An unexpected journey to a "holy place"

Much of my online reading and writing is now confined to Twitter via Hootsuite.  Today I happened across an MSNBC tweet regarding Japanese internment camps.

It began a web surfing experience that I share here.

• I found a lovely blog post by travel writer Lori Erickson  written last year: 

"Wyoming’s Heart Mountain, a WWII Internment Camp, Has Lessons for Today"

• Next, I found a fabulous photo collection of 2000 black and white images taken by internees at Heart Mountain, George and Frank Hirahara.  
• The collection was eventually donated to Washington State University.

We visited the Heart Mountain site in August of 1997.  I took pictures as my sister, Donna, guided us through what remained of the camp.  

The Heart Mountain camp site was preserved and much improved over the years.

In 2011 it became the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center.  You are invited to take the virtual tour.

The power of the picture

"Between Dallas and Austin, "  the title, is all I know about this photograph.  It is in the public domain.  It looks as if it were taken sometime in the 1930s.  The rest of what we can know of it must be supplied by one's imagination, or lots of difficult research.  So let's imagine.

Dad is the photographer on this trip, proud of all his girls.  Mom and the kids pose easily for this shot - on the way to or from.  They are neat and tidy folks of modest means, but we do not know just how modest.  Somehow, I do not think this is all they own.  I sense this is an early version of an RV.

What do you think?


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Mount Rushmore - I did not know you well.

I never got to see Mount Rushmore. But I know I would have loved it. In place of a visit, today I'll do a little post.

According to Wikipedia:

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, near Keystone, South Dakota, is a monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), located within the United States Presidential Memorial that represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (left to right): George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865).^[1] The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km²)^[2] and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.^[3] It is managed by the National Park Service, a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. The memorial attracts approximately two million people annually.^[4]

Leadership is not always recognized during the person's lifetime. The leaders depicted at Mount Rushmore achieved their popularity only after the lessons of history were learned and their achievements came into more realistic perspective.

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Part of the Metroplex

Image via Wikipedia

The picture to the left is of the Dallas skyline. Dallas is a lovely and vibrant city, but it is not my home town. We who live in Fort Worth, "where the West begins," are a little sensitive about such things.

Fort Worth is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It is located in Tarrant County.

The Dallas Cowboy's new stadium is not in Dallas (or Fort Worth, for that matter). It is in the mid-cities city of Arlington. Unfortunately too many people, not familiar with the facts, simply say Dallas for short.

So today's post is just so you'll understand.

See "Behind the Links." for further info on this subject.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

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Capture of the Landscape, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(Date of the original post - 8/6/06)

Capture of the Landscape

A landscape stays still so that the artist can capture it.

A drawing reduces the landscape to its simplest fit.

Photographers are not forced to catch human motion.

Painters capture multiple dimensions - landscape and emotion.

Sculptors carve out the ups and downs of valleys, hills and fiords.

Writers describe landscapes with evocative mental image words.

Memory plays tricks with capturing images of landscapes.

Childhood places may be distorted as clarity escapes.

The brain locates its storage for memory of place,

Separate from where we go for memory of face.

But we remember the most beautiful places we have ever seen,

Truly as gorgeous vistas with a look that is peaceful and serene.

Tags: art poetry landscape memory

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Landscapes I love, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(Original date of this post - 3/10/06)

The Landscape Upon Which I Play

How blessed I am to have seen some of the earth's most beautiful places.

• The Tetons in Wyoming-Majestic mountains rising out of a rather flat grassy landscape. Newer than most ranges, they are the climbers' goal.
  
• The Grand Canyon in Arizona-Awesome chasm, myriad colors, almost unbelievable before your eyes. Carved by the Rio Grande way below.
  
• Northern California's seacoast-The blue Pacific plays against the rocky cliffs. Painters try to capture it. But you must see it to believe it.
  
• New England in the fall-Leaf colors so bright they make your eyes smile. Celebrate the end of the growing season with rustling sounds.
  
• Cozumel in Mexico-Ancient ones built a holy place by the quiet Caribbean. Stone upon stone, with paths worn down by peasant feet.
  
• The Capitol in Washington D.C.-Honor to our founders. Center for governance. Familiar architecture forms the People's Place to Meet.

Travel tourists Placeblog

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Mountain majesty, a reprise

(Original date of this post - 12/24/05)

There are major sensual advantages to growing up near mountains. Your eyes always have a beautiful horizon upon which to rest themselves. Chinook winds, rolling down from the mountains, can bring unexpected thaws of snow.

People, heated by too much summer, can go to the mountains for a cool evening and a warm fire. Tall pines make music as breezes pass through thick branches. The smell of pines remains imprinted years after the experience, only to be recalled by a beach side Christmas tree.

A mountain picnic on a checkered cloth never again will taste quite the same. Mountain thunderstorms boom with a grandeur unmatched on flatter terrain. Granite boulders feel cool to the touch on a summer day, because they spent the night in at cooler altitude. These memories stored by my senses are very precious to me.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: landscape mountains memoir

Dry Country - a reprise

The original date of this post was 1/25/06.

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

Living With Drought

Skin cracks. Soil cracks. Dry maize crackles in the hot breeze. City folks and country folks alike talk about the weather. People watch the heavens or TV weather and opine about the future. We remember how much behind we are in the average amount of rainfall.

City folks wonder about water rationing, water rates and what to do about the yard. Country folks wonder about the livestock, the loans and the crops. Leaders wonder about available water resources because they can do nothing to make the rains come.

When rain comes folks stand outside and look towards the sky. We wonder how long the storm will last and when another will come. We remark about how good the air smells, and how the plants drink in the dropletts. Amounts need to be reported, dogs need umbrella service, kids need to play in the mud, cars need antilock brakes, and schedules need to be changed.

In the meantime we wait and look up.

Tags: drought weather rainfall

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Song of the Windmill, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(The date of the original post was 3/14/06)

Photo:souldestine-at-cox.net

Cool, water. Cool, clear water. Water. .

remember the song sung by "The Sons of the Pioneers" so long ago.

Not a cowboy poet, I, but one who loves them. I write the

Song of the Windmill.

Sing the song of the windmill's whirring in the breeze.

Listen to the cattle stirring as they chew and graze

on thin grass blades. The herd's not long for this place,

Cause the drought is driving ranchers to leave at a pace

that surprises everyone. The empty tank is commonplace.

"Maybe next year," the neighbors tell each other to save face.

AeroMotor is the name up there. There are other makers too.

A good windmill will outlast a house, barn, and an old buckaroo.

The bad years go by. Then the good years bring in a new crew to

Try again. More cows graze now as the pasture green and new

Makes rich milk, and grows fat calves who rest in the lean-to.

"Next year," the neighbors tell each other, "the drought is through."

Copyright by Carol Gee, March 14, 2006

Tags: ranching poetry rainfall

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Announcing the reprise series --

I often write about the state where I was born and raised, or about memories of my childhood, or associated subjects.

For the next few days I will be reposting pieces from the past as a "reprise" series. I have labeled them my "classics."

I hope you enjoy them all.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Anniversary date -- June 10, 1934

My parents, J. and L. were married 75 years ago today in Wyoming. They are no longer with us, except in memory and spirit. Today's post is a celebration of what was "their day" for so many decades.

Honoring each of them at their memorials, we had poems written by their granddaughter, Diane. The verses follow:

May We Remember

By Diane, 2003

In honor of J., father and grandfather

As uplifting notes of a Meadowlark

drift on calm breezes in the prairie,

may we remember his smile and laughter

and recall the telling of a special story.

As magnificent mountains provide shelter

in forests surrounding meadows so peaceful,

may we remember his mighty hands

full of strength and yet so gentle.

As an eagle soars over majestic pines

gliding on the ever present wind above,

may we remember his deep and honest faith

and his heart so full of love.

***********************************************

Remembering Grandma

By Diane, 2008

In honor of L., mother and grandmother

A small seed planted in the soil,

emerges in the Spring as a beautiful flower.

Great things come in tiny packages,

bundled with strength and will power.

A needle and thread, guided by the right hands,

become a warm quilt made with love.

Great things come in tiny packages,

gifted from a Higher Power up above.

A ray of sunshine bringing joy to all,

inspires the beautiful voice of a songbird.

Great things come in tiny packages.

That's how Grandma will be remembered.

********** The end **********

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Middle East - this and that

Meeting on Middle East Peace Process -- Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen and President Obama are meeting Thursday in Washington. Palestinians were skeptical ahead of the meeting, according to EarthTimes. To quote:

Palestinians expressed doubt Wednesday that the visit to Washington of their president, Mahmoud Abbas, and his meeting with US President Barack Obama on Thursday will result in pressure on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories. According to columnist Omar Ghoul, writing in the pro-Abbas al-Hayat al-Jadida daily, Abbas' problem with the Obama administration is that the latter is "going along with Israeli stalling policy" and has a "cautious approach to Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people."

After a rather frosty meeting recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defiantly announced that the settlement activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem would continue, despite U.S. calls for a halt to all settlement activity. Jordan's King Abdullah is deeply involved as a kind of honest broker, mediator. And, of course, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is still acting as a Middle East peace envoy. The question, "Will Israel Attack Iran?" remains open, according to Mother Jones Magazine.

Will it always be war? Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com recently posted with passion about the idea of Obama as a war president. He asks,

Which American presidents were not "war presidents?" . . . In other words, there's no such thing as an American President who is not a "war President." We never go more than a few years without some kind of a direct war, and are always waging covert and indirect ones. American presidents are inherently "war presidents." We don't really have any other kind. To vest a specific power in a President on the ground that he's a "War President" is to vest that power in presidents generally and permanently.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates revealed the proposed Pentagon budget in mid April, according to Mother Jones Magazine, suggesting changes that are very significant. To quote:

GWOT, RIP . . . Seen one way, it's certainly the first significant recognition from the Pentagon that the United States, the former "sole superpower" and planetary sheriff, has actually entered a universe of limits, even when it comes to the previous sacrosanct and ever soaring military budget. Think of it as a signal directly from Washington—if you want one—that the glory days are on the wane.

This and that -- By mid-May, 44 candidates had registered for the Afghan presidential elections, according to RIA Novosti. Pakistan has a relatively new president and the government remains relatively weak. U.S. News had an interesting piece about why the Pentagon needs to rebuild its relationship with Pakistan's military, in order to win the Afghan war. This same publication covered Obama's military veterans health care upgrade, announced last month. Investigative journalism's ProPublica recently revealed that insurance giant, AIG may have been making unreasonable profits by denying nearly half of medical benefits due to civilian contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. The DoD Inspector General's office will be investigating.

In conclusion -- President Obama is much more proactive when it comes to foreign and defense policy. And He as a very good team around him. He certainly needs all the help he can get given the current dicey situation in the Middle East.

References:

1. From NPR, anexcellent in depth article, Middle East Peace Initiative, it began with the subject Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.


2. From The Washington Note's Steve Clemons: "Powerpoint on Strengths, Weakness of Obama/Gates Defense Plan."


3. From Spy Talk's Jeff Stein: "Obama's Kennedy Moment in Afghanistan" This is a great backgrounder on the perils of fighting a war in Afghanistan.


4. From Secrecy News' Steven Aftergood: “Tactics in Counterinsurgency” Again Online. About a new Army Field Manual

My all-in-one Home Page of websites where I post regularly: Carol Gee - Online Universe

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, a federal holiday for government offices and local schools. Locally, rain is expected. Lots of local cemeteries have planned formal ceremonies to honor those killed in the line of military duty. Nationally, fatal car crashes mar the memorial Day weekend, all according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
The Texas experience of Memorial Day focuses on honoring the military and reflects the norm of marking this holiday nationwide, and it has been my adult experience. As I was growing up in Wyoming, however, our experience of Memorial Day had an additional meaning. It was popularly known as "Decoration Day," the day everybody went to the cemeteries where relatives were buried. We cleaned and cleared the grave sites and decorated the graves of our loved ones with fresh homegrown plants or flowers. Since our family had driven to town from the country for the holiday, we brought along a picnic dinner to eat in the city park. My maternal grandparents were interred in one nearby town, my paternal grandparents another. It varied from year to year in which town we visited.
Last year I posted here at Making Good Mondays about Memorial Day, in the context of going home every summer. Today is very bittersweet for me because my 93 year old mother passed away in December. We will be again be traveling to Wyoming this summer, but we will not be visiting the cemetery where Mom's ashes will be buried until later.
So today I celebrate my mom's good life from afar, with this little tribute to "Decoration Day." She taught me about the importance of paying attention to heritage as we visited the graves of her parents and paid our respects. Now my mom and dad's grave site is just a few feet away from the graves of my maternal grandparents. I find that thought fitting and comforting, somehow, as I await our trip.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."
Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: memorial day holidays family traditions texas wyoming cemetaries

Hubble updating history

Today's post is a collection of miscellaneous links from Making Good Mondays that have one thing in common, the Hubble Space Telescope, or HST. The image for this post is one of the top ten Hubble image favorites.

After cautious anticipation by NASA, the Hubble servicing mission in 2008 was canceled. In effect Hubble's bubble broke, because a major piece of HST equipment went out just before the NASA repair mission was to commence. Such an event is understandable because Hubble just had its 19th birthday.

The mission is now actually underway, with the first of five spacewalks to repair and refurbish Hubble to begin shortly. The entire population of "space nuts" like me will be glued to the NASA TV channel. Space related Twitter tweets and Hubble hopes will be at a high level. We are excited because of the possibility of many more years of science coming from the work of the HST repair crew now in orbit.

Astro_Mike, Mission Specialist Mike Massimino, just sent down a Twitter message from orbit this morning "From orbit: Rendezvous and grapple were great, getting ready for our first spacewalk set." It was enough to set off a Kindle buzz and Twitter "terrifics!" He will be one the inside astronauts choreographing today's space walk, and he will be one of the outside actual space walkers tomorrow. The crew of Endeavor is standing by to effect a rescue in the unlikely event that Atlantis could not come back to earth.

You will be amazed by the eye candy for Endeavour and the various other visual links available if you follow some of these links, see Space and savor the images, for example, or if you check out the post with "The bestest list," as well as learn who's reading and why.

NASA and Congress are not yet in sync because of other priorities. President Obama has not appointed a new NASA administrator, again because of higher priorities. But from all I can tell the acting administrator is doing fine and the mission is doing fine. I look forward to several days of "space nut" fun.

Godspeed to the crew.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: news space hubble nasa

Earth Day is now past tense

It is like the day after one's birthday. The congratulations have been proffered. And revelry is over, the gifts have been opened, the packaging taken to the trash.

Earth Day was about paying attention to Mother Earth. Noting the planet, making resolutions to do better, setting up a recycling center, changing out a lightbulb, taking in Vitamin D from real sunshine -- all these little things matter. And for the earth, everything adds up. Ruin or reclamation are each cumulative.

People from a variety of countries came by Making Good Mondays to pay me a visit yesterday. The visitor chart above tells the story of what a small world it is. And how easily we can connect with each other. I am fascinated that someone in Vietnam or the Czech Republic or Qatar wants to read the little things I have to say.

I would love to visit every one of your homelands and meet the people on your street corners or rural roads. I would like to see your blue skies and feel your gentle rains. It would be quite familiar in a way. Your trees and flowere would look different than mine, but not so different.

Now what I want to say in conclusion is "Thanks to all" for clicking on my web address. I hope your corner of the earth had a good day yesterday. I am your fellow citizen of Planet Earth, and I shake your hand.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: earth internet

Mood imagery

FreeImages.co.uk deserves the credit for all these interesting pictures. These mood images are to be found free at the link above.

These images all have a certain "vantage point:" It depends on where you are, as to how you look at things.

You might be feeling "on top of the world, have an "overview," or have to "step down" from a lofty position. Up appears to be the desired location.

Or you might feel " blocked," "down in the dumps," or "trapped." Down is not the way most of us want to feel.

Most of us just wish for "a level playing field."

Have a great week!

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: images moods figures of speech emotion

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• Tuning Up Your Blog (everything.typepad.com)

Cruisin'

In these perilous economic times, not as many people can just pick up and go on a cruise. So how about going on a fantasy cruise, a pretend trip, an imaginary sail?

Let's go together. I'll show you the way. I'll be your guide. It will be fun, I guarantee you. And it will be free for the taking.

Taking a cruise takes a little work beforehand. You have to decide what to wear, which means you have to study the cruise line documents for suggested dress, and for the cruise's itinerary. Packing carefully is a good way to get off on the right foot for fun. You have to arrange for someone to water your plants and for the care of your dog, and for a ride to the airport.

It usually takes a plane ride to take a cruise, unless you live near a port. Then it takes a bus or cab ride to the dock where the ship is preparing for its next trip. Those who do not arrive on time miss the boat. . . and all the fun.

Everyone boards the ship after almost all the supplies have been loaded. The cruise ship sails. You follow the signs to your cabin, only to hear that you will have to participate in the lifeboat drill the very first thing. Taking your own life vest from the cabin, you make your way to an assigned station and learn how to save your own life in case of bad, bad, trouble. But take heart. And take note. You only have to do it once during the whole trip.

Now everyone is anxious to get unpacked and to find their way around the ship. Often, by the time you are through with life boat drills, your bags have arrived at your cabin. Your cabin has a closet and plenty of drawers and space for all your things. That is the beauty of cruising -- no packing and unpacking as you travel from place to place. You will be hungry and wondering what's for supper by now, and whether to change for dinner in the dining room. Or you might decide to eat at one of the more casual places that abound on board.

If you eat in the dining room, traditionally, you will probably be seated at the same table with the same people throughout the cruise, except at lunch, which is normally open seating. And you will get to know each other fairly well, often exchanging Christmas cards with them for a year or two. You will order from a menu and it will be some of the finest food ever, for "free."

Meals are included in the price of the cruise. You will need to take money for liquor, tips, on shore excursions, gambling and whatever you purchase from the ship's shops or on shore. Tips are given to the room steward, the bartender, your waiter, the wine steward, and the Maitre'd. All the live entertainment is free, as are the midnight buffets. So cruises offer almost the very best value for your travel dollar.

Entertainment on board varies widely. The lounges sometimes have a small group of musicians. There will always be some kind of stage shows or productions, two a night. Daytime entertainment might include a tour of the ship's bridge, the kitchen, a chef's demo, silly games and dance contests, bridge, a casino and special excursions at almost all ports of call. Solitary activities include a jogging track, swimming pool, a spa, a library, computers, or just sitting on a deck chair watching the waves and the sea birds. Or sleeping, or eating, or eating, or eating. Save your biggest clothes for the end of the trip, as you will gain weight. You cannot help it unless you are anorexic.

And before you know it your three or seven or 14 days are up and you arrive, safe, sound and relaxed at home port. You have tipped generously for absolutely wonderful service. You have your purchases from exotic places, along with instructions on how to pay the duties, if needed. And, hopefully, you have something to wear home, as your packed bags have been picked up the night before.

You will come home with a bit of a suntan, a few extra pounds, lovely memories, new friends, treasures from other countries, and a bit of laundry to do. And your will be thinking of where you want to go on your next cruise. . . very soon. I can almost guarantee it. In fact, now I am in the mood for a trip, myself.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: cruise travel travel cruise lines travelogue

Landing On the Hudson

Landing On the Hudson

The birds had ended the engines' song.
The plane's still flying but not for long.
Not land, but liquid. This place that beckoned,
All cold and swift.

The only lane left, and it's not right.
The path means a turn-around tight.
Here we go. "Brace for impact," Sully said.
Oh no. Cold and swift.

Heads down the riders gave no cry.
Perfect was the line down from the sky.
Thin tail in. Fat nose out. Hold it, hold it.
Blam! Cold and swift.

Are we there yet? Oh, yes, we are.
Heads up. Look around. Landed, 5-star.
Wheels up, the winged boat floated
Downstream, cold and swift.

Window-doors loosed. Out, out. Get out!
Women and children first, came the shout.
All headed forward after trying aft.
Outside. Currents cold and swift.

Wet wings floated just long enough. Not wide.
Slides turned to boats. Sit or stand side by side.
Twice Sully patrolled the bird. Quickly all out.
Water rose inside, cold and swift.

Boats everywhere. Angels gathering souls.
All hands safe. First responders consoled.
It was the Miracle on the Hudson,
So cold and swift. Impossible.

They all said ditching could not be done.
All points in place. White head, plan begun.
Steady hands, he'd trained all his life for this.
Calculations were cold and swift.

It all came together, landing on the city river.
And it worked. Riders in blankets all a-shiver.
Amazing. Grace. It was a song
On the Hudson, cold and swift.


Copyright by Carol Gee
January 23, 2009


Update -- ** Hero's welcome for Hudson pilot **

BBC News (1/25/09): "The pilot who safely landed a jet in New York's Hudson River gets a hero's welcome in his home town in California."

The last seat

Traveling by air in a sparcely populated area is a challenge. My experiences and those of my family include getting patted down by TSA twice on an intra state flight, regular overflights of the nearest small airport, and lack of affordable flights to this area.

I got the last seat as I booked my flight online, back to Texas from Wyoming this coming Monday. I am prepared to pay an extra $15 to take my clothes and tooth brush along with me. But I and my fellow passengers will be secure because my carry-on will be fluidless, cremeless, toothpaste-less and hairspray-less. Ugh!

And United is not a bad airline, just a troubled one, like many others. Let us hope that the drop in fuel prices helps get them out of trouble. I don't even demand that they lower ticket prices, commensurate with the reduction. Just get your act together for the travelling public under the Obama administration, Airlines!


Technorati tags: travel

Back to winter

From a Southern climate to a Western climate means a temperature drop. It has been a long time since snow on the ground, slick streets and sidewalks, and electric blankets are a matter of course. In Texas such things are news and demend special measures. In Wyoming such things are taken as simply life today. There is more talk of weather forecasts, and people take them into some consideration when making plans. But plans are usually made as if things will be normal. Cancellation at the last minute is always understood. And family prevails.
I noticed some things. My family worries if I am wearing short sleeves. They give me a hand with an icy patch on the sidewalk. I am reminded to turn on my electric blanket to warm the bed early. I have hat, gloves, warm socks, etc. enough to withstand any eventuality. I do not have my own transportation nor domicile, which means that my family coordinates who takes me where. That is a lovely nurturing kind of thing and I have welcome mats everywhere.
I also noticed that shivering every now and then is tolerable. I noticed that the sky is incredibly blue, the snow on the mountains is perfectly beautiful and the air is clean and crisp. Sunshine burns through the chill. And sound carries differently when there is snow on the ground.
More later, folks