18 of 20 Gorillas Test Positive for COVID-19

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The Independent reported that 18 Gorillas at the Zoo Atlanta tested positive for COVID-19. Handlers at Zoo Atlanta noticed that a number of western lowland gorillas were experiencing mild coughs, runny noses and slight loss of appetite, so they collected fecal samples and tested the gorillas for disease.

The disease was most likely transmitted to the gorillas from an asymptomatic worker who subsequently tested positive. The employee was vaccinated, according to a report. Zoo Atlanta’s policy requires all workers to wear gloves, masks and face shields while on the job.

The tests were conducted at a University of Georgia lab. Covid tests were also sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Amex, Iowa. Zoo Atlanta is reportedly awaiting those results before definitively saying that the gorillas have Covid.

All 20 gorillas living at the facility are now being tested for Covid. There are four gorilla troops at Zoo Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), members in each troop have shown signs of infection. Zoo Atlanta spokesperson, Rachel Davis, told the AJC that employees are not mandated to take Covid vaccines.

Zoo Atlanta’s Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, African lions, clouded leopard, and Sumatran tigers have all received the Zoetis vaccine, which was developed for veterinary use.

In the United States, respiratory disease and increases in mink deaths have been seen on most affected mink farms. There is a possibility of mink spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people on mink farms. Mink-to-human spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Poland, and new data suggest it might have occurred in the United States. 17 Million of mink were killed in  Denmark in November 2020. Their bloated carcasses rose from the ground where they were buried. Locals referred to them as Zombie Mink.

Zoos in San Diego and Detroit have also vaccinated their at-risk animals. The US Centers for Disease Control has stated that animals are not a major contributing factor to spreading Covid to humans. Research is ongoing so there are many unanswered questions.

Every Minute

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The U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) reported that the United States is now averaging one COVID-19 related death every minute. The pandemic is increasing in severity as we head into the winter months.

The virus has causes 69,000 deaths in nursing homes as of November 15, 2020. The latest COVID-19 pandemic death toll for the U.S. stands at 267,302, with 1,251 new deaths being reported in the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

Hospitals in the Midwest are being overrun by  the increasing demand. COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising amid shortages of nurses and other health care workers, the situation in some places is becoming severe. If things don’t change, hospitals will have to ration care by turning patients away. COVID-19 deaths, have climbed more than 40% over the past two weeks and set records last week in places like Wisconsin. The Dakotas and Wyoming had the country’s highest infection rates last week, but Iowa and Wisconsin weren’t far behind, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

There is light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines becoming available. But the three of four month until those vaccines can be distributed to people, will be the darkest months of this pandemic. “We have not even come close to the peak and, as such, our hospitals are now being overrun,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm of Biden’s  coronavirus advisory board. The United States is headed for a COVID Hell.

Pardon

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Don’t travel this Thanksgiving. The Omaha World Herald headline read, “See that Thanksgiving celebrations are restricted as much as possible so as to prevent another flare-up.” Health officials in many cities issued the same holiday warning: “Stay home and stay safe.” That headline ran November 28, 1918 during the Spanish Flu epidemic. 102 years later and we find ourselves in the same predicament.

In 1918 the Thorspecken family lived in Omaha and they survived the Spanish Flu. I have to imagine they were as shocked as I am at peoples stupidity and indifference to the public health threat. Despite the warnings in 1918, many churches held services on Thanksgiving. A big party was held for 150 soldiers returning from WWI at the First Methodist Church. After that festival, 500 soldiers were to be entertained in private homes. These were likely super spreader events at the time.  Back then people made the same mistakes being made today by ignoring basic health warnings, masks social distancing and washing hands. My father was born a few years after the flu epidemic subsided, a sign of hope for the future.

In 2020, more than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States over the last 7 days.

As cases continue to increase rapidly across the United States, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with. Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.

Celebrating virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice this Thanksgiving. Zoom has cut off the 40 minute free time limit, so you can stay connected virtually with loved ones on Thanksgiving day.

An Iowa turkey will be traveling to the White House for a presidential pardon. Turkeys are not known to catch COVID-19 and the trip will literally save their lives so it is worth the risk. The turkey “pardoning” tradition seen today dates back to 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln reportedly first granted clemency to a turkey. The tradition formally began in 1989, under former President George H.W. Bush, and presidents have spared the lives of Thanksgiving birds since. Donald Trump is not one for honoring traditions, so I fear for the Turkey. Trump has been hunkered down in the white house refusing to accept reality. In the past, the pardon ceremony has been held in front of a crowd of spectators in the Rose Garden at the White House. I am sure Donald will want to make it another super spreader event.

Christmas in Iowa

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Roger and Jenni had a new baby, Maxwell, who was the center of attention at the Schwartz abode this year at Christmas. This little bundle kicked and squirmed constantly. He also seemed to be consistently amazed by a ceiling fan. Jenni explained that it might just be the contrast of dark against light that caught his eye. Pam’s other nephew, Cooper, just two days older than Max, didn’t get to visit as long as he had to head off to other family engagements.

The Christmas tree was half sized this year and was entirely set up by Pam’s nephew Easton. The star on top was cocked to the side at just the right quizzical angle. When the whole family arrived on Christmas day there were so many loud, boisterous conversations and arguments happening at the same time that I was rather overwhelmed. The best way for me to maintain some straight forward train of thought was to keep adding lines to the sketch. Christmas movies flickered on the TV, including The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Klaus.

Christmas dinner included huge steaks and cheesy potatoes, followed by multiple pies and then games.

Christmas Day Baby Photos

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Christmas day followed a full day of High School Senior photos shot in scenic spots around Iowa. Kim was the photographer and Pam art directed, finding scenic spots to shoot the photos around the countryside. Over 700 photos were shot of Destiny in her new Christmas outfits that Pam helped her pick out. On Christmas day, family gradually trickled into the Schwartz abode with the anticipated present opening happening in the living room.

Pam’s nephews and nieces ripped through paper to unveil electronic furby styled toys and tiny foxes that hang onto fingers. The tiny creatures apparently learn phrases and repeat them. There are 2 new babies in the family and Kim bravely set up a photo studio in the entry hall to the house to take photos of the two well-behaved babies. When it came time to shoot the photos, however, both kids became cranky and uncooperative. One did not like the cushion bed set up and was more comfortable lying directly on the floor. Models are known for their face gymnastics but these two went red faced as they struggled to poop during the shoot. Large bulb Christmas lights were set up in a circle around the kids to make it clear that these were Christmas scenes. A Christmas ornament was used to get these would be models to focus.

Every minute of the shoot was a challenge with moms and the photographer struggling for the best possible shot.

Christmas Games

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We traveled to Iowa for the Christmas holidays. Pam’s parents live on top of a hill overlooking rolling hills in every direction. In the morning the ground was covered in frost with thick layer of fog creating a mysterious scene. It took several hours before the sun came up to burn off the fog. On Christmas day it was supposed to be 58 degrees during the day which is unheard of. Usually the temperatures are in the negative digits.

On the first night of Christmas the family gathered to play Tripoly. It seemed to be a combination of a few card games wrapped into one game. Poker played an important role to start and chips were placed on the board. I was so focused on sketching that I didn’t really follow all the rules. Pam’s brother Matt played boisterously and he is known for taking chances in his betting, sometimes placing large stakes bets even when he didn’t have a great hand.

Kim, his wife, was just learning the game so she consulted the poker cheat sheet to figure out how to play her hand. Pam and her nephew Easton played constant hands. This game can go on all night it turns out. Matt and Kim’s little girls started playing a game of tag, running in circles and using me as the home base. I had to brace myself once in a while knowing I was about to be body slammed as I sketched.

I had spent the whole day at shopping malls with Pam and Destiny. We ended up going to 15 different stores to get outfits for Destiny’s High School Senior photos. There is no activity more exhausting than shopping at a mall right before Christmas. Before the game was over that I was sketching, I decided to curl up on the couch over by the tiny Christmas tree. I immediately drifted off to sleep. At some point Pam must have put a purple leopard print blanket over me. Matt won the game and Pam decided to wake me up to actually go to bed. It was close to impossible to drag myself off the couch. Downstairs it was freezing cold and I went to bed fully dressed with my hoodie tied tight around my head so that just my nose stuck out into the cold.

The Oakland Mill

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Jenni Schwartz and Roger Wood held a second baby shower in Maquoketa, Iowa, which is Jenni’s home town. Lacey McDevitt and Nick Szebeni own the historic Oakland Mill (22095 IA-64, Maquoketa, IA 52060). Lacey is an old friend of Jenni’s and offered the mill as a venue. The theme of this shower was woodland creatures and Lacey, and another friend Season, did an amazing job of decorating. Photos of cute baby critters were hung on the wall near the food serving table. Centerpieces were elegantly appointed. A large horse-drawn hoe hung from the ceiling.

The historic building, originally known as Oakland Mill, was built by Joseph Willey in 1867. The 2½-story stone building has a
partial basement and is capped with a gable roof. A water-powered
turbine, still extant, supplied the power to operate the mill. The
location of the mill race can still be seen on the east side of the
property, and remnants of the damn remain in Prairie Creek. None of
the mill workings remain on the inside. Willey sold the mill to Seneca
Williams in 1867, and he operated in until 1904. The building was
converted into a barn in 1920. The building was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1976. Wildlife artist Patrick J. Costello used the old mill as a residence and studio from 1979 to 2006.
Today it is operated as a reception
hall. I wish I had seen the place when it was an artist’s studio.

I fell in love with the site. From several outdoor balconies you can watch the creek as it flows gently by. The large wheel no longer turns because the owners are not allowed to build a small dam to divert some of the river’s flow.  The back yard has a nice paved path with a fire pit at the end of it a quiet gazebo. This baby shower never moved outside however.

This event was quite a bit larger than the party in Des Moines, Iowa. Food consisted of several large casseroles and cinnamon rolls. Bright blue cupcakes were arranged in the shape of a baby carriage. They had some kind of jelly center and were delicious. Though sketching, I ate more than I needed to. The couple opened presents in front of the “Oh Baby” banner. Between the two showers, the couples surely have more than they need to start their newborn’s life in this world.

Iowa Baby Shower

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Pam’s sister, Jenni Schwartz and Roger Wood, are having a baby and we traveled to Iowa for several baby showers. Jenni lives in Des Moines, Iowa and that shower was held at the Raccoon River Nature Lodge. I was on task to help set up. Pam ordered several dozen tiny wicker baskets which were intended to hold thank you presents for this hot air balloon themed party. She ordered them online and had the boxes shipped to Jenni’s home. The baskets turned out to be VERY tiny only able to hold one candy. In desperation, she made a run to a party store which was going out of business. A few items were on the shelves but many items were scattered on the floor. It was a post apocalyptic scene.She did find some silk gift bags which fit three pieces of ganache and truffles, as opposed to the one that could be held by a basket. She wanted to leave the baskets behind to be returned, but I insisted they were a much needed decoration item.

The lodge had a gorgeous view overlooking a lake to the south. Floor to ceiling windows made the view amazing. We were responsible for all the set up and break down for the event. We rolled out 5 round tables and covered them with white plastic table cloths. Center pieces were rectangular blue place mats with a bowl of caramel/cheese popcorn and the candy bags scattered about. I discovered that the baskets were just big enough to hold 1 Starburst candy, so I raided all the candy to just find the Starbursts.

My main job was to build the balloon arch. I blew up most of the balloons. Jenni blew up the golden balloons since they were easiest to blow up. When they were inflated, golden confetti inside would blow around like they were in a tornado. All the other balloons were blue or white. That is a clue that baby Wood would be a boy. There was one very big blue balloon in the bag, so I tied a basket under it to make it onto a hot air balloon.

Pam designed cute cards with a fox and rabbit riding in a hot air balloon. She brought a stuffed red fox which sat on the serving tables and a metal basket containing baby diapers had balloons attached to it to make it resemble a hot air balloon. We also had paper hot air balloon decorations with a cloud and star hanging below each. I taped them to the blinds on each floor to ceiling window and they were raised or lowered based on how high or low the blinds were raised. The balloons didn’t have baskets, so I placed a basket on the window sill ledge below each making it seem like the balloons had launched without their baskets.

The cake was beautifully decorated reproducing Pam’s fox  hot air balloon cartoon. However the cake imploded when we were transporting it. It had a creamy salted caramel filling which caused the layers to slip like tectonic plates. By the end of the evening the cake had slipped and twisted making it look like a California earthquake had hit. It was still incredible delicious….when eaten with a spoon.

About 35 people RSVP’d to the party, but only 15 or so arrived on this Friday night. When they arrived they were invited to put a fingerprint on a hot air balloon image with the fox and rabbit, and sign it, for it to later hang on the nursery walls. The diapers were to be inscribed with messages so the mother could have a giggle when she had to change them in the middle of the night. I drew a poop emoji and signed it. Some of Jenni’s co-workers were giggling and writing on diapers for most of the party.

Fish Fry

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While family was waking up and chatting in the kitchen and living room in the Iowa home, the men went out to the garage, work area to gut some fish and start a fish fry. Rather than stay inside with the woman and children, I felt it my manly duty to head outside as well. The space is set up for maintaining vehicles and farm equipment complete with a lift. Deer skulls decorated the walls and horns protruded from the bare light bulb fixture. A crossbow was hug on the wall with care, but most hunting was done with guns. Behind the propane fryer was the huge walk in freezer where the season’s venison was stored.

Pam Schwartz came out to watch and talk while holding a sleeping nephew. This is where some of the better family conversations happened as the fish were gutted. I love this utilitarian space, with cabinets and counter space, a true man space. Pam hates fish,  but I tried some later and it was good. This is where I would want to be to polish up survivalist skills of hunting, fishing and preparing the meat.  As I live now, I don’t think I could survive without a source of Mountain Dew.

Newbo City Market in Cedar Rapids Iowa

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Newbo, short for New Bohemia is a quaint City Market (1100 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401). Pam was there for a meeting and while she was busy, I stopped over to the market to sketch. There was a tourist information booth which was a good way to get an introduction to the city. NewBo City Market is home to dozens of small business
start-ups. Entrepreneurs are creating new
business concepts and products that are locally-sourced, sustainable,
and environmentally friendly. With returning shopkeepers and
many weekly pop-up shops and farmers markets, they are the destination
where local producers and consumers gather.

I got a gyro from a mom and pop Greek food stand and started to sketch the airplane above the crowd. I used this as an excuse to play with the assisted perspective feature in Procreate on my iPad. I kind of prefer to be less mechanical in my use of perspective but I can see how the feature can be useful in blocking out a scene quickly.

As I was finishing up the sketch, a concert was getting started on an outdoor stage in front of the market. People had gathered in lawn chairs to watch the band perform as the sun set. I walked across a bridge to meet Pam in the Czech Village section of the city which preserve the history and culture of this large immigrant population. What makes America great is this diversity and mix of cultures. Historic building mixed with hip contemporary vibe in tech friendly shops. The inspiration of sketches were endless, but time was limited.