Still Hanging Out in California

I’m halfway through Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty but my history reading is only up to the Tang. I’m on the verge of selling the last of my film cameras. I’m going through a period of Why do I bother? (It happens from time to time. )
Fall is a time of expectations. I feel it’s more the beginning of the year than January 1. There are practical questions like, will we get enough rain this year and is the Covid epidemic finally over? We also have midterm elections and the horrible mess of our political system. Whatever happens, at least the weather will be nice.
Since I haven’t been getting out much, I have to take my opportunities where I find them. Like the produce department at the grocery store.

It has been an interesting week or so. In a Chinese curse sort of way. There are televised Congressional hearings that make the case that the previous U.S. President committed sedition. The Supreme Court has decided that half the population of the country has no right to bodily autonomy. They also further loosened the gun control laws which incited one wag to opine that life apparently begins at conception and ends at age ten in an elementary school classroom in Texas. The Supremes also decided that Church and State aren't so separate after all, if by Church you mean christianity. And there were hints they would like to have another look at our rights to use birth control and our access to the civil institution of marriage.
This is Bill. He's glad to be a cat.