I had it all planned out. A day in the bigger town just West of here. An outing of fun after suffering through my cold. A quick Doctor’s visit, shopping, lunch, and a bit of adventure. Exploration and discovery while having a fun day. Well, all of those plans were thrown out the window when my cold went even more south, ending any thoughts of fun. I’m house bound a little longer.
Just so you know, my cold is much worse. Much, much worse. Dreadful. Devastating. Debilitating. A sinus-choking event. I feel better sharing this with you. After I made light of many illnesses, mine blossomed. I shouldn’t have gloated.
All plans for a solo trip into the big city were scrapped. I’ll need to plan for another time. Summer’s nearly evaporated in a puff of thick “California-burnin'” smoke. People have been checking to see how the big fires in California are affecting me. Some days are not so bad while on others the smoke is thick.
My heart breaks for South Lake Tahoe. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. We need to pray for our forests. Last year, my boat trip was one of my first adventures. A day I’ll remember forever. Glad I did it, because things there may never look the same again. I’m tired of hearing about climate change in regards to fires. It’s an easy way for those in charge to shirk their responsibility. Having lived in the area my entire life, it was something we all watched, waiting for disaster to happen. In the final analysis, it was years of extremely irresponsible forest management contributing to the fires. Dense and dry fuel. Forests were never managed properly. At the end of a summer of drought, this is the result. A loss that won’t be replaced in our lifetimes. God is surely weeping.
With Eastern forests still thriving, when we’re well again, we’ll find a way to escape smoke and explore. The Ruby Mountains. Elko. Ely. The Loneliest Road in America. The 55′ Ichthyosaur. Gem fields. Crystals for the finding. Antique bottles to found. So many adventures we’ll have trouble choosing. But for now, Kleenexes and orange juice for me.
There’s been thoughts of a day trip to Bodie, the town time forgot. Bodie is on the eastern side of the Sierra’s. A once bustling gold-mining town and California State Historic Park, it sits quietly near the Nevada border. Original buildings and a cemetery are in a state of arrested decay. After its glory days as a mining hub, the town was finally abandoned by the time of World War II. Many of the buildings were left furnished with couldn’t be carried out. In 1962, it became a National Historic site. Truly a fascinating place.
So many fun day trips for me to plan. I need to shake my cold and get moving. For now, Oliver understands. He’s been the best dog in the history of dogs. Yesterday, he slept hours, finishing off his day by turning in at 5 PM for the night. Not a peep from my little buddy until this morning at 4:30. As long as I respect his meal time, he rolls with the plan, whatever it is. I’m lucky to have such a great dog as my bestie.
Making it through this little bug, I’ve been enjoying a batch of Doris Day movies, including The Tunnel of Love and April in Paris. So fun to watch talented actors and actresses on real movie sets. No computer generation or animation, old movies are works of art, preserved for our enjoyment. Thank heavens for the days of political incorrectness and decorum. Some things were so simple back then. Two sexes with complimentary yet opposite attributes. Charming and normal.
So, with a box of Kleenex, I’m back to bed to rest. Please stay safe in this crazy world. The common cold can lead to bronchitis and pneumonia just as easily as Covid. It’s also just as contagious and dangerous for people with compromised health. Do us all a big favor and isolate for two weeks if you suffer from any kind of virus. We didn’t catch our colds gardening in the back yard or taking a walk. Someone was out running around while spreading viruses for us to catch. Not appreciated at all.
Remember, illness is bad whether you are a man or woman. When you experience it first hand, it’s never good. More tomorrow.