For Once, Birds Don't Strip the Quince

This is going to be a short post because I have to get to school early today to receive my new phone! Yes, I finally took the plunge and ordered another one. My current phone, which I got in September 2016, has become almost comically unable to hold a charge. I charge it to 100 percent in the morning and by mid-afternoon, after hours of doing nothing in my pocket, it's magically at 1 percent. I've turned off all the apps I can and I don't keep web pages open, yadda yadda, and none of it helps.

I guess more than six years is a pretty long life for a phone.

At any rate, a new one is coming to me today, complete with a new camera! I'm excited about that. I had it shipped to school and I want to be sure to be there when it arrives.

Meanwhile, here are some pictures of more blooming things in our garden. The top one doesn't quite count because it's a potted geranium, and I've been bringing it in during cold spells, but I appreciated the fact that it decided to bloom now. The blue flowers are lungwort.

And finally, there's the flowering quince. In years past birds have picked the little round flower buds off the bush -- Dave has watched them do it -- but this year many of them seem to have made it to maturity, so we're getting lots more flowers. I'm not sure what that says about our bird population but I'm happy to enjoy the quince.

I read an interesting article yesterday in Vanity Fair about residents of towns in scenic parts of Montana and Wyoming, and how they're coping with an influx of wealthy residents from the coasts. Understandably, there is culture clash. But the article made clear to me that the divisions in our country aren't all about Right vs. Left -- they're also about the dominance of corporations, the explosion of chain stores and loss of local character, the creep of soullessness that comes when Big Business turns its sights on the places that you love, and that you call home.

As much as I loathe Donald Trump and fear the fanaticism (and casual racism) of his followers, I actually agree with them on certain points. Our country does have major problems. The economic inequalities have become too great, the wealthy are too powerful, corporations have run amok, globalism has caused our communities to suffer. I think many people who consider themselves moderate or liberal would agree with those points. Where I differ with the Trumpers is the best way to address those issues. I see government and regulation as the solution. They see government as the problem.

Anyway, it was an interesting article and it got me thinking about all that. I wish we could reframe our political divisions so we don't think about Right vs. Left or Democrat vs. Republican, and instead think about the issues that worry ALL of us. There's a lot of overlap. In fact, it serves our corporate overlords to squabble about Drag Queen Story Hour rather than the things that really matter, like the fact that the middle class is being hollowed out.

Last night I talked on Zoom with my friend David back in New Jersey, who I haven't spoken with in years -- since before the pandemic. It was good to catch up with him. He's going through some life changes, so I heard about those, and he's planning a trip to Europe this summer, hopefully I'll get to see him.

And now, off to work, after a post that turned out not to be short after all!