Anchor Struck

Spring up here (northern Vancouver Island) is still playing it coy. This April and May have not been as warm as recent years. It got down to 4 C. (40 F.) last night and I remain in long sleeves when I venture out. However, I courageously continue my chopping up of bark into mulch.

Dedicated readers will remember that I’m making mulch from the bark we’ve amounded from splitting firewood for 20 years. So I sit in front of a chopping block, hatchet in hand and refreshing beverage in other hand, as I reduce the exterior covering of alder and fir trees to ground cover.

Other than being mindful not to chop off a finger, my thoughts wander as I listen to old CD’s and cassette tapes. Yesterday, while re-relishing the Thompson Twins, I had two Prime Thoughts: (1) I’ve had this Thompson Twins tape 40 years; and (2) since I’m hand hewing this bark, I’m technically creating artisanal mulch. These astonishing insights required another refreshing beverage.

If you enjoyed Prime Thought #2, kindly go to You Tube and look up “Maker Series: Artisanal Firewood/CBC Radio”.

Anyhoo, despite/because of Trump’s relentless attack on All That’s Good, his approval ratings are steadily dropping. It varies from poll to poll, of course, but Real Clear Politics’ aggregator has Aging Orange down 14 points since re-entering office. He started at +7 above water. And support of his strengths — immigration and the economy — is waning as well.

The most intriguing poll is a recent one by PBS/NPR/Marist that found Donny Jay losing favour with rural voters. He won 63% of their vote in 2024, three more than he did in 2020. But it’s down to 46, just one point more than disapproval. Small wonder he wants to defund PBS and NPR.

I’ve long thought of the U.S. electorate in thirds: one who will never vote against Trump, one who never will vote for him and one up for grabs. After living many years in Missouri, Kansas and Louisiana, I never thought the farmers would ever abandon the GOP. I hope I’m wrong.