Birds, Tailings, and Theater of the Absurd

Today was spectacular.  The skies looked freshly washed, which is weird since it hasn't rained and there has been all kinds of blowing dust, but we'll take it.  We went for a lovely restorative walk in the desert.  We didn't leave until 11:00 because it wasn't hot.  How cool is that.  This time last year it was in triple digits.

I think this is a Hooded Oriole.  He's a pretty bird.  This morning he was on the flower spike that's in our neighbor's yard.

Monday Jim had to see the dermatologist.  He's south of here in Sahuarita.  Since it's a freeway drive it's faster to go a little farther than go to the office in town. Every time we make this drive, it's always mind boggling how far the mine tailings stretch.  The mines are no longer producing copper, but the tailings will be with us forever.  Huge real estate developments have gone up between the freeway and the tailings.

The land is never recovered.  Rosemont, a foreign company, recently got approval to open a new mine, and dump the tailings on national forest land.  I can't stand it.  Anyway, Jim got zapped with the liquid nitrogen (a lot) with predictable results.  This is one mine as seen from space.

This belongs to different neighbors.  They are taking off in the morning for points north.  I just love their rig.  They have a tractor, with a smart car on the back, and they are towing a giant honking 5th wheel.  Last year the did a summer of state parks, and he was able to get into all except one.  It's pretty impressive.

This is a photo of their trichocereus, which just put out another batch of flowers.

So, by now we all know that the president stage managed his infrastructure meeting with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, in a room with the drapes drawn, in which he stood for three minutes and said that Speaker Pelosi had said some bad things about him and that he could no longer work with the democrats until they stop investigating him, whereupon he rushed out to give a press conference in the Rose Garden and said that Democrats can either investigate or legislate, but they can't do both.

What was interesting was that the podium was already out there and ready for him to speak. 

Also interesting is that he had time to write up notes to speak from in between his departure from the meeting and his immediate arrival in the Rose Garden.

Today he held another press conference and demanded that other people in that meeting tell the press how calm and collected he had been for his three minutes.  Then he went off on a tangent about Japan and said the following:

 "It’s a very big thing going on with the emperor," Trump said. "It’s something that hasn’t happened in over 200 years. I am the guest, meaning the United States is the guest, but Prime Minister Abe said to me very specifically, 'You are the guest of honor. There’s only one guest of honor. You are the guest of honor.'"

"With all the countries of the world I am the guest of honor at the biggest event that they’ve had in over 200 years," Trump said. "So it’s a great thing. And we get along very well with Japan. I get along very well with the prime minister so we’re going to be spending two days over there."

He's unhinged.  An emperor has not abdicated in 200 years.  The previous emperor abdicated earlier this month, and the president was not there.  He's going to meet the new emperor and play golf with the prime minister.  They're also going to watch sumo wrestling.