We're back..to many Americans, the country looks to be butt-deep in trouble ...Governor Jerry draws the line in the sand, and conservationists prepare for an ugly battle...

We had to think hard about how we wanted to ease into this first letter back. Would there still be anyone out there? If so, would they still want to hear what we had to say? Only one way to find out...

Yep, we've been away for a while; we had a lot going on, and were pretty well preoccupied. We didn't feel we could devote the time and attention to the letter that was required to publish something worthwhile, so we decided that the best thing to do was to do nothing.

Good thing, too. A lot changed during that hiatus, much of which required some time to digest and accept. We had an election, in case you missed it, and the outcome poses a lot of questions for almost everybody in America.

Due to the nuttiness of that peculiar American institution we call the Electoral College we have again found a way to elect to the presidency an individual who did not receive a majority of the votes cast by his fellow citizens. Not only that, but this particular individual is clearly the least qualified and poorly prepared for the task ahead of anyone ever elected to that (or maybe any) public office. Go figure.

So, we're (many millions of us, anyway) now considering our options and opportunities. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of interest and advocacy groups that are concerned that the issues and things they care about are about to come under less-than-friendly fire, and they're likely correct. To me, the particular areas of greatest concern are those that have to do with the environment and preserving what remains of our wild places and the critters that live in them. Most of Mr. Trump's Cabinet nominees, as well as those advisors and hangers-on who will probably accompany him to the White House, for the most part display astonishing levels of ignorance and/or lack of curiosity or concern for the welfare of the planet in general, and for our own country's wild places and creatures in particular. Being a proud and committed environmentalist, this is deeply offensive and concerning to me. Not only do I not like it, but I am determined to do all possible to resist and fight any and all attempts to corrupt, weaken, or further damage the laws and policies protecting our country's wild places, creatures, or environment. Bottom line, the next four years are going to be a hell of a challenge for millions of Americans, so everybody who gives a damn about preserving and protecting something near and dear to them should buckle up and get ready to rumble.

We'll be having a lot more to say about this in the future, so those who don't care about the same things can tune out now. Those who take issue with anything they read here are invited to comment; if you have something worthwhile to say, say it and expect discussion. If you're a troll, don't waste anyone's time.

As always, we intend to continue making space here for the other odds and ends that we know are of interest to our friends and other readers: there will always be the "workingman's wines" feature, and we'll continue to let you know when we find unique high-quality mom-and-pop or boutique type food and/or beverage products that warrant your attention. We also remain active in the food and beverage consulting and placement field, and will devote more time to our practice in the future, but we can't and won't sit idly on the sideline while the expected atrocities are committed against the things beyond day-to-day life that matter to us are occurring. Therefore, a significant amount of space will go to the cause of the environment and conservation.