A record-breaking heat wave – Unseasonably clear air – Big Meadows Lodge and Dark Hollow Falls – An expert to challenge Dr. Fauci – Evening statistics
My impression that this summer has been warmer than usual is not merely my imagination. I heard on the radio that we have had 19 days in succession with temperatures over 90 degrees, the second-longest period of consecutive days over 90 degrees in history. If this trend continues past Thursday we will break the record for the longest period. According to the weather forecasts, we have a good chance of doing that. The indications are that the temperatures over 90 degrees will continue throughout the month.
However, the humidity was low today; and on the mountains in Shenandoah National Park, the temperatures were considerably cooler. The air was very clear, which is most unusual for this time of year; it is almost invariably hazy in mid-summer. In all probability the large reduction in traffic over the past several months is the explanation. At any rate, one part of the hike that I took today involved going along a fire road through a meadow that was completely exposed to sunlight, which ordinarily would be like a furnace in July; today, in the low humidity and with a continual breeze blowing, it was a delight.
I was with the Vigorous Hikers, and we went from the Rose River Fire Road to Camp Rapidan and from there to the Big Meadows lodge, where we had lunch. We did not, as we usually do on this route, have lunch within the lodge itself. Its service is very limited now; no one was seated inside, and there was a long line for the takeout orders. Even getting ice cream, as some of us did, took a considerable amount of time. We returned by way of the Dark Hollow Falls, which was fairly crowded up to the point where we came to the fire road for descending. Although it was nearly 18 miles and 2900 feet of elevation gain, it did not feel as arduous as it might have been on account of the comfortable levels of both temperature and humidity, such a contrast to the usual types of hikes in mid-July. SB joined us for the first time in many months; he had broken his leg late last year and it has taken a long time to heal. We heard news of BL; his illness turns out to be lymphoma (and not the virus as was originally diagnosed), and he is currently undergoing treatment for it.
Donald Trump is claiming that his opponents are exaggerating the damage done by the virus in order to undermine his chances of re-election. In the process he is attempt to throw discredit on Anthony Fauci, who has been fairly outspoken about his disagreements with the President on re-opening policies. As part of this effort, he has used these remarks from a well-established expert: “Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it.”
The author is Chuck Woolery, original host of Wheel of Fortune, and renowned for numerous other game shows. Who cannot fail to be dazzled by such a display of expertise? After all, let’s get our priorities straight. Sure, Anthony Fauci may be an internationally known expert on the regulation of the immune response who has served as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases for over 35 years. But can he host a game show based on Scrabble?
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 13,446,062; # of deaths worldwide: 580,246; # of cases U.S.: 3,544,673 # of deaths U.S.: 139,136. I type out the figures of increases with a kind of stunned disbelief: more than 200,000 new cases worldwide; more than 5,000 deaths worldwide; more than 65,000 new cases today in the U.S. Mexico has overtaken Spain and South Africa has overtaken the U.K. in national case counts.