This is another installment in a series of posts I am writing for my yet unborn great grandchildren.

Here we are in February of 2010. We're just recovering from a big snow storm and the next one will be starting in a few hours. The weather has been pretty severe. We lost power for a day and that was an adventure.

Power is generated far away, delivered over a large grid and here in the country were we live, it's delivered from power lines strung above the road to each house. I'm guessing this will sound very primitive to you.

People are just getting into energy efficiency and how much smarter it would be to generate power locally. But as with most things these days, big business has lots of powerful lobbies and seem to be able to block legislation that would benefit the average person. We call it politics but it has become a very cruel and hard game.

What is interesting is that on the right (supposedly people who lean toward conservatism) average people have been worked up to the point where they seem to be willing to do really bad things. We would be classified as being on the left. We're liberals. (They have managed to make that a dirty word in some circles.) The thing that irks us is that think they are right and want everyone to live according to their rules.

I was shocked the other day when I went to the dentist and they played religious music that is supposed to soothe and calm the nervous patient. I found it annoying and offensive. The hygienist wanted to engage me in a religious conversation. I guess this practice feels is good business to mix religion and dentistry. I will not be going back.

It is going to be interesting to see what your mother will think about all this. As I write she is only 6 years old. Life is always changing and hopefully this seemingly divisive atmosphere will pass. Everyone in America is supposed to be free to believe and think as they wish. But there is certainly a concerted effort to force a particular way of life on everyone. It is more than a little disturbing.

Going back to the weather. With perhaps 4 feet of show in the back field it is impossible to get to the bird feeders. It's hard the on the birds with everything being covered and we've taken to throwing seed out the window. This has brought all the birds very close to house and Tony made this sketch with his camera from the dinning room window. It is a great example of Techno-Impressionism. The original image truly was just a sketch. But Great Grandpa Tony brought it to life.