23 February 2021

Signs of Oléron

I like taking photos of colorful signs on houses and businesses. These are some that I saw on the Île d'Oléron a few years ago. I enjoyed Oléron because it reminded me so much of the place where I grew up in coastal North Carolina.



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P.S. I went to see my GP (mon médecin traitant) yesterday for my regular six-month checkup. There was a sign in his waiting room that said patients who wanted to get the Covid-19 vaccination should check with the medical center receptionist. I figured I'd just ask the doctor about it and soon enough he came to invite me into his office.

About the vaccination, he told me that I'm of an awkward age. People over 75 years old are getting the Pfizer vaccine in France right now. People between the ages of 50 and 64 who have conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure are eligible to get the AstrZeneca vaccine now. People who, like me, are between the ages of 65 and 74 just have to wait at this point. (I'll turn 72 next week.) Maybe we'll get vaccinated in March, or in April. Nobody yet knows.

14 comments:

  1. There is no way they will inject me with a vaccine. Please do some research on it.

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    1. Did you never have polio, smallpox, or tetnus shots?

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    2. There is always a risk with any sort of vaccine, with taking medication or having a surgical operation. I think there is more chance of dying from Covid than there is of dying from the Covid vaccine. We have to weigh up whether the benefits outdo the risks. And it hasn’t been proven whether the people who died actually died from the vaccine or whether they would have died anyway. Most were very old. And the stroke victim could have had a stroke anyway, purely coincidental that she had had the vaccine earlier.

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    3. I have taken all those vaccines. The Covid vaccine is the one I find troublesome. Those that are taking it here are still told to wear a mask and social distance. I'm not convinced the vaccine works very well. It was manufactured in a rush and has not gone through trials like other vaccines. There have been adverse reactions and deaths from the vaccine. Not knowing how it would affect me is the scary part.

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    4. The Covid vaccine has been administered to millions of people and there haven't been many reports of bad reactions. I think not knowing how Covid would affect me is a bigger worry than not knowing how the vaccine would affect me.

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  2. I like this slideshow but I'm baffled by the very first sign which had me looking all over the place for an explanation and translation. Here is what I got, "Mock Basket: A verbal expression that is likely to apply to land that disappoints its owners." In my opinion, all this is very obscure.

    Glad you're going to get your vaccination probably soon. in the meantime try to stay away from anti-vaxxers who are spreading the virus. At 96 yo I got my two (Moderna, I guess) shots and I'm still here to talk about it. Since my father was a physicien, I got vaccinated for different things at an early age, and, again, I'm here to talk about it almost a century later! For most people vaccines are safe. Spread the word!

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    1. About Moque-Panier, see this web page. Je pense qu'il s'agit d'une terre qui se moque du raisin. On a eu tort d'y planter des vignes.

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    2. Très imtéressant, le lien. C'est la première fois que je vois une expression avec moque.

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  3. I loved those signs too!
    I hope your awkward age passes quickly. Speaking of age, is today Tasha’s birthday? I haven’t checked Walt’s blog yet.

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  4. I hope you will get the vaccine in March or April. It may be helping already here in the states. Half a million gone now, flags are at half mast for five days. The long slide show was nice to see this morning.

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  5. Funny your Dr. called your age, awkward. I, too, must be considered awkward, I guess! This is my designated week (70+ - I'm 73) so with the extreme weather conditions last week I was surprised to not be receiving information that Oregon vaccinations would be delayed. My daughter told me she had heard from several sources that it would be several weeks before everything was caught up. I had signed up 2 weeks ago for email notices but after speaking with her I did not continue to check my messages. Just before turning off my conputer last night, lo and behold (!) there had been a message that I could sign up (but that came in at 4:11pm and it was 9:30pm when I read that. Of course, no days or times were available at that point and this morning no messages. I hope I won't have to wait much longer.
    Colorful signs on display in Oléron! I was amused by the two blue windows with feminine et masculin painted below!

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  6. I vote for La Marraine as the winner of the signs. Love that black cat outline.

    Here they are vaxing everyone over 65. These vaccines did not just appear overnight. Coronaviruses have been around a long time and these vaccines have been 2-3 decades in the making, waiting to be tailored to a specific disease. Phase I of clinical trials, the scientists injected themselves.

    As I understand whether you get the vaccine or the virus, you will get 9-12 months of antibodies, then have to repeat the process.

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    1. As with flu shots, which I haven't taken in about 20 years. In years when I got the flu shot in Silicon Valley, I seemed always to come down with the flu. In years when I didn't get the shot, I didn't get the flu. Maybe it was just coincidence, but I didn't think the flu would be fatal even if I did get it.

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