The United States is loosening Covid restrictions almost to nothing, although it is still recommended that everyone wear a face mask when indoors with groups of people as much as possible. Of course everything has now reached the condition of unenforceable suggestions so there will probably be a resurgence of Covid Delta that will sweep the country. The goal of seventy percent fully vaccinated adults has been reached in a few states, and older people and those with preexisting conditions are mostly vaccinated. The death rate may be lower with the Delta surge because it will be younger people who become infected, and they generally fair better. However, just because they don’t get so sick that they are hospitalized, or die, doesn’t mean they won’t have life-long problems, and a premature death. The thirty percent of people who are resistant to getting the Covid vaccine shots are those in the lower social economic groups. There are many efforts to vaccinate them, but they are suspicious of having weird things injected into their arms.
One positive thing about the Covid epidemic, and the fact that many people were wearing masks, was the annual flu season was much milder. I didn’t have a winter cold, and to get that benefit again I may choose to wear a mask when in public this coming winter.
Bend, Oregon, was on the edge of the worst of the extreme heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest this week. It did officially reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit, but our recording thermometer peaked at 110. We blew cold air through the house overnight with a fan, and closed the cross ventilation windows until 1PM then ran the heat pump until peak temperature at 5PM, and then turned if off. Because of the hot dry weather I have been outside for hour long cleaning episodes all week clearing absolutely everything flammable away from the house.
Of course, being me, it seemed reasonable that I do something obvious that everyone would consider stupid. Because it was so hot outdoors, I took a shower with a shirt on before going out, and that soaking wet shirt helped a lot to keep me cool.
Probaway - Life Hacks 