Public Safety and Protests

As we look for changes in government, I think it would be prudent to change protests in two ways to help ensure public safety.
1. Protest during day hours, not in the middle of the night.
2. Stay off the freeways.

Respect

I support the desire for change and justice. The danger lies in seeing only the surface and assuming no responsibility. Changing attitudes regarding the importance of good education and strong families will do much to improve the systemic causes. The real key was literally spelled out in Otis Redding's song, "Respect." You probably know Aretha Franklin's version better. Either way, respect is a vital piece.

Grilled Pork Ribs

Save Our City

https://kstp.com/minnesota-news/minneapolis-twin-cities-community-reaction-riots/5745543/?cat=1

The Children Deserve Better

We owe our children the legacy of peace and prosperity. My son wants COVID-19 to go away. Now we've discussed how a man suffocated under a police officer's knee and how this resulted in other people's businesses being destroyed, robbed and burned. No matter what anyone says or does, they are attacked. We preach tolerance and lash out with violence. I'm having trouble now, explaining this world, it's racial problems and politics to my biracial son who misses his friends on his last day of online school.

Wilkie Flooding

I was in the flooded Wilkie unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge today.

Stop and Think

To blame white people is an oversimplification. Racism doesn't belong to one race. To be angry is understandable. To loot and destroy is criminal. A multi-faceted situation needs thorough examination. No more half thought responses in a series of poor decisions. We need to consider every angle. Why and how need to be answered before simplistic hatred consumes more. Remove the singularity of your view and address the reality. Everything else is made up and makes the truth harder to find.

Memorial Day 2020

This Memorial Day, 1918 puts Perspective on 2020.

https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-deaths-october-1918

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic

Taco Night

Louisville Swamp Flooding

Homemade Beer from 2004

This was a beer I made in December of 2004. I drank it tonight and it was excellent.

But don't think a pasteurized beer will last over 15 years.

Chicken Vegetable Breakfast Burritos with Guacamole

Linguini, Chicken and Vegetables in Alfredo Sauce

New Day

Light and Color and positioning

Breakfast

Tiger Swallowtail

I saw this newly emerged, Tiger Swallowtail today.

Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs

Is it Time to Reinvent Yourself?

Is it time to reinvent yourself? I've done that several times before in my life. When I graduated from college, the USA was at war with Iraq and we had a President Bush in office. It was very hard to find a job at that time. Years later, when I left my job at the county chemical health division, I also left the state for a while. I wasn't very happy on the East Coast, so I came back to Minnesota. It was very hard to find a job ... as we were once again at war with Iraq, and there was yet another President Bush in office. Now, I feel bad for the new graduates. Because the job market is not good once again. Each time this happened, I had to reinvent myself. Now, it may be time to do that again. I have moved from horticulture, to library, to office administration, to technology. Each move helped me to navigate my career in the midst of what was happening socially and politically at the time. Perhaps the hardest was when I came back from Providence, and had to literally start over. After moving into my parents' basement, I began writing my first novel while also looking for jobs. I spent nearly every afternoon in the wildlife refuge, in all weather, and usually off trail. It was not uncommon for me to return and have to remove 50 wood ticks. But on one of these adventures, when I watched as two Bald Eagles flew directly at me and soared over my head close enough so that I could hear the wind in their wing feathers, I realized how blessed I really was. I've told this story before, and it even appears in one of my novels, but it was at that point that everything changed for me. I re-entered the job market, worked my way back up, bought a new home, met my wife, and now I have a wonderful son. If I have to do this again, I know that I can. I know that it won't be easy. But the best things in life take some effort. Covid-19 will cause some things to fail. And out of that dust, new things will grow. Don't be afraid to try the new things.

In a Ravine Near the St. Croix River

New Baby Canada Geese

36 Degrees of Seedlings

They don't mind the cold.

Easy Midweek Grilled Dinner

This was a really easy grilled supper. It was thin pork chops, chunks of potato with garlic, onion, ginger and cilantro; and zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms with the same spice combination as the potatoes.

Fiery Hunter

I saw this Fiery Hunter beetle today. It was so unique it stopped me long enough to get its picture.

Make Believe

So many things remind me of the show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Because it seems that so often everything is made up and the points don't matter.

Bald Eagle Nest

Summer Picnic Food