Deep Thoughts / Radical Thinking

Ah yes ! I am still here ! Some have accused me of being lazy and not pushing my drivel out to the populace , not so , I have been storing information and analyzing it to present it properly . How's that for a line ? Sounds like a politician or one of the WEASLES on Wall St. I won't dwell on the current state of affairs concerning the economy other than to relate to you that about two months ago a young guy down in Terlingua told me that Hedge funds were on the brink of disaster and would soon implode ! At the time , I wrote it off as another SWAG by a semi-infomed wannabe sort who read into news what they wanted to see or hear . Surprise ! Read the headlines , now even the rich and famous are getiing bent over the barrel and finding out what it feels like to be put open by thieves and highway men . What a surprise , there are some bad guys out there ! Welcome to our world , Mr. look at how much money I have . While all of us have been paying  your exorbitant interests , bank fees , credit card fees , silly little fee for services that are basic to our existence , You have been systematically raped by one of your own ! Plus by the laws and forgiveness loopholes you have created , HE's going to get away with it ! So sad Too bad. That doesn't sound very caring does it  ?
Tough !
My life in the high deset has been rather nice lately , got to experience the first snow , didn't stay on the ground long but was on the peaks of the mountains for most of the day . Like standing in the center of a 360 degree post card . Went to a couple of community functions , kind of like a local craft fair . Met some really nice people , and at Animas was sitting with a couple of old ranchers , while eating a homemade burrito , learned that they were fourth generation ranchers in this area . We were at one table and their children and grand children were at the next table . It appears they are going to stay here for a while ! I had lunch at the Panther Tracks Cafe the other day and fell into conversation with a table of hunters and farmers from the area , I received an education about growing chilis and tried to assimalate all the hunting information in case I come down with the burning desire to grab a gun and go forthwith to slay small animals and such . The interesting facts of chili growing were , most of the red chilis grown were destined to go to the processor to be turned into red dye #2 , it's the only place it comes from ! Jalapenos , while an easy crop to harvest only bring the farmer 15 cents a pound ! Green chilis are the best money crop , but must be harvested solely by hand , while the best red chilis are havested for human consumption , they too must be harvested by hand . Chili farming is a year long deal , plant them inFeb. hope they grow enough to take root , hope the wind doesn't come up and blow them all the way to Wyoming , irrigate , weed , trim the browse grass , pray for some rain , hope that there is a market when they're ready to harvest , hope you can find enough workers to harvest them , then along about October start harvesting and go like crazy through January and start all over again ! Think about that the next time you reach for that $1.59 can of chili powder !
Today looks to be a slow day at the ranch so I volunteered to cook some Cuban style pork with black beans and rice for Rusty , Bob and Tim , I got the pork the last time I went to Douglas to witness the desparation exercise in the big stores down there and of course for the ride through this awesome country . The looks I see on peoples faces in those big stores reminds me of the pictures you see after a disaster .Sort of shell shocked and stunned by a sensory overload of too much stuff , badly done , piped in Christmas carols and too close a proximity with other people who are just as warped into the insane consumer frenzy trying to buy stuff they don't need or want , or buying it for someone that's in the same boat ! I wish I had some empathy for them but I don't , to coin a phrase "just say NO ".
. Side trips this week include a run to Poratal to see some paintings on display and a trip to the rodeo grounds to see some bulls , I'll let you know how that goes ! [in case you didn't know SWAG is a scientific wild ass guess ]
 Snow pics...