Steve and Judy's Travels!

In August of 1968, Judy and me driving cross-country in our 1966 VW Bus, having left Southern California searching for a place we’d rather be, we discovered Colorado, a place we had never been before.  And when we stopped at a pullout on top of the hill overlooking Boulder, we were so blown away by what we had found, a little city filled with trees, at the base of the foothills, backdropped by the flatirons, and farther back the continental divide, we immediately declared “We’re home”, before we had even driven down into town to find a place to stay and begin to look for jobs.  Thus began our exploration of the wonders of Colorado.  It was a magical time.

Then, in 1972, four years later, John Denver put to words what we had experienced.  “He was born in the summer of his 27^th year; coming home to a place he’d never been before.”

Now, just thinking back to that time in 1968, and the way it was then.  Well said, John Denver.

The mature trunk bent to the ground, but the entire length bursting forth with new growth.

I think our government would be more effective, more representative, and we would all be better off if:

All judges and justices, including the US Supreme Court, were appointed by independent commissions.  Nonpartisan commissions, or if they can’t be nonpartisan, fairly weighted based on party affiliation.

All voting districts were also set by independent commissions.  Nonpartisan commissions, or if they can’t be nonpartisan, fairly weighted based on party affiliation.

Corporations were determined to not be people and only people could make political contributions.  Set a maximum contribution per person, and that includes the candidate.  One person, one vote, no million-dollar contributions, no political PACs.  No dark money.  If that can’t provide enough money for each candidate to present their qualifications, then provide a base level of federal or state campaign funding for qualified candidates. 

Maybe we can’t reach the ideal of one person one vote, assuming that is still an ideal, but these approaches might get us closer to it.  And none of this would be that hard to do, if there was a will to do it.

A tree and a cactus all at once!

We had that hooded oriole on the hummingbird feeder.

So I got an oriole feeder and put it out.  It’s a little bigger, easier for a bigger bird to stand on, and holes designed to be easier to drink from.  Orioles are more attracted to the color orange, so that too.  We’ve got everything just right.

Haven’t seen an oriole since.

I believe they’re gone for the year.  No matter.  They’ll be back next summer.  We’ll pop the feeder back out next spring.