Is consciousness simply the perception of time? We live in the perpetual 'now' while the past is forever behind us, unchangeable, and the future is merely thoughts in anticipation.
So many organisms have adapted to the rhythms of the natural world. Our little phenology group at the BioParktry to tease these out of the behavior of the trees. But does a tree have a perception of time or merely the repetition of cyclic events?
I had something wise and politically astute to write, but events yesterday swept it from my mind. So now I'm filling in today's post with a link to the NatureServe online map of ecosystems. At first blush, it's a remarkable collection of data visualized. But on closer examination, I'm finding oddities.
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| Candelaria Nature Center and vicinity |
Looking at our bosque near the Nature Center, just a mile or so to the west, one finds that most of what I consider riparian woodland is coded as pasture or hay. True, there are some fields north and east of the Nature Center's two large ponds, but that cultivated area does not extend to the shoreline of the Rio Grande.
I'll continue to investigate, but I haven't figured out how to place the street layer on top so I can precisely orient myself. For now, I have to use rather crude estimates of what exact pixels I'm looking at.
More to come...
Courtesy of a BioPark event, I was able to be part of a guided tour of the City's Parks and Recreation Department greenhouses. Their Master Gardener gave a, well... masterful, tour of their facility.
It's very impressive as to how they've managed to turn the place around from a derelict facility 7 years ago into a model plant propagation endeavor.
I'm encouraged that the theme of Backyard Wildlife Refuge is in common with the Botanic Garden. That is making Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge a hub for rewilding Albuquerque.
While reorganizing a cupboard full of old board games this afternoon, Caro came across my boxed set of "Cookin' Cajun / Creole in the Courtyard Kitchen." It contains an ancient video tape, an audio cassette, instructions on how to host a dinner party, invitations, and (most importantly) a recipe booklet.
When a nearby lightning strike took out our cable TV service and the Internet, but not our power, I took advantage of the unscheduled evening to scan the recipe booklet. Portions are appropriate to a restaurant, so I've got some serious math to do before I can cook up even a 4-person version of any of those famous dishes from that wonderful little restaurant at San Pedro and Zuni.
"And seas boiling 40 years of darkness earthquakes volcanoes the dead rising from the grave dogs and cats living together mass hysteria..."
Over the weekend TCF went over the CA Governor's head and sent National Guard into Los Angeles. Now this afternoon I learn that Marines are being sent as well. So far this has been predicated on a rarely-used law that gives that power to the President, but with the consent of the governor. To use Marines for law enforcement would require the use of the Insurrection Act.
Meanwhile, here in NM our governor has already brought in a small number of our National Guard to assist the ABQ Police by performing non-law enforcement tasks like traffic control to free more police for crime prevention.
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| Possibly a traffic control training session for NM Nat'l Guard |
I've been reading an article about the entomologist Daniel Janzen in The Guardian tonight (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/03/climate-species-collapse-ecology-insects-nature-reserves-aoe). It tallies well with my limited observations here in ABQ.
Perhaps it's due to the record dry winter (5 months without precipitation), perhaps one of the late season cold snaps damaged the insect populations, but there are few bees, few butterflies, and almost no mosquitos.
I certainly can't complain about the dearth of mosquitos, especially the absence of Aedes aegypti, but I'm sure that their lack in the food chain will be reflected in bird populations sooner or later. While most songbirds as adults eat seeds, their young nestlings need protein fed to them by their parents. That protein comes from insects caught by the thousands to nourish the fledglings.
Meanwhile, the fennel grows lush without any black swallowtail caterpillars. Last year there were large caterpillars visible by June 19th. That would've meant that eggs were laid 4-5 weeks earlier. I've seen one two-tailed swallowtail, but mostly we have Small Whites (Pieris rapae).
Backing up a bit, today being a Monday, it was a Nature's Notebook observation day. Sheila is in Connecticut and Marcia is out recovering from knee surgery, so I substituted for them with Allison. It was cloudy, cool, and raining lightly. We forewent the paper notebook due to the rain and just took notes with the NN app on my phone. Afterward we filled in the paper record from the digital one back at the Ed. Bldg.
It was only in the midafternoon that the moisture from Tropical Storm Alvin finally arrived in force. Back at home, it rained 1.6" in half an hour. Fluffy the feral cat was thoroughly soaked in the backyard. No matter how we try, we can't tempt her to enter the sunroom where she could be safe, warm, and dry.
More rain is on the way for tomorrow and Wednesday, but the exact timing keeps changing with each iteration of the forecast.
With the temperature forecast to be in the 90's, we hit the trail early, well... early-ish. By 10:30 we had parked where the Pueblo Acequia crossed Green Valley Rd. and headed north along the west bank of the ditch.
We were soon on a gentle path along side the gently flowing irrigation channel. With each passing minute, we got a different view into the backyards and pastures of different homes.
Some were old adobe structures, some run-down antiques, others modern and sleek. There were classic red barns as well as large modern ones featuring elaborately painted scenes.
Two and a half years ago in October 2022, Richard Vigil and I spent a day tip pruning and shaping the tree with bamboo poles in the style of the niwaki at the Botanic Garden. Last spring I gave it a trim using a 12' ladder and now it was time again.
While the lower branches have had some die-back, the upper canopy is starting to look good. For now, I'm not doing much on the lower part of the tree, but that can be reached with my 6' step ladder if its candles start to elongate latter in the season.
Meanwhile, the rest of the garden looks very good, thanks to Caro's diligent work. Snapdragons, Buddleja, lilies, and a host of annuals are brightening the space. Mercifully, the mosquitos are quiescent, especially the pesky Egyptian ones.
All in all, the garden is a refuge from the daily insults coming out of Washington. The courts are moving sooo slowly that it's very frustrating. I can only imagine how this feels for those whose lives have been directly and negatively impacted. So we tend our trees and flowers, help Jane out with the vegetables in her backyard, and somehow act normally in such abnormal times. Protests will have to wait until June 14th.
For the photo tax, here's our Penstemon neomexicana blooming in the backyard. It's relatively rare in the Sacramento Mountains, but locally abundant in disturbed sites. The Sacramento Mountain Checkerspot relies on this plant as its obligate food source for developing caterpillars. Alas, the Checkerspot appears to be extinct in the wild. The BioPark has a couple surviving larvae in cold storage, trying to learn how to mature them to reproductive adults.
Meanwhile, TCF has rolled out another Executive Order that countermands one of Biden's that countermands one of TCF's first term that reversed one of Obama's.
(iii) each agency head shall promptly revoke any organizational or operational changes, designations, or documents that were issued or enacted pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 27, 2021 (Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking), which was revoked pursuant to Executive Order 14154 and shall conduct applicable agency operations in the manner and revert applicable agency organization to the same form as would have existed in the absence of such changes, designations, or documents.
Each of these orders reads as a fairly sane approach to dealing with Science and the Federal government. In the end, each undoes the work of the previous administration down to its bedrock. The result is government literature adrift in a sea of policy papers disguised as science. With an emphasis on "transparency," TCF is insisting on an emphasis on communicating uncertainty in any federal research. Of course, that opens the door to the misinterpretation of results by conspiracy theorists who want to cast doubt on meaningful research.
One can imagine that this EO will be used to scrub even more climate research from the public record. Probably vaccination and Covid data, too.
<sigh>
These are starting points. Each one is a small, doable action that can help you interrupt the spiral, regain a sense of direction, and stay connected to what matters.
Start anywhere. Just pick something that meets you where you are. Then try another tomorrow. Or not. This isn't a performance. It's an invitation to explore and experiment. It’s an offering to prime the pump of your own creative capacities.
PLEASE SHARE with others
Name what still matters. Speak it out loud or write it down.
Take a no-scroll hour. Just be where you are.
Text someone: “Thinking of you. No pressure.” Start small.
Make a “don’t adapt to this” list. Keep it visible.
Cancel one nonessential task. Let the gap be restorative.
Start a shared doc called “What We Still Believe.” Invite a few trusted people.
Buy a banned book. Read it. Lend it. Talk about it.
Choose one task that aligns with your values. Do that first.
Unfollow one source that fuels distortion. Even if it’s “on your side.”
Say, “I’m not sure yet.” Let it be a position, not a weakness.
Keep a screenshot folder called “I’m not imagining this.” Fill it when needed.
Write a legacy letter. Not for ego—for clarity.
Write down one lie you’ve stopped believing. Honor that shift.
Reclaim a phrase you stopped saying. Say it again.
Sit in silence for five minutes. No fixing. Just feel what’s there.
Post one link that affirms your values. No hot take needed.
Check on someone who might be isolating. No agenda. Just presence.
Use the word “we” instead of “I” in one sentence today. See what shifts.
Create a folder called “Waypoints.” Fill it with anything that helps you navigate.
Ask: What’s one thing I can still protect today? Then protect it.
Switch to cash or a local credit union. Move with your values.
Write a short note to someone who shaped your ethics. Let them know.
Keep a visible object near you that reminds you who you are.
Tell one true story that doesn’t fit the current narrative.
Say “I need a minute” instead of pushing through. Protect your pacing.
Reach out to someone older than you. Ask what they’ve seen before.
Start a new text thread called “Tiny Moves.” Add one thing a week.
Delete one productivity hack that makes you feel like a machine.
Refuse to comply in advance. Notice when you start to. Stop.
Write down your red lines. Even if you’re not close to crossing them.
Attend a local meeting—even if you don’t speak. Presence is a signal.
Donate to a bail fund or mutual aid project. Even a little helps.
Display a quote, phrase, or symbol that grounds you. Public or private.
Relearn one thing your ancestors survived. Trace the resilience.
Take a walk with someone who doesn’t need fixing. Just witness each other.
Remove one app that hijacks your attention. Reclaim your bandwidth.
Check in with someone who's angry. Let them be angry. Listen anyway.
Begin a playlist that helps you remember who you are. Music is memory.
Name one thing authoritarian systems want you to forget or disavow. Write it down.
Make something. Not to sell. Not to post. Just to create.
Wear something meaningful. Even if no one asks.
Gather banned or endangered books. Start a freedom shelf.
Use one plainspoken truth in a conversation that matters.
Host a no-agenda dinner. Let people just be.
Start a paper journal labeled “I Am Still Here.”
Offer someone else the benefit of the doubt—once.
Block out one hour as unstructured time. See what emerges.
Stop apologizing for how you’re surviving.
Keep one object that reminds you of a future worth fighting for.
Visit a place that holds memory. Let it teach you something.
Say “no” without an explanation—once this week.
Learn a neighbor’s name. Just start there.
Name what the harm cost you. Not to dwell, but to remember.
Create a backup plan that protects your values, not just your income.
Write a refusal. Don’t send it. Just know you could.
Abolish one internalized rule you never agreed to.
Teach someone one thing you know about surviving this moment.
Ask someone younger what they’re seeing. Listen. Don’t correct.
Try one way to befriend yourself today. Grace, self-compassion, pausing, letting go of shame.
Make a timeline of your moral clarity. Track what’s stayed true.
Resist the pressure to summarize. Let complexity stand without apology.
Put something old to new use. Let continuity be an act of care.
Show up somewhere you’ve been avoiding. Say little. Be there anyway.
Read one account from a community you’re not part of. Let it complicate your map.
Write a future memory you want to make real. Give your imagination something to reach for.
Start a Sunday ritual that feels like continuity. Repetition can be resistance.
Create a shared photo album called “We’re Still Here.” Make survival visible.
Offer someone a microgrant or cash gift—if you can. Mutual aid doesn’t have to be big to be real.
Repair something small that you’ve been neglecting. Restoration is a form of presence.
Say “I’m protecting my energy” instead of making excuses. Claim your boundaries out loud.
Name what feels like home—and who’s not safe there yet. Let that gap guide your commitments.
Record your voice reading something that matters. Save it for yourself or someone else.
Say no to urgency once. Let it pass without chasing it.
Look for the helpers—and thank them out loud. Gratitude keeps the connective tissue alive.
Resist cynicism in one interaction. Stay real, not performative.
Make or update your will. That’s a move too—toward clarity and care.
Give someone permission to grieve without explaining. Make space for what can’t be fixed.
Watch how you speak to yourself. Say one kinder thing.
Reconnect with someone you drifted from. No explanation needed—just begin again.
Let something take time on purpose. Signal to yourself that not everything needs to be fast.
Been a busy week, keeping up with TCF news, trying to figure out what's happening where on May Day, a tour of the under-construction Lebanese Garden and the Heritage Farm, Nature's Notebook on Monday, and a BioPark Conservation Committee meeting on Tuesday. Today we spent our energy on planting out the veggies and herbs at our Community Garden, aka, Jane Foster's backyard.
Hard work, but hopefully we'll get a handful of tasty things out of the ground. Remember, photosynthesis is your friend.
On this Earth Day 2025, I find myself rather well off despite all of the administration's evil machinations. The courts are pushing back on Trump and Doge. Thank you, ACLU and others. Glad to learn that Harvard and many other Universities are standing up to TCF.
The freezing-rain-trying-to-turn-into-snow managed to scare us off from the "No Kings" march on Saturday. Instead, we had Greek takeout for lunch with friends. Easter was another Greek feast with Cousin Katia and Blake. Not surprisingly, we had leftover Greek last night.
Nature's Notebook continues on schedule. For the moment Doge's efficiency Gestapo haven't found their funding stream. Things are popping despite a couple chilly nights. Daytime temps are heading back into the 80's. With Saturday's 0.4" of precipitation, we expect even more rapid changes. The big surprise for us this week was the foot-tall Asclepius speciosa, which has exploded out of the ground in the past two weeks.
On the way out of the Botanic Garden, we took the usual shortcut through the Japanese Garden. Peonies and Viburnum were blooming promiscuously. In the planters along the Festival Green, we found Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides hispanica.
Rain, blessed rain. After 151 days, Albuquerque finally picked up some rain. It clocked in at 0.3", which is piddling little after a 5 month dry spell, the longest on record. But I'll take what I can get.
The clouds rolled in Friday afternoon, conveniently after I finished General Grounds at the Heritage Farm opening. I was pleasantly surprised by how many people talked about their travels in Scotland while viewing the Highland Coos.
Here's my preliminary target list of plants to hunt this year:
Astragalus feensis (Santa Fe Milkvetch) — April–June, 5100-6000 ft
Dalea scariosa (La Jolla Prairie Clover) — August–September, 4750-4900 ft (D*)
Delphinium sapellonis (Sapello Canyon Larkspur) — July–September, 8000-11,500 (D*)
Heuchera pulchella (Sandia Mountain Alum-Root) — July–September, 8000-10,700
Mentzelia todiltoensis (Todilto Stickleaf) — June–September, 5600-5840 ft
Muhlenbergia arsenei (Navajo Muhly) — August–September, 4600-6500 ft (D*)
Physaria iveyana (Sandia Mountain Bladderpod) — May–June, North Sandia Crest
Sclerocactus papyracanthus (Grama Grass Cactus) — April–June, above Placitas (D*)
Silene plankii (Plank's Catchfly) — July–September, 5000-9200 ft
Spiranthes magnicamporum (Great Plains Lady's Tresses) — mid-July–August, 4560-6500 ft (D*)
Although a number have been dropped from the NMRPTC strategy list (D* above), they have been listed by at least one agency at one time.
As for a schedule, Astragalus and Sclerocactus get going in April. Physaria kicks in later in May. Mentzelia begins blooming in June, followed by Delpinium, Heuchera, Silene, and Sprianthes in July. Dalea and Muhlenbergia round out this list of ten species.
While July looks to be the peak month for plant hunting, I'll also be chasing Aphyllon up in Rio Ariba County. Busy times ahead!
Today marks my first meeting with the BioPark's Conservation Committee. Like the mayor's Biological Park Advisory Board, we'll be meeting in the library at the Zoo. There are 16 people on the committee and they oversee the disbursement of funding for various conservation projects.
As the only botanist in the group, I'll be interested in how to move them towards more plant-based habitat conservation. Right now, they only fund our membership in the Botanic Gardens Conservation International program with North American plants. They also support the IUCN Species Survival Commission, which is very general and includes plant species. Otherwise, everything involves individual animal species.
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| Graphical representation of conservation support |
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Late pm update: Meeting was moved to Colores. 16 attendees and a good amount of administrivia was covered. Looking forward to learning more as the group gets its feet under itself.
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| Crab apple blossoms |
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| The offset bridge with a path among the flowering crab apples |
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| Cherry blossoms in the Sasebo Japanese Garden |
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| Crab apple 'Prairie Fire' |
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| Sakura 'Kwanzan' cherry behind the waterfall |
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| Crab apple detail |
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| Crab apple on the Woodland Path |
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| Flowering almond |
The sad truth about Musk & Trump's scheme to cut SS benefits by crippling access (closing offices, no phone service, etc.) is that those most effected are also the very ones least able to protest. Rural retirees, those without access to Internet, people reliant on public transportation, folks with food insecurity, elderly with mobility problems -- they can't afford the time, money, and effort to protest. They are all easy prey for these kinds of backdoor reductions in earned benefits.
I guess we'll have to take a lesson from a paraphrased Dr. Seuss: "I am the Lorax. I speak for the retirees. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Yesterday's bread baking has led to this morning's French toast. Sunday brunch with Schlepp is always a good thing.
As I sit here with a full belly, happy in the benefits of my culinary art, I can reflect on where I am and how thankful I am. I sit in a comfortable chair at my old mahogany desk with a modern computer at my fingertips. I have access to an entire world of information... and misinformation. I have light, warmth, protection from wind, rain, and snow. I have a wonderful wife. I am comfortably retired with financial resources such that I worry for nothing.
Yet...
The world and our country is careening toward a disaster of its own making. Besides the obvious short-term issues of the survival of the rule of law, the Constitution, and democracy, every day the administration takes us on a path to environmental self-destruction.
Capitalism, by definition, relies on unlimited growth. To echo the famous book title, we have reached "The Limits of Growth." I am reminded of the MOOC at the Athabaska University and their discussions about circular economies, sustainable societies, and donut models of environmental resources. It's clear that we've hit or exceeded carrying capacity in many critical areas.
So where and how to apply myself, to push back against regressive, anti-environmental policies and politicians? Pulling away and becoming a hermit would reduce my individual impacts, but it is not scalable and the effect would be negligible. Better now is to up my work at the BioPark. There I can converse with dozens of people at a go and have the Garden Education Department's blessing to bring up topics like conservation, climate change, endangered species, evolution, biodiversity, and so on. I even get to teach people the value of herbaria and botanical surveys. Our phenological work with Nature's Notebook is getting wider attention.
If these small, local connections can be fostered and multiplied, what is the possible impact? Is there a way to measure the effects? To quote Galileo Galilei, "Count what is countable. Measure what is measureable. What is not measureable, make measureable."
Apparently, if your job description or department title has the words "diversity," "inclusion," "equity," "civil liberties," "disadvantaged," or "racial," you are earmarked for being fired, laid off, or reassigned to Outbackistan. Today the administration destroyed the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties , which investigates potential rights violations within the DHS and fields complaints from the public. Two offices targeted were the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, which served similar oversight functions. These organizations play an important role in protecting unaccompanied minors who are apprehended by ICE. Child immigrants now lack all legal protection.
A half a million legal immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will have their parole status revoked as of next month. A similar number of Ukrainian immigrants are under threat as well. While having brown skin is a sure way to come under Trump's fire, the threat of Ukrainian deportations is no doubt a bargaining tactic to force Kyiv to accept some onerous "peace deal" concocted by Putin and Trump.
WTF? Where are all the protesters? You know, the one's who didn't/wouldn't vote for a black woman? The ones in Dearborn who wanted to send a message that Biden's support of Israel required a protest vote? I've heard that AOC and Bernie had a huge turnout in Denver. The Guardian reports on successful protest rallies throughout the country. Indivisible is planning a big nationwide protest on April 5th. We'll see if that materializes. Yet here in ABQ, protest turnout has been mediocre.
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| Lackluster protest on the Civic Plaza, Feb. 14, 2025 |
My friend in FEMA continues to report via Signal. Facebook she considers to be compromised by a Trump toady for an owner. I post articles of interest to the private NW ABQ P.A.G. page, but largely keep the political stuff off the public-facing Travel Schlepp pages. Other friends boldly post anti-Trump pieces publicly on FB. I applaud their courage.
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| A handful of protesters at the Capitol, Feb. 5, 2025 |
So it's kitties, flowers, food, and bread baking for Facebook. Here on my personal blog, I don't expect to be discovered by MAGA types. I don't think Doge is scraping all Blogger posts looking for "subversive" keywords. So far they haven't been able to do that even with single government departments. Removing photographs of the Enola Gay and taking down Code Talker webpages only amplifies their incompetence.
Still, when entire universities like Columbia roll over in the face of illegal impoundments by Trump, you realize that speaking out in even the smallest of ways has non-zero risk. The law firm of Paul, Weiss capitulated, sending a chilling message to lawyers everywhere. And risk times consequence equals threat. The threat is real, and not insignificant.
While Congress sits ineffectually on the sidelines, we're left to depend on the courts. Judge Boasberg holds the line on the El Salvadoran imprisonment of Venezuelan immigrants, but administration lawyers basically are flaunting the presidential immunity thing in his face. One would think that they would be worried about personally being held in contempt and disbarred. Trump can't pardon disbarment. But then, the administration could somehow gut the American Bar Association.
Other judges continue to push back on Doge as Musk takes his figurative chainsaw to government agencies. Sometimes it's a temporary restraining order, other times there are reinstatements.
It's now early in the dark of a Saturday morning and we'll see by the light of day what chaos has been sown on a Friday evening. I'm sure electoral-vote.com will have a full plate for their Q&A when it comes online.
Late breaking note: EV is "taking an unscheduled day off." Have they been disappeared?
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| Vinca by the Turtlearium |
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| Daffodils in the Main Bed |
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| Hyacinths |
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| Hoya blooms in the Sun Room |
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| Bougainvillea |
Meanwhile, TCF tries to use a wartime power without a war (the Alien Enemies Act) and is brought up short by another judge. Visas are being withheld and Belarus is one of 37 countries called out. Scary times.
Democrats are furious and frustrated about the CR, if that's what it can be called. Some think that Schumer did the best he could with a bad deal, but by not filibustering the CR and not causing a gov't shutdown, he is labeled as an appeaser.
Only 595 days to the midterms and then there will be a reckoning.
The new administration continues to scythe through democratic laws, regulations, and norms. Some of Musk's inanity has hit too close for comfort, but after a scary 24 hours, they recanted. Now it's up to the courts. I'm having to rely on old Facebook networks plus the new Bluesky and Signal. I've got a Proton VPN set up. It feels like were one step away from living in 1950's USSR or 1930's Germany.
This week's political conniptions with the federal budget were particularly frustrating. The CR passed because a handful of Democrats sided with the Republicans to vote for cloture. The disappointment is palpable. We find bits of hope in the occasional judicial ruling against TCF, Musk, and Doge.
Thankfully, there's the Garden and the kitchen, which seems weird to be normal. Winter is loosening its hold and flowers are beginning to bloom or push out a bit of greenery. The Nature's Notebook crew gets out every Monday and takes our phenology observations. We nearly blew away the other day. Sheila and I have gotten the herbarium straightened out for the new season and soon will start pressing a new batch of specimens for the summer students. Then there was the staff appreciation luncheon. Roast asparagus with lemon and parmesan was my contribution, while Caro donated some of her puzzle-piece pins for the door prizes.
So far tariffs haven't driven up the prices of groceries too much nor have they made imported foods impossible to find. That'll probably become evident in the next few weeks. Frankly, a good loaf of bread doesn't take much beyond flour, water, salt, and yeast. Butter, milk, eggs, plus some spices and nuts go a long way to taking bread to the next level. English crumpets, Irish soda bread, French baguettes, and Italian focaccia have been featured lately.
At the same time, it's spring in New Mexico. That means crazy temperature swings and high winds. Allergies are out there: juniper pollen for me, pine and grass for Caro.
Bonsai is a refuge. The club is busy preparing for the Mothers Day Show. Today I repotted my Taxus from last summer's Obon demonstration, a Bougainvillea, and Corby's little gift Punica. Still, I lost the Thundercloud to pine wilt, but at least came home to the tiniest of green buds showing on the 38-year old Ginkgo. I've had that with me since I lived in the old house on 14th Street.
The backyard is showing signs of life. Caro and Baldo have cleaned up the beds and mulched things. Grape hyacinth, Vinca, and daffodils are blooming with lilac close behind. Fluffy the feral cat continues to use the kitty heater under the patio table. Somehow it has weathered all the storms, partly because we've had so little precipitation. We're thinking about starting a sort of Victory Garden in Jane's backyard, partly to help her out with food costs and partly in anticipation of shortages as Trump's sinks the economy.
Evening television these days is mostly British shows. Waiting for the new season of Monty Don's Gardeners' World to begin and getting used to the new detective in Death in Paradise.
At least we've gotten through the switch to Daylight Saving Time. That same day we drove up to Chamita to celebrate (4 days late) Ty's birthday. Beautiful weather and a good time chatting with everyone. Ty and I set up some cheap Christmas lights to try to keep the blossoms on his 3 apricot trees from freezing. We'll see how that goes.
Our friend Debbie has been dealing with some skin cancer problems. Fortunately, her dermatologist has been able to remove them, but healing takes time. She has one more surgery.
We're fast coming up on St. Patrick's Day. Friends Deb Martin and Nat Smith have invited us over for green beer and an afternoon of gaming. Caro will take Marlene to lunch if all goes well. Last time, Marlene took a fall and they had to eat at her home.
I think that brings things up to date. Here's a Hibiscus for the photo-icon.
Had a chilly start to the day at the BioPark before things gradually warmed up to extremely pleasant. This is not how warm February is supposed to be.
Apart from the evidence of global warming, the mochi pounding was well attended. I greeted 177 people over 3 hours. I also caught up with the BioPark's Special Event Coordinator and we discussed the upcoming Mother's Day Bonsai Show.
Early on in the mochi mushing, a visitor made a careless blow and cracked the wooden mallet on the edge of the huge granite mortar.
With splintered wood, there was nothing to be done but rely on a handful of mochi machines.
Cranes were seen overhead flying north. Winter is truly over. A visitor reported an injured porcupine. Allison and I investigated and found the little fellow on his back with a gash in his leg. Sandy thought it might be an injury received during a male territorial fight. In any event, Allison called the Zoo vet and the guy was taken care of.
That's more than I can say for our federal employees. Today it's reported that Musk sent out a government-wide e-mail demanding that every worker justify their work last week in "5 bullet points" or face termination. The destruction of the United States Government continues apace unless the courts can act with more courage and alacrity.
While the new administration takes an axe to the idea that different people don't have rights, I'm reminded of Travel Schlepp's experience right after 9-11. That's when they set up the Bears Homefront Brigade.
Setting up the Home Front Brigade wasn't as easy as you might think. Of course, Big Brown Bear always guarded the house, so he was automatically part of the Brigade. And Gussie's bear was pretty big, so she was included. The BBC told how Britain was helping, so William was in as well. And Little Brown Bear was definitely a bear in good standing and almost as big as Big Schlepp.
But then Roberta said, "What about me? I want to help."
At first Travel Schlepp thought she couldn't be in the Brigade because she was a rabbit, not a bear, her ears were too long, and she was from China. But Big Schlepp reminded Little Schlepp that she was part of the family, too, and that just because she was different didn't mean she couldn't be part of the Brigade.
And then Peabody, the pink elephant said, "What about me? Can I be in the Brigade?"
Little Schlepp thought about that and said, "Peabody, your history is a mystery and you're not a bear either. I don't think you can be in the Brigade."
But Big Schlepp was wise and reminded everyone that just because he was different didn't mean he couldn't be part of the Brigade. And everyone thought about this and knew that Big Schlepp was right.
So everyone was happy and Little Schlepp learned an important lesson--that just because you look different or come from some place else doesn't mean you're not a good friend.
That still applies today.
I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of the Aquatic Conservation Facility yesterday. It's located at the far northwest end of the BioPark, beyond the Garden and the Heritage Farm. Despite the blustery, chill weather, we got to look at the outdoor tanks for the silvery minnows and the complex of indoor facilities for the minnows and other endangered species.
There were also populations of the Socorro isopod, in case their native spring and the wild population is lost.
Fortunately, this facility is largely funded by the BioPark Society and so is buffered from what will likely be an attack on the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Endangered Species Act.
In a desperate effort to escape Suberb Owl Sunday, I went down to the Botanic Garden this afternoon. A few things were blooming outside: snowdrops, hellebore, Siberian iris. Maybe the winter jasmine would've been in flower, but it's all been dug up by the construction for the new Lebanese Garden.
