Rainy weather in Shenandoah National Park – Hearing from Trump supporters – Loss of a healthcare worker – Unprecedented politesse in Paris – Evening statistics
“It may now be proper to return to the Hero of this Novel . . . of whom I believe I have scarcely ever had occasion to speak; which may perhaps be partly owing to his unfortunate propensity to Liquor, which so completely deprived him of the use of those faculties Nature had endowed him with, that he never did anything worth mentioning.” (Jane Austen, “Jack and Alice,” Ch. 7) If my entries have been somewhat less personal of late, it is because I haven’t done all that much worth mentioning, though I flatter myself that alcohol was not the cause. The preceding week was rather an energetic one (nearly 100 miles total) and, also, as I noted earlier, I was slightly ill this past week as a result of the shingles vaccine and while the illness lasted only a day, I was not disposed for much driving after the excursion of the week before. Most of my walking over the last several days has been local. Today, however, I rejoined the Vigorous Hikers, which, for one reason or another, I have not seen for four weeks. We went up the Jordan River Trail and did a counter-clockwise loop of the Marshall, Appalachian, and Bluff Trails: 17 miles in all, with perhaps 2700 feet of elevation gain. The weather reports indicated that the rain would move away in Shenandoah, but it continued all day. There was no wind, however, and the rain fell gently; and I kept reasonably dry wearing my broad-brimmed hat and my rain jacket. The trails were not as muddy as I expected, but we did have to go through many puddles and streamlets that flowed across the paths. It was fairly cool throughout the hike and on the top of North Marshall, it actually became rather chilly – which presented quite a contrast to the hiking of the past nine or ten weeks. It was good, all the same, to see some of the hiking companions whom I have not been with for nearly a month. A few of them told me that they have been reading the blog, which certainly was pleasant to hear.
Some members of the group are supporters of Trump and it is rather odd to hear them; when they discuss him they seem to be talking about a completely different person than the man I read about and whose speeches I sometimes force myself to hear (it is a distinct effort of will on my part, since his voice and mannerisms alike inspire me with a great aversion). Such encounters are rather disheartening; they suggest that Trump’s chances for re-election are not as forlorn as several commentators would have us believe. One of my friends has recently visited the Delaware beaches, and he assures me that he has seen pro-Trump signs posted by several of the residents and that there is little support for Biden in that area, despite his being a native son. The base for his support comes mainly from Wilmington and he is less popular in other regions of the state. I know of several who would be dismayed by such observations but it is just as well to confront them and be aware of the base Trump possesses. If the supporters of Biden simply lift their hands in horror or deny that such support exists, It is possible that Biden will lose the election.
We have lost yet another dedicated health worker: Patricia Edwards, a nurse in Greenville, SC, who worked the overnight shift in intensive care for over thirty years. She was diagnosed with the coronavirus on August 7th, rushed to the hospital two days later with plummeting oxygen levels, and died on August 19th. Her mother, who was 96, died of the virus a week later. It is uncertain where and how she caught the virus, but she undoubtedly had a great deal of exposure to it during her work. She was greatly loved by her patients and associates: her son and four daughters say that they have been overwhelmed with calls and online tributes from colleagues, neighbors, friends and relatives of former patients whose lives she touched.
Patricia Edwards is one of 671 American health care professionals who have died from the coronavirus – at least, that is the official figure. But it almost certainly is greater. Of the 4.5 million people surveyed by the CDC, healthcare personnel status was available for less than a quarter of them, and of the 150,503 COVID cases officially obtained from this survey, death status was available for 70% of them.
Some travel writers have suggested that despite the health risks it may be the best time in history to visit Paris. The city has seen a decrease of over 16 million tourists this year on account of the virus, resulting in restaurant owners losing half of their income. As a result, they are anxious to attract clientele and now, in the words of one astonished travel writer, “even the waiters are friendly.” At this point not many international travelers are able to take advantage of these conditions: Americans, among many other nationalities, are still restricted from traveling to Europe.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 25,889,096; # of deaths worldwide: 860,265; # of cases U.S.: 6,256,445; # of deaths U.S.: 188,869. Russia’s case count has just passed the one million mark. India’s case count is nearly as large as that of Brazil; it will overtake the latter nation in a day or two.