It has turned out that we are a family of women. Our youngest member, Mary-Margaret, sent me this flag. It stands for 100 years of Women’s Suffrage. The 19th Amendment.

We have all voted, from the youngest to the oldest, even Mother who is 97.

This picture of her is from a few years ago. This year she was trapped in the nursing home and Joannie helped her fill out her ballot through a closed window.

I try to avoid TV news but I do like to start the week watching the CBS Sunday Morning Show.

The closing segment today was of elks by the Yellowstone River.

Plagiarized this:

I have heard that bugling. I have paddled bits of that “longest wild river in the US.” How lucky is that?

This one is not plagiarized:

I remain puzzled by a group of grown men who like to refer to themselves as “boys.” Ironically, most of them identify as “Christian,” even though pride is a sin in the tenets of Christianity.

Truthfully, I hadn’t given them much thought until they marched into my neighborhood on Saturday.

They were holding a rally in Bush Park and then suddenly seemed to decide to march up to the top of our hill to the Governor’s House. At least some of them did. It’s a steep climb and most of them were not in great shape. Someone with a bullhorn made it to the summit and said some stuff I couldn’t understand. The Governor wasn’t there anyway.

Back down in Bush Park, they congregated near the baseball field near Pringle Creek where Roxie and I walk most days. I took my mask off so I mingled right in and behaved respectfully. I wasn’t looking for a fight and most of them seemed angry but I couldn’t zero in on exactly what it was about.

I am a huge supporter of free speech and of peaceful assembly.

What I found offensive was a very voluptuous woman whose very low-cut bodice was made out of an American flag. Her push-up foundation garment was truly gravity-defying. She posed for photos while kissing a cardboard cutout of POTUS. I wasn’t looking for trouble so I passed on that photo op.

I did, however, snap a shot of this half-nekkid person.

There were lots of men there who apparently could afford only half of a camo outfit. I never get that. And big guns. They could afford those.

The only places I will excuse half-nekkid is on the beach or in a shirts and skins pick up game. Putin likes to ride his horse dressed that way. I have a low opinion of him too.

This is my desk work today.

This is my greatest privilege and responsibility.

Oregon has been vote-by-mail for as long as I have lived here with .01% fraud. The rumor is a husband was supposed to mail his wife’s ballot but threw it away. Does anyone know what the truth is?

People complained that you had to put a stamp on it. This year, it’s free.

We don’t get a little sticker that says “I voted today.” I think I’ll just stick a post-it on my shirt.