The Edge of the Wood – by John Messeder, Nemophilist & Ecological Storyteller

He promised

He promised to get us out and keep us out of wars, but he’s launched nine attacks at nations across the globe, assassinating leaders of whom he disapproved and sinking non-allied vessels on the open ocean.

He said he would lower prices on stuff we buy at the store, than established a national sales tax — aka tariffs on darn near everything. The Supreme Court finally said that methos was illegal, so he found another way to tax his subjects.

He has erased most of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — DEI for short — by removing from government, industry and non-profit organizations, firing women from high-ranking military ranks and giving their previously assigned homes to his obedient harem, and pulling government support from organizations such as the Boy Scouts if they don’t comply with Trump’s version of DEI, applicable only to white men.

But he’s proud of his gold drapes and knows how to stage a war dance as he hands out Medal of Honors to, admittedly deserving, live and deceased veterans of foreign wars from WWII to Desert Shield.

The brain runs best on dark roast!

The “don’t ask, don’t tell” of taxation

*We don’t much notice the county bridges until we are forced to a two-mile detour when they’re out.* **— John Messeder photo**

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I was raised in a small New England town, where municipal snowplow drivers cleared snow from elderly residents’ driveways in return for a cup of coffee at 2 a.m. Town Meeting is a proper noun in New England —a Saturday in March or early April when residents voted on the town’s funding and organization.

Such as how much money to provide the volunteer fire department for new radios.

A fresh perspective

**Patriotism means more than a flag in a museum.** Photo by John Messeder

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In my early days in the U.S. Navy, and indeed through much of my 20-year career, I had difficulty doing things simply because a senior person said that was the way it had always been done. (I know, right? But I was young and thought I knew stuff.)

The senior response usually began with a version of “When I was your age …”

The 50-50 Rule

storm clouds and piece of rainbow over a split rail fence — *History is built on reminiscences.* **— John Messeder photo**

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We humans are amazingly optimistic creatures – mostly, I suspect, because we don’t allow ourselves to be concerned with things we are pretty sure we can’t do anything about. A friend from another life told me humans generally abide by what he called the Fifty-Fifty Rule:

“Anything that has been going on more than 50 years has been happening forever, and farther than 50 miles away never happened at all.”

To which I offer the corollary: “If it’s going to take longer than 50 years, it will never happen.”

Wendee went to Africa

Several years ago, I attended a conference of environmental science writers. I met some interesting people there, but being a new guy in the biz, we all were like ships passing on the open ocean. Among them was a young woman who went on to clean up the Anacostia River and along the way write three books, all of which I have in my library because their subjects snared me. Then she went off on a sailboat and …

Wendy Nicole and Joyce Orishaba **— Redemption Song Foundation photo**

The trails we leave behind

*In the glare of the noon sun the resident chuck wonders what yon humans are up to* **– John Messeder photo**

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Some folks are amazed that dinosaurs existed at all. Some say they never did. I am sometimes surprised not that dinosaurs are extinct, which implies that they once were alive, but that any of us currently walking, flying or crawling around on this whirling blob ever lasted long enough to leave evidence.

We’re more alike

Canada geese pair swimming with goslings swimming — Mom and Dad showing off the brood **— John Messeder photo**

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We humans have grown up thinking we’re something special, and we are.

On the other hand, we have recently discovered trees talk to each other through underground networks they establish with completely different species. They strategically turn their leaves to create shade for their offspring, and conserve water during droughts to keep their children from dehydrating.

Always something new

*Virginia Spring Beauties carpet the floor of the Couple Acre Wood.* **— John Messeder photo**

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There is so much to see on my wanders through the Couple Acre Wood that it seems I am often discovering new stuff. Logically, I suspect it was there yesterday, but I wasn’t looking for it yesterday.

But today I noticed the large patches of bright yellow and white daffodils really comprised myriad smaller clusters of the flowery heraldry.

Invasion of illegals

Not all the turkeys are in Washington, D.C. **— John Messeder photo**

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It’s fashionable among certain politicians and their supporters to blame, as a colleague recently wrote, “… Democrats, who bear the responsibility for the invasion of illegals.”

Alas, what short memories we have.

Rule of Law redefined

Well before the 2024 election, some observers thought Big Media, notably the New York Times and Washington Post, were actually trying to get Donald Trump elected. I went so far as to cancel both subscriptions, and a couple months later renewed because I thought it valuable to know what was happening

But Jeff Bezos has officially proclaimed the WaPo as a cheerleader for Trumpism — the NYT, not so officially, but as effectively.

Cost cutting? or cost shifting

Storm clouds gatheringat sunset — *Storm clouds are gathering over the countryside* **– John Messeder photo**

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Several years ago, I was reporting on a school board’s consideration of whether to build a new middle school.

“Now is the time to do it,” the school superintendent told the board. “The new school will put us over our debt limit and the state will make the payments.”

“The school will essentially be free,” he said

I asked him whether the taxpayers might consider where the state would get the money.

“Most people don’t think about that,” he said.

Forest intelligence awakening

Dark forest trees in silhouette — *The seemingly dark wood hides a panoply of magic tricks we are only beginning to recognize.* **— John Messeder photo**

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Wandering in the Couple Acre Wood at this time of year is to walk in anticipation, mindful that life soon will return rejuvenated from its resting sojourn in winter slumber. Each year I am surprised, like the first time I met a Shagbark hickory.

I had seen the name on street signs where the species had been removed to make room for houses, but never had I noticed a live Shagbark in its native habitat. And then there it was, looking as though no other name could possibly be attached. There are other hickories in the Couple Acre Wood but they all look the same to me. I’m working on that.

PA Senators vote on Trump Cabinet appointments

**John Fetterman**
United States Senator
https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/

**Dave McCormick**
United States Senator
https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/

Following is the list of confirmed (as of 2/21/25) members of President Trump’s Cabinet showing the votes of Pennsylvania’s two senators in the format Fetterman/McCormick.

This device insulates them from us

We’re all together whirling through space on a starry night – John Messeder photo

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Back in the day, in homes across our land, newspapers — those once-treasured carriers of life affirming information — were stuffed between the walls and rafters to ward off the assault of frigid winter winds.

Winter of a different sort has brought us a different insulation —that ubiquitous device that has migrated from our kitchen wall, generally one to a family, and multiplied on its way to our blue jeans’ back pockets, generally one to a person. With an R-rating somewhere around 7000, that ever-present piece of technology isolates all manner of intrusions from …

Cold is relative

*Spring is making a tentative foray and winter won’t surrender. We’re ready!* —John Messeder photo

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The temperature gauge at the edge of our flower garden claimed a balmy 50 F. From within our home, the 10 mph breeze sounded much colder.

The snow that has been hiding the grass for the past nearly two weeks is about gone. The TV weatherman said snow had been covering the ground for a record number of days. He neglected to point out that the snow piled up to the six-inch mark and stopped abruptly, and the bottom fell out of the thermometer.

Snow does not melt quickly when the mercury is below the 20 degree mark, though if today’s wind had occurred last week, more snow would have gone away earlier. But sublimation is another topic.

Snow ain’t what is used to be

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This week started with snow falling gently on the Couple Acre Wood. Outside my window, half-inch gray branches turned white, two inches and getting fatter.

The pup seemed not quite as confused as the first time he encountered snow. I watch him romp in the six-inch blanket, acting as though he’s not sure where it came from or why, occasionally looking back at me as though to ask, “what is this stuff?”

But it’s soft and he can smell the neighbor’s cats, so it’s all good.

The cost of the L.A. fires

*September 2020 smoke from California fires dims the afternoon sun over Middle Street, in Gettysburg, PA* (John Messeder photo)

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The fires in Los Angeles County make excellent television, with plenty of flames and smoke, burned hulls of homes with their former residents telling us through their tears how they’ve “lost everything.” Night after night of rerun videos of fire-fighting aircraft dropping water and chemicals on “hot spots” — a cool word some reporters repeat in reference to burned, burning and soon-to-be-burning homes, businesses and forests.

A HEAP of cold

Plowed snowbanks lead to an aged singlewide mobile home at the edge of a snow-covered field near a river. — AI-generated image by John Messeder

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A young woman of my earlier acquaintance lived with her two boys in a singlewide parked in an abandoned pasture. The field of weeds and young trees sat alongside a state highway where it paralleled a virtually unnoticed river flowing from the upper reaches of the rural county.