July is Already Here!

I began this post in the middle of June (11th) when we were still having beautiful, mild weather. That morning I wore a light jacket to walk Rosie as it was about 69 degrees. Most of that week had been below 80 degrees. Well, that was a couple of weeks ago and summer is here. The last few days have been in the mid-90s and plenty hot. We continue to have the little morning breezes so I try to give Rosie a long walk in the morning because neither of us will want a long walk in the afternoon.

You are probably hearing about all of the Black Lives Matter protests going on here and we have had several locally. On June 7, I went to one on the island and was not even sure I would participate (due to the virus) until I got there and checked it out. Luckily, it was held at a soccer field and there was plenty of space for people to distance. Most people also had masks. There were about 1000 people there according to the police count. The speakers were very good and thought-provoking, though it did run a bit long and I left before the end. Following the speakers, there was to be a streetside march (one of my favorite things!) but I didn't stay for that as I figured the distancing would be tricky. Since then, there have been several others though I didn't attend. I'm picking my events to remain safe and well.  The following video was done by Cody Yeager and I was lucky to be able to share it with you as it is much better than anything I have.

There was also Community Conversation in Race held this past Saturday afternoon, which I did attend. The panelists were from the black community and it was interesting and informative. It, too, was held in a large outdoor space but was poorly attended, which is a shame as we need more conversations of this type. The panel was very good with diverse backgrounds including the FBI agent who went to Shelby, NC to bring Dylan Roof back to SC after the Mother Emanuel killings in Charleston! It started late and it was very hot so I didn't stay for the whole thing but the part I attended was very well done.

This past week or so has seemed as busy as before the quarantine! Liberal Ladies did a newsletter after many months of not doing one. Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate also wants one (still waiting for submissions), though it will be much shorter than Liberal Ladies. Tippy and I have been working on our Africa class to be held on the 7th and 8th. Once I finish this post, I"m going to concentrate on the class and get it under control. After that, I hope things settle down again.

Bogey enjoying the sofa!

Chris, Lynn, Tom, and I continue to have our Friday Social Bubble and it is good to get together and catch up on the previous week and, believe me, there is never a dull moment. This week we have learned that the President has known since March of last year that Russia was paying Afghan soldiers to kill US soldiers - and has done or said nothing, other than inviting Putin to the G8! And now that the EU will no longer accept American visitors, I may have missed my window of opportunity to move to Spain!!

As though we don't have enough on our plates, Lynn and I have become community organizers and I am the Belfair Precinct Executive Committeeperson! Don't even ask how that happened! So, last Sunday Lynn and I ran a Zoom meeting for known Crescent Democrats. It was attended by about 10 people but several folks who missed it have been in touch expressing interest. Since then, I've been working on a survey to determine interest and direction. I've also set up a Google Group as a means of keeping everyone informed of political events between now and the election. If we get those up and running, communication should be much easier.

Hopefully, the pandemic is lessening where you are, but you know what is happening here! We have no Federal leadership and, being a Red state, our governor is taking the trump route. So, we are on our own. There has been enough local concern/commotion that Hilton Head and Beaufort passed a mask order several days ago and Bluffton followed yesterday. I ran to Sam's this morning, thinking there might not be many people at that time. WRONG! The line to get in ran down the building and as I walked to the end, everyone had on a mask! That made me feel much better! I was in and out as quickly as possible and sanitized once in the car - just doing what most of us have been doing for months. I'm sure some people have given grief today, but I was pleased to see that those I ran into were complying easily.

A more enjoyable project has been to write Rosie's Story! Our friend Paula in Spain, who is very active with a dog rescue there, is putting together a book of dog stories. I was thrilled

I like the ears - both sets!

when she asked me to write about Rosie and the possibility that she might be included in the book. I'm getting my first draft to Paila this weekend and am eager to see how it all develops. I just hope I can do my girl justice! In doing the story, I went back to Noah's Ark (who saved her!) website and re-read their account (at that time Rosie was called Baby Ruth!). I discovered something I didn't know or had completely forgotten. In addition to her back legs and pelvis being broken, she also has a life-threatening hernia that enveloped her liver and guts! It was pressing on her inferior vena cava and could have killed her any minute. Had she not been found and treated, she would surely have died!! It makes me feel even more fortunate to have her as my sidekick. She is a real miracle girl!

On that note, I'm going to close. I hope everyone is well and making every effort to stay that way. This is proving to be a year for the books and one I'd just as soon forget. Even so, I think it is going to remain as is for the remainder of the year, but I'm hoping November will be a positive turning point!