Slight Detour: Monday Miscellany

An object of community pride.

After seeing a note on Facebook that the Field of Dreams is having its grand opening this week, I drove down Oneida Road to see how one of the dreams has turned into reality.

Beautiful, classy, and if this is any indication of what's to come, the little city of Ponderay will be busting its buttons with pride for some time.

We've all known about the plans for the large expanse of acreage for years, and we've envisioned what it had in its future.

Well, the future has come to Ponderay and so will soccer players from all over.

It's a beautiful facility. Ponderay and its surrounding communities (Sandpoint is one of those) can feel a sense of pride. Plus, a lotta kids are gonna have a lot of fun in a gorgeous setting.

Congratulations to the visionaries, those who put the vision together and to the City of Ponderay.

Can't wait to see the next phases.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

~~Covid Vaccinations~~

On our list of "to do's" before joining Annie in Spain next month, Bill and I are hoping to receive a Covid vaccination booster.

I was disappointed last week to learn that, unlike last year at this time, the previous vaccination is not available where we usually go.

I was told to check with Rite Aid or Walgreens in Coeur 'd Alene, so I did.

How many have ever tried to call those pharmacies, only to get a menu which tells you to go online or, if you want to talk to a live body, that person is probably thousands of miles from the store you called?

I did talk to a gentleman with a foreign accent who told me that the vaccine would probably be available Sept. 6, which puts us right under the wire for the vaccine to do its thing.

Apparently, we have no other choices, so we'll wait for the new vaccine to arrive and hope for the best.

With that in mind, I was particularly interested in reading an article on the topic this morning.

I can remember during the Covid years that this expert usually had the best information, so I'll share what he had to say for anyone else who may be needing a vaccination.

From Best Life, featuring highlights of a podcast by Dr. Michael Osterholm, Minnesota Dept. of Public Health.

The FDA has approved the updated 2024-2025 monovalent mRNA vaccines. Pfizer's vaccine is available for those 12 and older, while Moderna's vaccine is available for ages six months through 11 years and those 12 and older.

"The Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the updated 2024-2025 monovalent or single strain mRNA vaccines," says Osterholm.

Listeners are encouraged to seek out the new vaccine as soon as possible, with some availability expected at larger pharmacies soon.

"This really allows us to skip over the discussion about how to find a dose of the older vaccine and get us right to the new updated vaccines," says Osterholm.

There's a new recommendation that only a two-month gap is required between a previous vaccine dose and the new updated dose.

"There's now only a two-month window that's needed between a previous dose of vaccine and getting the new doses," says Osterholm.

There has been a wave of misinformation suggesting that the 2023-2024 COVID vaccines have been recalled or expired, which is untrue. This misinformation has made it difficult for people to access vaccines.

"These inaccurate claims...have made it difficult for those of you who are seeking out a vaccine as I did several weeks ago to find available doses at your local pharmacies," says Osterholm.

The podcast emphasizes the importance of verifying vaccine information and encourages people to continue seeking vaccination despite these challenges.

"The bottom line is that the misinformation and COVID vaccination coming from clinics and pharmacies is totally unacceptable," says Osterholm.

Off in Spain, Annie has already finished an 18-mile trek today and posted her blog entry.

She's also enjoying meeting cats, like this adorable kitty below.

Check out her post.

https://adventuregirlannie.com/

This morning came the closest to feeling like fall of any day so far.

Heavy dew, fog in every direction covering the impending sunshine, a crisp feeling in the air and the knowledge that my son, the educator, had to go back to work today.

A new school year will soon begin here in Bonner County.

Won't be long 'til the yellow school buses punctuate the message of fall.