Liz Writes Life
Dec. 2, 20202
Garden
Nope, my garden is not cleaned-up. Actually, I was so tired of
taking care of it that I haven’t touched it for a month. So, it looks a mess
with frozen, disintegrated zucchini, rhubarb and tomato plants. Luckily, I pulled
the cucumbers and cantaloupe vines in October. I didn’t harvest the last of the
torpedo purple onions and they look pretty bedraggled, too. The flower garden
areas have also been ignored. Yep, hope to get my grandson over to help me
clean-out the old plants.
The rain from several weeks ago did soften-up the soil a bit.
And it is past time to get the garlic planted. Hum, better get that done. Also
need to dig for potatoes.
I caught the end of a Medford TV station’s special segment on
this year’s winter weather and El Nino or La Nina -- whichever it is that may
be occurring. Anyway, it mentioned we will be fairly dry through December, but
January and February will have colder and wetter weather for us. Sure do hope
we get tired of the rain in early 2021 -- but remember to appreciate it! Ha,
ha, but we should.
On that note, I have read several California news articles
about the damage from wildfire smoke to wine grape growers. Writer Bill
Swindell, of the Press Democrat, wrote on October 22, 2020 that Sonoma County
wine grape growers are expecting to lose over $152 million from this year’s
poor harvest. That’s a lot of money. Don’t know if this estimate includes the
wineries that burned in the wildfires a few months ago.
It is estimated that up to 30 percent of the 2020 grape crop
was left unpicked because of smoke that seeped into the fruit. Apparently,
smoke causes a burnt-like or cigar smoke flavor in the wine. I don’t drink
wine, so I wouldn’t know a tasty one if I tried it.
Because vegetation is way too thick everywhere, wildfires are
here to stay until the forests are thinned and managed back into health. Also
brush and grasslands need to be addressed with thinned and mowed vegetation.
Sure seems like there are a number of industries that should
be powerful enough to lobby governments to change regulations, so forests and
brush lands would be managed and thinned. The wine industry could lead the way.
I’ve been told that a lot of people like wine.
Supreme Court rules
Good news for churches!
With all the restrictions and lockdowns of the covid-19 pandemic,
churches have been frustrated over what looks like bias over their closures or
greatly-reduced sizes of congregations. One lawsuit recently made it to the
U.S. Supreme Court and, last week, the court blocked New York’s Covid-19
restrictions on houses of worship. It was a 5-4 ruling that argued the state’s
restrictions “strike at the very heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee of
religious liberty.”
Of course, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, disagreed and called
the ruling “irrelevant,” because he will appeal the decision to the Second
Circuit Appeals Court. For now, he claims the decision is not final or legal.
But, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that religious groups are
being treated differently from secular entities. In his opinion, Gorsuch wrote:
“It is time – past time – to make plain that, while the pandemic poses many
grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates
color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops, but
shutter churches, synagogues and mosques.”
This specific case was brought by the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America. The court said the case is likely to
succeed through appeals, because the restrictions violate the Free Exercise
Clause of the First Amendment and that would cause irreparable harm. Boy, do I
appreciate this decision by the Supreme Court.
The Thomas Moore Society that has been fighting covid-19
religious restrictions praised the Supreme Court’s decision. The Society supports
religions and has joined a variety of church lawsuits in several states.
Turkey Funeral
Time for some fun!
Newly-elected Colorado Congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, 33, is
anti-big government and has railed against the strict covid-19 regulations. So,
she decided to hold a “Turkey Funeral” for Thanksgiving before eating the
turkey. Currently, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has the state locked-down to only
10 individuals that were allowed to attend Thanksgiving Dinner. Boebert
bristled and decided that she would hold a funeral, because it is permissible
for up to 30 people to attend an end-of-life activity. But, Boebert didn’t stop
there and announced she added two more animals to the funeral – a pig and a
duck.
Boebert has already raised eyebrows because of her pro-stance
on the Second Amendment. Colorado is an “open carry” state and she typically
wears a Glock pistol on her hip, especially at her restaurant in Rifle, CO. The
renowned gun-themed restaurant is named “Shooters Grill,” where waitstaff pack.
Boebert said she intends to apply for a permit to carry a
concealed handgun in WA. D.C. She wants to meet with Capitol Police to talk
about carrying her gun throughout the Capitol complex.
I did a quick search on the internet to see if any law
enforcement showed up to stop her Turkey, Pig and Duck Funeral. Nope, didn’t
find any articles on that subject!
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm
news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and
lives near Callahan. Columns from the past can be found at:
lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.
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