Hello to you. Another day has come and gone. I’ve started watching PBS in the evening. Tonight I’m watching a documentary about the making of the PBS show that features the adventures of a dog named Wishbone. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock with this one! It was an award winning show. It makes me think of when I did cartoons depicting highlights of my dog Sam’s life after he left us. I gave Sam a human voice. When I unbury them I’ll share them again.
The feature-length documentary about the beloved 90s PBS series is titled What’s the Story, Wishbone?. It explores the making and cultural impact of the classic children’s show that introduced a generation to literature. Directed by Joey Stewart, the film is available across major digital platforms.
Good evening to you. It’s starting to get dark as I write to you. I just finished watching a PBS show about the marriage of Queen Victoria. I enjoy watching programs that are about historical figures:
Jason asked us to come up with one word that describes what the wilderness means to us. For me the word was loneliness. When I’m alone I am the most vulnerable. Loneliness is like a vast desert and company quenches the thirst. I use to really like going off on my own and communing with nature. Ever since I’ve been having problems with my ears and lower back, the most time I spend alone is walking in the neighborhood.
One of the songs we sang today nearly brought me to tears:
When I have completely surrendered my will to that of the Holy Spirit drastic change has occurred. Both when I quit drinking and smoking I gave up my will to Gods will and claimed victory!
Hello to you in your here and now. I hope you are well. I was just watching a video on Tik Toc that made me very nostalgic for my teen years that I want to share with you. It was a compilation of 80’s movies:
I am a Generation Xer so a lot of my core memories are from the 80’s. My generation is the last to know what life could be like without smart phones and the internet. My favorite music was also in that time period. I remember seeing the beginning of MTV! One of the first videos I remember seeing:
I grew up without cell phones. I was a latch key kid who relied on a hard wired phone to keep in touch with my parents. I also relied on phone booths when I was away from home. In my early years in the military I worked on computers when they had data cards that had to be processed.
This is what I used early in my military career
If you didn’t want to be found you had an answering machine to collect your calls. I feel like the Internet has been a blessing and a curse! When I went to my first concert, David Bowie, the crowd didn’t have phones to capture it. Everyone was in the moment. Thats not the case these days:
A part of me really aches for simpler times. Nowadays everything is moving so fast. We are already into June when it seems like we just had Christmas! Every single moment has a planned event it seems like! Can we keep up?!
Hello to you. It’s Sunday again! The week flew by didn’t it?! I forced myself to go to church despite having some slight vertigo. I’m so glad I did as I got to see my church fam – especially Jeannie, Terry, Cecil, Mark and Brenda. I love getting and giving hugs! Today was Communion Sunday which is always meaningful. Pastor Jason’s message today resonated with me. Feeling the way I did today, the weeble wobbles, makes it hard for me to commit more of myself to our churches needs. Some days it’s all I can do to get to church like today. We are growing and there are so many spaces that need to be filled! I am glad to be part of a prayer group that meets on Thursdays and when I’m able I go to a Monday coffee with women of Grace.
Today is my Dads heavenly birthday, he would be 83 today. I feel bad that I didn’t know my dad better. He didn’t ever really talk about his past. I’m ashamed to say that today is the first time I have read his obituary! I still haven’t fully grieved and or accepted that he’s gone. I miss the dad that dad was so much of his life. I miss his hugs that could make the world stand still. I miss his laughter and his smile. He had such a fun sense of humor. I miss him calling me and leaving voice messages – “hi Jackie this is your dad.” I miss him asking me to get him quarters from the bank. I miss decorating the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving with him. I just miss him alot! There are so many little things. I was proud of my dad for everything he did. I can remember when I would visit him and mom how many people that knew my dad and would say hello. He was kind of a local celebrity!
Part of his life is missing from his obituary and that is being married to my birth mom Jeannie and her subsequent suicide. This painful part of his past changed the course of both of our lives. Suicide does that so I’m not surprised for the omission. I only ever heard him speak of what happened when he told Dianne when he thought I was asleep in the backseat. I have never forgotten that! It was a horrible thing he went through! I feel bad that I put him through so much with my mental health issues during the latter years of his life.
Larry Schmidt, Sioux Falls, SD, passed away Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at Avera Prince of Peace. He was 80.
Larry Jay Schmidt was born May 31, 1943, in Marion, SD, to Elias and Irene (Wipf) Schmidt. The family lived in Freeman, SD prior to moving to Sioux Falls when Larry was five years old. He attended Sioux Falls Washington Senior High School and then joined the US Navy. Following his honorable discharge from service, he sold insurance for Physicians Mutual. Larry served as a police officer in Freeman, SD, then later moved to Rapid City, SD where he continued in security.
On July 7, 1973, he was united in marriage to Dianne Warrington in Tea, SD. The couple made their home in Sioux Falls. Larry continued his career with security in Sioux Falls. In 1987, he and Dianne purchased Velvet Uniforms serving the Sioux Falls community and the law enforcement community in the area. He retired in 2008.
Larry was a member of St. Michael Parish, the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and VFW Honor Guards, and was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police Associate Lodge #1, where he had served as board member and president.
In his free time, Larry enjoyed genealogy and collecting coins.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Dianne Schmidt, Sioux Falls, SD; daughter, Jackie Wygant, Middleton, ID; son, Jerry (Robin) Lemme, Dell Rapids, SD; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his brother, Eli (LaVonne) Schmidt, of Sioux Falls, SD. He was preceded in death by his parents, and three brothers, LaVerne Wipf, Gene Schmidt, and John Schmidt.
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well from where you are visiting me here. Today is Memorial Day here in the US and my deceased birth mom’s 84 birthday.
Drawing I did of my mom Jeannie many years ago
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the family and friends of those who have fought and died for their country. In addition to that my thoughts turn to those who have fought and lost the battle with mental illness. My mom Jeannie, at the age of 26 is such a person. I was afraid for much of my early life that I wasn’t going to live past 26 – end up just like my mom. I am now 58 – well beyond my fears!
One of the most special memories I have of celebrating Memorial Day is with my exes family going to Arlington National Cemetery. My exes dad and his family played taps at exactly 3 pm at different corners of the cemetery:
https://youtu.be/nhxxOvdM1SE?si=yj7rOt0BimzB6M98 – Taps – We share a Memorial Day tribute, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force Band. It features a bugler from The Ceremonial Brass performing Taps at Culpeper National Cemetery in Virginia
Taps for Veterans Every Memorial Day at 3:00 PM local time, Americans from coast to coast pause to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.
I nearly lost it seeing so many graves. There were several new graves. The ages of those fallen were my age and younger. Gone too soon!
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. I just scrapped an entire post because I know not many people will want to read a rant about how our wild spaces are being violated. I think a lot of people are just so beat up by this world right now that they have become apathetic to it all. They need good news! What is going right with the world?!!! I found the following on the good news network page:
Ice Cream Truck Gives Free Scoop to Little Boy Who Couldn’t Afford It. Now It’s Free for All Kids This Summer
“We don’t turn kids away when they don’t have money,” says Madyson Silvagnoli, owner of Maddy’s Ice Cream and More.
In between all of the bad and sad news are good things happening. My hope is in Jesus who manifests himself in good people and happenings each day. You just have to look! I can remember living in a Section 8 apartment but if you look at the pictures I took living there you would never know. Kyle, Sam and I looked for and found the beauty in between the trash. In between the ugliness of war and chaos are good people doing good things. All is not lost!
Hello to you. It’s a windy Sunday afternoon as I write to you. I was just at my Aunt and Uncles. We had a nice meal and watched a lovely show about Hummingbirds narrated by David Attenborough. I saw one at the feeders outside. Soon my Aunt will make them something to drink!
Today began with church. Pastor Jason about brought me to tears. He was having trouble with anxiety and I could so relate! I hate seeing him like that but he is so honest – we prayed for him and he did a great job.
All the saints and angels They bow before Your throne All the elders cast their crowns Before the Lamb of God and sing
You are worthy of it all You are worthy of it all For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory
All the saints and angels Bow before Your throne All the elders cast their crowns Before the Lamb of God and sing
You are worthy of it all You are worthy of it all For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory
You are worthy, You are worthy (You are worthy of it all) You are worthy of it all You are worthy of it all For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory
Lord, You’re worthy From the rising of the sun to the going down of the Sun
Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Come on (day and night) cry out (night and day, let incense arise) You’re holy Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day
You are worthy of it all You are worthy of it all, Jesus For from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory You are worthy, You are worthy
, yes, You are (You are worthy of it all), we owe everything to You, yes, we do (For from You are all things), from You are all things And to You are all things You deserve the glory
Hello to you my friends. Today is Saturday and I hope you are going to do something fun! I am just back from a walk. Something I noticed is the flowers in the neighborhood are all in bloom. Normally the roses and Peonies bloom a little later in the year.
Peony Love this rose colorLots of natural looking clouds today“Not all who wander are lost”
Today’s prompt makes me think of my jewelry. A ring I’ve had for several years now that says “Not all who wander are lost” is one I’ve had for several years now. This phrase really resonates with me and much of my life. The saying comes from the line of a poem in Lord of the Rings. I also have a blue topaz ring that is like an eye that I’ve had a really long time. Here’s what the internet had to say about the phrase:
The famous phrase “Not all those who wander are lost” originates from J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1954 fantasy masterpiece, The Fellowship of the Ring. [1, 2]It appears as the second line in a poem known as “The Riddle of Strider” (or the “Song of Aragorn”), which is written about the character Aragorn: [1, 2]All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. [1, 2]
Context and Original Meaning In the story, Aragorn is a Ranger who lives a wandering life in the wilderness. He is not wandering aimlessly because he is lost; rather, he lives in exile to protect the realm and guard his true identity as a rightful king. Therefore, within the context of the book, the line highlights that individuals who appear to live unstructured or nomadic lives often have a deep inner strength, a strong sense of purpose, and deep historical roots. [1, 2]Today, the quote is widely adopted by travelers, adventurers, and free spirits to celebrate the idea of embracing the unknown and finding personal meaning in the journey rather than just the destination.
Good evening. It’s almost bed time as I write to you. It’s hard to believe another week is coming to a close! For some reason my neighbors are shooting off fireworks- thank goodness Link doesn’t get bothered by them!
The prompt for today makes me look back to when I was Active Duty in the Air Force for 16 years. During my time in service I was both a leader and a follower depending on the circumstances I was in. In the military there is a long chain of command leading all the way to the President. You have a supervisor who has a supervisor who has a supervisor and so on all the way up. I can remember having difficulty following orders – I never just blindly followed. When you are a low ranking individual you really don’t have much of a say. As an airmen I got in trouble on more than one occasion of breaking the rules! I had come from a strict home life so you would think following orders in the military would come easily but it didn’t. To be an effective leader you need a pretty thick skin which I haven’t always had. As a young person I was extremely empathetic and had trouble regulating my emotions. Nowadays I have a much thicker skin- almost too much so!
Dear Jesus thank you for this day and all the blessings in it. I love you Lord. I pray that your presence and love flow to all those who are lost in this world. I pray you bless the sick, those on a healing journey like my cousin Heidi, the poor, the unhoused, the addicted, the abused, the neglected to include all animals. Amen.
Hello to you today. I hope this finds you well. My thoughts today turn to water. This is what the internet had to say about current conditions:
Water shortages in the US are reaching critical levels, driven by climate change, aging infrastructure, and aquifer depletion, with New Mexico, California, Arizona, and the Colorado River Basin facing severe risks. Roughly 2.2 million Americans lack running water, and 44 million face water system quality issues. Groundwater, particularly the Ogallala aquifer, is rapidly declining. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Water Shortage Areas and Drivers
The West and Southwest: The Colorado River, which supplies water for seven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming), is severely overallocated. Major reservoirs like Lake Mead and Lake Powell have experienced critically low levels.
Groundwater Depletion: Nearly 45% of water wells across the US have seen significant water level declines since 1980.
Infrastructure Issues: Aging infrastructure and failed septic systems are causing water insecurity, particularly impacting Latino, Black, and Indigenous communities.
The Ogallala Aquifer: This major agricultural water source is draining faster than it can replenish. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Impacted RegionsHighest Risk: New Mexico is classified as having “extremely high” water stress.
High Risk States: California, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska face high water stress.
Widespread Risk: Future projections suggest that by 2071, nearly half of the 204 freshwater basins in the US may not be able to meet monthly water demands. [1, 2]
Solutions and OutlookLong-Term Strategies: Solutions include enhanced conservation efforts, water recycling, and desalination.
Infrastructure Investment: Increased funding for water infrastructure is considered crucial.
Agricultural Changes: Agricultural practices are expected to change significantly to reduce water consumption, as irrigation accounts for a large portion of water use. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Recent DevelopmentsAs of May 2026, widespread “severe to exceptional” drought continues in parts of the country.Renegotiations are underway for the Colorado River’s management, with key agreements set to expire.USGS released a comprehensive assessment on water resources in January 2025 to monitor these risks
All this is going on and yet they want to build huge data centers. Here is what the internet had to say about them in regards to water usage:
Data centers consume significant water, often 1–5 million gallons daily for large, hyperscale facilities to cool servers, roughly equivalent to a town of 10,000–50,000 people. As AI grows, this usage is rising, with AI-related data centers in the U.S. projected to require up to 32 billion gallons annually by 2028. [1, 2, 3]
Key Water Usage Facts & Figures (2026):
Daily Consumption: Medium-sized data centers can use roughly 300,000 to 500,000 gallons daily, while large, hyperscale facilities can hit 1–5 million gallons, especially during hot weather.
AI Impact: An AI chat session of roughly 20-50 queries can consume up to a 500ml bottle of water.
Aggregate Impact: U.S. data centers combined consumed about 17 billion gallons of on-site water in 2023. While significant locally, this accounts for roughly 0.3–0.4% of total U.S. daily water withdrawals, much less than agriculture.
Cooling Methods: Most high-usage data centers use evaporative cooling, which evaporates water to keep servers cool, making it a high-consumption, low-return process. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Environmental and Local Impact:Local Strain: Data centers can strain local water resources, with some studies showing that 31% of freshwater withdrawals by major companies like Google in 2023 were from medium-to-high water-stressed regions.
Contamination Risks: Cooling systems can introduce biocides (to prevent bacterial growth), corrosion inhibitors, and heavy metals into local water systems.
Water Management: Operators are increasingly using “closed-loop” systems to reduce consumption and exploring alternatives to freshwater, though saltwater is generally not feasible due to mineral buildup. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Future Outlook: Water withdrawals for AI-related operations in Texas alone could grow from 0.75% of state demand in 2025 to over 9% by 2040. Solutions like direct-to-chip and immersion cooling are being implemented to reduce, but not eliminate, the need for water. [1, 2]
I feel bad for the people of Utah:
A massive 40,000-acre “Stratos” AI data center project, backed by Kevin O’Leary and Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), was approved in Box Elder County, Utah, in May 2026. The project intends to support national AI capabilities with 9 gigawatts of power, though it faces intense scrutiny for high water usage and potential environmental impacts. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key Details of the Utah AI Data Center Projects (as of May 2026)Stratos / Wonder Valley (Box Elder County)
Project Size: A massive 40,000-acre campus on unincorporated land in northwest Utah.
Developer: Backed by Kevin O’Leary (O’Leary Digital) in partnership with West GenCo and MIDA.
Power & Output: Expected to generate and use roughly 9 gigawatts of power, which is more than double the current electricity consumption of the entire state of Utah.
Environmental Concerns: Critics cite significant potential air pollution, noise, and water consumption, estimated at 16.6 billion gallons per year, potentially affecting the Great Salt Lake.
Purpose: Touted by supporters as a critical AI infrastructure project to enhance US security against global competitors.
Unfortunately Idaho is not immune to the data centers and apparently has AI data centers under construction:
Idaho Conservation League:
🚧🤖 Idaho’s first AI data center is under construction– and another is on the way. More and more tech companies are eying Idaho for new data centers because of our relatively low electricity rates, abundance of land, existing tax breaks for these facilities, and our generally anti-regulation state government. This is likely just the beginning of the data center boom in Idaho.⚡️
🔋With electricity rates already increasing as a result of population growth and large industrial customers, we need to make sure that residential customers don’t subsidize infrastructure and energy costs related to these facilities. As we enter the brave new world of AI mega data centers, we should strive to be as prepared as possible to handle the increased strain they will put on our electric grid and water supply. 💧
To be 