My Summer Vacation: Earth Day Kwanzaa

I called in on Zoom to join my friend Eleta's Earth Day Celebration during her monthly Kwanzaa; she does a mini-Kwanzaa every month to concentrate on one of the principles for the month rather than trying to remember all 7 principles all year with only one reminder. I was only able to listen through my phone, I did not have a visual. (I couldn't download Zoom on my laptop because I do not have enough space.) And I came in late.

Kwanzaa table. (01/2018)

During the Kwanzaa sharing Jennifer mentioned Ridwell, a membership service where they pick up some recyclable things that are not picked up by the government-sponsored recycling programs. They pick up plastic films, clothing, batteries, and light bulbs. They are hoping to expand to other areas, though I don't think they will make it this far. If you live in the Puget Sound area check it out.

Later Jennifer & Susan called to talk. Social distancing doesn't have to become social isolation! It was great, we talked for nearly an hour; part way through the conversation their son Isaiah also got in on the conversation to say Hi! One of Jennifer's stay-at-home projects is teaching the neighborhood kids how to build mason bee nest blocks. They physically distance themselves while doing the project; Jennifer stays on one of the driveway and the kids are at the other side as they build their next blocks.

Today I started my 11 minutes a day earlier wake-up regimen towards my goal of waking up an hour before sunrise so that i can get back to doing my sunrise walk. I have gotten to really like walking just before sunrise; it's cooler so its easier to walk the hills, plus the birds are just waking up but haven't left their night roosts so there are a lot of them around. I also see more cats during my sunrise walk than I do on any other walk.

Sixteen minutes before sunrise.

I watched another cooking video. This one was about making omelets; I figure if Toto is going to give me a bunch of eggs I should learn the proper way to make omelets! The video started with a mushroom omelet, then a cheese omelet, he finished with a book-fold filled omelet.

Mushroom omelet preparation.

Flipping the omelet

Adding cheese.

Folding the omelet.

Wow! Tropical Depression 1-E has recently formed in the eastern Pacific; this is the earliest recorded system ever. It is not expected to become larger and is expected to diminish within the next few days well east of us. Our hurricane season does not officially start until June 1st so this is really early.

My sister-in-law Lori gave me 3 more masks this evening. Thanks, Lori!

I watched a Facebook Live interview with Major General Hara with the state's emergency management agency this morning. He was discussing different ways the state is looking at handling quarantine for visitors; previously visitors just filled out a form at the airport which is later given to law enforcement. There are a number of new procedures that have been put in place to keep track of them since a number have been ignoring the quarantine. Some of the measures include verifying lodging and personal phone number before releasing a visitor from the airport; if they have none the visitor will be sent back on the next flight. Visitors will also have a temperature check at the airport before being released.

A future option they are exploring is mandatory quarantine in a designated hotel where visitors are escorted, checked in, and monitored so that it becomes much harder for them to break quarantine. This is because currently new COVID-19 cases are all community spread; if other places open up and more visitors come here, spread by travelers will become the primary source of new COVID-19 cases. The state health department is already warning that there will be an uptick in cases due to the relaxation of restrictions, even as minimal as they are.

Today, if we had not flattened the curve, the predicted number of COVID-19 cases would have been 97,280. But there were only 3 new cases for a total of 604 known COVID-19 cases (0.6% of the predicted number). There was another death, bringing our total up to 14; on the good news side nearly 80% of the people who tested positive are now released from isolation. The stay-at-home order has been extended through the end of May; the 14-day quarantine for incoming as well as inter-island visitors has also been extended through May 31st.