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If your experience is anything like mine you've likely got a couple of friends or acquaintances who are particularly aggrieved or otherwise disgruntled.  And they make a daily habit of re-posting memes on their Face Book pages reflecting their grievances over Joe Biden, Muslims, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, the Supreme Court or whatever.  I can think of four individuals in particular for whom it is a near constant effort.  It is a fixation bordering on mania.  Some days I wonder if these people have a life beyond bellyaching on social media.  

Since the beginning of this year I have endeavored to be a better person.  Not a saint, just better.  I don't have very many grievances and a relatively high tolerance for differing opinions.  Speaking if which, I have opinions too; but that's not the same as full-blown grievance.  Sure, I happen to not think very much of Mr. Trump and may post something on that subject once a week or thereabouts; if you think I'm coming-across as manic please let me know.   Other people's feigned Face Book outrage is annoying if you let it get under your skin; so it's better to scroll past.  Best policy for me is to avoid politics and religion on FB and if I have anything to say on the subject to restrict it to the Blog.  Visiting here is purely voluntary and not subject to an algorithm.  Read at your own peril. 

You won't find much cut and paste here as I place a high value on original thought and factual content.  I attempt to keep content on the blog diverse.  Anyway, as a public service and in the interest of spreading positivity on the interweb here are some very recent trail camera photos from our woods.  

This event is a dose of annual joy and always brings a smile to the lips of this old hunter.  If you don't like the appearance of spotted fawns you probably need to seek professional help and have your head examined.....

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Blooms

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), commonly known as Smooth Penstemon is a native perennial wildflower.

A member of the snapdragon family this showy native to the prairie it features tall spikes of tubular, white flowers.  Native Americans and folk-healers have made use of this plant for medicinal purposes for both people and animals.   

On our pollinator habitat this is the first species to materialize in large quantities.  And there is an abundance of this blooming beauty. Acres upon acres of the stuff.  This flower appears during late spring or early summer for about a month and then it’s gone.  

Long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, miner bees, butterflies, Sphinx moths, and hummingbirds favor this plant.  The name Beardtongue is a consequence of the hairy reproductive parts found within the flower.

Why Are Gasoline Prices Still High?

While differences in gasoline prices across states are driven largely by transportation costs and taxes, changes in gasoline prices nationwide are primarily driven by crude oil prices.

Because crude oil is traded in a global market, swings in its price impact every state similarly.  From February to March the average U.S. gasoline price rose from $2.91 to $3.64 per gallon, with crude oil accounting for roughly 76% of the increase.

The retail cost (price at the pump) typically lags changes in crude oil because oil must first be transported (by ship and pipeline), refined, transported (again) and delivered to retailers, who price fuel based largely on wholesale replacement costs rather than the spot price of crude oil.

Consequently, although crude oil price have mostly returned to pre-war levels, gasoline prices remain elevated but slowly drifting lower.

If tensions in the Middle East continue to ease it is reasonable to expect the price at the pump to continue trending downward.

Fourth of July

Here's an old photo that speaks volumes about summertime past.

All the cousins (from that year) sitting on the back stoop of the house I grew-up in.  Probably 1960 or thereabouts.  Those were the days of free-range children.  Most of us are brown as berries - evidence of long hours out of doors.  I'm the shirtless one with the shaved head in the middle.

Might have even been the Fourth of July.  Since this predated Weber kettle grills propane gas technology and a dedication to BBQ cuisine there might have been burnt chicken or wieners involved.  And the adults would be drinking frosty Gettleman from a pony keg. 

Good times.

Raise an ice cream cone to Independence Day today!

Summer Blooms

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckis hirta), a very popular native wildflower found in pollinator habitat, butterfly gardens and household flower beds.  

This plant is characterized by bright yellow, daisy-like florets surrounding a dark brown or black center cone.  This plant loves full sun and will thrive in various soil types.  They are excellent for attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies and will bloom the first year its seeds germinate. 

Friday Music

We have a birthday to celebrate tomorrow.  Our nation's Semiquincentennial - ordinarily known as a 250th anniversary.  A nation conceived and born of rebellion.

Yup, rebellion.  We are a nation birthed of armed insurrection against imperial rule.          

The revolution against King George III broke out in April 1775 with a handful of colonists who were willing to fight for absolute independence from Great Britain and the imposition of colonial rule.  They were considered radicals.          

By the time 1776 rolled-around many more colonists had begun to chafe-against their subjugation under British rule and warmed to the idea of independence.  The writings of Thomas Paine early in the year fed the growing hostility against Britain and helped to spread revolutionary fervor.            

The colonies legally separated from Great Britain on July 2, 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed earlier in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.  Following the vote, Congress redirected its attentions to the drafting of an explanation of this decision.  Written by a committee of five - with Thomas Jefferson as the principal author - this Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4.              

Independence Day - also referred to as the 4th of July - is a federal holiday memorializing the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.          

Raising a toast to rebellion against imperial rule and future return of a Congress with cojones.  

 

Pro Tip:  Want to learn more about the American Revolution?  Look to the labels feature on the left-hand side of the blog homepage and click on The Road To Independence.  You'll be redirected to a short selection of posts published in the last year. 

 

On This Day In History

On July 2,1982, Larry Walters, a 33-year-old truck driver from San Pedro, California, redefined the meaning of homemade adventure. From his backyard, Larry tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to a lawn chair, packed a parachute, a CB radio, sandwiches, beer, and a pellet gun—and took off into the sky. His plan was simple, if wildly optimistic: to gently float a few hundred meters above his neighborhood, enjoy the view, and then use the pellet gun to gradually pop the balloons and descend.

But things didn’t go as planned. Larry shot up rapidly, reaching an astonishing altitude of 4,900 meters (over 16,000 feet), unintentionally entering the controlled airspace of Los Angeles International Airport. Commercial pilots began reporting a man in a lawn chair floating near their flight paths, and air traffic control was thrown into disbelief. Eventually, Larry drifted into power lines, causing a blackout in parts of Long Beach. Miraculously, he landed safely and was immediately arrested by the Long Beach Police Department.

Despite the chaos, Larry Walters became an instant folk hero. His story made headlines worldwide, he appeared on Late Night With David Letterman, and his now-legendary lawn chair was later displayed in the Smithsonian. Though his flight was illegal and dangerous, Larry captured the imagination of millions—a symbol of daring, eccentricity, and the kind of wild dream only someone with enough courage—or enough curiosity—would actually try to live.

 

Later in life he later broke up with his girlfriend of 15 years and could only find work sporadically as a security guard.  On October 6, 1993, at the age of 44, Walters died by suicide.