Principle or Delusion
I have thought for some time that contemporary Republicans were revolutionaries. That they had hijacked government in a furtherance of an agenda, not in the interests of the country.
I talked with someone today who is on the staff of a fairly well known right-wing think tank. He says the economy needs a “major correction” [...]
They’re Planting Oak Trees!
The house I live in is on the side of a steep hill. And I frequently see neighbors walking up and down the street in front of the house. Great exercise. If I do not recognize the walker(s) from prior days, I’ll often pull out one of my standard lines, “They made it steeper this [...]
September Salad
If you do not regularly eat well, and you want to change that, start a garden. Because I began this year planning to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, I did not plan the garden for food supply for me. I planned it so that a friend might find it relatively easy to maintain. Poor planning [...]
The Garlic Is In the Ground
Chesnok red, German porcelain. Great names, eh? I spent about a week preparing bed 2 so that I could plant garlic, leeks, and onions. The soil must be in good shape, as some of these will be in the ground for almost a year.
I double-dug the bed, provided the finest fertilizers, and watered the soil [...]
I Am a Poor Man
Very poor. I’m okay with that. The reason I wrote that I am poor is to give emphasis to what I am about to write. I just donated money to the Obama campaign. Not much. But I am more concerned about this election today than I have been in the past. Senator McCain’s decision not [...]
I Have a Friend
I have a friend who keeps a copy of Rumi’s poetry beside him, wherever he is. In his car, anywhere. And when he has a spare moment, he fills the moment with timeless poetry. He is a friend who knows what is important. He arises early to walk. And then takes his daughters to school. [...]
Bountiful
Turning the soil. Preparing garden beds for winter crops. Harvesting fruit and vegetables. September in Oakland, California.
A comice pear
I pulled almost two bushels of pears off the tree just below my deck. Pruned the tree and gave it a soak. Pulled out the zucchini a bit early, as it was infested with powdery mildew. The [...]
Some of my Best Friends Are Republicans
My brother was a Republican. A friend and administrator for Senator John Tower, one time chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His wife worked in the west wing of the White House for Anne Armstrong and had a few tales about the Watergate scandal. Their son, Justin, is a proud Texas Republican and sent [...]
Alpenglow in the Garden
From our vantage on our hill, the sun sets over the Marin Headlands this time of year, flooding the house and garden with that magic orange light.
My brother experienced an epiphany today. He will be fifty-eight years old in November. Today was his first to wake up in Yosemite National Park. He awoke with a [...]
Morning Prayer
If ever you want to see the face of ecstasy, get a copy of the video of the Berlin Philharmonic playing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony under the baton of Claudio Abbado. Just imagine standing in front of a large audience. In front of a world-renowned symphony. And conducting Beethoven. It is one of the great things [...]