There are more Corvids than...

People now in Downtown Durango.

For the non-birders among you crows, ravens, jays and magpies are in the Corvid family. They are the  flying sanitation workers who glean what we leave behind. In these virulent times of social distancing, there’s less human detritus for them to feed upon. Covid-19 is even affecting the Corvids. 

Prior to the pandemic, Downtown Durango was a lively place. On a typical sunny Sunday morning, there’s couples strolling  the sidewalks while shlepping steaming cups of Java. There’s families  congregating outside of busy breakfast cafes before going to church. Cyclists baring “game faces” can be seen heading out of town to tackle the nearby hills.

Now even the panhandlers are gone. It’s a sad scene. Like everyone else, I hate this current situation. 

I’ve always had a lot of time to think and wonder. Now with a worldwide lack of distractions. (No Happy Hour, shopping, movies, March Madness, baseball ETC) I have even more time to ponder. I’m thinking I made a few very wise personal decisions and choices. 

Well? What are they, Jeffy?

A) I chose to give up the Homeless by Choice lifestyle right in the last sip of time. Being a single guy living in a white Van down by the river now? No thank you!

B) I chose going small instead of BIGLY by settling in Durango, CO (population 19,000) instead of returning  to Fort Collins, CO (population 168,000). I’m a mere five minutes from a brewpub and a mere three blocks from a trailhead. The best  of both worlds. 

C) I chose the right neighborhood. I moved into Parkside Terrace, a 74 unit townhouse subdivision squeezed into a few acres. My neighbors are at least two decades younger than I am. They are all in relationships with significant others. Their attitude toward me went from, “who is this guy?” to acceptance and eventually inclusion. Now they are kind enough to do welfare checks on me to see if I’m OK. One neighbor promised to take me fishing when this calamity passes. I think they might like me! 

D) I chose to join organizations who share my passions. I’m a dues paying member of the Friends of the Library, the San Juan Mountain Association, the Mountain Studies Institute and the Great Old Broads of the Wilderness. I’m a willing volunteer for all. 

So...back to Covid-19. Today I received this email from the Great Old Broads of the Wilderness. 

I’m known more as a whiner instead of a howler. But under these extenuating circumstances I’ll make exceptions. It can’t hurt. Right?

Hope to hear you howl! Who knows? Maybe the Corvids will be howling too.

Jeff

“Lions and Tigers and Rhinoceroses...

Oh My!”

On November 9th, 1874, The New York Herald’s front page headlines blared out, “Awful Calamity,” “The Wild Animals Broken Loose from Central Park,” “Terrible Scenes of Mutilations.” 

The eye catching and gut clenching article went on to describe in Pulp Fiction detail the mayhem wrought upon Gotham’s men, women and children when feral animals pull off a Great Escape. 

According to the news source 49 people had been killed and 200 more injured. Most readers dropped their newspapers and sought a safe refuse. Others grabbed their guns to try their aim at big game hunting. For the few who possessed a longer attention span, here’s what they read.

“Of course the entire story given above is a pure fabrication. Not one word of it is true. Not a single act or incident described has taken place. It is a huge hoax,”

We live in times of Fake News. Misinformation can now circle the globe faster than a speeding virus. There’s heaps of BS now being generated from the giants of social media.  Followers of these falsehoods can get sick or worse die. This is a good time to become a “Doubting Jeffy.”

I’ll use the social networking gargantuan Facebook as an example of how things can go awry. 

Remember it’s called Facebook, not Factbook.

You can be anything you want to be on Facebook. That being said, there’s folks who aren’t Doctors but play the role on Facebook. I’ll use the following FB post as an example.

Me being me, fact checked this report. (Remember the source is a Fox Fear Network station). I found this on the MedRxiv site. (A non profit preprint server for Health Sciences, which is supported by Yale University.) 

Basically, the above medical report has yet to be reviewed for accuracy and validity by fellow researchers. For now, don’t get worked up about the correlation of blood types and Covid-19.

Use common sense. Wash your hands, maintain social distancing and be civil and polite to your fellow humans from six feet away.

What we don’t need is someone in power referring to this malady as the “Chinese Virus. There is never an appropriate time for needless finger pointing. After all the 1918-1919 Spanish flu didn’t originate in the Land of Paella. 

https://www.livescience.com/spanish-flu.html

BTW. There’s been a surge of hate crimes directed towards Asian Americans.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-warns-potential-surge-hate-crimes-asian-americans/story?id=69831920

My dear readers, words and posts matter. Be truthful, be curious, be a seeker of fact and information. Worse comes to worse, you will bore people in conservations like I do! 

Check out this quote from James Gordon Bennett Jr. (Publisher of the New York Herald).

Lastly, folks we are going to be dealing with this for a long time. It won’t be over until Big Deborah sings.

Hang in there!

Jeff

We are in a History Making Moment in which...

none of us want to be in. (Except the Toilet Paper Black Marketeers). 

I had a premonition the end was near. 

When I noticed the rapidly expanding list of States shutting down, I knew Colorado wasn’t far behind. On a warm gauzy sunny day, I headed to my favorite Happy Hour venue. Inside Carver’s Brewpub, less than a handful of customers relaxed at the bar. Normally, it’s close to a SRO crowd. I ordered an IPA and sat alone on the curbside patio. In the span of an hour and a half, the “Daily Specials” were erased from their outside blackboard. The words “Take Out Only!” replaced them. Fifteen minutes later, the blackboard was brought inside and the front door was locked. It was 6 pm. 

I entered the now closed pub in an open gap in the patio door. Inside the waitstaff were wiping down tables, vacuuming and putting things away. I noticed a few were crying. I paid for my beers with an above average tip. I said “I’m sorry!” to the always friendly bartender. I was Carver’s last paying customer when Colorado shut down.

I wasn’t happy about this.

Now we all feel like prisoners for a crime we didn’t commit. We’re allowed outside for good behavior activities such as buying groceries, medicines and other essential items like weed and alcohol. In Durango, a 29 mile trail system which begins three blocks from my home remains open. It’s a sanity salvation for me and others. 

On my way to Horse Gulch this morning, I saw two young BIGLY men advancing towards me on a narrow sidewalk. Upon noticing me they turned hard right into the street. They passed me in a social distancing acceptable way. I looked over and said, “it’s not everyday a guy my size can intimidate two guys your size!” 

Of course, they laughed. 

So here’s my point.  Being civil, polite and even making lame jokes is always in vogue. At times like these, it’s become more so. No one is happy about what’s going on. We are all on edge. Try to go the extra distance to be kind, generous (from six feet away), and show appreciation to all. The sooner we all get through this the better.

OK. I’ll get off my soapbox now. A sincere thank you for reading my blog. (Especially when I know how BUSY you all are!).

Hang in there!

Jeff

Seeking Sanctuary in Virulent...

Times.

Back in the day when I was a firefighter, my life at times could be stressful. 

A rough work shift might include:

Responding to a horrific accident where you really don’t want to see what happens when two speeding vehicles try to occupy the same space at the same time. 

OR...

The occasional house fire where one of the occupants doesn’t make it out in time.

OR...

The wrestling match with a belligerent drunk.

OR...

 The all-nighters where all the so-called emergency calls don’t add up to one emergency. 

So... after leaving the fire station I required a Happy Home.

My 1902 Old Town Fort Collins abode was the relief valve from the working mode craziness. I kept my house obsessively clean and clutter free. I had family photos,  posters and artwork which soothed me when I gazed upon them. There was an abundance of natural light. I lowered my blood pressure by puttering around in my flower and vegetable garden. Overall, the noise level was turned down low. 

It was my sanctuary from a chaotic world.

Now we are all faced with an unseen enemy. The apparent solutions to the Covid-19 health crisis are closures and cancellations. We are being told to “social distance” ourselves from each other. 

Ionically, social distancing comes naturally to me. One might say, I’ve been social distancing before it was cool. In any crowd setting, you’ll find me in the least occupied spots or on the periphery of the action. I’ve been known to turn a quick 180 degree in order to escape the masses. Being surrounded by people is not my position of comfort.

Here in Durango, I’ve discovered many social settings that lie within my comfort range. IE: volunteering at the Library or Durango’s Green Drinks. (A Happy Hour featuring people with a conservation minded passion.) Both have ceased operations for the time being.

So...like so many others I became proactive.  I  stocked up on food and non-perishable items. I purchased cases of IPAs. I checked out five books prior to the Library’s closure. My TV still works minus the March Madness Basketball. (That really hurts.) There will be heaps of hunkering down time.

This is why I’m heading back to sanctuary mode. I obsessively cleaned my townhouse. I organized what few items of clutter I had. The noise level is now set at a windless night in Death Valley National Park low. 

So far, so good. Now I breathe a sigh of contentment when I close my front door to the possibility of pandemic. I’m alone with my books, I Pad, IPAs and weeks worth of comfort food. I’ve done a lot of wondering too.

When I heard President “Stable Genius” (he’s neither) pronounce the tiny troublemaker to be a “Foreign Virus,” I had to Fact Check this. Wadya know it. He finally told the truth. If you look at the Covid 19 virus under an electron microscope, you’ll notice itty bitty flags intertwined within the strands of malicious DNA. Not one would be “Old Glory.” Once again illegal immigrants are creating havoc within our Nation. 

So...I have a proposal to assure America will never be caught with our Orange Comb Over down again. Let’s build a virus proof Wall! We will hire the best people to construct it. It will be beautiful. Best of all, we will make the virus pay for it! 

Finally enjoy this “Daily Show” You Tube. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2Hn39_P_PuZ8vjjbP5PZsQW_CV4gQMNDd_S3rf1-Uo7hfTYR69HVhKW20&feature=youtu.be&v=VcEnG7qxnLY

On a more serious note.

Stay safe, sane and most of all healthy.

If you need advice on social distancing, feel free to reach out to me. I’m a subject matter expert. Plus I now have plenty of time to answer.

Jeff

Lastly a dating line of 2020.

The Grim Reaper Strikes...

Again. 

Some of you might recall the passing of Joe Scanlan. His was a slow death of finally succumbing to stage 4 cancer. His friends, family and even Joe were aware of his impending death. Yet when the great inevitable happened, it hurt and shocked all who knew him.

Here’s my tribute to Joe: 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2019/06/parting-is-nothing-but.html

A few days ago, the Angel of Death struck again. The ultimate unwanted guest appeared with the suddenness of a terrorist attack.

On an icy highway in Alaska, Paul the Pilot and his lovely daughter Lea were killed in a two vehicle head on collision. Paul was 66. Lea was 25. 

Now his family and friends are left behind with more questions than answers. How can something like this befall two top tier people? 

I can’t begin to fathom the misery Kiki (his wife), his remaining children and siblings are now going through. I can only write about what I am now feeling.

Paul the Pilot and I were an Odd Couple of friends. 

Starting with looks. Paul was tall, light, handsome and dapper in dress. The complete opposite of me. 

Paul had a optimistic demeanor. (My other nickname for him was Paul the Polly Andy). I’m a Woody Allen pessimist/realist.

Paul was a gifted Renaissance man. He could sing, play the guitar, create kitchen cuisine, was extremely smart, fly airplanes and was versed in the art of home improvement projects. I hike, read, drink IPAs, watch sports, go to movies, write blogs and make green chili. That’s about it. 

Paul was a gregarious extrovert. He needed people like I require open, empty space devoid of humans. He’d veer toward a crowd, while I’d slink away. 

Paul moved to Durango years before I did. Paul lived a frenetic and busy life here. Occasionally, we’d meet for Happy Hour. 

Paul (like me) was a story teller. He spoke In a dramatic emphatic manner. He once related an account concerning his Grandfather. Paul’s story was triggered by a blog I penned about the Manzanar Japanese Interment Camp in the Owens Valley of California. 

For the background please read:

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2018/03/manzanar-revisited.html

Apparently Grandad lived in an agricultural region of CA. Many of Grandad’s neighbors were Japanese American farmers. Three months after Pearl Harbor, FDR issued Executive Order 9066, resulting in the forced relocation of approximately 112,000 people whose eyes and last names were a bit different than White Folks. Grandad’s neighbors were ordered to take what they could carry and leave the rest behind. 

Farmers own tractors, planters and plows. There’s lots of expensive specialized equipment. All this gear is necessary to sustain a farmer’s livelihood. 

A few Whites tried to take advantage of the Japanese by offering rock bottom prices for their well maintained equipment. That’s a low blow to citizens who were having their Constitutional Rights yanked out from under them. Boo Hiss!

Grandad approached his soon to be exiled neighbors. The dialogue has been lost in history, but it went along these lines.

“Folks! We are neighbors. One day you will be allowed to return to your farms. For now  bring your equipment onto my property. You may store it all here. I’ll watch over it and keep it safe. When the War ends, you will be back in business.”

And that’s what the Japanese American farmers did. 

Whenever Paul and I were in between conversations, I’d blurt out, “I love that story about your Grandfather! I wish I got the chance to meet him! The world needs more people like your Grandad!”

In the parlance of Yiddish, Paul’s Grandad was a mensch. From the “Joys of Yiddish.” 

“a "mensch" is "someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character.”

Grandad Mattson's genes were passed down to Paul. He too was a mensch.  Paul was a good guy. 

I’ll miss him. 

RIP Paul and Lea.

Lastly a blog I once wrote about backpacking with Paul.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/07/hiking-with-viking.html

Make the most of your days. No one knows what’s lurking around the corner.

Lepidopterists Collectors need not...

Apply. 

While I was in Snowbird mode in Snobsdale, AZ, I had one highlight there which didn’t involve IPAs. On a dreary, drizzly Christmas Eve Day, I visited the Butterfly Wonderland.

After paying my senior discount entry fee, volunteers ushered both young and old guests toward a Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) infomercial. There in a cozy theater, we were shown a film about the incredible and complicated life cycle of the iconic Monarch. The documentary offered up lots of knowledge and colorful pictures about those fluttering migrants and their addiction to the lowly milkweed plant. 

It’s really pretty simple. No milkweeds. No Monarchs. Who knew?

Why is that? Jeffy? 

I’ll tell you why, Grasshopper. Adult female Monarchs will only lay their eggs on milkweeds. Eventually the emerging Monarch caterpillars will feast upon the milkweed’s green grub. Monarchs require milkweeds for the species to survive. They are the ultimate picky eaters.

Unfortunately, both plant and the beautiful benign butterfly aren’t doing so well.

From the US Fish and Wildlife Service:

The loss of milkweed in agricultural fields is a major cause of decline in monarchs, though there are other factors contributing to the decline in milkweed availability. Herbicide application and increased mowing in roadside ditches and agricultural margins is eradicating milkweed habitat even more from rural areas.

The film’s finale suggested all is not lost! 

Does the sight of a Monarch in a drunken flight pattern bring a smile to your kisser?

If the answer is yes, then you can help save the Monarchs. 

Here’s how. Plant milkweed. In fact, I will provide seed packets to the first twenty righteous Monarch saviors. Since there’s no free lunch or seed packets, there’s a quiz. 

A) Will you follow the directions on the seed packet to optimize seed germination? This requires a refrigerator, one paper towel, water and a ziplock bag. Plus thirty days.

B) Will you find a sunny location to plant the milkweed wannabes?

C) Will you water the seed beds for two weeks after the plantings? 

D) Will you promise me you won’t net adult Monarchs and stick them on a pin?

(A NO answer would result in instant failure on this quiz.) 

Still interested after this rigorous test? 

Then email me your address and the seeds will be in the mail.

Jeffsambur@gmail.com

If you don’t want to deal with the middle-Jeffy, just go to the source.

https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/

I’m on a one, small old Jewish man mission to save those orange and black Monarchs. Won’t you help too? 

Thanks from me and the butterflies.

Note. All the pix are various butterflies I photographed at the exhibit. Three landed on me. That’s considered good luck. 

Bonus! Photographer extraordinaire Nelson C has granted me the privilege to use his Monarch video. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1t-cNOmqsk

Below is a praying mantis sending thoughts and prayers to her Monarch brothers and sisters.

100,000 Plus Page Views....

 and counting.

On July 4th, 2014, I launched the Wandering Wondering Jew blog. At that time, I was relatively new to the Homeless by Choice lifestyle. 

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2018/04/homeless-by-choice.html

I began blogging as an electronic way of journaling.  My early posts were basic, innocent, simple and oftentimes pretty lame! Every now and then, I displayed an eye-catching photo. In those rookie years of blogging, I was posting excessively. 

As I aged, I posted less often, but said more. 

I managed to live up to the Wandering part of the blog’s title. Maybe you followed along on my overseas trips: Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Spain, Greece, Portugal, France, Switzerland, UK, New Zealand and Australia.

If not maybe it was the stateside travels with Barley the Van. If so you noticed the highs.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2016/09/an-almost-perfect.html

The lows:

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-road-trip-like.html

And the capitulation of finally giving up the homeless by choice lifestyle:

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2019/08/in-america-if-you-dont-have-address.html

In between, you might have read about my chosen lifestyle. It wasn’t acceptable to many. When looked upon as an outlier, one becomes an outlier.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-stigma-of-single-man.html

I pride myself on penning an honest blog. If something stunk on ice, you heard about it. If something was double IPA outstanding, you read about that too. I tried to create a blog far removed from the daily Fake News so pervasive in today’s society. It might be Old School but I believe truth and facts matter. 

Now, I’m not wandering as much. I settled down in Durango, CO. It’s a good fit despite requiring warmer sanctuaries in the wintery time of the year. Retirement for me, has always been a work in progress. 

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2019/10/i-wasnt-born-in-small-town.html

As of Black Tuesday 2016, (AKA Election Day), I began publishing politically based posts. Let it be known, I detest writing them. I miss the Good Ol’ Days of existing in a relatively drama-free America. I yearn for a return of going about my business of being a retired senior citizen.  However, to acquiesce by gulping another IPA goes against my nature. I can’t ignore the daily assaults on the Constitution, our wild lands and wildlife and the dismantling of the Federal Government. I may be small, but I have big opinions. Maybe more Mericans need to throw out the Yellow BS Flags more often?

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2018/03/manzanar-revisited.html

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2020/02/adolf-hitler-was-most.html

Back to the milestone. 100,000 plus of anything is a lot. This turning point would’ve meant more to me if it were 100% legit. In other words, if all those humans on a Worldwide basis actually read what I wrote. However, that’s not the case. I guesstimate 12,000-15,000 of those page views were trolls, ‘bots or everyday wannabe hackers. I’m sort of clueless as to what those Russians, Ukrainians and  inhabitants from an “Unknown Region” are probing for. My blog hasn’t made me a Bud Light’s worth of $, has never been quoted and hasn’t drawn the attention of either Simon or Schuster. What are they trying to discover? 

Maybe they are looking for an answer to the Big Question? 

What is Life? 

From Wikipedia: 

Life was published for 53 years as a general-interest light entertainmentmagazine, heavy on illustrations, jokes, and social commentary. Life was the first all-photographic American news magazine, and it dominated the market for several decades.” 

There! Now you trolls, ‘bots and wannabe hackers can stop clicking on my blog site. You now have the answer to what you’ve been searching for.

Keep looking in. I’ll be more inspired to write when I return back to Durango, CO from Snobsdale, AZ. 

BTW. Barley the Van has been replaced by a 4x4 Toyota Tundra. Eventually, there will be a pop up camper plopped down upon it. Next year more desert camping in inspiring places,  less time in Snobsdale. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Cheers,

Jeff