Election Day Thoughts

I just got in from doing my duty as an American citizen, I voted. I love to vote. Even though sometimes I am not sure I make a difference being in a very Democratic state but I still feel good doing it. When you think of what many have sacrificed, the ultimate sacrifice in some cases, for we Americans to have the right to elect our leaders, to make changes, to control our destinies, it is truly a wonderful thing.

I really like the new voting procedures here in my town. Several years ago they got rid of the old style voting machines, you know the ones with the little pull levers on them, and replaced them with a paper based, optical reader system. Well I think it’s an optical reader, but either way I get to make my mark on a piece of paper which I feel gives me some accountability if there is a problem. But the biggest advantage of this new system is there are hardly ever any lines. The whole process moves along very quickly. We no longer have to wait for someone to reset the machine, or even for an empty one. Gone are the little cards they would give you at the registration desk which you held in your hot little hands until you gave it to another worker who led you to an open machine. Now, you check in, they give you the ballot, you go to an empty booth, the carry the completed ballot to a machine where you insert it into the slot. As my old friend Zip used to say “Fast and quick”.

I found it interesting today that there were no campaigners roaming around the polling place. Even though there were no local races I figured to see at least some campaign workers, but not a one. Maybe one group has conceded already?

I listened to the satellite radio today, switching between the two news network channels and then my favorite talk show. It is very interesting listening to the two networks and what they report and don’t report. I am looking forward to tomorrow and how they cover the results.

On a different subject, when I arrived home the lake was like glass. It almost looked as if one could walk on it, and as look at it now it is still like that. This is my favorite time of year here at the little house on the lake. It is quiet, the boats have been taken out, it is peaceful and the sunsets are usually fantastic, deep reds and oranges. This is the time of year when it is worth the struggle to keep the place. And this fall it is even more special, as the woman I love is spending her first autumn here. I watch as the trout make their last jumps at the slowly disappearing mosquitoes, dimpling the water in some cases, actually becoming airborne in some instances. Soon they will make their way down to the depths of the lake where they will shut down their metabolism and sleep the winter away. I haven’t seen the mergansers this fall. I am not sure if it is because they have not returned or because I haven’t had the time to spend sitting by the lake to see if they are there. Hopefully they are ok.
Well time to wrap this up, I guess this one is a little different then my normal fare but I guess sometimes change can be good