Being Sick and New Guinea

6 October 2012
7:00 PM

Sunrise at	8:18 AM	in direction	101°	East
Sunset at	6:58 PM	in direction	258°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 10 hours, 40 minutes (6 minutes, 39 seconds shorter than yesterday)

I have been sick for nearly two weeks.  This is a long time for me.  I usually knock this type of illness right out, but with the temperatures remaining warm while the rain keeps it moist, mold spores are everywhere.  Based on mold counts on another day I was unexpectedly coughing and congested over the summer, I think this does not help.  I never experienced this in Colorado.  The high, and truly dry climate seems to suit me better.

I stayed home two days last week, and then again two days this week.  I have not gone out of the house for two days and I truly have developed an early case of cabin fever. I have played Mahjongg Dimensions to the point of seeing the tiles when I close my eyes.  I have gotten very fast and good at it, but I am reaching satiation on that particular game.  I have watched all the hulu.com TV shows I said I was interested in, and in desperation started watching the classic show, My Favorite Martian.  It is funny at times, and cute, and believe me - when you are seeking anything to take your mind off of being in bed, wearing pajamas all day, sipping yet another cup of tea and eating chicken noodles soup - it serves.

I periodically look out at the autumn landscape.  The leaves on the ground are turning brown.  The Equisetum Horsetail is completely tan.  The grass of our lawn persists, as do the pansies, Johnny Jump Ups and foliage of the Columbines.  But everywhere else, the perennial native flora has pulled their life energy inward to survive the winter.

I am better.  Not as much better as I would like to be, but definitely better.  Today I began reading Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Daring Rescue Mission of World War II.  The title isn't the only thing that is long, I have read 4 chapters and am only 7% through it on my Kindle.  The author, Mitchell Zuckoff, was provided with many letters, journals and Army records for the project.  And he visited with folks that lived through that time.  But I find myself wondering how he will make it into 384 pages worth of details.  It is the story of an sight-seeing flight in the hills of New Guinea that crashes, the three survivors, and their subsequent rescue. 

Nevertheless, it reads well and since I was in Honiara, Solomon Islands, not far from Papua New Guinea for a research project, I have vivid pictures of the landscape from my own adventure into the bush of Guadalcanal Island.  So, I deem this a good way to offset the impeding cold weather of winter.    Inexorably, winter settles in.  Right now the expected snow level is 2500 feet.  Fairbanks is at 400 feet above sea level.  We are probably between 800 feet and 1000 feet at our house, so I am not expecting snow.  Yet, in looking at the predictions for next week, it remains above 40F for a few days and then the highs drop to the 30F range.  Snow will soon follow the rain, and not melt.