A Few Things...

 

The FDA has a approved a new 1 pill daily regimen from Gilead.   This piece also covers the matter.   The med is for suppressed patients who seek a simplified treatment.  

– Novel Daily Oral Tablet Combines Bictegravir, a Guideline-Recommended INSTI with a High Barrier to Resistance, with Lenacapavir, a First-in-Class Capsid Inhibitor with No Cross-Resistance to Other Existing Antiretrovirals –

– Bixlenvo Now the Smallest STR; First and Only STR for Most People on Complex HIV Treatment Regimens –

It'll run about $4,500 monthly.  It will provide another option for those on more complicated regimens.  They  the price is about average, but wow.

This is the last Friday of August 2026.  There's only 3 full days left in my 59th year.  Here's hoping it ends well & 60 doesn't start of with some level of suckage.

Finally, I saw a 3rd hummer this morning.  It was larger & slightly darker.  Unfortunately, the bushes in our yard look like it's late October, so it flit around & then promptly leave.  It was probably hungry & these shrubs had little to offer.  I haven't seen people posting any of the normal hummer pics like I used to.  I guess everybody is having this issue.  It's just too hot & dry.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Maybe Another...

 

There hasn't been any significant rain here since July.  Most of the grass is brown & crunchy.  The trees are so dry their leaves are already turning brown & falling.  There might not be any left come October.  The tiger lillies have survived into September before with blooms.  This year the flowers left in late June & now even the greenery is browned.  The flowers in the myrtles & rose of sharons are wilting.

This morning I saw a flit across the backyard.  It circled a flowering bush & then landed on the power line for a few seconds before it sped out of the area.  I think it was small, probably hungry hummer.  But it was gone so quick I'm not sure.

This year has been a bust.  I've seen a couple of dragons.  I've spotted maybe 2 hummers for a few seconds.   There haven't been many of the other birds either, even the normal yard birds have lessened.   Normally I see a lot of moths, butterflies & field bees; this year almost none.  It's so dry, I saw a horsefly come to the water bowl.

To hell with denialist, Summers are much worse than they were when I was a kid.  

Cya...

Had Already...

 

Wasn't going to post again this morning.  This Summer has been hard for me.  We're just now having mostly bright days without so much haze.  Too bad the temps are cranked & the days are getting shorter.

There used to be things that kept me going during the season.  We'd have finches & other little song birds.  There was the occasional, "Oh, you're not a cat", groundhog.   But mostly there were lots of butterflies, big moths, dragonflies & hummingbirds.   

I don't see those much anymore.  I don't get to smile because I looked out & saw dragons darting or hummers buzzing about.   For years, I've barely seen hummers & then only on their way back south.  I've only seen a couple of dragons in the distance.  

This morning, I saw my 1st hummer of the year, probably the only hummer of the season.  He's heading south.  He's not full grown, but enough to flit about on his own.  Maybe things knew what a mess I was & let me have a little peep into what used to make me smile.  It's almost harder, knowing I probably won't see him again & may not see any at all next year.  Is it really worth still being here?

Take care.

Cya...

Summer 1st...

 

The oddest thing in the yard lately has been a groundhog.  It roams the yard eating the clover & other plants.  It's sort of cute in a fat, squirrelish way.

I got a surprise this morning.  It was so small & quick, I barely saw it.  But for a few seconds a tiny hummingbird flitted near the crepe myrtle in the back.   Judging by its size & lack of distinctive color, it was either a small female or juvenile.  I used to see a lot of hummers.  Last year I only saw a few.  The way things are going, this may be my only little hummer of the season.  I hope not.

Summer's rolling along.  So far it hasn't been too hot.  It's stayed very hazy in the mornings.  That's not god for waking or seeing.  

I need my hummers, dragons, porch cats & other little creatures.   I saw a lizard on the back screen.  Those lizards & the geckos could be back soon.  These little beings give me something to focus on, a distraction.  They help me not fixate on the crap going on around us.  They let me stay in the moment, the now & somewhat sane.

Well that's it for the 6th of July.   Take care.

Cya...

Finally & Another...

 

I actually saw a hummingbird in the yard yesterday.  I almost missed it.  It was up near the tiger lillies.  I haven't seen them there before.  I think most things are avoiding the hibiscus this year.  If that's the case then that may be the only hummer I see this year.  The tigers are almost done for the season.  I'm not sure what's wrong with the rose of sharons.  They've been dying off for the last few years.   There used to 6 in the backyard.  Now, there's 2 & the front bush is half gone.   The hummers don't go near the crepes as much.  I'd put up a feeder, but there are so many ants in the yard, that's probably all that'd get to it.

On the other point, it happened again.  This article goes on to detail how another doctor possibly exposed over 2,400 patients to HIV & various hepatitis types.  Who knows what else.  All because he couldn't be bothered with safety protocols.

That's all for.  I need to get around & go shopping. Take care.

Cya...

Less...

 

The 2020's have not been good for me.  It started with Covid.  That caused a lot of hell & the stores have never been the same.  A lot of things I used to buy are never coming back & the prices have soared.

Bit by bit, things have been taken or lessened.  The quality of a lot of things has gone down.   Out internet company is new but sucks.  There's other medical providers & mechanics.  All the tethers we use to ground ourselves are being cut, few by us.

The last couple of years saw my diversions plummet.  Netflix killed DVD's & most of their streaming shows are pretty awful.  Then there were the 2 Hollywood strikes & nothing's recovered from that.  I'm not sure it will.   The comics I read are losing their appeal due to bad writing & art.  

The yard may have cats, but other than the occasional skunk & pissy mockingbird, that's about it.  We lost several flowering bushes & the flowers didn't do well this year.  There have been some lightning bugs but not like last year.  

Time is running out on the best show of the backyard.  I've seen no hummers, bunnies or dragons.  Some could still show, but it's less likely as Summer passes & it gets hotter.  

My health is not doing any better.  Everything takes more & I accomplish less.  Even fixing a small meal, leaves me feeling a wreck.  Things just keep pecking & demanding.

The 2020's have taken my diversions, distractions, my little joys.  They've been replaced with a crappy circus of conservative BS & religious rhetoric.  Great, another election year & olympics.   More stress & less joy.  I wish every conservative & aggressive religious type would fall over & be done.  Then I might have something to smile about.

Cya...

Marker Events...

 

Today was a 1st marker event day.  There were 2 of them.  The 1st happened as I opened the back door this morning.  I saw a little figure darting around the Rose of Sharon blooms.   The 1st Hummer of the year has arrived.  It looked decent sized, but not quite adult.  That's a very good way to start the morning.

The to bring it all down, I check Netflix to see if the DVD I sent off had registered.   It hadn't yet, it might not until tomorrow.  It was sent off in the later mail.  I noticed there was an extra movie in my queue.  When I looked, it was a dvd that had been on my Saved list.   Then I saw it, my Saved list was at 0.  

It hasn't been at zero in over 20 years.  My queue was at 50 & hasn't seen a number that low in about 2 decades.  This service that got me through so much, it's really going away.  I will miss the little red envelopes, the movies only available on dvd & the routine.  There's another thing gone, another tradition swept away & I'm told how surprised people are that I still used it.

I hate this.  When the dvd's are over, so is my time with Netflix.  They've taken a bit from my small pool of joy.  I can't forgive them for that.  I know it wasn't personal on their part.  But, it most certainly was on mine.  If this is to be the way of company that brought tiny moments of escape, then I wish for them nothing.  Nothing is what they deserve; not good, not bad, just nothing.  Maybe with that, it's all Netflix will be, nothing.

Thank you little hummer for the joy you brought me.  To Netflix, the thief that stole from my resources to make it through, kindly F' Off!  There always has to be a Bruce.

Cya...

Summer Gift & Hello...

 

I've barely seen any dragons this Summer & there'd been no hummers.  Yesterday, I noticed a bump on the wires & there he was.  A tiny, dark little hummingbird.  Then he was off zipping among the blooms.   Pretty much all of July sucked, but not that moment.

The world may be awful & doomed, but it's not over yet.  I saw a hummer & dragons have been here.   Maybe the rest of the Summer will be a little better.

It's the 1st day of August.  Hello, try to be nice.  I'll have to get labs drawn mid month.  I have a primary care & dentist appointment at the end.  Then my birthday, oh joy.

Cya...

Full Week...

 

It's a bit dreary.  It's supposed to rain later in the day.  Which means it won't rain until tonight & the today will be a humid mess.   Oh well, nothing I  can do about that. 

The 1st  full week of July is ending.  We got through it.  But some of us are showing our asses.  To all the asshat Okies out there that refuse to get vaccinated, just shoot yourself already.  Stop dragging everyone else down with you.  A few weeks ago we were around 900 cases in the state, now we're  in the 2K range.  You can always count on conservative Oklahomans to be idiots.  

Rants over.  We handled our stuff for the week.  I'll try to handle phone stuff this week.  There are more hummers, dragons & bunnies.  Hopefully, this COVID stuff will get back on track soon.  Take care.

Cya...

Late Month Sightings...

 

There isn't much going on this morning.  At least the sun's shining.  It's been a weird month & June is almost over.   Yesterday was cooler, but the coolness was almost draining after being so warm. 

About a week ago, I saw my 1st dragon of the season.  It was glossy black.  This morning, I saw the 1st hummer of the year.   It was so tiny, I could barely see it.  I couldn't tell the color.  I just saw the motion & strange flight of a hummer.  

That's all for now.  Take care & enjoy the end of June.

Cya...

Waiting & Not Much...

I'm waiting on the mechanic.  They've been too busy to swing by & get the van.  I hope they can today.  If not, I'll have to look into other options.  

It's a nice morning.  It's supposed to get hot later & stay that way.  July remembered it was Summertime.    Maybe the grass will finally  die.  

That's it for this morning.  I'm just waiting & musing.  We've got some tiny bunnies in the backyard right now.  They're so small, it's hard to notice them.  I've seen a couple of hummers a few times.  Still no dragons, maybe soon.

Take care.

Cya...

Spring's Over...

Weathermen say the season ends with May.  Others wait for the solstice for Summer to begin.   Either way Spring is mostly gone.  It was another weird season; dry or wet, chilly or hot, very seldom with any middle ground.  

The rose of sharon bushes are blooming.  The front  crepe myrtle is the 1st to bloom for a 2nd year.   It's tiny bubblegum blooms got here before the other's fuschia.  Tiger lillies have been blooming for a bit & the elephant ear is thriving.  

I think I saw my 1st hummingbird this morning.  I saw something yesterday, but I put it off as a large moth.  If this was a hummer, it was tiny.    I hope we have more hummers & dragons this year.  We've already had a lot of lightning bugs.   Weird what can make you smile.   It isn't all the mockingbirds & wasps.

Take care & be safe.

Cya...

Errands & Allergens...

The tailend of August has not been friendly.  Even though the temps have dropped, the humidity hasn't.  We ran over to Ft. Smith & it went alright.  A run to that Walmart was a bust, but everything else went well.  

The devil weed is back.  The allergen levels are in the red & hellish ragweed leads the way.  There are other allergens as well, but ragweed gets to me the most.  

There are a couple of young toms hanging out in the yard.  I've watched them for a while.  They're not afraid of me, but not very interested either.  I've put some food out here & there.  Toms usually don't stay long in an area.  Haven't seen any hummers in over a week.  I only saw 1 this last few weeks.  Most the dragons are gone.  This was a dud Summer.  I hope Fall & Winter aren't horrible.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Cool Morning...

We never got over 85 yesterday.  Last night was in the mid 60's.  Tonight is supposed to be cooler.  This cool down will only last a bit, but it's appreciated.  Unfortunately, among  the grateful are bugs.  The fleas have been a nuisance lately.  

On another matter, the air in my backyard is missing some things.  I've seen a few tiny hummers & some dragons, but not near what I saw last year.   There are lots of articles over vanishing hummers.  The experts think they may have had a good wildflower crop this year & just didn't come as far in.  It could also be that they altered their migration paths.  Still, I have very few dragons, butterflies, bumbles & honey bees.  Not to gripe, but there's even less wasps.   No one's gardens are doing well this year.  There aren't many pollinators.

I have seen more squirrels & the occasional rabbit.  But even the ever pissed off mockingbirds' numbers are down.   Usually, by now, I've seen the occasional possum or smelt a skunk.  But, not this year.  This year is different & I hope it's not a really bad sign of things to come soon. 

Take care. Hope you're seeing hummers & dragons.

Cya...

Lots Of Rain...

Over the past 2 days, it's rained 3 - 5" of rain depending on the site you check.  I'm leaning towards the larger number.  It rained quite a bit the day before & almost all day yesterday.  With a lot of that being very heavy rain.  There's warnings of floods.  At least 1 local woman died in a flooded creek.  They think she drove into water during a flash flood.  She may not have been able to see it in the rain.  We were already past our monthly rain average, now add several inches to that.

The front crepe myrtle is blooming.  Odd, it's usually the last to flower.  Its buds are the color of bubble gum.  I either saw a very fast finch yesterday or my 1st hummingbird of the year.

Take care, be safe near water.  

Cya...

Little Less Bright...

This morning was overcast .  We're expecting rain.  There are a couple of lingering Hummers in the back.   The shrubs are still blooming.  The birds will stay until it gets a cooler, darker & the blooms start to fall.  Then it'll be off with the little flowery heads for the season.  Trimming will probably be in late September this year.  I don't plan on much.  The bushes didn't thrive well this year.   Maybe the flower nectar didn't taste as well this year & that's why we had so few Hummers.  

I'm waiting to see what the rest of the week holds.  I know we have more bill stuff to handle.   But some other plans may or may not happen.  Seems to be a common theme these days.  

I read a newspaper blip from Seattle.   They are experiencing an HIV cluster in north Seattle.  They think it's like all the other clusters popping up.  Economically depressed people on drugs are engaging in high risk activities.  

I love how calling them activities makes it sound like something you engage in at Summer camp or on a cruise. "Oh, don't miss this evening's event.  There'll be cheap drugs, shared needles & lots of unprotected sex.  Make sure take your turn at the pinatas & cotton candy.  Don't be late..."

Take care.

Cya...

Closing Up August...

Tomorrow's the end of August.   Summer was on fast forward.  At least the last week has had mostly sunny mornings.  I saw 2 Hummers in the backyard this morning.   

The new outdoor cat will sort of sing chirp at me when she sees me & wants food.  She's white with dark grey patterns across the lower part of her back & tail.  She has a pretty face & long white whiskers.  Still not getting near me, but that's OK.  She was born feral & her getting this close is great.

We've got shopping to do & a bill to pay.  Tomorrow my roomie will go see a friend.  August will end & September will begin.  That's mean saying goodbye to being 51 & hello to being 52.  I'm fine with that.   We have tentative plans for my birthday.  Nothing set, but some ideas.   We'll get there.

Take care, hope August was nice to you.

Cya...

Bright Morning...

I usually only document the dreary days, so I'd like to point out this morning is actually being nice so far.  It'll be a AC level warm later, but for now it's nice & bright.  I need more mornings like this.  I actually saw a lone Hummer this morning.  I haven't seen many hummingbirds this season.  Those I have seen, have been smaller & yellowish, brown.  I haven't seen any of the larger, bright Hummers this Summer.  I hope they fared well this season.

To all my Summer fliers, thanks for all the smiles you brought to my face.  They make my life easier.

Cya...

Article & Yard Stuff...

This article talks about a surge of HIV in the Fresno area.   People aren't communicating well enough to prevent the spread of  HIV.  In this area, the surge is mostly in younger people, teens to twenties.   Even where there is some education on the matter, it's still lacking.  There needs to be a lot more talking about HIV.  This needs to be done in a way so these kids feel involved & potentially at risk.  HIV needs to be brought down to earth, to their home & demystified.  So these people understand this virus could be sitting right next to them & what they can do to protect themselves.

On to yard stuff.  I've seen fire in the sky at night.  The lightning bugs came back 1st.  A couple of days ago, I saw a large, black dragon buzz the porch.  This morning, I was happy to see my 1st hummer of the season.  At this moment, thanks to the clover, shrubs & lilies, there are splashes of white, orange & pink across the yard.    Birds are busy this morning.  Yesterday's mowing & last night's rain have made a feast for them.

Welcome back beautiful fliers, join the butterflies, bees & moths.   I've missed the Hummers, Dragons & Lightning.  It may be silly to some, but they make me smile.  I need that.

Cya..

Chilly Night...

Last night was our 1st chilly night this season.  It dipped down into the 50's.  It still hadn't reached 60 by the time I got up.   The plants are showing the drop.  There are a lot of buds on the Rose of Sharon bushes that won't bloom now.  It's too chilly & there isn't enough light left in the day.  

I didn't see any hummers this morning, they may be on their way south.   Leaves are falling & blooms are failing.  Fall is here, no matter what the calendar says.

Soon, my hummers, dragons & lightning bugs will be gone.  I'll miss them.   I wished I lived somewhere they stayed all year.   Too bad, that'd probably be a hot, humid place.  So on your way little one's, until next year.  I will miss you dancing through the air.

Cya...