Attribute to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Picking up from the previous article in this thread.

Between two hurricanes and more grumbles from Wisconsin accompanied by some really ominous news bits concerning the early onset of winter weather father out west I just might have had a pretty decent series of Norseman’s articles in the not too distant future—although it might be nicer if that prediction fails. In many ways no news is good news and if anyone doubt me—they probably haven’t looked at it lately. The best thing I could come up with for the week was in the checkout line this evening when I picked up the National Enquirer and read that the Queen had changed her mind and was passing over Prince Charles in favor of handing the crown to her eldest grandson. And I seriously doubt it is true because England nor the World could be that lucky!

At least things are pretty peachy in Greater Appalachia. Maybe no more 90 degree days but since the last hurricane passed through it must have dragged some serious tropical air along in its wake : as staring tomorrow there is a whole string of 80 degree ones for the week ahead—at least until they decide to dial it back again like they’ve been doing all last week. Maybe there is something to the “Yankee Winter lover” thing that Ray is always harping about.

Well it’s been a few weeks since I put this aside and as of this weekend the weather roller coaster ride continues. We had weather earlier this week that was chilly enough to motivate me to fire up Old Smoky for a couple nights to keep the house comfortably warm. And then it flipped right back to summer again. Was a great week to be on vacation too and regretfully I found myself not utilizing the time to the fullest potential that I should have and late in the week I realized it was almost gone. But I still have to look at it as a matter of a glass maybe not half full but a significant amount left in it. Still two day left to maybe get something else done. And I did get some things done that were much in need of doing.

Like last Sunday at the beginning when I finally tackled the hot mess of rank weed growth behind the greenhouse and around the furnace. Knee high Japanese Stilt Grass and growths of the native Impatiens species—aka Jewel Weed up to 6 feet high. And got stung when I brushed against a saddleback caterpillar—a notorious but beautiful in a bizarre way. I ended up returning it to its host tree—one of the Dwarf Chinquapin oaks planted on the back berm.

And the beat goes on.

Believe it or not I’m still feeding turts outside. Probably later than I ever have in previous years as October is usually when they start to shut down and empty out for hibernation. The hottest year evah? Maybe more like blowing hot and cold as I still remember those chilly nights just a week ago in time and a few cold spells before that.

And it has remained on the dry side. We never got the hoped for rain in amounts and duration sufficient to restore the spring flow or top off the pond and the water level is going down. It’s beginning to look like photos from the drought in the summer of 88 with a few inches of pond liner showing in places. And it looks unlikely I’ll be running the waterfalls anytime soon—unless we get lucky with the pending rain event that begins tomorrow.

I just take it in stride like the time that might have been better spent. And even that was not all for nought. I needed to just relax and enjoy what I’ve already accomplished in the pause before continuing on in pursuit of—whatever I’m in pursuit of. Maybe I’ll never get there and sometimes I wonder if anyone ever does. Then—if they do; what then?

Which brings me to something of a few epiphanies concerning events outside the idyllic personal paradise I’m in the process of building. The usual saber rattling of the guy in North Korea who just can’t seem to be content—now that he’s a member of the nuclear club—to keep it in his pants. And then you have Venezuela that has gone from among the first in Latin America to the worst—what can I say? They lasted the summer in regard to an earlier prediction but hopefully not much longer—so at least the people be spared the duration of insanity suffered by those in North Korea, Cuba and the Soviet Bloc for many decades. And maybe have another shot at Liberty in our time.

And then you have what just happened in Las Vegas. What can I say about that. Not too much really. Especially if I want to make the deadline for the next edition.

But I’m thinking I might have the solution to the woes just mentioned and maybe the Human Condition in general. What these people who are causing the world so much pain and misery and even mass death need are a hobby like I have to channel their energy in a positive manner and get personal satisfaction from that rather than seeking power or status or dominion over others. It was noteworthy that the Vegas shooter was from a rather affluent background. So were Osama Bin Laden and the Unabomber. Idle hands do often do the work of the devil. And I never forgot something I read two decades ago in the Unabomb Manifesto about people channeling their otherwise potentially destructive energies into “harmless hobbies”. Of course there seems to be no shortage of people who consider what I do with exotic flora and fauna anything but harmless.

This is going to require an article of its own to explain how the willingness to let go, do your own thing and live and let live might just be the one thing to save the world.

And take us to the stars!