THE WIND IN THE TREES

The measles outbreak getting out of hand. It has spread across the U.S. Only one State not affected. Louisiana. Eighty four cases total.

An epidemic. World wide also.

There was no vaccine to prevent measles when I was a child. Nor was there for my children. Then some one discovered a vaccine. Twenty years ago, the vaccine had eliminated measles.

Measles have returned.

It will be dealt with effectively in short course. The suspicion is that the failure to inoculate all children over the years is the cause. Some parents feared death or some other adverse effect to the child. The courts supported their position and waived the requirement that all children had to be inoculated for that particular child.

I have a personal story to share involving measles. A touching one.

My cousin Bob Lavallo lived in Stamford, Connecticut. At age 3, he came down with the measles. The attack caused him to become deaf.

He succeeded in school and business, never the less. He learned to read lips effectively. Eventually owning a plant making specialized furniture for the rich. He became rich.

I was visiting him. His home in the woods.

A new hearing aid had been developed. The doctors thought it might help him. He was in his 40’s at the time.

He said, “Let’s go for a walk.” As we got outside, he placed the hearing aids in his ears.

We were well into the woods. He stopped and asked, “What is that noise?” “What noise,” I asked. I heard nothing strange. He said, “That noise.”

I heard it. It was the wind in the trees. He had never heard it before.

Heart doctor time yesterday. Dr. McIvor. The best! I respect his ability.

I was there for my cholesterol blood test results. Everything ok. Down the middle.

He was concerned about my aortic valve stenosis. A while since the last test. He has scheduled me for a CT test next week.

My blood pressure had skyrocketed. Skyrocketed to me. One hundred fifty five on the topside. Eighty three on the bottom.

My blood pressure had been a problem for years. McIvor had me under control. I was running around 80 over 60.

Why the 155? Could be pain induced from the disc problem or the dental pain. Whatever, he was not concerned. I was. I am going back to taking my blood pressure every day.

It was 3 in the afternoon by the time McIvor was done with me. I had not eaten all day. Had my guest appearance on Laurie Thibaud’s radio show at 4.

Stopped at the Pier House Beach Bar. Fish and chips. Read the newspapers. A calming time.

Joined Laurie at 4 on Party Time. Station 107.5 FM, WGAY FM.

Laurie’s doing a great job! Fist time as a radio announcer. She’s a natural.

We bantered back and forth till 5:30 about everything.

A good show. Join us next thursday. You will enjoy.

The radio station is across the street from the Pier House. It was an easy walk to the Chart Room.

Doug at the bar. See him very infrequently. It was good to chat with him. He works as a guide at the Hemingway House.

His Friend Dan came in.

Soon after, Mary arrived. We had planned to do dinner together. She was dressed for an elegant dinner.

Told her immediately…..No dinner! I ate at 3. I was a party pooper.

Mary handled it well. Then I added I was exhausted. I would be  going home early. A real party pooper!

Enjoyed a drink together and I was off to home. She and Doug are good friends so I did not feel guilty.

The Sheriff maintains an animal farm. Has for years. A big deal. An officer is in charge. The inmates help.

The farm continues to expand. Two armadillos were added this week. Hank and Cricket. Nine-banded. Common to the Americas.

Hank and Cricket previously had been someone’s pets. They had to be given up. The Sheriff took them. The word is they have adjusted well.

Tariff wars are good! So spoke Trump when he was getting the U.S. into them.

They are no good in most instances. Middle America’s farmers are hurting. Big time! They cannot sell the soybeans, wheat and corn grown. China their biggest customer. The tariffs imposed are too high.

Farmers cannot meet their bills. Especially their mortgages.

As a result, farmer bankruptcies are 2 times higher than 10 years ago. Ten years ago being 2008, the beginning of the recession.

Russia and Brazil are benefiting. They are grabbing China and other U.S. farmer customers. The business lost will take years to return.

Trump did a good job. He is destroying a major U.S. industry. A group that supported him in 2016. I doubt they will be there for him in 2020.

A massive Harvard study has been published. Concerning marijuana and its affect on a male’s testosterone. For decades, the public has been told smoking pot decreased the ability to produce sperm. No sperm, no conception, no children.

Such was the indication of previous studies.

The recent study took 17 years. Clearly showed an increase in testosterone level.

The word is for males to smoke pot if they want to impregnate their mate.

As good and as long as the most recent study was, the clinicians are uncertain if their conclusion is correct. The earlier studies were thought good, also. They say more studies are required.

They further suggest that the newest study might be the Bible and so see nothing wrong with smoking marijuana.

Enjoy your day!

4 comments on “THE WIND IN THE TREES

  1. Lou,are you familiar with the issues involving the Virginia governor and others wearing blackface in college? Would love to hear your viewpoint. We meet a year or so ago at the Pier House bar. I read your blog daily.

    • I would think the governor of Virginia should receive a similar kind of scrutiny as did Bret Kavanaugh, and no less a punishment, even though his (the Virginia governor) abuses don’t seem to rise to the same level.

Leave a Reply to Sandra Collins Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *