Friends sometimes ask if I miss city life, but the truth is life at Fawlty Acres often resembles a real-time YouYube video. (Warning: I name things!)
An early late-February morning, checking the weather from the bedroom door, even my bleary eyes sensed the activity in the treetops. High up a pod of squirrels bounced from leafless limb to bushy cedar branches, seeking breakfast. I thought, “Nope.”
Through leaves and limbs, I spied Fred and Ethel, Lucy and Ricky, all looking for love at top speed.
Then WHAM! All four hit the same limb and deployed a bomb of yellow pollen like a giant yellow balloon!
Pollen quickly descended on the iris bed I had considered weeding, before covering the side yard. No weeding for that sinus patch!
The pod took off to hit the bird feeders as I shook my head. Still an awesome sight so early. Squirrels gotta eat, too.
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With legislators making whoopy in Austin, better laugh or start crying. Like $10K vouchers to fund private schooling while many counties are closing public schools because of declining enrollments.
Add to that the proposed SB 10 that requires placing copies of the Ten Commandments in EVERY classroom in the state.
The Lege is worried that our children are losing moral fiber and will begin decaying from within without this reminder.
Really. Those elected legislators are among the saddest examples of immoral decay ever sent to Austin, starting with the attorney general. Plus, the kids don’t read well enough to understand the trickier verses, and teachers would be fired if they tried to explain.
It might pass if they called them the “Ten Suggestions.” And hired a math tutor to keep the governor from blowing the billions sitting in Texas’ Rainy Day Fund before the electric grid is 100% reliable.
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The executive branch has insulted the whole free world, nailed Ukraine to a tree and kissed Putin’s ring; meanwhile the military top brass from 34 free-world nations met recently to strategize. The USA and Russia weren’t invited.
Tells me something—one reason why the stock market plunged. People are worried. So are lawmakers, scared to hold town meetings so their opponents are sitting in to hear constituent’s complaints.
Those darned old woke Dems, what do they know? At least they aren’t shaking in their boots like the GOP.
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Speaking of choices, that brings up a big gripe I’ve had the last few years—no choices at the ballot box. If politics was really FAIR, neither party would KO the other out of contention.
So why not get rid of the two-party idea and begin ranked voting?
Have an open primary of candidates – just their name, no party “R” or “D.”
Candidates would need to campaign on their platform to earn votes. No donations or bribes for campaign expenses.
The top four to six vote getters in each primary would qualify for the run-off.
The results might be fewer yes-men/women and more service minded candidates to represent the people. Legislators don’t do that now.
Voters also want their opinions to be heard, like a survey for constitutional changes. Mandates have been laid down from Washington, DC and Austin, but not all Texans are behind these rules or the people behind them.
Several states have included these surveys among their election fare, and I’m envious that our Great State of Texas gets no choices, only a whole lot of hurt.
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So that’s what’s been bugging me. I try to erase the angst while driving (slowly) past the ranches dotted with beautiful baby foals with their precious, sweet faces and spindly graceful legs, wobbling after mama across the field. Or watching her tender nuzzles as baby foal sleeps at her hoofs in a little pile.
The goats are pretty cute too.
Now if those truckers going 80 on my bumper would just ease off and enjoy the scenery, we’d all feel better.
Shelly has worn more hats in the communications field than Carter has pills but forgot to retire when she closed her promotions business. She earned a BA in Journalism at NTSU (before it became UNT) and has never lost her love of words.