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I decided to stop, step back and take in what is going on in my current surroundings. I captured these photos of my yard. Take a moment and do the same. Did you find anything that surprised you?  Plumeria Bush in the yard.  Two eyes on the street  Sun about to set in the yard
 Moonset at dawn
 Plumeria bush
 Plumeria bush  Plumeria Tree  Plumeria Tree.  Plumeria Tree  Looking South at Barking Sands  Sunset from the Porch Woodrow Wilson the 28th President of the United States was an intriguing guy. Written by Patricia O’toole, The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made reveals with remarkable nuance a person who wanted to accomplish so much more than he would ever be capable. To an even greater extent, Wilson wanted to be perceived in a greater light than was close to accurate, let alone realistic. O’toole carefully describes the who, what, where, when, and why as it relates to Wilson the person, academic, and politician. In virtually every aspect of life Wilson tended to have bold asperations. Many of them noble and moral. Wilson often announced – to anyone who would listen – outlandish and outsized goals or status’ of himself. Wilson would achieve many if not the majority of the goals. However many – including the most morally correct – were abandoned or flat out ignored. This despite Wilson being in a position to facilitate their realization. As with virtually any politician, Wilson had a huge ego, that needed constant feeding. The need was so strong, many surrounding Wilson had to create a setting of complete fantasy to present something that was no where close to being true. O’toole’s narrative style provides for a great and easy read. ———– Jeff’s Thoughts and Other Worthless Trivia ———- If you are willing to take O’toole’s narrative as accurate (which I would) politics, government and war, especially at the Federal Level in the first 20 years of the 20th century seem no different than the 21st century. The names may change, the party might change, the issues might change, but gosh it feels no different… not one bit.
The foundation for most of the stories are from two exceptionally different perspectives. The first, as a career professional with the U.S. Forest Service in the isolated and majestic region surrounding Stanley, Idaho and the second as a young soldier navigating war in a foreign country. Mountainous Events contains 22 stories told over 315 pages. The story format is an interesting one and works effectively for what Kimpton desires to share. Each story begins with a quote that proves to be relevant to the ensuing pages. In the first paragraph of each story Kimpton provides what he believes will be a solid dose of context. Call it foreshadowing, a primer, or some other term denoting insight, Kimpton succeeds in almost every instance. To enjoy Mountainous Events it is not required that you love the outdoors, know or have an interest in the isolation and beauty of the mountain west or want to read a first hand account of how it is to live in a warzone. Mountainous Events succeeds because it presents humans, nature, and human nature – flaws and all – in a fashion all readers can embrace and enjoy. Mountainous Events is available for purchase at Barnes and & Noble [here]. —– Jeff’s Thoughts and Other Worthless Trivia —– It is a coincidence that I live in Stanley, Idaho (with my wife Linda and Border Collies Sage and Willow) and do not know the author. It feels weird that I consulted for and collaborated with the U.S. Forest Service, Sawtooth National Forest, and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) in the 1980’s and 1990’s and do not know the author. As some of you know, during this period amongst many projects, I designed, programmed, and automated the U.S. Forest Service’s Recreational Opportunity Guide (R.O.G.) in 1987. Region Nine – which included the SNRA, was the first in the country. It was the first computerized searchable software program for recreation opportunities. The general public could access the information (e.g., “show me hikes of five miles in length with a lake involved.”) via a computer located at the District Offices. I published the first book on mountain biking for the region in the early 1990’s – Mountain Biking in the Sawtooths. At the request of the Department of Agriculture, I evaluated the economic, environmental, and practical feasibility of re-permitting Buttermilk Mountain as a ski area located within the SNRA. |
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