only two weeks until my trip

Well I have all the key things done, I just have to decide if I want to pre-book the nights when I'll be driving along the Oregon coast or if I want to play it more loose. 

This is a dandelion. Such fun flowers, perfect for children, glad they are great for bees too. 

I just had brunch at the restaurant I've been frequenting in Takoma Park. The owner came by and I complimented his staff. It turned out my timing was perfect as someone had just criticized his staff! It is a restaurant and a bookstore, which always makes it more interesting to wait for someone. It has indoor and outdoor dining. The wait staff have always been delightful, as if they were tickled pink that we were there. 

I'm so happy to have had this three day break and I think I'm glad I didn't have plans but spent most of it resting. I'm glad we have had lovely weather and at least moderate air quality, even if I hadn't done anything with it. Sometimes you just need to rest. 

Britain has announced it will tighten its sanctions policy and keep assets frozen until Russia agrees to pay compensation to Ukraine. They've come up with a new route to donate frozen assets to reconstruction. 

Denmark plans to increase their aid to over $3 billion. 

War causes rough decisions. Ukraine is cooperating with two paramilitary groups of Russians that are ... not entirely composed of nice people. These groups are attacking Russia and diverting Russian resources and hopefully bringing home to Russians the message that there is a war on. 

Meanwhile, Russia decided to let Wagner recruit criminals still in prison and offer them pardon in exchange for fighting. Plus, the Wagner mercenaries were just generally horrendous human beings doing incomprehensible things. As tens of thousands of them are finished with their service and out of jail, Russia is rightfully concerned. The murder rate in Russia is rising for the first time in 20 years. Is it worse than it would have been when they were released anyway? Who knows?

Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam causing flooding. Now the Russian army has been hit for a cholera outbreak. This hits the Russians because the WHO didn't sent them humanitarian aid and they can't even manage the logistics of getting bottled or purified water to their soldiers. Whatever Russians were left to enjoy the Black Sea beaches can't anymore.