A road worth taking.

Sometimes when I write about my adventures, I think that people may think that I am saying, that I am in fact an adventurer. That I’m brave. I am not brave and I don’t think I have ever referred to myself, as an adventurer. If I was in that car high up on that road, I would be very nervous. The difference in me and some others, is that I still would have probably taken the road. Both to prove to myself that I could, and so that I would have had a great story to tell later. I have in fact, been on a road that was this scary before. The photo came from Beautiful Nature and Animals on Google Plus.

This spectacular double sunstar was made in a desert in India, and someone who goes by the moniker, RisBo takes credit for the picture.

I love pictures that have edge to edge animals. The Zebra or Wildebeest migration in Africa are great examples of applicable subjects. Around most of the world, flocks of birds are the likely subject. I am not sure of the name of the birds in the first image (something in the Parrot family), but the second picture is filled with Red-billed Queleas.

The first image was made by Afee Painter, and the second by a mystery photographer. Actually finding the photographer and a web page that belong to the images on Google Plus, is a nightmare.

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Self-analyzing .

This is that portion of many Earth Images posts, where I attempt to try to figure out, why I am who I am, and do so in front of a small, but loyal audience.

I have always been interested in many different things, and because of that, I can usually manage a conversation on a variety of subjects. The only subject I really struggle with is “small talk”.  Anybody who has been forced to spend time with me knows, that I can be quiet for long stretches of time. I struggle to find my inner conversation on subjects for which I am ignorant. I mean, I can talk about the weather (something really important to a nature photographer), but when it comes to your Uncle Waldo’s (internal) gas, well I’m fresh out of words. I might have something to add to a conversation about the lifestyle of Fire Ants, but precious little about your niece’s new baby. The truth is, when it comes to a wandering conversation about the day-to-day grind of life, I am usually absent without leave. If you want someone to speak to about the world’s religions, or the validity of psychiatry, or whether or not that friendly salesperson really cares about your daughter’s birthday party or just wants to sell you more than you came in for, well I’m your guy. In general, I don’t really have any more or less to say than a “normal” person, I just like to know what I’m talking about. I have always gotten in enough trouble, when I am well-educated on the subject to which I speak. I would rather not cause consternation with my words, by speaking on subjects to which I cannot back up my thoughts.

The previous segment is dedicated to anyone who is reading this blog that has actually been forced to spend personal time with me.

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The thoughts below fall into the “my observations” category.

I am a political and social conservative…….sort of.  Anybody who has read this blog for a while knows that. I am not a member of either political party. I have too much self-respect for that, but I have been watching the Donald Trump phenomenon with interest.

I am no fan of Donald Trump. In 2012 and again this year I cringed when I heard he was once again going to inflict us with his own brand of nonsense during the presidential primaries.

I have found it interesting that he currently leads one poll among Republicans, especially after the inflammatory statements he has made. Now understand, I would not be surprised to find him leading poles among the fringe right, anymore than if I would find support on the fringe left for say, an admitted socialist, or a not admitted socialist/communist/liar. Oh wait, that is happening too. So I’m not surprised that the crazy right likes him, and I am not surprised that the liberal press loves to show us those numbers in an effort to discredit the entire conservative movement, but there is more going on here. Not only do some poles show that a small segment of mainstream conservatives like him, but a fair amount of independents who traditionally vote Democrat also like him. Why!

Donald Trump lives outside the world of politics. He owes nobody and says what he feels and believes. While many of us may find the way he throws those statements around, and what we have decided that the tone of those statements are, to be distasteful, many are finding it refreshing to listen to someone who is not parsing every word in an effort to remain politically correct to voters and please financial backers. He doesn’t give a damn what Democrats, Republicans or the “speech police” think. He doesn’t care how many of the speech police take away TV programs, he might just buy a network or start his own.

I also think that some “normal” Americans who generally vote for members of either/both parties, are finding a “grain of truth” at the core of his often inflammatory statements. The rock that those statements stand on, is made of true issues. I think for every TV show that gets canceled, he builds more support. I think many Americans are tired of politicians who merely tell us what we want to hear. For years I have been saying and writing that we get exactly what we deserve in government. We insist that they lie. We will not elect them, if they choose to tell us the hard truth instead of what we want to hear.

Candidates that seem like “loose canons” such as Donald Trump, come along every once in a while. They disrupt things and then (usually) go away. I expect that to happen again, and it will happen quickly if he allows the press to render him weak by making him feel he has to “tell them (us) what they want to hear” or be convicted of political incorrectness.  As long as he continues to say what he believes, regardless of how it angers some, and does so without fear of the politically correct police, he keeps this odyssey alive.

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Some of you may ask, where is all of that “religious stuff” you have been writing about?  Well, it’s not necessarily religious stuff, but I only write it when I feel moved to do so. I stand by what I have said on that subject as it is the very core of who I am, and when I feel that I can be of use by saying more, I certainly will.

Faith will be tested, and great faith will be tested greatly

God Bless,                                                                                                                                           Wayne