Red, White or Blue?

The catch up work is on hold. The weather is just not cooperating. Plus I had a birthday thrown in so Hub has given me a reprieve on my hiatus from blogging!

We met some good friends in south central Washington for a couple of days of wine tasting. Some of the wineries have a concept that is relatively new, in my context, and eminently workable. Little "villages" with a cluster of a half dozen or so wineries all within walking distance. It was great. We tasted wines we'd probably have by passed had we been driving from winery to winery - as we did in some areas. We found some real treasures in so doing.

It was quite nice to have a drizzly week day. Not many people were out and about so the servers had ample time to tell us about their wines. Being on meds I kept my tasting to nothing more than small sips but it was enough to give a thumbs up or down. And to get relaxed enough to join in laughter and camaraderie that is typical. It was just a lot of fun.

Maybe the best part for me, with limited ability to consume, was the number of tasting rooms that had dogs as greeters. It was funny, but I was the first each and every one came to as we entered. I guess they sensed I needed a "doggy fix" more than I needed a taste! They were right.

We tasted some great reds and whites and the pups sure chased away my blues!

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.