manlypoodlekip

Have just finished mopping our floors after walking my manly poodle Kip to Eagle Rock Park. Kip is just over 14 so we don’t walk too fast since I also am quite some time away from 14. We have little conversation since he enjoys sniffing and peeing all along the way and is almost deaf. Now this brings me to the gopher. Our camping group was camping at a state beach camp ground and for some strange reason I was awake before the others. I was just staring at the ground when a gopher stuck his/her head out of it burrow and started pushing up dirt. This very act made me think of the political ads this year so I started a conversation with the creature.

The gopher did not find me a threat and for several minutes we had an one sided talk. I just asked how was the dirt and how the gopher was faring. It did not answer. I think perhaps it wanted to talk about the Mars rover, Curiosity. Maybe it longed to dig in the red Martin soil. Would it have answered if I had spoken of the Russian Rock Group or the adventures of Prince Harry. Could the unseen girl be one of the members of the group that fled Russia? Alas as has happen often in my life I think of wonderful, witty, and engaging quips some time down the road from the event.

I also wanted to take this moment to wish all those who are working and back to school or getting ready to go back to school a wonderful year. I am trying to remember back to the time when I needed a watch or was waiting for my favorite day of the week, Thursday. Now every day is Thursday. Retirement has been good for me. Now it is you time. Remember enjoy each day and pet cute little kitties and puppies but not ten foot Burmese Pythons.

Have just returned from Colorado Springs to find Los Angeles hot. Some kind of high pressure area that won’t leave. Is it global warming or is it related to finding a whole new species of cave spider? This spider is the size of a half dollar. When was the last time you saw a half dollar? Maybe they are just baby cave spiders that grow up to be like the ones in Harry Potter. If we are attacked by giant flies maybe the spiders will save us. There was some other really positive news. A species of fresh water snail thought to be extinct has reappeared. Wouldn’t it be great if they found a Dodo bird in the marshes near Eagle Rock? Just when all the news seems overwhelmingly bad there are rays of hope and renewal.

What an election year! Colorado is a swing state a large portion of the ads were political. Needless to say the candidates were not making nice. But on the bright side the TV stations are making a lot of money. Perhaps out of all the negativism there will be some jobs created or saved. And this is just August. They will really be flinging the fecal matter as we get closer to the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. In the books I have read about the history of politics in American I find that being in the political arena has always been like bare fist boxing with eye gouging allowed. But this year there is so much more money and access to all sorts of media venues. When Mr Rustchman ran there were only stone newspapers.

It seems that there is a new aspect to the Syrian conflict. The Kurds have taken over a few towns. This makes a number of the area players upset. The Kurds are the largest nation in the world not to have a state. Since there are a sizable number of Kurds in Turkey, Iraq and even in Iran even the thought of a greater Kurdistan brings a fear of chaos in the region, This makes our little political squabbles seem petty. Now many of you are waiting to see which candidate I will endorse so that you can pick the opposite. You can look for my announcement not on MSNBC nor Fox but Entertainment Tonight and if not there on manlypoodlekip. Be calmed for the election will pass and politicians will start preparing for the next one as soon as this one is over. And remember no president can do much of what they promise in the campaign. As far me, am waiting for the filming and  release of Catching Fire. Stay as cool as you can and have a great late summer.

Am excited and hopeful for the success of the Mars rover project. Maybe they will find some trace of Mr, Rutschman’s early life as a vagabond on the red planet. Perhaps even an early Dr Pepper bottle cap. If not that the some sign of life or perhaps a little stream of water. I will be watching tonight. Have finally been watching the series Battle Star Galactica on Netflix. Am thinking of a series about teachers in a faculty meeting suddenly being placed in space hunting for that illusive perfect school. Of course there would have to be all kinds of conflict and disappointment as they search using the standards  as their guide for the utopian institution. I am going to have to tweak that idea a bit before it hits the silver screen. As  for Beasts of the Southern Wild, thought it was a great movie but want to deny the rumors that it was filmed in my home town. We didn’t have that much water.

That brings me to the Virgin River Narrows which are located in Zion National Park. I believe it was a Sunday that some members of our group decided to hike a few miles up the Virgin River. Many years ago this would have been a lark, a walk in the park but now it became an epic like the movie The River. At least I think that was the title. An aging body makes the once simple act of crossing the river with an endless number of uneven rocks a great life defining feat. It was beautiful and I  just wanted to get home alive so I could write about the scenery. There were two young men, four women. including my wife . Maybe we could turn that into a mini series. I’m sure many of you had great adventures this summer. Speaking of that for LA teachers and students the excitement and anticipation of the new school year must be overwhelming. No longer do they have to wait  until September. That is another good reason to be retired.

When I was younger one of the most dreaded events was the first back to school ads. It was like the Titanic hitting an iceberg. It was a wake up call that was so unwelcome. I think I sort of wanted an endless summer though I did not really mind school when it started. Perhaps I really miss Monday mornings, faculty meetings, ISIS and getting letters from the Selective Service. But maybe not. Still I felt a chill when I saw the first ad sort of like pain in a phantom limb. One last thing to brighten your lives, there is a termite in French Guiana that can as it ages and is attach, explode and secrete a liquid that is toxic to the attacker.