Interesting or odd things during quarantine

Terrible as things are, I think it's rather heartening to think that an owl can hoot in LA and be heard.

But I love owls.

David Lynch fan, me.

I saw four people lined up ten feet apart at the drive-up ATM today. All on foot, without cars.

I guess they didn't want to go into the credit union, but I don't think those ATM buttons are any cleaner than the teller counter.

Complete silence in the remote small town where we live.

On Friday, in a city renowned for traffic jams, there were a few cars on the streets. Thank you corona.

Did it call your name, OP?

I live in a town built in a forest. We went on government-mandated house arrest two days ago. Since there are no cars or people in the streets, the wild pigs/goats, deer, gazelle and weasels, normally nocturnal to avoid humanity, now come out in the morning to forage. It is indeed thrilling to be in an urban setting and see a wild pig couple out for a morning stroll with their 2 kids. Or a deer sashaying across the middle of a normally traffic-congested boulevard.

too bad it won't stay this way

It's nice to see a clear blue sky with fluffy clouds in Southern California. The clearest I've ever seen. And birds singing outside my window.

The humans are gone and the animals and birds feel free to come out of hiding.

I friend of mine is still having to work (TV news.) She posted a pic from 30 Rock today and it was spooky seeing NOBODY out on the streets.

That sounds cool R6. What town is that?

He is still hooting! I think he’s claiming this new territory as his own.

Get used to the silence.

R11 The owls are not what they seem.

I love this side effect of wildlife returning and the environment re-setting a bit. Just goes to show how resilient they are.

An owl is hooting in your back door? You really are the slut to rule all sluts.

OP, same here. I live in Eagle Rock in LA. On a Friday night, there is usually tons of noise -- Occidental students partying, hipster bars, traffic, helicopters, planes, the freeway.

Today: silence, except for an occasional car. Many might find it unsettling, but it's actually quite peaceful for a change.

I'm still hearing the occasional helicopter in Hollywood

Probably reporting on the *lack* of traffic, R17. 😄

R2, I went through the drive through ATM, and I wore a pair of latex gloves, to hit the buttons. The person in the car behind me, didn’t. Oh well.

People in my neighborhood aren’t taking this seriously. I see everyone walking their dogs, and acting as if this isn’t really happening. They stop & congregate with each other, gab and gossip.

I watch them through my window, and I just shake my head.

This is why I wear gloves. No way do I trust people in my community.

OP Owls hooting means death. You in danger gurl!

I have a pair of great horned owl that call to each other during mating season (Jan/Feb). I love hearing them at night

Glad you are getting to enjoy their sounds, OP and everyone else who hasn't heard them!

Your owls are probably Barred owls since they tend to live more near civilization. But they are ALL cool!

What do you mean R13?

OP - Why do you even own a helicopter??

R22, this is what R13 means:

Meanwhile, things stay the same. I'm in SoCal also. Senior, retired, and doing a 99.9% self-quarantine. But yesterday I headed out (for the first time in several days) to do a grocery pickup (outside the store) at Walmart. What do I find? Bumper-to-bumper traffic, as usual. I cannot believe that there are that many "essential" people who needed to be out on the roads.

I'm in West Hollywood, and I hear sirens everyday. Maybe it's because I'm close to Cedars Sinai. Maybe all the noise pollution muted the sound previously?

I saw a family of 5 deer yesterday - in my suburban neighborhood. Fascinating.

[quote]OP Owls hooting means death.

No.

Squirrels = Death

r14. Humanity is the pestilence that will be wiped out due to our folly and greed. The earth will recover from our destruction when we are gone..

So we should alI become farmers now R29?

R24 WTF is that mess?

OP - I meant this.

[quote] OP Owls hooting means death.

[quote] No.

[quote] Squirrels = Death

[quote] —Rose

R28 Rose you ignorant cunt. Hand me that newspaper.

[quote] So we should alI become farmers now [R29]?

No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die

I've been hearing geese flying by the last 2 mornings.

Aircraft passing overhead from EUuope all but gone. Rare passenger jet bringing Americans home, US military to Shannon, and UPS or DHL.

I live in North Hollywood, CA. Yesterday, a giant hawk landed in my yard and hung around for a bit. I have seen hawks a few times but it's been awhile.

My sister lives in Garden Grove, CA. Today, a huge crane alighted on her fence. She got a picture but she has never seen that before. Cranes are actually good omens. They represent staying calm in the eye of the storm and the promise that it will pass.

I went for a walk today in my neighborhood. Brought a trash bag, some gloves, and one of those grabber things that old people use. I picked up an entire bag of trash. I will do this again on my next walk. Imagine if everyone did this. A friend of mine challenged others to do this if they are out walking and it really is a great idea.

In China they had clear blue skies for the first time during the factory shutdown instead of murky gray smog-choked skies. Now that they’re getting back to normal it’ll be back to air they can’t breathe or see through. So yay for China?

I used to hear sirens every single day in the smallish Canadian city (200,000+) where I live and they were maddening noise pollution. Now they're almost all gone (heard one today for the first time in days) and the peace and quiet and absence of noise pollution is both eerie and comforting.

Its so quiet, its eerie. You know everybody in my building is at home, but they are very quiet, I dont even hear TV noises or music.

So you sit down and watch a docu and they talk about all the really shameful things that Trump is doing to our country and it makes you so sick, you feel like you need to go drinking but the bars are shut down. Things are bad.

Chicago Near North here. Stay at home order went into effect this evening. The 10pm news is reporting a bison was spotted on Clark and Division. Police are attempting to corral the beast but keeping their social distance.

Wonderful hearing of owls and wildlife in town. We just saw huge herds of whitetails in the fields between the state park and town. Even people out there in the country are staying in I guess.

In Santa Monica now when I walk there are a lot more people out on the streets, usually as couples or family groups because they're staying home and need something to do. So it's a drag to constantly be the watchful one that tries to make sure nobody gets too close because around here there are a lot of assholes that don't think about other people. It's kind of tiring to be that watchful. Strange experience to have to actually hold my hands up to keep them from walking right into me. I think the alternative is to drive 10 blocks away to where the richer people live because there will be fewer walkers (or were ta few months ago when I visited somebody up on 23rd Street north of Montana.) Then I have to drive around my block to looking for street parking because everybody is home taking up all the parking places. My apartment is rent-controlled but I'm the only one without a parking place (because I'm the only one left with low rent and there is one more apartment than parking spaces). There, I feel better now getting this out of my system.

Philly, a normally slovenly place that doesn't give a fuck, is suddenly inundated with joggers - people who can't go to the gym anymore apparently.

People are farting loudly and often to cover their coughs. They sound like honking geese flying by in the velvet of the silvery night.

[quote][R24] WTF is that mess?

Clips from the film The Fourth Kind, in which people who have had encounters with aliens recall them as snowy owls, since the aliens know that for humans, the owl is a relatively benign creature. But as some of these people recover their memories in therapy, the 'owl' image morphs to the true face of the alien. Creepy as fuck movie.

Nonplanes flying overheard.

Mr. Owl is back! I haven’t heard from him all week.

That's MY owl. R48

Silence in the night. Wildlife in urban neighborhoods. Clear skies. Strangers on empty streets waving at each other from a hundred yards. Wondering who I know will die. Will it be me? It's not the end of the world for everyone, but it is for many.

I was at the beach this week and a Qantas A380 flew low overhead heading out across the Pacific. Everybody stopped and looked up - it was the first plane that I’d seen in the usually busy Sydney skies. And the last A380 for a while - Qantas is grounding all its remaining international flights after this weekend.

[quote] Probably reporting on the *lack* of traffic, [R17]

Or rushing a Covid-19 patient near death to a hospital.