Adapting

Friday, October 22, 2021 (November’s full moon [“Beaver”] will rise on the 19th.)

Last evening at home, I searched skyward for now-waning Hunter’s Moon. The evening was cloudy, overnight rainy, and without a sign of that moon.

This time of year it’s Central Oregon’s rainy season. According to weather records over the past thirty years, Octobers are rainy about half their days. This year, not much rain until now with a little falling. I love rain, but unhappily miss seeing this month’s full moon.

At work in my cashier job, I’m checking out purchases of thick wool socks like there’s no tomorrow. Not only for farmers and ranchers, but also for the area’s skiers and other outdoorsy types. Flying, too, from shelves are super-warm hoodies, thick jackets, and heavy denim pants. One customer, unloading a bunch of winter wear on the counter, said it’s essential to obtain now all her family needs in the future, for stores soon will be have short supplies of appropriate winter wear.

The world’s iffy supply chains have me, too, starting to gather warm-wear. Soon our first local deep freeze will arrive and call for wool and wool-like clothing. I’ll daily schlep my horses down the street to a neighbor’s pasture, and later home again. This year, I’ll take those walks in woolen long johns.

As another sign of changing times, the news report on lab-grown coffees, and before long available in stores. Lab coffee producers use cultures from coffee beans to imitate coffee brews. AI coffees won’t be cheaper than the real stuff, but will reduce massive environmental stresses caused by producing real beans.

Lab foods producing is a two-sided coin. On one side, it will help correct environmental woes. On the other, it will displace thousands of workers now tending to live animals, or growing and harvesting coffee beans.

My intended “wool” long johns will be imitations. Producing real wool is labor-intensive, making real stuff less than affordable. Instead, I’ll wear fabrics reportedly wool-like in performance. I’m prepared though to get real wool, if that’s necessary for adequate warmth. Cold climates create demanding high needs.

Dear Friends: Our new world with rapidly-growing AI technology, creates products, pushes us to adapt. Diana