Grey Squirrel

I forget which Blipper wrote that they were excited to see a red squirrel in Britain, taking back some territory from the Greys which had been taking over. In this country it has been just the opposite. In Berkeley there were hordes of red squirrels everywhere, taunting dogs, digging up gardens, flowerbeds and lawns, and marauding through parks. They were really pests. 

Here in Santa Rosa I never see a red squirrel, and the Greys are here but in very small numbers. We watched this one trying to crack the code of getting to the birdseed, first in the feeder inside a cage designed to let the little birds in but keep out the bigger ones. When she realized she was never going to fit, she climbed up a very skinny pole (seen behind her in this picture) and jumped to the domed top of the feeder but despite some pretty acrobatic attempts couldn't make the crux move to get over the edge of the dome down to the food.

We watched for quite a long time as she tried to crack the code of baffles, domes, and skinny poles designed to keep her out. She finally gave up, for now,  but I predict she'll eventually figure out something.

People in all corners of the world are beginning to speculate on when businesses will open and we will be able to go out again. On how long the economy can survive this assault on it. On when they can buy a new dress, eat in a restaurant, get their haircut.

Some people think it will not be until a vaccine ican be created tested and distributed in enough numbers to vaccinate everybody. That could take years. 

At the other extreme Trump has turned the whole thing into a political circus by encouraging his right wing 'base' to demonstrate against Democratic Midwestern governors demanding to be 'liberated'. Who are these people who seem to believe that a virus has politics? And that they are immune to it?

Herd immunity, social distancing, vaccine, survival of the fittest...who knows?
The information changes daily. And those who deliver it are not always reliable.

What we all need in these uncertain times is leadership, not divisive bullying or vague promises.  And a little news about something other than Coronavirus....And where on earth is Joe Biden? Probably in his garage or his broom closet on Zoom just like the rest of us....

I made face masks and listened to Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcasts.
SoilMan planted a new cistus in the garden, then came inside, called our financial advisor and sold all our stocks....

Life goes on...somehow....