Saturday.

Welcome to the last weekend of September.  The year is going by so fast but the weather is beautiful--temperatures in the 70s and low 80s with plenty of sun.  I cut back the bee balm yesterday and filled the bird feeder.  Also watered the inside plants which all seem to be adjusting to life indoors--so far.

Just harvested the last of the spearmint and emptied the pot.  Half is in the dehydrator and the rest is in vodka on the shelf.  I debated on the last but decided to go ahead with the extract.  Although I don't consider what little we put in the compost bin, I would rather use it for flavoring our tea.

I have friends who live in Colorado and who are following this story more carefully than I am at my geographical distance.  One part of this story I find all too typical: the board member who, when asked, couldn't specify any part of the history curriculum she objected to.  I also noted that, like a similar movement in Florida a couple of years ago, the aim of these so-called reformers seems to be to define criticism of American politics and society as unpatriotic.  These "conservatives" want an obedient and respectful drones not thinking citizens.  I love the students' response to the board's charge that they are pawns of the teachers' union.

I am sure you all have seen the stories about the airport disruptions in the Chicago area caused by a man who sabotaged the Aurora control facility and then botched his suicide.  I am amazed (but not surprised) by the comments by a woman who lives in the same area as the saboteur.  She was surprised that someone that disturbed (suicidal does qualify as disturbed) would live in her neighborhood.  No neighborhood is immune from housing possibly disturbed people and not all those who are unstable have a brand on their foreheads informing everyone of the danger they pose.  But I see the same reaction to any revelation that a rapist, murderer, violent robber, etc. might live in any given neighborhood.  I rather doubt that she knows her neighbors any better that I do--and I barely know mine by sight.

Isn't it amazing how a strain of unapproved experimental genetically modified wheat developed by Monsanto has been popping up in fields eleven years after trials on it were discontinued.  Once these genies get out of their bottles we can't put them back no matter what the "experts" tell us.  I notice that the USDA has closed the investigation of the Oregon appearance of the same strain even though they never found where it came from.  That incident cost a good bit of business because the Japanese cancelled contracts the farmers had depended on.  The Japanese don't accept genetically modified crops.