Congaree Swamp
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Monterey Bound
Today, we are flying to Monterey. Our mission is to watch the house there, while Chris enjoys a much-needed vacation, but why he would not spring for an alarm, is a mystery to me. Still, we will make the best of it and enjoy our wonderful accommodations while we can. My hope that when we got the house under contract that the heavens would part and we would have smooth sailing until closing have already been dashed. It looks like it will be a slough until the end.
As counterpoint, I am reminded of the scene in the movie Under a Tuscan Sun, where Diane Lane is sitting with an Italian official, closing on her villa. She is handed the keys and she asks, “Just like that?” The official replies, “It’s a house, not a Vespa. What are you going to do, steal it?” Things are not so simple here.
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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House For Sale Under Contract
🎉We have a buyer! 💥🎈Finally!!🤪They are neighbors, a couple that lives down the road. After a few back-and-forth’s, we agreed on a price. They want to sell their current home first, so closing time is still up in the air, but is not going to be rushed. It is tentatively scheduled for May, but that could change. With our house under contract my focus now shifts to the remaining personal property. It all has to go, one-way or the other. Tomorrow, Anne and I fly to Monterey. We have a meeting with an art broker, plus the buyers and the realtor’s esthetic’s coordinator have also expressed interest. Let the scrum for scraps begin! Maybe I could interest JD Vance in our Le Corbusier sofa (pictured above)? No, it’s probably not hillbilly enough for him. 😉
Old Growth Elwha Stump
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A Trifecta of Lunar Holidays
Today, we are on the cusp of a trifecta of lunar holidays. Through the vagaries of lunar calendars superimposed upon our regular Julean one, today we celebrate three different holidays. The Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Mardi Gras, the gateway to Lent and eventually Easter all begin today. While all three holidays occur annually, having them all start simultaneously is a rare trifecta.
The pictured 39¢ US postage was first issued in 2006, a year of the dog. This year, 2026, is the year of the horse and is celebrated throughout the world as the beginning of a new year. Today, begins a major celebration marked by family reunions, cleaning to sweep away bad luck, decorating with red, and setting off fireworks to deter evil spirits. While still valid postage, one of these stamps is no longer enough to mail a letter. These stamps were first collected by my father, who was a lifelong philatelist.
In the photograph of the Ka’ba (cube), we see some of the multitude of nearly three million Muslims that come to Mecca every year to pray around it. Circling it in a dense crowd, sweeping by in an almost impossible, undulating wave, they recite their invocations to Allah, their voices become as one as they speak the supreme supplication, “Here I am, O God, at Thy command. Here I am!” It is an overwhelming reminder of the unifying principles of the Hajj. While the Hajj is not Ramadan per se, Ramadan does serve as preparation for it.
Saint Louis as its name implies is a very Catholic town. Consequently, we boast the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in this country, second only to New Orleans. Fat Tuesday is followed by Ash Wednesday, Lent and eventually Easter. I was raised Catholic and I remember being asked to give something up for Lent. This is a bleak time of year. One that easily lends itself to self-sacrifice, but for today, let us celebrate. We can always repent tomorrow.