It was interesting, the pharmacist at Costco did not want to give us the vaccine. Apparently the CDC has issued a statement that if you're old, you're immune. I happen to know I do not have immunity to rubella because my immunity titre was run in the past. I also know I've never had mumps. So, how then, if I did not have the illnesses, did I develop immunity? The pharmacist said that would be a good question for the CDC. We got the shot. After seeing a 60 year old rabbi on NBC news talking about how his one measles vaccine was not enough to give him permanent immunity (current standard is two), and he and 20 people in his synagogue contracted it, and some are now deaf and some are blind, we decided just to get the shot. We spend summers in Washington which has a higher than expected failure to immunize.
Today we were up and out early for a restorative walk in the desert. We saw two snakes, two rabbits and three deer. The first snake was a small brown one. It scared the snot out of me crossing the trail right in front of my foot. The second one was stretched out across the trail not moving. He had his head up, so we knew he was awake. I bowled a rock in his direction, and he took off. It's a Groundsnake, they're not venomous. But they still give me the willies. Photo is courtesy of the internet.
The cactus bloom continues. I like the ocotillo arch over the trail.
The buckhorns and staghorns are starting to pop. They have a really pretty blossom for such an unattractive plant.
The lizard was in the front yard today. We were concerned that the wretched road runner might have eaten him, but there he is. It's a terrible picture, too short of a lens shot through the blinds.
This isn't much better, point and shoot with a lot of zoom.
Pretty flowers, pretty snakes (well, I'm pushing that one), pretty landscape, and your temps just exceeded my limit, lack of humidity notwithstanding, so I enjoyed every word of it. And I did get vaccinated this year, pneumonia, flu, shingles, so good for you and Jim. And good for standing down the pharmacist when you knew you were right.
ReplyDeleteWhen we get all of Jim's other issue under control we are going to talk to the doc about measles, mumps, and shingles. Weve both had one but no boosters.
ReplyDeleteInteresting ... I've never had mumps either, though I was vaccinated for practically everything when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteLove the snakes and critters. I've heard from other desert dwellers that rattlers are out in record numbers this year.
Happy Easter!!!!!
my parents decided I had a natural immunity to the measles. as was the habit when I was growing up, my mother dutifully exposed me to every kid who had it. I never got it. or if I did it was a case so mild it went unnoticed. regardless, when I was in my early 20s working for my dad's pathology lab, one of the clinics I picked up tissue samples from insisted I get the shot when they learned I had never had measles and they gave it to me there and then. I didn't get the mumps until I was 18 and have no idea where I was infected. the desert has a beauty of its own. the ocotillo and other cactus flowers are beautiful. even the snake.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures. We lived in Tempe for a number of years and March and April are lovely months tho I can remember years when we hit triple digits in March. Then, it was hot.
ReplyDelete