Mabel still has two of her babies living with her. Since I first saw the litter in May, estimate is that the pups are now 6 months old. Having them around has brightened up our on-going Stay-at-Home isolation. However, they will probably be going into hibernation soon. Thus, both the groundhogs & I are enjoying these last fleeting warm days of early Fall.

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The above trio (in my photo) are still giving me many hours of enjoyment; in watching them while they go about their normal lives above ground. They’re actually quite cute. While the news “from outside” continues to be bad, I feel upbeat because I can enjoy Nature’s critters here at home. Nature evokes good feelings. Because they haven’t caused us any problems (knock on wood), I actually think having 3 groundhogs in our yard is kind of cool. Each one is an unique individual.

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Tuesday US COVID News

“Despite the White House's COVID-19 Outbreak, the Trump Campaign Continues to Ignore Public Health Guidelines” Time http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/despite-the-white-houses-covid-19-outbreak-the-trump-campaign-continues-to-ignore-public-health-guidelines/ar-BB19LiOc?ocid=ientp

"Donald Trump Tweets Over 40 Times in Two Hours While Being Treated at White House for Coronavirus" http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-tweets-over-40-times-in-two-hours-while-being-treated-at-white-house-for-coronavirus/ar-BB19LUAi?ocid=ientp" Newsweek

'Morally reprehensible': Doctors react to Trump's tweet comparing COVID-19 to flu. Tuesday morning, Trump — who remains under a doctor's care for COVID-19 — tweeted: "Flu season is coming up! Many people die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!’ Within hours, Twitter flagged the tweet with a warning, saying it ‘violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.’ Facebook removed a similar post from the president.”

“Facebook removed a post from Mr. Trump on Tuesday that violated its policy against sharing misinformation about the virus, one of the few times that the social network has taken down one of his posts. In Mr. Trump’s message, he falsely suggested that the flu was deadlier than the coronavirus.” NY Times

“'This is incredibly cruel': Experts say Trump's move to end (coronavirus) stimulus negotiations could hurt millions of Americans on unemployment and set back the economy. ‘It'll mean more people dropping into poverty and people making terrible choices between rent, medicine, and food on the table,’ Heidi Shierholz, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, told Business Insider.” Business Insider

“Stephen Miller, Trump’s senior policy adviser, tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the latest in a string of White House officials to be infected. Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are in isolation after the Coast Guard’s No. 2 officer tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pentagon said Tuesday in a statement.” Washington Post

“Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and several of the Pentagon’s most senior uniformed leaders are quarantining after being exposed to the coronavirus, a Defense Department official said on Tuesday. The announcement represents an alarming development — as the virus extends its reach from the highest levels of civilian government to the operational heart of the country’s national security apparatus.” NY Times

Yada, Yada, Yada.