Slight Detour: Vintage November

Balmy weather we're having here.

While out cleaning horse stalls earlier, I heard on the radio that it's 53 degrees this morning in Sandpoint.

That report came just after 6 a.m., about the time I was removing my vest. Almost worked up a sweat doing that shoveling.

The unusual warmth won't last long.

Within three days we'll be down into the 20s overnight.

Yesterday was a comfortable day too, with a constant but pleasant breeze blowing.

Billowy clouds in the sky seemed to stay in place where their masses remained really dark all day long, suggesting a gloomy November mood.

Happily, no doom with the gloom as it stayed dry all day. Plus, the conditions made for a lovely opportunity to take an afternoon hike through the Meserve Preserve.

Cows are gone but not their pies.

I took along a trekking pole and my camera, and, as I usually do while hiking, kept a close watch on the ground to avoid stepping in green squish.

Believe me, those cows and calves of Bert's produced hundreds and hundreds of pies over their summer grazing period, so I had to remain extra vigilant.

My walk through the fields and a portion of the woods gave me some stunning visual examples of just how dry our summer was.

The swale where I usually can't cross in fall, winter or early spring was completely dry.

And, in the two ponds in the big pasture area, water had receded to the simply center area, leaving those old stumps with telltale dividing lines, showing the usual depth seen in most other years.

I was even able to take a couple of pictures of some stump remnants usually submerged all year long.

When I later reported to Bill how little water there is on the Meserve Preserve, he said, and that's even after all the fall rain.

So, I'm guessing we definitely need some serious moisture catch-up over the winter in hopes that pastures, watering holes and hay fields don't go bad way too early again next year.

Besides the water-level observations, I just plain enjoyed the outing, especially being able to walk into areas where I haven't gone before.

It was a nice diversion for an afternoon when action inside the house on the television turned out to be disappointing. Russell Wilson and his Seahawks had a bad day

So, being outside enjoying the fresh air and its accompanying warm breeze during a portion of the game made up for the loss.

~~~~~

On this Monday morning, I'm thinking ahead toward Thanksgiving and realizing that it's been two years since I purchased taters and prepared my usual holiday sweet-potato dish.

That will be a project today, with the final product being put away in the freezer to be thawed for turkey day next week.

During last year's Pandemic isolation, Bill and I had planned for our turkey day "feast" to be Wood's German sausages cooked over an outdoor grill at the Drift Yard near Hope.

We were about to gather together the goodies and head off when Debbie texted, wondering what we had planned and told us to come over to The Thompson Cabin where they were staying because of their house fire.

She and Willie had prepared a traditional dinner.

So, we bagged the sausage idea and joined them, masked up except for eating and sitting far apart at the table.

They're back home this year, and we'll likely celebrate Thanksgiving at their house along with other family members.

With that in mind, I found the following informative excerpt from a story in this morning's New York Times newsletter helpful.

It's much different from last year but still a time to play it safe. Hope this information is helpful.

from the New York Times . . .

Going forward, part of living with Covid will mean doing these sorts of on-the-spot calculations to assess risk. It sounds difficult, but it’s the kind of mental calculus that comes naturally with more familiar dangers.

Think about winter driving. We know that thousands of people are injured or killed each year on icy roads, but we don’t stay home all winter.

We check the forecast and whether the roads have been plowed. We make sure our cars and tires are in good condition, and then we buckle our seatbelts and hit the road to shop for groceries, go to school or see family for the holidays.

Assessing risk for Covid will be similar and, eventually, just as natural.

It starts with staying aware of local Covid conditions, like hospitalizations and vaccination rates, and avoiding crowds and high-risk gatherings where we don’t know the vaccination status of others.

We’ll wear masks when needed and use rapid home tests to keep gatherings Covid-free. And anyone who is sneezing or coughing should always stay home.

Jha says that he remains cautious about Covid when he’s not sure of the vaccination status of those around him, and that he’s willing to skip things “on the margins.”

He recently met a friend at a restaurant, and they decided to go somewhere else because it was packed.

But he’s planning a Thanksgiving celebration that includes grandparents and children. Everyone who is eligible will be fully vaccinated and have a booster shot.