Yardbird Update and a Rant

The Black-capped Chickadees have left the nest, all of them. What a rousing success that was. No sooner were they gone when a pair Violet-green Swallows showed up and moved right in. Roger checked the nest box, and finding it empty, removed the remaining little obstacle. It's nice to have another pair of these beautiful birds.
And speaking of another pair, it's true, Blanche's beau has arrived. I don't know what she was doing here for so long without him, but he is on the scene. He stays right with her, and he's quite magnificent. Blanche may be a bit of a high-strung thing, but her taste in partners is pure Marlon Brando in his prime.

This weekend is a Good Planets weekend. Susannah of Wanderin' Weeta has graciously offered to host for the month of June. I hope you all have fantastic photos of our Good Earth to send her. Her email is susannah AT dccnet dot com. Susannah says,"Again, the topic is wide open, although I did ask a "priming" question; "What makes you smile/laugh?" Send those pics by the afternoon on Friday, June 8th.

Thanks everyone for keeping this little carnival going. It is much appreciated.

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Can I rant here? I've been avoiding writing about politics. A lot of our friends, fellow bloggers, family members stop by here to see our pretty pics or to read our musings about life. We haven't ranted in a while, but the time has come to scream a bit.

I do not want to hear another word from any politicians about their faith. I don't care which god they believe in, or if Jesus is their savior, or if they go to church once a week, or more. ENOUGH! I find it repugnant to hear this talk. To me, religion is a private matter. But more than that, their talk is insipid and uninspired. I hear banal literalism like a grade school child's rote lesson, telling us how faith sustained them through their personal trials. Okay, I get it, but how will your faith sustain the planet, cut carbon emissions, reduce greenhouse gases? How will your belief end the war? Give us health care? Improve education? Can't we all just assume that the candidates have their beliefs, that they are good and wholesome (unless proven weirdly otherwise) and put an end to this absurd talk? It adds nothing to the most important conversations we should be having.

By the time you read this on Thursday, Roger and I will be on the ferry heading over to Seattle. I have an appointment at Bastyr University, where I will be seeing a Naturopathic doctor for my relentless dermatitis. I cannot begin to articulate my overwhelming disappointment with allopathic medicine. No offense intended to anyone in the medical professions, but I think western medicine is simply on the cusp of knowing not much at all. They can set a bone, stitch a wound, wipe out a bacterial infection (mostly), diagnose an illness, remove an offending organ, and prescribe all the new medicines hot on the market; but chronic, systemic, or auto-immune problems sail right over their heads. Woe to us who suffer.

Man, I am just full of opinions. Thanks for putting up with it.