‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.’ I think these were words uttered by Thomas Jefferson. A check and balance system is necessary for government. That means a free press. Open dissent is always important. It forces you to consider another point of view. Someone is always going to try to take your freedom away. That is a fact. That is why eternal vigilance is so important. I never forgot the ‘Pogo’ cartoon which said ‘I have met the enemy and it is me.’ Everyone has to do their part. Each person has a role in a democracy. You can’t ignore your role. One of the most important ones is your vote. It matters. Sometimes an election is won or lost by mere votes so never forget that. Exercise your freedom to vote. We have to make our politicians responsive to our needs and not let big money dictate their votes in the legislatures-state and federal. A politician fears the wrath of the public and the last thing he/she wants to lose is your vote. And they do read the letters you send them. ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.’
Tags: big money, check and balance system, democracy, do your part, election, eternal vigilance, federal, free press, freedom, freedom to vote, government, legislature, open dissent, Pogo cartoon, politicians, politics, price of freedom, state, Thomas Jefferson, your vote
Posted in balance, health, knowledge&learning, life, money, politics, time, wisdom |
I was an hundred feet away. A car in the oncoming lane flushed a deer five feet in front of it coming from his other side. It dashed into the field scared like someone or something was chasing it. I slowed down. Sometimes when a deer crosses the road there may be one or more behind it so you have to drive slowly and carefully. Not this time, though. The deer vanished quickly into the safety of the open field and woods.
Tags: deer, deer crosses the road, field, flush a deer, safety, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, local, nature, time |
She talked gently to the doe. She had backed the car ten feet. “Look”, she said. On the left only five feet in was a doe. It was standing in the tall grass munching. It did not run away. The doe stood there and my wife gently and softly whispered to her at least sixty seconds. My wife commented that the deer had hundreds of flies over her rump. The deer stood there. It did not bound into the woods. Finally we drove off and last we looked it was still in the same spot.
Tags: deer, doe, flies, my wife, talk to the deer, tall grass, wildlife, woods
Posted in animals, beauty, local, nature, time |
The hummingbird hovered over its feeder but did not feed. I thought, maybe, it was time to put out fresh nectar and clean the feeder. I did that and minutes after I put back the feeder the hummingbird was feeding on the nectar I had just prepared. I was really glad to see the bird come back.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, fresh nectar, hummingbird, hummingbird feeder
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, time |
Last night Tilla ran into the house from the furthest corner of the yard at full speed. I was thrilled. Saturday I brought him to the vet. He was not putting any weight on his left front paw. The vet gave us an anti-inflammatory pill and three pills later he was back running at full speed. The vet said the pill would work fast. And it did. He is back to running and is no longer limping.
Tags: dogs, no longer limping, pets, Tilla, vet
Posted in health, local, pets, relationships, time |
I spotted another deer at the marsh I pass from my car. It had its head down drinking the water. Every time I pass that area I look up and down the water curious each time what I may find. I do like mystery and to me the marsh is a mystery. I do not know who owns it nor what I will see if anything but I keep looking. I love surprises.
Tags: deer, drinking water, marsh, wildlife
Posted in animals, local, nature, time |
I spotted the four foot black snake from the kitchen window. He was in the middle of the lawn. I immediately made sure the coal cellar room’s door was completely (???) tightly. We have had black snakes living in that room. I checked on the snake later and it was on the ledge of the door. It wanted in. Later on it was still near the door. I felt sorry for it. My wife does not like black snakes living in her house. I did not care. But she did. The last I checked the snake was gone. I just wonder where he went.
Tags: coal cellar, four foot black snake, snake
Posted in local, nature, time |
There were two baby rabbit in a nest in our tall grass. Someone was cutting the grass and discovered the two baby rabbits. We wanted to give them a fighting chance and relocate them out side our enclosed yard but the dogs found one first and of course they killed it. Every time Sweetie, the golden retriever and her two kids went out into the yard they were tracking their scent. Pax, our fourth dog, wasn’t interested at all in the rabbits. Now I know why I spotted a cottontail once slipping into our yard at night. She had a brood to take care of.
Tags: baby rabbits, cottontail, dogs, golden retriever, mother rabbit, our yard, Pax, pets, rabbits, Sweetie, tall grass
Posted in animals, children, death, local, nature, time |
I bought into the house a white iris. It had broken off and had two other buds. The iris had a delicate fragrance and if you pull back the main petals the shapes and colors within are exquisite. I stuck the iris in an vase after I put a little water in it. Maybe the other two buds will flower. I don’t know. Sometimes to see the beauty of a flower you have to look a little harder. It is amazing the creations of God. All you have to look at is the diverse colors and shapes of the flowers in your own neighborhood.
Tags: beauty of a flower, flower buds, flowers, God, iris, the creations of God, white iris
Posted in beauty, flowers, God, knowledge&learning, local, nature |
Yesterday I saw my first snake within the yard. It was lying in the grass and I was curious what kind it was. Eventually I identified the two foot snake as the common garter snake. I went back to the spot but by then it had disappeared. I had never saw a garter snake before. I knew about them but that was it. It was my biggest discovery of the day. I keep looking out for the large black snake but I have not seen it yet. Maybe it does not live in that room anymore but I still keep my eyes open for it. It was at least four feet long.
Tags: black snake, garter snake, grass, snakes
Posted in local, nature, time |
Every morning I look out the bathroom window and see that empty robin’s nest. She built it and sat on in it for several days. There are probably eggs in it. Cats sometimes sit in that window. And that might have scared her off. She had no way of knowing the cat six feet away from her could not reach her through the screen. I just feel sad. Every morning. She has been gone over a week and I know she is not returning. I just feel sad about the whole thing and wish I could do something but there isn’t anything I can do–just stare out the window and look at the empty nest.
Tags: bird eggs, bird left her nest, bird-watching, birds, cats, empty robin's nest, pets, robin, robin's nest, sad
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, time |
We had unusual visitors to our yard: twice an indigo bunting was feeding on our bird seed I had strewn on the ground. They are a small completely bright purple bird and they do not come too often. Sometimes they come in flocks although it was only one this time that came twice. I saw a ruby throat hummingbird come to our feeder. His red throat flashed in the light. They used to come every day but now they are infrequent visitors. I love watching them. Lately grackles have been daily visitors and sometimes scare the other birds away with their aggressive nature. These are just some of the visitors we get. Of late, a chipmunk has been feeding on the birdseed. A few times I found him ten feet up on the big white pine tree. Usually you only see them on the ground but they certainly have no problem climbing. At least this one doesn’t. Every once in awhile we will get a bird I have not seen before.
Tags: bird feeding, bird seed, bird-watching, birds, bright purple bird, chipmunk, grackles, hummingbirds, indigo bunting, ruby throat hummingbird, white pine tree
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
