An Alley 6

 Yes, indeed-- I had a lot of quality time outdoors and did some necessary work out there yesterday. It'll be even warmer today ahead of a front and I plan to enjoy that hint of seasonal change and do some more stuff outside before it chills down again. 

I know I said I wouldn't do any more black and white, but some things just work better that way. 

An Alley 5

 Still warming nicely. I might get some quality time outdoors today. It's a little cloudy, but will it rain? Not bloody likely. 

An Alley 4

 Weekend warm up continues. I think at the end of next week I'll have to start watering and do some thinking about what I might like to plant. There's a walk way to complete and some sections of fence I'd like to reinforce. I'll have enough to keep me busy. There's one more cold SNAP to get through-- I hope only one more-- and I can start on the work outside. No hurry on any of this but it might be a good idea to lay in some supplies. With crazy and stupid the new normal, it's hard to be sure of anything. 

 I guess I like these alleys so much because they are honest and peaceful. What you see is what you get-- raw, shabby, and indicative of the underlying realities in city life. What's not to like about that?

An Alley 3

 Now over 930,000 Covid deaths in the US. Obviously, it didn't "go away", nor has it "gone away", and what happens next might be the BA.2 Omicron variant and subsequent mutations. That seems to be a safe enough bet. Meanwhile, we've got this terrific alley to look at.

Yesterday I had my annual wellness exam and the waiting area had a section reserved for Covid patients. They were all relatively young, about a dozen of them, masked, and looking pretty miserable. I sat well away from them and had an excellent N95 on, and of course I am fully vaccinated with Moderna and recently got the Moderna booster. I am not a bit worried. And my health is excellent. Perfect BP and perfect weight for my height. But I'm not foolish enough to think I'm not at risk. BA.2 seems to be even more easily transmitted than the original Omicron, which was bad enough, and severity seems to be on a par with the earlier variants-- IF you are not vaccinated. And so many are not vaccinated. It isn't over. Denmark, easing restrictions, probably made a huge mistake, and might well be the source of yet another nasty variant in the near future. Stupid is as stupid does. Of course, we're all tired of this stuff. I'm tired of it, too, and REALLY tired of winter. I'm more than ready for a warm up. And rain. RAIN! Is it ever going to rain here??

An Alley 2

 I had a busy day yesterday, doing a lot of stuff before a stupid norther hit. Windy and bone dry. This area will probably look like the Sahara eventually. And the desert southwest well be a desert again, and largely uninhabitable. This is what happens when you "increase and multiply". Worst advice ever given. I took an unaccustomed drive way out west here in Lubbock, and I saw overpopulation in action. Housing developments for which there will be not enough water in the near future, non-sustainable growth, and crazy traffic congestion-- and blowing dust. A bleak and sterile environment dotted with look-alike houses, too many cars, and way the heck too many people. And blowing dust. 

Lots of people will not approve of my sentiments, but lots of people can kiss my ass.