We were standing in our back field watching the sun set when a plane flew overhead. Tony was holding a glass of cava (Spanish champagne) in one hand and his extremely light weight camera in the other when he captured this image. He worked his magic to produce this interesting picture.

The Hobbitt (that is what Tony and some of our friends call me) feels like waxing philosophical today.

The world has become a very bittersweet place for me. We've made some wonderful new friends and are giving back to our community big time. It's all good stuff and it really does make us feel good when we help make a difference in other peoples lives.

But I am crying inside for my lost freedoms, for the earth and global warning, for a government that used to be of the people, for the people and by the people and is now for just for money and power.

People are shocked when I tell them I probably am not going to vote. Why bother. Time, after time, after time, the vote is opposite of what the people of this country want and good for the money interests.

People who know me, know I used to be very involved. I called, emailed, donated and wrote in this blog asking people to get involved.

Well they have worn me out.

Guys I am just not that stupid. Our whole system is corrupt and perhaps beyond repair. I am not playing this game anymore. I don't think I am the only one who feels this way. It is bad when people like me who are willing to put some skin in the game are walking away.

I don't know what the answer is. I think one thing is we have to get out in streets like they do in other countries. This emailing, calling, etc makes us invisible and our community is only virtual. We need to be out in the physical world so the whole world can see us, can see that we care.

Perhaps someone or something will bring us all together in a big way. I know that the people have the power to make things better, I just feel the way we are going about it is all wrong. We are playing their game and we can't win because they have made a new set of rules. The airwaves are filled with lies and twisted logic, if you can call it logic at all.

In closing let me say that as I wrote this I am looking at the window and see all the birds in the tree and at the bird feeders. Even though it is very cold out the birds are singing. It gives me hope.