Winter of Discontent
Spring is coming 

Spring is coming; I am counting the days. I know it is senseless to wish away any time in life. I can’t help myself; I love experiencing the childhood joy of spring. Life seems to blossom afresh as the melting white snow gives way to the purple crocus. I grow giddy about the possibilities. Happiness and Joy flow from gratitude; it cannot be purchased or found; it flows from a grateful heart as a child filled with joy at the first snowfall of winter, the white melting to a thousand colors of spring, lying in the green grass of summer, and golden falling leaves of fall. As Abraham Lincoln, who suffered most of his life, said, “People are about as happy as they make their minds to be.”

It has been a long-suffering pandemic winter. I am grateful for each day of it because, as James says in his epistle, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Faith has taken us through the pandemic; I have lost friends, I learned plenty. I have found I was blind to gratitude, and I could not discern the truth; lulled to sleep in my comfort. Now I see the corruption and grow hungry for the truth that sets us free.

Winter is a time for reflection, an interlude, a pause, frozen in space and time. The world has been in a winter of discontent too long, sequestered in homes, living alone, hibernating in fear from what we cannot see. People are fractured, governments have gone rogue possessed with power, and war crimes in Ukraine. Humanity groans for spring, a return to normal—whatever normal is, it is better than what has been. To see people unmasked and smiling, to gather together and gaze in awe at sunrise, to hug and touch lips in a kiss. Imagine life without fear of death and dying. The American people wake up, asking why and marching eastward in a twenty-mile convoy. We will witness the long-term effects of the globally botched public health debacle of the global pandemic in years to come. We shall grow stronger and wiser with it because evil is exposed for the world to see. Workers and commoners have risen to fight corruption. Remember, there is more of us than the elitist globalists.

I am unsure of my Ukrainian heritage; I am sure my grandmother’s handmade pierogis infused Ukraine into my veins. It is my prayer that the Russian weapons of war will fail. I weep for the lives lost on both sides. I pray that the perpetrator wolves will be cornered and eliminated by the Russian people who have no interest in annexing Ukraine. Our house is open for any Ukrainian need. I thought all Americans could welcome all Ukrainian refugees? I was amazed to discover the number of European refugees the US can accept is 10,000 for the current fiscal year. As of January 31, 335 of those slots had already been filled, primarily by Ukrainians. We have millions of illegal immigrants across the southern border who are released, yet we cap Ukrainians at 10,000. Maybe we should send the Ukrainian refugees to Tijuana and have buses waiting at the San Diego border to take them to welcome families in North Dakota. War will wither, and we will live a life of faith with hope for a glorious spring—a great awakening will overcome the great reset. Good shall overcome evil. Spring is about to bust loose!

These events are foretold by Jesus as written in Mathew 24:

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows…Then many will be offended, betray one another, and hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

Because we believe in Jesus and are blessed with faith, hope, and perseverance, we have grown resolute to struggle because we live in the land of frozen winters. We saw the deception and lived just as any year; we accepted the good and pressed against the deceit. Things should not return to normal; things need to be refreshed and awakened to what God intended, not what a few greedy power-addicted elites hoped to force upon us. Winter is passing; the World Economic Forum is in shock at the resolve and spirit of the people. They are losing the battles fought by the ordinary deplorable in Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Spring is coming:

Pollination

In Hawaii, spring comes as just another day. I missed witnessing the explosion of color and the cleanest spring air smells. The winter of 2021 was our first winter full-time at the lake; it was a long, cold, and heavy snow for four months. The family blames us for the cold because we returned from warmer latitudes. “Shoulda been here last year no snow and warm weather”—I grow tired of hearing that! Winter has been two years long, and it is time to press ahead. Spring is near, time to shave the beard. Each week until spring, I decided that a small portion of the winter beard, my mask, would disappear and give way to clean shaved skin.

I was shopping at the local Walmart; yes, here in our tiny town of three-thousand, we have a super Walmart. I stumbled onto the spring seeds and bought every type of Zinnia they had. You know spring is near when Walmart and Tractor Supply are stocking the garden centers. On Tuesday, I visited a friend in Willow City who watched over spring lambing while his son and daughter were making him a grandfather. That may have come across wrong; the romantic interlude happed nine months ago; it is hospital time. At the Willow City farm, they name their sheep. The ewe named “Payday” had just given birth to twin lambs, one white and an auburn. Today new proud grandpa is eager to see his nine-pound-eight-ounce grandson as he checks hourly for new lambs. Spring is busting out all around us, yet winter refuses to leave. It has been a long, long winter, but this winter is history.

Spring Lamb

As I have stated throughout my storytelling quest, I am the beginner, not the master. I am a Jack-of-All a Master-of-None, and that is all good. I am grateful for every lesson I have learned, every creative battle fought, every misspelled word, every fall from acceptable. I move ahead and try my best. I have been busy creating video and still photography for the stories to tell of our story-hunting adventures. One thing remains to establish a YouTube channel. I had hoped to be fully prepared to launch it with a minimum of mistakes, errors, and general flubs—but if I wait for the perfect, perfect will never come. I offer you a small peaceful interlude, a gratitude gift of nature’s calm.

Link:

https://rumble.com/vwj2a3-peace-in-the-valley.html

We have been planning 2022 activities:
Planning the garden
Ordering seeds
Ordering berry bushes and fruit trees
Preparing Lucille, our PleasureWay RV, for our travel adventures ahead

Over the winter, we have worked on a comfortable home for Lucille and a comfortable home for some friends. The Garage is nearly complete. We are flexible to what tomorrow will bring, seven-dollar a gallon gas; if inflation makes travel difficult, we will explore close to home. Alaska may have to wait.

The images are simple spring snapshots with winter in the background. The beard shots are my attempt at self-portraiture. I thought I would shed pieces of the winter beard each week until spring blossoms and my face can feel the sun again. The images of the chase are the result of the last several weeks. Finally, this blog will be an update on what to expect in the future from F-Stop Drifters RV storytelling adventures.

Springs Sheer 1

Spring Sheer 2

Spring Sheer 3

Spring Sheer 4

Two weeks to go until the facial hair is gone!!