Snowy Valley, VT — The Association of Woodland Creatures, speaking on behalf of itself and the Aquatic Organisms Guild and Union of Avian Species, today formally thanked the human race for its decision to sequester at home. “The water’s clear again, the traffic noise from the highway is gone, and the air quality is amazing!” said spokesdeer Faline Whitetail. “Although this decision took us by surprise, we would like to say we’re very grateful, and we wish the humans great success with their new direction.”
Bwahahahahahahahahhaha!
You laugh, but in Italy the dolphins have returned to places where ship traffic has been blocked due to the coronavirus. So you can bet they’re enjoying themselves.
I’m not laughing at them, I’m laughing with them. 😉
Indeed, I was inspired to write this post by a set of photos from Italy showing how clear the canal water was and noting that swans had returned.
A silver lining on an otherwise dark cloud, to be sure. I hope that the people of Italy and everywhere succeed in their efforts to protect human life and put this episode safely behind us — but at the same time, I hope we don’t forget the humbling lesson this moment is teaching us.
Indeed.
Many humbling lessons about how we should care for our earth and all its inhabitants, human or otherwise.
Apparently there was a 5.7 earthquake in Utah. Locusts in Africa…nature is trying to tell us something.
Bwhaahaaaaa!!!! So this is what’s popular on the other side of the solar system.
We are ET’s reality TV.
The Thermians concur with your assessment:
Exactly.
Fantastic.
Emissions are definitely going down. This is what we get for eating bats. Hah!
This post seems like a good place to share this:
10 Positive Updates on the COVID-19 Outbreaks From Around the World
1) US Researchers Deliver First COVID-19 Vaccine to Volunteers in Experimental Test Program
2) Distilleries Across the United States Are Making Their Own Free Hand Sanitizers to Give Away for Free
3) Air Pollution Plummets in Cities With High Rates of Quarantine
4) Johns Hopkins Researcher Says That Antibodies From Recovered COVID Patients Could Help Protect People At Risk
5) South Korean Outbreak Finally Abating as Recoveries Outnumber New Infections for Three Days in a Row
6) China Celebrates Several Milestones of Recovery After Temporary Hospitals Close and Parks Reopen
7) Australian Researchers Testing Two Drugs as Potential ‘Cures’ for the Virus
8) Uber Eats is Supporting the North American Restaurant Industry By Waiving Delivery Fees for 100,000 Restaurants
9) Dutch and Canadian Researchers Are Reporting Additional Breakthrough Research on Treating the Virus
10) Here Are a Bunch of Other Ways That People and Businesses Are Supporting Each Other Throughout the US Outbreak
[Google translate of the description: The canals of Venice are extraordinarily and incredibly clean, immobile and clear, because few ACTV water buses and service vehicles pass by. For all other means, however, the service is suspended. The result is that the channels are clear and clean, with the waters still due to the lack of wave motion. Video Matteo Tagliapietra (Interpress)]
Thank you for posting this list.This is something most news outlets are just passing over. I’m trying to limit my news article reading of the virus since if I believed everything they post, we’re all going to be horribly infected and die. If you look at the charts, it is a terrible disease but the percentages off people who have it and have recovered are significantly higher than the fatalities. I believe all this shelter at home and shutting down public places has definitely helped with the transmission rate.
All I’m positive about is that there are enough rooms in this house so I can put a few feet between and hubby now that we’re both working from home. He has his office at one end of the house and I have mine at the other end. Plus I can go for walks, at least when the rain lets up. After 25 years, sometimes there can be too much togetherness, lol.
I need something to temper the anxiety. There’s a video of Italians who recorded “messages to themselves of ten days ago” as a warning of what we might face here, and I really should not have watched it before bed last night. Also need to do better at feeding and watering myself while I’m home. I drink so much more fluids (2-3 cups of tea in the morning and then water the rest of the day) when I’m at work for some reason, and also have a set lunchtime so I actually eat on a consistent basis. At home that just all goes out the window, even though i’m much closer to the fridge…then by late in the day my throat is sore and my nose is stuffed up and I realize I’m not sick, I’m just dehydrated. I do hope all this distancing is helping. The news around here is all about things closing, then I read comments online about people in other areas going about their business and I wonder if enough people are taking it seriously.
Gloomy here in central NJ, too, but I think the rain stopped, for now, at least. I just opened my blinds to at least get some daylight in here. (I didn’t open them the last two days which was probably not great.) Also just bumped up the thermostat, which goes down to 63 during the day when I’m usually not here, because I realized I’m freezing!
The crisis has certainly brought out the best in lots of people. Earlier today the young couple next door, whom we barely know, put a card through our door offering to shop for us if we’re unable to get out of the house.
❤❤❤
Such thoughtful neighbors. I’m loving them from a distance.
Hope your dad is doing okay.
He suffers from breathing problems – both lungs are scarred and one doesn’t inflate properly. My big worry is that, since we live in the same small house and can’t avoid close contact because he needs help getting dressed and undressed, should I become infected I’ll probably get off lightly but he won’t.
Chiming in with my two cents’ worth: my breathing has been so much easier these last few days. I’ve been going for walks, and not gasping for breath ten steps in. I also seem to have a bit more energy. Probably because more good air is oxygenating me.
That is all kinds of awesome, Duckie! Keep walking, and remember, Bibi and I are walking with you (we’re only six feet away).
Great news, Duckie!
Also, can we talk about how cute that snub-nosed deer is?!
It’s ridiculously cute.