“But know this, that in the last days, critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5
When I read this scripture, my heart skipped a beat, and I had goose bumps. This situation is happening right now. Not just in the urban areas, but in the small towns. Here in the mountains where I live. I did not see it at first, but as each year goes by, it is more and more blatant.
Are you noticing these (or other) signs of the “last days?” Please Share Them in the Comments!
The forest is dry. The trees look tired – even the majestic pines and cedars appear sad. And why shouldn’t they be? They have lost many of their kind in the past two years due to PG&E’s Fire Prevention Plan.
I hope the giant utility company has some kind of logical plan. I don’t see any sign of one, only their “no trees, no fires” approach. Last summer and this one have had the constant sound of chainsaws and the ground-shaking booms of fallen trees.
The noise is annoying, and I can’t hear myself think. Every boom breaks my heart. We are killing trees that have lived on this land hundreds of years before we were even born. Their crime? Being too close to powerlines. The injustice of that angers me. This is MY forest, I rant. Technically, that is not true, but I live here, so I’m extremly protective.
Did you notice that I said, “We are killing trees?” and not, “They are killing trees?” As much as PG&E angers me, it is not just them. All humans demand the convenience of lighting, cable TV, internet access, etc. We are irrevocably entangled with electricity to charge our phones, run our appliances, and modern conveniences. I cannot make dinner without electricity. I can’t piece a quilt without it or write a blog.
Even with our solar panels on the roof generating energy, we can’t actually use it. Not directly. We remain on the grid that feeds energy to PG&E. Our bill is lower; however, the solar installation cost will not be recovered in our lifetime. If that isn’t depressing enough, when we lose PG&E power, our solar panels do not work. No matter how sunny the day is.
I think about this as I drink coffee at my desk. My view is mostly obstructed by my monitor as I write, but I am surrounded by my forest. Above my screen, I see majestic cedars and the power lines that weave through them up the mountain. It suddenly occurs to me that if it takes electricity to run solar panels, how does this help our efforts to “go green?”
I can’t be the only one on the planet confused by this. I would love to get YOUR opinion on it!
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I realize that I could be talking about the Grand Canyon or different generations with this title. However, I am talking about this gap between our Home Insurance Company and me, which I will refer to as HIC.
When hubby and I read all the “stuff” about our new policy, we discovered that we qualified for a 2% discount based on our town being a part of a “Fire Wise” community. Our agent told us to decrease our balance owed by $50 when I sent the payment. I even wrote on the invoice the reason for the deduction.
Today, I received a bill from HIC for, guess how much? Yep. $50. Sigh.
We also qualify for a 5% discount because we are compliant with a different Fire Prevention incentive. We asked our agent to send us a copy of the rules for this discount, and she was not supposed to share it with customers. What?? We convinced her to send us something so we could prepare for the site inspection.
View From Our Back Deck
The agent’s summary of requirements was lengthy and downright impossible for not sending us the actual list. According to HIC, we cannot have any trees within 10 feet of our property. We laughed aloud when we read, “there can be no trees within 10 feet of each other. That probably can work in the suburbs and cities. However, we live in a National Forest. There are many, many trees, and they grow wherever they want to. In fact, these trees have been growing L O N G before we were born.
Because we refuse to chop down trees or move them, it is pretty sure we will not get that 5% discount. So why go through all the trouble of getting the inspection and filling out paperwork? Because that is our way. We try because it could happen, and if we do not try, it will never happen.
Is there a vast gap in your life? Tell me all about it in the comments.
The Lady is Waiting (for your comments)