Frogs!

this one is too specifically political, but I'm mad

photos-words-song

It's too boring, I have nothing to show

Sometime in the last week, Bernie and I went for a hike, and the frogs had emerged from their frozen state, seemingly overjoyed to be here on earth in the early spring of 2026. They, of course, don’t care what year it is, but they do care about the weather.

It felt like a homecoming. Visually, Iceland is gobsmackingly beautiful, but along with the jaw-dropping scenery comes a lack of familiar wildlife. There are barely any bugs (fine), no native amphibians or reptiles—although, in a suburb of Reykjavik, apparently some pet frogs escaped and have somehow survived, though they are probably all dead after the spring they are having this year. There are also no native small mammals, so walking through the wilderness is extremely quiet.

I loved my Icelandic outings, but I missed the familiar sounds of the wildlife here. So the frogs were a welcomed and noisy homecoming for me. Their joy was my joy, and the world, in a sense, feels good as we welcome the new season.

I have found that wherever I am, my troubled ruminations remain pretty much the same. I blame the current president. He takes up too much oxygen on this planet—the ultimate narcissist, making everyone think about him every fucking day.

Why can’t we, as “the people,” do enough to get rid of him? Is it a lack of unity, a lack of will, a lack of power, or just a general lack of giving a shit? Whatever it is, every day is about his chaos. I’m not here for it.

I don’t like knowing that whether I am hiking a fjord, in some red desert, or on the moon, his fucking nonsense still affects me.

I remember hating Madonna for similar reasons back in the 1980s. But at least she didn’t want to end civilizations. She just wanted us to love her and make her rich.

Will he end the world today at 8 p.m.?

He can, if he wants, because he has broken our government. Will military leadership say no? I guess those who did have already been fired. Will Congress do anything? Nope… and that includes our favorite Democratic senators and representatives, who keep tweeting “He must be stopped,” like they aren’t the ones we elected to actually stop him.

And us? We the People—what can we do? Fight each other on social media? A week ago, 8 million people gathered for No Kings protests worldwide. This week, the King wants to end the world—so what did it do for us to gather and protest? What is the next step? I have been calling my senators and representatives—it’s easy—but most of them are on vacation this week. FFS.

It’s cold today. I am going to take my dog for a hike in the woods where, a week ago, the frogs were singing. Spring here in the Great Lakes region tries, then fails, to launch repeatedly before it finally sticks. I am hopeful that movements for a rational, sustainable existence on this planet keep trying—launching and relaunching—until they stick. I am hoping that Shitler/Orange Palpatine/that fucking guy… tacos the entire ending-of-the-world thing today.

Enjoy your week, if we have one….