E. C. (Gene) Ayres Blogspot

Dear friends and readers, I am presently witnessing, and personally experiencing collateral damage to the pandemic. It's effects have come in multiple ways. Someone (actually more than one someone) has moved out of our building hastily, leaving most of their worldly possessions behind. Both were Asian women, with or without other family members. I spoke to one of them, who asked me if our local Goodwill was open.  It was not, intake and output slammed shut. She wanted to donate her things, and they were good quality. Goodwill's would have loved to have it. A windfall.  I regret not taking photos. Instead I do my dearly and hastily departed neighbors the injustice of having to upload a random photo (by Peter Menzel), but perhaps it gives you an idea: Instead the windfall was a blow-down.  She, and her husband departed hurriedly a short time later.  Leaving most of their worldly possessions in the lobby of our building, for us remaining sheltered ...

Yesterday evening I experienced something that transcended almost anything I'd done or seen in my lifetime, prior to now. Now, during the worst domestic crisis our nation has faced in a century. Matters of life and death have tilted sharply in the direction of death. The Grim Reaper is reaping an enormous harvest in our nation and world and shows no signs of fatigue.  We might well fear that he will have a second wind, at our expense, before long.  I'd been planning on an evening of dining at home, alone, then watching Netflix. One of my favorite series, Madam Secretary (no spoilers here) had just begun a new season, commercial-free. So I watched the show, and happened to look up when it ended, and out the window.  I live in a 4th floor apartment that faces due west, and have sunset vistas through the usual tall pine trees hereabouts every clear evening, year round. And clear evenings in these changing climes are becoming more and more frequent (suggestion for a new...

For most of you, if not all of you readers out there, what we are living through now is literally one for the books. I've already reviewed favorite books and authors, in previous blogs, but I, for one, spend most of my days reading and writing. And listening to music, always. Right now I feel Tangled up in Blue, while listening to an NPR program called The Score, with Edmond Stone, a host dripping with Englitude (OK, so it's a new word, it fits).  I'll rotate among the multiple choices I have, both on radio and CD's (even some old cassettes). Jazz, blues, rock, soul, and classical. In no particular order; as the mood fits. Blues tend to be the Mood of the Day, these days. But we all need a pickup (besides coffee and/or, say, weed), a positive attention-grabber, something to become absorbed in, or by. While reading, or writing. Music. Music is everyone's friend. I have never met a person who didn't like music of one kind or another. Two of my favorite pro...

We are a wounded species just now, we humans. There is no doubt plenty of blame to go around, as to who knew (and did) what, and when. There will be a million whys, and why nots.  And the future is very much in doubt, just now, for us all. My recent survival of Covid19 may have given me some insights here. At least sufficient to ask questions. Apart from a strong immune system, why was I one of the fortunate ones? My healthy (albeit lonely) lifestyle? Maybe being alone is a factor. But who knows, for sure? This strain of the Corona virus seems to be behaving in strange ways, taking us into uncharted territory. We have now surpassed 70,000 fatalities, and 3 million-plus infections--a number that is surely inaccurate, because that leaves out millions who have not been counted (such as yours truly). Many are yet to be found, living and dying alone somewhere like Eleanor Rigby . Or me, for that matter.  But illnesses and fatalities are only the tip of the iceberg. We may...

I am a survivor. In multiple ways, not just life with it's trials and tribulations, but even now, again, just recently, in spades. I suppose others presumably like myself have fared differently: some better, some worse, and such is life. And death. As to those present day spades, the kind that digs graves will not be required, thank you. At least for yours truly. Yes, I caught a Covid. I think. I didn't get tested, because I was perfectly fine hunkered down at home and my symptoms were mild: sore throat, dry cough, headache, and a weird rash or two. Granted it may have just been another mild flu, which is entirely possible, because many people who have proven positive with Covid19 had mild symptoms like mine (there is quite a grab bag to choose from). But coincidence or not, I had four of the latest, surprisingly varied, list of symptoms. And now I feel fine. It lasted four days, three less than a common cold. So there! I hereby wash my hands of this Covid. 19 or any number...