One of these days, I’m sure, I’ll take our drone up on The Mountain and record my own aerial view of the landscape. For now, satellite imagery — like today’s header — will have to do. At least this shot, best I can tell, is relatively recent.
The summit is easy to pick out on the right side of the image. The foliage closer to the road is dominated by cedars, while upslope various oaks take over. Notice the deep greens down below, compared to the lighter greens, yellows and russet browns (perhaps a hint of early autumn color) up on top.
Eastern red cedar (which actually is a juniper) is an opportunist, a tenacious weed of a tree that grows (and takes hold quickly) where its deciduous cousins cannot. Oaks — whites and reds and chinkapins (or chinquapins, if you prefer) and more — are native to the region. Where the latter fell or were harvested, often cedars moved in.
What we enjoy today is a wonderful mix. Cedars thrive on the rocky bits. Oaks like deeper soil and flatter terrain. To the extent possible, I imagine we’ll encourage the oaks to re-establish and expand on The Mountain, while preserving groves of soft, fragrant, evergreen cedars.
This morning Deb had a request: “Let’s do something fun today.” Simple enough, since generally we have a good time regardless of what we’re up to. One of our favorite outings is dropping in on new-to-us merchants, and that’s what we decided to do.
A natural-foods store. (We were after raw cashews.) A hardware store (I needed 3-in-One Oil) and a builders-supply outlet (just browsing, thanks). An odd-lots store, an antiques-and-crafts mall and a pawn shop.
After that we crossed the street for a late lunch at a fried-chicken restaurant that opened just last week. The place was such a hit that it ran out of food to sell, closing for two days to re-stock.
Unfortunately, we got there today right after a grease fire shut down the kitchen for an hour. So we came back to the bus.
This is our world, my friends. This is what qualifies as “fun.”
The current occupant of the Oval Office appears to be modeling the behavior of a certain governor who, I’m glad to say, I left behind in Ohio eight months ago. Our great nation has a Whisperer-In-Chief with but one card to play — fear.
(Well, he does have another card, the Left’s most favorite gambit, but he’s still trying to figure out how he can connect race to WuFlu. I’m sure he has his best [sic] people working on that.)
I watched his speech yesterday. He displayed no vigor, no strength and no optimism — only gloom. This frail and feeble figure stood there, weaving, and threatened the The Unvaccinated with “a winter of severe illness and death.”
Entire cities and states suffering under progressive rule have joined The Great Omicron Stampede. Requiring so-called “vaccine passports” is becoming commonplace, either by public pronouncement or private panic.
None of this hysteria is grounded in “science.” It defies established medical practice, critical thought and common sense.
Its only purpose is control. We, the People, will be brought to heel.
Our betters tell us that it’s our “patriotic duty” to submit to The Jab — soon to be defined, absurdly, as one shot and three boosters — and that we’ll be miserable if we don’t, unable to participate in this “free” society. That’s a load of crap, of course.
No — our “patriotic duty” is to disobey, to shrug-off State intervention in our private medical choices. And enough Americans still believe in individual Liberty to sustain an independent culture that’ll make life and living richer than ever.
We are not descended from fearful men.
Look, I don’t care if you chose The Jab or not. That’s your business, not mine. But dammit, true Americans refuse to show papers even if they are vaxxed.
This totalitarian bullshit is over when we say it’s over.
It was over for me a long time ago. I will not comply.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB