The Catbirds are Back

I was so pleased to see several of these elegant birds in the backyard today.  I had seen one at Hughes Hollow last week but it seems like it has been a very long time since I have seen one here.

All things considered, it was a good day.  I had a virtual breakfast via Zoom with 15 of my camera club friends.  We exchanged grocery shopping strategies, lamented our canceled trips, shared photography projects, and available courses.  After the call, we cleaned the porch furniture and got it ready for the summer season.  After lunch, I felt very weary and lay down for a nap on the couch in the family room-keeping the doors open to the porch.  There was such a delightful breeze, but there was a bit of noise from my husband using the leaf blower so I put my earphones in and listened to ocean waves and drifted off into a lovely sleep where I dreamt about butterflies.  I woke up very happy. 

We had happy hour and dinner on the porch and then made the mistake of viewing the evening news that we had recorded earlier.  We were outraged to see how many states are starting to open up and the crazy defiance and stupidity that the protesters across the country are demonstrating.  All this is going on while the U.S. recorded the largest one day increase in Coronavirus cases.  I know that testing has been increased but it also tells me that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg and that we are in for a world of hurt.  

Here in Maryland, we remain closed and we, personally, will remain at home, away from others for however long it takes to get to the other side of this.  

Maryland was able to purchase 500,000 coronavirus tests from South Korea which the FDA has subsequently approved.  The plane flew directly to Baltimore where the National Guard and State Police kept guard as the tests were taken to a secret location.  There was some concern that the Federal government would seize them as they have done with other supplies.  Can you believe that???  


Covid 19 as of 5/2/2020 - 
Montgomery County  4919 confirmed cases, 256 deaths 
Maryland  24,473 confirmed cases, 1156 deaths
U.S.   1,160,774 cases,  67444 deaths