Fair Trade Winds Blowing

Dairy farmers and Co-Ops are breathing a little easier today following yesterday’s announcement that the United States will be lifting tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada and Mexico.  Mexican and Canadian retaliatory tariffs on a broad range of U.S. products, including pork, beef, bourbon and dairy will also be lifted. 

 

This opens the doors to eventual congressional approval of a new North American trade pact which is good news for America’s hard-working dairy farmers who have suffered over the last year from the loss of their two largest trading partners.     

 

The only fly in the ointment is that Friday’s ‘deal’ allows the U.S. to re-impose the tariffs if either aluminum or steel imports 'surge meaningfully' over a period of time.  What constitutes a meaningful surge is to be defined by US steel and aluminum interests – which means that at the first sign of price and/or supply competition they’ll run crying to the White House.   Translation:  Politically-managed trade. 

 

Nevertheless, all of this is progress in the right direction even though we are months and months away from congressional ratification of the USMCA.  Personally, I've been heartened over the past seven days as more and more people have spoken truth to power about tariffs.  The Truth is that Importers pay these trade taxes and the costs are virtually always paid by you and I - the consumer.  

 

One final thought – I think that Tariff Man got a little jangled by last week's market volatility.  Raising the specter of his doppelgänger - Dow Man.  And, of-course, the 2020 election. 

 

photo - ABC News

 

Have a terrific weekend!

Flower Moon

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac - we use full moon names that were used during Native American and Colonial times to help track the seasons.  This practice is traced to the Algonquin tribes who lived in the same areas as the Colonists.    

May’s full Moon is known as the Flower Moon.  It signifies the wildflowers that bloom in May.  This includes wild iris, sundrops, marsh marigold, violets and more that are found around here. 

The month of May also marked a period of increased fertility and the warming days that made it safer to bear young.  For that reason it is sometimes called the Mother’s Moon.  Other names include the Corn Planting Moon and Milk Moon. 

Fingers-crossed for clear viewing conditions tonight.

Porch Beer

 
 


Founded by hobbyists Christian Bauweraerts and Pierre Gobron the Brasserie d'Achouffe is a brewery based in Achouffe, Belgium.   

Now owned by the brewery group Duvel Moortgat it continues to brew and distribute fine Belgian beers.       

Houblon CHOUFFE is the first Belgian IPA and features both a hoppy nose but notes of grapefruit too.  At 9% ABV this IPA is strong.     
 

Click on images for a closer look

Enjoy on the sunny side of the porch…..

Friday Music

From the second album of the Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session – is this song.   

The original recording was made inside Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity on November 27, 1987, with the band circled around a single microphone.  The band was unable to rehearse with most of the guest musicians before the day of the six hour session.

Considering the method of recording and time constraints, this could have been disastrous for the numbers which required seven or more musicians, but after paying a security guard twenty-five dollars for an extra two hours of recording time, the band was able to finish, recording the final song of the session, Misguided Angel, in a single take.  -Wikipedia

Nice live performance from Toronto's Massey Hall - from one year ago.....

How To Make A Lasting Memory

Following my retirement one of my most treasured friends arranged for the shipment of three dormant and potted, Hydrangea paniculata Vanilla Strawberry™. 

They're from White Flower Farm and coincidentally match an older hydrangea that the deer munched-upon last winter.

In any event, this gift is a perfect match to the existing shrub and situated at a different corner of the house the three plants should compliment the original rather nicely.





Furthermore, with permanent residence we can mount a better defensive effort to protect them from the marauding tree-munchers.  I'll wrap them in burlap!

click on the image for a closer look

 

Jill got them planted last weekend and it is going to be rewarding to watch these flowering shrubs establish themselves and further extend the memories.  

It is going to be fun watching these shrubs grow and become established.  Not only will they bring a smile to these lips - but they'll memorialize a 38-year career and a decades-long relationship.

Raising a toast to a perfect post-script...

Feeder Photography

I have embraced an experiment using a game camera to monitor one of the bird feeders. 

It is an intriguing theoretical notion however with the birds flitting and out and about along with the breeze moving a feeder from time-to-time the motion-activation feature is working overtime.  Case in point - 444 photos in roughly two hours!

The current fix is to power-up the camera for short intervals when the lighting is optimal and the winds are calm.  That keeps the sheer volume of photos manageable and allows for better photo composition. 

Some specimen photos are included in this post. 

Since the Orioles began arriving a week ago we’ve had to open another 30 ounce jar of grape jelly.

click on images for a closer look

 

Check-in periodically for updates.

Spring Flowers

While out on our walk yesterday the girls and I encountered these lovely little flowers poking thru the detritus on the floor of the understory  along the creek. 

Meet Viola sororia, also known as the common blue violet.  I've always called these wood violets.  Others refer to this plant as the purple violet, or the meadow violet, the hooded violet and the lesbian flower.  They are quite variable in color - with these a pale shade of blue.  You cannot miss them as they stand-out against the brown litter of the forest floor.  They are striking.  And everywhere.

This plant prefers wet feet or moist woodlands and is found across Wisconsin.  There are more than six dozen variations of the plant found in north America and botanists have expediently lumped them together under one name - V. sororia.  It reproduces by means of underground runner although it is capable of producing seeds as well. 

Just like the pansies you might find growing in the kitchen garden the leaves happen to be edible so if you give them a rinse in cold water you can mix them in your salad.