Lost Count.....

My day starts early with a quick Fenway morning walk....usually between 6:30 ish and 7:00 a.m. Then back for coffee! The morning slows down until about 9:00 when I get that "look".

Someone starts telling me that he wants his mid-morning stroll....a little longer with more time to sniff smells, conquer trees and do other important "business" please. So off we go again. This time I steer him toward the bike path and we walk north. It's a very windy day, but once we get in the trees we are somewhat sheltered and the day is absolutely gorgeous.

I start counting monarchs, beginning their southern migration. They are floating along in a sort of random way stopping on thistles in bloom and goldenrod. I lose count at 28 when I am distracted by four flying daffodils (goldfinch!) zipping from one goldenrod bloom to another. They balance on the tip top while the breeze stirs the stems and they find seeds or whatever it is that attracts them to the plant. I spot a woodpecker, a few white cabbage butterflies, one chipmunk dashes across the path in front of us and a solitary doe is grazing up on the hillside.

We turn back toward home and I begin to notice and really listen to Mother Nature's symphony in the trees. Sheltered on the path I can see the tops of tall trees demonstrating that there is a lot of wind "up there". And each tree is making music as the wind moves through the leaves and branches. Its a peaceful background noise that is just beautiful. 

Just before home I notice a "something" growing on a vine so I grab it. At home I check my wildflower book and find it's a bur cucumber fruit. Mystery solved. I've had this little Audubon Society book since 1979 and it's well worn but has helped me identify wildflowers from all over the USA.

Once, when talking to a counselor, she made a comment that nature seemed to be very important to me. I think she was right....I know how much I love being out in it and noticing the small things. Thank you Fenway for your 9:00 look......if it's not raining we'll repeat tomorrow!

Witness.....

When I sit at the computer in our family room I can look out the window and see "our" bike path. There is always something/someone passing by. Obviously we get lots of bikers going north and south on the path....colorful helmets matching colorful garb. I often see deer walk tentatively out from the side hill, ears rotating like radar, and making their way to the bird feeder or walking up the path. Right now we may spot this years spotted fawns trailing behind mom. I spot rabbits and lots of different birds zipping here and there. Lots of wildflowers offer small pops of color as they move in the breeze.

Yesterday afternoon I was at the computer checking our bank statement. I didn't have my glasses on, but a motion caught my eye and I looked out the window.

A young man was down on one knee looking up at a young woman and holding her hand. I ran for my glasses and then out to our deck, again overlooking the path and the unexpected activity taking place. At this point the young couple were hugging....and then she was looking down at her left hand. I began to clap......they looked up and I called "Congratulations!" A wide smile from both of them and a "Thank you!" echoed back.

I witnessed an engagement! Right there on "our" bike path. I don't suppose that will ever happen again.....but who knows. Look out the window....something lovely may just surprise you.

Damp Eyes.....

I think I need to just stop watching the national news at 5:30. Tonight it was full of stories about young white men arrested for threatening to take assault weapons to try to kill lots of people.....one wanting to top the biggest kill count. And then there was 45 walking back on comments he’d made previously (no surprise). One of the most ironic was 45’s advisors on the morning news saying no tax cuts were being considered....and 45 later in the day saying exactly the opposite. How does anyone work for this man? And the high school students throwing the Nazi salute.....excuse me?

I honestly get teary just watching this....our America.....2019. We have grandchildren......their America.....god.

Bumblebee Rescue......

I was sitting in Dave's chair in the den watching TV when a slight motion off to the side caught my attention. I turned my head and saw a really big bumble bee crawling across our beige carpet. It must have flown in when the screen door to the deck was open. I got up and grabbed a couple kleenex and tried to carefully pick it up.

I walked toward the deck door and all of a sudden the bee started to buzz and move around. Startled, I dropped the kleenex on the living room floor. When I bent down and picked it up there was no bee to be found. I couldn't see it anywhere so figured it had crawled under the couch or somewhere else out of sight. Mission not accomplished.

Today, about 24 hours later, walking through the living room I spotted the carpet-cruising visitor again. It was still alive!

This time I went to the kitchen and grabbed a small plastic container and top, walked back and quickly scooped up the little guy. It only took me a few seconds to open the screen door and go out onto the deck....but Bumble was NOT happy....lots of buzzing and bumping around in that container.

I stood at the railing and lifted the top and that guy zoomed off across the parking lot. It was so fast and such fun to see it sailing through the air....disappearing in just a moment. Seeing it from the back end was really fun...a glimpse of that bee butt and wings vibrating! Hopefully it found a more natural place to live out the summer....or got back to it's hive after deciding that carpets don't offer much in the way of sustenance.

My good deed for the day....successful bumble bee rescue!

Soft......

Another beautiful first-walk-of-the-day morning with Fenway. He wanted to circle the bandstand and that means we walk along the shore for a few blocks. This morning the water was calm and very peaceful....a few gulls floating here and there. Just a slight breeze but we had the walk to ourselves.....no one else out and about yet this Sunday morning.

We missed the sunrise, but still.....a lovely soft start to our day.

This view just never gets old.

A Fascinatingly/Frightening Read.....

I stopped at our library last week and went to the "Lucky Find" shelf.....newer books that often have to be found by reserving them and waiting for weeks. There are always a few titles that catch my eye. That day I picked up Michael Lewis' The Fifth Risk. I usually stick to fiction, but this was a fast, fascinating and frightening read. It will stick with me for a long, long time.

It's too difficult to describe, but it did demonstrate to me just how very complicated our democracy is and how complex. I had no idea.....and according to the author, most Americans have no concept of how the Department of Energy works....how the Commerce Department accomplishes its goals etc.

When 45 was elected Dave and I felt some "comfort" because surely he would gather knowledgeable people for his cabinet and for all of the other government positions his administration would have to fill. But, that's not what happened.....as 45 tweeted at 9:55 PM on November 15, 2016 "Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!" (Keep in mind there are literally thousands of appointments that have to be made by any new administration.) As the author writes "By the time I arrived in Washington, the first eighth of Trump's first term was nearly complete, and his administration was still largely missing. He hadn't nominated anyone to serve as head of the Patent Office, for instance, or to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There was no Trump candidate to head the Transportation Security Administration, and no one to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2020 national census will be a massive undertaking for where there is not a moment to lose, and yet there's no Trump appointee in place to run it. 'The actual government has not really taken over,' said Max Stier. 'It's kindergarten soccer. Everyone is on the ball. No one is at their positions. But I doubt Trump sees the reality. Everywhere he goes, everything is going to be hunky-dory and nice. No one gives him the bad news.'"

Reading the book I learned so much about just what the DOE does....and the other far reaching government departments. And as I turned the pages the forecast for our future got bleaker and bleaker. The few people actually appointed to important positions had no real background that gave them any understanding of the scope of their responsibilities. The out-going Obama appointees and department heads had been instructed to spend a year putting together instruction and information manual to help the new administration with the transition (just as Bush had done when he handed the reins to Obama's people). But "Get to Know the U.S. Government had not been high on Donald Trump's to-do list, even after he learned that he'd be running it. On the Monday after the presidential election, the same thing that happened across the rest of the U.S. government happened inside the Department of Commerce: nothing. Dozens of civil servants sat all day waiting to deliver briefings that would, in the end, never be heard. They'd expected Trump's campaign organization to send in Landing Teams to learn about what was being done there, and why. The problems that had been Obama's problems were about to become Trump's problems. But his people didn't seem to want to know about them." Some of his people even threw away the briefing books that had been prepared for them.

The examples go on and on....and the jaw-dropping attitude of 45's staff/appointees is hard to describe, although the author does a very good job of trying to help the reader begin to understand just how our government works and how important it is for the leaders to grasp their duties.

And as my tension level built page by page I went back to the first chapter. The one where 45 was the candidate but not yet the President. It was Chris Christie (Governor of New Jersey) who offered to run the presidential transition team. But when he went to see Trump about it "Trump said he didn't want a presidential transition team. Why did anyone need to plan anything before he actually became president? It's legally required, said Christie." Much discussion about who would pay for this team....Trump didn't want to do it an didn't want the money to come out of his campaign funds either. So he ended up, not happily, appointing Christie to head the team and raise funds independently.  The team started to look for people to fill the top 500 jobs in the federal government. Trump paid no attention to the work being done until reading about it in the newspaper and going ballistic about the money being spent to find qualified individuals to run our government's programs. Our revered leader-to-be yelled at Christie and Steve Bannon "You're stealing my fucking money! What the fuck is this?....Fuck the law. I don't give a fuck about the law. I want my fucking money." When the two tried to explain that he couldn't have both his money and a transition he said "Shut it down." Shut down the transition team. 45 actually thought the planning was completely unnecessary and said "Chris, you and I are so smart that we can leave the victory party two hours early and do the transition ourselves."

Yep....biggliest brain would be in charge...and all would be well.

This book is fascinating, frightening and full of important information for every citizen to read and try to understand. I had no idea just how complex our government is and how very important each department is....and how far reaching. What these behind-the-scenes experts do protects all of us...each and every day. At least we used to have experts and departments on top of so many projects.

But not so much under this administration....many of the important positions are still empty. Others are held by unqualified individuals. Read the book.....please.

Slight Change in Palette.....

The green along our walk up the bike path is thicker and thicker every day.....all of the grasses, bushes and trees are in full bloom (except for the sad, dead ash trees). And while some wildflowers have come and gone, others take their place. I now enjoy a lot of pinks and purples as Fenway and I take our early morning stroll.

There's the bee balm....

....and the chicory.....

Then there is the boastful thistle....some of the plants must be six feet tall!

And the crown vetch taking over areas on the hillside.

Mother Nature's design.....the small touches....our walk never gets boring. I wonder what color highlights come next.

Spit......

Today is the last day of the Ozaukee County Fair.....a "home town" festival that's been going on for 160 years. It's at the fairgrounds in Cedarburg and attracts vendors, 4H Club member with their livestock, arts and crafts, carnival rides for the younger set, live entertainment, beer and food. It's what you would expect when going to an American county fair.

And there are booths representing various community organizations....including one big red and white tent showcasing the Republican Party and a smaller blue and white one standing up for Ozaukee Democrats.

After this horribly sad weekend in our America I felt the need to go to the fair for a quick connection with fellow Democrats and I also really wanted to stop by the Republican tent and just have a conversation....and ask some questions that trouble me more and more every day. But I was too early....the red and white tent was zipped up tight. And there was only one volunteer at the blue and white booth just preparing for the day.

So I stopped for a few minutes to talk to her....and told her I needed to feel something good and something positive and I needed to feel that change was possible. I don't know her well....but she gave me a hug and we chatted for a few minutes. She told me about how many people had stopped over the past five days with positive comments and questions and some had joined the party and others were planning to attend future meetings. But then she shared comments from two other citizens.

The woman who stopped at the booth only to spit on the concrete.

And the man who stopped to say "I wish you were all dead." Really....that's what he said.

Once again our America slapped me in the face....."I wish you were all dead." And.....spit.

She and I quietly looked around the just-opening last day of the fair and both thought.....this is another public gathering.....and we are not safe.....no one is safe in our America anymore.