NOTES,  2 MARCH 2021

Greetings, blog reader, on this early March day. I always have mixed emotions at the first of March. Spring is springing in the south and my garden is bursting forth in colorful new life, always a joy. On the other hand, the worst winter we ever had in my area came in the month of March (the great blizzard of Mar. 13, 1993) as did the worst storm ever to hit my town (the tornado of Mar. 19, 2018). Nevertheless, it is time to check in on the crises we have been tracking for a year now.

PANDEMIC. It appears we have turned the corner of the pandemic. All signs clearly show improvement in every category, new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations. Besides, we now have three vaccines, with the new approval of the one-shot J and J. Let us all say: Thanks be to God for the miracles of modern science.

Consulting our usual source, Worldometers, we find that the rate of spread in the world has decreased by half since January. New cases are now running at 2.5% rise. As of March 1, there were 114,756,819 cases of COVID-19 in the world. The rates of deaths have also decreased greatly since January. Last week (Feb. 22-March 1) saw 65,123 deaths in the pandemic, a 3% rate. In January the death rate remained around 5%. Total deaths in the world now are 2,544,475. It is clear that the rates of new cases and deaths are declining in the world and have been for the last month.

America is also reporting improving rates. Last week, the U.S. reported 489,942 new cases of COVID-19, a rising rate of 2%, for a total of 29,255,365. This means about 10% of the population of the U.S. has had the disease. As for deaths, last week, the U.S. reported 14,645 for a total of 525,778. This means deaths have dropped from app. 3k a day in early January to 2k now, still horrifying but moving in the right direction. More than a half million Americans have died in this plague, all within a year. This means this pandemic will probably surpass the great flu pandemic of 1918-19 when 600,000 Americans died (and there was no vaccine, not even penicillin). We should take a moment and reflect on this.

Conditions are also looking better in our local states. South Carolina is reporting large declines in new cases and deaths. Last week, SC reported 12,674 new cases (29,000 in early January), for a total of 516,823 cases. This means app. 10% of the people of SC are known to have contracted COVID-19. Although deaths are still high, 206 last week, the death rate has dropped significantly in the last month. Even so, 8,530 South Carolinians have died in this pandemic. Let's take a moment and think about this too.

Charleston County is also seeing improvement. Last week, the county reported 802 new cases, the lowest number in several months (app. 2k a week in January). Total cases in the county now stand at 38,134. As for deaths from COVID-19, the county reported 15 last week for a total of 452.

As SC, Alabama is seeing improving numbers. Last week, it reported 6,409 new cases for a total of 493,252 (10% of the population). By contrast, AL reported over 28,000 new cases in the first week of January. Numbers of deaths are also declining. Last week, Al reported 337 deaths from COVID-19 for a total of 9,929. This is a two-thirds fall from the first of February.

The administration of vaccinations is slowly but surely moving along after a rocky start. In most places, everyone over 65 has access to the vaccines. I have had both of my shots, I am happy to say. We have been told that in the next few weeks, the coverage will expand and by summer everyone should be able to get vaccinated. So, if you have not gotten your shots, you will soon. The cavalry is on the way.

LITIGATION. The focus now is on the South Carolina Supreme Court. The Episcopal diocese appealed circuit court Judge Dickson's outrageous order of last year in which he purported to nullify the SCSC decision of Aug. 2, 2017. Both sides have submitted their initial briefs (arguments) to the court. My best guess is that both sides will now turn in reply briefs to the court, trying to refute what the other has said in the initial papers. After than, I expect the SCSC will either announce a time for a hearing or go straight to a written decision. In my view, it is an open and shut case. The SCSC decision of 2017 is the law and must be defended. Dickson was under a Remittitur to implement the decision. He was not directed to retry the case and submit an opposite opinion. The SCSC decision recognized Episcopal Church ownership of 29 parishes and the Episcopal diocese's ownership of Camp St. Christopher.

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take the case from Ft. Worth, the SCSC is completely clear to settle its own case.

POLITICAL. The political crisis in America has calmed down, at least for now. The forces of evolving democratic revolution have won out over the side of counter-revolution. Majority vote and the will of the people survived an attempt by an anti-democratic (white supremacist) minority to overthrow them, even by violent insurrection. From this, we can expect a continuation of the movement to greater human rights in America. There is still a large minority of Americans who oppose constitutional democracy, but they are back on their heels, at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, spring is beginning to show its beautiful self all around us, at least those of us in the south. My garden is coming back to life after the doldrums of winter. Here are a few signs of color in my late-winter garden.

If you want a conversation piece in your garden, try this, Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha). It is a deciduous shrub that blooms all winter with these curious white bell blossoms. 

Bob Hope Camellia. Thank goodness for the camellias, the stars of the winter garden. Repeated heavy frosts killed off most of the outer blooms of my two dozen camellia bushes this winter, but enough survived in protected places to enjoy. Bob Hope is a good choice with prolific, deep red flowers.

Nuccio's Pearl Camellia is another good choice. It is covered in soft pink flowers.

Louisiana Shrub Palmetto (Sabal minor "Louisiansis'). Even in winter, my garden has tropical touches all around. I gave this palmetto plenty of room and it has rewarded me with robust greenery. When I was growing up in Florida, many people regarded the ubiquitous palmettoes as weeds and cut them down. Not I. I cherish every one.

For tree form of palmetto, I prefer Windmill Palm, it is smaller and more "garden friendly" than the larger Sabal Palmetto, the state tree of SC and FL. The upright evergreen is Spartan Juniper, another excellent choice for the garden. The small shrub on the right is a volunteer Mahonia. 

Nothing says spring as much as the bulbs. Narcissus 'tête-à-tête' is a good choice with its small flowers. 

Spring reminds us that seasons change, every year, year in and year out. The rhythms of the seasons tell us there is a grand order of the universe. Whatever troubling things may be happening to us, we can always know we are part of something infinitely greater than ourselves that has rhyme and reason. Life goes on, and does so with meaning. We have all been through a terrible year with sickness, suffering, death, and loss all around us. Our lives have been upended, through no fault of our own. None of us asked for this. Yet, we, like the seasons, persist. As spring, we refuse to be vanquished by the darkness of winter. This is why we are here, to be God's people in the world. Peace.