A sign in my front yard warns visitors to look where they step, as the yard is a habitat for several creatures. One of them is a type of caterpillar. During warm weather these caterpillars cross a narrow patio between the yard and the house, to find a place to become a cocoon. They hang themselves underneath the sill of the house, under branches of plants and ornaments, and after a few days butterflies come out! These are the colorful Monarch butterflies.
At times so many are born that they glide in a group all over the street. The neighbors enjoy them, and help to take care of them by telling the children to be gentle if they catch them and to let them go. They thrive in my yard because I’ve got milkweed, which supports their life cycle. When the weather gets cold, they’re off to warmer places in Mexico. Experts say that their numbers are decreasing significantly due to loss of native vegetation and habitat, and excessive use of pesticide and herbicide. The loss of beneficial insects affects the pollination of plants and our food chain.
Besides caterpillars and butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, ladybugs, lizards, finches and doves, occasionally a hawk chasing a bird – all of these are seen in my yard. Sages, lavenders, succulents, roses, lantanas and mulch cover the ground and impregnate the place with fragrance and colors. The milkweed seeds itself, and some have landed in the neighbors gardens. I got most of the plants at one of my favorite places in northern Orange County, the Fullerton Arboretum. This place is a hidden treasure, a tranquil relaxing one.
Milkweed, essential to a growing caterpillar!
I had to remove a beautiful tree in the front yard, which had grown too large and was lifting the concrete in the driveway. I remembered reading about the turf removal program in the city’s utilities newsletter, and now we are the only house in the street without a lawn. Perhaps in the whole neighborhood. My daughters had enjoyed the lawn and the tree when they were infants, and now we could afford to make a small contribution to water and ecological conservation.
A downside of this project was that I had to dispense with the services of the gardener. There was not much to maintain now, as the lawn in the backyard had also being reduced. A small push lawnmower and a broom replace the gardener’s very noisy and polluting gas lawnmower and leaf blower. The economics of his trade force him to use his noisy machines – he can’t afford to get newer, less-polluting ones. He still comes around to work in the neighborhood, from somewhere in Riverside.
We still chat, and we talk about the butterflies as he is from Michoacan, one of the Monarch’s reserves in Mexico. We talk about our hopes of a better life for our children, and about the “un-contacted” people. They are indigenous people who live in the mountains and rainforests of Mexico, Central and South America, without contact or minimal, with the urban industrialized world. They are also found in other parts of the world, in Africa, Asia, even in Canada. We wonder how happier they may be in comparison to us, not worried about freeway congestion, car maintenance, power outages, mortgages/rent payment. Maybe they are missing out on the modern benefits, the internet, smart phones. We agreed that their lives, very different than ours, do not contribute to the major ecological problems we are experiencing.
We also talk about the city where we work and I live, Anaheim. The outrage provoked by the Teddy Bear mockery is an indication of the progress reached against the bigotry and arrogance of the elite governing the city. The reluctance of the Chamber of Commerce to distance itself from the Public Relations agent representing them, and author of this mockery, is understandable. It’s not that they are not aware of the impact furthering their negative public perception. They must be trying to work out an arrangement so that this PR operative does not disclose compromising information, especially involving Curt Pringle. The eventual release of the Chamber’s audit, and the release of the tapes of the security cameras where the Teddy Bear mockery took place, may finally force the Chamber to terminate the contract with the disgraced PR agent.
Two other events are putting Anaheim at a crossroads. One is the settlement on the districting lawsuit. Will whether to have districts or not be determined by an election? If yes, what if the voting pattern is repeated, where backers of the status quo outnumber districting proponents?
The other event is the election of the Mayor. The movement to reform city government is momentarily divided between Mayor Tait and Ms Galloway. I do not agree with the reasons presented by Ms Galloway for running against her erstwhile ally. I doubt that she can do any better of a job than Mayor Tait, not because of personal abilities but because the council majority is determined to push their agenda no matter who opposes them. The remaining major issue, the Angel’s negotiation, makes me wonder what Ms Galloway’s position would be if her main known supporter is the editor of The Liberal OC.
This challenge framed among partisan lines, Democrats vs Republicans, bring us down to the unpleasant reality of politics. These major parties end up imposing a choice that is not necessarily the best solution at the city level especially in term of candidates. The qualities and positions of the individuals can easily be evaluated, and in the last election I voted for candidates not because of their partisan ideologies, but because of their position on transparency and good government. Mostly partisan ideological reasons driving participation in the city’s issues can be counterproductive. One of the arguments of our good conservative friends against the bad conservatives is to avoid the liberals from taking over the city government. Likewise, some liberals aim to displace conservatives regardless of their performance while in office. Being conservative or liberal is something to consider to a certain extent, but should not be the main criterion all the time. At this point in Anaheim, we need somebody who implements transparent government and the changes needed to celebrate our diversity in a genuine way.
Nice imagery. What is the white matter in the picture at the bottom?
It is a type of Chrysanthemums, at full bloom in October.
Nice. Not sure if I know you, but on your comment about Galloway-Dan C v Tait; You know what I call Democrats acting like Republicans? Terrible and worthy of rebuke. What do I call Republicans acting like Democrats like Tait? Bonus!!
I know some Republicans who would assert that Tait was acting like a Republican. And my understanding is that many many prominent Republicans in the county would prefer the likes of Tait to those of Pringle. So we are in an interesting moment in Orange County, as the inverse preference also crosses party lines.
We Dems don’t help the good man (with his GOP base) when we say he acts like a Democrat. And it’s not accurate, he just behaves like an honest, conservative Republican with a good heart.
Also we forget the very conservative things he does that we wouldn’t agree with. He is the unions’ worst enemy in Anaheim, as Dan C will correctly remind you. One of his biggest campaigns throughout his mayorship has been getting rid of regulations on businesses – sounds good, but I can’t vouch that some or a lot of those regulations weren’t important. I suspect he has socially conservative positions that might frighten us, but don’t really matter as long as he’s in Anaheim city government rather than Sacramento or Washington.
So no, he doesn’t act like a Democrat when he simply tries to be a good steward of the city budget, or strengthen democracy, or bring oversight to the police, or otherwise respond to the concerns of residents who don’t always get listened to. He is acting like a good public servant of either party should act.
Lovely story, Ricardo. This Butterfly Monarchy is one that I hope truly will last forever; thanks for being a soldier in that quiet battle.
Ricardo, beautifully written as always. And now we have found yet another excuse to bring you over to the Money Pit for a visit, as we also enjoy a garden of California natives and plants specifically chosen to attract birds and butterflies. We also now have bees that I need to call the humane removal people for, I hope we can find a way to keep them, but in a spot more productive than the inside of the irrigation box!
As far as the changing dynamics of the city, I will say that Tom Tait is the ultimate representation of what a solid conservative leader looks like. He has consistently been reluctant to spend public money unless he can prove it benefits the public, and is truly the appropriate role of government. He is unselfishly willing to set aside his own agenda for the good of those who trusted him to lead the city, even when it means he takes a beating on something.
In contrast, we have those who are promoted as “Republican” or “Conservative” who have failed in their actions and words to adhere to those principles. Specifically Kris Murray, who never met a government spending plan she didn’t want to allow to pick our pockets. And we have discussed Matt Cunningham, who is conservative only in the sense that the media managed to lift that moniker from his own press pages, but has instead spent his recent career actively promoting crony capitalism and defending his friends feeding at the public trough.
Sadly, GOP leader Scott Baugh seems to be so busy playing the political game and making sure everyone likes him, that he has helped damage the future viability of the Republican party in Anaheim. We are about to have District elections, that is a certainty with the City Council reportedly talking about settling the lawsuit. For the first time in many decades the structure of Anaheim’s government will be brought back down to a human scale, with the potential for grass roots leadership to possibly take seats on the Council.
Voters who had previously disengaged in frustration are likely to return to the polls, or perhaps register for the first time. Those on-the-fence voters will gravitate to candidates they believe have their best interests at heart. But Anaheim Council incumbents wearing the mantle of “republican endorsement” during their elections have spent their first terms dismissing the heartfelt pleas of entire neighborhoods, while viciously attacking Mayor Tait for holding a truly conservative line!
When I speak to neighbors who are considering registering to vote for the first time, or returning to participation after many years, how am I supposed to convince them that the Republican party really is the party most closely aligned with their pro-family, fiscally conservative personal values, when all they see are the “Republicans” who make up the majority of the Council pushing the spend-thrift boondoggle projects like Gardenwalk, the Resort Streetcar, now the giveaway of Stadium benefits and land? As Republicans in Anaheim, trying to hold off the tide of liberal backlash, we have our work cut out for us, and it is frustrating that the leadership who SHOULD be bringing in resources and the backing of the party to maintain leadership in the largest city in the County are instead making it even harder for us to hold the line, much less gain ground!
I often feel as though Anaheim has been written off by the powers that be, whose plan for extraction economics will siphon off the last of our public coffers before they move to south county, using our money to hire the moving van. Many of those like Cunningham do not even live where they are stirring the pot, and do not stick around to deal with the consequences of their hateful words. Others who do live here only just arrived in time to run for office, their lack of roots indicative of people likely to take (our) money and run for a place that has not been stripped of its ability to provide services for its citizens into the future. And all of them are being offered cover by those party leaders who don’t live here, don’t fathom the damage being done, and don’t live with the fallout. To them all I can say is, “If you don’t want to help, at least quit making it worse!”
If Scott Baugh and the GOP Central Committee really are serious about saving Anaheim from a liberal takeover, they will haul these “republican” leaders into the office, grab them by the scruff of the neck, and make it clear that when they behave in the not-remotely-conservative fashion they have been engaged in, they make all Republicans look bad. As Republicans we need to clean our own house before the liberals do it for us, but that is hard to do when the very head honcho of the Central Commitee supports Kris Murray on her host committee, and tells the OC Register he supports Matt Cunningham!
Indeed, the one salvation for the Republican party in Anaheim is Mayor Tom Tait, the most beloved political figure I have ever encountered. The presence of political leaders in the community will often elicit a crowd, people want to shake hands with Shawn Nelson or have their photo taken with Lou Correa. But people HUG Tom Tait, and positively GUSH with thanks to him for the way he is standing up for the little guy and standing firm against those who would strip us of resources. The reaction is remarkable, and unprecedented in my experience, and Tait’s extreme popularity explains the recent ugly opposition from hardcore partisans like Dan C who see the threat to Dem candidates if voters equate Tait with Republican ideals. If the GOP wants to hold any position of merit in Anaheim, we need to make it clear that Tait and candidates like him are the true conservatives, and the majority of Council have betrayed the party principles they claimed to hold when begging for a nod from the Endorsement Committee. It would go a long way for the GOP to send the message that the continuing attacks against Tait, and the hateful verbal attacks against Anaheim’s citizens, will be seen as attacks on Republican values, and will be treated as the hostile actions that they truly are.
Sorry Ricardo, I hijacked your thread, but something needs to shift, and fast, because Anaheim is on the edge of being something completely unlike what it has been. We can work together to make it better and pull it back from the brink, becoming a community that has weathered an ugly period and can appreciate each other for it, or we can hand it all over to those who ensure that our ability to maintain parks and libraries and Police services in 20 years was siphoned into the bank accounts of their friends, while they offered cover for hate speech against those of us who objected. People like the (unpaid) writers here at OJ Blog have taken the time and energy to try exposing wrongdoing and make things better, but we need the leaders who control power and resources to provide us with support to do that. Will Scott Baugh be there for the people of Anaheim. or is he going to keep covering for the bad behavior of his friends? That is the essence of who will win elections into the future, and it does not leave me with a lot of confidence for the party of my upbringing.
As Ricardo and I have learned in our own yards, a gardener gets back what they put in, what are our political leaders sowing right now in Anaheim?
…and Tait’s extreme popularity explains the recent ugly opposition from hardcore partisans like Dan C who see the threat to Dem candidates if voters equate Tait with Republican ideals.
No, Dan C doesn’t think that hard or strategically. His recent hitting of Tait (whom he used to grudgingly compliment) is due to his loyalty to Cunningham and Brandman, his hatred of Greg Diamond, and his over-the-top desire to show himself to be a better Democrat than Greg by becoming the blogosphere’s only enthusiast for Lorri Galloway (whose name he can’t even spell.)
And of course Dan has supported plenty of Republicans over Democrats for one reason or another in the past, but the lunk is blissfully unaware of his own double standards as he becomes the Grand Partisan Inquisitor in Anaheim.
Vern – How is Dan a Grand Partisan Inquisitor?
Read his stuff. His stuff about Greg over the last couple months particularly.
“Inquisitor,” yes. “Partisan”? Not really. (Remember the Kris Murray tongue bath.) “Grand”? Definitely not. For him, I’ll stick with the appellation “Liberal (Unless Mentioning Mercantilism) OC’s,” or “Lummox.”
“blissfully unaware of his own double standards as he becomes the Grand Partisan Inquisitor in Anaheim.”
The Kris Murray Tongue Bath was SO last month. This month he’s focused on partisanship, mainly due to his love of Jordan and hatred of you. And he’s no more “liberal” than Cunningham is “conservative.” They’re both spineless Kleptocrat tools.
Wow, we sure have strayed from Ricardo’s butterflies…
I don’t get it – partisan – aren’t we all to a degree more or less? Inquisitor?? Does he ask questions? …. don’t get it …..
Butterflies are free … and so are we.
[Textless — GD.]
[Again, it’s not the anonymity and it’s not the sentiment, it’s the sentiment behind the cover of anonymity. You have the right to disagree with Ricardo, but not while being an ass about it.]
Nameless I have no idea who you are, which is, I suppose, why you post in such a manner, but really, the ignorant crap you spew here just gets OLD. Ricardo Toro is a gentleman, in the traditional use of the word, and undeserving of your senseless abuse. In order to call Bullshit on something you need to have the stones to come out from behind your own screen name. Otherwise i will call Nameless out for being Spineless.
Second. Calling bullshit and making a slanted accusation of homophobia is beyond the writ of anonymous comment. Move to strike.
Thanks Cynthia and Ryan.
Nameless, the gardener used to live in Santa Ana, moved to the Riverside area, and kept his clientele base, his route, in Anaheim. He drives over here twice a week. It may not be the best business plan, but it works for him. The Cunningham’s stunt took off as a wildfire, and people are still talking about it, including his clients and friends from Anaheim.
Your interpretation of the mariposa term is out of the context of this post, and it is inappropriate.