Light in the Fog

We have had several days of rain off and on, accumulating close to five inches according to our rain gauge.  Monday morning I was able to find a short window of opportunity and completed four miles.  On Tuesday afternoon, the rain was replaced by hazy sunshine, so I ran another two miles while Martha completed her four-mile run.  Yesterday was another washout, but this morning the flash flood warnings came to an end, and I was able to run again in fog and diminishing drizzle.  I enjoy running in the fog, wearing a bright yellow shirt to stay visible, watching the ghostly surroundings materialize and then fade away again.

I called Martha's aunt Lizette on Sunday and discovered that someone had tested positive for COVID-19 in the Brookdale Senior Living facility in Raleigh.  All the residents were tested, one floor at a time, including Lizette, who said the test itself with its long cotton swab up each nostril was extremely uncomfortable.  But she felt healthy and expected the results in a day or two.

A fifth person has tested positive in Macon County, too, according to the newspaper today.  So it is definitely here among us, and we are continuing to follow all of the protocols, wearing masks in public buildings, distancing ourselves from others, and sanitizing our hands frequently.  And of course exercise is an excellent way to maintain a healthy immune system in the event that we are exposed.  But we are being especially cautious because Martha's Mom is now undergoing radiation treatment for her cancer and her immune system is compromised.

In the midst of the pandemic and the economic collapse, we keep looking for glimmers of hope.  There are three different drug companies testing coronavirus vaccines and the results are promising.  Will we eventually take the coronavirus vaccine every fall as routinely as we do the influenza vaccine?  We can only hope.

It is also encouraging that so many people are coming together and making contributions, small and large, to those who need help.  Not only the front-line medical workers, the police and EMTs, but also the many volunteers at food banks and helping to deliver meals are to be praised.  I ran across an inspiring story from Britain this morning.  Captain Tom Moore, a beloved British war veteran, decided to walk the length of his garden (82 feet) 100 times ahead of his 100th birthday to raise money for the National Health Service.  He set out to raise 1,000 pounds, but donations kept pouring in; he finished his final lap two weeks ahead of schedule and to date has raised 32,796,510 pounds, or about $40 million.  He is to be knighted, or perhaps has been already, by Queen Elizabeth II.

The many heroes of our time! Not just Captain Moore - or is it Sir Moore by now? - but all of those donors who were just looking for an opportunity to help those many people who need it so desperately.