Walk in beauty

There is a lot of water in my Santa Margarita River right now. We got a good chunk of rain these last couple weeks, a couple inches past our normal total. A real blessing for my environment, from the plants and my redwood tree to the insects and birds.

I stopped on the high canyon road I live off and snapped a shot on my way home the other day. Today is the first warm day. Hear we might get one more storm. I hope so.

I walked west on the river trail about a week ago and it was flowing pretty good. Saw that the beavers have been busy. People have done a nice job keeping the trail maintained.

I got a nice note from a more conservative friend the other day: Beautiful photos and much more enjoyable without the political anger.  So tired of both sides of the divide. I looked at the blog and realized that he was right. I have been dialing back the politics and the anger of late. A bit subconsciously but definitely.

In the first place I don't want people who visit my blog and have a differing political opinion than I have to feel unwelcome. No one wants to get smashed over the head and nobody has an exclusive stranglehold on virtue and righteousness. Very few minds are getting changed no matter what I say and it is not necessarily my appointed task in life to respond to and highlight every outrage I may perceive.

Secondly, every thinking person in this world knows that we are in a horrible cultural and political war with each other in this country, which is reflected in the people we elect. There are plenty of places to get your information re: said war if you want it and you don't need my help.

We are in a pretty nauseating battle of tit for tat with each other, each side claiming the greater victimhood, then weaponizing their aggrieved status. Look at Fox or MSNBC and see how many articles are framed to show just how miserable the other side is and how righteous our side is. We need to get back to a center position and I hope that it can be accomplished soon. Dial down the animosity a tad.

So I will post politics when I feel like I have to, like on environmental issues, and not feel guilty for trying to, as the dineh say, walk in beauty whenever possible the rest of the time. Find topics that can maybe unite us, regardless of political persuasion. Lot of great stories out there that should make us all feel good, just have to find them.