TRAVEL: Virginia Lakes and Mammoth

Monday, August 6, 2012 

Virginia Lakes Fishing

Today we checked out of the Double Eagle Lodge, and drove up 395 to another lovely lake loop.  The fishing was disappointing here, but I did take a brief hike up to Red Lake, a lovely little round-cut brown diamond.  A vertiginous oxide rubble cascaded into one side of the lake, and a small waterfall departed the other.  

Here I saw a Mountain Chickadee, a Vireo, and a Western Wood Phoebe, almost displaying themselves for me to view.

The sunset began and we left and dined again at The Mono Inn, watching the alpenglow linger on the swath of lake, mountains, sky and clouds.  Breathtaking.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 

Back in Mammoth

First day we’ve had a newspaper and internet after 4 days or so.  Another mass shooting - this time in Wisconsin.  This country is an insane reality - gun control is so imperative, and yet the individual freedoms believers, so fearful of losing access to the murderous possibilities of gun possession, defend the freedom to own these dreadful assault weapons and unlimited rounds of rapid-fire ammunition. 

They are willing to sacrifice the right to safe public, social intercourse for an open society in which must be fortified with individual searches, bodyguards, security cameras, limited access, and economic class barriers which create political and social disenfranchisement. Which only leads to more lawlessness, disintegration of family structure, an entitled faux-rebel philosophy and violent retaliatory behavior.