The News

There's some squabbling going on at the bird feeder, as usual. When the parakeets aren't squawking and nipping at each other, they're battling the great spotted woodpecker.

But the woodpecker has an advantage with that long pointy bill! I always love watching the birds against the colorful backdrop of the roses.

So let's talk about yesterday's news. Here's the headline from The New York Times web site:

That was delicious, wasn't it?! Dave and I were about to go to bed last night when we heard a verdict was forthcoming, and we sat up together in the living room as those wonderful red words marched across the top of the Times' site, one beneath each count: GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY.

Our initial reaction was jubilant laughter, but that was followed almost immediately by uncertainty about what happens next. I was glad to wake up this morning and see that the country is apparently not in flames, but of course the right-wing sites are parroting Trump's allegations that the whole trial was a sham and his followers are still pledging him their votes.

I hope what it will do is give the Republican leadership some cover to break from Trump and nominate a more stable, palatable candidate. If ever there was a time to snap out of the Trump trance, this is it. A lot of lawmakers don't like Trump, despite backing him publicly, and I wouldn't be surprised if some turn on him now. You know, they either believe in the American justice system -- the grand juries, the judges, the jury of one's peers -- or they don't.

As for Trump, he has always been viewed as a reprehensible figure in New York. When you make a career out of being a narcissistic, abusive arsehole, obsessed with your own name brand and weaving back and forth across the line of legality, karma is bound to come back and bite you. He says the decision was "rigged" but he's the one who rigged it over many, many years. And of course, the bottom line is, he committed the crime.

I wonder what Melania is thinking?

Anyway, as someone famous supposedly said on their deathbed, "This should be interesting." That's how I feel about politics at the moment.

Here are our lobelia (left), ravaged by slugs and/or snails, and our sage. I've put both of them up on a chair to give them a fighting chance in the battle against garden pests. I know snails can climb chairs but I'm thinking it will be just that much harder for them to get there, and that may help protect the plants. I'm not kidding when I say that lobelia was two or three inches high and leafy just a couple of days ago. While I have taken a rather fatalistic approach to the garden this spring -- what gets eaten gets eaten -- I'm also fine with making it a little more difficult.

Here's one of our dahlias. I've elevated them as well, and this one is also wearing a copper slug ring to keep away slugs -- apparently they don't like crawling over copper. Most of the dahlias at least have some greenery so there's hope. Several of you have also recommended diatomaceous earth and although I haven't tried it yet, it's on my radar. Maybe I'll finally invest in some.

My Newbery talks went well yesterday, at least in terms of my presentation. I got some questions, but fewer than I usually get with younger kids -- so yeah, overall engagement is lower in 7th Grade. Which I expected. I have two more talks today and then I'm done.