This and That...

While sitting and working at my computer yesterday evening, I saw two bats fly by; and this morning, I saw the first goldfinches of the season.  And I just had an immature house finch alight on the balcony railing, and inspect my desk and me through the window.  It was very  curious, and kept tilting it's head from side to side, while chewing on a pumpkin seed that was larger than it's bill.  And there are now 31 foals kicking up their heels on the southern end of Assateague.  - Today, if I were in Scotland, I'd say it was a soft day - overcast with a misty drizzle.
 
  I realize that it's the normal course of Mother Nature and our Earth, but I'm appalled by the loss of life in the Rift Valley in Kenya.  They had over a year of drought, and now have had two months of torrential rains.  The majority of jobs and industries there are agricultural, and owners build reservoirs on top of hills.  With the rains, the walls are breaking, sending floods down through the homes built below them.  More than 157 people have died in the last month, either drowned or buried in mud.
  Then, of course, there's the eruption of Kilauea on the big island of Hawaii, that began on 3 May.  More than 15 volcanic vents have opened around the caldera, spewing lava and toxic gases.  The latest warning say a large eruption could toss boulders as large as 10 tons in almost any direction, should there be an explosion within the caldera.

   After all the crap coming from the White House since the last inauguration, I should not have been surprised or upset by the latest leak of information from a staff meeting held "behind closed doors."  I'll be honest and say that I have rarely agreed with Senator John McCain's stance in politics.  However, the man was a pilot in the Viet Nam War; his plane was shot down; and he was held prisoner in Hanoi for 5 years.  He was a physical wreck when he returned home after his ordeal.  But to have a White House staff member say that the Senator's opposition to the appointment of Gina Haspel to lead the CIA, "...doesn't matter; he's dying anyway" is disgusting.  Special assistant Terry Sadler now claims that she said that as a joke, just as 45 always claims his disparaging remarks are jokes.  Because a Senator is fighting brain cancer is no reason for Cadet Captain BoneSpurs and his chosen few to disparage an American hero.

  Thoroughbred trainers are still deciding whether or not they'll have an entry in next Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, outside of Baltimore, Maryland.  Justify, the colt who won the Kentucky Derby, has already had a 1 and 1/2 mile gallop over the track there.  Justify's regular jockey, Mike Smith, has received a 4 day suspension from the stewards at Santa Anita in California.  His mount, under a right-handed whip, drifted to the left and interfered with Kent Desormeaux's mount.  Smith's suspension will not affect his ride on Justify in the Preakness.

  And I am throwing my complete support behind Jared Polis in his run for Governor of Colorado.  Jared is a local from Boulder; he is gay, and he and his partner have adopted three children.  I firmly stand behind all that Jared represents as a father and as a legislator, as he is currently serving in the United States House of Representatives, serving the Second Congressional District.  He is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist.  -  And I laughed out loud at one of his tweets this morning:  You know you're living in the 21st century when your inbox contains an announcement about a "DNA Sale!" announcement for Mother's Day. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm getting Mom some beautiful flowers...

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