Living in Wisconsin immeasurable opportunities to escape. When I am angry, sad, broken down mentally or physically, getting outside makes a huge difference to me. Relief comes from equal parts seeing nature doing its thing with no regard to my concerns and my putting technology away for a few hours. On a millennial time scale however, nature isn't as chill as it looks. When I look closely, I can't help but notice that plants, animals, insects and even inert objects are stressing out these past few years. Monarch butterflies I used to net and study are nowhere to be seen in the fields and parks. Eastern Bluebirds no longer frequent fence lines along roads that I walk and bike. Whitetail deer wander through my yard at all times of the day to graze on Becki's flowers, garden plants, and in winter, birdseed in her feeders. It is late January and there has been little snow cover, daily high temperatures last week exceeded 50°F, breaking records in many parts of ...
I have to admit, I have never been much of a Bob Dylan fan. To cut myself a little slack, the guy has made a career out of being misunderstood. From the nasal, unmelodic vocals to the acoustic guitar strumming and jarring harmonica interjections, it just never was my kind of music. He is a legend. Good for him. Today I went to see the biopic A Complete Unknown about his arrival in New York and the storm that ensued after Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, the latter weakened by Huntington's disease and bedridden in a New Jersey convalescent home, were taken by the teenager troubadour from Minnesota. Most of the scenes felt exaggerated and forced, the charming but tortured Dylan churning out stunning lyrics one after another. Everyone loved everything, and women including folk legend Joan Baez wanted to own him. One after another, Bob Dylan broke away and established himself as the property of no one. That included record labels and the Folk M...