Locking down

 This past week, the covid numbers in Oklahoma jumped from 32 per 100 thousand, to 103 per 100 thousand.

Positive test rate more than doubled, from 13.2% to 31.9%.

SO. We are back to having our groceries and pet supplies delivered, whenever possible. 

We DID go out and run a couple of errands Friday evening and Saturday (and people are not wearing masks, in general), to stock up on some things, but, for the most part, we will not be going out in public, or hanging out with friends, any time soon.

The weather was brutally cold for a couple of days this past week, and this weekend is unpleasantly chilly and, of course, windy.  

I miss my hot tub!!!  But, I hate getting out there when there's high wind.  

It's not likely we will even go out walking anywhere today with this cold wind, but I am going stir crazy, so we'll see.  I do have ear muffs and a parka now!

But, then, there's also the heel tendon pain, and the hip pain, that have started up again, thanks to the hormone blockers.  

It's not been bad, just annoying, and keeping me from taking walks on break time during work for a couple of weeks.

It's also been a month of no dance classes, due to the studio having the floors re-done, and our usual winter break.

Anyway, and sadly, the deep cold we had this past week seems to have been the last straw for one of our older feral cats.  

She wasn't doing great leading up to the cold snap, but now she's clearly suffering from some kind of system failure.  

These poor cats have such a hard life.  We do what we can for them, and they know that our yard is one of their safe spots, where they can get food, water, "scritches and pets," and shelter... but it's still a hard life.

This poor girl has lost so much weight, and has visible signs of illness. She's eating voraciously, and drinking water, but is suddenly so very frail. She can barely walk.

We hope that she will just go to sleep in one of the shelters, so that we can see to her burial.  We'd much prefer that, to her dying under someone else's house, or in their garage, and ending up in a trash can.  

She is the one we call Arya.  She's our huntress... the one who leaves us gifts (rodents, birds), to thank us for our hospitality and love.

Fans of  'Game of Thrones' will recognize the name, and understand the reference.  She's our Murder Kitten, who taught little Silver how to hunt, after Silver's mom abandoned her in our yard.

Yesterday, Silver was cuddled up with Arya in one of our shelters, keeping her warm.  Dave and I sobbed in each other's arms after feeding her and watching her struggle to move.  We do grow to love them, as they love us, in the only way they can.

New neighbors have moved in next door.  So far, we have not met them, or even seen them.

We don't have much of anything to do today.  Our house is still pretty clean from Christmas, and we did most of our regular weekly chores yesterday.  

I'm not even going to cook anything today because we already have a fridge full of left overs from cooking projects yesterday, and earlier in the week. 

So, there will be plenty of time to do yoga (which I desperately need, with so little exercise happening lately)...and maybe I can have some quiet, spiritual time as well.  

I'd like to try to do that every Sunday, because it really helps my overall attitude, and Sundays are when I am most likely to have the time and headspace to actually "check in."

It's been working out well for the past few weeks.

Dave has an errand to run (we're out of one of the chemicals we need for the hot tub), and then he will go out to the shelters-- to see if Arya has passed.  We have not seen her yet this morning.

I think I will start my day with a nice, hot bath.  Soaking in hot water really does help my aches, and if I do yoga right after I get out, it's easier.

I have my monthly injection, and bi monthly port flush, tomorrow afternoon.

Wishing you a safe, healthy week.