Thoughts on Climate Change

Are you like us and enjoy watching Richard Attenborough‘s Planet Earth series? Recently Sue and I started rewatching Planet Earth II, which was first streamed in 2023. The documentary series is beautifully filmed and well worth watching, both seasons, but the second series continuously reminds us that we are en route to losing so much of our natural world.

In the first season, Attenborough admitted that for many years he was a skeptic about climate warming, but more recently, he has come to understand that our planet is facing an existential climate warming crisis. In fact, he says he believes that we might not have more than 20 years to deal with our climate catastrophe or suffer irreparable consequences.

The polar regions, which act as our planet’s air conditioner, are warming faster than other regions in the world. Ice cover reflects heat; water absorbs it; it really is as simple as that. Every year, because of the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, more and more of the ice cover in both the Arctic and Antarctic is melting; and it may not be too long into the future before the Arctic Ocean is no longer frozen over in the winter. Greenland and the continent of Antartica are melting faster and faster each year as well. Ocean rising looks inevitable, threatening many American cities like New York, Norfolk, Miami, and New Orleans to mention only a few. Already many coastal cities flood after every rain, and a hurricane could completely inundate and decimate one or more of them.

As many of you know over the past decade we have enjoyed visiting San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where we were introduced to bird watching and the work of the Audubon Society of Mexico. You really never forget the first time you see a Vermillion Flycatcher sitting on a Saguaro cactus or a Caracara soaring in a Mexican blue sky. But even in San Miguel, these birds are less common because of overdevelopment and climate change.

When you visit your favorite park, do you ever think to yourself, “There don’t seem to be as many birds as there were when I was a child?” Well, it’s true. “The North American bird populatidon is down by 2.9 billion or 40% of all breeding adults, with devastating losses among birds in every biome. Forests alone have lost 1 billion birds. Grassland bird populations collectively have declined by 53%, or another 720 million birds.” You only need to be a frequent walker in your local city park or feed birds in your backyard to notice the decline. Pollinators and other insects are declining even worse.

Many governments world wide, though, continue to act like there is no climate change. Unfortunately, our government, after decades leading the fight to save the environment, has done a complete volte-face or reversal dealing with this issue. The so-called Big Beautiful Bill, now law, has placed our country totally in thrall to the fossil fuel industry. In addition to taking away health care and basic nutrition from millions of poor Americans, It threatens to destroy the small progress we have made in the last couple of decades dealing with climate change.

Over the last century the US government has subsidize the fossil industry to the tune of trillions of dollars, far more than what we have recently done for the green industry. This administration seeks to return to that old burn baby burn paradigm to the detriment of all of our futures. Why? What good, for example, does it do to cripple the EV industry here in America? If our car industry is not allowed and encouraged to compete with China in the manufacturing of EVs, the entire industry will die. The future of transportation is not with the gas combustion engine. China is about to eat our lunch.

I am at best a mediocre environmentalist and a half-assed recycler. I don’t think twice about booking a flight across country or to Europe or Latin America. Fortunately though we still have managed, almost without planning, to reduce our carbon footprint, at least in part. We live in a high-rise apartment in densely populated downtown Denver. For three or four years after we retired and moved to Denver, we did without a car, but during the pandemic we decided that with all of our medical appointments and grocery shopping, etc., we needed a car. We at first bought a hybrid, but after a couple of years passed it on to our daughter, Bryn.

Sue and I then bought a 2022 Chevy EV Bolt, but, being the astute bargainers we are, we didn’t get a subsidy or rebate. That didn’t matter. We just wanted a small electric car to get around town. Since buying it, we have spent about $80 a month to recharge it, but not another cent for upkeep or maintenance. And every time I drive it, I feel just a little bit better about helping the environment. EVs will not singlehandedly fix the climate crisis, nor are they for everyone, but in ten years, we and the rest of the world are going to be driving Chinese, Korean, or Japanese electric cars because the American automobile industry will be defunct or on its last legs, trying to sell gas burning cars that no one wants or needs .

Family, Friends & Food–Part II

After our fun trip to Rehobeth Beach, we spent another day at the farm, and then John & Bonnie chauffeured us to Washington to meet Erin, not an easy task given DC’s well-known traffic congestion. Our trip this time was no exception.

Rather than make John drive all the way into the center of town, we opted for parking at the New Carrollton Metro station and Ubering into town. Little did we know that since last visiting the station, so much construction and redevelopment has taken place that it was going to be a trial of our patience. We missed the turnoff for the station, forcing us onto the Capital Beltway and a twenty minute (3 mile) detour, and once we arrived back at New Carrollton, the signage was so bad it took us three trips around the block to finally find the parking garage.

Fortunately, the Uber ride to the Old Ebbitt Grill, where we were meeting Erin, went smoothly, and we enjoyed talking with our driver, Stanley, who hailed from Ghana originally. Sue & I shared with him how much we had enjoyed visiting Ghana, some 25 years ago, when Erin was spending her semester abroad at the University of Ghana at Accra. Stanley tells us that Accra has grown and changed so much that we wouldn’t recognize it. I am sure that is probably a good thing for Ghana, but we enjoyed our time in what was then a sleepy tropical capital and remember it fondly.

Erin feted us all at the Old Ebbitt Grill–we feasted on oysters and delicious crab cakes. Maryland crab cakes are the best, at least in our opinion; fortunately these met our high expectations. In addition, they offered a wonderful dessert menu from which I chose a seasonal peach bread pudding. It arrived with a candle and everyone singing Happy Birthday. It might have been the best bread pudding I have ever had. This was the first of three birthday celebrations for me…each one better than the last, perhaps.

The next day, Friday, July 18, Sue and I met up with some longtime friends and colleagues from my Library of Congress days. Barby & Howard Morland made the arrangements for all of us to meet at Poets & Busboys in Shirlington. For us it was a great and long overdue reunion.

We were seated at a long table accommodating all seven of us, including Barby & Howard, Abby Yochelson, Tori Hill, and Kathy Woodrell, and us.

We spent more than two hours eating and laughing, with only occasional digressions on our concerns about the current state of affairs and the damage being done to the Federal workforce. Back in the late 1980s, Tori & I hired Abby and Kathy, along with a number of other young librarians, after a long hiring freeze. It was a great decision, especially after Barby joined us, and my experience working at the Library was a highlight and joy of my career. We are all retired now, but we still hold dear the time we spent working or researching at the Library of Congress, one of the World’s great libraries and research centers and a national treasure .

But even treasures need to be cherished and nourished and can only function and prosper with a dedicated workforce and management. Like so much of the Federal work force, however, the Library of Congress and its employees are under siege. Most recently, the Librarian of Congress was fired, without cause. The reason given was ,that children were being exposed to unsuitable content about transgenders and drag queens. The White House clearly isn’t aware that the Library of Congress is not open to anyone under the age of 18.

Later that evening, Sue & I, along with Erin & John, met up with our niece, Susie and her husband Gerry at the Bangkok 54 Thai Restaurant in Arlington for my second birthday celebrations–how lucky can a guy be? Another fantastic meal & a great time for visiting and catching up. I ordered a Whole Fried Flounder, which was perfectly prepared, but also almost too much, even with everyone sharing.

It was our last event with John as he was heading out the next morning for a wilderness camping trip with friends in Colorado, but we enjoyed being with him for even a limited amount of time. We miss Erin and John not being in Denver, especially as it has proven next to impossible for us to visit them in Cuba.

For our time in DC, Erin booked us into the AKA White House, a residence hotel where she and John were staying. It provides roomy and comfortable apartments and is a great retreat in downtown DC, just a couple of blocks the White House. Several mornings, before the heat of the day set in, I was able to take a walk around the neighborhood usually walking through Lafayette Park and by the White House. There are surprisingly few tourists around at 7:00 am.

All good things, though, do come to an end, but before we left town on June 21st, Erin took us to the Taverna del Albardero for one final delicious meal to commemorate my birthday a third time. We can’t recommend the restaurant too much. All of us ordered an “arroz” (think a Spanish version of risotto) with lobster and shrimp–melt in your mouth delicious. Flan de la abuela was the chosen dessert to share, although I ate the lion’s share. The next morning Erin went off to training, and Sue and I finished packing and ubered to National Airport for an afternoon return flight home.

And thus ended our lovely Summer’s Interlude.

Friends, Family and Food Part I

Sue and I recently spent ten days visiting with family and friends on the Maryland Eastern Shore and DC. We had a great time, but after more than a week in that hot and steamy climate, we definitely know that we made the right choice when we decided to settle in Denver more than decade ago; although weather was not the sole or even main reason.

First stop after arriving at BWI airport was a crab feast with Sue’s family, the Roschy Clan (14 of us) at Fisherman’s Crab Deck, Kent Island, MD. Like riding a bike, once you learn to pick crabs, you never forget. After one, though, Sue decided to go for a Maryland Crab Cake—there’s nothing better anywhere, but I stuck with the crabs and managed to clean off more than a half a dozen. Surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of other diners, the atmosphere was incredibly loud, but also convivial. By moving around and switching chairs, we caught up with everyone’s goings on & happenings.

The gathering included Sue’s brother and sister-in-law, John & Bonnie, and other members of the family; Susie & Jerry Kavinski & their daughters, Abby & Evelyn; Dean & Anita Roschy, and Ann & Dusty Eastman & their daughter, Hannah, and finally Sue’s youngest brother, Tim Roschy. Not all of us made it into the post dinner photo below.

Sated and content, we drove back to John and Bonnie’s Eastern Shore Anchor Rest Farm for a restful few days. It’s definitely a place to chill and relax. John & Bonnie were, as always, the consummate hosts. In addition to great in-laws, John & Bonnie are good friends and great traveling companions, as any one familiar with this blog well know. It is always good to be with them, and we much appreciated their warmth and hospitality this time and always.

The Maryland Eastern Shore is made up of mostly small towns and family farms. You drive through miles of flat, but beautiful countryside dotted with green fields of corn, wheat, and soybeans before arriving at their lovely home. Sitting on their front porch on a summer’s eve is a gift of serenity.

One afternoon we decided to visit the nearby Tuckahoe Maryland State Park, which was created more than 60 years ago through the efforts of Bonnie’s father, Robert Dean, who was a Maryland State Senator for many years. He loved this land where he was born and grew up. This summer John & Bonnie’s granddaughter, Hannah Eastman, is working at the camp, and she was delighted to show us around and talk about how meaningful for her this beautiful gift to the people of Maryland is and will be for many generations to come. We were all charmed by her tour and narrative.

Having rested and rejuvenated at the farm for several days, we moved on to Rehobeth Beach, DE, which is a little more than an hour’s drive from John & Bonnie’s farm. Throughout the year, but even moreso in the summer, thousands of city dwellers from Baltimore, Philadelphia and DC, flock to beach towns all along the Atlantic Beach front of the Delmarva Peninsula. Beach traffic often chokes the roads leading from these metropolitan areas to the shore, and wherever you go it is sure to be a topic of conversation.

Rehobeth Beach, with its milelong board walk, lined with restaurants, souvenir shops, and small hotels, is the quintisential Delmarva beach town; caramel corn, saltwater taffy, and ice cream are always necessary purchases you stroll along of an evening. Those who are familiar with famous beaches around the world might find it a little underwhelming–the Atlantic Ocean waters can be chilly even in the summer & the beach with its choppy waves, quickly drops off to deeper water, making it difficult for people of a certain age to venture in and remain upright. But locals love going to beach and having it so close.

The sand is soft, and we enjoyed just lounging near the waterline and people watching–especially the children who alternate jumping in the waves with making sand castles on the shore. We were really impressed with the lifeguards stationed all along the boardwalk; they were ever diligent in monitoring the water and whistling cautions to the swimmers who ventured too far out. On our second day there at about three-thirty, they whistled everyone out of the water, and then a half hour later, we were all told to clear the beach–a thunderstorm was fast approaching, and they wanted to avoid anyone getting struck by lightning.

Another day we found ourselves sitting beside a gregarious and friendly man, Miliam and his family of four. Talking with him, we learned that Miliam had come to the US more than a decade ago, to escape his war ravaged country, Kosovo. He settled in Lancaster, PA and quickly found a job as a mechanic in a factory there. Welcomed by his new friends and neighbors, he decided to return home to marry his childhood sweetheart. They returned to Lancaster where they bought a small home and are raising their two American born children. The entire family loves coming to Rehobeth, which they do every summer.

We all really enjoyed learning Miliam’s story; the story of millions of Americans like him who have added so much to our nation. But this story is now closed off to people around the world. We have let fear and nationalism blind us to the good that immigrants have brought and still could bring to our country. Now we have heavily armed and masked thugs patrolling our streets and intimidating people who don’t look like “Americans.”

Is this really who we are? I hope not.

No Kings

By nature, I am an optimist and always have been throughout my life. I’ve always felt that life is good and that positive thinking is the best way to face life.  Fortunately, I have not suffered many tragedies or insurmountable setbacks, so it has been easy to remain optimistic.

More and more, faced with the political and cultural turmoil in our country, maintaining that optimism has become harder and harder. We are barely five months into the Trump presidency and it seems that the forces of autocracy, greed, and graft are riding high.

This week our imbecilic but powerful president has tried to normalize the presence of our military in American streets to maintain “law and order.”  Such actions by the English monarchy in the 18th century was one of the main reasons leading up to the American revolution. We wanted no king then, and we certainly don’t need one now.

Trump and his minions have complete control of the executive and legislative branches of the government, and we can only hope that the third branch, the judiciary will save us and the world, from this madness. This president and his MAGA minions are completely within their rights to enact laws that set forth their retrograde agenda.  (They won the election!) They can promulgate a budget that will bankrupt this country and make the superrich in this country even richer, while making the rest of us poorer and sicker.

One aspect of this complete takeover and decimation of our government which is most incomprehensible to me is the war on science and education–how can any 21st century educated person doubt and question the scientific method and the pursuit of knowledge in order to understand our world and what we have done to it over these last two hundred years of the Industrial Revolution.

All of this was brought to mind recently as I began reading a story in the New York Times about the Atlantic Hurricane season which began on June 1. We are completely unprepared for it because of the decimation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by DOGE–the so called Department of Government Efficiency.  Elon Much may be gone, but his henchmen and the damage that they have and will inflict on the government and the nation remains.

NOAA has lost more than twenty percent of its personnel, and the vast majority of that lose is made up of senior scientists and experienced  administrators.  Local offices around the country have been closed or have had to reduce their hours of operation for lack of budget and personnel.  This year, NOAA’s fleet of hurricane hunters are likely to be grounded or inoperable because of budget cuts rather than patrolling the storm clouds above the Atlantic and Gulf.

Twenty years ago, we had to wait for tropical storms to actually form before we could begin to study them and predict where they might strike and with what intensity.  But because of modern computers and science, coupled with experienced and talented administration and staffing, we can now predict with incredible accuracy the first indication, development, path, and intensity of hurricanes.

Explosively developing super storms used to happen only once a decade in the recent past, but because of climate warming, they are now almost a yearly occurrence, and they are inflicting an incredible amount of infrastructural damage, but because of accurate early warnings, storm death tolls are usually small. This could all change with the emasculation of NOAA and the National Hurricane Center, many more lives might be lost.

It is much the same story with our National Institutes of Science and Medicine. Researchers and scientists have been fired, retired or resigned.  Grants are not being dispersed to our major universities to study disease and epidemics–work that takes good minds, sound research, and dedication.  Thanks to the charlatans who now run these agencies, the American population has lost confidence in vaccines; we could see thousands of people die because of this, many of them children. Measles is one of the more virulent and deadly of diseases, but as a society we now seem to be saying—who cares? The parents of children who die from this an other childhood diseases will care.

And yet our biggest cultural worry is that a “trans girl”  might be allowed to compete in girl’s high school sports or use a woman’s bathroom. Is that really the most important issue of out times?

But back to the US soldiers and marines patrolling our streets. It now seems that this government only worries about “illegal aliens” in sanctuary cities; if they are working on farms or in the hotel and tourist industry, then they are OK.  This campaign against undocumented immigrants is madness.  We need these immigrants to take care of our old people and mind our children. We need them to build the millions of houses and apartments we so desperately lack. Who’s going to build and repair our roads, bridges and other infrastructure?

We don’t have to spend billions of dollars to round up peaceable, hard working, law-abiding people with storm troopers.  We can spend that money and effort on enacting better immigration laws and creating the administrative structures to deal with people who are seeking a chance to live and raise their children in a better place.

Memorial Day

This week Sue and I visited the Denver Botanic Gardens and as always enjoyed ourselves immensely. It’s late spring in Denver; the beauty of the gardens truly make you happy to be alive!

Denver’s Botanic Garden is extraordinary. For the last number of years we have purchased a family pass, and we are never disappointed when we visit, no matter what the season.

We walked around the garden for a couple of hours, marveling at the profusion of blooms–the irises, poppies, and peonies were particularly beautiful on the day of our visit. We were certainly not the only visitors, but along with sightseeing, we were able to take a break for a picnic on a bench in a secluded wooded area.

I took a lot of pictures (80+), but I won’t inflict them on all on you, but with your indulgence, I would like to share some of them with you.

Giant poppies and peonies
A selection of just some of the wondrous Irises
Reflections on the Water Lily Pond
False Indigo

On this Memorial Day please take some time to reflect on the beauties of nature, man’s handiwork, and the sacrifices that many Veterans have made for our country. Let us all honor their sacrifice and do all that we can to preserve our democracy.

Tuesday Afternoon with the Boys

Often the highlight of our week is Tuesday Afternoon with our grandson, Charlie, and his best friend and “our adopted grandson, ” Dylan. Each Tuesday, we meet them at Skinner Middle School, where they are both in the 7th Grade. Charlie and Dylan have known each other since pre-school and have always had a a special bond. Unfortunately, this year, although they are in the same middle school, they don’t share many classes together, so they, like us, seem to look forward to Tuesday afternoons. Their parents tell us how much the boys enjoy it and are disappointed if the get-together doesn’t happen.

The moment they pile into our car, the conversation about where to go for a “snack” begins. Lately, Taco Bell has been the favored choice, but McDonald’s, Panera, 7-11, and even Hapa, a favorite sushi restaurant, figure in the running. Then after that is decided, we discuss what are we going to do. Often, during the winter, it was going to our apartment and playing five card stud–or gambling as they like to call it. Last Tuesday after a $30 Taco Bell snack for all of us, the boys unanimously decided that we should revisit the Denver Museum of Illusion.

Since a visit requires a lot of walking and standing, Sue opted out, but the museum doesn’t allow anyone under 15 to be unaccompanied, and Opa became the designated chaperon or third wheel. I had a good time, mostly watching the boys who thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially with the help of the museum docents who always have suggestions on how best to interact with each illusion.

Charlie & Dylan are better at this than me

Whatever we do, it gives us the opportunity to interact with Charlie and Dylan, find out what they are doing, and share some time together–something that not all of us are granted. Too soon they will outgrow this stage and will no longer willingly spend some time with the grandparents…let’s hope that time is later rather than sooner.

Aging in America

Just got back from a visit with my mother and siblings in North Georgia. It’s always good to see Mom, who will be 97 years old this July, as well as my extended family. Mom lives in a small assisted living facility in Royston, GA, having moved there two years ago.

The past two years since her move there have been a revelation for me about aging in America. An ever greater number of us are living to be very old (85+). Sue will be 81 this year, and I will turn 77 in July. It’s possible we could live into our 90s– not an altogether happy prognosis!

Mom and Larry in her Gables Apartment

Mom was fortunate to have been able to live on her own until she was 95–thanks to good genes, good health, and, most importantly, having caring and supportive children nearby. She was widowed nearly 20 years ago, but she stayed in her home and did not give up driving, at least around town, until her late 80s. She did a lot for herself, worked as she could in her house and yard, enjoyed watching all the birds that visited her, and worried about her lawn and garden. Every Sunday, she was in her favorite pew at the Methodist Church where she taught Sunday school and served on many committees. The church was an important parts of her life, and her faith remains strong and unshakeable.

I never lived in GA as I was in college when the family moved there upon my father’s retirement from the Navy in 1967, but my three siblings, Sandy, Glenda and Dale are proud Georgians and have all lived near Mom for years . Following Dad’s passing in 2006, Mom lived on her own, but my brother and sisters checked in with her frequently and stopped by to visit, help with chores, and run errands. Over the last decade, she has needed more help with shopping and medical appointments, especially as her macular degeneration progressively worsened.

In the summer of 2023, after a series of falls and fainting spells, Mom herself recognized that the time had come for her to give up her independence. Simultaneously, Glenda, who had been trying unsuccessfully to find a suitable and affordable place for more than a year, came upon what seemed to be the perfect solution: The Gables in Royston, GA, only 15 miles from Mom’s home.

The Gables is a lovely small and reasonably priced facility with 70 or so residents, each in their own apartment. The staff are caring and kind, and Mom was able to move into a two room apartment on short notice. Much of the summer of 2023 was spent in going through Mom’s things and reducing her possessions to the minimum. She shed some tears and fretted over letting go of a life time of memories. That process is hard for everyone, and there are always regrets and second guesses.

Fortunately Mom has been happy and has made friends at the Gables; one of the biggest benefits is that the staff dispense her medicines and eye drops as scheduled, relieving her of the anxiety and worry of having to deal with them herself. Staff clean her apartment and make her bed daily, and they do her laundry as needed. Recently for an additional monthly charge, she has begun to get help bathing and dressing, mostly because of her macular degeneration.

Doctor visits and emergency room trips occur on a frequent basis, and she alway needs someone to accompany her and act as her advocate and amanuensis; that task usually falls on Glenda and Dale, especially since I am 1500 miles away. My siblings visit her frequently, and unlike many of her fellow residents who complain about the lack of visitors, Mom has managed to maintain some longtime friendships. In fact, one of her favorite activities is playing dominoes with a group of lady friends every Friday afternoon–sometimes joined by my brother, Dale. When I visit with Mom, I always look forward to playing (and bantering) with the ladies!

She loves the staff, and it certainly seems as if they love her; but as a resident you give up all privacy and modesty. The staff are in and out of your room many times a day, and bathroom functions often become a communal affair, but this is the exchange you make for peace of mind and necessary care. Mom’s comfortable way of life is in great contrast to that of her 98 year old sister, Isabel.

Unlike Mom, who receives social security and VA benefits (from my Dad’s service in the Navy) and has a small nest egg from the sale of her home, Aunt Bel had few sources to fall back on when it came time to go into a nursing home. So Aunt Bel, having surrendered her social security and government employment pensions, lives in a Medicare paid for nursing home where she shares a room with a parade of roommates and receives very spotty and inadequate medical care. Her food is served erratically and is usually cold, and she often has to wait for hours for help with her basic needs, like bathing, and most importantly bathroom functions, but she is very stoic and naturally cheerful and has made the best of her situation, but it is not an enviable or deserved life. Both Mom and Aunt Bel have been blessed with good memories and clear thinking, but the onset of dementia is something they both fear.

Which kind of care awaits us?

I am afraid…

People who are willing to lie to the American people are in charge of our military and intelligence agencies, and it seems to me that they would be willing to go to war and certainly are willing to cozy up to the new Russian czar.

Our health infrastructure has been handed over to a man who doesn’t believe in science and is set to fire thousands of scientists and researchers whose jobs are to protect the health of our country and ensure that our food industry is not poisoning us.

Elon Musk and his band of bumblers is threatening the IRS, Social Security, and Medicare. Like so many other Americans, Sue and I depend on our social security checks along with my government pension to live, and when Musk calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme and closes local offices, you have to pay attention. How many poor people will lose their access to public health?

And talking about a government pension, I served in the military and worked for the government for more than thirty years, and the vast majority of people that I worked with were hard-working and dedicated public servants who took great deal pride in the job that they were doing. There is waste and fraud in the government, but this administration doesn’t seem to be looking for it in the most likely and obvious place–The Pentagon, now run by a former Fox News weekend host, who has no moral compass and lies to the American public and is willing to violate the law by holding meetings with no public records.

Public libraries and museums serve communities all over this country; why are we slashing their budgets and rescinding their community grants? Their share of the federal budget is minuscule, but what they do with it provides programs and services for thousands of communities that are life changing and enriching. How many children will not learn to read?

USAID has saved millions of lives throughout the world and made many friends for our country, but it is now totally decimated and emasculated, totaling ignoring all the good it has done over the last 80 years, again with an incredibly small amount of national resources. This week, Myanmar has been devastated by a horrendous earthquake which has claimed thousands and thousands of lives. In the past we would have been Johnny on the Spot with life saving services and outreach. The US response this week was to send three people…that will create a lot of friends for us. Meanwhile the Chinese are there and making sure that the international press covers their humanitarian outreach. How short-sighted!

Are we sure that the fossil fuel industry will look out for the environment and do no harm to our clean air and water? I’m not… I had much rather trust the now fired EPA scientists to do that job. Are we prepared to throw away all that has been done over the last 40 years? Climate change is real and will not stop just because we deny it. What kind of world do we want our children and grandchildren to inherit?

We can’t even visit a national park to escape the bad news because their gates are closed. Budgets and staffing have been slashed. Again a small piece of the national budget for an incalculable good, but that doesn’t seem to matter as long as we can get rid of a DEI program or two. Come on, I mean, who thinks the Smithsonian is corrupt or harboring satanic organizations?

Yesterday, the administration announced crippling tariffs on almost imports (except Russia!). It is overturning 80 years of international trade agreements that have made the US the leading economy of the world, and despite what the president and his lackeys say, tariffs are a tax that we will all have to pay! We are imposing tariffs on our friends and allies alike–how can that be right–I mean Canada; what is he thinking?

And how long will it take for our IRA funds to recover–so far we have lost 10% of its value.

I can go on…but you get the picture.

But I am also hopeful…

because we have patriots like Cory Booker who is willing to stand up to a president who wants to be our first king. Yesterday, he stood and spoke truth to the Senate and the country for 25 hours…breaking the record last set by a man who was defending our segregationist and racist past. I hope that I can follow his invocation and “cause some good trouble.”

The future of our democracy is in the balance.

San Miguel de Allende & Mexico City

Like the swallows to Capistrano, we seem to find ourselves always returning to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. For the past decade and more, it has been a happy place for us–blue skies and mild temperatures; the nicest people you can imagine; and lots to see, do. More often than not, we are joined by Mart & Bob Larson. (The picture above is of a 3D mural of the town in one of our favorite restaurants in SMA: Il Castello. Great pizza and other Italian dishes.)

For the first time longtime friends, Patrick and Lenore, joined us. Sharing San Miguel with them made it all the more fun. We three couples–Mart & Bob; Lenore & Patrick & us–first met in a cooperative preschool in Alexandria, VA, more than 40 years ago. Believe it or not, from our first reunion in SMA, it felt like we were taking up a conversation that we had just had just left off the day before.

Of course, much of what we saw and did involved eating & drinking, and we seemed to end up with a surfeit of photos of us arranged around one table or another–talking, laughing, and eating.

If we are lucky, a visit to San Miguel also means getting to hear and enjoy one of our favorite bands–Media Luna, which we have followed over the last ten years. This video features them performing Volare or Nel blu dipinto di blu.

The band is lead by the Cabrera brothers, Caleb & Jair; usually when we arrive, Caleb welcomes Sue with a smile and hug, calling her his abuelita (grandmother). Of course, being the consumate showman he his, he has a number of abuelitas, but it always lightens Sue’s heart to see and hear him once again, especially when the group plays Tears of Joy.

On one of our last evenings in town, we were invited to dine with our Spanish teacher and now good friend, Mario, and his partner, Carlos, at their apartment just outside of town. While visiting with them this time, it dawned on me that Mario has been doing his best for the last ten years to teach me Spanish.

The best that can be said is that I am now somewhat conversant, an accomplishment, but still far from fluent. The photo below is of all of us at La Jamaica, a restaurant in the neighborhood of Los Frailes, not far from their home. So much of life in SMA happens en aire libre.

This year Sue and I decided to finish up our Mexican sojourn with a week’s stay in Mexico City. If you haven’t been to Mexico City, you owe it to yourself to see and experience this world class city. With over 22 million inhabitants and nightmare inducing traffic, it can be daunting, but it is well worth the time and effort of a prolonged visit.

Of course, we are fortunate in having our friend, Carole Reedy, as our host and guide whenever we do visit the city. Even though she has shown off the city to many, many friends and visitors and hosted us any number of times, she never seems to tire of visitors or of showing off her adopted hometown.

This year she joined us for:

A three hour “turibus” of the city: a good introduction to the history and cultural highlights of Mexico City, although you can get ensnarled in the city’s legendary traffic!

A visit to the newly created “Museo Vivo de Muralismo, featuring Diego Rivera’s Story of the Mexican Revolution in murals:

(Did you notice that the model for the young woman handing out guns to the poor is Frieda Kahlo? I didn’t.)

The National Anthropology Museum:

Just outside of the Museum you can witness an amazing Voladores show by indigenous people from the state of Vera Cruz.

Mexico over the last two millennia has witnessed the florescence and decline of many extraordinary empires and city states including the Maya, the Olmec, the Aztecs, and many, many more.

The museum in its many halls and exhibitions provide a glimpse of the wonders of their arts and cultures. It would take days if not weeks to see them all. This visit we concentrated on the Teotihuacan sala and a traveling exhibition, Amazonia.

On past visits, we have often stayed with Carole, but as we were staying for a week (fish and friends smell after three days), we rented an apartment in the Roma Sur neighborhood on Cibeles Circle. Cibeles was a Roman goddess of fertility who is usually depicted in her chariot pulled by two lions. The Cibeles sculpture in our neighborhood is a replica of one in Madrid, Spain and was a 1980 gift from Spanish citizens living in Mexico.

This time of the year, Cibeles circle, like much of the city, is full of blooming Jacaranda Trees! And what a delightful area in which to stay, with its variety of shops and restaurants, yet blissfully quiet and peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, that every night we were able to sleep with our apartment windows wide open. The panoramic view from our 11th floor studio was ever changing and mesmerizing. We particularly enjoyed watching the steady traffic of planes taking off and landing at the MC International airport.

We are now back home, weary but safe and sound in Denver. How fortunate are we that we have had the time, resources, and health to experience this trip and the many others we have enjoyed over the years, but it will take us a while to rest and recuperate–as they say, “we are not as young as we used to be.”

Taking a Break from Winter

We are so happy we moved to Denver, now more than a decade ago. We had our careers in the DC area and our children were born and grew up there, but now Denver is the town that we are happy to call home. We enjoy Denver and Colorado in all seasons of the year, but the winters do seem to be long at times and you need a break.

This year, with my skiing buddy, Erin, out of the country on assignment with the State Department, the season might seem longer than usual since I most likely won’t be hitting the slopes. Below are some pictures of one of our ski trips to Copper Mountain last year, when our nephew Rob Roschy joined us. We had a great time and conditions were perfect, with a reasonable number of skiers on the slopes and lifts.

As many of you know, we have enjoyed visiting Mexico during the winter, usually contenting ourselves with stays in San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City. This year we decided to add on a 10 day beach trip. Our longtime travel buddies, Bob & Mart Larson, are always up for an adventure, so together we booked some time at very nice condo development in Sayulita, a small but bustling town on the Pacific Coast not far from Puerto Vallarta.

We were very pleased with the condo development and enjoyed our entire stay there. Our rental unit was large and quite lovely with a balcony in front overlooking the pools (one of the them thankfully heated) and a patio in the rear for breakfasts al fresco. We enjoyed some spectacular sunsets and occasional visitors (the birds on the balcony railing are chacalacas, and they have the most ear piercing of calls.) The swimmer in the pool pictured below is Sue; she always loves time in the water, and this warm pool was particularly relaxing for all of us.

We last visited Sayulita some ten years ago; since then it has done nothing but grow and expand–except for the streets–many are still unpaved and others are full of ruts and potholes, but that adds to its charm. We drove to the city in a rental car, but for the most part kept it in the garage and got around town on a rented golf cart, like most of the tourists and residents.

The town is full of tourists from the U.S. and Canada this time of year. The humidity is low with temps in the 70’s and low 80’s. We just dipped our toes into the ocean; it was still a little chilly for this wuss and some of the beaches have formidable undertows, but there were many who chose to plunge into the waves or surf.

Seafood was plentiful and good; we dined daily on freshly caught shrimp, oysters and red snapper at a number of the beachside restaurants. One day while walking along the beach, we ran into a couple of enterprising young fishermen who were happy to show off their dorados or sea bass. it must have been fun to reel them in! They claimed that they weighed five or six kilos–15 pounds?

We made a couple of short road trips up the coastal highway (Mexico 200) in search of a more tranquil scene. Our first stop was the town of Don Francisco, affectionally nicknamed Don Pancho; quite interesting, but almost as busy and tourist laden as Sayulita. The second, Lo de Marcos, about 15 miles further north of us, was much quieter, although not undiscovered. No matter the beach, there were always the vendors–men, women and children walking up and down the beach, weaving amongst the sunbathers or diners, hawking their wares. You can’t always resist–in the end, we bought a light blanket, a small carving, and some other trinkets.

In Lo de Marcos, we were treated to this aerial display.

Our most frequent activity wherever we found ourselves was sitting at a beach side restaurant, sipping margaritas or Micheladas (beer & Clamato juice, over ice–you have to try it to appreciate it), and talking and laughing with Bob & Mart. After some forty years, we share a lot of wonderful memories, and it’s always a lot of fun to reflect and reminisce.

It’s good to get away. At home we sit in front of the TV far too much, absorbing all the political happenings, too often getting and angry and stressed, Here, not so much, but we still catch a podcast or read an online paper, so we do know what’s happening, just not always as it’s happening.

Some of you reading this blog might not share our distress. I hope that we are wrong about the current administration, but at this moment we are afraid and fearful. I am a retired government employee; I am proud of the service I gave and appreciative of the retirement pension I receive. The people I worked with in the US government were hard working and honest, giving their best for the US citizens we served, and I know that tradition continues.

In addition, we are so very proud of Erin and her service in the U.S State Department; we pray each day that she doesn’t lose her job because some over zealous non-elected reformer thinks the State Department is wasting American dollars. We don’t think the government should be dismantled. It certainly can be reformed, but there are procedures and laws to be followed and obeyed. Congress seems to have given up its control over the purse and spending.

Let us pray for calm and order; where is conversation and the exchange of ideas–and as my Granny might have said, let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Our democracy is too important to lose.