3 am in These titles mean nothing.

I am a night person. Not always, but often enough. I’m awake. I was in bed with my books, browsing, but not I’m in the kitchen. I just sliced a sweet potato and a regular potato into my left over pan of brown rice, lentils, split peas and canned tomato stew. I’ve become something of a vegan in the last few months. I caught it from a youtube guy named Jim Journey. I’ve always wanted to try veganity but thought it immoral for a person who is connected with animal agriculture and who has to provide meaty food for my son but I had a moment like Paul on the road to Damascus and decided what the hell. Let’s give it a try. I’m not strictly vegan = I eat some ice cream and even god forgive me chip dip, and a restaurant sandwich - I’ve had two very good ones in the last few days - but generally I’m doing a lot of legumes and rice, etc., and I feel pretty good about it. So there.

Saturday Jim and I went joined a protest gathering at Iowa’s only national park / monument at Effigy Mounds. At least that was what I was told in grade school. Maybe we have more now. I know Loess Hills are something or another but I’m too lazy to look it up. Effigy Mounds is a long the river and it has some challenging hiking trails. It’s a relic of native American civilization from a thousand years ago. Saturday it had a nice crowd of protestors - with dogs and signs. I made a sign on the back of one of my old beer signs and I suggested we take the Ice Cream Truck because it had worked for the government for its first ten years. It had been a Forest Service truck in Arizona or New Mexico. It still has a faint impression from the emblem on its door.

Effigy Mounds has lost a ranger to the economy efforts of the new administration. There was a good crowd there including a lot of dogs - a golden retriever named Stella who’s been to 75 National Parks, a Labradoodle service dog who couldn’t be triffled with, and retired puppy breeding miniature dashhound… and others.  I had some nice conversations.   My sign said 'Parks Are Important' and I decorated it with pine trees which I can draw quite well.   

Later we went to the book store in McGregor and found out the guy is thinking of selling out.  He's getting up there and he's had a what seems like a good and legitimate offer.   We've had good conversations with him over the years and I've carted home a lot of books as well.   I'm glad we stopped there - it had been a long time and it would have been sad to have him gone without a chance to say goodbye. 

Then we ate lunch at the lovely restaurant in the beautiful old brick building with the tall curved windows that was a steam boat office in the 1800s.   It's 'new' management is doing well and the food was very good.   Our waitress, the owner, was chatty and she brought us each a cookie for dessert.   

And yesterday we met John, Deb and Katie in Rochester for our winter meeting, lunch etc.    The kids are getting to be too busy to both be available at the same time.   We met in Barnes & Noble.   I was willing to buy a NEW BOOK.   *Netherland* by Joseph O'Neill is about New York City after 9-11 and cricket.   I decided I wanted it after reading a really great short story of his in my third New Yorker.   B&N didn't have it.   Later we tramped through a big antique market and I found a picture book of Charles Lindbergh's Minnesota childhood.   It fits well with my collection of Lindberghiana.   

Thank you for your kind and smart notes.   You are kind and smart people and I"m glad I know you.