Trails for Two

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Ok, because I'm ignorant with regards to geography and schools in the PacNW, Alec is at Washington State, correct? Not UW?

Hope you all are free of Covid now.

I'm sequestering in western NY state which seems to be a good place to be right now as GA is spiking again, but we can only stay through July as my daughter has to report back to teach on August 3rd.  As of right now, it will be in person - masks for teachers are mandatory and only "suggested" for students.  Yup, this will be fun.

You saw from the "Coug Parent" shirt on Facebook, but yes: Alec is at Washington State. We're trying to figure out if he still has a dorm room, because they're only going to allow one person per room, and they require freshmen to live on campus. He reserved a room for his sophomore year back in February, but we're waiting to find out if that sticks -- or if we need to find him an apartment with very little advance warning. Or a roommate. 

Staying away from hotspots with COVID-19 sounds like a great idea. School is going to be weird here, too. Weirder for Alita, since her students (severely impacted by autism) would have a difficult time managing masks, social distancing, etc. It's going to be ... something.

We're generally COVID free. There's still getting some shortness of breath at times, and that shows up on the oximeter we got, but it bounces back quickly... so I guess that's a good sign. There are other lingering issues, but what can you do? Hope for the best is about it.

We are donating blood later this month, and the blood bank says they will run an antibody test on the sample. I know those tests have not had the greatest accuracy rates, but it'll be interesting to see what it says anyway.

Yes, school...and life in general will continue to be interesting moving forward.  The outbreak on the reservation is continuing to grow causing Jefferson County numbers to look pretty dismal.  Fortunately the Madras community itself is still not to bad but we do have a few cases.  I'm assuming that they were brought here by tribal members who use our shops and services and/or travelers going through.  It is what it is.

Marty and Kevin both donate blood on a regular basis.  Their antibody tests came back negative.

Take care...

Sorry to hear about the cases on the reservation, but I'm not surprised. We're setting records for new cases here in Clark County, which is far from encouraging. But we are seeing more people masking up now, which ought to help, we hope.

ounce wrote:Should anyone have the antibodies in their blood, look for the blood place to near beg you to give.  They can make money selling that plasma to some facility...or a hospital that draws it doesn't have to pay a blood donor place.  Could keep some blood donation places afloat.

Not exactly a benefit to the person with covid, though.

We're still waiting to hear back on our tests. The donations went well, BTW, though they had to use traction to keep my blood flowing. Must have been a quirk for how they put the needle in or something. Anyway, we are not holding out a lot of confidence in the antibody tests. They're now saying that antibodies might dissipate within three months of an active infection, so who knows?

nkrichards wrote:Well I enjoyed Forest Park...or at least my drive through a portion of it and a very leisurely walk through the Rose Garden with Katie.  I'm disappointed I wasn't able to squeeze in time for my run but I did enjoy the time to chat with Katie.  It's all about choices.  I do want to try and go back.  It looks gorgeous.  I can't believe all the trees so close to the urban area.

Forest Park is a gem. Even in parts that are overused, it's still beautiful. There was  big movement many years ago to keep that area preserved for future generations to enjoy, and it's paid off. Also, the geology of those hills that make up Forest Park is such that it'd make a terrible building site. Lots of landslides. Score one for Mother Nature.

Some plasma is more shy than others.

ounce wrote:Some plasma is more shy than others.

Apparently. That was weird. She guessed that the bevel of the needle might have been resting on the side of the blood vessel, or near some scar tissue. My BP was on the low side when they checked me, but I don't know if that'd have an impact. When she got the needle in the right spot, the blood came out very well. She just had to hold the needle in that exact spot to make it work. She had to work for it!

I don't remember if I ever mentioned that Gail Snyder, the founder of the Coalition for the Deschutes (I serve on the board) which is working on restoring the Deschutes River in a collaborative way was also the founder of Friends of Forest Park which morphed into Forest Park Conservancy if I understand the history correctly.  She was also active in protecting Pikes Peak during her years in Colorado.  When I met her she was an avid environmentalist who was a formidable foe when it came to irrigation in the Deschutes Basin.  She has become a great friend to me...and to agriculture...while still working tirelessly to protect the environment.  

I do hope to get back to Forest Park when I have time to run someday.

Welp, as if 2020 wasn't a dumpster fire already, they've gone all online at Alec's university and said that they want students to attend remotely from their permanent residence rather than come to college. Students will be allowed to stay in dorms only in special circumstances of need, and those who do come will have to quarantine for two weeks if they come from a county with an infection rate higher than 10 per 100,000 population. Our infection rate is 99.7 per 100,000.

So we have choices to make. Either Alec keeps staying with us in our "empty nester" home, or we find him an apartment over there. Of course, this close to the start of school, that'd be a tall order. But we'll see. Lots of emotions right now, mostly extreme disappointment.

Mark B wrote:Welp, as if 2020 wasn't a dumpster fire already, they've gone all online at Alec's university and said that they want students to attend remotely from their permanent residence rather than come to college. Students will be allowed to stay in dorms only in special circumstances of need, and those who do come will have to quarantine for two weeks if they come from a county with an infection rate higher than 10 per 100,000 population. Our infection rate is 99.7 per 100,000.

So we have choices to make. Either Alec keeps staying with us in our "empty nester" home, or we find him an apartment over there. Of course, this close to the start of school, that'd be a tall order. But we'll see. Lots of emotions right now, mostly extreme disappointment.

That is disappointing.  I don't know what to think sometimes.  There is so much conflicting information out there.  It's not that I don't take COVID seriously but what is the reaction that we're having going to do to our children?  

It's become so political...  I'm just not sure what to believe.  First it was "don't wear masks" and now it's "do wear masks".  First it was "sanitize all surfaces" and then it was "it doesn't survive on surfaces" and Mom heard on mainstream media this morning that it does live on surfaces.  No wonder people are hesitant to follow advice...they don't know which scientist to believe.  

I personally think...with the information that I have today...that kids need to be in school.  In Alec's case if he's studying online it may not matter where he's living but I tend to think that he'll be able to concentrate on his studies better if he's living away from home.  And he'll gain some life experiences through independent living that may be just as valuable as the book learning.

Best of luck figuring out something that works for your family.  I don't see this ending any time soon...

nkrichards wrote:
It's become so political...  I'm just not sure what to believe.  First it was "don't wear masks" and now it's "do wear masks".  First it was "sanitize all surfaces" and then it was "it doesn't survive on surfaces" and Mom heard on mainstream media this morning that it does live on surfaces.  No wonder people are hesitant to follow advice...they don't know which scientist to believe.  

As a former public health worker (when I was in the Peace Corps), and the person who is editing (and sometimes even writing) a lot of our stories about this pandemic, I'd like to offer up a few thoughts on this.

What makes this particular virus (SARS-COV-2) so tricky is that it's a "novel" virus, which means it's never been seen before. That means not only that every human being on the planet is fair game for infection, but it also means that scientists are constantly learning new things about it as it works its way through the population. We know influenza well, with at least a century of research and experience. This one? Not so much. 

That changing nature of our understanding of this virus means that medical and public health advice changes as scientists learn more. It also means that different studies might come to differing conclusions. This is normal in science, and things tend to shake out over time. What's different in this case is that this scientific process is happening in real time in full view of a nervous, highly politicized populace already twitchy over about a billion other things. It's important to follow the science, understand that things will change and be flexible. It's not always easy, but it's important to do so.

People have an unreasonable expectation of certainty these days. It's not just public health issues. I've heard it from prosecutors and judges after they try to deal with jurors who have watched so many episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that they think every mystery can be solved with a nose hair fragment found at the scene of a crime, and they get mad and frustrated when it turns out their expectations don't match what can really happen.

Masks are a good example of that. Initially, the advice was to not bother with masks. That was when people were hoarding toilet paper, and the very real concern was that people would make a run on N95 masks needed by healthcare providers, who were already short on those critical pieces of personal protection. At the same time, science was focused on the concern of aerosol spread of the virus (like measles), for which simple masks don't provide a lot of protection. They were also afraid that it would give people a false sense of security.

At that point, they also didn't know about presymptomatic or asymptomatic spread of the virus, which is a big part of what makes it so dangerous. Learning that was a game-changer, as was the realization in the US that droplets were the bigger concern and that widespread mask use - even with simple cotton masks - could do a lot to stop disease transmission. 

I say "in the US" because folks in other countries with similar initial outbreaks to ours went for masking right away and held their infection rate and death rate down to very low levels. They learned that in Hong Kong and Japan during the initial SARS outbreak a few years ago, and as soon as this virus (which is a SARS virus, NOT influenza), they masked up without a second thought. Masks work. 

As far as virus on surfaces go, it appears it's not as big a factor in transmitting enough virus to cause a disease as initially feared, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and not rub your eyes, nose, etc. 

I hope that helps. I wish we'd had a better coordinated message that focused on dealing with this pandemic earlier on, but all we can do is try to get out as much good information as we can, and try to help people understand what's going on. I'd suggest looking for high quality sources of information and try to not get distracted by some of the sideshow acts that only seek to draw attention to themselves.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:
It's become so political...  I'm just not sure what to believe.  First it was "don't wear masks" and now it's "do wear masks".  First it was "sanitize all surfaces" and then it was "it doesn't survive on surfaces" and Mom heard on mainstream media this morning that it does live on surfaces.  No wonder people are hesitant to follow advice...they don't know which scientist to believe.  

As a former public health worker (when I was in the Peace Corps), and the person who is editing (and sometimes even writing) a lot of our stories about this pandemic, I'd like to offer up a few thoughts on this.

What makes this particular virus (SARS-COV-2) so tricky is that it's a "novel" virus, which means it's never been seen before. That means not only that every human being on the planet is fair game for infection, but it also means that scientists are constantly learning new things about it as it works its way through the population. We know influenza well, with at least a century of research and experience. This one? Not so much. 

That changing nature of our understanding of this virus means that medical and public health advice changes as scientists learn more. It also means that different studies might come to differing conclusions. This is normal in science, and things tend to shake out over time. What's different in this case is that this scientific process is happening in real time in full view of a nervous, highly politicized populace already twitchy over about a billion other things. It's important to follow the science, understand that things will change and be flexible. It's not always easy, but it's important to do so.

People have an unreasonable expectation of certainty these days. It's not just public health issues. I've heard it from prosecutors and judges after they try to deal with jurors who have watched so many episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that they think every mystery can be solved with a nose hair fragment found at the scene of a crime, and they get mad and frustrated when it turns out their expectations don't match what can really happen.

Masks are a good example of that. Initially, the advice was to not bother with masks. That was when people were hoarding toilet paper, and the very real concern was that people would make a run on N95 masks needed by healthcare providers, who were already short on those critical pieces of personal protection. At the same time, science was focused on the concern of aerosol spread of the virus (like measles), for which simple masks don't provide a lot of protection. They were also afraid that it would give people a false sense of security.

At that point, they also didn't know about presymptomatic or asymptomatic spread of the virus, which is a big part of what makes it so dangerous. Learning that was a game-changer, as was the realization in the US that droplets were the bigger concern and that widespread mask use - even with simple cotton masks - could do a lot to stop disease transmission. 

I say "in the US" because folks in other countries with similar initial outbreaks to ours went for masking right away and held their infection rate and death rate down to very low levels. They learned that in Hong Kong and Japan during the initial SARS outbreak a few years ago, and as soon as this virus (which is a SARS virus, NOT influenza), they masked up without a second thought. Masks work. 

As far as virus on surfaces go, it appears it's not as big a factor in transmitting enough virus to cause a disease as initially feared, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and not rub your eyes, nose, etc. 

I hope that helps. I wish we'd had a better coordinated message that focused on dealing with this pandemic earlier on, but all we can do is try to get out as much good information as we can, and try to help people understand what's going on. I'd suggest looking for high quality sources of information and try to not get distracted by some of the sideshow acts that only seek to draw attention to themselves.

I get it Mark.  I don't disagree with anything you said.  But it's just so frustrating.  

I think the biggest problem is the political climate.  Both sides are simply unwilling to give the other side credit when they do the right thing.  Example...I think we can all agree that Trump's decision to halt travel from China relatively quickly was a good decision....but the other side is not willing to admit that they messed up by criticizing that decision and actually encouraged people to attend parades and socialize early on.  Why would a Trump supporter believe anything the other side says if they aren't willing to give credit where credit is due?  I think both sides are equally to blame but someone needs to step up and do the right thing.  When our leaders make politics more important than the health of the countries citizens they can't expect those citizens to unite to get through this.  We aren't going to get the citizens on both sides to listen and work together if our leaders won't do the same.  I would hope that something this serious would have united our country rather than created an even bigger divide.

The mask debacle was a huge risk that seems to have come back to bite them.  They should have trusted people to do the right thing.  They should have explained why masks were important but why it was even more important to allow critical care workers to use the limited supply of masks.  They should have encouraged homemade/makeshift masks from the beginning while they worked on a more stable supply.  They had the data from the previous SARS outbreak in Hong Kong and Japan.  Would everyone listen?  Probably not.  Would some people hoard masks?  Probably.  But let's be honest.  Why would you trust a leader who did not trust you?  Just give us the honest facts as you know them and trust us to do the right thing.  Then we'll trust you next time you give us information and/or give us updated information.

Maybe if our leaders acted in a manner that deserved our trust we would trust them when new facts came to light.  Maybe if they were united in this fight we would unite as well.  I'm not blaming one side any more than the other but something has to change.

In the meantime...  I am wearing my mask.  Mom is staying at home.  We're social distancing and following all the rules to the best of our ability.  I hope others do the same but I understand why some are so unwilling to trust the information that they are being given.  I understand why some are acting with defiance.  And I can't say that I blame them.  It reminds me of parents who act inappropriately and then wonder and complain when their children model their behavior and act poorly.

It will be interesting to see how our country gets through this...

I wear the cheap, little l, blue mask when I am outside.

Mark, would you recommend your paper as a fair and accurate source to explain whats been going on in Portland the past 59 or so days? To the degree that I could go back 60 days and read the articles?

ounce wrote:I wear the cheap, little l, blue mask when I am outside.

Mark, would you recommend your paper as a fair and accurate source to explain whats been going on in Portland the past 59 or so days?  To the degree that I could go back 60 days and read the articles?

I'd always suggest subscribing to The Columbian (hint, hint), but I would say that we do not cover the goings on in Portland with our own staff. Our mission is covering Clark County, Washington. (We did do this nice story about a protest march in Vancouver that temporarily blocked traffic on the Interstate 5 Bridge -- which was done cooperation with the state transportation department and state and local police.) 

Our coverage of the marches and response in Portland are provided by The Associated Press, sometimes republishing articles by The Oregonian, the paper that covers Portland. Our coverage is always as little late, since the activities that tend to be getting folks outside the area most excited happen well after our deadline. So we're behind the curve on a lot of things. That said, I think the articles we published are a fair and accurate account of what's going on - written by local journalists with an understanding of the situation. 

When in doubt, look to the local newspapers (if there's one around) when you want to get a sense of some big event in a far-flung place. Big national media (especially TV) lack the detailed understanding needed to provide a deeper understanding. 

For example, if you look at some coverage of Portland, you might get a sense that radical anarchists are leaving the city in ruins. In truth, most of the conflicts between demonstrators and police are focused on one or two areas: mostly, a few square blocks around a federal courthouse in the heart of downtown where federal folk have erected a fence that's just begging to be screwed with by the more rowdy protestors. The rest of downtown, and the rest of the city, are going on as normal. Damage has been generally limited to graffiti, though a few people have lit fires in the street or inside some areas. Those fires have not done significant damage. 

Here's something else to note: There are usually hours of demonstrations starting at about nightfall, and those are generally peaceful. Things get more heated around midnight after most of the larger crowd has dispersed. Police response has been variable, but there has been the use of chemical agents and less-than-lethal rounds (aka rubber bullets) by the Portland Police Bureau. Some of the response has escalated with the arrival of unmarked federal (or contractor) personnel who have taken a more aggressive response.

Here are a few recent examples of coverage we've had from the past few days.

https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/jul/23/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-tear-gassed-by-federal-agents/

https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/jul/21/constitutional-crisis-looms-over-federal-agents-in-portland/

https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/jul/23/watchdogs-to-investigate-u-s-agents-actions-in-portland/

If you read more than five articles, you'll need to subscribe, either with a day pass (only a buck!) or monthly at $9.99 a month. (We aren't in this for our health, folks! Support your local media!)

Hope that answers your questions.

--

Good job on the mask. We wear ours to the grocery store, and when we get too close to other people walking along the river (of if they're wearing masks). I wear mine in common areas at the office and when someone comes up to talk to me at my desk, but we've rearranged desks to provide social distancing, so I can work at my desk maskless. Especially since only a handful of us are in the office now.

nkrichards wrote:I get it Mark.  I don't disagree with anything you said.  But it's just so frustrating.  

I think the biggest problem is the political climate.  Both sides are simply unwilling to give the other side credit when they do the right thing.  Example...I think we can all agree that Trump's decision to halt travel from China relatively quickly was a good decision....but the other side is not willing to admit that they messed up by criticizing that decision and actually encouraged people to attend parades and socialize early on.  Why would a Trump supporter believe anything the other side says if they aren't willing to give credit where credit is due?  I think both sides are equally to blame but someone needs to step up and do the right thing.  When our leaders make politics more important than the health of the countries citizens they can't expect those citizens to unite to get through this.  We aren't going to get the citizens on both sides to listen and work together if our leaders won't do the same.  I would hope that something this serious would have united our country rather than created an even bigger divide.

The mask debacle was a huge risk that seems to have come back to bite them.  They should have trusted people to do the right thing.  They should have explained why masks were important but why it was even more important to allow critical care workers to use the limited supply of masks.  They should have encouraged homemade/makeshift masks from the beginning while they worked on a more stable supply.  They had the data from the previous SARS outbreak in Hong Kong and Japan.  Would everyone listen?  Probably not.  Would some people hoard masks?  Probably.  But let's be honest.  Why would you trust a leader who did not trust you?  Just give us the honest facts as you know them and trust us to do the right thing.  Then we'll trust you next time you give us information and/or give us updated information.

Maybe if our leaders acted in a manner that deserved our trust we would trust them when new facts came to light.  Maybe if they were united in this fight we would unite as well.  I'm not blaming one side any more than the other but something has to change.

In the meantime...  I am wearing my mask.  Mom is staying at home.  We're social distancing and following all the rules to the best of our ability.  I hope others do the same but I understand why some are so unwilling to trust the information that they are being given.  I understand why some are acting with defiance.  And I can't say that I blame them.  It reminds me of parents who act inappropriately and then wonder and complain when their children model their behavior and act poorly.

It will be interesting to see how our country gets through this...

I don't think there's a single person in the country who is not frustrated by this slow-rolling catastrophe we've found ourselves in. And there's plenty of blame to go around for how we found ourselves in this situation.

A lot of people heap blame on the current administration over it's response and messaging, but this pandemic has unmasked shortcomings in how we provide medical care in this country.

The thing that gets me the most was this mindset, which I heard early on as a justification for not testing early suspected cases.

"We treat the symptoms the same, so knowing what the disease is doesn't really matter that much."

I suppose from a clinical standpoint that's not entirely untrue, but as a way to identify, contain and limit the spread of a communicable disease, it's a terribly short-sighted mindset. And it was one of the reasons this virus was able to spread so effectively this spring. 

As far as the rest of it goes, all I can say is that our country has been working itself into a partisan lather for years now, and it only seems to keep getting worse. But there has been a stiff-necked "you can't tell me what to do!" mindset in this country for a lot longer than that. Even during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, there were anti-mask groups out there actively campaigning against public health measures. For better or worse, it's part of who we are as a country, and I don't have any answers for that.

I think we'll all get through this eventually, but we won't be the same afterward.

One bit of science/data for you, looking at a comparison in mortality between influenza over the years in my county and COVID-19. Here, at least, COVID is more lethal both in terms of population and as a proportion of cases. This is an example of solid research being done by public health researchers and how understanding of this disease keeps growing. 

Moving (somewhat) away from controversial topics... 

It looks like Alec is going to be spending his fall term studying from home. They really don't want people from high-infection areas like ours to descend on their small rural community and possibly overwhelm the local hospital system. He could maybe find an apartment and live off-campus, but he'd have to self-quarantine for two weeks before he could go on campus. (Classes will be all online, so that's less of an issue, but still.)

We weren't prepared for this, and we're processing it now. The silver lining is that we'll save a lot on room and board, which will reduce costs and college debt, so that's something. They won't decide what's going to happen in spring term until later, but we're mentally preparing for the possibility that he's going to do his entire sophomore year from his bedroom, 350 miles away from the school he loves. Poor kid.

On a positive note, I'm off work for two weeks! It's been a while since I took a vacation, and it feels longer. Our Hawaii plans got scuttled by COVID-19, so we're going to explore part of the state we haven't visited much and do some hiking in Olympic National Park. It should be fun.

I think we'll all get through this eventually, but we won't be the same afterward.

That's for sure!  I hope the next generation learns from our mistakes.

***
Probably a wise decision (Alec's schooling) under the circumstances.  And a responsible decision as well.  

Enjoy your vacation...I'm sure you need one at this point in time.  Some outdoor family time sounds like a safe, fun option right now.  Enjoy yourselves.

Btw...how is Alita feeling?

And how did the plasma antibodies test go?

So, thanks for the posts on the Portland thing. As far as the articles, I've been a subscriber for a few months, now. I think around when the reporters unionized.

As far as covid reaction, people can find their own justification for doing what they do or don't do. Sometimes I fight on FB and sometimes I don't. Most times, I just laugh at how gullible people are.

I wear the mask. I do as I'm told. I support 3 local restaurants, but mainly just 1 because I can get a double cheeseburger for $7.55. The other two takes $20 for a meal. It's the right thing to do.

I was going to go get a covid test, just to reduce the positivity rate a tad. We are 20-25%, last time i saw.
Don't know the current figure.

Sorry you are not going to Hawaii. My namesake is a Cat 3 storm, now, and brushing north of the islands.

I wrote a reply on FB that thanked so many of the people for deciding not to get the vaccine because it'll make the line shorter for me.

We are such a self absorbed population.

ounce wrote:And how did the plasma antibodies test go?

So, thanks for the posts on the Portland thing.  As far as the articles, I've been a subscriber for a few months, now.  I think around when the reporters unionized.  

As far as covid reaction, people can find their own justification for doing what they do or don't do.  Sometimes I fight on FB and sometimes I don't.  Most times, I just laugh at how gullible people are.

I wear the mask.  I do as I'm told.  I support 3 local restaurants, but mainly just 1 because I can get a double cheeseburger for $7.55.  The other two takes $20 for a meal.    It's the right thing to do.

I was going to go get a covid test, just to reduce the positivity rate a tad.  We are 20-25%, last time i saw.
Don't know the current figure.

Sorry you are not going to Hawaii.  My namesake is a Cat 3 storm, now, and brushing north of the islands.

I wrote a reply on FB that thanked so many of the people for deciding not to get the vaccine because it'll make the line shorter for me.

We are such a self absorbed population.

I've been on vacation the past week and a half and just thought to check in. Hi, all! 

We spent the better part of a week exploring Olympic National Park in the northwest "thumb" of Washington. We went from alpine tundra to wild seashores, with a bit of sunny (?) rainforest thrown in. Lots of photos on Facebook. 

Bummed that we didn't get to Hawaii, but I can't say I blame 'em.

We also got word that WSU wants all students who can study remotely from afar to stay afar for at least the fall term. Getting in the dorms requires very specific issues, which Alec didn't have, so... his room is his dorm room again at least through the end of the year. Oh well. At least we'll save a small fortune on room and board, though it's always a crapshoot as to whether there'll be food in the cupboards or refrigerator. 

Antibody tests are proving to be useless, especially since studies are starting to show that many people even with serious lab-verified COVID-19 cases end up showing no sign of antibodies within 2-3 months post-active infection. We donated blood at 4+ months, so... yeah. Useless.

Thanks for subscribing! We need all the help we can get. And $7.55 for a double cheeseburger sounds like a good deal.

Mark B wrote:


We spent the better part of a week exploring Olympic National Park in the northwest "thumb" of Washington. We went from alpine tundra to wild seashores, with a bit of sunny (?) rainforest thrown in. Lots of photos on Facebook. 

Bummed that we didn't get to Hawaii, but I can't say I blame 'em.

We also got word that WSU wants all students who can study remotely from afar to stay afar for at least the fall term. Getting in the dorms requires very specific issues, which Alec didn't have, so... his room is his dorm room again at least through the end of the year. Oh well. At least we'll save a small fortune on room and board, though it's always a crapshoot as to whether there'll be food in the cupboards or refrigerator. 

Antibody tests are proving to be useless, especially since studies are starting to show that many people even with serious lab-verified COVID-19 cases end up showing no sign of antibodies within 2-3 months post-active infection. We donated blood at 4+ months, so... yeah. Useless.

Thanks for subscribing! We need all the help we can get. And $7.55 for a double cheeseburger sounds like a good deal.

Where did you stay while visiting the Olympic peninsula?  We spent one night at Lake Quinault Lodge a few years ago...very quick visit and I don't remember being impressed.  Kalaloch Lodge is on my wish list.  We did spend a week as caretakers at the New Dungeness Lighthouse near Sequim several years ago.  You would enjoy it.  It's located on the spit.  They coordinate your transportation during low tide and leave you there for a week.  You have to do some chores...raise and lower the flag, polish brass, maintain the lawn and garden, provide tours for visitors that walk out.  We were there with one other couple in the winter so didn't have many chores and even fewer visitors.  We spent most of our time running up and down the stairs in the lighthouse. We got bored and walked to town one day to get ice cream to go with our apple crisp.  We made it to the park where we accepted a ride to town on the condition that the lovely lady allow us to take her to lunch at the restaurant of her choice.  We enjoyed her company while dining on lavender soup and flower pot bread.  She took us home to meet her husband before dropping us off at the park for our trek back to the lighthouse.  We opted to take Cool Whip back as we knew ice cream wouldn't survive the walk even in winter.  Had fun stories, warm apple crisp, and Cool Whip to share with our fellow caretakers.  Wonderful memories!

I remember you mentioning that Alec was trying to eat a bit more healthy...did he stick to it?

Stay well...

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:


We spent the better part of a week exploring Olympic National Park in the northwest "thumb" of Washington. We went from alpine tundra to wild seashores, with a bit of sunny (?) rainforest thrown in. Lots of photos on Facebook. 

Bummed that we didn't get to Hawaii, but I can't say I blame 'em.

We also got word that WSU wants all students who can study remotely from afar to stay afar for at least the fall term. Getting in the dorms requires very specific issues, which Alec didn't have, so... his room is his dorm room again at least through the end of the year. Oh well. At least we'll save a small fortune on room and board, though it's always a crapshoot as to whether there'll be food in the cupboards or refrigerator. 

Antibody tests are proving to be useless, especially since studies are starting to show that many people even with serious lab-verified COVID-19 cases end up showing no sign of antibodies within 2-3 months post-active infection. We donated blood at 4+ months, so... yeah. Useless.

Thanks for subscribing! We need all the help we can get. And $7.55 for a double cheeseburger sounds like a good deal.

Where did you stay while visiting the Olympic peninsula?  We spent one night at Lake Quinault Lodge a few years ago...very quick visit and I don't remember being impressed.  Kalaloch Lodge is on my wish list.  We did spend a week as caretakers at the New Dungeness Lighthouse near Sequim several years ago.  You would enjoy it.  It's located on the spit.  They coordinate your transportation during low tide and leave you there for a week.  You have to do some chores...raise and lower the flag, polish brass, maintain the lawn and garden, provide tours for visitors that walk out.  We were there with one other couple in the winter so didn't have many chores and even fewer visitors.  We spent most of our time running up and down the stairs in the lighthouse. We got bored and walked to town one day to get ice cream to go with our apple crisp.  We made it to the park where we accepted a ride to town on the condition that the lovely lady allow us to take her to lunch at the restaurant of her choice.  We enjoyed her company while dining on lavender soup and flower pot bread.  She took us home to meet her husband before dropping us off at the park for our trek back to the lighthouse.  We opted to take Cool Whip back as we knew ice cream wouldn't survive the walk even in winter.  Had fun stories, warm apple crisp, and Cool Whip to share with our fellow caretakers.  Wonderful memories!

I remember you mentioning that Alec was trying to eat a bit more healthy...did he stick to it?

Stay well...

Hi Nancy!

We spent one night at a motel in Port Angeles. It was nicer than it looked from the exterior, though it's pretty clear they're oriented toward the people who drive up and spend a quick night before taking the ferry to Canada first thing in morning. We spent two nights in Forks, which I wouldn't recommend. The room was fine but the town was less desirable. It felt aggressively insular and a number of people and businesses were almost combative in their anti-mask attitude, weird for a place that relies on tourism for so much of its business. We spent out final night in Astoria, which was nice, if a bit more spendy. We had dinner on the deck of Kalaloch Lodge, and it was nice. 

Your lighthouse caretaking adventure sounds like a lot of fun. 

Alec is still eating more healthy, and he's lost about 15 pounds so far. Woot! We'll be able to keep him on the straight and narrow during his fall term from home, so that's another benefit: maybe getting good habits engrained.

We just got back from another quick coast trip, this time to Yachats for a night the central oregon coast and a long drive up the coast on the way home. Our streak of unbelievably good beach weather held for two more days. I even got a little barefoot running in on the beach!

I love the Yachats area...lucky you!!  And a barefoot run.     What more could you ask for.

Glad to hear that Alec stuck with healthy eating long enough to see the benefits.  As you said, hopefully it will help instill those good habits in his routine and when he is able to head off on his own he'll continue.

Stay well...

Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

nkrichards wrote:Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

Absolutely! I’d do a little trail running to practice your footwork, but you should otherwise be great! Even running around the farm would suffice. Just get your coordination used to uneven surfaces.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

Absolutely! I’d do a little trail running to practice your footwork, but you should otherwise be great! Even running around the farm would suffice. Just get your coordination used to uneven surfaces.

That's a great suggestion Mark.  I could run on the farm roads and the fire trail that circles the farm.  It's probably not as rough and rocky as the trail but it would definitely be better prep than the pavement.  Heck even running on the gravel along the edge of the road would provide a bit of the necessary stimuli to help my body adapt.

I was pretty hesitant but I'm excited now.  Thanks!!

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

Absolutely! I’d do a little trail running to practice your footwork, but you should otherwise be great! Even running around the farm would suffice. Just get your coordination used to uneven surfaces.

That's a great suggestion Mark.  I could run on the farm roads and the fire trail that circles the farm.  It's probably not as rough and rocky as the trail but it would definitely be better prep than the pavement.  Heck even running on the gravel along the edge of the road would provide a bit of the necessary stimuli to help my body adapt.

I was pretty hesitant but I'm excited now.  Thanks!!

Glad I could help! 

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

Absolutely! I’d do a little trail running to practice your footwork, but you should otherwise be great! Even running around the farm would suffice. Just get your coordination used to uneven surfaces.

That's a great suggestion Mark.  I could run on the farm roads and the fire trail that circles the farm.  It's probably not as rough and rocky as the trail but it would definitely be better prep than the pavement.  Heck even running on the gravel along the edge of the road would provide a bit of the necessary stimuli to help my body adapt.

I was pretty hesitant but I'm excited now.  Thanks!!

Glad I could help! 

You're always a great source of information.

Unfortunately Mom has been visiting and I haven't had an opportunity to get out and try the farm roads/fire break yet.  And I'm a bit nervous about the snakes but at least if I do get a snake bite I'll be nearby and have cell service. 

I hope to get an off road run in this weekend.  I'll let you know how it goes.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

Absolutely! I’d do a little trail running to practice your footwork, but you should otherwise be great! Even running around the farm would suffice. Just get your coordination used to uneven surfaces.

That's a great suggestion Mark.  I could run on the farm roads and the fire trail that circles the farm.  It's probably not as rough and rocky as the trail but it would definitely be better prep than the pavement.  Heck even running on the gravel along the edge of the road would provide a bit of the necessary stimuli to help my body adapt.

I was pretty hesitant but I'm excited now.  Thanks!!

Glad I could help! 

You're always a great source of information.

Unfortunately Mom has been visiting and I haven't had an opportunity to get out and try the farm roads/fire break yet.  And I'm a bit nervous about the snakes but at least if I do get a snake bite I'll be nearby and have cell service. 

I hope to get an off road run in this weekend.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Good! All you really need is something to get your brain ready for a different surface. If you could swing a quick trip over to the trails at Smith Rock, say, heading up China Road toward Gray Butte, you'd be doing great. Farm roads are great, too. If you see a snake, either hurdle it or go a different direction. I've been told that they're not exactly brilliant predators. Just don't step on one. 

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Question for you Mark.  The half that I was training for in October has been cancelled.  There is a small trail event near Sisters in October that may still happen.  Do you think that I could make the transition from road running to trail running successfully?  I won't be able to train on trails regularly and it may be tough to get much trail running in at all during snake season.  Doable or crazy?

https://www.alpinerunning.co/three-sisters-skyline

Absolutely! I’d do a little trail running to practice your footwork, but you should otherwise be great! Even running around the farm would suffice. Just get your coordination used to uneven surfaces.

That's a great suggestion Mark.  I could run on the farm roads and the fire trail that circles the farm.  It's probably not as rough and rocky as the trail but it would definitely be better prep than the pavement.  Heck even running on the gravel along the edge of the road would provide a bit of the necessary stimuli to help my body adapt.

I was pretty hesitant but I'm excited now.  Thanks!!

Glad I could help! 

You're always a great source of information.

Unfortunately Mom has been visiting and I haven't had an opportunity to get out and try the farm roads/fire break yet.  And I'm a bit nervous about the snakes but at least if I do get a snake bite I'll be nearby and have cell service. 

I hope to get an off road run in this weekend.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Good! All you really need is something to get your brain ready for a different surface. If you could swing a quick trip over to the trails at Smith Rock, say, heading up China Road toward Gray Butte, you'd be doing great. Farm roads are great, too. If you see a snake, either hurdle it or go a different direction. I've been told that they're not exactly brilliant predators. Just don't step on one. 

Got going early this morning.  Watched the sun come up and the hawks fly as I worked my way around the farm roads/fire trail.  Only 4 miles but it was a great first "trail" run.  I am going to have to find my gators as my shoes collected grass seed and dirt.  No snakes. 

Smith Rock is a great suggestion.  I actually have better access to the trails around Gray Butte from my area and they would work well.  I also think that a couple loops around Rimrock Springs would be good option.  Easy access and safe on my own.

My goal is to get in at least one off road run per week.  I'll increase frequency and duration slowly.

I haven't registered for the event yet...holding off to see how I feel on the trails and also to see if they cancel.  Looks like the 50k is close to filling but the half still has spots.  I'll keep an eye on it.

It's nice to have a new distraction...

***

Hope all is well in your household.