Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
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NOTE: The comments page will split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …
Morning low of 59 degrees in Madison WI with an expected daytime high of 83. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Sunday Meese. Groggy this morning – was awake half the night due to thunderstorms (again) and the doggies freaking out. 68 going up to a cooler 77 – but more thunderstorms predicted.
Happy Mandela Day!
Puerto Rico
Good morning. Watching the news, Le Tour is on later this morning. Hoping for a new record for number of stage wins to be set today. Cavendish wasn’t even selected for the Tour, but the team’s sprinter was injured, so he got a chance. I love that story. And the Americans have done a good job this year. One, from Durango Colorado, won a stage. Another, in his 2nd Tour is the first Native American to do this. So, lots of good stories.
Sunday Music
It’s 70 heading for 85 and we’ll see about the heat index. Raining but tapering off. Dark enough to need lights. It hasn’t rained steadily since yesterday morning – we got enough sunlight to generate 11 KWHs (m-t-d 275) – but we’ve still managed to accumulate over 1.5″ with probably a little more coming. After that according to the widget we get clouds but no rain. sigh.
I’m worried about everybody. Nothing’s resolving, no answers showing up, nobody’s health or financial situation is getting better, some are getting worse – and COVID cases are soaring.
I’ve got some of my Sunday chores done. We’ll see when I get to the rest. (As long as the bed’s made before I get in it, it really doesn’t matter if I do it this morning or just before I get in it.) Oatmeal and coffee and online a bit first. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
I read an article that included a story about a woman in rural Arkansas who is suffering greatly from COVID. Someone asked her if she made a mistake not getting the vaccination and – even as she struggled to breathe – she is convinced that the vaccination is untested and “risky.”
Fox News, which is already suffering a decline due to the aging and natural death of its core demographic, is now actively trying to kill off the rest of their viewers. I really don’t get it.
Fox was the original/first of the fascist propaganda machines. The goal is fascist takeover/overthrow of our govt. They don’t care how many “foot soldiers” fall in the process. They’re “heroes” and “martyrs for the cause” – the Lost Cause was never lost, just delayed about 7 generations. Unless we can stop them again.
Good Sunday morning, Moosekind! We’re having a breezy, partly cloudy day here in Ashburn. The current temperature here is 77 F., going up to 82 F. It’s cooler because the heat wave broke. It did rain last night, too late for us to enjoy the sight of it falling, but it was still raining when we went to bed so I opened the window part way. But enough of this meteorological chitchat. It rained enough that I don’t have to water the garden, so that saved me a walk.
It’s hard not to feel despair. Texas Rethug legislators are out of their freaking minds. Now they want history taught without mentioning Susan B. Anthony and the Suffragettes and the civil rights movement with Dr. Martin Luther King. What a bunch of uneducated children will apply to colleges for admission in the future! I think they should all be given tests to see whether they know anything.
More and more the parallels between former guy and Hitler have become identical. I also think Gaia is trying to burn us off the face of the Earth because we have been so unmindful of Her. I wish I had the power to make all white Rethuglican penises fall off during the night, but unfortunately I do not.
Back at the ranch, things are improving slightly. I’m mystified but grateful because of receiving two consecutive nights of 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep without DRUGS. What on earth is happening? Never mind, I’ll take it. The lingering nastiness from the Thing That Will Not Go Away is still with me, but I’m managing. Yesterday morning, during the first hour I was up and about, I filled an entire wastebasket with used tissues. Ugh.
Also, although The Foot caused me a lot of pain yesterday, after I soaked it, rested all day, and took a couple of aspirin, the pain went away.
Today is Monty’s 10th birthday in hooman years. Raspberry Toy Poodle across the hall gave him a box of beautifully decorated dog biscuits. Wasn’t that nice? I’m going to give her Mum some peach bran muffins later, after I’ve made them. I’ve been giving her and my Irish neighbor handfuls of little bright orange Sungold tomatoes.
You know, all things considered, I’m glad to be in the sunset of my years. I don’t think the country or the world we’re leaving to our children is going to be very pleasant.
Wishing a good, peaceful Sunday to all at the Pond.
THIS: “I also think Gaia is trying to burn us off the face of the Earth because we have been so unmindful of Her.”
We will have deserved it.
Gaia is watching in sorrow as her children, the Indigenous (which includes true witches/pagans – but not the “neo” appropriators) who’ve taken care of her so well for so long, burn with the evil culture – white colonizer culture – who not only set the fire but continue to throw gasoline on it.
Good morning, 58 and mostly sunny in Bellingham. I was outside most of yesterday, just reading and resting in our garden. When we moved here the garden was mostly lawn and old junipers. It was very depressing so we started planting and haven’t stopped. I’m very grateful to have an a private outdoor living space now.
Needless to say this article resonates with me, Why Arranging Flowers Is the Best Hobby for Anxious Times
Best wishes to all.
Monday Meese.66 going up to 81 here in Kingston NY, and fingers crossed – we may not get rain today
Puerto Rico – just posted
Good morning, meeses! Monday …
It is 55 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 84. Sunny skies are in the forecast.
I was glad to see that the cruise lines who are suing Florida to be allowed to continue with vaccine mandates have won round one. (A headline that starts “in a blow to DeSantis” is worth pausing to savor, by the way). A private business that wants to protect their employees and customers should not be forced to join the #RepublicanDeathCult. Vaccination mandates are how we survive this wave – there have to be places that enforce and promote vaccinations if we are to get everyone to buy in. Make being an anti-vaxxer come with consequences.
Busy day here – I have a couple of deferred projects that can’t be put off any longer.
See all y’all later!
Good morning, all. We are supposed to get rain this week, I wish I could send it to places that need it more. Five of the Texas Dems tested positive for covid, including my friend Celia. Most are asymptomatic and even those with symptoms are mild. Vaccines work.
It’s 70 heading for 85 and who knows with the heat index. Overcast this morning but supposed to clear up this afternoon and tomorrow. It was sunnier than expected yesterday. We generated 16 KWHs and the m-t-d is 291 – almost on track for the day so didn’t lose much more ground for the month. It is still very possible to get over 500 for July. We shall see what we shall see.
I meant to do laundry today but I’m going to wait until tomorrow since the forecast is both clearer and warmer. Well, I meant or keep meaning to do lots of housecleaning things that don’t seem to happen. But the laundry will get done sometime this week. Otherwise I won’t have underwear next week. ????????
Aji’s situation and health are getting worse. Jill’s is a rollercoaster. With dependable transportation being the most urgent thing. Because even her ability to communicate depending on being able to get to town for the new PV charger to replace the one her husband “hot-wired” because he didn’t have all the parts and is now sucking charges out instead of putting them in. Amelia’s situation hasn’t changed. At least she’s safe – as long as somebody (or group of somebodies) can keep coming up with 2/3 the month’s “rent” on the motel room. Every month. (The infuriating thing being that although the motel room is basically an efficiency apartment with all bills paid including internet and at the monthly rate costs about the same, she can’t get any Housing Authority/section 8 help with it because it’s a motel.) I haven’t heard from Fineena or my friend.
I’m having to remember and accept all over again that love and prayer can’t reduce another’s pain or heal them of debilitating sometimes terminal illnesses. But watching the anti-vaxxers, the #RepublicanDeathCult, the Deplorables, deliberately do things to endanger and kill. . . I am vaxxed. With my son’s help and my own (relatively) good sense about masking and when to shop where I’m relatively safe. Personally. And that thought doesn’t help at all.
Hopefully the sunshine expected later today and some more coffee now will lift my mood. I can’t be moral support for others if I am so depressed I need it myself. Off to get the coffee. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good morning, 64 and sunny in Bellingham. No cool breeze blowing across the bay today so the air feels like summer. I’ll need to water the plants growing around the patios today so the sun heated pavers won’t harm their roots. We enjoyed dinner outdoors last night.
Best wishes to all.
Good morning, meeses! Tuesday …
It is 64 degrees in Madison with an expected daytime high of 84. Chance of thunderstorms.
To no one’s surprise, Gym Jordan will be on the January 6th committee. I hope Nancy Pelosi has the Sergeant-At-Arms ready to toss him out when he goes over his allotted time and starts abusing the other members. His presence will certainly make the hearings impossible to watch for any sentient being – I guess we can be grateful that tRump’s Kevin did not put literal Nazi Paul Gosar on the panel. It was good to see that the American Dental Association finally cut off donations to him – they should be embarrassed that he is a member.
The bipartisan infrastructure deal is pretty much dead and the final vote to bury it will come tomorrow. The Republicans removed “enforcing IRS regulations” as one of the pay-fors because their tax-cheating donors were upset at having to pay the taxes they have been evading for years (“let the little people support the infrastructure we use to accumulate obscene wealth and crush their dreams.”). Good, time to move the bridges and roads template into the Biden budget bill and get that passed.
See all y’all later!
Good morning. I’m getting better at being in the office, my back is a little stiff but bearable. Glad that today I’m working from home. Guess I’ll watch the space tourism thing, try to focus on the positive aspects that it might fire up young imaginations to go into the science fields. Watched the Texas Dems on MSNBC last night, it wasn’t the town hall is was supposed to be, and they had to spend a lot of time on Covid.
Here’s one perspective on the rush to ban “Critical Race Theory”:
Tuesday Meese. 68 here in Kingston NY going up to 87 and no rain!
It’s 68 heading for 86 and the heat index isn’t supposed to get above 90. Sunny. I like sunny. Yesterday we got 19.3 KWHs and the m-t-d is 310.75 – getting to 500 is still very possible.
I did the laundry yesterday after all. Just to scare me it clouded up as I was in the middle of hanging the clothes out. But it cleared off again by the time I caught Cloud and got him back into the house. I baked fruit and nut muffin bread this morning. Just got it out of the oven. It’s a new recipe and I’m not sure how well it’s gonna take the adaptions for GF. Once it’s cool enough to cut, I’ll find out. My hands gave out yesterday afternoon. They’re OK now but I think I’m gonna do more reading an actual book and less online stuff today. Don’t want them to give out again just in time for Dee’s twitter roundup on Black Kos Tuesday’s Chile.
Aji’s at least doing better enough – or Goddess help her gotten enough used to the increased level of pain – to be back online. Jill managed a ride into town (these rides are $50 roundtrip) to pick up her new PV generation. She’ll be setting it up today. Also got the divorce forms which she’ll fill out today and tomorrow then make a 2nd trip into town to turn them in. (& caught her hand in the car door – nothing broken but it looks scary.) Fineena’s having trouble with her “rides” as well. They’re about as undependable as Jill’s and she’s out of her pain meds. At least they don’t charge anything. Amelia’s about the same. I haven’t heard back from my friend. I don’t want to bother her but I think I’ll send her an email this morning.
I’m gonna trust Nancy Pelosi knows what she’s doing. And Biden – although not necessarily Schumer. But if a couple of Top Brass over in the Defense Dept state officially that infrastructure, like COVID, is a security issue, our team may be able to get it done with the budget. That would be nothing less than truth. It was needed when Bill Clinton started trying to get it back in the mid ’90s. It’s getting into the emergency category now. Even with what Obama got as part of his stimulus package in ’10.
I need coffee. And then to twitter for my “morning chores”. Bright the day, Meeses. {{{HUGS}}}
Good Tuesday morning, Meese! We have 80 F. in Ashburn this morning, sunny but with smoke from the Western wildfires causing a light haze—or so sayeth the weather writer in our local newspaper. Fortunately the humidity is low. We’ll get up to 92 F. today.
Yesterday I had an early morning appointment at the dentist and that, followed by shopping at Trader Joe’s, threw my whole day off. Luckily I did get 7 hours of undrugged sleep last night, so progress is being made.
Watched the launch just now. It bugs me terribly that these rocket thingies are shaped like human penises. Also, does the booster rocket fall into the sea afterwards, thereby killing thousands of poor, perfectly innocant fish? These billionaire contests remind me of small boys engaged in a peeing contest: “Mine can shoot farther than yours.” Duhh. Those billions could have been better spent on housing for the homeless.
That said, I’m sharply reminded of my feelings in 1968, when I was watching a celebrity named Lulu talking to an American astronaut on British telly. She asked whether the millions spent on reaching the moon wouldn’t have been better spent on the poor. This, from a woman living in a country that abounds in palaces and cathedrals! Wouldn’t that money have been better spent on the poor in medieval times? But she was, and very likely still is, incapable of drawing such historical parallels.
Oh, well. This morning I lurched down to the garden and picked four medium-sized tomatoes and a bunch of Littles. A BLT is in my future! I actually feel energetic for once and wish to resume normal life. My voice still sounds froggy, unfortunately. Yesterday the dentist said that a doctor told her that because we’ve all been wearing masks, we haven’t been breathing the normal germs and whatnot in the air. Therefore, when we’re hit with a respiratory infection, we’re hit hard. Well, I’ll continue to mask in crowds and in public places like grocery stores and hairdressing establishments.
Nothing else to say today except that I hope bfitz’s hands will be all right, another’s back all right, Jan’s projects will go smoothly, Dee will receive some good news about PR at long last, and that princesspat will continue to enjoy her delightful garden. Wish I had “before” and “after” pictures of said garden.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
{{{Diana}}} So far, so good with my hands. (I’m still being careful.) & definitely continue to mask. Unfortunately a lot more credence is given to doctors’ pronouncements than should be. They are not scientists. They not only don’t do the latest research on anything, they frequently don’t even read the latest research. They pull their “facts” from google or from their own “dr. god” asses more times than not. Apparently your dentist (& doctor for that matter although not the same doctor the dentist is quoting) would rather make up crap about why you still have an issue than actually test to find out. Glad you got good and undrugged sleep. Healing Energy & moar {{{HUGS}}}