Your story of the emergency crews responding in large (bored) numbers made me smile.

I’m a glider pilot, and as glider pilots all know, there are times nature does not cooperate with rising air, and we have no choice but to land where we are. When that happens, a passing motorist invariably calls 911 to report a “plane crash.”

The highway patrol shows up, and the sheriff, and sometimes even EMTs and a fire truck. We climb out of the glider and explain to all and sundry that we are safe, the glider is ok, and we’re waiting on our “crew” to arrive with a trailer to take us back to the airport. That always raises a few eyebrows: how are we going to tow a glider with 50′ wings on the road to the airport? Those who stick around are always amazed about how easily we take off the wings, stow them alongside the fuselage in the trailer, and leave.

I moved to northern Nevada for the fine soaring conditions here. The town of Minden, NV is known by soaring pilots worldwide. Now it is even known by a few journalists. Why even this morning, Chris Wallace declared with extreme scorn, that President Trump had a rally last night “in the middle of nowhere, Nevada.” That would be Minden, Chris, and reportedly 25,000 people were on the same airport I fly out of regularly. They were here to cheer the President.

Right now our little county has 7 total deaths from the start of this whole thing and, at the moment, 5 or 6 active cases. No hospitalizations. No deaths in weeks. The next county over, however, has hundreds of active cases because a SUNY school had an outbreak. There are a whole bunch of young people with positive tests over there — hundreds of positive tests, but NO hospitalizations. Not one. Most of them are probably asymptomatic or not very sick. They’re young, they’re probably all going to be just fine.

I’m still working at home, more because I want to than because I need to. I don’t do frivolous shopping (no wandering around “just looking”), which is good for my wallet anyway. However, I go where I need to go to buy what I need to have. It seems to me to be a matter of common sense, and pretty much all of my neighbors seem to see it the same way. The experience of these past few months is the strongest argument I’ve encountered in a long time for living in the country or in small towns, far away from congested, tense, resentful, overcrowded cities and affluent suburbs. That’s the life I wanted anyway, which is why I’ve been here for almost 30 years, despite the shortage of great restaurants and shopping — but it certainly is affirming to be reminded that I chose this for a reason.

“Those beautiful children and their beautiful, life-affirming babies!

“And I’m on board with MJR. It’s a gesture of respect to cover up.”

Yes on both counts! And thanks for the vote of confidence.

Texan99 (9:48 am) said:

“I’m also being personally rather careful, though not as careful as you, while declining absolutely to impose my own choices on anyone else.”

With ya, good buddy.

“I avoid indoor gatherings as much as I can, but I’m comfortable socializing outdoors.”

Yeah. Wife and I won’t even do that.
(She’s high risk, too, but not as high risk as I am.)

“I’ve lost much of that patience now that we know the odds of transmission from public surfaces or from asymptomatic carriers is nowhere near what we feared at first.”

With ya on public surfaces, but still very skittish about asymptomatic carriers.

“Too many people have degenerated into something not far removed from superstition combined with an unhealthy desire to control others.”

Unfortunately, both parts of that are very true (and are very well-expressed).

My tiny county has suffered only 18 deaths out of around 300 reported cases, but one family in town lost 4 members, and one of the deaths was a fairly close neighbor. I take the danger seriously, especially because this county is heavy on the retiree-aged side of things. I had considerable sympathy early on with excessive caution while we were unsure of how the disease was most likely to transmit. I’ve lost much of that patience now that we know the odds of transmission from public surfaces or from asymptomatic carriers is nowhere near what we feared at first. Too many people have degenerated into something not far removed from superstition combined with an unhealthy desire to control others.

And I’m on board with MJR. It’s a gesture of respect to cover up

“Some do the mask thing. That’s their choice. I haven’t seen anyone getting up in anyone’s face over it one way or the other. Want to wear a mask? Wear a mask. Don’t want to? don’t. No outbreaks. No spikes. No nothing.”

Hi; I’m a relatively new Californian, southern California style (a San Diego exurb). A transplanted Californian, intentional pun coming up soon.

That text I quoted sounds like the good ol’ American live and let live. It reminds me of interacting with someone of a different race: which is to remark, we’re all cool, we’re all *folks*, ya know — until and unless some “woke” race-baiter insists on imposing their brittle orthodoxies on us.

M J R ‘s story, to which I have alluded once before here, a few weeks back:

I am a recipient of a kidney transplant not yet nine months ago. My immune system, such as it is(n’t), is seriously compromised: the same treatment that prevents a transplanted kidney from being rejected, also prevents any foreign object — like a virus — from being rejected. Also, I’m senior. (How’d *that* happen??)

I have maintained through all this covid hassle, that I will do what I have to do, and I absolutely do *not* expect others to change their lives for me because of my health issue. I mean that. I am still almost entirely quarantined at home, except for necessary appointments, and except for a nightly walk after dark, when there are very few people around, except for dog-walkers and human walkers that can be (and are) easily avoided. No need for a mask on my walk.

I anticipate this going on well into 2021. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

My point? I’m very okay with Hereogar and other such Hereogars, honest. It’s more than time to resume, to an extent depending on the individual’s comfort level, lives as nearly normal as possible under the circumstances.

My one other point? I really do appreciate when someone is respectful of those of us who need to maintain very low profiles. *Not* to cater to us, but the respect and consideration continue to be appreciated and honored.