No Rest For The Weary

The house and the yard finally caught up with me! Planting between rain showers then mowing and more mowing. Then doctors appointments and acupuncture! Sheesh! I promised Hub no more blogging until we're caught up. The first of next week no doubt!

I'm happy to announce, however, that all three nests I've told you about have babies! Can't wait until they emerge. See you soon.

A Ray Of Sunshine

The weather has been gray, wet and chilly. I ache more and my mood reflects it. Gray. The news has been so black (no pun intended about oil) I've not felt like commenting on it. Even the birds around here are gray. Or brown. Except the occasional Meadowlark or Western Bluebird. Even they aren't as colorful as their eastern cousins.

I miss having my dear old Bacchus to dote on so I've been taking particular delight with the onslaught of baby birds. The shrubs surrounding our house have become an entire neighborhood for them. At last count I found two Blackbird nests and one Robin's all full of new borns. There was the Killdeer nest with young a few weeks back. I take my life in my hands from protective parents when I get anywhere near. Lawn mowing has become quite a challenge. But you know what? They too are, well, gray.

So imagine my delight this morning as I looked out the window to see if the rain had eased enough to check on the plants in my green house. A rustle of wings and swaying of branches in a willow and a small bird appeared. Then another. And they weren't gray! They were brilliant. They were beautiful. I rushed to the den and dug out my bird book and hurried through the pages.

Western Tanagers. Oh, how I hope they become part of the 'hood!

The Wisdom Of The Aged!

Jim Hightower's column on Grannies For Peace recently caught my attention. I read anything I see on seniors, especially women, making a difference!

In this particular case, it's a group of New Yorkers, not all women but mostly so. Not all seniors but mostly so. They range from a few in their fifties on up to their nineties. Many belong to various antiwar groups with "grannies" in their titles. Indeed, there are a lot of them all over the country. Research on the web can be a learning experience if you want it to be!

This particular group really intrigues me. They have gathered for over 330 consecutive Wednesdays, in every type of weather imaginable, to protest the Iraq and Afghanistan wars! They come while battling cancer, on their way to various appointments, on canes and walkers. They carry placards and hand out anti-war leaflets and chant "Bring our troops home - alive!" They tolerate tourists taking their pictures and commenting about "how cute" they are all because it gets the people's attention. It engages them. We should get as much from our government.

I think of the collective wisdom of this gathering of aging patriots, and patriots they are. If they feel that strongly about these wars, there's something to be said. Their wisdom comes from lives lived long. That they remain physically able to pursue their vigil week in and week out is awe inspiring; that they feel so strongly is awe inspiring, that they actually do it is awe inspiring.

How long has it been since your awe was inspired?

Those Who Can, Do; Those Who Can't, Posture

What possible good can come from the government suing BP? I'm by no means absolving them from a share of the fault for the massive leak, but they are by no means solely responsible. If the U.S. hadn't been swayed by the enviros and their faulty science the oil companies wouldn't have needed to seek deeper and deeper locations in which to drill.

If, indeed, the administration was on top of the disaster from the beginning, why didn't they make it public? Saying the Coast Guard was there isn't the same thing and they had nothing to do with what was happening on and beneath the rig anyway. Obama, I believe, was greeting the Duke Blue Devils. I don't see much difference between the way this administration has handled this issue than the way Bush handled Katrina.

Let's face it. Those taking the brunt of the responsibility and biggest financial hit is BP and those involved with them in the drilling. The blow out wasn't anticipated. What exactly happened, if short cuts and procedures were shaved, at this point is all speculation. Accidents happen. Not to lessen the impact on the natural environment and those who's livings depend on use of the sea and it's products, it hasn't been a romp in the park for BP or the industry as a whole either. Their stock has plummeted leaving scores of stockholders in the dump. Their bottom line is fractured with the cost of trying to fix the leak and then the clean up required afterwards. A law suit would only drain those resources further.

Maybe Obama is infuriated and frustrated with the time it's taking for a fix. If the emergency plan that was in place had been functional, perhaps matters wouldn't have gotten so bad. Who is to blame for the equipment needed for the plan not being in place? Certainly not BP! Give the petroleum industry, those who have the knowledge and expertise in the field, space to figure it out and get it done.

The government and the justice department would do well to just stay out of the way until the problem is resolved and the clean up finished. Plenty of time for recriminations then. Is there an oil man among them? Not Salazar. Not Napolitano. Certainly not Obama.

Right now would be a good time for the government to do what it does best. Nothing.

The Many Faces Of Patriotism

I have an acquaintance who writes a column, Front Porch, for Spokane's Spokesman Review. Today she wrote a heartfelt recollection of the show of patriotism she witnessed in the recent Armed Forces Torchlight Parade. She had the privilege of riding with five Pearl Harbor survivors. There are so few left; their stories are riveting and should never, ever be forgotten. She came away from the experience with the hope that patriotism is alive and well.

I believe it is too and signs of it go beyond people applauding and cheering veterans in parades. Considering politics has politicized patriotism to the point of labeling those who don't agree with one side or the other as unpatriotic, the people themselves are showing the truth of the matter.

Movements, be it Tea Party or otherwise, are letting the government know they are going too far in changing our America.

You see it in the number of veterans running for office.

You see it in the respect members of the military get on the street. It may not be spoken, but rather a nod of the head and a smile. It says the same thing.

You especially see it in a much more informed and passionate electorate. Don't mess with what made America great. We don't want to be like Europe. We don't want our President bowing to foreign leaders. We don't want our President blaming all that is wrong on the previous administration while duplicating those actions.

You see it in the ongoing primaries. It's time to clean house. On both sides of the aisle. It's happening. We're showing just who the patriots of this country are. It's all of us. For loving it and not leaving it. By being engaged rather than disinterested.

When kids cheer and clap and young boys doff their hats, you know it's catching on. Now if we can put in place a government that won't disappoint them with unfulfilled promises, we'll make consistent voters of them.

They are the future. If we can give that type of government to them as our legacy, we'll truly be patriots and they'll stand in good stead.

Memorial Day. A time for remembrance of the sacrifices of those who came before us and a time to remember what we must do to preserve that for which they made those sacrifices!

Fly the flag while you're at it.