The Native Iowan

Times flies.

Maybe Putin thinks it is standing still?

Watching Uncle Joe Biden step on his aged dick is a distraction.

It’s a fudgedup world.

Weather is kinda cooperating… got to mow some today. Grass grows where it’s muddy too.

Speaking of mud… got a new vroom-buggy. makes me giggle like a kid…

Struggling to post the vids…

So there you go, a day late..

Smiles

End week here in the valley. Been dry enough for us to get caught up cleaning up from the floods and mowing. The ground is still very wet, very muddy ion some places, but we’re getting caught up. The fences are a huge job. Waiting for Mendoza to come home from school so we can seriously clean up the ravaged fence-lines. They are stretched all over the low lying areas. Bigger job than me by myself.

Ukraine is into the 3rd week. Damn they be tuff som’bitches. Aussies would call the “fair dinkum”.

I believe the West is dithering. Nothing of substance me-sees coming from Brussels.

Watch Taiwan. See what happens there.

The Solomons has moved closer to China.

https://theconversation.com/saying-china-bought-a-military-base-in-the-solomons-is-simplistic-and-shows-how-little-australia-understands-power-in-the-pacific-180020

Aus is rushing to decide what to do next.

It is a long, long, confused story. Which I feel is going to get lost in the coming Federal Election, here in Aus.

Watch what happens next. Look toward Taiwan.

Smiles

More later

Kinda sucks. I miss the cattle. But such it is. It is what it is.

I cannot believe that I, and others like myself, remain the only readers of history. I must assume that many people, all over, on booths sides of any fence, read and understand the past.

There needs to be more…

Reference 1950 when the US Administration did not believe that NKorea was preparing to invade SKorea. The USSecofState gave a speech saying, basically, SKorea was not the concern of the US.

In hind sight, many see this as the green light KimSr needed to pull his plug.

It’s an interesting fact that neither China or USSR believed KimSr would make the move.

But he did.

And PrezTruman acted quickly and decisively.

Which no one expected.

It’s a big, short story. Only lasted 3 long, bloody years. Well worth a bit of research-time.

Busy today with domestic maintenance and dogs.

Dogs are good…

Smiles

Its always nice, after ages and ages of weather, to see some reversal of the trend. After weeks and weeks of weather, way too much weather, the sun is out and there is no appreciable rainfall on the horizon.

Now I got to get the place here cleaned up. Its a big job. Will take a bit of time. And all of that is ok. 

With my cattle gone I am going to open the fences up and turn the place into 100acres of dirt tracks. I have 3 dirt bikes and 2 quads. Looking to buy a couple shit-box old cars and a 4×4. My buddies that run the local motorcycle shop are dealers for very cool 4×4 buggies. Trying to get them engaged so they use the place here as their proving ground. 

Of course I like the idea of a lot of noise and nuance for my shitty neighbours. I’ll put the track as close to their house as possible, and pull the baffles out of all the exhaust systems. Premeditated “good neighbour” stuff, eh?

Watching as Ukrainians get beaten and battered, but do not give up or give in. Tough bastards, they be. 

Of course, Putin has miscalculated by a huge degree. How long will he last, as-is? A long time would be my guess. Will someone in the upper tiers of Russian administration “take him out”? It’d be a one way ticket. Either make it happen or watch your entire life be brutally destroyed. 

I still believe the Western leadership are a pack of fucking pussies. But then there is nothing new there. 

Sorta like living next door to a domestic abuse situation… the father/ husband is beating the shit outta the dog, raping the children, whoring out the wife, and everyone knows and watches, but says little or nothing.

Until when… Our sanctimonious BS attitudes and platitudes only go so far. And that’s not very far at all.

Of course, Putin emboldens other would be territorial grabs. Taiwan will be next??? Will the US and Japan push China back when they “make their move”? We have not really thought much about Korea recently. And Iran. Empowering authoritarianism is what is happening. 

And the beat goes on.

Smiles

More later

It’s a big topic. If not the biggest topic.

The meaning of life.

The measuring of life.

A friend used to speak of “life’s rich pageant”.

Today is a clean up-after sorta day. Many projects on the go, many maintenance items dangling from the to-do list.

Tractor and buggy and bush fires and mowers (yes, plural) and jobs little and big. Life as an ol’fart is pretty bizzy.

I tend to use the mornings for busy time. It’s cooler, I’m stronger. One thing I find as I age is I do tire reasonably quickly. I do though have stamina and can often carry on longer than is really good for me. As my mother has said, “Getting old aint for sissies”.

The weather has been “heavy”. Very heavy. The clean-up is huge. It’ll take a while. And thats OK. No herd on the grass means no need for fences, which means better sleep.

How many out there have been on small vessels (or large vessels) when the chain drags? Its a one-of-a-kind “thing”. The sensation plus sound (or lack ther-off) can be spooky. Many of an ol’ swabby wakes in their sleep, in a sound bed, on land, to the horror of the anchor dragging.

I hear thunder in the distance. I know a storm cell flew by and hit south and east of us. But we were left unmolested.

Somewhere in my past, somewhere in my memories, I hear a voice telling me that … “…the meaning of life is collecting stories…”. What did the voice mean, then, as it was said? Who was it? Sounds like Wally Sanger, but I could be wrong.

My memories can be blurred. I need to work to find clear memories, and if you were with Wally Sanger, way back when, your memory was impaired by association.

And the beat goes on…

Big smiles

It’s a pleasant Sunday here. A blood sport Sunday. A good UFC card starting. Gotta luv bloodsports

More rain predicted later today.

We’ve had enough. the system(s) have been over-burdened by the hydrostatic forces we’ve experienced over the past several days. The house is damp and getting mouldy. The dogs need to be dry for a bit. The outside area of the house, the underneath is quite muddy. The inside is not terribly clean. The yards on the property are all a jungle. Will need a hay baler to mow them.

The region is cleaning itself up. The roads. The power grid. The bridges and culverts have all been stressed. Severely stressed.

I am impressed. After living in a developing country for decades, I find the response of the service providers to be impressive. Sure. One might complain about having power off for 3 days. About road closures and associated inconveniences.

But my decades in the land of developing nations has shown me how lucky I am now.

In the Islands, we all had our own standby power. Our own water supplies.

Here on the farm we live on tank water, so that was never an issue. But, butttt… we depend on electric pumps to move our water. To flush the toilets. A flawed self sufficiency, indeed.

I shall rebuild the systems here. Re-wire and re-plumb a few things to create a plug-n-play backup system.

For the next time.

I need to shout out to my neighbours and friends on Belvedere Farm. Nick showed up with a little Honda Genset that made things so much better. The 2kva gennnie powered my water pump, my refrigerator and my TV. So I maintained personal hygiene, cold beer, and TV entertainment throughout the power outage. Big thanks!

Also need to shout out to Nick and Salome in Lismore. They got evacuated as their house went under on the 28th. Nick hitched a ride back to their house within 3 days, started cleaning. As of yesterday they were back in their house, with their two teen aged kids, getting things all cleaned up. What a great example of positive energy. My very best wishes go to them as they continue to dig out of the damage.

I hear some rumbling in the skies. Rain is predicted, promised for this afternoon.

Have got everything I can open to the outside, open, to help dry out the inside. I need to not get distracted. Distracted as I write and watch the fights. Probably wont be hanging the laundry on the line.

Ran and closed it all. The rains came quickly.

Blood Sport Show has been gooood. Worth the price of entry.

And the beast goez on

More later

Big smiles

I have figger’d it all out. My little valley is experiencing Climate Change.

The climate in my valley has changed.

Gone is my bug bull, Hank, and his harem of big arsed mammas. Gone are the frolicking babies, the calves, the teat suckers

Gone are the fences.

More weather last night and the running water, the hydrostatic forces, burst their banks bigger and badder and took more fences down. The running water was quite close to the big-house.

So, I am now convinced. The climate of my little valley has irrevocably changed.

I shall turn it into an off-road motorsports park. Dirt bikes and 4x4s, and light buggies.

It’ll be a blast.

I think I kinda like Climate Change.

Smiles

More later

Yep, just when you think its over. Just when you think its going to dry out a bit. Just when you think you are going to get some work done… You get hit harder than ever before.

Huge weather system ran through between 3 and 6am. Lighting, big, loud, cracking, crashing lighting. Rolling thunder. Wind. And rain. Another 100mm/ 4inches of rain. On top of the rainfall we have had in the past week, this becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back…

Power off for the first time in ages. Roads all around us closed. our little stream, that becomes a river, has reached new heights, new levels. Actually getting damn close to the house.

The weatherpersons tell us we’re in for more of the same…

So we settle in for a couple hours of “watch and see”.

Our farm is basic/ rustic in many ways. We live off our water tanks. All water in the house depends on an electric pump. And, of course, most folks dont think about it and get up and use the toilet and flush it and then sue it again to find there is no water for the second flush. No running water for dishes, or to wash my face and brush my teeth. Battery power on devices shall become a premium.

One hack I learned long ago is that you laptop is a spare battery. We all, all modern folks, have a phone and a laptop. The phone has a Simm card but most laptops dont. So by default our phones become our main computer in times like this. The power is down so the household wifi is dead, thus computer not very useful. But it has a big battery, and can keep you phone alive for a couple days if used judiciously.

I should really have a little generator, but I dont. My neighbour is a chicken/ egg farmer and depends heavily on refrigeration, so he has a number of little gennies, and has graciously offer to loan one, if needed.

I’ll hangout for a couple hours, see if the power comes back. Ive checked on line and see they dont think power will be back until tomorrow, so I may just take up my neighbours offer. But one can be optimistic, even when its stupid.

Again, I note there are folks that have been hit a lot worse than we. Nick and Salome in Lismore have been terribly effected. What for us is inconvenience is for them detestation.

And the beat goes on. A wet beat, but still marching forward.

Smiles

New month. New war.

Or is it, another month, another war?

My 19 year old grandson asked me, “… so there’s war now…”, and I answered, “… there is always war…”.

Unless it isn’t war. I note that the Viet Nam ‘war” was not a war.

go figure…

Recovering from the floods. Yes, there was more than one. Tho it did at times appear to be continuous.

Have been cleaning up around the place. Yesterday was a full, busy day. Putting things back together where possible, mediating any negative results of damage,

This morn I shipped my cattle out. Sad to see them go but I don’t have the capacity to maintain them properly. A huge % of my fences are terribly compromised. Tho sad to see them go, it is a relief, to not be worried about their care and well being. Was going to keep a couple calves but, at the end, decided they all go. I’m aiming to restock in the future, once we rebuild the fence lines. Its very nice to have stock around.

And the beat goes on… My very most positive thoughts go to Nick n Salome and their family, in Lismore. And all the others who suffered much more terribly than we have.

May the hydrostatic forces be with you

more later

We’ve had over 12inches/ 300mm in the last 24 hours. Our little valley is wet, wet, wet.

In the last 4 days we’ve seen over 500mm/ 18inches. Weatherpersons predict another 6inches/ 150mm. I hope they are wrong.

The little creek has jumped its banks, blown out culverts, plowed down fences, and basically caused a lot of damage/ work.

I went out and moved the herd. Put them in the driveway. All the paddocks, but for a few close to the house, are compromised. Two cows are on the south bank, and two more cows plus the bull on the s/west bank. They should be ok. Should come back when the water drops down.

This morn Angelo and I pulled the ground-water pump out of the back. Lucky we did. The stream jumped its banks and would have probably taken the pump away.

I am very much considering selling the herd. It’ll take me ages to get the fences back in shape. It’s a huge job. And I cant risk losing any. Letting them get away, get lost, get in trouble.

I’m better off selling for now, then taking the time to get the fences rebuilt professionally.

May the hydrostatic forces be with you…

Smiles

The winds of change…

Ok, so it has started. Russia has declared war on Ukraine.

Fasten your seat belt.

Is Taiwan next?

One authoritarian regime invades a sovereign state, with little or no international push-back.

What stops a second authoritarian regime from jumping on the band wagon?

Not gud, me thinks…

More later

Good morning,

It is 553am, I’m sitting in the Virgin departure lounge at Brisbane Domestic Airport. Up early on the farm, ready n drive to BNE, have an hour to wait before flying to Melbourne.

I have Mendoza with me. His US Passport expired a few months back. Due to covid and lockdowns and such we have not been able to travel to renew it. Now a funny thing is that the US honestly has only one Consular Office open for us. The Sydney offices were shut down last year. The office in Perth is useless to us because West Australia is “borders closed” to the rest of Aus. So, as a US citizen, there is only one place possible to get a new passport.

Melbourne.

Kind of a pain in the arse.

So we are on the fly…

Been 38 months since I last traveled. Checked in for a flight.

I’m not used to it any more. I’m a bit paranoid in that we could get somewhere, anywhere, only to be locked down. We could get on the plane and be told we’ve been exposed to a new and milder variant, and must be held in cages for an indefinite length of time.

My old buddy, David Fegan, got stuck last year in the UK. He and his Mrs, Jackie, had flown over for their daughter’s first child. Expected to be back before Cmas. They got back a few weeks ago, had to do 14days of quarantine, only to come out on the day that quarantine regs were trashed.

Talk about “the luck’o the Irish”.

So here I sit. Today is a day-trip. Down early, go do the passport stuff, back in the eve.

I’ll write as I fly. Have a lot of fallow hours ahead, where an hour or two of waiting is required more than once in the coming day.

And having a discussion with the keyboard is always ok.

I’ll write this in stream of consciousness, intending to post it later.

The airport looks busy enough. We’re traveling light so no lines or waiting. I printed the boarding passes so we waltz straight thru security. Everyone is friendly.

Queensland borders have not been open very long. Only a couple months. Before you had to do the quarantine dance to come to QLD.

Funny how the world is slowly waking up with a covid hangover. After almost 3years, after such damage to the economy, after such BS, the world is slowly ceasing the insanity.

The Solomons, after supposedly being reasonably covid-free, has started getting sick. And of course, as is the way of de-islands, once it hits it hits hard. My son’s family all just did the positive shuffle. Everyone, even the 4month old, got the flu, stayed home for a week, and got better.

Of course, we get reports of the numbers of people that die “from covid” daily. I do not think that a lot of folks are dying from covid. Dying from old age, or ill health, but not covid. It wasn’t covid that killed them.

Sitting in Melbourne with a couple hours to kill. 1115am and we just ordered breakfast at a sidewalk cafe.

The flight was uneventful. I slept most of the 2hours it took.

Some observations:
* The plane was pretty full. Business class was completely full. Old rule of thumb in aviation is a full biz-class pays for the flight.
* Did not count but there are plenty of flights happening. Plenty of people traveling.
* For all the shut downs and bizzyness -interruption, things look prosperous here in the State of Victoria.
* I have not traveled for ages but find I am in a world-lost when I walk out of the airport. No longer is there a taxi-rank. Now its “UBER”. I had to have Mendoza show me how to sort an Uber ride out.

So, a sidewalk breakfast done n dusted. It has been ages since I have been in a city, sat at a sidewalk cafe. It’s kinda nice. We’re sitting in the sun as a chilled wind blows through the man made canyons. People carrying on conversations with their phones walk past. Masks are mandatory. It’s hard to order because we can’t see each other’s faces as we talk. Cant watch the lips as words are spoken. There was an Asian gal taking our orders and we kinda struggled with the various selections… eggs fried, scrambled, poached or raw? Plain, wheat, sour drought toast?

I would think that children going to school, forced to wear masks, are at a severe disadvantage.

So we are an hour out from our appointed time to meet a US Consular Officer. It should all go easy enough. Tho in a modern world, where it should all be done virtually – should be able to be done virtually, these guys can make it rather difficult. But one can appreciate the constraints they operate under.

One of the big hassles has been getting an appointment. You must book ahead and, as it stands right now, there are no available meetings for the next few months. I got this appointment by being persistent and checking the website a lot and finally finding an open block. Must have been a cancellation. It is impossible to talk to the “embassy” by phone. You have to leave messages and emails and hope they contact you back.

Very soon both Grace and I shall have Aussie passports. Sure will make life easier.

316pm. Our work with the passport renewal all done. Took a lot of waiting and waiting but its complete. Success is good.

Ensconced in the airport lounge at the Melbourne Domestic terminal. It is quiet and nice. Busy enough, like I say, the terminals are pretty busy, but there is still a strange feel to it all. The mask mandates make things funky at best. My ears hurt from the straps. Today is the most/ longest over worn one. I dont like it.

Rumours have it that all will soon be history here. I fear that the politicians and their pet advisors are far too invested, by now, to recant. but, mind you, there is a federal election coming on in a few months. May be a wiener for the incumbents to change course right before the election.

Not sure what happened on the planet today. Have seen and heard no newz/bluez. I’ll have to see, check up a bit to know how flippant I can be… nope, nothing at all happened… nothing.

Life is gud…

And the beat goez on.

More siting here, then an Uber to the airport and more sitting there, then a flight back north then a drive back to the farm…

Life is good.

Smiles all around your world.

Must be global warming, as much as the weather here changes…. over 100f/ 37c last week. Now its time to wrap up in a blanket.

In our modern world, are not the dictators of our time aiming to taking advantage of a divided “West”? A weak west? And the West is weak.

The fawning over the Chinese Communist Olympics is, in my mind, distasteful at best and hypocrisy more than not. Not offending China appears to be a full time job any more.

So what? It’s ok they are a dictatorship and suppressive? We need them. Must keep them hapi… much is just another example of “letting them get away with it”. And I use “them” as in all of them that have been given way too much slack…. China and Hong Kong, North China sea, Taiwan. Russia and the Crimean, now the Ukraine… Throw Korea in the mix… I note China and Russia planning meetings between Putin n Xi. The Communist world has not been losing ground.

Of course, nothing “will happen” during the Olympics.

I dont think A winter offensive is what either side on the Ukrainian front want but, is an invasion imminent? Does not make sense in many ways, but, IF Putin were to think he’d get away with it, again, and the other dictators agree… he’d accept the opportunity. No? In the snow, on frozen ground he could blitzkrieg.

I like the idea that a lot of this is simply to throw the West off balance.

But also to see how far they can go.

But is not the West off balance anyway/ already?

Most Western leaders are fighting for their political positions. I dont think any single western leader is in a strong position on their home fronts. the USA is divided and indecisive. A never ending game of “the next election cycle” leaves little room for consistent and comprehensive policy building. The UK would “spill” Johnston but there is no one to take his place. No one to broker a coalition govt. France, Germany and Italy are suffering from bad policies and internal confusion. Most of Europe has lost its historic constitution/ make up, noting Sharia Laws is alive and well in Europe. The traditional constitution has been diluted. World wide Western traditional make-up of societal norms have been rapidly changing. Irrevocably changing.

Hell! Australia cant build their own military machines. China owns more than a few strategic ports. Aus was dumb for a long time but has slowly opened their eyes to China.

May be too late though… They gave up making anything. Sold their industry off shore. Went green and is going broke. Too many generous social programmes. Talking now of opening the flood gates of immigration to swell the tax base.

Are the old systems stable? I’m not so sure. I’m glad I’m an old fart.

Weather here is very nice. Almost perfect. We could do with less rain.

Smiles

It’s summer time here. QLD is known for its weather, and January is usually hot. HOT!. I am writing this with a long sleeved jumper on, and a shawl on my legs. The wind is blowing, its been raining, it feels like winter. (A QLD winter)

Gotta luv Global Warming…

I live with the house open as much as possible. I like the feel of fresh air, openness, and the noise of the outside, inside. I often wake too early to the sound of birds making too damn much noise. My dogs are very vocal and if I didnt like the idea of knowing they are doing their job, they barking could be annoying. I know it annoys some folks that live here.

I find the dogs’ noise comforting. I can often tell what they are making noise about. Sometimes they just sing. Use their voices to proclaim their happiness.

This past week has seen a couple important milestones here in the land Down Under…

Qld has scrapped all their border restrictions. Considering that QLD has been closed to interstate and international travel, it is a big deal.

Over 2inches/ 50mm of rain last night. Don’t complain about rain, but being able to mow my lawn and slash the paddocks would be useful.

So today is an indoors-day. Wont get much done outside, in the mud, so I’ll stay here and see what I can get done. Be lazy…

I’m getting s little bit tired of all the W.O.K.E. bullshit. Ive been called racist a lot in my life. It usually makes me smile. I believe most folks do not honestly know what racism is. I contend that racism is a double edges blade, it cuts both ways. My experience has shown that this who have declared me to be “racist” are usually the racists.

And the idea of privilege is perhaps a bigger crock-o-shit… The idea that I, born in the 50s to depression-era, immigrant blooded parents, am by gratis of birth privileged is way, way wrong. In fact it is stupid.

The idea that being a victim is better than being hard working member of society, again, STUPID.

More later

I have just realised that there is a sickness, more serious than covid, effecting millions upon millions… worse than dandruff, more horrible than herpes….

Trump-Seperation-Anxiety-Syndrom

It effects over half the US population, and a huge portion of the global population.

I hear it a lot, see it a lot, but just received a warning from a good, old friend in the form of this…

‘Terrifying lies’: See ex-Trump aide’s warning about his rally – CNN Video

I thought my response worthy of reposting…

Dude,
Dok,
I understand Trump-Seperation-Anxiety-Syndrom is real. After 5+ years of great TV/ Entertainment/ ratings for the cable networks, people around the world, mostly in the US, miss Trump so bad its become a depression, a psychosis. With T there was something new and “important” every day if not every hour. Now, its so bland and boring we get sick, mentally ill.
See, here in Aus we have Djokavic being deported, which gives all something to argue over. Its small enough (and the weather is good enough) for folks here to be less stressed. In Aus we spend less time inside. Less Cabin-Fever sicknesses.
You guys in the US, now, have sleepy uncle Joe that’s only saving grace is the incoherent shit he says makes us all laugh. You got “heels-up” Harris that seriously makes no sense at all, but is cute, and giggles like a drunk college gal. You got the general-press/ the media that contradicts itself daily (twice daily?) and makes such lame, lame excuses and fibs to blatantly and consistently (in a self-contradictory manner) that news readers these days are well known stand up comedians. This follows long standing and well trusted “news celebrities” falling disgraced from their pedestals of influence. 
No one used to get “their newz” from Johnny Carson or other syndicated stand-ups. Walter Cronkite was not a comedian. Now the “stand-ups” make good livings being on cable news. 
So, my old friend, I advise a definitive weaning regimen from all things Trump. Noting well that he remains the most entertaining entity on the political land scape. 
Big smiles

Its kinda sad… I’m only partially joking…

More later

Gotta luv being a farmer. A farmer in Queensland.

The land of extremes. Australia is.

We’ve had a long running “good weather” system of late. Of course the past year or more of great weather has come on the back of a drought of a millennium, on the back of huge floods and a cyclone called Yasi, on the bank of a big drought…

Welcome to Queensland, Mate.

Farming has its monument. Some good, some bad.

I ended my day, on Tuesday, out in the paddocks, watching a cow preparing to give birth. She is a good cow, has been around, never had problems. The sun is setting. The cow does not appear to be in distress. I go home.

First thing in the morn, its not a pretty picture… dead calf, hanging out, hanging from the mother. She’s on the ground, by the stream, up against a bank. Floods have been regular lately so the river-bed is very clean. The cow in not in peril, we should be ok… kinda.

First step it to pull the dead calf and dispose of it. Easy enough.

Second is to try to make the mother stand up. A cow dies if it lies down. She is stressed, so wont stand, I try to move her. She loses her footings, does a 360 roll, tries to stand, ends up lying in the stream bed.

Not great, not terrible. I dont want to push n prod n hassle her more. She’s not in distress, yet. It’s a warm day, being in the water is not terrible, I’ll come back.

So she was still down when I came back later. Used the tractor and forks and the buggy, with Angelo’s help. We got her up. Not all that easy to achieve. But the day ended with her on her feet, grazing. All good, kinda.

She was still up the next morning so we must have done something right. Still watching but I’d say we are past the danger point.

Makes me feel successful.

And the beat goes on, more later

The weather continues to be wet…

Floods all around us.

Sure makes things green

More later

Plenty of rain here. A big weather system off the coast. Has kinda shut shut us down NYs eve.

Life is good.

Happy New Year to all…

More Later

10am on the 28th of 12, 2021. It’s kinda chilly here, in the valley. Overcast, rainy, breezy and not warmer than 20c/70f. I slept late, due to the chilled air, and once awake I ensconced myself in my recliner, wrapped in a blanket. My coffee is warm, a good Ip Man movie on.

Might sit here all day.

So, as the year wanes, as I sit wrapped in my blanket, all the windows and doors open, the chilled air pervading…

I ponder the past, peer into the future…

It’s been a rather strange past couple years. Recall, it was a short two years ago, in late 2019, that news of the Wuhan lab virus first came to us. It started slow enough but within a few short months all and everything changed.

Where are we now?

One important “thing” that has changed is the status of China on the world scene. I had been researching and writing on the activities China was carrying out, namely the “Belt and Road Initiative”. I was watching as China “bought-up” much of the Pacific Islands’ infrastructure. I watched as many African Nations too fell prey to the idea of basically “selling” main infrastructure like marine ports, airports, major roadways. Funny thing was that Australia too had sold much to China.

Dan Andrews, Victoria’s Premier, was a great proponent of the B&Rinitiative. The Port of Darwin, Perth, all involved in the “scheme”…

• Relations between Australia and China have deteriorated over the past year
• Despite the diplomatic spats, China remains one of Australia largest investors
• Beijing-backed firms own ports, water, energy companies, mines, and more
• Tighter regulations were introduced earlier this year to protect Australian assets
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9011631/The-shocking-level-Chinese-ownership-Australia-cattle-stations-ports-water.html#socialLinkshttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9011631/The-shocking-level-Chinese-ownership-Australia-cattle-stations-ports-water.html#socialLinks

I believe that the important fact of any Chinese ownership is the reality that all is in fact “State-ownership”. A company in Hong Kong is indeed a company in the modern sense but, the Communist angle means it is in fact owned by the State.

Not everyone sees it this way…

There are some out there that (still) hold some warmnfuzzy ideals about communism. Warm n fuzzy and erroneous ideals…

I think of my ol buddy, Kristoff… Long story but Kristoff was the son of a Russian big-wig. He was a privileged member of the Russian Communist system. And a punk rocker. He was “sent away”, to the West, when he became a thorn in the system’s side. He never had anything good to say about Communism.

Another “big thing”, a huge change, is that our world of easy and inexpensive travel has ended. I do miss the travel.

And the beat goez on.

It has not warmed up here. Might go get a warm hat.

More later

Big smiles

Luvely cool damp morning here. Woke to find a Green Bay Packers game on. I’ll spend as long as I can wrapped up here, watching, writing…

Thinking of Cmas-times past. How far can I go back?

I believe that most of my memories are sensory, and when real young most of my recollections come in the form of sounds and smells. Most definitely the Cmas time smells were overpowering. My Mother was a fantastic cook. Her thing was “cooking” and Cmas was important to her.

I recall being on the farm outside of Knoxville. IA. I was kinda big then, maybe 4 or 5. I have strong memories of the Staff-Party at the local VA Hospital, where my father worked. Before this? I cant pin a particular Cmas down. Nothing solidifies in my mind to give me a single major memory of Cmas before this time.

After the farm there was a single Cmas at Middle Street in Knoxville, then a couple while on Jackson Street. Then its all in Independence.

I commented yesterday that my granddaughter, G.G., now 6, may be living her last magical Cmas. Her last Cmas as a believer. Her last Cmas in that magical world of fantasy and farce.

For me, as the middle of 9kids, I think the magic of Cmas ended early. I distinctly recall my mother explaining to me that Cmas was for the “little ones”, and as a bigger kid I couldn’t expect too much. And that was Ok. I got it at a young age. Socks and underwear were ok.

My youngest sibling is 7years after me. My next, closest sibling is 2years younger. by the time I was 4-5 I had 2 younger sisters and mom was pregnant, preparing to deliver in February. As I talk it through, I look into the fog of the past and see that Cmas on the farm a lot clearer. It was a stressful one for the folks. Two babies, a big family, I recall receiving a plastic, army type, mess kit as a present and being very pleased.

Now, being pedantic, one would think that with only 65 Cmas-times to recall I’d do a better job. Of course I was too young to form cognitive memories the first one, and the next couple I was still building language and understanding. So, the vivid recollections I have from the time we lived on “the farm”, do represent my earliest, complete memories of Cmas.

Good news is that my Mother is enjoying her 95th Cmas.

Just thinking through memorable Cmas-times…

I recall one Cmas, maybe 1977/78. Hosted by my sister Holly, her husband, Ron, in their house on the SW side of Independence. It was a big affair. Ron’s parents and grandparents were there. My Grandmother and parents. A lot of family from both sides, the Dudleys and the Hemmer’s. A big bustling family filled affair.

Somewhere early on, after the presents had been ripped open, someone had picked up a bow with a sticker-label and stuck it on Grandpa Dudley’s bald head. Grandpa Dudley was a good guy and spent most of the day with this bow and name-tag stuck to his bald dome. He sat in a comfy chair and smiled a lot and, like old dudes do, kept his hearing aids turned down.

Somewhere in the proceedings, as things were quieting down, one of the “Dudley-boys” walked up to gramps, in a loud voice said “Who does this present belong to?”, and plucked the tag and ribbon off his head. In a loud, voice, he reads out the name… “To Nana, from Santa”.

Nana was my grandmother. Grandma Dudley did not like this at all. We all fell over ourselves laughing and carrying-on. Grandma Dudley moved closer to “her man”, and gave Nana the evil eye for the rest of the day.

Of course, one can become jaded by the commercialism and avarice involved with the modern holiday of Cmas. Thats why the magic of the little-ones is soo important this time of year.

Little ones, and dogs.

In the Solomons I always tried to throw a big Cmas-Doo… roast pig, fish, all the side dishes. My parents joined us in 1998 for one such party.

An eclectic selection of characters flew in from around the globe. The Makin’s, Pete Wilson, Jenny&Steve, UncleTeddy, my Brother, Roo, and his bride-to-be, plus the normal pickings of the Gizo/ Western/ Solomons extended family.

My mom had prepared 100 Cmas stockings for ‘all the little kids”. 50 for boys, 50 for girls. My ol buddy, Tom Shoen, was Santa. 100 little kids lined up and got to sit on Santa’s lap, and receive a goody-stuffed stocking.

It was a fun, fun day. (week)

And the beat goez on…

Smiles all around…