I walked on Friday with a friend but I went right back on Saturday afternoon to take another look. It really is different when you go out by yourself. Yesterday was gorgeous. The temperature got all the way up to 80° which meant everyone was in shorts and t-shirts and just enjoying the heck out of the day.
I grabbed the little Fuji X100V and got to photographing. The images below are in reverse order, chronologically. Don't know why but that's how Blogger presented them to me. So we start at the end of the day and work our way back.
Under the Lamar Blvd. Bridge on Lady Bird Lake.
Wringing everything I can out of the camera's sensor.
ISO 6400. Handheld. Dark enough that I couldn't read
the top dials of the camera.
Waiting for Godot?
The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge was packed with people.
Some came to sit quietly and watch the purple sunset
take over the day. Some were just passing through.
A photographer waiting for the light to get just right.
Ah. Barefooted.
13 comments:
Nice scenes.
I live in the bluest of blue states -- haven't seen anyone maskless in months.
Gosh, 80 degrees and folks out and taking advantage of the great weather.
The first (last) photo of the bridges reflection and paddleboarder is
just so nice.
To see your photos of an urban environment enjoyed by so many folks while parts of the
country are freezing makes me happy (to not be freezing).
Will, I wish more than you could believe that every Texan who steps outside their front door would be well masked. We might not have had the problems we do. I was chagrined to walk by a downtown restaurant this evening and see a 12 person party at an indoor table, all unmasked, all drinking and all wedged together shoulder to shoulder. Will Darwin have the last say? Again, I lay this at the feet of Trump and the crazy wing of the Republican party who (easily) convinced Texans that Covid would be no big deal. Until it was.
I have not been in public without a mask on since last March.
fun/lively pix Kirk!
Sadly, the thought that “COVID-19 is no big deal” is being reinforced by survivors who experienced only mild symptoms. The reality is that it is devastating to certain segments of our population. I am diligent about wearing a mask when indoors - at work and in public buildings. Most people in my city do the same thing. Keep yourself protected. And keep sharing fine pictures you take of your city.
Sean, my "saved photo archive" is about one out of every 200 shots. The rest have been erased.
Love the little girl in the frilly dress on the back of the bicycle.
Mask use seems to be up quite a bit here in the Panhandle, but still not high enough. A group I used to hang out with has been very resistant -- that's why I stopped attending. They had several gatherings over the holidays and posted lots of group photos with not a mask in sight. One of them came down with Covid shortly after and died last week. I'm waiting to see if anything changes.
Three people I knew have died with the stuff over the last six weeks or so. I'm told one of them left his widow with $52,000 in medical bills. I'm almost more afraid of the bills than the disease.
Even though the setting is “outside” rather than in, it looks like some of the shots of maskless people could constitute a gathering.
If they all insist on exhaling that could be a bit of a high-risk situation.
I'm in Kerrville Texas, about 2 hours west of Austin, here to help with my mother. Last time I was inside a store was in early October, and the Home Depot had about 30% maskless customers. Much worse compliance than earlier. Like Kirk, I put this at the feet of politicians and 'news' media promoting and propagating lies. Restaurants here are still operating at 50% capacity.
It seems people also got really lax about gatherings at Christmas. Within a week after Christmas, one person at my mother's nursing home got covid. A few days later my mother and one other resident plus a few staff got covid. Within two more days the number went to 21, and when my mother was transferred to a San Antonio facility a day later it was well over 40 total. My mother died on Jan 10 of covid 19, but you could honestly and acccurately say she died of community carelessness, indifference, laziness, and willful ignorance.
These photos document the kinds of community activity that cause the virus to spread. These are photos of people complicit in my mother's death, as well as a large percentage of the half a million US deaths expected by the end of this month.
If everyone complied with masking, distancing, and basic hygiene for one month, scientists say that the spread would be reduced 95%, the same effect as if everyone were vaccinated.
Lee
Where are the masks? In Portland, OR all those people would be masked.
Many people are asking "Where are the masks?" Here's how I understand it: The CDC and the Texas Public Health Dept. have both made it clear that people should always wear masks in interior spaces, with the exception of their homes (provided there is no risk of spread in the home). They have been equally clear that masks do NOT need to be worn when exercising outdoors, as long as people can socially distance. Texans have interpreted that to mean: If I'm outside and the least bit ambulatory I don't need to wear a mask.
I am appalled that restaurants are now open for inside dining as I can't imagine a better avenue for infection. I look in the restaurant windows when I pass by and there are eight top, ten tops and even twelve tops of people sitting close together, chatting, eating and drinking without masks on. I can't imagine that they all live in the same households!
But on the other hand, after re-examining the photos in the selection above what I see are families grouped together but six feet or more from strangers, couples together --- but six feet or more away from strangers and a bunch of single people, most of whom seem to be wearing masks. They are, essentially, doing what the CDC, the governor of our state, and other authorities have described.
While many in colder climates are constrained to being in interior spaces for the winter most of the families I know in Texas are spending lots more time outdoors. It was a warm and dry day with a nice breeze. If you wanted to pick a day that was most conducive, meteorologically, to prevent contagion then last Saturday would have been one of your picks.
We're in Stage Five here. The highest alert status. Everyone in my circles wears a mask whenever they are in public spaces. I'm heading to Trader Joe's to shop after this. I'll wear a KN95 with a cloth mask over it. The store is still limiting the number of people who can shop at any one time. They are wiping down carts and other surfaces. There's hand sanitizer everywhere.
This is not to say that you are not "right" in your surprise about the stuff in the photos but these are not actually the "kinds of community activity that cause the virus to spread" relative to all the other activities which are much less safe. To allow close contact of unmasked people in a poorly ventilated restaurant while demanding that people adhere to strict masking while outside with families on a warm day and staying six or more feet away from people outside their households is misguided.
Getting outside is a somewhat safe safety valve from being at work all day masked or at school all day masked.
I agree with the scientists about your last point but trying to get compliance in areas with disregard for information means picking battles. Sadly, this seems to be the best we can do.
Please blame your local officials, our national media, and the hordes of misguided protesters. Without their "help" we'd be much safer.
i am struck by how so few folks in the attached images were masked.
sadly, being here in nyc, i almost forgot what being unmasked looks like.
now that the vaccine is rolling out (i got my first vaccination 2 weeks ago and am scheduled for my 2nd on feb 19th), i am hoping that when spring gets here maybe this COVID threat will finally dissipate. i sure hope so.
stay well everyone. thumbs up.
(oh, i forgot... i sure do like those fuji images all the up to 6400 and really think the bridge silhouette is lovely!)
Under the Lamar Blvd Bridge is one your better walkabout photos Kirk. Well done.
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