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

When I heard Rush...

Limbaugh was about to receive the Medal of Freedom Award, I checked my calendar. Nope. April Fools Day was still months away.Then I Googled a few reliable news networks. (No, not Fox Fear Network). Sure enough, a sexist, racist, homophobic radio personality, who made a career of spouting bluster, bulls—t and bigotry was walking away with the gold. 

Here’s the story behind the medal.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded by the president of the United States "for especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors".

I’m not wandering these days as much as I’m wondering. So I Googled notable Rush Limbaugh quotations. Here’s a few choice gems: 

"If any race of people should not have guilt about slavery, it's Caucasians. The white race has probably had fewer slaves and for a briefer period of time than any other in the history of the world ... And yet white guilt is still one of the dominating factors in American politics. It's exploited, it's played upon, it is promoted, used, and it's unnecessary."

"Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society."

I'm a huge supporter of women. What I'm not is a supporter of liberalism. Feminism is what I oppose, and feminism has led women astray. I love women. I don't know where all this got started. I love the women's movement, especially when walking behind it." 

"When a gay person turns his back on you, it is anything but an insult; it's an invitation.“

On the Central American migrant caravan heading toward the U.S. in 2018: "The objective is to dilute and eventually eliminate or erase what is known as the distinct or unique American culture ... This is why people call this an invasion."

"The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."

"I’m not saying we should bring [slavery] back, I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.”

 "We need segregated buses."

Get the point? Now I know what you are thinking. What a great mentor for America’s young people! Well, not exactly.

To be on the impartial side, I did some comparison shopping of other Medal of Freedom Award winner quotes:

From Mother Teresa.

 Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

From the Reverend Martin Luther King:

 "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today“

From Neal Armstrong:

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

From Rosa Parks:

Each person must live their life as a model for others.

I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.

From Fred Rogers: 

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

What were these people thinking? Brotherhood of Man? Equal rights for all Americans? Showing kindness to strangers? The Human Race’s potential for performing incredible feats? Absolutely shocking!

Of course, I’m being facetious. All the above were truly worthy of such an honor. Except Rush.

But Wait! 

Then I thought about the name of the medal. In America we still have Freedom of Speech. One OxyContin popping radio personality has the right to make unsubstantiated and unethical claims about Gays, Blacks, Hispanics and Women. It’s right there in our Constitution’s First Amendment.  (All the while making bank while doing it. It’s estimated the Rusher’s net worth is over 500 million.) 

However, one does not have the right to walk into a crowded movie theater and scream, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” 

BUT! An American has the Second Amendment right to purchase a semi-automatic AR-15 and fire into that same theater. (Aurora, CO. July 20, 2012). 

The US has more than it’s share of hypocrisy and hypocrites. 

Final Rush Quote.

It’s nice to know the God/Goddess of Karma is still lurking out there. Cough! Cough! 

Final Photo: I too, was once bestowed a Gold Medal. I received a prestigious IPPY Award for Self Publishing “Destroying Demons on the Diagonal.” 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006VXRMUG?keywords=Jeff%20Sambur&qid=1447125667&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1b

Without a hint of irony, I feel I earned this Medal more than Mr. Limbaugh earned his.