I think the virus theatre is going to end before too long

Evidence from places that did early antibody testing shows infection rates were 50-80 times higher than those that felt so sick they went to a doc and got the active virus test.  Which means the virus does not put 1 in 9 that get it in the hospital but 1 in 450.   And I was onboard with 'wear a mask to make other folks feel safer so they don't shriek and wail "NOOO, people will die' about re-starting the economy.   But yesterday I was just going through the motions wearing my dumb mask.  As summer heats up more and more folks are going to decide comfort is more important than reassuring the fearful and only employees mandated to wear masks will do it and they will be thinking 'this is a PITA, maybe I should quit and say I can't find child care or I'm worried that I'm high risk for severe case if I get cover-19 and just take that generous unemployment that congress set up'  so their employers will feel pressure to end the policy as well.

I am nervous with Trump saying he could use the war powers act to force packing plants to stay open after Tyson chicken was making noises about shutting down some production.   I don't want Tyson, and Smithfield and other outfits that are owned by the Chinese or home grown commie scum squeezing food supply to try to affect the election but I don't like the government saying they can force someone to produce food either.  I pray that god guides us through this mess and we don't end up spiraling into full on tyranny or a mix of tyranny with pockets of anarchy.

I need to increase my fitness level

I thought I was in pretty good shape.  But I went on a longer ride yesterday with friends.  Felt fine riding,  but I got home and had no energy all evening and still felt tired this morning.   Coffee is finally kicking in now at least.   I need to be able to play hard to make all the working pretty diligently worthwhile.    But at least our local authorities have not shut down outdoor recreation.  Some of the power drunk governors and mayors have been shutting down beaches even.  Like there is a virus risk with all that sun and salt.   People would have to be making out on the beach towels to be spreading shit to each other and anyone with half a brain knows that; shutdowns were just touting their authority.   Stupid autocrats.  I'm hoping its just stupidity and ego trip and not truly evil intentions to make people less healthy by telling they can't exercise or relax in the sunshine but must just stay inside getting fed mis-information by the TV media and DNC loyalists on social media.

Obsession, torments my heart

Sounds like a creepy stalker thought doesn't it.   I've been mildly obsessed with controlling goats heads burrs for over a decade.   And this has resulted in the yard and smaller horse pens getting just a few burrs that I can spot spray now versus the gross tangled mat of burrs when we moved here so its not a bad thing.

But with the neighbor making us a burn barrel plus knowing how to just get burn permits online I have also now gotten a lot more intent getting the neglected trees trimmed up.  Started with trimming a couple of elms that came up from old ones that were cut down to force them to grow upward more instead of just being bushes.  Then last fall I cut down a bunch of small dead trees and hired a pro with a cherry picker to take down 2 huge standing dead elms that were a danger to my vehicles and also paid him to do dead limb removal and some needed pruning on the remaining live elms.  He told me that cutting off dead and dying limbs helps the trees as they then put all their energy into the healthy branches.  Made sense and it also makes the trees look much nicer.  

But I'm a cheapskate so I've been pecking away at the russian olive trees and smaller elms applying a few things he told me for trimming the elms so they are not so thick that they are high risk from high winds or early and late snows.   Pretty much just cutting dead branches off the russian olives.  They are tough trees once established, but all 20 of them have been neglected for 10-15 years.  

*addendum:  Thank goodness the neighbor made us the burn barrel.  They are not issuing burn permits this spring.  Not because of fire danger but because of cover-19.   Blegh,  any increase in lung irritants from burning brush piles is surely offset by the brown cloud being gone thanks to the stay at home recommendations.   But bureaucrats have to enjoy their power trip.  

Just trying to keep on keeping on.

PITA boss moved the PITA twice weekly WFH web meetings.   They had been 12-1 which was not too bad for having a chunk of nice daytime to take a long break between working sessions.   Now mr Prima Donna or other coworkers have decreed that its tooooo hard to each during the boring meeting or wait till 1 so meetings are 1-2  and 1:30-2.       But the days are getting longer and mornings are getting nice again so I guess it will be OK.   Its just annoying that they seem determined to hamper the opportunity to do stuff outside in the middle of the day.   Bitterly clinging to their schedules set up for when we were mostly expected to come to the 'office' to work rather than typing at the keyboards from home.  

I'm having a hard time trying to keep riding goals in focus with the stupid lockdowns.  I suspect that some rides could be able to happen in May and June with entry limits of ~40  to keep  under the 50 person gathering size limit.   It seems like rides should be able to go on with more that that by declaring that each distance will stay under 50 people with separate start times and there will be no common  meals or meetings, but it seems to me like the national org is dominated by risk averse lawyers who are not trying to craft strategies to propose to local authorities to get green lights to proceed but are just gaming out how to avoid any potential lawsuit if a rider or volunteer got one of the nasty cases of cover-19 at a ride.  

But I DO enjoy my horses regardless of competing at rides.   I am not doing too badly at keeping up the riding and I have done a lot of tree pruning this last month and today finally remembered to put in for a burn permit.   I was never going to catch up with only using the burn barrel so I need to clear out all the build up.  Then I can probably get plenty of wood for including with burning household paper trash and remaining last years weeds.

I aint nothing but tired

I'm not real fond of Springsteen but that lyric line is so appropriate.   I'm so tired of dealing with people who are not stupid but can say stupid things like 'Rona is only as bad as a severe flu with 0.1% mortality for those infected and then say no way 100K people in the U.S. will die from it.   Ummm HELLO,  lets assume 70% get it and herd immunity kicks in.   .7 times 330 million is 230 million.    .1% of 230 million is 230K so if its ONLY as bad as a severe flu and we have no vaccine than 200K folks are likely to die.   Now a good many of those will be just a matter of a year or less off lifespan of someone with a chronic health condition but that is cold comfort to the family and friends of everyone who lost that year and some folks are going to lose family and friends who had just minor or even no chronic health condition. 

We still cant cower at home for months; but this covid-19 is worse than the H1N1 that killed 100K over 15 months or whatever the full period was.

madness, sheer madness

People are hearing baseless rumors that there will be a nationwide shutdown and quarantine and are panic buying not even just 2-3 weeks of supplies on this FNM fear mongering but 3-6 months worth and not just TP and people stuff but now pet food, kitty litter etc as well.

But I was able to get my usual horse feed this AM.   I updated my chewy order for the new pup and its fine if they are a week or 2 late with the normal scheduled delivery.    I've actually got somewhat less supplies than my normal this year as I've trying to declutter but still have plenty to get by for a few weeks and I can stretch dried beans and split peas after that if I have to but I passed bemused to 'point and laugh' a few days ago and I am nearing 'WTELFIWWY" already and people probably won't stop with the sudden prepper syndrome for another month.

Knocking wood,  so far,  my state is not trying to shut down the great outdoors yet.  Yes the poor souls in IL and MI and I think some others have had state parks and open space areas shut down,  WTH is wrong with those governors or their health consultants?  Don't they know that sunlight is a great disinfectant?

My nominee didn't get HOF horse

But I was relieved cuz the gal whose horse I had nominated wasn't at the convention.   I thought she had planned on coming but she wasn't there.  I was thrilled for the gal and her horse that did get HOF, but this is the second time a horse that was part of the Pardners award for the horse and rider that embody "team" has been nominated and awarded HOF a few years later and I'm torn on that.  Obviously people should not refrain from nominating someone for the Pardners award because of not wanting to hijack a possible HOF for the horse down the road a bit; but OTOH the Pardners award in my mind is supposed to reward riders who don't compete at the higher level to qualify a horse for HOF but have a really special bond with a horse  over many years of riding and I don't want it to become a thing where the same small pool of people is getting both Pardners and then HOF awards.    Most folks are going to have a special connection with a horse to get it to the HOF level, and not every one of those teams should get a  Pardners award as well as the HOF in my opinion because that would freeze out the Partner teams that enjoy the trail together for many years riding relaxed 50s and LDs.