Each year, I like to share a few photos that give me hope or are really good. Resistance seems to be a common thread. It’s been a rollercoaster year. Hold fast and stay strong.

A nagging feeling of worry about our country haunts me constantly. Is there no limit to our president’s abuse of power? I long for the days of political boredom. I long for the days when lying was wrong. It all seems so gloomy right now. But my hope in resistance outweighs my fear for our crumbling democracy.

Resistance Surges: Picture of the Year

No Kings II rally in Staunton, Virginia, October 18. Photo credit Mike Corrigan

It is reported that the No Kings II rally across the country and the world on October 18 was the largest ever against a sitting U.S. president: over seven million of us protested the president’s lying, corruption, and abuse of power.

Kirk and the Cult of Racism

Bloody Mary flight at the Buckhorn Inn, Churchville, Virginia.

I lament so deeply that the Buckhorn Inn in Augusta County is closed and for sale. We had good times there – especially brunches with their famous Bloody Mary flights.  MAGA supporters threatened the lives of the owners, their children, and their staff and threatened to burn the place down because of a statement the owner reposted on his personal Facebook page: “Our ‘Christian’ president raped little girls. But we should pray for Charlie Kirk?” He apologized and took it down.

I did not know who Charlie Kirk was when the news broke that he had been assassinated on September 10. I googled him, and it only took a few minutes to figure out he was a White supremacist and a supporter of unfettered gun violence that in the most tragic of ironies killed him.

Truth on the Street

Silent protest against the genocide taking place in Gaza on Beverley Street in Staunton, Virginia.

The Palestinian genocide carried out by Israel with American ammunition and armament is an abominable war crime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted both for war crimes and for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been indicted for war crimes. According to the Wall Street Journal the ICC also plans to indict U.S. President Donald Trump for crimes against humanity on the grounds that he ordered the execution of alleged drug traffickers destroying 13 boats and killing 57 people in international waters; no arrests, no due process.

Regenerative Farming

Jeanne explaining the cattle operation to Stuart Hall alumni.

It’s been a good year on the farm. We had ample rainfall for our pastures and trees throughout the growing season. I am confident our farm is beyond carbon neutral because we rotate our cattle through perennial forage pastures, apply plant residues (carbon) to the land, plant trees, and produce renewable energy with our solar panels.

Determination and Friendship

AT through hikers Frito (Bill Kellagher); Princess Slacker (Heather Anderson); Rebel-J (Julie Hester); and Barefoot (Kevin Binkley) at Reed’s Gap in Augusta County, Virginia.

In May, we were lucky to host four hikers at the farm for two nights as they “slack packed” from Reed’s Gap to Rockfish Gap on the Appalachian Trail. All four completed all 2,200 miles from Springer, Georgia, to Mt. Katahdin, Maine, beginning in March and ending in September.

Go Native

Cedar Waxwings in our Serviceberry tree. Photo credit Jeanne Hoffman

Four years ago, we planted a Serviceberry tree outside our dining room window. This year it produced berries, and a flock of Cedar Waxwings—one of the most beautiful birds in North America—came to enjoy the fruit.

Go Native II

Silver-Spotted Skippers visiting Liatris, which attracts many pollinators.

We take a little bit of lawn out every year and replace it with native plants. Liatris and Bee Balm are some of our favorites.

Renewable Energy Milestones

We love our Ioniq 5 electric car. It can go 350 miles on a single charge, and we can recharge in 15 minutes at a super charging station.

Despite the Trump administration’s war on renewable energy, the rest of the world continues forward.

“Clean energy investments hit a new milestone, surpassing $2 trillion in 2024, approximately twice the investments in fossil fuels. The world had its largest-ever increase in renewable energy generation in 2024, and the share of global electricity produced from zero-carbon sources is now over 40 percent,” wrote Bill McKibben on his Substack, Beyond the Solar Panel, in October.

Join the Resistance

The United States is on a path to fascism. Perhaps we are already there. How does fascism occur? First, they fascinate the fools; then, they silence the rest with fear. We cannot remain silent or idle. Join the resistance. Speak up, go to rallies, seek the truth and defend it. Vote. Go native. Plant trees. Support renewable energy. Join a grassroots organization. If you need assistance with any of these efforts, contact me. I’ll be glad to help you.

Note: A real person wrote this: me. All pictures are by me unless otherwise noted. There are no paywalls, ads, AI, popups, or surveys.

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