ZenVeg and Other Nonsense

Fire! Oh, the Irony.

January 11, 2025

Life is wildly ironic. This week, we heard of the breath-taking, (literally) conditions in SoCal. I watched with concern for my two nieces in Pasadena and a handful of friends who are in the area. While the newsreel was spinning on the ZenVeg TV, I was coaxing my less than efficient or EPA compliant woodstove to function a little better. I have grown weary of having my feet frozen just from absorbing the cold thru the floors of this abode; a 50-year-old rancher dependent on wood for heat.

While those in California were fleeing the fire, I was gently puffing on embers hoping that some warmth would ooze out into the living room. It is a sure bet that all those 100,000 evacuees will forever have PTS issues for the rest of their lives. They will probably never opt to sit around making S’mores at a neighborhood fire-pit. They will probably never purchase another room candle. Natural weather or environmental or disease events will forever humble us, make us reflect on the addiction to controlling life all around us.

The ZenVeg Estate is currently a glistening postcard as the earlier ice storm stubbornly hangs around even in the sun. A 19-degree day will trump the sun. The ice is slowing dripping off the branches giving moisture to the soil. Back in Richmond, Virginia, there is little to no dripping water. Said ice storm also created havoc to the water reservoir pump system and created unsafe, contaminated water and in most cases destroyed the pressure of the system so faucets became dry. The irony is not lost on me that while I am stranded 75 miles away in my chilly, drafty old house awaiting car repairs, I might be in the very best place in the Universe. I am not evacuating because of wild-fires, I am not scooping up snow to use for a toilet flush, I am not fighting for bottled water which has become an essential commodity in the Richmond area.

And then there is the funeral of Jimmy Carter. When he died, I suddenly remembered that I had bought a book that he wrote, during my mediation/facilitation days. I never read it. Now might be a good time. It is called “Talking Peace – A Vision for the Next Generation”. Carter is known as one of the fiercest champions of human rights throughout the world. How ironic that Donald Trump sits smugly in the first row, smirking at Kamala, giggling with Melania. Let’s see what happens to human rights in the next four years.

Much of what drives Americans is the Grass is Greener myth. In the California story, does anybody remember the Jack Nicholson movie Chinatown? It was a 1937 story of mafia style water wars in Southern California. The current war, in my humble opinion, is the American definition of success which means grass, landscaping, ego-stroking with pretty, pretty flowers and silky lawns. It means that if you refuse to have grass or irrigation in your front yard (xeriscaping is one alternative style), you are a weirdo. Just ask my son, I have been branded as such. It means that Jimmy Carter, Ralph Nader, Greta Thunberg, all branded as weirdos, had a lot of smart, correct things to say. But are you a successful human being if your own son is embarrassed by the arugula, peppers, and herbs in the front yard?

While the green, lush gardens are pretty, are they smart? Are we trading Earth-Health for pretty-pretty? There is a cost to Green Grass, be it the literal lawns of America or the social media images and societal norms that pick away at our own contentment.

More irony. State Farm Insurance dropped many of the homeowners in the SoCal area within the last year because of the climate change hazards, yet a State Farm sign, laying in the rubble of the burnt-out State Farm office, prevailed. The insurance vicious circle is looping all around itself and its customers like an Anaconda in a hard strangle pose.

We aren’t asking the right questions, or in some cases, asking any questions at all. The other irony is that the high level of un-housed people in California now must share bunks, figuratively with affluent people who are now, un-housed themselves. And meanwhile, nothing against large mammals, but there is a lot of effort to assist their horses as well. Everyone in California is suddenly, maybe, hopefully, feeling each other’s pain. However, when it comes to D.C., I don’t believe empathy, or asking the right questions will occur until a big, Cat 6 Hurricane, followed by earthquake, tsunami, and tornados pummel Palm Beach, Florida. I fantasize it to be powerful enough to annihilate the entirety of Mar a Lago and Palm Beach with such ferocity that the entire “club” separates from mainland Florida and floats hopelessly out to sea. (Someone please create a Gilligan’s Island style meme for Trumpy and Musky).

All the big systems are experiencing turmoil and distress. Fire management, the insurance industry, America’s health care, big agriculture, politics writ large, city plumbing, the grid, our kids’ self-image because from what I heard yesterday, 26% of teenagers are “addicted” to social media. How can we find solutions if we aren’t asking the right questions? 2025 will be a big test. I wish we knew what to study for.

Yet, to be true to this post-retirement journal of my perspective I am reminded of the very finite bit of control I can exert over the ZenVeg Estate. I am currently stranded without wheels – still- from the mishap on my way back home from the Holidays. I am currently soothed by the 6 inches of snow that fell overnight. I am slowly relaxing into acceptance of reality. I have wood to burn, food to eat, electricity, water, shelter and a hundred-dollar bill stashed in my wallet. I have a roomful of hoarded seeds begging for organization and a chance to be birthed in the ZenVeg soil. I have one bottle of wine and one can of beer. There is coffee, vanilla bean ice cream and books and a Starlink connection. (ugh…Musky!) I have Black Capped Chickadees and Ravens all sharing seed out front.

Today, my world looks sunny and pure. The winged species are co-existing. It’s just another Snow Day.

Fire and Ice, until next time.