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Gathering by the Glow of the Braziers
Already quite dark outside and the gang is starting to gather on the porch. The glow from the braziers we use to ward off the chill cast a welcoming glow on the porch, welcoming all our neighbors. For those just arriving and wanting a cocktail, Schuyler was whipping up a drink that was new to us, a Rosita. He used a good silver tequila, a Patrón silver tequila, Campari, and Martini and Rossi dry and sweet vermouths. He also prepared a pitcher of non-alcoholic Sangría.
Jim, On Dung
Sorry folks, but when you farm and ranch, dung is just part of life. It can be everywhere, but it shouldn't be. It's amazing, but by being methodical and trying to be good stewards of your land and your environment, you can keep it contained where it belongs. It's instantly recognizable; if it looks like dung, if it smells like dung: it's dung. We don't like it everywhere and don't tolerate its not being used for something more useful, through composting.
Our revered president, thinking he can pull the wool over our eyes by pretending to be a rancher, has slathered his dung all over our White House. Guess he forgets, daily, that the White House belongs to We The People, and not to We Halliburton, Exxon, Mobil, Enron, Cheney Inc. etc.
Jim told us that the present situation reminded him of Art's horrendous stories of corruption and misuse of power he had experienced during a lifetime in corrupt banana republics, and yet, now it's happening here. Bush's chief political advisor: under investigation; Bush's enforcer, Hammer DeLay, indicted; his Brownie: laughed at around the world and forced to resign from FEMA. Bush himself, vastly inept, ate cake in Crawford while Louisiana was being engulfed by water. Bush's family, while the tragedies of Katrina and Rita were destroying lives at a rate not seen in a hundred years, were Versaillesque in their cavalier attitude toward the suffering of those more than unfortunate people.
Can we forget Bush's intent to invade Iraq even before 9/11? Can we forget the Downing Street Memos Jim asked? Oh, and Jack Abramoff? Scooter Libby? And, by now, it should be obvious to all but the most addled, Jim said, that since Bush is not going to raise taxes or rescind his obscene tax cuts for the very wealthiest people in the country, he is going to burden the very poorest people in the country with the rebuilding efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama by cutting programs that help feed, medicate and shelter the less fortunate. Don't think for a minute that he plans to make the wealthy help pay for the reconstruction of the hurricane-damaged areas. He plans to cut as many social service programs as he can to pay for the damage. Never fear: the rich will not be discomforted by having to help. Cheney can rest peacefully.
The Youngsters: We're Famished
Well, in to dinner. Drinks finished and the teenagers claiming we had talked too long and almost starved them to death, we made our way to the two dining room tables. Ours, in the large dining room, and the kids' in the great room, were already being served by some of the couples.
Charlotte was serving endive leaves stuffed with smoked salmon and served us a German Riesling Kabinett to go with the smoked salmon. Her wine pairings are always flawless, as is her cooking. She and Max next served us a delicious, rich, smoky split pea and ham soup, which they thought would go well with a Villa Bel Air Blanc/Sémillon blend. The soup was very hearty, and Charlotte and Max didn't think we needed many more courses, so they decided to serve a multitude of grilled vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, scallions, corn on the cob, pearl onions, minute new potatoes, and served the grilled vegetables alongside a medley of grilled seafood: shrimp, scallops and lobster. Paired with a McDowell Grenache Rosé, the combination was memorable.
Extremely satisfied, we needed nothing more than to join the teenagers to catch up on their day, and to have our after-dinner espresso with them in the great room.
Winding Down
We had a few minutes to catch up with the events of the day. Since most of the children have their own horses, we knew they needed to get home soon, to take care of their horses, do homework, and get a good night's rest. Just before everybody went their separate ways, Liz gave us a quote that really described the damage this administration is doing to our country because of its corruption. She quoted from John Milton: "As killing as the canker to the rose." Amen
Summary:
Corruption will kill the rose. Corruption can bring a country to its knees, and wise people will not condone it. The United States was not a corrupt banana republic, until now.
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