Fog And Rain

Long Point, Friday Afternoon

7:57

8:30

It's 7:30 and I am beginning to see the gray mass of the lake and foggy shoreline, the flag lifeless on a 35º morning in January.  It looks like fog and rain will be the prescription for the rest of the day as Chautauqua gray becomes normal.  I am listening to The Bulwark podcast, middle of the road politics, run by Republican Charlie Sykes albeit a never Trumper.

Another Crazy, Neighbor Bud

Yesterday was much like today is supposed to be, gray and wet, with temperatures in the low 40's, no snow in the forecast.  I did get in a paddle in the gray and drizzle and it was good to be back out on the lake after the big melt in late December.  We knew we wanted to do something but because of the rain, we decided on a trip to Aldi's for me, T.J. Maxx for Evie.  We are liking Aldi's more and more; it's not only cheaper than most grocery stores but their products are really good.  As usual, we walked out with more than we needed, just being good Americans.  At T.J. Maxx, I quickly got in line to return Evie's purchases from her previous visit, while she shopped for new things to return the next time we shop at T.J.'s.  Sounds silly, doesn't it. 

Anyways, we were home by 1:00, in time for lunch, ham and bean soup and delicious quesadillas, with cheese and tomatoes.  I was back to watching my show, Peaky Blinders, still fun.  I am ready to give up on my book, The Topeka School, as its getting weird and otherworldly, not my cup of tea.  It did, however, act as a soporific and I took a good nap, at least an hour. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent waiting for Manhattan time at 5:30.  Earlier Evie had pulled out a brie so it was nice and gooey, perfect for spreading on crackers while we enjoyed our drinks and listened to music.  At 6:00,  we put potatoes in the oven to bake and at 7:00, Evie fried up the Wienerschnitzel which she had breaded earlier in the day.  With applesauce, we had another fine dinner.  We watched another episode of Watchman, then the neverending analysis of the assassination of Suleimani, the Iranian general.  The question should be not whether it was the right thing to do but whether it was wise. I wonder, also, if Trump had any idea who Suleimani was a week ago.  I doubt it. By 10:30,  I was happy to go up to bed and start a new book.

"This poem by beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti was written in 2007, but he might as well have penned it yesterday for all of the truth that it contains. The elements that Ferlinghetti writes about have always been there, but have flashed into flamboyance in the age of Trump."

“Pity The Nation”

Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.”

Lawrence Ferlinghetti