Our two latest long walks

Last week we did another 10 miler, this one the one that was planned for that week, unlike the surprise 10 miler of the week before.

We stopped on our way to Bend and walked from trailhead to trailhead on the Old Columbia Highway, which runs parallel to the Columbia (and now I-84) above the river. It was a nice walk, very pretty, not too busy, and the weather was great.

Today we did a planned 11, ended up being 11.72, on the Palouse-to-Cascades rail-to-trail trail that crosses a good portion of the state east to west. We'd taken a bit of it a few months back when we went to Cedar Butte. We walked and walked and at one point, the trail split. We took the right. Apparently, the restroom was to the left. So, the way back was kinda miserable because I had to go pee. The rain for the last hour didn't help either. It took a long time for me to warm back up. I did manage to eat a bit... 22 gummi bears and one bite of dh's PayDay bar. I hope I'll be ok on the day of the half.

Some photos from both walks under the cut.

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Making a projection

Making a projection on a potential three-prong strategy the 🤮 administration might use to effectively ban vaccines without fully banning them.

1. What they've already said they'll do: refuse to send any federal dollars to schools/districts that require vaccines. This would probably be very effective.

2. Defund/shut down the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

3. Remove the vaccine manufacturer liability exemption. Childhood vaccines aren't profitable and without this shield I expect many manufacturers would not continue to product childhood vaccines. This could lead to shortages.

And remember, people. Measles has an R0 -remember R0 from the early Covid days?- of something like 12. That shit spreads like nothing else.

Oh hai, Polio. No, we didn't miss you. You either, Diphtheria. Pertussis, you've been around a little bit more each year, I expect to see a lot more of you. Oh hello Mumps. You, otoh, I'm happy to see. Go after Magat gonads, please. Smallpox, where are you? Oh wait. No animal reservoir, and you were eradicated a long time ago. Absent Vladimir releasing you into the wild, we won't be seeing you again.