Signs of the times,,,,

check out the above vid,,,, Things like this are becoming more common,,, Sites being left to go back to wilderness because shrinking budgets,,, this, while our government laps up more and more revenue every year and keeps growing,,, But not in friendly ways, if you get my meaning, (50000 new IRS agents as example,,,,)

I see it locally too. Not just seasonal shutdowns, but entire trails being abandoned to nature and the whims of those that still desire to hike them. Camping being restricted to tightly conttrolled areas due to lack of personel to maintain larger areas. Entire facilities removed for much the same reason (one of my favorite spots used to have vault toilets on site, but now, it’s been razed and only a concrete pad remains with the original vaults backfilled.

It’s depressing on one sense, and illuminating in another. It shows just how bad things in GOV are getting, and that the self inflicted wound of Inflation is nailing them to the wall as well. I feel for the park rangers that chose that career for love of nature, knowing that anything thier ‘job’ would need is takiing hind teat to the rest of the DOTGOV. (and national parks followed by state parks are the creation of a Teddy Roosevelt. Tne whole “government buying up swaths of territory for ‘reasons'” is so unprecedented, the founders never even considered it,,,, The BLM wasn’t a dream they could ponder,,,,)

Another aspect that is a helping hand in the failure of our parks: BSA becoming woke. Waybackawhen, little Dio was a boyscout, long before the pedo’s got thier paws on things. We would go out and clear and refine trails in some parks,,, putting in stairs on steep grades, clearing and graveling new sections; stuff like that. All voluntary, with only things like gravel or logs being supplied by the parks people, sometimes even by private groups that had interest in the sites. There are two sites here local in Pine Mt forest that were built back under the Commie during the Great Depression: beautiful sites, falling into decay because the budgets are GONE,,,, one is now completely blocked from public assess as its a danger to the curious. (big stones make up that building site and the mortar is rotting away,,,)

and in some small way, the public is at fault too. Low numbers of people exploring the wilds of America (not that there are any real “Wilds” left,,,,) People so buried in daily living (guilty) that getting out and seeing these places is something of a hardship,,, those bills don’t stop coming just because the income stops flowing,,,, And then there is the distraction of the Nets and being able to ‘see’ those places vicariously.

Me getting out an kayaking is my getting out there to see new things. But I have been hitting a wall of late,,, Travel times are getting out of hand and the stuff close at hand, I have seen so many times, the fish that harbor under certain stumps have names, and come out to see my kayak and ‘talk to me’,,,,

I’m getting bored, in other words.

Boredom creates other problems,,, Boredom has killed other hobbies of mine before. I don’t think it can kill this one, but there is always that slim chance,,, (I am heavily invested in this so even if that thought crosses my mind, the pocket book will argue FOR,,, not against) and the more I get out, the more I WANT to get out. but that creates other problems as well. This sport doesn’t pay for itself, except in rare cases,,,

I have some parallel thoughts running as I am writing this so if it seems a bit disconnected, I hope you can understand. Those thoughts are the ones I am not comfortable sharing just yet, but they derive along the same lines as what I have written so far.

Life carries on, even when life ceases for the individual. This country, founded by refugees and persecuted peoples, peopled by forced immigration from a country that didn’t want to deal with miscreants, rebels and eccentrics,,, We are descendents of the ODDS of the world. Australia should have ended up more like us, but recently showed its true colors of ‘King and Country’ over Individual Liberty. (not all mind you, I still have a contact or two there,,,) And we should be proud of our heritage, yet I see signs that the ‘progression’ is nearly complete,,, But its not anywhere near ready for ‘primetime’ and those that would have that world, know it, but also know, its now or never,,,, (never is going to be the fact, but the cancer still needs to run its course.)

Apologies,,, I am running far too many tracks in my brainium today,,, Not enough water time. Went to the lake early today, even managed to get Lyssa on the water, then realized, I had left my paddles at the house, even after reminding myself to grab them,,,,,

Kinda hard to propel a kayak without a paddle: doable, but difficult. I wasn’t about to use strictly hand paddles either (those never leave the truck since they fit so well in the map pocket behind my seat.)

So this post, like my brain, and my paddle efforts today, is disconnected and scattered, and nonsensical, but needed vented. Take of it what you will. I need to figure where the hell I am going to get water time today,

and I NEED IT,,,,