What I believe I’ll remember most about this otherwise unremarkable campground is the wildlife. Specifically, there’s a colony of persistent yellow jackets that won’t leave me alone, crawling into my open can of pop and trying to nest in my beard.
Then there’s that squirrel — singular, as in one squirrel — making the rounds, stopping at each campsite to investigate, picking up and gnawing on who-knows-what before moving on to the next.
Such is our life this day. Nothing pressing, nothing terribly interesting, a good day to mind a few necessary chores and put things in order for our final run to The Ozarks.
Three driving days and a couple of two-night stops. Looks like we’ll land Tuesday afternoon.
Tomorrow we’ll see Iowa. Our southbound legs will bypass Nebraska, as it turns out. We’ll enter Missouri on Sunday — potentially perfect timing, since that’ll be the only day we’ll navigate a major urban area.
I expect we’ll be clear of those city limits before traffic begins to snarl around that night’s NFL home game. Our route takes us right by the stadium, so we’ll see how that goes.
Deb discovered that our next overnight stop is close to a point of interest that speaks to our patriotism, our love of tradition and our fondness for Americana. We hope to visit it on Saturday — stay tuned.
Whenever we’re fortunate to have a site with a cable TV hookup, I’ll watch a little Fox News. Failing that, if our MiFi is getting a strong signal, I’ll fire up YouTubeTV and stream Tucker Carlson — the smartest hour on television, in my opinion.
This week has been especially worthwhile, with Ben Domenech in the channel’s 7pm rotating-anchor slot. Domenech is another sharp voice of Reason, a guy who probably deserves a permanent gig.
Listening closely to their intelligent commentary on the Left’s relentless efforts to unmake America, the sum is clear: “We’re screwed.” Neither has gone full Howard Beale on viewers, and both (particularly Domenech) sprinkle optimism on their sobering soup, but it’s hard to listen to their take on current events and not wonder WTAF has happened to our country.
We can react in a number of ways — fear, frustration, anger, resignation. Perhaps the least sensible response is attempting compromise, hoping to appease those bent on “reimagining” America.
Reality check: These domestic enemies have unfettered power. They have unchallenged allies in media and culture. They cannot be and will not be unseated — they’re here to stay.
Don’t talk to me about 2022 or 2024. It’s too late already. America can’t be saved at the ballot box, if it can be saved at all.
We’ve reached the point of gathering and galvanizing resistance. It won’t be quick and it won’t be easy, but as Domenech (echoing Coolidge) says at the close of every broadcast,
“Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray.”
It’s time to disenthrall ourselves, as Lincoln exhorted, to dispense with the notion that we can work with those who don’t share our fundamental values of Life, Liberty, Property.
This is a moment for extremists, in the tradition of our Founders, not moderates or centrists or useless reach-across-the-aisle types. Half-measures won’t do.
We must find our People, our tribe, fellow Americans willing to stand and fight and sacrifice. We must pull together — literally, physically — and prepare to defend the fronts we build.
The time has come.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath