Piggy Flu

Sorry for the lengthy hiatus. Vacation, you know. Cuts into one's blog time dreadfully.

So, they're telling people not to fly anyplace for any reason; don't use public restrooms; if you think you're sick at all, don't go to work; stay close to home; don't eat out without great caution; wash your hands all the time; if you're considered "at risk" don't go ANYPLACE for ANY reason. Sigh. How excessively inconvenient. I had at least two trips to Oklahoma planned between now and August. I have a husband to visit! I have a long road trip to Virginia and Pennsylvania I have to take! I have public restrooms I simply must utilize on the way!

Darn the CDC. Why any group of people would want to spend all their time studying and trying to trap billions of deadly little microbial terror-mongering bacteria and viruses is beyond me. Of course, somebody has to do it and I for one am glad they're up there in their rubber suits with their microscopes, but good heavens. It's still a funny breed of fella who does it for fun.

So anyway, in the interests of the common good of all those who do not make a living in the air travel industry, they're trying to scare people into not flying, since they can't prevent us any other way. Is it for real? It is just a giant conspiracy theory? Who knows, right? And who would risk getting and dying from the Swine Flu testing the theory that it was all bunk....right? I think that's the assumption they're operating under.

Bother.

:-(

Stinks to be going away tomorrow. I know I'm going to be very busy, and have lots to do, and enjoy the next month or so, but it still stinks. Can't flying be free? Can't everything be closer together?

2,814 miles

From Sunday morning to Sunday morning, that's how far we've driven this week. (Mr. Kitty was there for 586 of them, too.) At the moment, it's just me here in Wild America, battling the mice and ants as we prepare to leave Army Lodging and head for the apartment (yay!). Oklahoma is a woundrous strange place, if somewhat misrepresented. For one thing, one ought not ride a horse across the plain. One will be thrown from the horse by the occasional rogue gale-force wind gust. Also, no corn, no elephants, and no elephant's eyes. And no Weepin Willers. I think I'm in the wrong bit of Oklahoma.

According to the Oklahoma State Wildlife Management Office, "15% [of the snakes in Oklahoma] are potentially harmful to humans. Venomous species include the copperhead, cottonmouth, western diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, prairie rattlesnake, western massasauga, and western pigmy rattlesnake. Snakes are found statewide and in all habitats. Some species thrive in urban and suburban environments."

No word yet on whether feeding the mice to the rattlesnakes is cruelty to either species. I'm looking in to it.