Swine!

It was hard to find a picture to coordinate with a post about Swine Flu. This does the trick pretty well though, doesn't it? Swine flu is here in my neighborhood. The latest news says two University of Chicago employees have it. The U of C is just down the block and my husband works there. So there you have it. I've told him to wash his hands a lot.
I'm not personally all that scared. I know I'd live if I caught the flu but the last time I had a "real" flu, not just a nasty cold or GI bug, I was pretty sick for around two weeks and debilitated for around a month. I had to take two weeks off work which I never do (other than for vacation). Plus I had a headache that had me wondering if I could get a prescription for tylenol with codeine (and I cannot stand the side effects of codeine). I actually caught that flu while visiting family in Seattle. My younger son was the plague carrier and he spread it to me and my parents. Us "old folks" were actually pretty laid up. I had to fly home running a fever and with shaking chills. I'm sure my neighbors on the plane were just thrilled. My husband and older son didn't catch it. I wish I had their immune system.
Since I'm a doctor I wonder if I should be working but it seems silly to cancel since I don't see people with "physical" illnesses. My decision is to just go ahead with good handwashing. I might buy a thing of hand sanitizer (which in principle I think is unnecessary) just to be cautious.
In a perverse sort of way, I find all the Swine Flu news fascinating. When I was in high school I wanted to be an Epidemiologist and in college I nearly majored in Medical Microbiology. I once wrote a paper on Brucellosis (a cattle disease that used to infect non-pasteurized milk). I've also taken a lot of virology and bacteriology classes. So this is pretty exciting news to follow from a scientific angle. Not that I'm happy about loss of life and so forth but it is fascinating to read the news. I make a point of avoiding TV news.
I worry that if we have massive closures of schools and businesses will it affect our already pained economy. I wonder what I will do if my kids' schools shut down? Obviously stay home and try to entertain them I guess. Fortunately you can only get one kind of virus over a computer so there will always be games for them to play. I hope that there will be no more deaths, although they seem inevitable.But this too will pass. Anyone old enough to remember the Swine Flu scare back in the 70's? Much ado about nothing, wasn't it?
Well, I've just added one more post to the undoubtedly huge number of blog posts about the swine flu. But it was on my mind. And at least it got me writing again!
Stay well!!!!
Sarala.

Palm Warbler

For Wordless Wednesday. This little bird apparently is just passing through on its way north.

Fossils

You can also find fossils in Lake Michigan.



I wish I knew what the tube-shaped ones are. They're my favorites. Gee, maybe I should look it up.

Ah, it's a crinoid fossil!


To my readers, I'm not ignoring you. I'll be by when I'm feeling more chatty!

Wordless

I just can't think what to say. Not that anything is wrong, but end of year family duties have piled up and interfere with the important things like blogging.
I did pick up a bit of Lake Michigan beach glass last Friday which was gloriously sunny. I also picked up a mild sun burn. It will have to last as by Saturday afternoon the temperature had dropped 40 degrees in around 2 hours (no kidding) and it was back to winter coat, hat and gloves for me. This was followed by another 30 plus degree turnaround on Sunday. It is hard to know what to make of the weather lately. I still need to sort through my St. Louis pictures. That will be for another day. Now, it's time for ice cream! Then bed and a good book.

Clock

Just a picture to pass the time. Pun intended.

Gargoyles

Gargoyles are so cool!



Seen at Washington University in St. Louis

Road Trip

My older son and I drove to St. Louis on Friday to visit Washington University. Here are a couple of photos. There are lots more to post but after driving more than 300 miles today I'm off to bed.

A Trip to the Aquarium

I haven't been getting out much I guess, and the words just weren't there. But I'm trying to jump start the blog again after around a week's absence with some aquarium pictures.



This week is my younger son's spring break. We managed a quick run through of the local aquarium which has some fascinating fish and a wonderful Amazon River exhibit. Due to crowds, low light, shooting through glass and so forth there weren't too many worthy pictures but here are the best of the lot. We were rushed so I wasn't able to ID the fish.

Snow in April

It seems to happen every year. The flakes were especially large and fluffy so I tried to catch the effect using a long exposure with forced flash. I think it came out pretty well.

The birds are migrating through!

We seem to have a flock of Golden crowned kinglets flying through. I've seen them two separate days in different neighborhood locations. They are striking little birds. Quite hyper too so it was hard to photograph them.



I also saw a pair of Downy Woodpeckers. [Addendum 4/5--I've been told they are Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers by a friend from Flickr]. I hope they plan on nesting nearby.

Greater Mount Avery

I'm still processing photos from my last photo outing on the far South Side of Chicago. This church has a "Youth Explosion" Tuesdays at 6. Since I have a teenager and a tween in my house, I have some horrible images of what a "youth explosion" is like. I'm sure the church event is much tamer.
I've had busy days lately so not much posting. Best, S.