Three days above 90 degrees, and I’ve succumbed. We live in an old house with good air circulation, designed to create cross-breezes. For most of the year we are fine as long as we open up the house at night, with fans, and close the shades during the day. This week that isn’t cutting it, and we have chosen comfort. The portable air conditioner set to 72 will probably keep things not too much warmer than 75, so who cares about the electric bill and I’ll salve my environmental conscience by minimizing my driving. It’s all trade-offs, and we do our best.
Sometimes even then we make things tougher than expected. Last year I planted dozens of milkweeds, because of course I want to help the monarchs survive. I did my research and chose varieties suitable to my zip code. So far no monarchs, but the small variety (butterfly weed or asclepias tuberosa, above) is beautiful and the large one (swampweed or asclepias incarnata, below) is covered with bees of all sorts. I’m happy with these additions to our garden.
Unfortunately, some of my carefully chosen plants are also covered with aphids. Ugly, slimy yellow aphids which are sucking the life out of the plants I hoped would nourish beautiful gold and black butterflies. Although I am willing to attack the aphids with soapy water, with a brush, and even with my hands, I can’t bring myself to take their picture. But this morning I cut and bagged the worst-affected stalks. From here on out I’m on prevention patrol.
Speaking of trade-offs, and although we say it every four years, this year is really, again, the most important presidential election of my life. I am wholeheartedly with Hillary Clinton. I’ve written some modest checks, and I am looking forward to providing housing for a member of her team. Still, I know that for many of my friends this is a trade-off. They would prefer someone more liberal or more conservative or bolder or more submissive or, for some, let’s face it – more male. Hillary’s brand of pragmatic progressivism resonates for me. I am stunned when I read about the decades of accusations, allegations, and attacks that have brought us to the point where mistrust of Hillary threatens to deliver the presidency to Donald Trump.
It has always amazed me that most people do not recognize elections as a choice from a limited menu of options. In a few weeks it will be official. I forgive anyone who is waiting for the Republicans to rescue themselves and somehow block Trump or for the FBI or the Justice Department or maybe some Deus ex machina to find Hillary guilt of some new crime. Absent that, however, this election is a choice between a smart a smart, competent, and experienced woman who is appealing to our best natures or Donald Trump. I get the appeal of Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, but neither is going to be our next president. I get the need for change. In a local race, why not make change your priority? But this is the presidency! The Supreme Court! The red button!
I’m with her….