Murder she wrote (10/31/2024)

The other day, my wife had a phone call from a good friend telling her that someone they knew was killed in a murder/suicide. No indication was given who did who, but it was a married couple and after the fact it came out that she frequently berated him. The guy brought calendars to her office and seemed to talk incessantly with the staff. You could not shut him up. I can just imagine that dynamic at home.

Regardless who might be the victim or the perpetrator, it brought some distant memories back to me. A little more than five years ago now, were we informed of a mass shooting in Virginia Beach. The killer turned out to be an old colleague of mine. We had somehow stayed in touch when we both left our employer in 2004. Moreover, during my stormwater training career, he attended my classes and so did the folks that he killed. At the time it affected me a lot.

The call to my wife and the awakened memories made me more contemplative for a while and I started wondering how many folks actually know a murderer or someone who was murdered. Now my wife and I both know such a person, or one (or more) of each. I absolutely do not live in a hole in the ground, and as I described here, I have had my run-in with death or killings before, but that was when we lived in Uganda more than 40 years ago. However, that does not make any killing or murder less bad; neither makes it me more callous.

In thinking about these things, I had an additional thought that disturbed me: how many white folks know a murderer or someone who was murdered vs. African American folks. I have not done any research on this subject; however, I want to bet that black folks probably on average have disproportionally more killers and deaths by murder in their lives. I am absolutely not saying that African Americans are inherently more violent. No! There are some very clear reasons for this. Let’s call it out the way it is.

Our society is a tale of two economies; it is still racist at its core and that shows up everywhere in society. Words like economic justice, environmental justice and even, and this is my word, educational justice or disparity, aptly describe some of the causes for what is going on here. African American folks get concentrated in certain areas, they have less job opportunities and if they get them, they are lower paying because of the sub-par education they have gotten. Areas with large concentration of African Americans have fewer trees, and research has shown that the average temperatures in these areas are a few degrees warmer, which causes more heat emergencies in summer. It also seems that heavy industry or polluting industry is located or is planned for areas with larger minority populations. I once read somewhere that it is much easier to commit some crime if your outlook for the future is dismal. What is there to hope or plan for? It seems that minorities are for more often put in situations with little hope. When on top of all that you stick a lot of people in one place, violence will increase as well.

I heard that a lot of black mothers worry about their kids when they go out. Whether it is gang related or the white police showing their lingering racial bias or manliness. Although this is somewhat changing with all the recent school shootings. This results in more homeschooling for white kids and that changes the makeup of the schools and the lowers the education level. A vicious circle.

So, what am I trying to say here is my short post? Killing, murder or even suicide is deplorable. This is regardless of race, mental conditions, income, you name it. Violence is still being encouraged in certain political circles, and so is racism. It is not surprising that these circles intersect or even that both exist in same circle, racism and the encouragement for violent acts. We saw that on January 6 almost 4 years ago, during demonstrations in Charlottesville, call to mobilize the Army to take care of the “enemy from within,” and I can go on. Folks, we need to do something about this. We need to vote, reject violence and foster racial equity.

On first look, this picture has nothing to do with this post; however, I am seeing at least 4 different tree species here, which are equally affected by the change of seasons.  This shows that nature treats all the same, unlike what we do as human beings. 

James River State Park Squirrels (10/13/2024)

“Wow, look at those branches swaying around. Oh, it is a squirrel.” We were sitting on the terrace/porch at a cabin in one of Virginia's State Parks. I sat on my rocking chair nurturing my beer, watching a squirrel run to the end of a branch, grabbing what I assume were acorns, scurrying from a branch at perilous heights to the bottom of the oak tree and after a few minutes speed back up to the end of the branch and repeat the process. It is early October and time to prepare for the onslaught of winter and store food.

We were spending a few days at James River State Park. A new one for us. We have really enjoyed every state park we spent time in and this wasn't an exception. Donna told me that this might be her favorite (a five star). I hate to assign favoritism to any state park in Virginia; however, this one definitely ranks up there. I need to update my list of Virginia State Parks one of these days.

Back to the squirrel, the reminded me that fall is rapidly approaching here in Virginia. The temperatures were in the low 70s during the day and low 40s at night. This time last year we already had colors on the leaves when we spent time in Natural Tunnel State Park in the mountains of SW Virginia. Here in the Piedmont we noticed a faint bleaching of some of the leaves, and the dropping of dried out leaves from some of the trees. My ex-colleague Doug who lives nearby in Lynchburg reported that this area was affected by a severe drought this summer, which may be the explanation of the dried out leaves raining down on us during sections of our hikes the past two days.

The squirrels also took me back to some research we did in the mid 1990s. I was working with a group that needed to restore 440 acres of wetlands just outside Indianapolis. The airport was expanding and they needed to mitigate for filling in some wetlands. We were restoring 400 acres of forested wetlands and 40 acres of emergent wetlands (swamps). As part of this effort, we needed to monitor the recruitment (invasion) of plants in our plantations. We planted some 16 different tree species in a random pattern. Recruitment patters we noticed were that species with heavy seeds (i.e. acorns) invaded closer to the boundary with natural woods or hedgerows. We assumed that these seeds either rolled in or were cashes stored (planted) by squirrels. Maybe the previous winter was mild, and the squirrels did not need all the stored food, or maybe they simply forgot where they buried those acorns. Lighter seed, like those from maples, appeared to have flown in and these plants dispersed further into our plots, while plants that were fruit baring were scatters throughout our plots. We noticed that the fruit baring species invaded mostly around the tallest seedlings that we had planted, or at least the ones that were growing the fastest. We surmised that fruit eating bird landed on the tallest plants and used these as lookout posts, in the mean time pooping out seeds from the fruit they consumed. Interesting to see how natural succession takes place.

This all came back to me watching that squirrel doing its job in securing a stash of food for the upcoming winter. Obviously, we had such a relaxing time at James River State Park that it allowed for these memories from long forgotten time flooded back into my head. Those were fine times and so are the present. Guess it is nice to be retired, slow down and remember the yesterdays. Interesting what a visit to a State Park does to you.

James River State Park is a "dark sky park" which means that on a cloudless evening the sky is amazing.  I tool this picture of the Milkyway with my Samsung telephone camera.

Mushrooms

Donna and the dogs at the Tey overlook.  There are some really good hikes in the park.  Day 1 we hiked just over 4 miles and day 2 we hiked more than 5 miles along the James River (picture below).  Evidence abounds that the river just retreated from a major flood stage, probably caused by hurricane Helene.

In a bubble (10/3/2024)

“Bang, bang, bang ...” “What was that, it sounded like machine gun fire.” We were on our regular evening dog walk. The short pee walk before we go to sleep. “Nah, it is a car back firing on the main road” I replied. The next night, around the same time “bang, bang, bang,” etc. “Again, is that the same car? What has the world come to and where is the police?”

If it isn't that, it is a car or motorcycle trying to drag race down the road. They roar on the main highway by our neighborhood. A highway that is mostly empty around 11 at night, the time we typically walk our dogs. We feel sorry for those folks living closer to the highway. It must be really jarring at times; although there is a sound wall between their backyard and the road, it must be pretty loud of we who live a half mile down the road are bothered by it. Drag racing at 11 pm? At least the cops are asleep, so it is a free-for-all.

What is this world coming to? Where is the consideration for our fellow citizens, chivalry, empathy, class, you name it. Everybody is in there for themselves, stroking their narcissistic tendencies, trying to claim the vehicle with the fastest acceleration title, moreover, which vehicle is the loudest, the most souped up? Fuck that gas mileage, I'll just complain that gas prices are too high, and blame some politician, but keep on spewing it out of that enlarged tailpipe that makes a roaring sound of their monster truck. Who is all powerful and more manly. Or are they compensating for something they lack?

The other day I was driving home from having the van worked on and here came a car that was either a Mustang or a Camaro shoot by me with a big roar. I was on a 3-lane road following the sped of traffic. The dude weaves in and out of lanes trying to pass all kinds of seemingly traffic-law obeying citizens. In essence putting all those folks in harm’s way. A few weeks earlier, some lunatic was passing cars on the shoulder of the 4-lane highway I was on. It is not only Yorktown; it is this country. I saw it in Kansas City, Louisville and even in the mountains of Colorado.

I know, here is another old and decrepit guy who should no longer be driving complaining about the youth or fellow pavement users. No that's not it, I am no slough, and this is not only about drivers and their vehicles. As a country we have become a lot less considerate of other people. We grab them by the pussy, we make them look like idiots, and so on. We have become a society of slaves; slaves to society, corporate America, to our politicians and for some this is the only way they can distinguish themselves in this slave society. In their non-slave hours folks are trying to stand out, become individualized, without regards for others. And what is the remedy? I really do not know, maybe a bit more sense of community and responsibility.

Whenever I am outside, walking, working in the front yard, checking the mail or simply sitting on a park bench, I try to be courteous. Oh, I'll give you the middle finger greeting if you, at night, in the dark, come barreling down the road with your bright lights on and don't dim them when I know you can see me, but you insist on blinding me. Remember asshole, I can see you way earlier than you can see me, you don't have to shine those brights right into my face. I broke an ankle in 2001 when I accidentally stepped in a hole on the curb when some lady refused to dim her lights.

So here you see that I can dish it out as well. Use words that may offend some of you folks, and I am sorry, but I just want to make a point. This attitude that I describe in this post is what is hurting this country, our earth and our survival as species. We need to start thinking more collectively, be more aware of our fellow humans and realize what the results of our actions are on other folks and society. We do not live in a vacuum. Speeding up your or this society's demise is not getting you anywhere except that you drag everyone down with you, you damn narcissistic idiot. Everything we do affects others, even if we don't see it.

Yup, me, me, me and fuck the rest of society