RICOCHETING COMMENTARY

Spring is coming – eventually!  California poppy lemon-colored blossoms gradually are increasing their numbers in my light brown bark covered parkway – that strip of land between the sidewalk and the street.   I was surprised to see the first couple buds several weeks ago indicative of an early spring or plant confusion – flowers adapting to climate change, I think.   One of the more typical self-seeded poppies with orange blooms also appeared this week with others to emerge.  

The hibiscus I planted last fall, defining the property line at each end of the parkway, has continued to offer a few new buds, slowly progressing to adding several additional thin filmy light-bluish blossoms. 

In Southern California we have water reserve totals barely above what is needed.   We’re looking forward to an expected rainfall – maybe a quarter to a half-inch of the wet stuff; even a little snowfall in the mountains down to 3000 feet elevation one day this coming week -- then, perhaps a bit more moisture next week.  February is normally a high rain month so we want all we can get since there wasn’t much in January.  All too soon there will be no more rain, no humidity, dryness with lots more sun and heat.

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For anyone who’s interested here’s the live cam link to the Big Bear Bald Eagles nest in the mountains east of here that I followed last year.  They’ve been keeping their two eggs viable and warm through several periodic freezing nights with expected hatching around Valentine’s Day this week.  Parents Jackie and Shadow will be challenged to keep the eaglets warm, fed and healthy.   

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My yard has been absent the tell-tale signs grub-worm-harvesting raccoons have visited overnight for several years as we went through recent drought years.  When I first noticed the raccoons handiwork, I hadn’t recognized the significance of the yard’s upturned soil, as though an aerator might have slightly lifted the soil, until the wee hours of one morning.  I was up into early hours, went outside, walked past the hedge lining the side of the garage to come upon a raccoon family obviously headed by a very large Mater or Pater all hard at work hunting and digging up my side yard.   He/she raised up, fixing a look on me that immediately convinced me to return inside my house before the masked defender charged me to protect the family between us that was closer to me.   

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There’s only so much heavy duty input I can take any more, but I am determined to stay informed and aware of all the issues we face in today’s world.   I begin to feel worn down from it all at times but resist the temptation to tune out the world – at least for no more than a few days or so to emotionally and mentally recharge.   This isn’t the time to abandon all,  just when our attention and whatever action we can take toward resolving some of these oppressive issues is most important.   If I ever lose that interest, I think it will be an indication my time has come to check out of this dimension.  

With all the news these days I take respite from reading any non-fiction books as daily life is much too real.   Biographies and fiction, I can handle – that and lots of humor for recreational reading.

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I did view most of all the Presidential Impeachment sessions and continue the same with the Democratic candidates debates seeking their party’s nomination for President.  Too bad the Republicans aren’t having a contested nominating process.  I like to view them all as someone officially unaligned with any one political party, unlike when I was younger.

I often enjoyed viewing those old political nominating conventions, despite as manipulated as they were – the voting of each state (and territories) shouting out their great state’s attributes as preface to the number of votes cast for their chosen candidate.  There was such an air of excitement with the possibility something unexpected might happen. 

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We continue ricocheting from one deplorable event to another in the chaotic environment to which we’ve been subjected for the past three plus years.   I am encouraged that there still are a few individuals in our government with the ability to discern between right and wrong, what is ethical and moral, among career government employees, military officers, legislators from both political parties (though seems few in one party). 

Unfortunately, the misguided Senate majority party is led by a Senator who may have forgotten  or simply ignored that his oath is to all the people, not primarily just the President.  He gave us a farce of a Senate “trial”(?) denying witnesses to determine if our President had abused his power and/or obstructed Congress from their Constitutional mandated duties.  The argument against having witnesses was a specious one as was that of the Senator who justified her vote by saying the President would learn from this process, presumably to correct his behavior. 

Only one of the Senate leader’s  party members courageously reported he was voting his conscience, recognizing that this President was guilty of abuse of power, denying the desired unanimous acquittal, if not impeachment. 

The President’s State of the Union message did not impress me as the words of a statesman, instead more like a show or con man, closely approximating that of a reality show.  He made so many claims of accomplishment embellished with distorted facts, other warped interpretations, but then for a man who prides himself in being mendacious I generally discount all he says until I can verify what he says with reality. 

Introduction of so many individuals and their stories who were genuinely deserving people to be appreciated for their accomplishments seemed really to just be their being exploited.  The Medal of Freedom, awarded for all the wrong reasons, trivialized the actual medal’s significance, especially when I consider all of those deserving people who have previously received it. 

The day following the Senate’s decision to not impeach this President he spoke to a Prayer Breakfast audience using words embedded with pathetic self-serving comments that seemed quite inappropriate in that setting.  Later speaking from the White House to the nation he delivered an egocentric speech, as most of his are, that reminded me very much of the kind dictators preach to their captive audiences for extended periods of time. 

Most recently we see him flexing his power by firing or removing employees from their positions.  Some might speculate these actions as being vindictive retaliations against highly respected individuals who had sworn under oath to facts contrary to his claims which, incidentally, were made by the President under no oath of any kind.   Given his propensity for prevarication we might have reason to want further confirmation as to his protestations’ reliability.  He had even resisted all efforts to provide documentation or testimony from others that could have revealed or reinforced the truth. 

I think it would not be an overstatement to say our future this election year will likely be filled with more unexpected, unimaginable, undesirable chaos than what we’ve already experienced.  So, buckle up, hang on, and enjoy the ride!