I swung through Aptos today and got some photos of Alina Mitchell, 5, lending Santa a hand in opening letters to Santa. Due to the pandemic, a special mailbox was built just for Santa’s mail, thanks to the folks at the Aptos Chamber of Commerce. The bright red box collected a pile of mail, many with clever drawings and such. “Now I’ve got a lot of reading to do,” Santa said.
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Most of the rooftops in my neighborhood were frosty white this morning. I think it got down to 32 degrees in some places. The weather folks say there is a chance of rain on and off, Thursday through Sunday. There is a 70% chance of rain on Christmas Day.
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There is talk in Governor’s Newsom’s office of extending the regional stay at home order since pandemic numbers are still surging. Loaded up hospital beds are at the core of the problem. There are now 77.4 million cases of the virus around the globe. Santa Cruz County sits at 73 deaths. Though officials warn about travel for the holidays, there are now about 1 million people hitting the airports per day. Some countries in Europe are slamming the doors at their borders to foreign visitors.
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I read a fascinating letter to the editor today in the New York Times where a woman addressed other restrictions (then mask-wearing and social distancing) in times past, like after the Depression, where folks had to ration eggs, milk, butter, metals, leather, sugar, and meat “just to name a few.” She went on to ask why so many people are so upset about having to wear a mask, adding that, at times, she had to don a gas mask, on top of the rationing. Wow.
