(click to enlarge)
I spent the last three days at the largest ag expo in the world. I met an unbelievable array of people, from the guy who, with no sense of irony, encouraged - well, berated with the spittle-laced sincerity of the slightly mad - me to uphold and "reclaim" the Constitution* by joining an Egypt-style popular uprising to overthrow President Obama (To which I answered, "Or, another thought is you could wait two years until our next free and fair election and cast your vote - as per the Constitution." Apparently this heretical thought classified me as a traitor. Oh well.), to a cool dude who studied botany at Cambridge under a guy who coined the term "hybrid swarm," and endulged my lengthy monologue on how perfectly the term can be applied to oaks.
I'll leave it to you to decide which zealot has the firmer grip on his sanity.
I drove past this field on my way back to the hotel. I am always heartened when I travel in California and see oaks that were spared in the conversion to ag crops. I'm looking east, to the Sierra in the distance through the smog.
* At one point in my "conversation" with the gentleman who wanted me to storm the White House (at least figuratively speaking, via chain emails and letters) he asked me if I have read the Constitution and, without waiting for my reply, he turned his back to me. I thought perhaps he was going to walk away in mid sentence. Then I realized that the Constitution was printed on the back of his t-shirt. He expected me to stand there reading his back. He stood there so long he clearly thought I was still there reading his back with rapt attention. That was three hours ago.
I hope he's not still standing there.
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