A Rainy Start For July

July 1, 2015

Good morning.  Goodness, it is already July!  Most cities and towns across the country are getting ready for their July 4th parades and fireworks displays.  Many folks buy their own fireworks, and have their own private celebrations in their yards.  Please don't do this, as it is very dangerous, and most likely illegal.  Also, you want to be considerate of any war veterans living nearby.  These fireworks could be quite devastating to them.  Pease be considerate.  And safe.  Here's the July page from my calendar.

Well, I don't have to turn on the Weather Channel to see what the weather will be like today.  It's been soggy and gray all morning.  The rain isn't too heavy though, just steady.  It doesn't scare off all the little birds from their feeder.  These little birds are hungry. 

We've been inundated with a whole flock of black birds lately, and they eat all the food that we put out for the other birds.  I don't mind them eating too, but it would be nice if they would share.  It only takes this flock a few minutes to gobble up a whole day's supply of food for all the other little birds.  I won't miss them when they move on to greener pastures.

The squirrels are rather piggy too.  They sit at their feeder until every morsel has been devoured.  At this rate, I'll need to start my own peanut farm.  haha.   I have corn for them as soon as Joe finishes lacquering the other squirrel feeder.   Then we'll go looking for a good place to hang it. 

Today I have photos of a couple of the weird looking mushrooms that grow in my yard beneath the pine trees.  There are quite a few different looking ones, in many colors and shapes.   These two are huge, at least seven inches across the top.

In our local newspaper, there is a column titled "Your Opinion".   Yesterday's opinion was about Hillary Clinton's "good ideas" for voter equality.  This person said that "No, we don't more people voting.  We need more informed, involved and engaged people voting."

His idea is to "stick a short, multiple-choice civics quiz at the top of every ballot.  Let everybody vote, but only count the ballots from the ones who get more questions right than wrong."   YEAH!!!  I think this is a fabulous idea. 

At one of the more recent November elections, I took my ballot and went into a cubby to vote.  However, it was very uncomfortable because there was a party going on in the booth next to me.  There were four or five people squeezed into the booth, all talking and laughing.  When I made a comment about this on my way out, I was informed that one of the many new voting changes was to let some folks take help into the booth with them so that they would understand who and what they were voting for.  I'm sorry.  If you don't know what you are voting for, or what the issues are, stay out of the voting booth.

I also think you should be able to read English and write your own name when you register.  Imagine how many X's were registered to vote.  Was each of them a registerd resident of that city or town?  Were they legal?  And how about all these early voters and the absentee ballots?  Are any of these ever checked for legitimacy?  I don't believe they are. 

I know for a fact that in my town, there is a person who has registered as living at my house - AND THEY DO NOT!!! - and the town lets him vote with an absentee ballot.  I brought this to the clerk's attention, and was told that the only way changes could be made would be if the person involved notified the town of an address change.  I'd like to know what address the town sends this person's absentee ballot to.  Definitely not mine!  Hmmmm.

So tell me, where's the incentive for legal honest citizens to get out and vote?   I've always felt that it is a privilege to be able to vote, but now it is so corrupt that it is difficult sometimes to keep feeling this way.   Whatever happened to being able to vote for the best person for the job?  Now we get to vote for whichever person has the most money and is able to coral the most people to vote for him/her. 

Oh dear, I need to get off this wicked tangent.  I have a lot to say about it, but I'll save it for another day.  Instead, I'm going to watch the shopping channel (HSN).  They have an "all day" craft special, and some of the products are quite interesting.  No, I'm not buying anything, but I do love all the different ideas that they present.

On that note, I'll take my leave.  So till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.