A cold, gray day to fit the mood of recent days. The future of America’s democracy is very much on my mind, as it probably is for most of America. In times like these I relish my daily walks. But the only walk I had today was from the mechanic shop back home, less than a mile, after dropping off my car for an emissions and safety check. The car needs these checks before it can be registered. I bought the Prius from my mom last November and drove it back to Virginia from Indiana on expired plates. It took DMV two and a half months to transfer the title, which I received on Saturday. I have to wait another two weeks for an in-person appointment to register it and get my plates.

Enjoy this picture of a massive oak tree—triple trunk diameter of four feet (educated guess). Trees always make me happy. The picture wasn’t taken today, but I did take it in Indy on my visit to pick up the car in November, so it’s related to this story. You can relate anything to anything with a little effort. Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it’s not.