Here are the topics in this week's blog: Round One; hummers in the mountains; gardening at altitude; the right track; drone wars.

But, wait. There's more? If only this entry were about one of those loud, eminently forgettable TV ads by the late Billy Mays. Alas, it's not and there will be more of these GOP candidate debates, many more. Things have morphed. Are we in the twilight zone?
     On September 26, 1960, an estimated 74 million viewers watched a live broadcast as presidential candidates, Senator John Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon, squared off in the nation's first-ever presidential debate. One debate, two candidates. This past Tuesday's two dust ups were the first of many.  
      Ttrivia fact: On that fateful night in 1960, 88% of American households had a TV set. One wonders what the figure is in 2015. There are many more debates to come and, though warnings will not be forthcoming, Miss Piggy and moi would advise viewer discretion. Lord,have mmercy.

What's that "buzz?" This past week I spent three days in Summit county at a friend's "cabin" on Green Mountain Reservoir. (Heeney, CO, is the post office). For everyone's pleasure -- especially his grandchildren -- John has several humming bird feeders on his deck. These delightful, artful fliers migrate from Central America, pass though Denver, then continue on into the cooler high country. Whether you are young and old, you cannot help but watch with awe as they flit between John's willow bushes and their feeders.Thei

Fresh produce. My wife's squash and tomatoes have begun to produce; we are still awaiting the final verdict on the struggling honeydew melon. Our neighbors hope the squash lives up to their name, plentiful.

The right track? There is much ado from both Democrats and Republicans about the so-called "right track." Polls purport to tell us what percentage of Americans think we are on the right or wrong track. The devil is in the details, of course! No doubt, every candidate, every voter has their own take on what's right. Now, if only the candidates would just tell us just what is their track! There is a lot of bluster and generality spouted on the campaign trail, but a paucity of specificity, far too little enlightenment to suit moi.

Chinese drones. Photos have surfaced of an armed Chinese drone that crashed in Nigeria. Reportedly the Chinese are selling drones to the Nigerian government to assist in fighting the Boco Haram terrorist group. The US has been assisting the fight by flying unarmed drones from a base in Chad, but will not sell armed drones, lest our "secrets" become known.

Thanks for reading. Have a quiet and pleasant week.