Travel Plans and Tent Preps

 [Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.] 

2/27/21

Aloha All –

Well, after more than a year here at home – the longest we’ve spent in one place in many, many years – we’re making plans for a spring trip to the mainland.  One of our bucket list items has been to see Biltmore Estate in North Carolina and to explore that general area, and this seemed like the time to finally do it since international travel would be exceedingly difficult and risky.  The timing will hopefully coincide with the annual blooming of the dogwoods and azaleas and include a heavy dose of some of the highly regarded gardens in that area, including the Biltmore itself. Our plan so far is to fly to Cincinnati, then travel by car to Knoxville for a few days to enjoy the dogwood bloom and some great barbeque.  This part of the itinerary we’ve done before when we lived in Ohio, but it was a quick visit on our way further south.  We will then head for Asheville North Carolina, Charlotte, Boone, and the Smoky Mountain National Park before returning to Asheville and staying for several nights at the Biltmore Estate.  Hopefully the experience will include great scenery, flowers and gardens, and LOTS of really good barbecue. We’ll then return to Ohio for a visit to old friends.  It’s kind of fun making these arrangements again – we’ve really missed it!

The other main focus this week was been our preparations for our termite tenting that is scheduled for next Thursday and Friday.  It turns out there is a fair amount of effort required on our part to get ready.  On Thursday the company dropped off a stack of special plastic bags that are for food items that will be remaining in the house during the fumigation, like stuff in our freezer and refrigerator, plus anything else that the gas might get into, like pasta and cereals.  This is just a precaution – the gas dissipates completely and leaves no residue except for a small amount of fluoride, which I guess might be harmful if ingested in large quantities.  Anyway, for weeks we have been trying to reduce our freezer inventory and thin out the other food so that we won’t have to bag as much.

The other preparations involve the house itself, including cutting back plants from around the house so that the tarps will be close to the foundation and form a tight seal.  Also, the gas is deadly for many kinds of plants, so we’re moving anything we want to keep safe.  Right before the tenting we will turn off our gas supply to the house and also our pool equipment, open all the cabinet doors and windows so the gas can circulate more freely.  Once the gas is introduced nobody can be inside, of course, and since it stays sealed for 12-14 hours, we’ve made arrangements to check into a nearby hotel for the night.  The next day (Friday) the gas is cleared out and the tent is removed, and the house is aired out until it is deemed safe to re-enter. It all sounds a bit scary, but this is done all the time here and it hasn’t led to any casualties that I’m aware of.  The gas breaks down when it mixes with air and this lessens – but doesn’t eliminaste – the negative environmental impact of the fumigation. Companies are not allowed to do this treatment unless there is clear evidence of termite activity, which we have.  Our house was last tented 20 years ago when we bought it.  These are drywood termites, which are much slower than the subterranean type.  In our climate and region it isn’t a matter of IF you get termites, but rather WHEN and How Bad.  Another cost of living in paradise...
 

I didn’t hike this week, but Karen and I did go to Planet Fitness on Thursday.  She also played golf on Monday. Our new Covid 19 cases remained in the single digits again this week, with a couple of 0's and 1's.  The highest I think was 7.  Sure makes things more relaxed.

Ok, that’s it.  Next week’s missive may be a day late because of our tenting discombobulation.
Stay well and hang in there....

Zork Recalled, Earth Mission Aborted

Special Statement from the Intergalactic Expeditionary Council, Galactic Date 143009.6388:

The previous transmission from Agent Zork Zynt was the last the Council received, except for an automated distress message shortly afterward.  The Emergency Extraction protocol was initiated, and Agent Zynt was transported to the nearest galactic base.  His poor neurological condition prompted the Council to consign him to the Rehabilitation Facility on Xyborg 6, where he has made excellent progress toward a recovery, but still has a long way to go.

When he became more coherent he was able to report more fully on the cultural conditions of planet Xv406.98, known locally as "Earth."  It seems the cultural maturity of humans had been significantly overestimated by earlier reconnaissance assessments. According to Zynt, the true situation at this time is an unacceptable level of planet-wide violence, authoritarian tendencies, tribalism, intolerance, and extremism. These characteristics make human progress in science and technology quite dangerous, and have subsequently led Council analysts to estimate the odds of the species surviving an existential crisis over the next 500 solar cycles at roughly 50/50. However, Zynt suggested that there may be some hope that human capacity for compassion, altruism, and social responsibility will yet prevail in the future.

All agents from the planet have been recalled and a No Contact proclamation has been issued for the next 3,000 solar cycles.  Periodic brief observational missions will be conducted as remote monitoring seems to warrant. Agent Zynt has bravely volunteered for those missions, but he must recover more fully and be cleared by the medical unit before being assigned to such a stressful experience.  His lack of a full recovery at this time is suggested by his muttering during regenerative cycles about the merits of something called "Krispy Kremes."

 

Eyeball Shot, Splashy Hike, 0's & 1's

[Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.] 

2/20/21

Aloha Everybody –

How’s that snow shoveling going?
    
I mentioned last week that I thought I might need an eyeball injection.  Sure enough, the scans of my retina showed considerable build-up of fluid since the time before, so I had a shot.  My retina guy seems to think I may need one every 2 to 2 ½ months and that this last interval (3 + months) was just a little too long.  Ok by me, as long as he’s the one giving me the injections. Anyway, I also had a visual field test that tracks my glaucoma, which has nothing to do with my retina problem.  It showed no change, and along with low internal eyeball pressures, is good news.  BTW, the visual field test is the most unpleasant *painless* exam there is — trying to decide whether you’ve seen about a million dots of light when you’re almost never sure.  Give me an injection any day.  I did have a little reaction to the shot this time because the doc tried a different technique of numbing the injection site.  Next time I’ll make sure he goes back to the way we’ve found works best.  This is the reaction that started about 1 ½ years ago when I developed a sensitivity in my right eye to the numbing fluid.  The symptoms begin about 4 hours after the injection, and last for another 8 hours – a sensation like ground glass in the eye, with pretty disgusting blood-shot look for a day afterwards.  This time was much more mild, so it wasn’t agonizing, but I’d rather not experience it.  The shot itself hurts a little more, but it’s well-worth it.
     

On Monday Karen played golf and I went on a short shoreline hike just south of our airport.  This is a

special area that is a natural preserve and is an important source of plants that sustain a kind of bee that is found only in Hawai’i.  It is also a place where surf really crashes during the winter, when storms far to our northwest churn up the ocean.  (In the summer the higher surf occurs on the east shores, because the storms that produce it form to the southeast.)  Anyway, it was a pretty good hike and it was interesting that directly up the slopes of Hualalai was where Karen was playing golf – I was nearly at sea level and she was at about 3k feet.

We worked out at PF on Thursday, a week after our 2nd Covid 19 vaccination.  This was "MI-Day," the day we hit maximum immunity to the original virus strain, a very good feeling!  The variants that are developing from mutations in the original virus so far haven’t made inroads here, and if we can get most people vaccinated before they become prevalent we’ll be ok.  I’ve done a lot of research on this, and my conclusion so far is that we need more data from real-world cases where vaccinated people are reinfected before we declare that all is lost.  We should keep in mind that “effective” in medical jargon when talking about a vaccine means *no* symptoms whatsoever.  The laboratory studies that have been reported show a reduced effectiveness of the current vaccines, but it is very likely the cases that vaccinated people might get will be much less severe.  Nothing I have seen would warrant not getting the vaccine if you have a chance.  In the meantime, we aren’t altering our precautionary behavior, but we do feel a lot more relaxed.  Adding to the relaxation is that this past week our island had several days with either just 1 new case or 0 cases, definitely making us feel even more fortunate to be right here, right now....

I am, of course, fascinated and awed by the successful landing of our new rover on Mars this week. What a technological feat! And how awesome would it be if they can get that drone flying! At last, some good news instead of a steady bombardment of political, cultural, medical, meteorological and economic crapola.

Take care.  Stay warm, safe, and sane.

A Toast to Double Shots, Higher Sodium Happiness

[Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

2/13/21

Well, the BIG event here this week was on Thursday, when Karen and I got our second Covid vaccinations.  Whoopie!  Went like clockwork, even more efficient and smooth than the first time.  They already had our info and after filling out a brief questionnaire about reactions to the first one (nil for us), we went to the injection station, this time with several more people giving them so it went very fast.  Even though it was quick, everyone was Hawai’i friendly, helpful, and upbeat.  Many of the injectees were people returning from three weeks ago, but there were also quite a few first-timers, and the pace was definitely much quicker and more streamlined.  We celebrated with a seafood lunch at an open-air restaurant (poke nachos and coconut shrimp), and then later with a sunset champagne toast.

Both of us had somewhat stronger reactions to the second shot than the first. Sore arms, a bit tired, and for me a brief round of body aches, chills, and joint pain beginning about 12 hours after the shot but going away in about 4-5 hours. Friday I was still pooped until things started to turn around about 4pm, Oh, and my appetite for a nice tender leg of toddler returned, along with my urge to give Bill Gates all my money. Not too bad today, though.  I think I'll be able to resist both.

Our island is doing very well in terms of the virus, in part because of the vaccination program and also because of our pre-arrival testing requirement for travelers and the fact that most people are being responsible regarding mask wearing and distancing.  Twice this week we had only one new case reported.

Also on Thursday I had another blood test, exactly 2 weeks since I quit taking the diuretic. According to my online results, my sodium level has risen well into the normal range. BP is holding steady so far, and acceptable.  All is good.  I will close out the week with yet another medical event, with a eyeball exam later today.  I may need a shot of Eylea, and I’m going to keep a low threshold for getting one, because the temporary coverage my insurance has granted runs out later this month. I’ll update you next week.

Karen played golf on Monday and we went to PF on Wednesday.  The weather was gorgeous for Karen’s golf game, and our workout was good in terms of few people in the facility.  Our reward this week was a lemon grass sandwich from our usual Vietnamese restaurant, which we ate on a beach picnic.

Ok, watch out for frostbite and stay healthy.

Jurassic Hiking, Doctor Woes, Unmaking Travel Plans

[Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.] 

2/6/21

Aloha All –
                       
Hope you’re staying warm (heh, heh).  We are now in the depths of winter here and it is of course terrible.  Three times this week the low temp on our bedroom lanai was down to 62d and last night it plummeted to 59d!! Can you imagine?  Of course, you guys have furnaces to crank up.  We have heating pads and more blankets.  What a hard life!               

Last Saturday Karen went golfing and I went on another short hike.  This one is a favorite of mine, dubbed “Jurassic Park” by locals.  The name is misleading, because plants during the Jurassic Period

A true "Cloud Forest"

were nothing like the foliage on the hike, but it is definitely a primitive-looking forest of ferns and odd-looking trees.  It is on the side of Hualalai, not far from where Karen was playing golf but higher, at about 3000k ft. elevation, in what is called a “cloud forest.”  The name is apt because almost every afternoon at this elevation, clouds form from the meeting of cool air high up and warm moist air rising from the ocean and land below.  This is the kind of misty environment native ferns and other flora love, as well as our native Ohia and Koa trees. It is also a place that visitors can hear and maybe see some truly indigenous birds, because at this elevation they have largely escaped the devastation of avian malaria brought in by introduced birds

Fern fuzz --very soft

who stay at lower elevations, along with the mosquitoes that spread the disease (also introduced).  Most visitors rush along the trail, which is only 1.5 miles long (but with several hundred feet in elevation change), and don’t appreciate the uniqueness of what they are seeing and hearing (and even smelling).  I like to take it slow and stop occasionally.  Anyway, it was good to get back here – I haven’t done the hike in almost a year.

On Tuesday I had a follow-up blood test and got the results on Wednesday.  The test was done exactly one week after the one that caused my dust-up with my doctor last week on Thursday.  Thursday was the day I stopped taking the diruetic that had lowered my sodium level, and in just 4 days it rose by 3 points to just one shy of the normal range.  No change in fluid intake, so the improvement was entirely due to stopping the drug, which in my opinion I shouldn’t have been taking in the first place.  I’ll have another follow-up next week just to make sure things are back to normal.  I’ve investigated the idea of switching physicians, and was pleased to find there are more alternatives now that the last time I had looked into this.  There’s no rush, and I’ll probably wait until it is time for another check-up. On a final and much more pleasant medical note – I had my yearly skin check by my dermatologist’s assistant and all is good. My little pre-cancerous thingies on my face are behaving themselves nicely.

We cancelled our May/June freighter cruise in Polynesia this week. Tahiti is now totally closed to visitors again, and even if they open up by the date of the cruise, the uncertainty will be just too great to make definite plans.  The cruise company offered either a refund or another rescheduling, and we chose to take the money.  Last year they offered only to reschedule us, so this was a chance to get out of it entirely.  Instead of Tahiti we may opt for somewhere on the mainland where there is nice spring foliage and flowers, like North Carolina.  We’ve always wanted to visit the Biltmore estate, and this might be the time to do it.  I’ll keep you posted.

That’s about it.  Stay safe and healthy.  Remember, only a month or so until spring!

Is Wombat Poop Really Square??

Ok, I must draw your attention to my long-standing and possibly pathological preoccupation with all things scatological, i.e., having to do with poop (see, for example Cleaning Up Poop In Paradise, or At Last! A Poop Museum!, among others).  If you find this alarming or offensive you should stop reading now and go do something more productive, like sorting your socks.

The answer to the question, "Is Wombat poop really square?" is "yes."  There's a bit more to it than that, however.

Cute little buggers. (Science Mag.)

A wombat is a racoon-sized marsupial that is native to Australia.  My wife and I encountered them in person during a visit to Tasmania, first at a wildlife park and then in the wilds at a place called Cradle Mountain.  And it was at Cradle Mountain that we observed first-hand the marvelous phenomenon of square(ish) Wombat poop.  We were walking along one of the boardwalks maintained by the Cradle Mountain Lodge and came across several specimens of poop that kind of looked like charcoal briquets.  Being the poop-o-file that I am, I conducted a careful up-close inspection that confirmed it was indeed excrement.

 Later, on a guided walk with a naturalist, we came upon a Wombat in nearly the same spot. The naturalist confirmed that Wombat poop is square, but explained that it comes out as a blob that the Wombat pats into cubes to mark its territory -- the shape makes it harder for rivals to move it off the path. Clever, eh? And definitely a candidate for the Poop Museum! 

Poop in Progress

 

Perfect! (Science Mag)

That was the state of our knowledge for many years until very recently, when I saw a thorough scientific analysis published in the venerable Science Magazine just a few days ago.  It turns out, the poop actually comes out of the Wombat as cubes!!! The article, by Tess Joose, summarizes research done by a group of scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology and in Australia.  Their study was published in a hard-nosed scientific journal with the delightful name, Soft Matter.  It seems the intestines of Wombats are unique in the animal world, and have evolved to produce "poop-cubes."  Here's an excerpt from journal article's abstract, or summary:  

Wombat dissections show that cubes are formed within the last 17 percent of the intestine. Using histology and tensile testing, we discover that the cross-section of the intestine exhibits regions with a two-fold increase in thickness and a four-fold increase in stiffness, which we hypothesize facilitates the formation of corners by contractions of the intestine. Using a mathematical model, we simulate a series of azimuthal contractions of a damped elastic ring composed of alternating stiff and soft regions. Increased stiffness ratio and higher Reynolds number yield shapes that are more square. The corners arise from faster contraction in the stiff regions and relatively slower movement in the center of the soft regions... (Yang et al., 2021)

Got it?  Bottom line:  Wombats poop out cubes.  

So the "what" and "how" are now clear.  But the "why" is more speculative.  So far the best explanation is still that it serves to keep these little territorial markers in place, particularly in rocky or steep locations.

Oh, and there is still one more unanswered question:  "Does it hurt?"