Short Summer Invasion…..

This week has been beautiful in Wisconsin and according to our local weather forecast our streak of weather-luck will continue for a few days. In the 80's and not too humid. Nice breezes. So it's good time to be outside.

Taking Fenway for his walks yesterday and today I noticed that we are being "bombarded" by small flying objects. No….not drones. Huge dragonflies! They are zipping and dipping and dodging every which way. Lots of them congregated along the waterfront. And when we sit up on our little third floor deck and they zoom past at eye level.

They are really big…..bodies at least three inches in length and pairs of large beautiful wings. Some have a shiny metallic blue color. Others move so quickly I don't have a chance to see details.

I wish I could capture one in a photograph…. however, considering my level of photographic skills that won't be happening. But what fun to watch. I don't know if they are feeding, looking for a mate, or just enjoying our good stretch of weather.

I hope they stay around for a few days. If not…..I'll just look forward to next summer for the annual invastion of the monster dragonflies.

Hmmmmm…..possible title for a horror movie.

To Go….or Not To Go……

It's happened again. Recently a man with mental illness took a loaded gun into a movie theater in Louisianna and killed and wounded innocent movie goers and then killed himself. Apparently he'd been planning this for sometime.

Last week we went to our local theater to see "The Minions" with two of our grandsons. Should I now give this kind of family outing a second look? Do I really have to?

The alternatives as I see them: stay home, wait until you can rent or stream the movie, ask all the movie theaters to install walk-through xray scanners like at the airport, take down the no guns allowed signs and put up "Please Bring Your Own Gun to the Theater Just In Case" signs.

Yipes.

One of the things that troubles me most about this latest incident is that the man, in spite of his battles with mental illness, was apparently able to legally purchase a gun. So how do I view that? Certainly if an individual has successfully overcome emotional or mental problems he/she should not be treated any differently than others in society. But is the nature of mental illness such that it can "come back" without notice, or that family members might miss signs of re-occurence? What a conundrum.

And the idea that the "regular" citizen, trained and licensed to use a hand gun, should arm themselves to go to the movie scares the you-know-what out of me. Yes…..they may be trained, but you can't convince me that in the heat of that scary-in-the-dark-crowded-movie-theater moment he/she wouldn't take out or injure innocent bystanders and make a horrible situation even worse.

I don't have an answer….and yes, I know a lot of my friends and acquaintences will fall back on the Second Amendment argument.

I guess I'll continue to go to the movies…..but I have a feeling I am going to always look around and be sure I find the nearest exit. Pass the popcorn and let's hope statistcis for home-grown violence in America start to drop…..or maybe we'll move to Canada.

The Magic of Privilege

Someone shared an amazing video on Facebook the other day. It's about four minutes long. It's a visual demonstration of the role that privilege plays in all of our lives.

During our years together this is a topic Dave and I have frequently analyzed. The role that "luck" played in getting us to where we are. How lucky we were to have been born to the parents we called Mom and Dad. How fortuate we were that we attended good public schools. How lucky that we both had growing-up friends that were basically "good kids" and the fact that we were able to go on to college. Yes, Dave graduated with a student loan, but it wasn't crippling and we got it paid off within the required time frame.

Dave's career opportunities "presented" themselves because of timing, luck and the fact that he was working hard and was very well respected in his field. I was lucky that he was able to support our family so I could be a full-time wife and mother until our children were a little older. We were so lucky to be able to purchase the homes we wanted, to send our kids to good schools, to enjoy the company of nice neighbors and make good friends no matter where we lived. When I went to work I was fortuate enough to sell real estate in a "good market" and earn enough that our son and daughter both graduated from college loan-less.

The list just goes on and on. And it all started with one sperm meeting one egg back in Chicago in 1946 and the same thing happening with another couple in New England. And the odds of the two of us ending up as classmates in a small private college in mid-Wisconsin. Luck.

The video demonstrates just how huge the role "privilege" plays in our lives. A small group of people gather, stand in a line and hold hands. The off-camera moderator asks a series of questions. In order to answer participants take one step forward or backward or stay in place. As the group silently responds to the questions the line begins to break apart….arms stretch until hands can no longer reach. And at the end of the video it is apparent that there is a wide disparity in what these young adults remember in answer to the questions about their lives.

As one young woman said in the introduction, "Some people walk miles for water….I turn on a faucet. That is privilege." Another participant who spoke at the end of the exercise stated that it became obvious to him just how big a role privilege plays and, recognizing the distance between him and some of the other players, he felt it was obvious that "no amount of hard work or legislation can make up that gap."

Priviledge. Something many of us take for granted. Something many of us no longer recognize.

Go to YouTube - search Buzz Feed What is Privilege.

Watch the video.

Cousin Sadie Comes to Visit…..

So it's a busy weekend. Port Washington Fish Day, friends over for a visit and Sadie Johnson comes for a visit. Fenway loves when his cousin comes for a sleep-over!

Sadie is a pretty easy guest (in spite of the fact that she sheds like crazy!)….we know she misses her family because she spends a lot of time lying on the rug right by the door to our third floor lobby. But eventually she settles in and does just fine. She occasionally grabs one of Fen's toys and they go racing around the living room couch. But mostly, at age seven, she naps. She does like our little deck overlooking the park.

We have to sort of "child proof" the condo because we are used to dogs with small tails…..and Sadie's "whip" can clear the coffee table with one swipe. We plan a walking schedule and take turns getting our little guy and his bigger cousin into the elevator, down to the lobby and out the door. Then Dave and I head in opposite directions….the two seem to do much better walking if they aren't "competing" with each other. "I need to be first!"….."No!! I do!"

Anyway - it's fun to have Sadie come for a visit and we are happy to have her. Too bad she just doesn't feel "at home here".

And Fenway is exhausted after playing the "host" all day!

Spit and Polish……

Port Washington is getting ready for its 51st Annual Fish Day. It's coming this Saturday. Apparently it's the biggest ONE day fish fry in the WORLD. At least that's what they say. It is pretty amazing…..just how many people come to our small town for this event. The annual tradition includes, music, FISH, beer, crafts, FISH, beer, games, FISH, beer, some small carnival rides, FISH, beer. You get the idea.

There is also a run-walk starting at 8:00 a.m. and a 100-unit parade starting at 10:00 and fireworks to end the day. Port is going to be very busy! And there will be helicopter rides. And a no-hands ice cream eating contest (I'm signing up for that one).

This is small-town America having a lot of fun. The normal everyday population is just over 11,000. I think someone said about 30,000+ people show up for this event. Our small town is spiffed up, flowers blooming everywhere, lawns mowed perfectly, sidewalks swept clean. It's always nice around here….but today and tomorrow feature a frenzy of preparation. Local organizations man the various booths on Fish Day and the funds raised by selling the FISH and beer go to support the community in a wide variety of special ways and ongoing projects.

Luckily we live right here. We can sit our our little deck and watch the parade from above. We can go  out to see a musical group, grab some fish, enjoy a beer. Then we can come back inside to cool off in our AC before going out again to grab the free shuttle up to the arts and crafts area…..and another beer (maybe). Then back home to cool off. We'll be on a neighbor's deck on the south side of the building to watch the fireworks.

And then you wake up on Sunday morning and everything is cleaned up and put away. It's like it never happened. Amazing…..and crowded for one Saturday. And parking is at a premium…..we have an extra space, maybe we can rent it!

Dependent.......

Thunderstorms rolled through our area starting about 4:30 this morning. Loud and lots of lightening. 6:20 we lost electricity in the building. We learn that there is a tree down over the bike path and it took the wires with it.

7:00 - walk the dog. Elevator is out so down we go....four flights. And then back up. I need coffee.....oh....can't make any. Electric coffee pot.....and electric stove so I can't even boil water.

We are supposed to go out to lunch with friends.....my hair needs shampoo!!! Will the water still run?? Luckily...yes. But no hair dryer....oh well, back to the towel method. I may not look like my normal gorgeous self but our friends won't care. Brushed my teeth and my electric toothbrush slowly ran out of energy.....no biggie.

My phone needs to be charged.....well I can do that in the car a bit later. Our land line is out....but Dave's phone is still OK. Feeling disconnected. Can't use the computer.....just my IPad.

OK....this morning I was going to continue to work on a quilt......oops....nope. I can read if I sit by the window.

It's quiet in here.....I'm usually listening to the morning news shows and then the radio. I guess I'll listen to the music in my head.

At least it's not hot....we have the screen open to the deck and a nice little lake breeze wafts in. So we are not complaining about no AC.

It's REALLY quiet in here.......

Frightening Fawns…..

Fenway and I don't mean to do it…..but some days it just happens.

We have a small "herd" of deer living near us. We see them along the bike path, in the park across the street, on the hill up toward the lighthouse. It's easier to see them in the winter, now that the trees and undergrowth are in full green they can easily hide in plain sight. But still…. once in awhile we catch a glimpse.

Last year there were two bucks and maybe four adult females and a couple of yearlings. This summer we've spotted two fawns… still young enough to show the lovely white spots on their coats. Deer behavior seems to be that mom leaves the young one hiding in a safe place while she goes off to browse and then returns to nurse.

About two weeks ago Fenway and I went for an afternoon walk along the bike path. We stopped just past our condo building to talk to a couple sitting on a bench. I was standing on the grass next to the bike path, Fenway standing on the pavement quietly sniffing the breeze. Suddenly, after about five minutes, there was a crash as a very small fawn jumped out of the bushes next to us….. jumped over an astonished Fenway and wobbling a bit, ran up the bikepath and out of site. We all sat there with mouths hanging open.

I think the baby was hiding in her safe place, but it was much too close to us, and it finally got spooked by our conversation and ran.

Yesterday, late afternoon, Fenway and I were walking back to the condo. Listening to the birds, enjoying a beautiful day. Suddenly ten feet ahead of us a fawn came out of the woods and started to walk towards us before noticing that we were even there. We stopped, I held Fen's leash tight as we watched the little one sort of "panic". It walked a few paces left, a few paces right, a few paces toward us as if not knowing just where to go to disappear. Then it moved into the trees and down the hill toward the stream. A close encounter!  We continued our walk and a few paces later there was a second fawn…. coming at us in the middle of the path. Same routine, same result.

Two fawns and a beautiful goldfinch on one walk. We love this place. And we don't mean to frighten the fawns…. but some days it just happens.

Walking Along the South Side….

It's been over a month since I walked around Port Washington's Coal Dock Park. Keep in mind that years ago this now park was a pile of coal for the power company. Literally a huge pile of coal and, I'm sure, a real eye sore. Now it boasts acres of green grass, paved bike and walking path, terrific views of the water, a two story gazebo you can climb to view Lake Michigan and as you round the corner to come back home, a very nice view of down-town Port Washington. It's a lovely place to walk.

And Port's flower boxes are in full bloom. The "formal" ones are beautiful, baskets and boxes and park plantings. Loveliness all along my walk.

But the south side of Coal Dock Park lets Mother Nature do her own thing. And I love it. Purple and white clover, yellow Birdsfoot Trefoil, daisies, Oyster plant gone to seed, crown vetch. Thistles and other wildflowers are coming - I can see the leaves growing toward the sun. There are many more I can't identify…grasses nodding in the breeze.

 

The groomed gardens and plantings are lovely and we so appreciate them in Wisconsin in the summer….but I love what happens when nature runs riot. The bees buzzing, the birds swooping and diving. When we find these wildflowers/weeds in our lawns and home gardens we quickly pull them out - but if you give them a chance to bloom….what a lovely show.

Except on the north side of Coal Dock Park. For some reason the geese prefer this side….so walk carefully and look down!

We Need Another Lady Bird……

A recent road trip gave us plenty of time to look out the window. The miles rolled by under the RV's tires as we crossed Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado….and onward. So much of the countryside was lovely. And our views changed from state to state.

Rolling farmlands in Iowa, flat plains in Nebraska, the Rocky Mountains as we moved through Colorado and into Utah. Honestly - there is so much beauty in this country of ours. As we celebrate the 4th of July I, once again, realize how fortunate we are to be living where we do. And how fortunate Dave and I are to be able to explore as much as we have.

I never tire of looking out the window as we go - especially as we get to the West. The canyons, the rivers, the mountains…..amazing views around every corner. It just does not get "old".

But on the way home from Montana we also began to notice lots of signs of civilization - road signs and billboards along the way. Motels, tourist attractions, products, insurance salesmen, lawyers. Advertisements of all kinds of man-made objects interrupted our views.

And I began to wonder, didn't we pass some kind of legislation when Lyndon Johnson was President limiting billboards and "ugliness" along America's roadways? Didn't his wife, Lady Bird, lead a crusade to beautify America? Wasn't she trying to let wildflowers bloom along the highways?

What happened?

Another Good Read…..

I've just finished The Ilusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy for my July book club. I'm glad someone suggested it - an excellent read.

Not easy to summarize, but the novel is inspired by true events and tells the interwoven stories of approximately eight different people beginning as their paths cross just prior to World War II and ending in the present. Small moments of human kindness link the characters - even though they never realize it.

And there was one passage that really grabbed me. It was referring to one specific character, a German soldier, and how he'd been conscripted into The Hitler Youth as a very young boy. "He did what they told him to do. We would have done anything they told him to do. He hid inside the pronoun we."

Hiding inside the pronoun "we"…..what a perfect way to describe an excuse for almost any behavior. The "we" provides anonymity and safety and the illusion that "everyone is doing it so it must be OK." Sometimes hiding in the we can be a good thing - an anonymous donation to the charity of your choice,  standing as one of hundreds cheering from the stands as your favorite team takes a win, joining a one-day-volunteer-event to clean up the beach. "We-ness" can be a good thing and help you feel good about being part of something bigger than yourself.

But then there's the negative side of the "we"….. the hide-in-plain-site hatred that can feed itself with today's technology and on-line support. The gang that roams city streets at night with both numbers and darkness to hide their activities.

If any of the individuals hiding in this "we" were confronted…..how many would be able to stand as an individual and defend their opinions and/or actions? Would they back down if they didn't have numbers on their side?

It was just a small passage in a novel…..but still, it made me think. Maybe that's what reading should do.

Getting Crabby……Again…..

Sometimes I'm pretty sure the newest technology and I are just not on the same wavelength. I like to use the new gadgets…..but I don't really "get" them. Am I alone in this? Is it an "age" thing?

Recent cell phone problems again tested my patience….or lack thereof. We had on-and-off coverage on our latest RV excursion out West. Not the worst of problems….but still we've gotten used to knowing that our family members can get in touch with us as we ramble along. Ah well….no emergencies while we were exploring and now we're home.

Dave and I both got new cell phones just before leaving in May….not that I wanted to get rid of my old one, but it was the "contract is up" type negotiation and "now's the time to upgrade"….etc. So now I have an IPhone. And I do use some of the apps…..but sometimes the phone also makes me feel more than clueless.

I seemed to be doing alright until last weekend. Then, all of a sudden, whenever anyone called me I could barely hear them at all. My voice going out to them was fine…..but it was as if they were whispering back to me. After some "yelling" on my part (unnecessary) they would call on the land line and we'd complete the conversation. Hanging up I'd start complaining about the stupid cell phone and why wasn't it working and what setting was wrong and so on. Dave looked at it, checked the settings….then noticed a small problem.

When we got home from our trip I changed the "Fitted Screen Protector" because my old one was scratched. I lined it up and smoothed out the air bubbles. Thought I did a pretty good job…..however, I didn't realize that the plastic protector was now covering the small "slot" at the top of the phone, the one that goes next to my ear when the calls come in. The small slot that lets me actually hear the person on the other end.

So this time it wasn't the stupid cell phone's fault. Next time….who knows?