Wahweap Area, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, by divineorder
Hello, kossacks!
Wahweap Area, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, by divineorder
We arrived in spectacular Zion National Park, Utah yesterday from kayaking on Lake Powell (pictured above).
Not as cold here as it was camping over at Lake Powell. Its fall along the Virgin River, leaves are changing nicely, and the bucks are starting to snort around the does....
Sadly, I buggered my memory card reader so can't share a pic of the deer or the tiny owl that flew in so low an close caused me to spill my wine trying to get the camera up lol! Its 50 miles roundtrip to the closest Radio Shack in Hurricane, Utah so that ain't happening, uploading more photos will have to wait.
In case you were curious we are getting internet via our expensive Verizon wireless mobile Jetpack.... (We pay most of our bills online so we see it as important to have internet wherever we are since we are rarely in one place for more than 4 months at a time.)
My creative wife, kossack Jakkalbessie , fixed eggs Florentine this morning so you know we are really roughing it in the our aging truck camper! Whoa! (Yes, we are retired from teaching high school, living frugally on our little pension, and loving it. )
Exercise To Be 'Younger Next Year'
By the time this publishes we hope to have biked laboriously up the Canyon bike trail, hiked the beautiful Emerald Pools trail, then bummed around on the gorgeous Zion Lodge grounds with the paying guests, have lunch, and soak up the sunny day then rolled wheeeeeeeeeeee back down the hill to the campground.
Dkos Addiction
Even though we are out on our annual adventure camping, biking, kayaking in the beautiful American West could not help myself but had to check my email, Facebook and check in with Dailykos to learn the latest push back on the imaginary fiscal 'crisis.'
AFL-CIO
Glad to see action alert email from AFL-CIO fighting the plutocrat shills in both parties from harming our safety net:
State-by-State: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
Nov 27, 2012 Jackie Tortora | Political Action/Legislation
Find your state at www.aflcio.org/statefactsheets
We have five weeks to tell Congress to let the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2% expire and reject any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Visit www.aflcio.org/ProtectOurFuture for all the information you need on the upcoming budget showdown.
Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid aren't just numbers on a budget line, they're vital family protection lifelines for working people.
Did you know 55.4 million Americans across the United States receive monthly Social Security checks, including 8.6 million workers with disabilities and 4.4 million children? A total of 48.7 million Americans get their health care coverage from Medicare and 64.4 million Americans get their health care coverage from Medicaid, including 29.8 million children and 4.2 million seniors.
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Earlier on this trip we drove out from Santa Fe, NM through Navajo Nation and their Monument Valley area on the way to Page, AZ and Lake Powell.
Brrrrrr, the wind is cold as it blows through out here, brings to mind the great Propane diaries!
First They Came For The Postal Workers
Another action email this morning was from Postal Workers --
Delivering for America
A bad idea that could dismantle the U.S. Postal Service is gaining traction in Congress, and we need your help to stop it.
Working behind closed doors, holdover members of the House and Senate are trying to ram through harmful changes to the Postal Service before the end of the year — without consulting the American public.
The Postal Service needs reform, but this is not the way to do it. Any changes to this vital American institution should be made carefully, and must be based on a business model that ensures the Postal Service’s future success.
Unfortunately, the deal that is now being cobbled together takes a slash-and-burn approach. It would eliminate or drastically reduce Saturday and door service, and would slow delivery of mail and packages.
Visit Delivering for America TODAY to tell your members of Congress that you believe the Postal Service needs a workable business model that builds on the strength of its network, not tears it apart. Ask your member of Congress to wait until next year before they take up Postal Service reform.
As postal issues develop in Washington, D.C., Delivering for America will be in touch with news, updates and information. You can also stay informed on this issue by visiting our website, www.deliveringforamerica.com .
Thanks to the Obama Admin and Congress for the Recovery Act funded improvements to our Parks and National Recreation Areas !
Then They Came For Our National Parks
We spent a few nights on Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and once again I was p*ssed off to see that could not use my Senior Pass on electrical sites operated by the for-profit Concession at Wahweap Campground. We come out here this cold time of year because far less crowds and the wind is calm so we can more safely paddle around on the lake.
This really chaps me because we finally got old enough to get a Senior Pass discount, which we can use on the non electric sites which are an exorbitant $26 a night, but not get on the electric/water/sewer sites that are $48 a night... Yes, those services should be paid for by users but not to huge profit of someone private persons on OUR national lands.
National Park Service
Here at Zion the campsite is still operated by our National Park Service and can get electric only sites for $18 night. More and more campgrounds in Parks and National Recreation areas are being taken over just like our prisons were.
I decided to check in with the National Parks Conservation Association and see if they had any action opposing this move which really accelerated under Bush.
The Parks stand to lose big under the fiscal fail in what will amount to another big privatization grab of our national treasure and jobs. Losing all these jobs will mean more problems for the economy.
Hope all will consider taking a minute with this action in support from the National Parks Association:
See the full size image at http://my.npca.org/...
Join the National Parks Conservation Association and take action now...
Tell Congress to Reach a Budget Deal that Protects National Parks
Zion at Sunrise, November 2012 by divineorder
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As Campaign For America's Future Smart Talk Series argues, no deal that cuts our safety net. Taking that forward, no cuts that destroy our other important commons and institutions for the rich and greedy.
Your comments appreciated below......