Silencing of the Lambs

 I like to know what other people think. This is important to me because I live in a very rural backward ignorant community. That may sound harsh, but for example, my Obama sign was stolen. They tried to rip down my hand painted Bernie signs (which I heard through the grapevine caused outrage locally, someone supporting a liberal!)

I had made those signs out of the backs of old giant stereo speakers, which happened to be ringed with small screws jutting out the back. This was due to laziness on my part-I hate prep before painting. One day one of my signs was bent, and I imagine someone tried to tear it off the tree and ran into some of those screws on the back. 

the local grapevine said, after Biden won the primary, "notice they didn't put signs up for the "other" guy (Biden)"

The "deputy fire warden" thinks she owns the road, and last election was proudly displaying a sign, "Trump, 2020, 2024, 2028", and also treated us to an "ALL lives matter" sign. 

Her SO's son proudly displays a confederate flag on his property.

Now I have painted that picture, maybe it can be appreciated how much OTHER people's opinions matter to me. One online news source, the Bangor Daily News, allowed comments without paid subscriptions. This was important to me, as I am a vocal opponent to various wildlife management practices in the state, ie, baiting and hounding. When you live alone in the middle of nowhere, you really don't want sadists with guns knowing your name and location.

This is not unfounded fear, as others have found dead coyotes in their driveways, and became targets for harassment. Luckily some of us were able to bond and the State finally passed a law regarding hound dog trespass, which was a huge success for those of us who didn't appreciate being surrounded by piles of slaughterhouse offal and having baying hounds run amok through the neighborhood.

So, I have always begun my morning with a cup of coffee, a few smokes, and reading through the local news articles on BDN. Well, BDN started doing things like pulling comments with no explanation, closing comment threads on hot topics overnight, and then putting up a paywall just to read articles.The last article I commented on a few days ago, completely disappeared after being up one day, while other articles are up for months.

Shut out of everything but headlines this morning, I went on to Huffpost, a liberal news site that is typically filled with great comments from liberals. A day or two after the alleged assassination attempt, the comments section started to be full of conservative comments.This morning, to my frustration, all new political news is being lumped into a "live update" link, where there is NO link for comments.

So in less than a week, both online media that is part of my daily affirmation ritual has been blocked. Not only can I not read articles, and the associated comments on BDN, but I can't access any comments on  contentious articles on huffpo.

Some may wonder why I don't just buckle down and do the paid subscription on BDN. Well, as I said, I prefer to remain anon on that publication for personal safety, AND if they are going to wipe comments, remove articles, etc, being a paid subscribers does not prevent that sort of "moderation".

I am left to come rant on my blog, which google long ago hid on its search engine. If you type in my nic, Tree Ocean, you get returns on a hotel. If you try and search blogs, that has changed as well. When I started here, there was a way to cruise through other blogs with a link on the page. No longer. Now if you want to search blogs, or the last time I checked, you can download an app. 

Is it really freedom of speech, when news platforms control what you say, when search engines bury your words, and track where you go and how long you are there?

Yes, it might sound a bit paranoid, but I started at blogging on the old yahoo 360, and I used to get hundreds of page views per day. Well, Bush et al didn't like what was being said in "the chats"-he referenced this in a speech at one point. Suddenly yahoo ditched the 360 platform leaving it's bloggers to scramble for alternatives. I had a lot of really cool folks that just vanished into the ether. I landed here on google, and if I get a page view a day it is big news. If you can find me. 

Might was well just scream at the wall. Sigh. 

Edit to add: a few hours after I typed this, the Willow texted me to let me know that Biden has dropped. I went online and Huff Po has stopped it's "Live Update" and comments are open on the breaking news of Biden dropping out. I don't comment on Huffpo but I like to read everyone else's comments, except the extremist conserves who, like their orange master, are saying horrible things right now (as always).

What I Saw

 Immediately after news broke about an alleged shooting at  rally in PA, comments on a Huff Po article were overwhelmingly from those who thought it was a fake.

I noticed the following of the coverage:

After slapping his ear and ducking, the former president had NO blood on his hand, which is obviously visible as he raises it on exit.

Head wounds bleed profusely, yet there does not appear to be any change in the blood on his head as he exits.

His head, the most vulnerable part, remains visible, in fact, completely facing the camera footage which was replayed over and over on CBS. The shortest SS, a woman, well below his head level, takes the protective position on the side facing the camera. Yet most news people were cowering under bleachers and had toppled equipment seeking cover.

Who gets shot in an active shooter situation and then yells, "fight", exposing their head and pumping their bloodless fist? And not touching their injury?

Ho about audio with that footage? Many witnesses said it didn't sound like gunshots, one an experienced shooter with a conceal carry permit who was present and interviewed by CBS.

And what's up with that MAGA hat? While hustling out the former pres, one SS is seen cluthing the hat, which apparently then drops. The evacuation pauses for another SS officer (covering the former pres) to bend down and pick it up.

The other injured were seen being removed from the top of the bleachers, no where near the former pres.

Immediately after Biden's TV appearance, Jr hits the news that he had spoken to his father and he was fine and then blamed "leftist extremists".

Biden immediately condemning violence and the former President yelling, "fight" bringing the crowd behind him to their feet, when they should be seeking cover.

I thought I was sick of hearing about "Biden should step aside"-and now it is going to be Former pres front page news AGAIN. 

 

And I just want to know, who uses getting shot in the head as a photo op and rally cry if they aren't completely nuts?

Horses

 

Reading Seabiscuit brought back a lot of horse memories. I started riding hunt seat with Pegasus/Meadowbrook stables in suburban Maryland, summer horsemanship camps for a week or two every summer when I was 8.. Then when I was about 12 I started taking lessons during the school year. The Spring semester ended with a school show. 

In the top two photos, I am shown with a blue ribbon riding equitation on "Tuffy".

The bottom right photo, now quite faded, I am proudly wearing another blue ribbon on "Patches" the Pinto.

The bottom left I am shown on "Sundaddy", who just won Reserve Champion Pleasure with me at the reins. That was a WBTA show, or Washington Bridle trails association. I was sad to learn that it was recently disbanded after many years, with the last online post in 2020. 

I blew the Champion for him, placing us second in the "Command Break and Out" class. The rules are simple-the judge stands in the center of the ring and issues commands, such as "halt" walk, trot, canter, reverse direction, etc, and those who do not transistion immediately and smoothly are eliminated. I was busted out from a "halt" to a "walk". I was sure it was going to be "trot" and a half stride was enough to cost the blue in that class.

We won first in Handy Pleasure, and Sundaddy owed my errors to that win. One thing we had to do in that class was dismount and mount from the right. Near or off side, I can't remember which is which. A horse is traditionally mounted on their left, and being a student on school horses, we ALWAYS used a mounting block. So not only had I never mounted from the ground, I had never mounted from the right. 

I jabbed him repeatedly with my toe trying to get my foot in the stirrup, and then lengthened it so much to reach it that when I hauled myself upright I had quite a challenge to get the leg over from that low. Absolutely embarassing. Sun daddy didn't move an inch through out the whole ordeal. Boy, did I make him look great!

Then the judges had us line up against the rail, me first. Oh boy, good sign in show business!. They had two maybe 18" cavelliti jumps set up angled into the corner of the ring. It was a really awkward angle, especially with me in the front, I had  room for only a couple of strides, then had to cut like a 45 degree angle with only another stride or two to the first jump. Hmmmmm. Ok, judge says go, I go, make the corner, take the jumps nicely, go to the end of the line. 

Then I watched EVERYONE else make an opening circle to give them a much better approach to the jump. I sat there with my head in my hands. I totally screwed the pooch on that one!

Then we were handed the blue ribbon for the class! Haha! That brought our total points for the pleasure division to second highest overall, winning the reserve Champion.

The Champion went to my best friend on her own Flea bitten grey warmblood, "Dixie". Susie and Dixie were pony clubbers and stabled out in Wheaton. Susie had a friend, Lisa, who had a little bay gelding named "Little John". Since I used to go to the stables to hang out with Susie, Lisa and her family gave me permission to ride little John. His name should have been little Bastard.

One time Susie and I rode into the woods and came to a small clearing. Susie said, "this is where we do our own thing" and rode off. I suppose I thought LIttleJohn and I were going to trot around, but he had other ideas. He got the bit in his teeth and took off. Straight into some very thick pine trees. I saw them coming and knew exactly what he had in mind. He was going to scrape me off!

I threw myself forward and wrapped my arms around his neck He put his head down and went for it. We emerged on the other side, my hard hat long gone, my arms and legs wrapped around his neck-completely out of the saddle, but still on! LOL. 

It wasn't the only time he ran off with me. Susie and I were grazing them with halter and leadline, and she climbed up on Dixie. I thought that looked much more fun than standing, so for the first time in my life I hauled myself up bareback. (He was "little" John for a reason)

Well, I thought the grass looked much nicer a little farther on, and pulled his head up and gave him a nudge and he saw his chance! Yee haw! no stopping him now! Away we went, him at a flat out gallop, me clinging to mane and hauling on the lead, sure if I went off at that speed I was a goner. He galloped back to the barn and came to a screeching stop. I had stayed on!

I asked Susie, in my vanity, "how did I look?"

She replied, "Like you were getting run away with..."

Happy Solstice from Tree and Gordon

 

Anita TItle

 Nod to my old pals in the band Liquid Daydream for the title. Looking back now, I am not sure if they ever had a song named that, or if that is just something they would say when trying to figure out what song to play next. Now I feel like an idiot for saying, "play Anita Title". LOL. "I LOVE that song."

I was going to post a photo of my secret garden, but it's not there on my desktop. I was pretty sure I downloaded it there the other day. I guess it is going to remain a secret.

I am kind of groggy, the sun and somewhat warm weather has reinvigorated the night owl in me. Alas, I am in the process of corralling and taming feral kittens. The two I have managed to snatch wake up at the crack of dawn and have the energy of feral kittens. So I rolled over and turned on the security cam and there is feral Momma on the back deck. She showed up with the other two kittens last night, and they have gotten very wild in the meantime. So I got up and put out a dish of kitten chow for her, and sure enough the two appeared and started playing around her. 

 

My plan is to get them tame with food. Mama, whom I have been calling Pity, originally took off like a rocket when I opened the back door. I am guessing she started appearing about the time the kittens were born. After weeks of feeding her, I have her to the point where she only retreats twenty feet. last night when the kittens were out there, she was within six feet.

Through the years I have adopted ferals and made them housecats, and taken many kittens and Mommas after taming to the County no kill shelter. I thought that was the end with the last batch two summers ago, but of course I saw tracks in the snow coming to the old feed station, and started putting food out for a battered Tom this winter. Sucker.

I believe it all started with my obnoxious neighbor who doesn't believe in spaying cats, and has a farm with barn. On a road with other farms and outbuildings, there are ferals from one end to the other. It makes me mad because through the years I have spent lots of time and money on them because I am a SUCKER. 

I spent several days sitting quietly outside reading with my ears and eyes open, trying to locate these other two kittens. It is really an ethical dilemma about snatching kittens. I never do it in front of the Momma because I am trying to gain her trust. This case is especially difficult because there are two kittens left, and I don't want to grab one and not be able to get the other and have it alone. Yes, Mom is still around, but the kittens play and sleep together. There is the risk that one will be taken by one of the many predators around-the skunk and coon like cat kibble too, and the day I found the kittens I was awakened by barred owls hunting in the back yard. So there may have been more than four kittens originally. 

Reading, I tore through "Seabiscuit". As a child I tore through all the books by Walter Farley=author of the Black Stallion, watched Secretariat win the Triple Crown, and rode hunt seat and showed at a local barn in Maryland. In 8th grade I wanted to be a jockey, until a boy I had a crush on in Science told me I was too big. Actually after reading Seabiscuit, I think I could have been a jockey but prob not on the ones with 105 assigned weight LOL. I don't think I would want to bury myself in a manure pile and drink epsom salts. Ugh.

I also came across a bunch of books by Janet Evanovich, "Stephanie Plum" novels. Sadly I only took three or four because I didn't want them to be bombs and end up with a dozen. Bad call. They are the funniest books I have read in ages. Some of them are so funny I am crying, get it under control, read another line, and start again. This isn't the whole book, of course, just select scenes with some very amusing characters and their lines. I was laughing so hard yesterday I had to put it down and go for a walk so I could continue reading.

Ah, it's fun to have something to laugh about these days. I remember one time in my life I was sitting with another pal of the aforementioned band (who later beacme their soundman), and I don't know what set us off that night, but we got laughing so hard and couldn't stop, and kept setting each other off. People started asking if we were tripping on acid, so we stepped outside for air and finally got a grip. I wish I could remember what was so funny that night, but if you share my sense of humor you may enjoy the Stephanie Plum novels as much as I do. 

T

Columbine

 

Each one of these blossoms is from a separate plant. I guess these started from a pack of seeds many years ago, and were dug up and moved several times before I settled here. I think at that point I may have bought another packet of seed, because I have several different types.

I have singles, doubles, and frilly triples. They come in all white, to shades of blue and shades of pink. I like the dark pink triple and a very dark blue in any form (I don't have it in single)

They got hit with screw fly a few years ago and I almost lost them. The fly has a little green worm stage that will completely strip the plant of foliage, weakening it. That happened one year before I knew what was happening (I actually wondered if deer were eating them) and it took several years for them to recover. 

The internet suggested sprinkling the plant with used coffee grounds, which I start doing as soon as foliage breaks in the spring. If I could just find out what works on leaf miners...I will go internet search that now.

Be well

T

Passing Time

 That seems to be what I have been up to since mid winter. That is also about the time that my over the air signals for TV start to cut out. I don't know what is more annoying-pixels or the former static of a poor analog signal. 

I realized I could use the savings from subscription TV and some birthday money and buy DVDs.

I started with Avatar the Way of Water, which was good, but left me wishing I had seen it on the big screen.

Then I binge watched the Avengers franchise. I think the Ironman movies were my fave, ironic since those are the only separate videos I had already owned. 

Next up was "The Last Kingdom" a series which follows the adventures of Uhtred (fictional character the real one comes well after King Alfred). I enjoyed that so much I turned around and watched it again. It's pretty gorey and the battles are pretty realistic.

After that, "The 100", a series about Earth after nuclear Armageddon. Humans that have survived for generations on a space station a that is running low on life support, so they toss 100 young people on the planet to see if it is livable. The first few episodes were a lot of "Ya right" and a bit too teen ish for me, but once I let go and accepted the ya right's as fictional license and the characters started to grow on me, it got better. There are various conflicts the main characters face throughout, and they get kind of out there as the seasons progress, but as long as you get your mind around accepting the improbabilities it is a fun ride.

Next up was the John WIck series, and here I got ebay burned as the 2nd one kept cutting the audio and popping up that it was an unauthorized copy. WHAT?! I got a refund, and a few weeks later I thought I would see if #'s 3 and 4 worked, and they did- But on the whole it was like watching a shoot em up video game with real people. It's just annihilation, with some plot, but c'mon "The Table?" Couldn't come up with a better name for Illuminati?

Next up was the series "the White Queen" which was ok, England during the time of the War of the Roses. I selected both this and The Last Kingdom because the family genealogy book shows a line of Royal descent which includes King Alfred and some of the characters in the White Queen  Funny the ones to which I am distantly related are rather obnoxious characters on the screen. :))

King Alfred in the Last Kingdom- boy is he a royal prick. But there is a redenption scene in the series that left me bawling-I thought very highly of this series and have been tempted to rewatch it a third time! Especially since I have been waiting weeks for the sequel to the White Queen (came from China, apparently), The White Princess. This picks up where the White Queen let off, but I think most of the characters are different actors which was disappointing. I watched the first three episodes yesterday and they weren't too riveting. 

I had to take a break to watch PBS' The Indian Doctor. Last night was the second episode and I have been really enjoying that. It's about an Indian doctor and his wife going to Wales to serve a rural community. Love the characters and acting.

Books haven't been ignored, either. There is sort of a free library at the transfer station, so I grab a couple handfuls and try and remember to bring some back. I have A LOT of books here. Downstairs the two floor to ceiling cases are full to overflowing, the stand under the TV has a quadruple stack, the shelf under this desk randomly spits books on the floor. Oh yes, the floor. Under the couch is a favorite stash point, and that is so full I can't jam my slippers under there anymore. Don't forget all the books upstairs, either.

My most recent two reads-yesterday, "The Irishman's Daughter" by VS Alexander, based during in Ireland during the Irish Potato famine. Before that, "Strongbow" The Story of Richard and Aoife, by Morgan llywelyn. This one I ordered because when I was looking at the family's line of Royal descent, I discovered we are descendants of Richard and Aoife through their daughter Isabel. I was really excited because I have always felt bereft that as far as I knew we had no Irish in our background.

The Firebird and his GF recently went on a trip to Ireland (she is Irish) and I discouraged him from flouting his last name because it is very English. Then I came across this descended from Irish High king thing and was very excited. Except, Aoife's father (an Irish King) is actually considered a traitor to Ireland because he literally brought the English Army into Ireland to reclaim his seat. That is where "Strongbow" comes in-  So I am not sure that gives us any Irish bragging rights-

In books or in movies, apparently my ancestors were not well loved. 

Somewhere in this stretch I decided to re watch "A History of Violence" starring Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello, directed by David Cronenburg. When I watched it years ago, I was aghast at the violence, and never had the stomach to re watch it. After watching GOT twice through, and The Last Kingdom,(and the John Wick movies -#2) I found the violence in the History of Violence to be rather tame. I guess it was tame compared to some of the horror movies at the time, but I don't watch those. Because I spend most of them hiding my eyes. :P

And yes, I still do that in some scenes especially head splitting and eye gouging.