i had not     known of stans passing till just an hour ago,,,,,,,, i had called him and the wife answerd
and told me of his passing /  i had not known  we used to talk here and there.
i have so few friends in this world and he was one of them. i'll really miss him.
thank god at least he went peacefully. RIP buddy
                                                               hayshaker

Thanks for letting me know.....I'll get on it.

 Stan will be sorely missed, condolences to his family, and his friends.

So sorry to hear this.  RIP Stan.

The first Red Flag fire warning notices are out for this weekend in my part of the SW about 2 months early. We have fire season just like we have "monsoon seasons" ( they're not). Humidity is low, winds are high, winter moisture sparse except in the high mountains and it's all pretty early again.

Interesting times indeed. The past couple or three decades have been difficult for Citizens who love the outdoors in the SW like most of us do. Was going to burn out an old cast iron bean pot today but that'll have to wait. Don't know how long though.

This is my favorite part of our nation and I'll get by but can't say I'm not concerned. And I'm concerned about more than the obvious Climate changes and our contributions to them.

 I've been fortunate to travel a bit and live abroad a few times over the years. One  thing I learned is most people most of the time are pretty reasonable.  Ive been in every state in our nation. Most traveling on two wheels following black lines on the road maps. Even became a self proclaimed authority on the Breakfast Special.

While most Citizens seemed fair and open Ive also seen what effect fear can have on people and how they can react.

The questions  that keep coming up for me are both basic to Climate issues and broader in implication. They have more to do with fear I think.


Fear is a natural and necessary response. When considered appropriately it is beneficial. Otherwise fear engenders hatred and violence.

At one time I led troops in combat as an NCO in a Light Infantry Unit. The first exposure to combat usually resulted in fear and confusion. Reliance on training and each other helped make troops effective. The second exposure to combat was less disorienting. Reliance on training had been tested and reliance on each other was more prominent.  The third time was when the tale was told. By then the situation was understood and it was through disassociating from fear coupled with reliance on each other that was paramount. The training was always there but the situation was unequivocal. The s*** was REAL. It is a lesson never forgotten  Ever.
Those who don't share that experience please consider yourselves fortunate

This isn't going where I started but let me ask -  When did we become so fearful? When did we accept notions like " alternative facts" or have to rely on conspiracy tales? When did we decide political partisanship was better than co operation? When did we learn to hate our nation and fellow Citizens? When did we decide reality is too much to bear? When did we decide to kill each other or burn the house down if we can't decide where the furniture is placed? 

When did we decide to surrender to fear? When did we decide the responsibilities of Citizenship were too tough for us?

Historically our nation has been unique in many ways. Not perfect certainly, but at least we were trying to make progress. And we did make progress. A lot in some cases. And yes, there is more to be done.

i understand why people are afraid and where that fear can lead. But there is a choice.

On the one hand we can choose as Livy said of his time: "We can neither endure our vices nor endure the remedies needed to cure them"

Or we can choose to rely on each other and accomplish the mission of fulfilling the promise nation to leave a better future for those who follow

Seems obvious.

Doesn't it?