I saw my last Broom Street Theater play tonite. I have seen some of the best plays ever and some of the worst plays ever at Broom Street, but this was definitely one of the best. The Lamentable Tragedie of Scott Walker Governour of Wisconsin is the story of a conservative governor who uses immoral means to create an upward redistribution of wealth in order to benefit a few wealthy corporate backers at the cost of the rest of citizenry. But the story is not done, and it pains me deeply to have to leave before the work is complete. We remain optimistic that before the final curtain falls that Scott Walker will be recalled.

I'm leaving in a couple weeks and only now am I finding some buried treasures.

Early this morning I loaded the canine, breakfast and the newspaper into the car and drove out to the Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area. A short climb up an old road brought us to the top of an escarpment overlooking the Wisconsin River Valley. It was gorgeous on top of the cliffs, even if they did give me vertigo. I wonder how many more hidden areas remain for me to discover?

Steve Earle played tonite in Madison. I'm going to miss these overtly political expressions in favor of people and our rights.

The Revolution Starts Now

I was walkin’ down the street
In the town where I was born
I was movin’ to a beat
That I’d never felt before
So I opened up my eyes
And I took a look around
I saw it written ‘cross the sky
The revolution starts now
Yeah, the revolution starts now

The revolution starts now
When you rise above your fear
And tear the walls around you down
The revolution starts here
Where you work and where you play
Where you lay your money down
What you do and what you say
The revolution starts now
Yeah the revolution starts now

Yeah the revolution starts now
In your own backyard
In your own hometown
So what you doin’ standin’ around?
Just follow your heart
The revolution starts now

Last night I had a dream
That the world had turned around
And all our hopes had come to be
And the people gathered ‘round
They all brought what they could bring
And nobody went without
And I learned a song to sing
The revolution starts now

Located on the edge of a glacial moraine, Madison is surrounded with fabulous hiking opportunities. Six of my favorite hikes include:

1. The Table Bluff segment of the Ice Age Trail winds up to a very nice view from a high bluff. It's my favorite birthday hike. In season, berries and other fruit are available along the trail.

2. Indian Lake Park includes a dog run and a trail up to a chapel overlooking the lake.

3. The Wisconsin State Journal says that Devil’s Lake State Park would have no problem qualifying as a national park. My favorite part of the park is Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area, but it is currently closed until a new, permanent trail can be constructed. The best way to return to Madison from the park is on the Merrimac Ferry, enjoying a moose tracks ice cream cone while waiting for the ferry to arrive. Most people would rank this park #1, but it really is only my third favorite.

4. Governor Nelson State Park is not particularly unique, but it is close and it has Indian burial mounds.

5. Blue Mound State Park was the first state park we visited in Wisconsin. We sneaked in on the Military Ridge State Trail when they wanted to charge us non-resident rates because we didn't have Wisconsin license plates on the car yet.

6. Natural Bridge State Park features a natural sandstone arch.

In the continuing expressions of citizen democracy in Madison, we had a rally today against Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser who not only is a rightwing republican ideologue who thinks that republican governor Scott Walker's upward redistribution of wealth is a good idea, it also turns out that he also creates a hostile workplace environment for women. In terms of recent protests (that can range up to 150,000 people) this was on the small side, but still it was nice to have our voice heard.

And speaking of making our voices heard, after the Prosser protest I went into the Capitol for the solidarity singalong. We have now had over 100 of these daily events. Such sustained energy and political engagement is truly inspiring. It was quite nice once again to be able to enter the building without having to run a gamut of police (ranging from nasty state troopers to nice DNR officials).