Worn out

I think this is probably a feeling that many of us around the world have more frequently than usual lately.  We scramble to process what we read/hear on the news; we worry about our loved ones; we chafe at being "locked down"; we wonder what the future is going to look like; we worry...  We have also expanded our vocabularies to include a lot of words and phrases that many of us have never used (or even heard) before.  Words like "pandemic" which until now was something in a movie or the name of a book by Robin Cook.  I was thinking about this while sitting in the hide this morning...

Flattening the Curve
R0 (R naught)
Infection rates
Surge
Flattening the Curve
Plateau
Shelter in place
Stay-at-home
Attractive Nuisance
Contact Tracing


And I am sure you can add to this list - in fact, feel free to do so.  These were just some of the things that came to mind for me.  Most every day I watch Governor Cuomo (D-NY) when he does his press briefing.  I find that he explains things like R0 in a way that is easy to understand.  He illustrates what flattening the curve looks like in New York.  He talks in hopeful terms about lessons learned and re imagining "normal".  If you've never watched one of his briefings, you can easily find them on YouTube.

So, I decided that this close up of the tail of a blue jay, looking worn but feeling hopeful, was a good image for today.  You can view the whole Jay in Extra)

I watched part of the meeting between our New Jersey Governor Murphy and Trump today.  Murphy was his usual polite, intelligent, compassionate self.  And Trump was also himself.  A stark contrast in every respect.  

I will add New Jersey's numbers below when they are available later today.  I don't expect anything other than sad news and stunning figures.  It is impossible not to feel the pain of every family in this state who has lost a loved one to this virus.  But the reality is that every day right now, just in our state, 300 +/- families lose someone they love to Covid 19.  And then multiply this to include everyone in all corners of the world.  

So my message remains...stay safe, stay home, be kind.  And let's start viewing masks as a fashion statement, okay?

xo
Debbi

Covid Stats 
Total positives as of today in NJ- 118,652
Total deaths in NJ - 7,228
Total cases in Sussex County - 921, deaths - 103