Though the calendar still says "September", we are definitely in October's dooryard.

This next month will provide breathtaking color on wooded hillsides, crystal-blue skies filled with vees of southbound geese, a pollen-ending frost and the season's first fire in the fireplace.

Shorts, tees and flip-flops will be replaced by jeans, flannel shirts and boots.

Grass mowing will give way to wood splitting.

Wind chimes, lawn chairs and potted plants will be brought inside while bird feeders and the wood crib resume their outside winter places.

There are mowers to winterize, sweet potatoes and horseradish to be dug up and apples to pick.

And, at least so far as I know, I will be healthy enough to enjoy it all.

Is it any wonder October is my favorite month?

The same one-word question popped into my head the instant I heard that DonaldTrump, Sarah

Palin, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Herschel Walker, Mehmet Oz, Doug Mastriano and Kari Lake had been really---actually---no kiddin'---selected as their party's candidates: "SERIOUSLY???"

Sadly, the answer was some variation of "You betcha!"

If "The Man In Black" was still with us---

"I hear that Trump Train goin'
Goin' round the bend
And I ain't seen my fam'ly
Since I don't know when
I never should have boarded
I should have walked away
But, I joined that crowd in DC
And now I'm here to stay

He told me I was special
When I bought his bright red cap
He had me screaming "Stop the Steal!"
And other stupid crap!
Why did I believe him?
Why did I? Why, why, why?
Now, while that Trump Train keeps on chuggin',
I hang my head and cry!

Is it just possible that a good portion of the "inflstion" we are hearing about daily is

just mega-corporations spiking their prices in an effort to defeat more Democrats in the mid-terms AND pad their earnings?

We call that "gouging".

They call that "a two-fer".

Irony, thy name is "Republican Party!

The party with more of theirs indicted during Trump's four years than during any other administration, more criminals in office and more criminals currently running as their candidates, is urging people to vote Republican because they promise to be "tough on crime!"

I'll be go t' hell!

Of course, I do not know how these midterms will turn out, but I think I might be able

to make one accurate prediction: things will be less peaceful after November 8th.

If the Republicans take control of the House, they will at least try to impeach President Biden.

If they take control of the Senate, darn few Biden judicial appointees will be seated.

The knuckle-dragger white-supremacists/nazis/MAGAvolk will see Republican victories as a green light for street violence against anyone who disagrees with them.

On the other hand, if Democrats win---anything---the aforementioned knuckle-draggers will use the "rigged election" as their excuse to "kick ass and take names" at any gathering of "woke folk".

I'll be tickled to death to be wrong. We'll see.

There are things that we KNOW are true because they can be proven with verifiable facts and then

there are things that we BELIEVE to be true only because we "know" that "in our gut---or heart---or soul". We make life decisions based on both types of truths.

With that in mind, what truths do you know now about Donald Trump that you did not know six years ago?

To paraphrase Professor Kingsley in "The Paper Chase"---

"Mister Todd, here is a dime. Take it, call your mother, and tell her there is serious doubt about you ever becoming a journalist."

So, is Ronna McDaniel the RNC's first female "kleagle"? nt

Beware "Everyone knows _________!"

Everyone knew that Trump would lose the 2016 election.

Once he was inaugurated, everyone knew he would "pivot", "grow into the job" and "act presidential".

Everyone knew Barr would be a decent AG because he was an "institutionalist".

Everyone knew the Senate would be OK with approving Garland's nomination to the SCOTUS.

NOW, everyone knows the Democrats will lose at least the House in the upcoming midterms.

Really?