Dear Family, Friends, and Diary,
Another week, as quiet as weeks are for us. Unusually, rain kept us inside for a few days, but by the weekend skies had cleared and morning light was promising.
Our day started at a new French breakfast favorite: Chez Maryse, an "Authentic French Patisserie and Brasserie". The crepes were authentic, the treats tempting, and the giant to-go croissants enough for another meal. We had tried the place months ago, but had forgotten how tasty their offerings were. Maybe writing this diary entry will help my old head remember this restarant, when we ask about someplace good and a bit different.
We followed breakfast with a photo drive through the east-side orchards. The combination of snowy mountains and new blossoms drew us to this annual ritual. Rain had washed the air for unusually clear views of the Sierras, but it had also washed off almond blossoms, threatening this Fresno-county agricultural mainstay. And the chill in the air kept bees close to home, a further complication for both nut and fruit orchards. We'll check in again in a few months.
Pictures. Panoramas really don't catch the grandeur of the Sierra horizon, but I tried.
And orchard details were fun.
What else might I want a record of? Outside our little bubble, it has been a tough week. A deadly avalanche up in those mountains was sobering, as pictures of the women victims reminded me of Gabby and her crew of friends. Meanwhile, Marianne's art teacher reported the shock of her husband's sudden passing. We had met him at a gallery in Idaho and years of online lessons have made Pam a friend and integral to Marianne's art life. Mortality is scary.
Nationally, the chaos caused by a demented president continues. The administration's canceling of environmental protections, and of rational, science-based, health standards will have long-term consequences, while irrational tariffs and other business deregulation threaten post WWII prosperity at home and abroad. And the prospect of another Cold War, this time with China, and a handful of not-cold wars with Iran, Cuba, and even Canada and Western Europe is real. And dangerous.
Ukraine, one of our past homes, has become mired in a killing war where the only way out seems to be the collapse of either the Russian or the Ukrainian government. Open support by President Trump of dictator Putin has only driven the chance of peace farther away. Meanwhile, Russia is fighting a clandestine war with Western Europe, with kinetic sabotage and online network attacks, while America ignores this potential start of Word War III.
I will need to check in a year or two from now to see if my black vision becomes real or if I am just a grumpy old man.
Not wanting to end on such a note, I am adding a picture of grandson Sam after his third-place finish in this weekend's golf tournament. That's a genuine smile. Later today, he will join his high school golf team in their first tournament of the year and we hope the smile stays.
Stay tuned,
John and Marianne