Frosty

 Have you heard the tail of Frosty the Deer Hunter?  The same house had Santa in a deer stand.

So this is Christmas - John Lennon

"A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fears"

We still have so far to go until we can live without fear of COVID-19.  Stay safe.

Clocks

A Different Holiday Display

 I wasn't sure what to think about this unique holiday scene.  It is Ashtabula so that describes a lot.  I think the only thing missing is Rudolph under the tractor.  Merry Christmas to all.  I think.

I'll Never Find Another You

 The COVID world is awful.  Share this with that special someone.

Recorded in 1964 at Abby Road Studios...

Recorded in 2013 during their farewell tour...

 

They still sounded wonderful.

You Know You're Old...

when you know what this is.

Chin Diaper

 

I can't take credit for this great name for a mask not worn properly.  Covidiots are everywhere.

Wear a mask and stay six feet away, please.  Protecting others is a sign of respect and love.

I Cannoli Agree With This Sign

 A local Italian food store makes wonderful pepperoni rolls and super anise pizzelles.

Trash Talking

 

Emoji Limits

I have no idea who would think a pumpkin poop emoji is a Halloween decoration.  Will we reach a time where emoji's slide toward the back of our communication tools?

You're My Best Friend

 

It's our anniversary this month.  I can't think of a better song to mark the month.  A year ago I wasn't sure I would see the date with a severe health issue.  I'm happy we were able to visit Shenandoah, and this year I was able to easily handle the walk to Miller's Head for a sunset together.

She was wearing her mask as we shared our sunset with three other wonderful people who joined us at a social distance.

Share the song with your closest.  There is nothing in the world better than a bestie....  💕

Stay safe and protect others....  six feet and a mask.

Herd Immuniiity Is Not An Answer to COVID

 Here's a National Geographic read on herd immunity's failures with some ties to past health disasters.  Herd immunity is not an answer.  COVID is with us until there is an effective vacine (Trump is lying abouth the timeline as usual).  The only way to live normally is to wear a mask when in public.

Limbo Rock

Nothing But A Heartache

Thoughts from Hudson

 

Tough times...  Take Care.  Stay Safe.

Crystal

 This is my favorite version of one of my favorite songs.  It was released on this day in 1973 before Fleetwood Mac became a mega band with Buckingham and Nicks.  If there is someone you love, tell them...  stay safe.

Whatever happened to the 105 Northeast Ohio Tim Hortons?

I was reviewing a geocache in NE Ohio this morning and saw this from the aerial, an open field proclaiming the site of a Tim Hortons.  Shockingly this one appears to have been built.  As for my travels in NE Ohio, I've yet to see any of the 105.  I used to be a big supporter of the Canadian chain.  Their lack of support for my home area has led me to mostly ignore them everywhere.  The final straw was seeing one down the road from my hotel in Apodaca.  Really, who would eat donuts at 100 degrees?

The blank space in the map where Tim Hortons well represents the lousy push into the market.  I could give them a pass for COVID, but they announced their "plans" in 2017.

It's Gonna Be Tricks

 I'm fairly sure this year's trick-or-treat night will be a big bust.  I think our government has already tricked us.

Protect others.  Wear a mask!

Plastic Sign Person

 

Even Plastic Sign Person is wearing a mask in Westerville.  Are You?

Livin' Thing

How Not to Sell Your House V2.0

 Another person who thinks hanging your racist flag will sell a home in Youngsville, Pennsylvania.  For a mere $220K.  2,137 soldiers from Warren County Pennsylvania fought to preserve our nation from the Traitors of the Confederacy.  Flying this flag in a county that proudly represented the country is a disgrace.

Lucky Cat

 No matter which paw is raised, we can all use a lucky cat right now.

Ball of Confusion

I remember hearing this song when my brother played it.  Fifty years later, the country has made so little progress.  This song could have been written today. We are definitely riding on a ball of confusion.

How Not To Sell Your House

Someone shared a Facebook Marketplace link for a mildly interesting car for sale.  I noticed a side listing for a "hobby farm."  I wasn't familiar with the term so I looked to see what this meant.  I guess it includes a confederate flag in the bedroom.  Yep, Grand Rapids checks out.  I hope I've never lived in a home where a traitor flag hung on the wall.  At least for now, I've never lived in a state where armed thugs have taken control of the state capital.  It's proudly listed by the McDonald Team under Re/MAX.

You Decide

Is this pro-trump or anti-trump?  It's hard to tell if the spray paint sign on this trashed ? is in support or a statement of unhappiness.  It's been sitting outside a small tuner shop in Pennsylvania.  At one point it was flipped 90 degrees and on its side presumably to extract parts for another project.  I'm assuming the shop is a younger business as it seems to lean toward projects involving lowered and stanced smaller imports.

Lumber Man

Lumber Man was one of the few people wearing a mask in Tionesta, Pennsylvania.  We were going to spend some money in town.  Decided the risk was too high.

My Beloved Wife

Natalie Merchant wrote this song for her grandparents and their end of life.  Her grandfather died two days after her grandmother.  I wonder how many times this has been played out during COVID.

If you're not wearing a mask when in public, you are a part of the problem. Forget the politics.  Save your fellow human beings.  138,000 people have died in the US.  Become part of the solution today.

Smokey Says

My mask protects you.  Your mask protects me.  Wear your mask!

Like many bears, Smokey has a big face and has a hard time finding a mask that fits.  He's standing outside this parking area in Moshannon State Forest doing his best to protect visitors.

Stay Safe!

County Fair Covidiots

Medina County Fair had postponed their fair June 3rd.  On June 11th the fair board must have decided the rise in infection rate in Ohio wasn't enough.  They amped up the pandemic and decided to let even more people die.

Geauga County Fair Board decided to blame the Governor in reverse.  Since Governor Dewine hadn't given guidance to shield the fair board of the need to make adult decisions, they were moving forward.  What a vacuum of leadership in Geauga County is displayed by this action.

One Less Bell To Answer

122,000 people have died in the US.  The president holds a rally in Tulsa.  He doesn't wear a mask.  He says, "Here's the bad part ... when you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people; you're going to find more cases. So I said to my people, slow the testing down please."

I wonder how many will be dead by the election...

Sign of the Times

I noticed this sign in the back and side windows of an old Crown Vic.  Home made sanitizer seems so long ago in the changing COVID landscape.  They better make those sales soon as most stores are stocking commercial grade products again while demand drops as people realize hand sanitizer is not the best solution to stopping a respiratory infection.  We have never been intense users of hand sanitizer products.  Soap and water, if available, are much better tools for removing risks.  It was an Altoona, Pennsylvania phone number a long way from home.

COVID Playlist: Don't Fear the Reaper

From watching the Ohioans the last couple weeks, all fear of the reaper (and concern for each other is gone). Stay safe out there.

We will double dip this week with a second timely title from the same album. With out-of-control law enforcement showing no respect for fellow humans, this song is so appropriate.



From the ads for the album when this was released... "Who's the greatest band alive? BLUE OYSTER CULT!" They were an amazing, under-rated band.

COVID Playlist: Alone Again Naturally

I hope you are all wearing masks in public when others are around (not just indoors) and practicing social distancing. 114,000 people have died in the US.  😭  The country's president no longer considers this an issue even though about 1,000 people continue to die each day.

By Labor Day over 200,000 people could be dead at the current pace.  Over 1/4 million people could be dead by election day November 3.  That number would be four to ten times the number of deaths from flu this season.  I guess all those people saying this is just like the flu were wrong.

Stay safe!  Be diligent about social distancing and keep wearing a mask in case you are infected.

COVID Playlist: Disease

Mass Transit

I'm not really sure I would have chosen this name for my transit system.

Unless Sarasota wanted to honor Elle Fitzgerald. 😊  That would be a great way to honor one of jazz' finest talents.

Let It Whip

Forget COVID-19 for a few minutes. Get up and move around to the Dazz Band. I'm old. I remember in 1982, Ronald Reagan (Republican) was President and unemployment peaked near 11% during a recession as I was graduating from college the first time. In 2008, George Bush (Republican) was President and unemployment peaked at 10.1% during a recession. In 2020, Donald Trump (Republican) is President and who knows how much higher unemployement can go beyond 14.7% during this recession. I was always told Republicans were geniuses at the economy.  😉

Oh well, Cleveland's own Dazz Band could make the place move then. We survived 1982. We survived 2008. Most of us will survive 2020. Enjoy the sounds....

COVID Playlist: Cruel Summer

This video is quite a snapshot of New York over thirty-five years ago including images of the Twin Towers in the opening and closing of the video.  The world was very different.

COVID Playlist: Eleanor Rigby

COVID Playlist: See You In September

COVID: Respirator Binder Clip Fix

Most of us are wearing some sort of mask at least some time.  For much of the US masks with loops going over your ears are not a normal condition.  Making them fit properly and work effectively is not always easy.

I have found that a simple binder clip used to join the two loops at the back of one's head offers a great improvement in sealing and comfort.  Yes, I need a haircut and my hair gets greyer every day.

COVID Playlist: One

COVID Playlist: Solitaire

COVID Playlist: All By Myself

COVID Playlist: I Nearly Lost You

Covidiot-in-Chief

Remember when the phrase The Buck Stops Here! reflected a leader saying he was responsible for events that happened.  It was a phrase that sat on the desk of Harry Truman.  Now we have a spineless leader who sits around and spouts lies and propagates fake cures while making suggestions that encourage innocent believers of his trash to drink bleach.  As we approach 90,000 deaths, he ignorantly refuses to take the mantle of leadership that he wanted so badly.  A real man and a true leader would wear a mask as an example to the people he leads.  He owns the blame for nearly 90,000 humans and counting who have died in this country.  We can only hope there is a hell.  He can take his place next to the other evil that has walked this earth.

COVID Playlist: Five Years

Maybe Bowie's song was recorded a little too early.  😓

COVID Playlist: The Fever

Surgical Masks From China

It reads like the end of the Amazing Race....

After 34 Days....  On Two Continents...  In Seven Cities...  and Over 9000 miles...

The masks have arrived!  😃

We ordered them from Amazon on April 11.  Their oddessy began on April 18th in Shanghai.

It ended today with their arrival courtesy of USPS.

We sanitize and re-use masks so hopefully the world will be a brighter place when we run through these masks.

COVID Deals a Blow to Recycling

We did a lot of good things for recycling in our home.

We have used our own bags for years to eliminate our need for plastic bags.

Now we are awash in plastic bags.  At least our local grocery store has begun offering the old standby paper bag as a plastic bag alternative.

We had recently started using reusable mesh produce bags, but they are also no longer welcome.

We usually use the few produce bags we gather for holding trash we collect on park walks, but have stopped picking up trash with the potential for virus contamination.  Instead we now use a few to dispose of paper from the shredder,but there are many, more plastic produce bags than we can ever fill with shredded paper.

The real trash generator is coming from carry-out.  We still mostly cook, but we are using take-out from a quartet of our favorite restaurants.

There will be many losers from the pandemic.  It seems the environment will be among them.

Maybe the Stay-At-Home Orders Have Gone Too Long....

Move over Baby Shark?

50 Years

1970 Unarmed protesters are killed by the National Guard while on Kent State's campus.

2020 heavily armed thugs enter Michigan's capital to protest their "rights" being violated.

It feels as though we have failed as a nation in these last fifty years, and it is very sad.

Elvis Costello and Mumford & Sons

It's a cross-generational mix covering a Springsteen song.  It all works.  The location makes me wish I could visit it.

Vice President Covidiot

He's one heartbeat from leading this country and clueless.  Shame on you Mr. Pence.  Who would think it was okay to walk around without a mask at a hospital under the current conditions?

"And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say 'thank you.' " ... Vice President Mike Pence

Did you notice Mr. Vice President no one wearing a mask has their eyes covered?

He's a disgrace to the office.  We are an embarrassment to the world.

Covidiots

So why are we keeping them home from school if they are able to have large parties?  If any death can be traced to COVID-19 being spread at this apparent youth party, the parents should be legally liable for damages.

Telephone Line

Still one of my favorite songs... Looking past to when I was young. The musical equivalent of comfort food when the world seems to be falling apart. Stay Safe.

M&M's Message Packs

I was buying peanut M&M's for Ali and noticed these strange packages.  The message seems a little ill timed considering the world right now.  At least she enjoyed the M&M's.

R.I.P. Bill Withers

😭

Can We Kill This Tired Phrase?

Dear Google,

This tired, old phrase is at least ten years old.  Can one of your hipsters come up with something new?

Thanks,

98.6

I hope everyone is staying at a reasonable social distance.  So far, my temp is staying normal.  I'm usually around 98.

Enjoy Keith singing 98.6.  Here's hoping there's happy days ahead.  Stay safe and keep your distance.

Dance Time

Horns with a dance beat... It makes you want to wind back the clock for a few minutes and dance.

Reusable Produce Bags

We've been using old grocery store produce bags to gather trash from the trail while we are geocaching (CITO).

The problem is if you buy a lot of produce, there are soon a mountain of bags.  There are soon more bags than trash on the trail.  We've been using cloth grocery bags for over seven years so when our local grocery store began selling reusable mesh produce bags it was easy to switch over and say goodbye to another source of plastic in our lives.

Lock-down

I fly often.  I have never been in a locked-down terminal before last week.  We were returning from vacation and had just returned on Southwest in Cleveland Hopkin's terminal B.  When we reached the end of the terminal exiting into the remainder of the airport, the entrance was blocked by a closed sliding door.  TSA wasn't really making an effort to explain why we were all suddenly prisoners.  I never eat before traveling so being locked in an airport terminal with the awful food choices of Quaker Steak (why are they still in business) and Subway (ewww),  I was unhappy.  The door partially opened and closed a few times.  I started wondering about getting close and trying one of those movie slides under the door as it was closing,  I don't think TSA would have been too happy.  Speaking of TSA, they offered no explanation for the behavior and impromptu lock-down.

The gate eventually opened and we were released from lock-down to go about our business.  The lock-down was long enough that our bags were riding the luggage carousel when we arrived.  From the usual Hopkins airport performance that means about 30 minutes.

Friday on My Mind

Waiting for the week to end.

Getting an early start on Saturday. A long time ago in a lifetime far away, this was a Friday staple song.

Coconut Patties

I have long been a sucker for Mounds bars. While we were visiting Myakka State Park in Florida, we stopped at the souvenir store for a drinks. I noticed Coconut Patties. They are squares of coconut surrouned on five sides by dark chocolate. If you like Mounds, these are perfect.

I am also a big fan of pineapple so the only Coconut Patty better than the original might be Coconut-pineapple Patties.  :)

I'm not so sure about world famous, but they are tasty.