A Winter Getaway

This year, rather than spending Christmas alone with my dogs, I spent it in Italy.

What a great decision this was! The weather was pleasant (in the 50s). The food was excellent. I learned how much better real Italian food is than the stuff that passes for Italian in the U.S. I met a bunch of really nice people. I fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum, and I got to explore other interesting places as well, including the island of Capri. I was amazed to see how women of all ages in Sorrento dress. Regardless of what was going on, they were dressed in a very classy manner. And I got to experience Christmas through the eyes of the Italians of Sorrento. I always enjoy exploring local grocery stores, and I was pleased to find a store frequented by the local population just a 5-minute walk from my hotel. After a big lunch on a couple of days, a few of us enjoyed some tasty gelato for dinner -- two scoops filled me up and kept my stomach happy until breakfast.

I didn't watch any television for nine days, which was a wonderful break from the pre-Christmas barrage of endless commercials for 'the perfect gift.'. Although this was not a photography trip, I carried one of my cameras with me everywhere I went. I photographed the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, both destroyed in a massive eruption of Mount Vessuvius in the year AD 79.

Next year I plan to spend Christmas in Rome, and it looks as if two of the women I met during this year's trip to Sorrento also will be on that trip. It will be nice to see a couple of familiar faces again.

I have previously taken winter getaways to someplace warm -- Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua -- and I hope to continue this tradition of a winter getaway to somewhere warmer than where I live now. These trips to other countries also provide a welcome relief from the endless ads and commercials pushing people to buy, buy and buy some more. And of course, escaping the cold weather for a bit is always a welcome change.

Getting away from not only the cold weather, but also the winter blahs and a fairly boring routine, is very important for me. I am so grateful that I can take these little breaks, and I look forward to more winter getaways in the future.

Writing Your Story

Today is the last day of 2022.

Tomorrow starts a new year ... a new calendar, a brand new 365 days and a new12 months. I know it will bring new opportunities and some new challenges. Every year does.

And no matter what we hope to accomplish, or where we hope to go, we cannot control everything in our lives. I have been trying to lose the same amount of weight for several years. I keep trying to get better control of my temper, and to become more patient. I will try to embrace the fact that my body wakes up very early in the morning, and take advantage of the quiet time to be more productive. I don't make resolutions for the new year. Why set myself up for failure?

But every year I do pledge to myself that I will try to do better. I will try to eat better. I will continue to exercise every day. I will work on improving my photography skills. I will spend more time with my dogs. I will try to focus on the positive and minimize the negative. 

Tomorrow each of will be given a very special gift -- a new book with 365 blank pages. As a writer and as a photographer, I know that some days the words just don't come. Some days, the inspiration simply doesn't show up. And that's OK. As long as what we write is reflective of our true selves, and what we photograph reflects our vision of the world, it's all good. 

Each of us has a unique story to tell. We get but one blank page every day. What story will you write in your book? What story will you read on Dec. 31, 2023?

Goodbye 2022

As this year draws to a close, I want to look back and see where readers of this blog live. 

In 2022, readers came from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Vietnam, and of course, the United States.

I appreciate all these readers, regardless of where they live. It is gratifying to know that my blog reaches people around the world. I welcome comments and feedback from everyone.

This has been a year full of adventure and travels to places I had not visited previously: Scotland, Greece, Italy and Namibia. I returned to Alaska for a couple of weeks with a friend. I have managed to remain covid-free and hope to continue this pattern. I enjoyed a visit from my daughter and infant grandson, as well as from my sister. So this year included both travel and hosting of family members.

It was a good year overall.

Here's hoping that 2023 brings us all a year of peace, health, happiness and prosperity. And let's all offer prayers for an end to the brutal and uncalled for war in Ukraine.

Finding Joy

Where do you find your gratitude?

Where do you you find your joy?

It’s sad to say, but I think far too many people these days have stopped looking for gratitude and personal joy. Or they believe that joy comes from living in a big house or from driving a fancy car or from having a huge amount of money..

I'm old enough to realize that none of those things is correct, at least not for me. I have often said that if I won the lottery (which I never will because I don't play), I might by myself a new car, but I would keep the house I have owned for more than 12 years. I have m ore than enough space in the house, I really like its design, and I have wonderful views of the mountains.

No, I would help my adult daughter and her infant son with expenses. I would buy her a better car. And I would make some big donations to my favorite charities. I might spring for first-class seats on my flights to other countries. And that would be it.

My joy comes from helping others. One of our local television stations has featured a couple of local charities during its evening news this year. First was the food bank that serves the entire state. Last night's news featured a student clothing bank that provided shoes and clothing to needy students. The director noted that one thing they really need is new underwear for boys and girls of all ages. The group's web site lists items in great demand, including toothpaste and shampoo.

Imagine not having enough underwear -- or any underwear at all. That is a basic necessity for people in this country. I mean, I put on a fresh pair of underwear every morning after I get up, or every evening after I shower. I do this without thinking about it. It's part of my hygiene routine. The same is true of brushing my teeth.

While looking at the organization's Amazon wish list, I had tears in my eyes. Such basics as deodorant, shampoo, combs and other essentials are in great need. Clothing of all kinds -- sweatshirts, socks, jeans among others -- are on the list. And of course, there is a real need for winter clothing.

Winter is a dark season for me. I hate the cold. I hate the short hours of sunlight. And I really hate knowing that our very wealthy country has so many people in dire need. 

People are struggling. And it's not just people in poor countries. People in our country are struggling to buy groceries, to get and pay for medical care, to heat their homes during this cold winter. There is no joy there. It saddens me, and it makes me angry.

I so so grateful for the organizations and individuals who are stepping up to make a difference. Our local ABC television station holds and annual coat drive to collect new or gently used winter coats for students. It also takes donations from viewers and purchases as many new coats as possible. Our local NBC affiliate features non-profit organizations such as the clothing bank and the food bank to raise awareness and funds.

My joy comes from knowing there are organizations working to help those in need. It comes from being able to help in some small way by donating money and food. It comes from helping to spread awareness. Still, it's hard to find joy when so many of my fellow residents are struggling.

I also find joy in my dogs, in my photography and in being able to travel. I love to read, and that also brings me joy.

So stop waiting to be happy. Take pleasure in the little things: a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a warm home, a nice meal on the table, lunch with a friend. Surround yourself with positive people. Distance yourself with those who want to bring you down and who have nothing but negative energy. Take care of your body and your mind.

Don't wait for joy to find you. Go our and find your own joy. You don't have to have a lot of money. You can find joy in helping others by visiting a lonely person. Bake cookies for a neighbor. Give someone a ride to the grocery store. Rake someone's leaves. 

Find whatever makes you happy, and go after it!

One of These Days

I’ve decided that one of these days I’m going to take a day, probably a cold, dreary and rainy or snowy day, and do nothing. 

I won’t get dressed, choosing to stay in my pajamas and bathrobe for the day. I won’t walk my dogs. I won’t exercise myself. And I will do whatever I feel like doing, which is most likely spending the day reading, with a bit of television thrown in. Maybe I will listen to music. I will probably turn off my phone and avoid my computer. Maybe I will make some soup or a pot of chili.

I wish there were a way to turn off my brain, to put it into neutral for a day or at least for a few hours. 

I read something recently that said autumn is the season to rest. Plants go dormant. Animals get ready to hibernate. The world takes it easy as it prepares for the long, cold, dark winter ahead. 

Humans have lost the ability or the willingness to take it easy. Autumn in the US is filled with holidays -- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas and New Year -- that keep us busy.  The concept of slowing down and resting seems to elude many of us. There is always so much to do: calls to return, e-mails to read, houses to clean, errands to run, dogs to walk.

Last evening, I made a point of slowing down a bit. I made some wonderful almons shortbread. I then enjoyed some of my creation along with a cup of hot tea.

Monday and Tuesday this week are supposed to be very cold and windy, with a good chance of a 'winter mix' of rain and snow. That sounds like the perfect day to stay home with my dogs.

I think we would be well served to again listen to the rhythms of Nature. We should try to recapture the rhythms of our bodies and the world around us. These rhythms served our species well for hundreds of thousands of years. 

Maybe it's time to listen to our bodies again, to let our bodies and our minds rest.

Donor Fatigue Is Real

 Some call it donor fatigue.

I'm sure there are other names for the phenomenon, and there undoubtedly is some psychological explanation. But for me, donor fatigue is a result of never-ending appeals for money.

I donate a lot of money each year to roughly a dozen charities. I won't donate to any charity to which I have not previously donated because I don't want my personal information sold to still more organizations that will bombard me with appeals for donations. And I don’t want or need calendars, note cards or address labels. 

Some of my donor fatigue comes from the organizations themselves. Example 1: I donated a small amount of money 25+ years ago in response to a natural disaster in Pakistan. All these years later, Mercy Corps continues to send regular appeals for money in response to some emergency or other. The same goes for the Sierra Club.

Example 2: Yellowstone Forever, a group that raises funds in support of Yellowstone National Park, earlier this year sent an appeal for donations that included not one, but two, donation forms, along with a letter asking me to send money in both April and May. 

Example 3: The Albuquerque Rescue Mission, which serves the city's large homeless population, sent me appeals for money repeatedly, despite my numerous requests to stop. I hate seeing non-profits waste donor money on repeated appeals to people who don't want to donate to their organization.

Example 4: GoFundMe campaigns that show up too often in my Facebook newsfeed. Some are legitimate, but some are ridiculous. For example, the high school student seeking donations for a mission trip to Central America so she could proselytize her religion to the residents.

Yes, donor fatigue is real. Every time I sign a petition I am asked to ‘chip in’ to cover the cost of the online petition. The same goes for online donations to charities. Not only am I asked to make a donation, but I also am asked to make an additional donation to cover costs. Please, let me pay you to take my money.

And now, with rampant inflation resulting in fewer donations to non-profits, the demand — and need — for donations is greater than ever. I understand that, but how many people are financially able to respond to each request with another donation? And like everyone else, I, too, am impacted by the high cost of groceries and other commodities and services. 

I also am well aware of the fundraising trick that involves listing the first amount on the reply form so it's larger than the previous donation. So if I donated $50, the amounts on the subsequent form will start at $100. After I donated $500 to the local Meals on Wheels chapter, the next appeal wanted me to donated $1500 'or more.'

What all of this amounts to is frustration and annoyance. I still donate to my favorite charities, of course, and maybe the constant requests for still more donations is a successful way of raising funds. But in the case of Mercy Corps and the Sierra Club, I don't even open the envelopes. They go directly into the recycling bin.

It may be the season of giving, but for the majority of us, there is a limit to how much we can give. So please don't take us for granted, and stop bombarding us with requests for still more money.

Bah Humbug!

I’m not sure why, but this year I have a distaste for all things Christmas.

I haven’t given it a lot of thought, but I suspect there are a couple of causes. Christmas starts earlier and earlier and earlier every year. Some radio stations begin playing Christmas music in October. I have seen Christmas displays in local stores as early as August. Businesses start airing Christmas-themed commercials earlier every year. Even if they aren’t overtly promoting wares for Christmas, they are clearly Christmas-themed. The only time of year I ever see commercials for jewelry stores or people surprising their significant others with SUVs, luxury cars, perfume or aftershave or my favorite, Chia Pets, is the Christmas holidays.

And of course the nonprofits began their high-pressure begging for money earlier in the year as well. I don’t know how many 'year end fund appeals' I have received in the mail so far. I donate a lot to a variety of charities throughout the year, not just at Christmas. The need is year-round, so that's when I donate. I try to make a donation to one charity every month.

Everything about Christmas these days is so commercialized. It’s all about buying lots of gifts, whether people can afford them. I have written previously about the search for “the perfect gift.” How much money people spend on Christmas is, of course, none of my business. People will do what people will do. But I’m tired of the constant pressure to get people to buy, buy, buy.

Christmas is great for kids. They are so excited to get a visit from Santa, and to wake up extra early on Christmas day to discover their gifts under the tree. But for adults, the holidays can be a time of great stress, financial and otherwise. And the expectations are so high. Unlike the happy, laughing families depicted in ads and commercials, many families simply are not like that. Maybe they are missing loved ones, or just maybe the families are dysfunction. But the expectation is there for a perfect family gathering, complete with piles of gifts and tables laden with food.

The whole thing seems so hypocritical. Christmas began as a celebration of the birth of the Christian savior. It has become a race to get the best deal or to snag this year's must-have gift. 

I used to do a lot of baking for Christmas, everything from several kinds of cookies to a 3-pound batch of fudge. Then when I retired and didn't have anyone with whom to share the goodies -- and the calories -- I cut back on the number of cooky types I baked. My daughter doesn't care for fudge, so I stopped making it. The last couple of years I did no holiday baking at all.

I also have stopped decorating my house for Christmas. I gave my big artificial tree to a local domestic violence shelter, along with a couple bags of ornaments and several strings of lights. 

I have close to 50 Christmas CDs, which I always enjoyed listening to. This year I have no desire to listen to holiday music.

So I guess the Grinch has taken over my house this year.

I would like to see more emphasis on the act of giving to others in ways that don't cause financial strain on families, and that take us closer to what the holidays were originally meant to be. And not everyone celebrates Christmas. It is, after all, a Christian holiday. People of other religions -- Jews, Hindus, Muslims and others -- must feel totally awash. I mean, how often do you see commercials advertising 'the perfect gift' for a Jewish person during Hanukkah? 

I was in Costa Rica several years ago just before Christmas. The mall I visited was not awash with decorated trees, huge 'sale' signs and Santa Claus representations. My hotel had a single indication that it was almost Christmas -- a Nativity scene. We had dinner one night at the home of a local family, who house had a couple of religious scenes and a tree set up, but nothing more.

How about we get back to treating the December holidays as a time to celebrate by being kind and generous? 

Chasing 'the Perfect Gift'

 And so it begins .. 'Black Friday' and the mad dash for 'the perfect gift.'

I wonder how many billions of dollars will be spent on 'the perfect gift' this year. Prices for everything are sky high. People are struggling to afford life's necessities. Yet I have already seen a commercial in which the smiling wife gives her husband a big SUV, while he gives her a large puppy.

Advertisers have been touting 'Black Friday month' for a while. I get it. Businesses are scared they might not get enough sales due to the fragile economy this year. Too many people are struggling just to get by. I would hope that people are not tempted to spend money on things they can't afford. Sadly, each year people max out their credit cards during the holidays. I simply mute the commercials, or more likely, fast forward through them as I watch very little live television.

I found a perfect gift for myself yesterday. I 'adopted' a baby elephant in a sanctuary in northern Kenya. For a mere $50, I will help support this orphan for a full year. (Each orphan has multiple sponsors). I love elephants, so it made perfect sense to add this little female elephant to my 'herd' of three others sponsored through another Kenyan elephant sanctuary.

I made an early morning trip to the grocery store today. I was surprised by my visceral disgust when I spotted the first pile of supposedly Christmas-themed items  I have no idea what kinds of things were in the pile, but it was clearly meant to be a pile of stuff for Christmas. The leftovers from yesterday's Thanksgiving feast have barely been put away, and already we are being confronted by Christmas. Three satellite radio stations started playing holiday music in October! Some stores start setting out Christmas trees and other holiday decorations in August. 

Maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon. But I would like to see the Christmas season be a time of religious reflection for those so inclined, and a time for everyone to reach out to the less fortunate, to show kindness and generosity to others, and to focus far less on the endless search for 'the perfect gift.' When I was a child, my siblings and I would ask our cousins and friends "What did you get for Christmas?" Bragging about our haul of gifts was what we did. 

I would like to believe that we have outgrown that emphasis on what we get, and replace it with an emphasis on what we can give. But I don't believe we have. The push to buy and spend is as powerful as ever.

I enjoy buying things for friends and family, but only if I can think of something I know they will enjoy. I won't buy something out of a sense of obligation. This year, I am making personalized photo wall calendars for three friends who enjoy my photography. They don't expect me to do this, but it is something I enjoy and I know they will find pleasure in the calendars for the next 12 months.

What if rather than the endless search for "the perfect gift," we create something truly personal? Put your creative talents to work by making a painting, knitting or crocheting something, baking a tasty treat, giving a homemade jam or cookies or something else not mass-produced.

We can do better.

Thanksgiving 2022

It's a few days before Thanksgiving, and a good time to pause and consider all for which I am thankful.

I

It's easy while living our comfortable lives to overlook the many blessings we have. So much of the world's population isn't nearly as fortunate.

This year has been a pretty good one for me. I got to travel again after getting fully vaccinated against the covid virus and after a year of reduced travel due to the pandemic. I had a fourth (and hopefully final) surgery to remove kidney stones. After one of my dogs -- the young one -- tripped me and I did a face plant on the dirt road that knocked loose the artificial lens in one eye -- I was able to get a new lens implanted by an amazing eye surgeon.

I traveled to Scotland to visit a friend in Edinburgh for a week, and a mutual friend from England joined us for a few days. I fulfilled a long-held dream of vising Greece and Namibia. My Scottish friend and I traveled to Alaska for more than 2 weeks, exploring much of that vast state. Another dream trip to Pompeii will wrap up the year's travels.

I am so grateful for the urologist who continues to monitor my kidney health and who performed my most recent kidney stone surgery.

I am grateful for my friend who continues to provide transportation home after surgery and after trips to the retina specialist when my. eyes are dilated.

I am thankful for my retina specialist, who is a skilled and kind man, and I am so grateful to have him in my corner.  And I am extremely thankful that my eyes are still good enough to allow me to follow my passion of wildlife and landscape photography. I also am grateful for the ophthalmologist who completed a lengthy and complex surgery to replace the lens in one eye. I am so fortunate that after a face-down fall that knocked me unconscious for a few seconds (thanks to an exuberant puppy) didn't cause any more serious damage.

I am grateful for my good health and for being able to walk 4 miles every day. When so many my age face serious and debilitating health problems, I am still active and healthy. I don't need a walker or a cane, and I don't need supplemental oxygen as do so many. My aging body can't do all the things it used to do, but I am so grateful that I can continue to live independently and retain my mobility. As I get older and a variety of aches and pains (osteoarthritis and bursitis) afflict me, I am so appreciative that these are the only afflictions that bother me.

I am thankful that my daughter is doing well as a new mother, and that her baby son is healthy and happy.

I am grateful that my sister visited me in New Mexico. I also am grateful that my daughter and grandson came to visit for my birthday this year.

As the weather turns cold, I am grateful for my wonderful, warm house with its beautiful views of the mountains. I am grateful for my two dogs that keep me on my toes every day and love me beyond words.  

Unlike so many, I have more than enough to eat, I have warm clothes, a reliable car and good health insurance. I have money to cover any emergencies that pop up. This more than most is very difficult due to the high price of groceries, fuel and just about everything else.

And I am grateful that I have both the means and the desire to help feed those in need through World Central Kitchen, Roadrunner Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

I am grateful to live in a free country where people are allowed to vote without fear of repercussions, although the recent spate of laws designed to suppress the vote of millions of people concerns me greatly. I value our ability to peacefully protest. I am grateful for the members of our military who keep us safe and free, and for the first responders who daily risk their lives in service to others. I am particularly grateful for the nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians and other medical staff who care for us.

I will prepare a sort of Thanksgiving meal this year for the first time in a few years. I have bought a turkey, (at a price I couldn't refuse), and although I will dine alone, I will enjoy a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving meal. I won't make mashed potatoes or have dessert or cranberries, but the essence of the meal will be there.  And the reason for the meal will be present.

I am grateful for the fierce determination and sacrifices of the people of Ukraine who continue to fight against the invading Russians.

I will spend a quiet day at home, knowing I have plenty to eat and thinking about the many blessings in my life. Because in the end, regardless of our troubles, we in this country still do have much for which to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. And remember, Thanksgiving shouldn't be merely a day that comes once a year. We should be thankful for our bounty every day.

Life Isn't Fun

Life isn't fun anymore.

I used to tell my young daughter, when she would complain that she was bored and that her life wasn't fun, that life in general isn't fun. People have obligations and responsibilities, whether they are at work or in school. Our lives are generally pretty mundane. We get up each morning, go to school or to work, come home, watch television, go to bed, and get up the next morning to do it all over again. And somewhere in there, we find time to shop, cook, do laundry and take care of our families, our pets and our houses.

I have been retired for more than a decade, so I don't to to school or to work each day. I still have responsibilities, of course, but I am free of the daily 9 to 5 drudgery. Still, my life isn't fun.

I do have fun, of course. Travel is the biggest source of fun in my life. And photography is fun. I enjoy reading and learning new things. But recently, the world in which I live is decidedly not a fun place to be.

Think about it. Climate change is wreaking havoc on the country, with record wildfires. States were devastated by massive hurricanes. Several states in the south and along the eastern seaboard faced massive flooding and loss of life. This country's northeast has been hammered by record-breaking snowfall. Immigrants from Central America and Haiti continue to flood our southern border, the result being an overwhelmed border patrol. People and wildlife in northern Kenya struggle to survive terrible drought.

Millions of Americans refuse to get jobs despite there being millions of positions available, many of which offer low pay. I watch each day as Russia bombs parts of Ukraine into oblivion, bombing schools, hospitals and places where civilians are taking shelter. They are unable to win through military might, so they now are targeting electric and water infrastructure.

White nationalism, encouraged by the acquittal of a punk 18-year-old who fatally shot and killed two men and wounded a third after claiming self-defense, has only encouraged the extreme far right to ramp up its attacks on our nation and on our freedoms.

I believe this nation is at a crossroads that will determine whether we continue to live in a free, democratic nation, or whether we become just another racist, fascist country. Republicans are hard at work passing bills to make it more difficult to vote, all while claiming they want to protect against non-existent voter fraud. Attacks on women's reproductive rights are already happening. The Republican clan in the US Senate refuses to support the president's legislation that would help the poor and middle classes, claiming the bill would add too much to the federal deficit. Of course, these same officials had no problems with adding to the deficit when they cut taxes on corporations and billionaires.

I thought that once the former occupant of the Oval Office lost the election, we would get a reprieve from the daily rantings and obstructionism of the Rethuglican party. 

I couldn't have been more wrong.

So no, this adult, intelligent, caring retiree definitely agrees that life isn't fun.

If I Were A Bear ...

I want to be a bear. 

That’s right, a bear. And I don’t care what kind of bear.

I could be a grizzly bear. I could be a black bear. I could be a polar bear. As long as I could hibernate, I would be happy.

If I were a bear, I could stuff my face with all the calories I could get in the late summer and fall in preparation for hibernation. Then I would crawl into a cozy den and sleep throughout the winter. I hate winter, so the thought of being warm and cozy in a den as the temperatures dropped would be wonderful. I would burn stored body fat to keep myself alive during the long, cold and dark months of winter.  Then I would wake up in the spring as temperatures rise and food becomes more plentiful.

Of course there is a major downside to being a bear: getting shot for fun by some mighty hunter. And some places think it’s OK to allow the mighty hunters to actually murder bears, including cubs, while they are hibernating. Not much of a sport.

As nighttime temperatures consistently drop below freezing, and as a frigid wind often blows, hibernating sounds better and better.

Resurgence of a Madman

 Here we go again.

The most inept, corrupt, self-serving president in my lifetime appears ready to announce another run at the presidency. This is despite the fact he is under investigation for numerous 'alleged' crimes. As is his habit, he is doing everything in his power to derail or at least to tie up the proceedings in never-ending court battles.

And once again, I am more fearful than ever for the future of our country. He wants nothing more than to become a dictator, a despot, who wants to replace the federal government's non-partisan civil servants with political hacks who have sworn fealty to him, not to the constitution. Already the MAGA wing of the Republican party has said it wants to get rid of Social Security and Medicare, the two lifelines on which so many senior citizens rely. Despite the MAGA claims, these are not 'entitlements' that are part of the government's largess. Everyone who has ever held a job in America shas been forced to pay into these programs through mandatory tax withholding. 

Something needs to be done to ensure that Social Security has enough reserves to pay the full benefits that people were promised. The best step would be to remove the salary cap that limits the income subject to the Social Security tax. Another step would be to limit or eliminate benefits for those earning more than a certain amount of money each year.

But that would fly in the face of the GOP's consistent pandering to the multimillionaires and billionaires in this country. 

The GOP also wants to limit or eliminate military aid to Ukraine in its battle for survival against its more powerful neighbor, Russia. The former president already has shown how much he admires autocrat Putin. The US under the Biden administration has provided advanced weapons to Ukraine, which has used them with great success. The US also has rejoined the world community. We cannot afford to once again threaten NATO and pander to the world's dictators.

Do we want a president who has stolen highly classified documents and hidden them in his Florida palace? Merely, as he claimed, declassifying documents in his head doesn't make the documents declassified. There is an entire procedure for declassification of documents. In any event, the documents were not his to steal. They are the property of the federal government and should not be stolen simply because he wants to sell them to the highest bidder.

So once again we are dealing with the rantings of a mentally unbalanced megalomaniac who will do anything to regain the power and attention he so desperately craves. He is not fit to be president. He doesn't want the job of president. He simply wants the perks, the power, the worship of his cult members and the opportunities to make more money. And perhaps the greatest benefit of all -- he can avoid prosecution for his numerous legal troubles as long as he is a sitting president.

Our country -- indeed, the world -- can ill afford to have a madman at the helm.

This Is My Platform

 If I were to run for public office, this would be my platform.

I will end inflation. I will lower the price of gasoline. I will make the US an officially Christian nation. I will ban all abortions for any reason, including to save the life of the woman. I will encourage drilling for oil and natural gas everywhere. I will ban all books that teach anything with which I don't agree. I will surround myself with the dumbest, most corrupt and repugnant people I can find, as long as they have lots of money to pay me. 

I will do nothing to help the poor or the oppressed. I will get rid of safety nets such as Medicare and Social Security despite the fact that millions of Americans have paid into these programs for decades. I will eliminate affordable health care. I will end public health programs.

I will encourage racism and anti-Semitism on a massive scale. After all, America should return to its foundation as a white country. And I will end all immigration.

I will ban all public protests.

Gays and transgender people can go back into the closet where they belong.

I will cancel all environmental protection programs. I will offer bounties for the killing of predators such as wolves and bears. I will sell expensive permits for hunting and trapping these animals.

In short, I will do what is best for me and for my colleagues, not what is best for the country and its citizens.

I will be a Republican.

-----------------

I have no desire to run for public office. The 'platform' above is written sarcastically about the state of the current iteration of the Republican Party.

Please, if you haven't already, vote on Nov. 8. The fate of our democracy depends on it.

May You Always Walk in Beauty

 “May you always walk in beauty.” ~ Black Elk

I love this quote from the Oglala Lakota leader Black Elk. It's such a simple yet profound statement.

Who among us wouldn't enjoy walking in beauty? There are, of course, various kinds of beauty. There is the beauty of the natural world, something I enjoy experiencing and photographing.
There is personal physical beauty, something possessed by only a small fraction of humans. And there is the beauty that comes from within.

To which kind of beauty was Black Elk referring? I don't know, but I like to think it was both the beauty of the natural world and internal beauty. Some people simply are beautiful people in how they treat others, in their kindness and generosity. Such a person can be said to have a beautiful heart.

The Dine (Navajo) people believe that to walk in beauty is to be in harmony with all things -- people, animals, nature, life. They have a beautiful prayer that reflects this belief.

This prayer is the closing prayer from the Navajo Blessing Way ceremony.

In beauty I walk

With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again

Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
My words will be beautiful.

It's often not easy these days to live in harmony, to find the beauty in our world. I am fortunate to live in a place where I can see nature's beauty nearly every day. I live in the high desert, where the landscape tends to be brown and dry, but oh, what sunrises we get, particularly in the winter when there are clouds hovering around the mountain range.

Wherever you live and whatever life you lead, I hope that you will walk in beauty.

I Still Despair

 I have had this feeling for a few years, and it is getting stronger.

And indeed, world events combined with activity in the US are making this feeling even stronger.

I am in despair. I despair for the future of the United States as a democratic nation and as a nation of laws under which all are allegedly created, and treated, equally. 

I despair for the future of our planet because of our refusal to take the serious and immediate steps necessary to combat climate change. 

I despair for the future of wildlife as they struggle to survive as their habitat shrinks and as they are slaughtered to satisfy the greed of humans.

I despair for those who live their lives in abject poverty with no hope of escape. I cannot imagine trying to feed a family on a minimum wage income while facing the exorbitant prices of groceries I face each week.

I despair for the place of women in our society as our rights continue to be stripped from us. And it isn't just our legal rights that are at risk. It's something far more pervasive. 

I despair that some states are now banning books the rulers deem to be too dangerous for people to read. Do you know who else banned books deemed unacceptable? The Nazis.

I despair for the future of free elections, untainted by cheating, manipulation and voter suppression. 

I despair that, unable to win national elections, Republicans have decided to set their sights on government at the state and local levels. A prime example happened just today, when the gerrymandered legislature in Tennessee expelled three Democrats who had joined a student protest against gun violence. They overturned the will of the people who had elected these three people to represent them.

I despair for the survival of a country so deeply divided not just over politics, but over a lack of respect for science and truth and compassion and equality and vaccinations and equal rights for women, and over everything necessary for the survival of a nation when there is no longer common ground.

I despair over politicians' willingness to ignore what is best for the nation in favor of their own greediness for power.

I despair that Rethuglican politicians are working hard to disenfranchise communities that traditionally favor Democratic candidates, by closing neighborhood polling places, eliminating drive-up ballot drop-boxes, and taking similar steps that make it more difficult for the poor, for minorities and for the elderly to cast their ballots.

I despair that women still are treated by far too many as second-class citizens. It isn't only the Taliban in Afghanistan who treat women as 'less than.' Control over our bodies has been eroded by no less than the US Supreme Court, not to mention by numerous male-dominated state legislatures. 

We may lack the physical strength of some men, but we should be far removed from the days when brawn was more important than brains. We have the brains, the talent and the abilities of men. We can lead, often in a more compassionate manner, as well as men can. The daughter of a friend of mine has an extremely successful career as an officer in the US Navy. She had command of a ship during the Gulf War. She didn't receive her command because of her muscles. Her ship wasn't painted pink. She earned her position. The next position above hers is rear admiral.

So why do we women, and our male supporters, continually have to fight for equal pay and for equal opportunities? Why do we continue to allow ourselves to be seen as little more than brood mares to soothe male egos? Why do we not rise up in protest until we are given the same rights as men are?

I despair as this country moves ever closer to becoming an oligarchy, where wealth and power and control are in the grasp of only a few old, white men.

I am old, and frankly, I am glad that I won't have to live in a country that has fallen so very far from the ideals on which it was founded.

Balloon Fiesta, version 50

Today is October 1. 

The sky is clear. The sun is shining. The temperature is comfortably cool and crisp. And overhead, hundreds of hot air balloons float silently on day one of the 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Some 800,000 people are expected to attend this year's 9-day fiesta, along with 648 hot air balloons. This is a far cry from the original balloon fiesta, which included a mere 13 hot air balloons.

Although I stay far away from the traffic and the crowds, I often have a rignside seat from my own back yard. This morning's breeze brought numerous balloons over my neighborhood, and every so often a balloon will land on one of the unpaved roads nearby. 

One of the things I most enjoy about the hot air balloons, aside from the bright colors and seeing balloons from other nations, is the sound of the propane burners igniting to heat the air to keep the balloons aloft. The sound reminds me of another favorite sound, that of a whale exhaling as it breaks the surface of the ocean.

My dogs aren't fans of the balloons, and last year I watched as a terrified coyote fled down the road as I walked my dogs early one morning. But the two-footed animals nearby gather in yards and on quiet streets to watch the balloons float by. One morning a few years ago, a balloon from Brazil landed just a few streets away. Local folks volunteer to be part of the chase crews that follow the balloons while in flight, showing up as the balloon lands to help gather the envelope (the colorful part that is inflated) and the basked into the bed of a pick-up truck.

Balloon Fiesta is a really big deal for Albuquerque and the surrounding area, both financially and regarding visibility. Albuquerque has a major image problem due to its high rate of homicides and other crimes, so the balloon fiesta offers a positive view of the city. 

I am always happy when the event rolls around and the weather cooperates. And it's always such a fun thing to watch, for residents and visitors alike.

Don't Bother Me

 I have decided that I don't want to be bothered.

I often feel overwhelmed by the endless stream of spam e-mails (usually more than 200 each day, many of them from porn sites or advising me how to 'make it harder and longer.') I don't frequent porn sites, and I don't have anything to make 'harder and longer.' I also am not interested in online gambling, free spins or meeting a 'hot' Asian, Ukrainian or Russian woman. Many of the spam e-mails are sent two or three times in the same batch. I delete everything, but I am tired of this constant barrage.

And stop bothering me with calls from someone with 'cardmember services' offering to lower my interest rate. News flash: I don't pay interest on credit cards. And let's not forget 'Amy' or whoever is calling to let me know that the warranty on my car has expired. And the helpful caller from DirecTV informing me that my account qualifies for a 50 percent discount. Great! How about simply cutting my bill in half and stop calling me? I know these calls are all scams.

Add to these interruptions the seemingly endless calls from my healthcare providers. The most recent one was from a pharmacy technician with some vague message about pre-authorization of a medication. After four phone calls and close to 20 minutes on hold, I finally was informed that an eye medication had been approved. Normally I receive a letter with this information. This time I wasted time trying to return a phone call about a non-issue.

If I were younger and without a couple of medical issues that require visits to specialists, I would seriously consider moving someplace off the beaten path and without Internet service. Seriously! The constant bombardment by people wanting my money -- 99 percent of them scammers -- is overwhelming at times. 

Snail mail is not exempt from the barrage of letters seeking 'emergency' donations, either. I once donated to Mercy Corps some 25 to 30 years ago, or longer. I still get regular letters asking for donations for some emergency situation or other. The same goes for the Sierra Club. If I don't respond to the first, oh, 30 or 40 letters you send me, it is highly unlikely that I will suddenly decide to send a donation. How about Yellowstone Forever, a non-profit that funds projects in America's first national park? Last year I received a letter asking me to use the enclosed response forms to send a donation in both April and May. I guess one donation isn't enough. The group repeated this tactic a second time. Both appeals went straight into the recycling bin.

The Albuquerque PBS station is another that wastes donor dollars on monthly requests for money. Yesterday's mail brought not one, but two appeals for funds. One was a membership renewal, which I tossed into the recycling bin. I appreciate PBS, but I give an annual amount and don't appreciate the monthly duns for an additional 'gift.'

For the past couple of years the only thing I watch in real time on television is local and national news. Everything else gets recorded, so I can fast forward through the endless, inane commercials.

Non-profit organizations should spend their donors' contributions on the things they allegedly do for the community or the world. Stop sending me endless supplies of blank greeting cards, return address labels and calendars. I don't want, and I don't need, those things. I have a supply of address labels that will last two lifetimes. I have dozens of greeting cards and use perhaps one each year. I make my own calendars.

So just stop bothering me! If I decide to make a donation, I will. I don't need to be flooded with requests for still more money. I don't need note cards or address labels or calendars. Just go away!

Still Dreaming. Still Exploring. Still On the Road.

I have done quite a bit of traveling since retiring -- except for 2020, of course, when the entire world ground to a halt due to the pandemic.

I fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Egypt and Greece. I have watched the sun set over the Sahara Desert while I sat atop a camel. I got to see the rare, and elusive, Ethiopian wolf. I have photographed jaguars in Brazil's Pantanal, leopards, cheetahs and lions in Africa, grizzly bears in Alaska and polar bears in far northern Canada. I walked part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I viewed Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I took part in an in-depth experience to learn about the Holocaust and I did a service project at Auschwitz. I sat on the dusty ground of Botswana's Kalahari Desert as meerkats crawled over me. I wandered through a few of the 300 rooms in the famed 'Downton Abbey' (Highclere Castle). I visited Colombia,

Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Cuba, Grand Teton, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Olympic, Joshua Tree and Glacier national parks. 

When I worked in Moscow (Russia) for 3-1/2 months, I spent weekends exploring that ancient city. I was amazed at the beauty, crumbling though it is, of St. Peterburg. I took my daughter to visit the Siberian city from which I had adopted her.

I have watched in stunned silence the fluid beauty of a cheetah as it chased a gazelle, and at the power of a leopard as it dragged an antelope up a tree. Mu heart pounded as an elephant mock-charged the vehicle in which I was sitting.

I gazed upon and spent time exploring the ancient ruins of Petra in Jordan. I stood atop the ancient Israeli fortress at Masada, and I walked through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, stood before the Western (or Wailing) Wall in the old city of Jerusalem, and visited the Church of the Nativity in the Arab-occupied city of Bethlehem. I went hiking in Quebec and in New Zealand's South Island. I photographed tigers in India and hiked (and bicycled) in Ireland. I explored the Parthenon where it sits atop the acropolis in Athens, a place it has occupied for 3000 years. I wandered the streets of Moscow (back when the country wasn't carrying out unjustified attacks on Ukraine) when I lived and worked there.

But there are still so many places on my travel wish list: Italy. Switzerland. England (again). Ireland (again). France (again). Scandinavia. Sicily, Germany, Portugal, the Baltic countries, Australia, Scotland (again). I guess my trip on the TransSiberian Railway will have to wait, given Russia's ongoing and unwarranted war on Ukraine.

Not many Asian countries appeal to me, although I hear that Japan and Vietnam are both wonderful and beautiful countries.

I used to work with a man who was proud of the fact he had never traveled outside his native Texas. How sad it must be to be so provincial when there are so very many wonderful sights and countries to be explored. 

I will continue to travel for as long as I am physically able to do so. The world has so many amazing places, sights and animals to discover. I don't want to miss any of them. I don't want to miss the memories they will bring.

I Don't Like America

That's right. I no longer like America.

More precisely, I don't like what America has become. And I don't like what America is becoming.

I don't like the attacks on our voting rights, on our rights as women to retain control of our own bodies, or on the rights of our LGBTQ brethren. I also don't like the attacks on our ability to decide what we want to read. Book banning and book burning are hallmarks of the Hitler regime in the 1930s and 1940s. They should never be part of America in the 2020s.

I don't like attempts to turn America into a 'Christian' country. America has never been a Christian country, despite what the evangelicals claim. America was founded as a nation in which everyone is free to practice their own religion, or no religion at all. America should never be a theocracy. 

There is supposed to be separation of church and state, but that distinction has gone out the window, particularly after the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v Wade. I don't like all the pandering to the so-called evangelicals in this country, whose words and actions are anything but Christlike. People are free to believe whatever they choose to believe in. But they should never be free to impose their beliefs on others or to pass legislation based on their religious belie

I don't like the growing sense of division among Americans. I don't like the hatred among people who used to be friends and family members. I don't like the fact that too many Americans are willing to accept mass murders, especially of school children, all in the name of the Second Amendment. I don't like the power and influence corporations hold over our elected officials. I don't like the fact that certain Republican politicians are using illegal migrants as pawns, flying or driving them all over the country in an attempt to score political points with their 'base.'

I don't like the fact that millions of Americans struggle to pay rent and buy groceries while the nation's handful of billionaires gets more wealthy by the day. And I don't like the price gouging that is going on, with corporations raking in record profits while ordinary citizens struggle.

I don't like the fact that Republicans believe they are the only true patriots in this country, or that they have usurped the American flag. True patriots don't attempt to overturn a legal election, or threaten to hang the vice-president when he refused to do their bidding. 

I don’t like the fact that calm, rational discourse on hot button topics no longer exists. Discussions have become nothing but threats, personal attacks and name-calling.

I don't like greed on any level, whether individual or corporate. I don't like the hatred and discrimination and all the other negatives that seem to have overtaken our country.

I realize that the idealized view of the America of the 1950s and 1960s was just that -- idealized. Women worked only in the home. They were subservient to the men in their lives. Minorities had no rights. So life wasn’t at all as portrayed. But people still turned out to help their neighbors, to visit each other when someone was sick or old or needed help. Sadly, those acts of compassion have become so rare that they often make the news. Now it's all about greed, about getting your share and someone else's, too.

America's rection to the covid-19 pandemic was a real eye-opener, and not in a good way. Refusing to wear a mask or to be vaccinated or even to practice something as simple as social distancing  -- simple steps to protect ourselves and those around us -- were commonplace.

I don't like what this country has become. And I don't like what far too many Americans have become.

I still love my country. But as it now exists, I don't like it.

Capturing Beauty. Telling Stories. Making Memories.

I am just back from a nearly 3-week trip to Alaska.

This wasn't a photography trip, but I took two cameras and two lenses with me anyway. And I did a lot of photography. I have completed a preliminary downloading, reviewing and editing the images.

What has occurred to me as I review these images -- all 2,500+ of them -- is that each image can serve a different purpose. Some images serve to document a place, animal or event.

Others tell a story, but not in words. Each person who views an image can create his/her unique story about the photograph. What story does this image of a mother brown bear and her young cubs tell?

Some images are portraits, whether of an animal, a person or a beautiful place. This portrait of an old bull elephant in Namibia is one of my favorites. This old bull, about whom i wrote a previous blog post, looked directly at me. I sensed a great sadness in his eyes, as if he were telling me goodbye. That's the story I envisioned as we connected on a non-verbal level..
 

A photo can present the broad perspective of a landscape or the details of an animal's eyes. And they all can serve to bring back the memory of where/when/with whom I took the photo. I will always remember the surprise and thrill of seeing this mother cheetah peering at us inside the safari vehicle as she sat atop the vehicle's spare tire on the back.

Sometimes a scene is so beautiful and awe-inspiring that it takes my breath away. This has happened while I stood amid the grandeur of some of 

America’s national parks. No photograph can truly capture the magnificence as seen by my eyes, but it can certainly bring back the feelings I had as I witnessed natures magnificent creations

That's one of the things I love about photography. It's both an art and a science. It's much like other art forms, where the message is open to interpretation. It allows both the photographer and the viewer to see the scene in his or her unique way. And what I see or like in a photograph may not be what another person or photographer sees. Have five photographers photograph the same thing, and you're likely to get five different interpretations of the subject.

It's the 'eye' of the photographer that determines what to capture and how the photographer sees the scene. And it's the science of using the camera's capabilities to compose and to capture the image in the way the photographer envisions it. People sometimes ask what kind of camera I use, because they like my images and think if they have the same kind of camera (I shoot with Canon mirrorless cameras) they, too, can take good pictures. I wish it were that simple. Both the photographer and the equipment are necessary.

The bottom line is this: photography allows me to express my creative side. It allows those who view my photographs to experience places and things they may never have the opportunity to see in person. And I am very grateful that digital photography allows me to share my work.

Photography also can be a source of frustration and challenge, especially when dealing with potentially uncooperative wildlife or difficult weather.

But that is a small price to pay for the pleasure it brings me. Photography always challenges me to do better. And nothing else can preserve the memories of what I have seen in quite the same way.

Be Kind. Pass It On.

Today I intended to write about the terrorist attacks on the United States that occurred on this date 21 years ago.

I have written about these attacks and my experiences as a federal government employee at that time, several times previously. So now I want to write about something different, something more hopeful.

I have been away for nearly three weeks, and I needed to go grocery shopping. My refrigerator was empty. So I went to the store early this morning, did my shopping and was standing in line waiting to check out. Another woman brought her cart and got in line just behind me. She appeared to be considerably older than I am, and she had only a few items in her cart. So I let her go ahead of me. We started chatting, and she told me she had her blind and deaf dog in her car. I wasn’t too worried about that, because the temperature was only 68°. I don't like the idea of leaving a dog alone in a vehicle, but at least the temperature wasn't a danger. After she finished paying for her groceries, and I was putting mine on the conveyor belt, she asked twice whether I needed help getting my groceries into my car. I thanked her for her offer, but told her I could handle the groceries myself.

This brief exchange of pleasantries reminded me that acts of kindness can create a tidal wave of kindness if the recipients will pass on the kind acts that happened to them. This is exactly what happened in the grocery store this morning.

On one of my flights yesterday, a flight attendant asked passengers who did not have a tight connection to their next flight to remain seated so those who did could get off the plane more quickly. Many people, including me, remained seated so others could rush to their next flights. I had been in that position before, when I had just minutes to make my flight, and I appreciated being allowed to exit the aircraft more quickly. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who remained in their seats. My seat mate thanked me, as did another woman who had just minutes to make her flight. She made a point of thanking several people who remained seated. 

I remember that after the attacks of 9/11, people came together, not just in America, but around the world. Even countries with which the US has often been at odds expressed their solidarity with the American people and their suffering. Citizens of other countries lined up outside American embassies to sign books of condolence. The queen of England, the late Queen Elizabeth II, broke a 600-year-old tradition when she asked that the ceremonial music normally played during the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace be changed to the national anthem of the US.

The world is so full of hatred and evil these days, so making a small act of kindness, with no expectation of anything in return, can have an immense effect. I have three T-shirts that say 'Be Kind to Everyone.' I think this message is one we should all take to heart.

Maybe, just maybe, if we make a real effort to be kind to everyone, we can make this sad world just a little bit nicer.

My Benny

This is Benny.

Benny is very special to me. He doesn't have "papers." He isn't a registered purebred with a lineage that goes back generations. He has no fancy titles after his name. He is a mixed breed dog. And that makes absolutely no difference to me.

Benny is half golden retriever and half corgi. He has the body type and the short legs of a corgi, and the coat, ears, tail and temperament of a golden retriever. He’s extremely mellow, and he gets along with everybody, humans and canines alike.

Benny was about 5-1/2 years old when I adopted him. I don't know anything about his early life, but I do know that he was called Bailey and that he ended up in an animal shelter in Roswell, NM. I already had a dog named Bailey, so I needed to change his name. Benny seemed to fit him, and it was close enough to Bailey that I thought it would be an easy adjustment for him.

I found Benny on a website that lists dogs available for adoption. When I first inquired about him, I was told that someone else wanted him, and that person had already completed a home visit. So I asked to be notified if that adoption didn't work out. A couple of weeks later, I got a phone call asking if I was still interested. I was, so I got the home visit completed and Benny came to my house for a 2-week trial to see if he was a good fit for my family, which included two papillon sisters.

It didn't take long to realize that Benny was home. He and my other dogs got along fine, so I called the volunteer who had been fostering him and said "Benny is home. I want him." We finished the paperwork and I wrote a check for his adoption fee. Benny has been home for almost 6 years.

The pandemic lockdown, when I was unable to travel or even go grocery shopping, meant that Benny and I spent every moment of the day together. We have always been very close, and that experience made us even closer. After the papillon sisters died a year apart, he was an only dog for a while. He is a joy to walk, so we had many long, leisurely walks together.

He has been losing his hearing for the past several months. He isn’t totally deaf, but it takes a lot to get his attention, especially when he’s sleeping, which is something he does more of all the time. He hesitates before stepping over the threshold into our house due to intermittent back problems. He also has become an extremely picky eater. As a result, he has lost some weight that he cannot afford to lose. I am always trying to come up with things to add to his food to tempt him to eat. Perhaps the most worrying thing about him is his constant panting. I have taken him to see his veterinarian three times. She has done bloodwork and taken x-rays of his heart and his spine, and everything is normal. So the reason for his panting remains a mystery.

Benny is a very calm, low-key dog. Not much gets him excited except for the ringing of the doorbell. And he likes to go into the back yard and bark at nothing in particular. I live on half an acre, so this isn't a problem except when he barks at 4:30 in the morning.

Despite his short legs and his age, Benny sometimes still enjoys a romp with my other, much younger dog in our back yard. Play sessions don't last very long, but I love seeing the old boy having fun. It always makes me smile to see those short little legs running across the yard toward me.

So this is my Benny. I hope we have many more years together. If you're looking to add a dog to your family, please don't overlook the older dogs. They need love, too.

Betraying America

 I am astounded. And I am almost speechless. I am worried. I am very frightened.

We recently learned that the FBI has recovered 11 sets of classified documents from the palatial estate of the former president of the United States. Some of these documents reportedly relate to nuclear weapons. 

As a former federal employee who had high level security clearances, there is no doubt in my mind that if any of us peons had walked out of the office with boxes of highly classified documents, we would have been behind bars. No questions asked. To think that the former president of the United States had in his possession some 27 boxes of sensitive materials is beyond imagination.

The search warrant that allowed the FBI to search the mansion for these materials reported they were looking for items related to espionage, obstruction of justice, and destruction of documents.

We already know of the former president's shady dealings with the government of Saudi Arabia, a country eager to get its hands on nuclear technology. And the former guy's (TFG) cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin, the dictator of Russia, is well known.

At this point there are far more questions than answers. Why were these documents in storage at the Florida estate? Who had access to them? What, if anything, has been done with them before they were seized by the FBI? Who helped TRG gather the documents?

As expected, TFG’s supporters are outraged, but not at his apparent illegal activities in taking and keeping classified materials. No, they are outraged that the FBI dared to investigate an apparent illegal activity. FBI employees and FBI facilities are under increasing threats.

And for his part, TFG and his minions are doing what they always do when he gets caught doing something illegal or suspicious. They lie. They hurl insults. They blame everybody else but themselves. First they said the FBI planted these items in the mansion. No, the FBI did not plant anything in the mansion. Then they claimed TFG‘s lawyers weren’t present. Wrong. At least one of his attorneys was present. Then they claimed they had no idea what was going on. Another lie. TFG and his family watched the investigation via the mansion’s closed circuit television. Then they claimed all the Justice Department had to do was ask for the return of the documents. Another lie. The Justice Department had been negotiating with the TFG legal team for several months, and no cooperation was to be seen. And since when does the DOJ negotiate with people? If I was suspected of having classified documents in my house, do you really believe the DOJ would negotiate with me for their return?

It is still very early in the investigation. The FBI still needs to review all those boxes of classified materials to determine exactly what they contain. Charges, if appropriate, will need to be filed and a trial held to determine guilt or innocence. 

But regardless of which side of the political aisle one belongs, shouldn't we all, as Americans who care about our country, be extremely concerned that a former president apparently took highly classified materials to his private residence? And despite what he claims, he cannot just say "presto chango these documents are now declassified." Documents can be declassified, but there is a lenghtly, involved process. It simply cannot be done on a whim.

Quite simply, there is no plausible reason for TFG to have boxes of classified materials in his residence. He is, not, as he has claimed, "working from home" to benefit the country. TFG never does anything to benefit anybody other than himself.

I hope that when the dust settles on this investigation and judgment passed – – and there may well be additional search warrants issued – – a certain bloated, orange skinned, obese sociopath is finally brought to justice.