Greetings Once More From Cle Elum: A Black Swan On "L Lake" & What A Mess: The Everspring Inn & The Seattle Mayor Kisses Uber And Lyft Operators Upon Their Buttock

I have just stayed four nights and days in my favorite eastern Washington high desert oasis, the Quincy Game  Range, luckily, like two weeks ago, finding my favorite Lake Quincy lakeside campsite available, a place I've nicknamed "Tolstoy" for the wonderful shade providing Russian Olive tree dominating the site.  Thankfully, no war, only peace prevailed as I finally finished my editing for my new book submission package. Once again, I had plenty of yellowhead and redwing blackbirds as my writing companions, their conversation greeting my mornings, saluting the orange evening sunsets.  

Lake Quincy and the bulk of the canyon lands are west, or closer to the mighty Columbia River but the east side, being less accessible, is equally wonderful, prompting me this morning of my departure to visit L Lake, and certainly glad I did.  Driving along a narrow road skirting a canal,  I saw something looking like a statue floating on the eastern side of the lake.  No statue but a lone black swan with a pink bill glinting in the morning sun.  I was amazed.  How did it get there?  And why, I will never know but never forgetting this unexpected bird embraced by a sea of brilliantly green reedy cattails, this graceful swan beautiful to behold.

Good Riddance, Everspring Inn

Every local cabbie knew that the motel, known as the Everspring Inn, was trouble, personally dreading every call I got there.  Why?  Because the local police allowed it to become a cesspool of human misery, seven rapes and two murders finally prompting the closure of the place.  Last week I had yet another "drug run" to the Everspring. That it operated this long says everything about how the mayor and the city council serve the good citizens of Seattle: obviously, not very well!  

Now social workers are concerned about where the former residents will be living, not understanding the Everspring was never a home but a 21st Century of version of Bedlam, and we're not in England, and Everspring not a hospital but a drug and vice-ridden motel.  Goodbye!

What is Mayor Durkin thinking?

Earlier this summer, the good mayor dubbed the madness that was the Capital Hill Protest Occupation Zone a new "Summer of Love."  Gunfire and two murders later we found that wasn't at all true, instead a summer of mayhem and violence. 

Now, just this past Thursday, the mayor announced that she intends to make sure that all the Uber and Lyft drivers (all 28,000 of them) will be getting paid for their down time between fares.  Outrageous since I and my taxi comrades have never been offered such a sweet deal.  What about us, is my question?  I too want some of that easy money, and why not should be our response, we the long suffering, misbegotten taxi masses. Com' on, Mayor Dunkin, fork over all those alms for the deserving taxi poor.  Why, who knows, we might even vote for you in divine thanks for your misplaced generosity.  

Damn, I'm beginning to think that Seattle Council-woman Kshama Sawant isn't the only individual at City Hall warranting a psychiatric review.  All this is too much to contemplate yet consider. Nuts is as nuts does, and I ain't talking about the happy squirrels scampering in local parks.

And along with the Uber and Lyft stipend, can we also make sure the TNC operators are also neatly tucked into bed each night while saying their thankful prayers to the City of Seattle Gods anointing their progress down city and county streets?  

Heavens to Betsy, what the HELL is going on?!