On our walk late this afternoon, when it was unseasonably warm, you could hear it before you could see it. There was a breeze blowing and cars whirring by and it was all punctuated by our conversation but there was a crinkling, crunchy dispute of it all.
We’d already seen one driver, breaking the state’s hands free law, almost rear-end a pickup. We were making our turns based on maximizing the weak winter sun. We were talking about trips we couldn’t take when the dry parchment sound set upon the ears. Those dry, plaintive leaves, still hanging on in defiance, rustling in the wind.
It’s funny, the idea of trips. We had three scheduled last year that were canceled, plus probably three holiday visits. I don’t think I’ve been anywhere since Christmas of 2019. I mean anywhere farther than I’ve pedaled my bicycle. The Yankee has made a few trips to make appointments in Indianapolis, and that’s it for both of us. The curiosity of a staycation has been satisfied, and continues on. We, like the leaves, are still hanging on. But, lately, I’ve spent idle time planning other interesting trips that one might do. These don’t rise to the level of let’s make plans, but, rather ‘Wouldn’t that be neat?’ My favorite one was a four or five day bike-riding trip through New York … or a vacation home that’s both far away from everywhere, and yet easy to reach, and warm … or a B&B somewhere quiet. Crinkly, crunchy leaves would be required.
There’s another cold snap coming this weekend, and maybe some snow and ice, so a few more of those leaves may fall away before we find ourselves there again sometime next week. And while it is too early to think this way, in just 11 long weeks or so, those proud leaves will be replaced by a new generation of green sunlight collectors, and we can pretend like some of this never happened. But only some of it.
Biden: "The brutal truth is, it's going to take months to get the majority of Americans vaccinated." He says that's why the country must take actions to curb the spread of the virus, pointing to his call for Americans to "mask up" for the next 100 days.
— Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) January 21, 2021
The IDOH reported today 3,733 new cases, pushing the state beyond the 600,000-case mark.
➡️ @LaneButInType https://t.co/Du3h51q2PA
— WFIU News (@WFIUNews) January 21, 2021
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, confirms what many others have reported–there was no federal vaccine stockpile despite what fmr. POTUS Donald Trump claimed. Indiana has received NO more vaccines after announcement.
— Brock E.W. Turner (@BrockEWTurner) January 21, 2021
The absence of a national vaccine stockpile is preventing Indiana from moving forward with its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan.
➡️ @brandonjsmith5 https://t.co/U8vTn6hZBb
— WFIU News (@WFIUNews) January 22, 2021
