As they see the gold-tinged glare of greed growing like a pathogen in the White House and the despicable deeds of the richest man in the world, it seems more and more people who voted for this, or who simply didn't vote at all, are already beginning to surrender their stockpile of false beliefs and their foolish faith in their former leader.

Some have even joined the demonstrations against the evil empire under which they are now beginning to suffer.

And as more of that happens, maybe now we have a chance to turn this bad blood between us into getting into some good trouble together.

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You may find yourself worrying about how we will make it. You may find yourself wondering what you can do. Things are not getting better. How can we prepare? You may find yourself inspired by this story from the WILD.

Sandi Ault - Reporting from the WILD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I will say this about wolves: there is never much point in trying to shape or tame them. The adventure is more about who we become as a result of loving them.

Here’s a story that’s stranger than fiction because fiction foretold it. Great truth tellers and freedom fighters from long ago and from today have been forecasting this moment through their work.

Today, we are waking up in the worlds they warned us about. What should we do? As one character says in his manifesto: TRY.

A story from my wildland firefighting adventures compares the state of our nation today with the dangers of a complex fire.When firefighters respond to a wildfire, they don't think about the odds. They employ their skills and devotion to do what they can; they work together to create and hold the line, and they don't quit until the fire is out. Neither should we. Are we going to be too slow, too scared, or too intimidated to defend our democracy?

I don't think so. I still have my boots and my helmet, and I still remember a thing or two about fighting fire with fire...and with good information....and with shrewd strategy and hard work and determination. And I do care. How about you?

We may live in the BADLANDS now, baby, but we're bad-asses when we all get together to make some good noise and get in some good trouble.

Yes, even though we’re living in the BADLANDS, this story comes full circle to hope.

Our country is falling off a cliff. Take it from someone who has spent some serious time on craggy canyon rims and treacherous slopes: when the structure of the surface beneath you starts to erode, fast-moving landslides can literally take away the ground on which you stand. In this country, we are all perched on the edge of a crumbling precipice right now.

Every week or so, I write a blog post on Substack. Then, a few days later, I produce a variation as an audio podcast, accompanied by original music and sound effects. I hope you enjoy this podcast and will share it with your friends.

Greed, avarice, bloodsucking vandalism, destruction, and dismembering is happening to our democracy… and to the WILD. And we’re expected to keep the moneybags full.

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