remarkable young man.
http://doctorrwanda.blogspot.com/2014/10/going-viral.html
Thanks for the link, Joe. That is a well written bit of wisdom.
DeleteMike, thanks for that Brooks' essay. I had missed it. He is right on the money and the problem seems to be growing worse and worse. It makes one feel helpless and hopeless.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem hopeless, in that we see the same thing for decades, changed only in the situation or wording.
DeleteBrooks is a rarity, kind of like when Tip O'Neill and Bob Dole would sit down over a drink and actually talk.
Thanks, Steve.
ReplyDeleteSnow. In mid-October.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and it's late, too. We did have our first one a month ago, so it's not beyond the pale.
DeleteI think the column your friend sent is fairly descriptive of overall fear of all kinds of things in our culture. I also think this fear is being exploited in many ways and is changing the way people react to their surroundings. It's not a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAgree, and it's just a factor in how our country is changing.
DeleteThe Good Lord sure paints a pretty picture, and you sure captured one here.
ReplyDeleteThe article hit the nail on the head, fear does breed fear and media broadcasts makes everything look worse.
I read your blog, in the one just previous you described an MI you had, and the ER/cath lab experience. I'm guessing they did a stint? Was the blockage in the circumflex or right? If it was the left main it's unlikely you'd have survived those hours before.
DeleteMedia can be misleading, sometimes deliberately, like faux news. People need to take a science-oriented view a things, look at the evidence, data, then make the logical conclusion.
Yes a stint was inserted after removing a blood clot, told me it was 100 percent blocked, called it a STEMI, from the time I arrived at the first ER and the beginning of the procedure was almost an hour, he said I should have died at home.
DeleteI thought the location was marked on the stint card but it's not, will have to pull my records and verify.
We've been having a very beautiful October too. Must be something that's going around.
ReplyDelete