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WARNING: some dark humor and icky details.
Occasionally there are a few benefits to living in the Great Frozen North, and here is a story that reminds me of them. Family of the victim of a deadly alligator attack in Florida are suing the HOA for 7 million dollars for failing to keep the property clear of harmful wildlife. This story raises questions. Given that alligators are native to the area and go pretty much wherever they want to go, how would the HOA go about "keeping the property clear of harmful wildlife"? Also, where does one draw the line? Many animals can be harmful if provoked, and some can be harmful even if not provoked. In my neck of the woods we have numerous furry critters that can carry rabies (in fact you should assume any raccoon you see is carrying the virus, and they're all over the place). Rabid animals attack when they're in the final stages of the disease - it's how the virus is spread. One of my neighbors had their garage ransacked by a raccoon that was almost certainly in the final stage of rabies. If someone is bitten by an infected animal, should the association be liable? This reminds me of a dispute that erupted on a social media site a couple years ago,. Some homeowners in a nearby HOA were outraged over their board's plan to have a family of foxes removed from the community, because the homeowners LOVED their foxes and the kids liked to feed them - and other homeowners were all "are you people NUTS?!" Full disclosure: I'm in the "are you people nuts" camp. I had visions of some little kid feeding the "puppies" and getting scratched. Mom ignores the scratch because kids are always getting banged up, and two months later kiddo is showing the flu-like symptoms that are often the first sign of a rabies infection. At this stage the disease is almost 100% fatal, and it's a horrible death. So anyway, props to that board for being responsible. And then there are the insects. Mosquitos carry all sorts of harmful diseases, and they'll hang out in any bit of standing water. Dengue and malaria are making inroads in various parts of the US. If someone is bitten and catches West Nile virus or other unpleasant disease, is the HOA liable for not clearing out every bit of standing water? I got bitten by a tick about a year and a half ago, and I scampered to the local urgent care for antibiotics when I sprouted the telltale bull's eye rash (Lyme disease, in case you're curious). Is the condo association on the hook because ticks are everywhere? OK, alligators are a whole 'nother issue, and this isn't the Cootie Corner blog. But still, an HOA can clear the property of alligators, and another one may stroll in right afterwards. (I believe they are territorial, and clearing space for them is pretty much putting up a welcome sign.) In other words, even the most diligent maintenance won't totally prevent bad things from happening. It's why folks in Florida keep alert when they're outdoors. Me, I'd be staying the heck indoors, which kinda defeats the purpose of living in Florida. But I'm living in the Great Frozen North, gotta love it, and our really hazardous wildlife is limited to venomous snakes, coyotes, random bears, and people who don't know how to drive on snow and ice. And if the wildlife doesn't get us, lawsuits against the association we're living in can really do a number on our finances. Tomorrow is March 1, the start of meteorological spring. And not a minute too soon. The wild bird population has been pretty frisky, and the raptors are out hunting every day. Just spotted what looking like a trio of large hawks circling the 'hood - they were up too high for me to identify the species, though. It's close to the fourth anniversary of the start of the covid lockdowns. Four years!!! How the hell can it be four years?! The pandemic has been simultaneously endless and the blink of an eye. Got a good whiff of fresh mulch when I was out for a walk the other day. I sure do love that smell! My community is in desperate need of new mulch right now, but the board has other ideas., such as changing the approved front door colors. Let me just say that if the builder had thought those were attractive colors, they'd have used them. I've spent the last 18 years working in and around model homes, and I haven't seen those colors in a single community. There's no doubt a good reason for this.  Avian Influenza Reaches Antarctica's Mainland
In the past avian influenza has been confined mostly to domestic chickens and waterfowl, but a number of years ago it jumped into wild bird populations. More recently it's also been reported in sea mammals, which is worrisome. But my poor penguins. They've never been exposed to this virus, which is deadly, and they live in tightly packed colonies. I feel like I'm witnessing the slow death of our planet. Snow a few days ago, in the mid-70s yesterday, tomorrow night's low will be in the low 20s. February, you're drunk. Go home. February 28 Addendum: what better way to close out the wackiness than tornado sirens at 5:00 AM? Fortunately we only had a bad thunderstorm, because garbage cans and recycling bins getting blown around the neighborhood would have been the cherry on top of this shit sundae.  "Head for the basement! Head for the basement!" Received a card that said: "To get this Valentine, I had to leave the house and interact with people." It occurred to me the other night that during the last four years I've managed to turn feral without ever leaving my home. Perhaps I should frame it as having started my own convent. We're Birdhists around here.  "I don't care if it is Valentine's Day, I'm not coming down there."  "Just checked voicemails. I have twelve of them from flying home.
This makes me want to throw my phone into a snowbank and go live as a wolverine. Or something else that bites people that approach it." Note: I have more numbers in my Blocked list than in my Contacts list. Well, dang. After about ten days of temperatures in the single digits and snow, I was looking forward to going for a stroll now that we're heading back into the 30s and 40s. No such luck: we have a winter advisory starting tonight for freezing rain. Probably ought to shovel the rest of the snow off my driveway before the rain arrives. I can't stand it... I noticed that some folks in a house behind me still have their Christmas lights up. I guess I admire their persistence...? Last night a Great Horned Owl delivered an oration from the trees out back. I love listening to these guys, especially when there are two of them courting. I wish that they would nest nearby, but I don't think we have enough trees to satisfy the discriminating owl. Spring can't come soon enough. When I was in my twenties, my boss, who was in her 60s at the time, once commented "every winter I die a little more, and every summer I recover a little less." This observation stuck with me, and now that I've arrived in my "golden years" (bah!), I see her point. I've always hated cold weather, and the older I get the more I hate it. Perhaps it's time to research immigration policies for various Caribbean countries (I'd miss the owls, though).  |
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