Welp…that was simply refreshing. I checked radar and saw a good chance of rain arriving in a couple of hours. I headed out in the heat and humidity to do my weed eating and about 90 minutes later…finish up. Soaking wet with my own sweat, I head into the house, shuck off my hat and boots, get a cold drink, and sit out on the porch. 5 minutes later the skies open up. The thunder is booming, house-shaking, overlapping, and coming from about three compass points. The lightening is a sight to behold and the rain is falling in sheets. There’s plenty of wind to bend the trees, but not bad enough to take out limbs. The temp drops about 15 degrees in 30 minutes and the air is fresh and clean once again. An hour later, an inch of rain has fallen and all is right with the world. The Lord’s hand is never more visible than in a good old summertime thunderstorm.
It
has been an unusual spring in my part of Kentucky; but it seems every year now
is unusual in some form or fashion.
Weather patterns are certainly changing and each year is unique in its
own way. For those folks whose
livelihood depends on weather patterns (i.e.
farmers), the arbitrary changes in our environment are just more
complications in an already daunting challenge to make a business successful.
Like
many parts of our nation, we were hit by periods of excessive rainfall this
spring and it was smack in the middle of planting season. It delayed things pretty dramatically, but
the rains were followed by some moderate weather that allowed most folks to catch
up before final planting dates arrived.
The crops are now exhibiting an uneven appearance of good stands to poor
stands and everything in between…oftentimes in the same field. With the abundant moisture this spring,
pasture has been well above average and hay yields were good…if you managed to
dodge the raindrops and get it in dry.
Cattle prices continue to hold at high levels and high dollar calves are
helping managers gain back from some of the low-market losses they’ve dealt
with over the last few years.
We
have picked sweet corn and put it up and are in the midst of picking
blackberries. The corn was good, but
showed an uneven stand with moderately-filled ears. The blackberries this year are maturing at
vastly different times and it makes for hard picking to get short yields. For some reason, the wildlife have hit the
berries hard this year and when they ripen, you best be onto them quickly. Tomatoes are as good as always this time of
year, but they are late and the yield and size are nothing to brag about. Our buckeye tree had more nuts than usual
early on, but something has been stealing them away as they near maturity; not
sure what’s going on there…it has never happened before.
It
feels like we have had a hotter-than-normal late spring and early summer, but
that might just be me complaining. The
rains have been regular, though very sporadic and so far this year we have
avoided any damaging weather with wind or hail.
Even on the days where the temps climb into the mid-90s, there is
usually time in evening after the sun sinks down where there is a little breeze
and there’s good time to sit on the porch.
I remain as convinced as ever that climate change is a very real thing,
but I remain unconvinced that man is the primary driver in that change.
I
had intended to focus this piece on music as I have occasionally done in the
past; it is always a good idea to step away briefly from the politics that
surround our every waking minute.
However, the news has been so eventful that I am going to go ahead with
some good links and delay my music picks to the near future. So…read up on current events and let’s all
head into summertime with a positive attitude, good intentions, and a grateful
heart.
The
so-called rescissions bill that was passed by Congress this week and signed by
the President is very modest in financial impact but very significant in fiscal
principle. It represents a miniscule
reduction in our bloated federal spending, but it also represents a new-found
willingness by our government to begin…modestly…the process of bringing our
federal budget under control. We can
only hope there will be greater future ambitions exhibited in this area. It has to start somewhere.
https://reason.com/2025/07/18/the-ceo-of-npr-made-the-best-case-for-defunding-it/
https://amgreatness.com/2025/07/19/pbs-and-npr-to-america-were-here-for-you-dummies/
While
the Trump Administration’s approach to downsizing/rightsizing our government
might not always be coherent, it is nonetheless courageous simply on the basis
of effort. Up until Donald Trump Part
II, we have only heard cheap and insincere talk about shrinking the size of
government and its bloated spending habits.
Now…things are actually happening and it is about time. It will be messy and there will be winners
and losers in the process…but the time has come and the medicine must be
taken. Our fiscal insanity illness was
approaching the critical stage and the cure must be initiated.
https://americanmind.org/features/donald-trump-hombre/trumps-courageous-war-against-the-bureaucracy/
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/07/state-dept-layoffs.php
I am all-in on reducing government,
but there are existing methods that can accomplish this goal (addressed previously
in post below) while taking into account fair treatment of career federal
employees. This issue took decades to
build and it will not be solved overnight.
Put away the meat cleavers and take out the scalpels. Slow
and steady fiscal discipline is the remedy. I would hope
to see the Trump Administration deal thoughtfully with dedicated federal employees
who happen to be caught in bad circumstances… https://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2025/02/what-you-do-and-how-you-do-it.html
The
more I read about the New York City mayoral race and its progressive radical
Democrat candidate, the more I am intrigued by the polarization in our
nation. If Trump’s efforts to downsize
our federal government and send power and authorities back to the states
continue (as I hope they do…I heartily endorse federalism), it will inevitably
result in more powerful state governors and governments. That will be great if you have good state
government. But if you live in New York,
California, Wisconsin, or Illinois…perhaps that will be not-so-great. Voters will get the government they deserve
and some hard choices are coming for many folks across our great nation.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/07/16/californias-state-of-decay/
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/07/californias-high-speed-boondoggle/
The
battle for the heart and soul of our children’s education is continuing and
demands the attention of all responsible citizens. Our kids are the future of this country.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/07/13/ending-the-school-grift/
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-american-education-system-is-letting-our-students-down/
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/07/affirmative-action-medical-school-ed.php
https://jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone0718125.php
America’s
leadership role in the free world is being reestablished. Donald Trump deserves tremendous credit for
this movement and we can only hope that the momentum is sustained.
https://americanmind.org/salvo/american-statesmanship-for-the-golden-age/
https://americanmind.org/salvo/why-the-establishment-fears-elbridge-colby/
Over
the last six months, we have experienced a change in our nation’s leadership
that is refreshing, reinvigorating, and faith-restorative. While at times indelicate, Donald Trump is
bringing common sense and reason back to our Executive Branch which has been
lost in the wilderness for several years.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/07/17/the-world-woke-up/
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