New Decoration

Did they leap off the bridge,

catch a boot before the plunge?

Or was it a memento of past

roundups and romps on the range?

Trinkets get placed on pedestrian bridges,

locks symbolizing true love,

ribbons honoring a relative,

even commemorative plaques.

Never seen a leather boot on there!

What drugstore cowboy or range rascal

would part with such a precious icon,

replete with decorative eyeholes?

Unless there is a body with the other boot,

floating downriver;

or some motorcyclist is missing a

piece of valued luggage,

flung away while they were roaring

down a nearby road.

If boots could talk, then we would know.

So we speculate away, until someone

tosses the thing into the river,

or takes it away as a souvenir

of the wild, untamed Midwest.

Same to you and more of it

All around me now is quiet,

so nice to experience peace.

Flowers still bloom and trees stay green,

wind sways weed stalks, spores release.

Rain comes flooding in and wets the world,

soaks all the flowers and fleeces the trees.

Relaxing indoors is fine, quietude better.

One can contemplate and be at ease.

Enjoyed meeting with a group earlier,

we swapped funny anecdotes and left all pleased.

We take our wins and savor them at home,

prepare for the next problem or disease.

Another one always looms up ahead,

must stay alert, new problems never cease.

Am so thankful for past party enjoyments,

But always hoping for more joy to seize.

All around is discontent, scarcity, frustration, aggravation;

hidden by walls of brick, wood or some stucco frieze.

Best thing to do seems to keep plodding along,

stay alive, make money and the angry gods appease.

Native Energy

     Humankind has been studying using power from the sun for thousands of years. Evidence of early ovens and windmill-like devices from around 100-200 AD has been found. Over succeeding centuries, minor and major improvements have been made. By the 1400s, windmills were being used all over Denmark to pump water and so forth. In the twentieth century, wind and solar technology really made strides.

     Nowadays, one can see wind turbines in fields in many US states and even offshore, as well as in many other countries. We are deploying renewable energy technologies at an accelerating rate, and this bodes well for the environment as well as our energy security. But, due to factors like increasing population, our demand for fossil fuels seems to keep going up. More oil wells are being dug in areas from North Dakota to Texas. We continue to import oil from around the world. And oil pipelines are constructed to move the oil to refineries. Our environment suffers, from burning fossil fuels, and from pipelines leaking crude oil onto and into the earth. Pipeline rights-of-way have barged through sacred native burial grounds, and through watersheds. We keep having problems of various kinds due to our continued addiction to crude oil.

     There are various movements and groups trying to combat this. And to their credit, some utilities have undertaken large-scale deployment of wind turbine farms, and solar generation facilities. So there is hope. Nevertheless, coal plants are still used to generate electricity, and until we can shutter most or all of these, our air and water will continue to be polluted. So: one additional solution might be to form more local alternative-energy co-ops and groups, and even companies. These might be comprised of one or more Native American tribes pooling their resources, forming companies, either nonprofit or for profit, and diving into the alternative energy arena. Rather than simply running a casino, and keeping up with the Jones's, one or a group of tribes could do something revolutionary. Form a working group to form a corporation to deploy and sell alternative energy.

     This could consist of small solar installations on tribal homes, and setting up a billing system that would be fair and equitable to all involved. Or perhaps investing in a cooperative wind turbine or turbines. From there, expand it out to nearby homes, schools, businesses. Instead of waving signs and screaming at the pipeline companies, beat them at their own game. Offer energy alternatives.

One area that seems to be ripe is car charging stations. I see a few of these at libraries and public buildings. But there are many, many times that number of regular gas stations/convenience stores. Either set up a card-activated charging station, or partner with convenience store chains to set up charging units, with every charge sending a payment back to the NAE – Native American Energy – corporation, for example. Something to consider.

     In any case, it is gratifying to see more and more folks adopting alternative energy. Just today I read in the news that Jaguar is bringing out their own luxury all-electric vehicle, to compete with Tesla. More and more are seeing the benefits of adopting alternative propulsion, transportation, and all around energy. Native American tribes could do the same to help confront the pipeline intruders. Thanks for reading.

Touring a WWII LST the other day

Weapon sentinels take aim at the sky:

Be warned, Stukas and Zeroes:

You are a target in our sights.

Mighty engines rumble underneath,

carrying troops and equipment to some distant beach.

With massive steel bulkheads and supports,

large hoists and cranes, even a patrol boat

carried on a side hoist for outside inspections.

Everything in this giant transport from another era

overwhelms, imposing in strength and purpose.

In a day when wars were fought closer,

more often in direct sight of an enemy,

These vessels of conflict were “all in.”

Armed, armored and provisioned,

they had to be ready for any contingency.

US shipyards built over a thousand of these LSTs,

each more than the length of a football field.

Churchill called them “The ship that won the war.”

When you take in the full view of this massive craft,

you can believe they played a major role.

Quite an accomplishment for industry in 1945.

One wonders if we could match that kind of effort now.

Here is hoping that we never have to find out.

(Picture credit Wikipedia)