Taking a Stand

I am very disillusioned these days.

There are so many places and things I am boycotting that it's getting difficult to find anything that meets my standards.

Here are a few examples:

• I haven't eaten pork, veal, lamb, wild game or shellfish for many years. I eliminated pork from my diet because of the inhumane way in which American pigs are factory farmed. The same goes for veal, which I have never eaten. Lambs are just too cute to eat. I enjoy watching wildlife, so there is no way I will consume wild game. And shellfish I simply don't like.
• I quit eating beef a couple of years ago to protest the cattle industry's war on wolves, bears, cougars and bison.
• I try to avoid palm oil because of the associated deforestation, habitat degradation and loss of habitat of orangutans, and abuses of indigenous peoples, among other reasons. To make room for oil palm plantations, native forests must be removed. Avoiding palm oil is nearly impossible, as it is found in countless store-bought products such as cookies and crackers, and it is often disguised as 'vegetable oil.'
• I won't buy farm-raised, so-called 'Atlantic' salmon.
• I'm running out of countries to visit in Africa. The government of South Africa is so corrupt that even wildlife in sanctuaries are being slaughtered. And now, Botswana, which until the election of a new government did a great job of protecting its wildlife, has decimated the anti-poaching patrols, taken away their weapons, and parked numerous vehicles due to unpaid fuel bills. The result? The murder of 87 elephants for their tusks. And I'm sure this is just the beginning. So I won't visit Botswana any more. I've already booked a trip there with three friends in 2019. That will be my final visit there. Zimbabwe is also on the no-go list due to its allowing of trophy hunting (remember Cecil the lion?) and its sales of baby elephants to China, where they languish and die.
• I won't buy anything made by or sold by the Amish, who are huge operators of puppy mills. They also are frequent abusers of other animals.
• I do my best to avoid buying anything made in China due to its abhorrent treatment of animals, the environment and for being the driving force behind the trafficking of pangolins, the slaughter of elephants for their tusks (to be made into ivory trinkets) and the decimation of rhinoceros (because of the 'magic potions' made from rhino horns). And let's not forget the killing of lions so their bones can be made into more magic potions and magic wine.
• As much as I love visiting Yellowstone (I have been there nine times in the past few years), the war on wolves supported by Montana and Wyoming has made me realize that next year's trip to the park will likely be my last.

I don't mind avoiding these items, but I wish I felt that my boycotts did anything to help the situations that concern me. If enough people stop buying beef, perhaps the cattle industry's war on wolves and wild bison would stop. But how likely is it that thousands or millions of people will give up their steaks or hamburgers? My boycott isn't likely to make any difference at all. 

I also sign petitions, some of which have tens of thousands of signatures, but again, what good does it do?

I think the sad reality is that the only good that comes from my boycotts and petitions is that it makes me feel that I am doing something to combat these wrongs. It makes me feel a bit better, but does it really make a difference? I think not.

Surviving A Stress-Filled World

I have felt unusually stressed lately.

I don't get stressed easily, but things have been piling up lately. Health issues keep me busy with doctor appointments that seem to bring continuing bad news. My house keeps having problems, mostly with the air conditioning system. I have been feeling very alone (not lonely, but alone). 

So in an attempt to regain my typical upbeat nature, I have been looking for things to get the stress under control. I am using several strategies to get myself back to normal.

I listen to classical music on the radio, which avoids most of the noisy, in-your-face commercials common to commercial radio stations.

I limit my time on social media, which these days is filled with anger-inducing stories about the current administration's efforts to further destroy the environment, kill wild animals and foment discord among the citizenry. And my news feed has so many stories of animal abuse that sometimes I just can't handle it. So I step away for a bit.

I read a lot, which is both educational and a wonderful distraction. I continue to walk a minimum of  3 miles every day. I listen to a new CD of song birds singing. And I have been keeping busy with editing the photos I took during a recent trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. There is nothing like enjoying the beauty of nature to lift my spirits.

I chose 13 images and created a wall calendar for my office. Later, I will create a second calendar with different images of nature for my kitchen. If I can't always be outside enjoying nature, I can at least look at images of some of Mother Nature's creations. Being in nature has been shown to be a mood booster. 

I 'm looking forward to a trip that will combine my two favorite things -- nature and photography -- so that should help greatly with the stress as well. Temperatures are cooling and the leaves are changing colors -- great things for outdoor photography.

A certain amount of stress is good for the body. Too much can harm our minds and our bodies. Now it's time to leash up the dogs and walk away some of my stress!

What Really Bothers Me

You know what really bothers me (among other things)?

What bothers me is when people talk about “harvesting“ animals.  We harvest crops. We harvest wheat and apples and corn. We kill animals. Animals are not harvested. Here in New Mexico, where I live, we talk about the chile harvest, and we harvest pecans. We don't talk about the elk harvest or the deer harvest. We don't hear news reports about the elk harvest or the deer harvest.

To me, using the word harvested rather than killed is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to soft-pedal the fact that animals are being killed. It implies that we own the objects of the 'harvest,' which in the case of wild animals, we certainly do not. Why do people use an agricultural term -- harvest -- when referring to the killing of animals? This objectionable term is in widespread use, not just by hunters, but also by wildlife managers and wildlife biologists. I have no idea where this term originated or how long it has been in use. But it is time to retire it to the dustbin of history. Do those who use this term really believe they can control wild animals as they control crops such as wheat and corn? Do they think the wildlife are sitting in a field like a field of wheat, just waiting to be 'harvested'? Humans control their crops. They provide water and fertilizer and pesticides. With wildlife? Not so much.

I have always found this attempt -- whether deliberate or not -- to avoid the reality of hunting and wildlife 'management' to be both fake and disingenuous. So hunters and wildlife 'managers' and biologists, it's time to own up to the fact that what you are doing is killing wildlife. Stop trying to sugarcoat it and pretend it's nothing more than sending a combine into a field to pick crops.

My Yellowstone

I am just home from my ninth trip to Yellowstone National Park. 

You might think I would get tired of going to the same place time after time, but Yellowstone never disappoints me. Each trip is different. I see different things. Sometimes I see a lot of wildlife; sometimes I see little. 

I go at different times of year (except summer, when the park is overcrowded with people and vehicles). The light is different each day. The weather is different. Animal sightings are different. No two days are the same.

This is my Yellowstone, a huge place (2.2 million acres) that includes some 500 geysers and 10,000 thermal features.

This is my Yellowstone. Close to 100 gray wolves live here. Thousands of bison and elk call this place home. Black bears, grizzly bears, cougars, bobcats and foxes live in the park. Trumpeter swans, bald eagles, golden eagles, bluebirds, red-tail hawks, beavers and mountain goats inhabit Yellowstone's lands.

This is my Yellowstone. DO NOT TAUNT THE WILDLIFE. Yes, bison, elk and other animals are wildlife. They are not domestic animals. They are not there for your entertainment. Yellowstone is their home. It is not yours. Act appropriately.

This is my Yellowstone. When the signs say to stay on the boardwalk, STAY ON THE BOARDWALK. Boardwalks are there for a reason. Stepping off a boardwalk can damage fragile soil.  It also can put your life at risk should you fall through the fragile soil. 

This is my Yellowstone. You will not walk across the fragile ground, stand at the edge of Old Faithful geyser, and urinate into it. 

This is my Yellowstone. You will not toss shoes and other items into or onto thermal features. 

This is my Yellowstone. I don’t care what other country or culture you come from. You can do as you please in your country. But while in Yellowstone, you will respect this park and obey its regulations. If you are from another country, you are a guest in this country. Act accordingly. If you are an American, act like it!

This is my Yellowstone. You will not chase after wildlife, try to pet a bison on the head, or surround any wild animal so you can take a picture with your selfie stick. 

This is my Yellowstone. I love this park. I will not stand by and watch you deface it, harass its wildlife, or damage it through your careless, self-centered behavior.

This is my Yellowstone. I will yell at you and tell you to stop what you are doing if you are breaking the rules or acting recklessly. I don’t want to hear your excuses. 

This is my Yellowstone, a park with wild animals, thermal features, beautiful rivers, mountains and fields. It is visited by more than 4 million people every year. Every visitor must treat this special place with respect, and work to preserve its beauty and resources for generations to come. 

Enjoy Yellowstone. Let it fill your heart with peace and your eyes with beauty. Discover animals and things you have never seen before. But do nothing to harm this wonderful land.

The Ugliest Person in America

Meet the ugliest person in America.

Can you guess who that might be? Who represents the antithesis of what America should, and used to, be? For me, there is only one choice.

I'm not talking about his bleached blond hair, or his need for a haircut, or his toupee. I'm not talking about his orange skin with the white rings around his eyes. I'm not talking about his flabby, obese body. I'm sure by now you know whom I am describing. I refuse to say his name. He could be drop-dead gorgeous on the outside, and he would still be ugly on the inside.

No, physical attributes aside, this is the ugliness I'm talking about.

• his lack of a soul. 
• his mean-spirited, hate-filled personality.
• his pettiness
• his vindictiveness 
• his lack of compassion 
• his misogyny
• his frequent inciting of violence against others he perceives as 'enemies.' 
• his public mocking of a disabled person. 
• his willingness to allow immigrant children to be separated from their parents and locked in cages, and to deport the parents while their children remain in cages.
• his support of white nationalist individuals and organizations
• his frequent attacks on Muslims
• his ongoing attacks on immigrants, both legal and illegal
• his ongoing attacks on any news media that don't effusively praise him, calling them "the enemy of the people"
• his refusal to honor Sen. John McCain upon his death, and his petulant act of not keeping the White House flag at half staff, until he caved to a public uproar
• his disrespect of the American military, including a soldier who died in defense of the US
• his insults toward foreign political leaders
• his sucking up to tyrants such as Putin and Kim Jong Un 
• his incessant lies (4,229 confirmed lies as of Aug. 1, 2018).
• his ongoing efforts to divide the country
• his refusal to give an annual cost of living increase to federal employees because the government 'can't afford it,' while spending more than $77 million on his weekly golf trips.
• his incessant berating of certain cabinet members and the American intelligence community
• his name calling of political leaders, members of Congress, etc.
• his incessant need for approval and adulation as evidenced by his frequent 'rallies' where his adoring followers cheer wildly
• his use of his position to enrich himself and his family, despite a Constitutional prohibition on doing so

I'm sure there are many more examples that show the ugliness of his soul. His entire administration is rife with corruption, greed and misuse of taxpayer funds. But the supreme leader wins the title of 'ugliest American' hands down.

America deserves better. America is better.