Bo Diddley, New Mexican

I did not realize Bo Diddley spent time in NM (from Wikipedia):

Diddley spent some years in New Mexico, living in Los Lunas from 1971 to 1978, while continuing his musical career. He served for two and a half years as a deputy sheriff in the Valencia County Citizens' Patrol; during that time he purchased and donated three highway-patrol pursuit cars.

Israel Leaps To The Lead

The Covid-19 case race between the countries changes all the time. 

On the good side, rates are dropping in Spain, Turkey, and Botswana. 

On the bad side, rates in Israel are soaring, and are now roughly the same as in Alabama and Arkansas. No nation has rates as high as those found in Florida (1,020), Louisiana (1,120), and Mississippi (1,180). 

Rates in Iran, the UK, and the U.S. are roughly comparable.

Smoke

The smoke's so bad today in northern California. We've been pretty lucky this summer in Sacramento, since the biggest fires in the Sierras were usually downwind, but with the Caldor Fire near Pollock Pines, it looks like our luck has run out. 

Looking at 24-hr average PM2.5 levels, it looks like we're 2 to 3 times higher than health standards. 

It's time to do like I did back in 2018 again - strap a furnace filter to a portable fan, for extra protection.

Expanding Range of Coatimundi

John notes this article:

HILLSBORO, N.M. — A family of Coatis were spotted by New Mexico Department of Transportation near a project in Hillsboro.

The department posted photos on their Facebook page of the mother Coati and her five kits near the NM 152 bridge replacement project. 

According to the post these animals are typically found in rainforests, cloud forests and grasslands in South America and Mexico and a few do live in the southwestern United States.

That's really cool! Probably expanding their range into central NM. Like the javelina from SE AZ. 

I remember hiking in the Sycamore Canyon area, west of Nogales, AZ, exactly on the border, about 1984. We stumbled across a big family of coati in the streambed. I was surprised, but I guess they've been there awhile.

Caldor Fire Blows Up

This thing blew up quick! Right now, it's threatening Pollock Pines, and will likely cut Highway 50, the main route between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Pollock Pines saw the Sand Fire in 2014. This thing looks worse:

A few miles from the tourist spot of Apple Hill, Pollock Pines is home to many retirees drawn to the trees in the foothills at the edge of the Eldorado National Forest. Many still remember the Sand Fire in 2014 that burned 4,200 acres and 20 homes and came dangerously close to forcing a major evacuation in Pollock Pines and surrounding communities.

On Tuesday, Kimberly McCarthy, owner of the 50 Grand Restaurant & Bar in Pollock Pines, rushed over to the restaurant to gather up paperwork “and get out of the way.”

McCarthy said the restaurant has been closed for remodeling for several months and was getting close to reopening. When she looked out the window from her home near Camino, she could see plenty of smoke. 

“I just hope everybody’s OK,” she said. “It’s sort of surreal.” She said most of the town’s businesses had closed.

90's Nostalgia

Courtney Love, always underrated, and always good!