Category Archives: Horsetooth Mountain Open Space

Air Quality, Art, Book Review, Colorado, Covid 19, Exercise, Fort Collins, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, Pandemics, PurpleAir, Science, Space, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR FRIDAY 26TH, MARCH 2021

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“Not one of your pertinent ancestors was squashed, devoured, drowned, starved, stranded, stuck fast, untimely wounded, or otherwise deflected from its life’s quest of delivering a tiny charge of genetic material to the right partner at the right moment in order to perpetuate the only possible sequence of hereditary combinations that could result – – eventually, astoundingly, and all too briefly – – in you.” Bill Bryson

This image was taken on February 28th, 2011. It is of astronaut Alvin Drew. Here he is doing maintenance work on the ISS (International Space Station). In this 6 hour and 34 minute space walk, Alvin and fellow astronaut Steve Bowen installed a power cable and removed a failed ammonia pump module among other things. They flew to the station on the Space Shuttle Discovery. It was the 39th and final flight for Discovery. Image credit: NASA. To learn more about this image and the mission please visit these sites: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/alvin-drew-down-to-earth and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-133

“There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it.” Richard Dawkins

This is an image on Mars of part of the Jezero Crater. The image is thought to be an ancient river delta that was produced by water flowing into a lake that once filled the crater. It is a possible path for the Perseverance rover in its search for fossilized life on Mars. To get a reference for size, the large crater in the center of the image is about 1/2 mile across. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS. To learn more about this image please visit these links: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/traversing-mars-jezero-crater and https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/science/landing-site/

“When religion talks about our aspirations and sense of morality, I do not believe that science can contradict it. However, when religion contradicts science on matters of fact, religion must yield.” Frank Wilczek

This is an image that is a composite of X-ray (blue and green) and optical (red) light of the galaxy NGC1068 or Messier 77. It was discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1780. The X-ray light is coming from an active supermassive black hole, also known as a quasar, in the center of the galaxy. The galaxy is 47 million light-years away in the constellation of Cetus. Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/UCSB/P.Ogle et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI/A.Capetti et al. To learn more about this image please visit these links: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/reflections-from-a-black-hole and https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/nustars-view-of-galaxy-ngc-1068

“I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.” Richard P. Feynman

This image taken in 1974 shows Mary W. Jackson (second from right, bottom row) with her colleagues in the High Speed Aircraft Division at the Langley Research Center in Virginia. In 1958 she became NASA’s first African American female engineer. Her character was played by Janelle Monae in the movie Hidden Figures. Image credit: NASA. To learn more about this image and about Mary please visit these links: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/mary-w-jackson-nasas-first-female-african-american-engineer and https://www.nasa.gov/content/mary-w-jackson-biography

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

This is an image of Kelly J. Latimer. She was a research pilot in the Flight Crew Branch of NASA’s Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center in 2007. She was the center’s first female research test pilot. She accumulated more than 5,000 hours of military and civilian flight experience in 30 different aircraft. Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis To learn more about his image and Kelly please visit these sites: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/kelly-latimer-drydens-first-female-research-test-pilot and https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/about/biographies/pilots/kelly-latimer.html

“The universe is a pretty big place. It’s bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamed of before. So if it’s just us… seems like an awful waste of space. Right?” Ellie Arroway (Contact 1997)

This is a 2003 image of Joan Higginbotham. She was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and began her career at NASA in 1987 as an electrical engineer at the Kennedy Space Center. Joan logged over 308 hours in space having completed her first mission with the crew of STS-116. A Space Shuttle mission to the ISS (International Space Station). This was on the Space Shuttle Discovery. She was also assigned to the STS-126 mission but took a job in the private sector prior to departure. To learn more about his image and Joan please visit these links: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/electrical-engineer-and-nasa-astronaut-joan-higginbotham and https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/higginbotham_joan.pdf

“For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered. But for those of us who can’t readily accept the God formula, the big answers don’t remain stone-written. We adjust to new conditions and discoveries. We are pliable. Love need not be a command nor faith a dictum. I am my own god. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.” Charles Bukowski

HEY!! I AM LOOKING AT YOU!! THAT’S WHO!! LOLOLOLOLOL

If you are reading this then you have continued to survived Covid 19, so far, and so have I!! That my friends is an excellent thing for both of us. And I am hoping that I can continue to say this in the coming months.

Now with that said, what is it with Texas, Mississippi, Iowa, Montana and North Dakota dropping their mask mandates? Of course they are joining 11 other states that did not have mask mandates to begin with – Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee. I am wondering how much disability and death this will create in the coming months? Even the CDC director Rochelle Walensky was advising against this reckless behavior.

This map was accurate as of March 4th, 2021.

Looking at the numbers on Monday 8th, March 2021, the death count for the country had already climbed 18,000 deaths since the publication of the last blog post on February 26th – a total of only 9 days. Wow! And not in a good way. Therefore the count at the start of this blog was approximately 538,000. Who would you guess were the leading states?? Of course, it was California (54,000), New York (48,000) and good old Texas (45,000). It is interesting to note that Texas has now pulled to within 3000 of New York.

By the middle of the month, we were still adding 50 to 60 thousand new cases each day in the country. This was significantly down from November, December 2020 and January 2021, but still higher than where we were in April, May, and September of last year. And this does not take into account what will be going on in Texas or Florida by the middle of April 2021 due to the “Spring Break” shenanigans. And for that matter the rest of the country. I have a bad feeling about this and it would not surprise me that we have another spike in cases before the start of summer. Especially with the new Covid variants. Oh well time will tell.

By the time of publishing this blog post, the numbers were 560,000 + deaths for the country. That is an increase of 22,000 deaths in the last 18 days. As large as that number sounds, it is significantly down from previous months, a very good thing. But we will have to see what April and May brings. Interesting to note that we are adding 60,000 + new cases each day at the end of March.

If you are interested in the numbers yourself take a look at these links: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ and https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

Well it has been 11 weeks since I got the second shot of the Pfizer Vaccine for Covid and…. so far there are no side effects for me. I have seen some post on social media putting out false information on possible adverse reactions, but when you investigate them deeper you realize there is no validity to them. That is for the Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines.

The only possible significant “side effect news” in the middle of March was the adverse reaction of “blood clotting” with the AstraZeneca vaccine. It is more of a traditional vaccine, in that it uses a modified adenovirus in conjunction with genetic material from the actual Covid virus.

Several European countries have halted the use of the vaccine until the possibility is investigated further. Of the 17million that got the shot only 40 have developed blood clots. So, if it is related to the vaccine, then it is very rare. This vaccine was not approved in the United States as of March 16th, 2021. It is interesting to note that more than 70 countries worldwide have been using it until recently. Hopefully it will turn out that the “blood clotting issue” was just a coincidence, or worse case scenario a “bad batch” of vaccines. If your interested to learn more about this vaccine check out the link: https://www.verywellhealth.com/astrazeneca-oxford-covid-19-vaccine-5093148

(Note: At the time of publishing, the above decision to halt the use of AstraZeneca vaccine had already been reversed.)

There is a web site called VAERS – Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. It is co managed by the CDC and FDA. It covers all vaccines, not just Covid. It is a system for collecting reports of adverse events (possible reactions) associated with getting a vaccine. You can check it out at this link: https://vaers.hhs.gov/ If it is not listed in this data base as a possible side effect, then it is probably false.

Well that is probably enough about Covid, so on to something different. February was… well lets just say it was challenging for doing outdoor activities like running. Much, much more so than January. The two main reasons for this were the temperatures and the air quality. By the middle of February, there was a two week period that the high temps were in the single digits to low teens everyday and at night they dropped below zero. But this was not the main issue with being outdoors. You can always add more layers?! Right?? Lol. The main reason was due to degraded air quality. Let me explain.

This picture was taken on Tuesday 2nd, February 2021 at about 6pm in the evening. Here I am looking across “Lake Sherwood” in my neighborhood. And yes it really is named “Lake Sherwood.” Lol. The first week of February did see a warm up in temperatures at first but then the bottom dropped out in the second week. The warm temperatures at the start of February made for some excellent running.

One of the reasons that we get this cold weather that lingers day after day is how it sets up on the Front Range of Colorado. Once a deep pocket of cold air moves into the area with dominating high pressure, the pocket of cold has a tendency, due to topography of the mountains, to sit with very little wind movement at the base. This can allow for some very cold stagnate air to develop. Now some might look at the lack of wind as a good thing. Nothing like wind chill to make things a lot colder. Right? But it can be a real issue when it come to air quality.

This picture was taken Thursday 4th, February 2021 at about 4pm in the afternoon. This is looking south from one of my favorite “close by” trail running areas. It is a 2000+ acre open space behind Fort Collins called Horsetooth Mountain Park. It was a very nice day with temps in the 50s.

Most of Colorado’s population lives on the Front Range and we create a lot of pollution – mainly from automobile exhaust and burning wood in the winter. Now imagine all this pollution going into the air, day after day after day, with very little air movement.

This picture was taken Saturday 13th, February 2021 at about 5pm in the afternoon. The temps were defiantly on the low side. I believe it was about 10F degrees in this picture to single digits. Marvin and I were running in an open space called River Bend Ponds. From this point on, at least for the next week or so, things got much colder and the air quality took a noise dive.

Also as the ground temperatures drop the warmer air up top forms a cap so to speak and this keeps the pollution close to the ground, hence the development of the “Front Range Brown Cloud.” So besides having very cold temperatures to deal with, you also have pollutions issues that can be even worse. It does not take long for the air quality to really drop along the Front Range.

This picture was taken on Monday 15th, February 2021 at about 6pm in the evening. Janet and I were just finishing up a walk in the neighborhood before the air quality really started to drop. The temperature was close to zero when this picture was taken.

And that is what we experienced on multiple days here in February, poor air quality and cold temperatures. I used the purple air map to gauge the best time for outdoor activity. It was defiantly not early in the morning or late at night but usually between 2pm and 6pm. A four hour window where quality was not good but a little better than it would be at other times. Usually in the 50 to 60 ppm (parts per million) range. If you are interested in using the PurpleAir map you can find it at this link: PurpleAir | Real Time Air Quality Monitoring .

This was a perfect example of “morning air quality” during the coldest days in February. At night the numbers would go up into the 200+ range – unhealthy for most individuals. Unfortunately this is a trade off for living along the Front Range of Colorado. I am hoping in the future, using the above information, we will be able to legislate better air quality standards.

If you do not have any monitors in your area consider purchasing one. Having this information is powerful. It will protect your health and when someone wants to put in a “dirty industry” that will degrade quality, you will have the information to take to City Hall so to speak.

Yea!! I got in and Oh No! I got in!! Lol. Now the real work begins….

Well on a different and much better note, I got picked in the Lottery for the Leadville Trail 100 Run! Yea I got in and OH NO I got in… Lol. I have attempted the 100 mile distance twice before. Once at Leadville and once at the Run Rabbit Run in Steamboat Springs. And both times I DNFed (Did Not Finish) at the 50 mile mark. I learned a lot at those first two attempts. Number one, I need better conditioning. Especially for the 100 mile distance and two, I need better conditioning. Lol. So here is to hoping that “the third time is the charm.” I am also hoping that the pandemic settles down even more as people get vaccinated. At least by next August. Oh well, again time will tell….

This picture was taken Tuesday 23rd of February, 2021 at about 6pm in the evening. Here I was looking across the frozen surface of a lake in the River Bend Ponds area. Single digits again but there was a little wind this day and the air quality had improved dramatically so I was out running with Marvin.

I did get a lot of cross training in for the month of February. Mainly doing a bike trainer and a rowing machine. And I threw in a little bit of Yoga each week and some weights. Even though I did not do as much running as I wanted to in February, I felt pretty good coming out of the month. And I think a lot of this was due to the crossing training, yoga and weights.

This picture was taken Sunday 28th, February 2021 at about 3pm in the afternoon. Janet took a selfie with Marvin and I just wanted to include it. By the last day of February the temps had warmed up significantly and the air quality improved dramatically.

If you want to learn more about Colorado’s climate and our temperature inversions check out these links from Colorado State University: http://climate.colostate.edu/climate_long.html and http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/pdfs/Nolan_TempInversions–Colorado(Jan9_2007)%20v2.pdf

A book review and some art work before wrapping things up. The book I would like to talk about is called Buddhism Without Beliefs written by Stephen Batchelor. When I was doing research a few years back on what Buddhism was all about, I came across information on what was included in early Buddhism. And more importantly, what was not. It seems over the centuries there has been a lot of stuff added. Especially to the religious and mystical side. I have always found this a little strange and disheartening. So when I came across Batchelor’s book I had to read it. And the book does not disappoint. Now I have to warn you that this is not a book for the new to Buddhism student, but one to read after you have digested a few of the more “Buddhism for Beginner” type books. The author takes a look at Buddhism as a way of life but not in a religious tone. It is a refreshing look at Buddhism with a secular point of view. I listened to the book as an audio book but I think I will also get it in paperback to reread. It is one of those books that you need to read a few times to truly understand the concepts better.

Stephen Batchelor is a British author and teacher. He has written several books on Buddhism from a secular point of view. For more information check out this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Batchelor_(author)

You can find this book on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Without-Beliefs-audiobook/dp

Well last but not least a few pieces of art work before I go. These are all pen and ink mounted on 1/2 in Archival mounting panels by “Art Boards”. All are sealed with varnish. Each panel measures 5.75 inches by 5.75 inches and are ready to hang. The back of each panel has a predrilled mounting hole/slot.

These started off as whimsical doodles one night while at the “day job” but quickly morphed into a fun exercise in catching emotion with simple stylized faces. I selected the three that I liked best and mounted them.

I think they work better together mainly because of their small size but could be fun to hang and look at individually.

Study in emotions using simple facial expressions panel A. Panel measures 5.75 inches by 5.75 inches and comes ready to hang.

Study in emotions using simple facial expressions panel B. Panel measures 5.75 inches by 5.75 inches and comes ready to hang.

Study in emotions using simple facial expressions panel C. Panel measures 5.75 inches by 5.75 inches and comes ready to hang.

Study in emotions using simple facial expressions. Each panel measures 5.75 inches by 5.75 inches and comes ready to hang.

These are all for sale and can be found on my Etsy site: https://www.etsy.com/shop/strugglingprotoplasm/edit?ref=seller-platform-mcnav All postage in the continental United States is included in the price.

Well that is going to be about it for me on this Blog post. Even though I have said this before, I am going to say it again. I hope you have given more thought to minimalism and how it could make a positive change in your life and in the world. If you think you might want to be part of that change, to make the world a much better place. I firmly believe that minimalism is one path to that ultimate goal. There is nothing to buy, just a change in mindset. To learn more please visit the web site: https://www.theminimalists.com/minimalism/

So take care my friends and remember to wash your hands, wear your mask when in crowds or indoors and practice physical distancing. And when a vaccine become available, please consider getting it. Adios!!

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous…, leading to the most amazing views.” Edward Abbey

Art, Book Review, Colorado, Covid 19, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, Pandemics, Religion, Science, Space, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR FRIDAY 26th, FEBRUARY 2021

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“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” Stephen Hawking

This picture (s) was taken by Ed Mitchell on the Apollo 14 mission, while on the moon. The mission lasted from January 31st to February 9th, 1971. That’s 50 years ago now! He snapped a series of photos looking out a window of the lunar lander. They were assembled into a detailed mosaic by Eric Jones who was the founder of the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal. It is a record of the lunar surface operations from 1969 to 1972. It is a resource for anyone wanting to know what happened during the missions and why. If you want to know more, check out these links: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html and https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/

“There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works.” Stephen Hawking

This is an image of a part of the Carina Nebula. It is a massive, complex area of bright and dark nebulosity in the constellation of Carina. This is just a view of one part. The Nebula is approximately 8,500 light years from our solar system. A popular name for this section is the Gabriela Mistral Nebula for the Chilean poet – Lucila Godoy Alcayaga. Supposedly the upper blue section in the right upper corner looks like her in profile. Lol. Check out this link to see if you agree: https://astrodrudis.com/ngc-3324-the-gabriela-mistral-nebula/ If you want to learn more about this image check out the link: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html Image Credit and Copyright Ariel Cappelletti, https://www.flickr.com/photos/110969348@N03/

“The role played by time at the beginning of the universe is, I believe, the final key to removing the need for a Grand Designer, and revealing how the universe created itself. … Time itself must come to a stop. You can’t get to a time before the big bang, because there was no time before the big bang. We have finally found something that does not have a cause because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this means there is no possibility of a creator because there is no time for a creator to have existed. Since time itself began at the moment of the Big Bang, it was an event that could not have been caused or created by anyone or anything. … So when people ask me if a god created the universe, I tell them the question itself makes no sense. Time didn’t exist before the Big Bang, so there is no time for God to make the universe in. It’s like asking for directions to the edge of the Earth. The Earth is a sphere. It does not have an edge, so looking for it is a futile exercise.” Stephen Hawking

This image is called the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy. It is a small galaxy about 200,000 light-years away that orbits our own Milky Way spiral galaxy. Even at that great distance it is the closest intergalactic neighbor to our own Milky Way. This image is showing what is known as the tip of the wing. The galaxy is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy and has a diameter of about 7,000 light years. It contains several hundred million stars. And add to this, each of those stars probably has at least one planet in orbit, probably much more. If that is not awing inspiring my friends, I don’t know what is…. To learn more about this image check out this link: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/taken-under-the-wing-of-the-small-magellanic-cloud Image Credit: NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/STScI.

“I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realization that there probably is no heaven and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe and for that, I am extremely grateful.” Stephen Hawking

This is an image of the Coalsack nebula (Caldwell 99). It is the most prominent dark nebula in the Southern skies – meaning South of the Equator. The nebula’s darkness is the result of dust particles blocking the visible light of stars in the background. The starlight that can be seen through the dust clouds appears reddish because dust absorbs and scatters blue light more easily than red. The nebula is easily visible to southern observers, appearing as a dark patch near the Southern Cross asterism and silhouetted against the star fields of our Milky Way. It lies just between the bright star Acrux and what is known as the Jewel Box Cluster. In fiction (writing and film) this nebula has been referenced multiple times – Star Trek series, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Chronicles of Riddick, the novel “The Blue Lagoon” by Henry De Vere Stacpoole, etc.. If you want to learn more about the Coalsack nebula use these links: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-coalsack-nebula and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalsack_Nebula

“Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust. You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements – the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution and for life – weren’t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars, and the only way for them to get into your body is if those stars were kind enough to explode. So, forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today.” Lawrence M. Krauss

This is an image of the NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. She took a selfie while on a space walk at the International Space Station, January 26th, 2020. How cool is that!? She is a Swedish-American NASA astronaut, marine biologist, and physiologist. If you want to know more about Jessica please visit this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Meir#:~:text=Jessica%20Ulrika%20Meir%20%28IPA%3A%20%2F%20m%20%C9%AA%C9%99r%20%2F%3B,physiology%20at%20the%20University%20of%20British%20Columbia%20.

“A universe without purpose should neither depress us nor suggest that our lives are purposeless. Through an awe-inspiring cosmic history we find ourselves on this remote planet in a remote corner of the universe, endowed with intelligence and self-awareness. We should not despair, but should humbly rejoice in making the most of these gifts, and celebrate our brief moment in the sun.” Lawrence M. Krauss

HEY!! I AM LOOKING AT YOU!! THAT’S WHO!! LOLOLOLOLOL

If you are reading this then you have continued to survive Covid-19, so far, and so have I!! That is a very, very, very good thing for both of us. Seriously if you are reading this and have not gotten Covid or have gotten it and survived then count yourself lucky.

When I started writing this blog entry on February 3rd, the death count was approximately 462,000 deaths. Let me say that number again, 462 thousands deaths in a years time. One hundred thousand extra deaths in the month of January. Unreal. That is more Americans than in WWII. That war claimed approximately 418,000 lives. The Covid pandemic is now the third deadliest event in the history of the republic. The 1918 flu pandemic killed 675,000 in this country and it is estimated the Civil War in 1861 to 1865 killed between 618,000 to 750,000.

In the first week of February, the states with the most deaths were again, New York (44,000), California (42,000) and Texas (38,000). But… By the end of February, California had taken the lead in deaths over New York at 50,000 plus and Texas broke the 43,000 mark. Add to this, the fact we had topped 520,000 deaths in this country. That is 58,000 extra deaths in less than 25 days. That is better than the death count in January, but still… Wow and not in a good way.

If you are interested in the numbers yourself take a look at these links: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ and https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

Well it’s been 7 weeks since I got the second shot of the Pfizer Vaccine for Covid and…. so far there are no side effects for me. And that is a good thing. There has been some troubling news reported by the New York Times that 30 to 40 people who got either the Moderna or Pfizer Vaccine developed a condition called ITP or Immune Thrombocytopenia. In a nut shell it is when the bodies own immune system attacks platelets in the blood. And for those of you that are not medically related, platelets are essential to clotting, so having too little can be a big deal to say the least.

The question now becomes were those cases of ITP just coincidence or will they show a direct link to the vaccine. Many different things can cause ITP, such as viruses, medications, alcohol, toxic chemicals, cancer, etc.. but and it is a significant but, there is precedence for other “vaccines” causing it. Think MMR vaccine, Haemophilus influenza, DTap, Polio, Hepatitis B, etc… So this is a real concern.

Now with all that said, so far there are only 30 or so cases of ITP in the population of the 50 million that have already been vaccinated with at least one shot and add to this – ITP was not mentioned in any of the trial data from either company, before the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization). Meaning if this is a side effect – it is very, very rare. If your interested, there are a couple of short articles explaining this in more detail from the International Journal of Infectious Diseases and one from Health.com. They can be found at these links: https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30629-9/fulltext and https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/rare-blood-disorder-covid-vaccine-thrombocytopenia

Now you might ask, if I knew this ahead of time, would I still get the vaccine? And the answer would be YES, for the same reasons that I have mentioned in the previous blog post: https://www.strugglingprotoplasm.com/?m=202101

It will be interesting to see, from a medical stand point, what other possible “side effects” surface over time. I am sure there will be a few, but hopefully not too many or that serious. There is a web site called VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). It is co-managed by the CDC and FDA. It covers all vaccines, not just Covid. It is a system for collecting reports of adverse events (possible reactions) associated with getting a vaccine. You can check it out at this link: https://vaers.hhs.gov/

Well, enough about Covid, on to something better. It has been another good month for running and exercising in the outdoors here in Fort Collins. Cold but not overly cold. And for the most part, the air quality has remained acceptable. There have been a few “brown cloud days” but not too many for the month. Of course I am talking about January, last month, not February. That is already a different story and I will save it for the next blog post. Lol.

This picture was taken January 3rd, 2021 at about 4:45pm in the afternoon. It is looking South West from the Powerline trail in Fort Collins, Colorado.

When selecting pictures I took over the month of January, I realized it was also a great month for sunsets. Just the right amount of clouds and particulates at the close of each day. Even though I understand the “physics” behind the sunset lighting, I always find it amazing that the really vivid colors only last for a few moments and then are gone. I do not find knowing the science detracts in anyway. If anything, I feel it enhances the experience.

This picture was taken on January 5th, 2021 at about 4:50pm in the afternoon. This is looking West by Southwest from Edora park in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Towards the end of the month, I was finally able to get back out on the dirt paths. The last time I did a trail run was back in late August 2020. Almost 5 months ago. Of course, most of this was due to fire conditions / air quality, crowed trail conditions and Covid. So it felt really good to get back out on the dirt so to speak…

This picture was taken January 14th, 2021, at about 6:45pm in the evening. This is not our tree but one in the neighborhood and I thought the lighting from it was pretty cool. I loved the difference in expressions between Janet and Marvin. If you haven’t guessed, I take a lot of pictures of Marvin and I think he gets a little tired of it. Lol.

Living here in Fort Collins has its advantages for running. For one thing, you have a variety of paths to choose from. Everything from concrete bike paths, to dirt trails and many different combinations of the two. One of the great trail runs close by that you can use to gauge what your fitness level is can be found in Horsetooth Mountain Park. The name of this trail is Towers Road. It is actually a dirt road maintained by the county to check on communication, radio, and TV towers located at the top of the park. To avoid confusion, I use the term road and trail interchangeable when referring to this particular “path.”

This picture was taken January 20th, 2021, at about 5:30pm in the afternoon. It is looking West by Northwest along the Poudre River Trail. Another beautiful Colorado sunset.

So after not being on a trail run for months, I decided I “needed” to see where my fitness level might be. And Towers Road seemed like the perfect one to do for just that reason. The only extra challenge I found this time, was when you have not done any real “change in elevation” running in a while, there is a sharp reacclimating curve that is painful. And that is what I relearned on the first day I got back out on the trails. Ouch! What started out as a lactic threshold run quickly became a HIT workout. Lol.

This picture was taken January 22nd, 2021 at about 3pm in the afternoon. Here I am in Horsetooth Mountain Park on the trail called Towers Road, looking south toward Denver and points beyond. At this point on the trail I have climbed about 1000 feet in elevation.

Tower’s is a relative short run with the length being about 6 to 7 miles round trip depending on the turn around point. What it lacks in length, it makes up with elevation change. It starts at the Soderberg Trailhead in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space and once you get on the road proper the climbing never really relents until you reach the summit at approximately 7,000 feet. The road gains about 1,700 feet in elevation with an average gradient of 9%. Some sections are much steeper at 20%. There are a few flat sections but not much. After doing it, “You will know what shape you are in.” Lol.

This picture was taken January 22nd, 2021 at about 3:15pm in the afternoon. Marvin and I are at our turnaround point on Towers Road, our first trail run in a while.

Well if you were wondering what shape I was in? Lets just say, better than I thought, but not as good as I would like to be. Finished it in 1hr and 38 minutes. With most of the time spent on the uphill sections. I am a back of the pack ultra runner so this was good for me. A tortoise, not a hare.

In hind sight, I probably should not have chosen Towers as my first trail run to start the new year but because I have done it multiple times in the past I did not think much about it. It was a good workout but it took me at least 5 days before I felt like I had fully recovered. You live and learn, only to repeat the same mistakes. Lol. At least for me.

This picture was taken January 27th, 2021 at about 5pm in the afternoon. The last sunset picture I took for the month.

I did get in a couple of other trail runs by the end of the month, even did Towers again, but this time I felt much better, during and afterwards. If you are interested in doing Towers for yourself to see “what shape you are in” check out these links: https://www.larimer.org/naturalresources/parks/horsetooth-mountain and https://fortcollinsrunningclub.org/favorite-training-routes/

A few book reviews and some artwork before wrapping things up. The first book I would like to talk about is called Comfortable with Uncertainty written by Pema Chodron. This is another excellent book by Pema. In the book she offers short, stand alone sections or if you read the print version, you get one to two page passages. They are just long enough to give you thought provoking inspiration when you have a small amount of free time during a hectic day. The book is designed to be digested, so to speak, in small bites. And if you keep that in mind then it will become an excellent introduction to Buddhist thought and the teachings on mindfulness, meditation and lovingkindness. You do not need prior knowledge of Buddhism, and this is not a book about Eastern Religion. It is a look at Buddhist practices and how they can be used in everyday life to work with the “challenges” we all face.

I got the book as an audio book but if you are someone that wants to read or listen for hours at a time you may find it a little difficult. The book worked best for me by listening to a section or two and then stopping and letting what I just heard digest until the next day or so. This is not a book you can just zip through if you want to get the most out of it. It needs to be savored. I defiantly plan to listen again and go even slower than I did before.

Pema Chodron is an American Buddhist nun residing at the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. She is the author of many other books using Buddhist practices in dealing with the “challenges” present in everyday life. To learn more about her check out this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pema_Ch%C3%B6dr%C3%B6n

The book can be found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Comfortable-with-Uncertainty-audiobook/dp

The next two books I would like to talk about are part of a Science Fiction series called The Murderbot Diaries written by Martha Wells. I have only read the fist two and they are great. (6 primary books so far) There are many books that have been written in SiFi on A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and the search for “meaning” by said A.I. The fist two books are done in a similar vein but the story is very well written and engaging. In an nutshell: “A robot searching for the meaning of life and in the process casting light on what makes us human.” I got this book as an audio book but it would work well in any format. Now be warned, the fist couple of these books are short novellas, not full novels. Looking at the prices on Amazon, downloading them on to your Kindle would be the cheapest way to go. The books can be found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FK8SNWY?ref_=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_tpbk&binding=paperback

Martha Wells is an American writer of Science Fiction and Fantasy. If you want to learn more about this accomplished author please visit this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Wells

Book 1
Book 2

The next book I would like to talk about is called Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality by Frank Wilczek. A thought and mind-bending look on the realities of our existence based on modern science. The author does a great job of trying to explain the “complexities of the universe” in a way that we can all understand. This is not a book written for someone with an advanced degree in physics, but for the layperson. Will reading or listening to this book give you a firm grasp on the complexities of quantum field theory? No way and it is not meant too. It is an explanation for the average joe or joey without getting dragged into the extremely complex minutiae of these “keys to reality.” The book is well worth the read, especially for those of us that do not have advance degrees in math and physics.

I got this book as an audio book but it might be better in traditional format so that you can read a section and then go back and read it again.

Frank Wilczek is an American theoretical physicist, mathematician and Nobel laureate. To learn more about him please visit this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Wilczek

You can find the book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Ten-Keys-to-Reality/dp

Well last but not least a few pieces of Art work before I go. All are pen and ink, mounted on painted wood, coated and sealed with Mod Podge. These are 7 inches by 9 1/2 inches. When hanging they are about 17 inches tall. My inspiration for these comes from research done with high-precision measurements of quantum jumps. This occurs when a quantum particle changes its state as when an atom loses or gains an electron. The use of ultrashort laser pulses have allowed scientist to measure this change in attoseconds. One attosecond is a billionth of a billionth of a second. That my friends is a very, very short period of time. What would a quantum state of an atom of helium look like? Or just part of the atom and the electron? How about just the electron at the smallest of scales? What if you could visualize this with your own eyes directly?!

This research can open the door to better understand the basic laws of nature but also brings new possibilities of manipulating matter on a quantum scale.

QUANTUM STATE STUDY 1

QUANTUM STATE STUDY 2

QUANTUM STATE STUDY 3

QUANTUM STATE STUDY 4

QUANTUM STATE STUDY 5

These are all for sale and can be found on my Etsy site: https://www.etsy.com/shop/strugglingprotoplasm/edit?ref=seller-platform-mcnav The prices on these are cheaper than my other art work. I had some trouble with the mounting of the drawings to the painted wood backing. All postage for the continental United States is included in the price.

Well that is going to be about it for me on this Blog post. Even though I have said this before, I am going to say it again. I hope you have given more thought to minimalism and how it could make a positive change in your life and in the world. If you think you might want to be part of that change, to make the world a much better place. I firmly believe that minimalism is one path to that ultimate goal. There is nothing to buy, just a change in mindset. To learn more please visit the web site: https://www.theminimalists.com/minimalism/

So take care my friends and remember to wash your hands, wear your mask when in crowds or indoors and practice physical distancing. And when a vaccine become available, please consider getting it. Adios!!

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous…, leading to the most amazing views.” Edward Abbey

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