The White Mountains, just east of the Sierras, is home of the oldest living organisms on Earth: the Ancient Bristlecone Pines. It is humbling to be in the presence of these trees; some of these trees have been growing on these mountaintops while the pyramids were built, during the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and all the rest of recorded history. You may have read about them in a recent NY Times article.
From the top of the White Mountains, you can see for miles and miles.This is a bristlecone pine. In a post from a few months ago, I may have misidentified an imposter ordinary pine as a bristlecone. Sorry about that; I never claimed to be a herbologist.So now you know the secrets of old age: live a life under difficult conditions. Hard work = long life. I suspect many of you should get your affairs in order.This young man flagged me down; his tire was flat, his hydraulic jack balky. Being the helpful sort, I assisted. By “assisted,” I mean I loaned him my jack and made a cup of coffee while he changed the tire. There are advantages to driving around in your house. He is originally from Idaho, making him an Idahoan (pronounced EYE da whaan). The imperialists named it Idaho after the famous potatoes found there.
