My wife and I recently returned from an extended vacation in the Desert Southwest. We spent a few days at our family cabin in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, and then motored on to Utah, where we toured Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.
Our timing was fortuitous because the federal government shut down a few days after we returned home. Most national parks, including those in Utah, remain open, but who knows when the shutdown will affect park operations.
So far, at least, I haven't been inconvenienced by the government shutdown. My faithful postman still delivers my mail, and the politicians assure me that my Social Security checks will continue being deposited in my checking account.
Life goes on. I spied a hummingbird in my garden this morning, sucking nectar from a lavender plant. He's still on the clock.
In another part of the garden, a mourning dove pecked around our sunflower patch, because doves adore sunflower seeds more than life itself. I walked within three feet of the creature, and it did not startle.
In the coming days, Progressive journalists will comb the country looking for hard-luck stories about people suffering because government offices are closed. However, most Americans are unaffected by the government shutdown, and many who are impacted will blame Senator Chuck Schumer and the Democrats.
For the present, I will enjoy the change of seasons in southern Mississippi, plant a fall garden, and give thanks for living in Flyover Country. The political turmoil in Washington, DC, has nothing to do with me or my family.
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Lake Mary, Mississippi |