Hello! Another week has passed without a global thermonuclear war but don’t give up! There’s still more weeks to come.

Last Tuesday, as we all know unless you are hiding under some kind of rock, in which case I would like to know if there is room for me, the slime mold masquerading as president of the US threatened to end a civilization. Ha ha! Too late, sucka! You have already effectively ended what passed for ours! In the weird time dilation reality that we enjoy on this greatest of all possible timelines, that seems like years ago and also, yesterday. It has been five days. I personally spent most of Tuesday in a kind of a fugue state of stunned post traumatic distress. I grew up dreading nuclear war. I was maybe 10 the first time I woke up terrified and convinced that the Russians had dropped the bomb, specifically on Darien, Connecticut. As I got older I stayed afraid. I protested. I marched. I did a die in on the Charleston SC courthouse steps that was supposed to demonstrate how we would all die if the navy base was bombed. I suspect that mostly it demonstrated how college students can drape themselves limply almost anywhere, which turns out to be no real surprise to everyone over 30.

I got older. And then, you know, new fears supplanted the old. It seemed as if that particular terror at least had been put away in favor of climate change and famine and pandemics; tsunamis and car accidents and homelessness: the very specific fears we all share for ourselves and our families and friends. Well! Look at that! Everything old is new again. It’s like the Night Bird and the Marsh Monster, two fears of my childhood, came back with a dreadful orange son. In other words, even if it hasn’t happened, a terrifying door has been reopened, one of those doors that are stone and metal and wood and locked around with spells and ropes and chains and signs in 100 languages saying Don’t Open This Door You Idiot – and we are all in trouble now.

OK! In slightly more upbeat news my photo is up at Sisu Brewing with a plaque on it proclaiming it the winner. The gorgeous framing job was the prize and it is indeed one hell of a prize! Thank you Astoria Downtown Historical District Assocation!

I went over there last night and met a couple of my fellow prizewinners who were all very nice. I also went to a bunch of other galleries, where I met a local photographer who I admire tremendously, chatted with another great artist who is also a communist like me, and saw some wonderful art, so excellent artwalk all in all.

Anticipating! I got my tax money back – I am conflicted about this because I do not really want to be paying taxes right now. I believe in taxes but I also believe in using them to, you know, help the citizenry with such things as food insecurity, health care, infrastructure, public media, weather predictions, trips to space (OMG ARTEMIS that was AMAZING) scientific research, PBS and the occasional arts prize. Pretty much, in other words, all the things that have been dismantled and destroyed in the last 18 months. Still! I am happy to have this money and I promptly spent it on 1) new glasses and 2) a new to me lens from ebay. It is not the lens that I actually want, which is some variant on this one (if the link goes away it’s to a used 100 – 400 mm Canon EF lens.) I cannot afford that lens no matter how often I look at it, and I am too suspicious by nature to order one for $350 from Japan even though I could, barely, afford that. Oh well! I ordered a 90 – 300 mm ancient lens instead for around $130 and we shall see. Maybe it will be great! Next year, if there is a next year, I’m going to buy a printer. So I am anticipating new glasses with my new prescription – prepare to be recognized, populace! – and a new lens – prepare to be photographed, pelicans!

The photos and the week that was! On Sunday as previously discussed we dyed eggs on my daughter’s porch in the sunshine. Monday, this campus deer greeted me on my way to work. Tuesday, I left early so I could go spend 2 hours at the T Mobile store on behalf of my brother’s new phone and also walk the dog at the Fort Stevens historical area where, amid the broad daylight and the crowds of frisbee golfers, I encountered this completely nonchalant and well fed coyote. Wednesday I was in my office where this tiny vase, a gift from a colleague, was making me happy with a tiny flower plucked from the college grass. Thursday Harvey and I went for an early walk on two of my favorite parts of the Warrenton waterfront trail – we had to beat a hasty retreat from this part, due to of course other dogs. Friday morning the daily deer were in my yard and yesterday, Saturday, I took this over by the other side of the airport and I really like it. I like photos that are essentially stripes, because if you think about it, most landscapes are stripes. There are elk behind those trees by the way but you can’t see them from this angle. And if that isn’t a metaphor for life these days I do not know what is. Hope to see you all again next week!