todays discussion....the care and treatment of a broom... a real broom... a corn broom-- not these plasticky things already cut at a slant.
there are times when i am the proud discoverer of the easy way to do something-- and inspecting barns for teh 4h kids was one of my specialites-- you have heard me discuss teh exact color of teh manure pile-- light tan throwing away too much bedding.... black= filthy= stall not done enough-- there is a dark brown which means there is enough "used hay" to compost well-and whoever is doiong the stall is shaking the pitchfork twice to shake off any bedding still useable.
moving on--- to identifying a real horseperson... a real horseperson pays extreme attention to detail.. .- look in the broom department.
a push broom is all wrong--person is not dealing with details.. a pusher just does not get into the edges like a corn broom- and a plastic one means the person is subject to too much advertising and -- again-- is willing to let someone else tell them the plastic broom sweeps- it does not.
the old yellow corn broom is teh only way to go in a stable. to further pass my inspection... how is that corn broom worn? if it is not new, and still is straight across, i can tell whoever sweeps is willing to put in that tiny extra effort to try and make the barn successful... because with every stroke they twist the broom180 degrees.
it becomes a habit requiring no thought- and the broom will last many years longer than teh not twisted broom--- which not only wears out much faster, but eventualy will not stand up propped against the wall.
with a swift glance at someone's barn broom, can tell me what is really happening.
how on earth did i get going on that???? i heard from nugents nuggets again with not only comment on his super sweeping training, but his super medical training... i did think his discussion of a virus as worth sharing... for consideration.
certainly sounds like he knows what he is talking about...... but then again marriage taught me that is the first thing they learn in doctor school.
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To begin, it should be said that "corona virus" should actually be one word (coronavirus is correct), but because it is difficult to read, "corona virus" will be used here.
As many know, corona virus is the cause of the common cold. The reason vaccinations are not effective against colds is because the corona virus is regularly mutating and changing. This keeps it ahead of our immune system and any single vaccine. Humans do however, develop immunity to each cold (corona virus) after exposed. This is said to be why older adults get fewer colds than in their youth.
The new Wuhan corona virus is now in the news. It emerged in a live-animal seafood market in Wuhan, China and was first thought to have been transmitted to humans by snakes or civet cats (5-8 lb cat-like mammals which apparently taste good). While these species may have been infected, the true source is bats. Seems they are carriers of many such viruses.
There have been two previous outbreaks of severe respiratory syndrome caused by corona viruses. The first was also from China in 2003 and also first blamed on the civet cats. It was called Severe Adult Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and killed 774 people before it completely disappeared. It was later determined that bats had infected the cats and were responsible.
The next outbreak was in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and was termed MERS for "Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome." It killed 850 people and still smolders there. It was spread to humans from camels who were initially infected by bats.
The future can not be predicted, but "the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," and so it can be expected that this new corona virus will burn-out as its relatives did by mutating into a less harmful form. It deserves attention, but I wouldn't put a mask on yet.
As an aside...I was in a barn today looking at hay from a local farmer. He had two crates of used bailing twine. One was labeled "good string" and the other was labeled "string too short to keep." Both were full. Made me think of you. I still can't sweep my barn without turning the broom with each stroke. Guess you taught me well. Thank you.
Over and Out...
