Occupation of Independence

It is that time of year when a person can find a spot on a ridge with good visibility and look out onto a valley,   and feel wonderfully detached from the 'normal world.'  It might bring to your mind that famous scene with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten  in "The Third Man," at the top of the Ferris Wheel.   I saw a strange effect the other day: puffy cumulus clouds were blocking the late afternoon sun.  They projected large shadows down onto the green valley.  Somehow this made the valley seem close and connected to me.  A good photographer might be able to present this in a convincing way. On another note, after showing a video of my little dog's superb cattle-gate-crossing skills, I decided to take her up a fire watchtower.  These things are usually pretty dilapidated since they aren't used anymore.  I forgot how steep the stairs are: they are halfway between normal stairs and a ladder. I guess she said, "I draw the line at vertical cattle gates!"

Isn't it bizarre that there actually is going to be a presidential debate tonight?  Surely, Biden will be shot up with stimulants or some other drug that makes him seem more functional.  Maybe he will wear his aviator sunglasses through the entire debate. This brings up a strange Constitutional question.  Does the Constitution actually require a presidential candidate to be alive?   I probably don't remember the Constitution well enough from school Civics class to answer the question.  An online version of it might be available, but Google would probably censor parts of it. It is the last remaining prejudice -- this belief that the Living have that they are superior to the Dead.  The Living also think they should have superior rights.  Housing discrimination is illegal supposedly, but notice the extreme segregation that the Dead are subjected to: cemeteries or mausoleums.  Look at the negative stereotypes in the movies about Death.   It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say

It is that time of year when I am in bear country and wrestling with a bit of "ursa-phobia." I have knocked it down by 50%.  Black bears don't bother me anymore.  It's only the grizzlies, so I avoid the Yellowstone to Glacier corridor. There might be something that is more dangerous: leaning ponderosas. Imagine what a falling ponderosa would do to your flimsy little camper or tent!  And they do fall.  Currently I am camping on a stony ridge where, presumably, tree roots are underdeveloped.  So this kind of thing happens during windy days: But something else is happening around here.  Some of these trees were weakened by fire.  At a height of 3 feet above the ground, the tree shreds (!) and falls. So obviously I try to camp away from sick or leaning trees!  But you have to look at risk in perspective.  It is so dependent on what you are used to.  People live close to smoking volcanoes, on top of earthquake faults, or in tornado alley.  When you drive down a two-lane h

Is it fair that some dogs end up with all the girlish charm, beauty, poise, and talent?  Well, no, it ain't fair.  But that is the way it is. I am on the ragged edge of internet coverage -- worse than usual.  So I am not sure this video plays.  At least I learned how to compress the videos first with the Video Compressor app on my Android phone. Two years ago I taught my little honey to cross gates for the first time.  I should have taken a video of that.  I think I had to practically drag her across.  But she turned out to be the best crosser of all the three dogs I've had and the first two were quite good at it.