Hey readers, what the heck have you been thinking about changing in your life for the New Year!? Let me know.
I've been remembering all of my former resolutions and just how great I was at forgetting about them around January 13th...if I am lucky. So maybe I should make a resolution to just remember what it is that I want to change. I mean dang, if I can't even remember then I am surely not going to do it/change anything. But I usually don't make any grand plan or earth-shattering shifts...more like:
Eat more vegetables and local foods.
Smile more often than not.
Be nice, you jerk.
Quit berating yourself, you jerk (wait a minute....)
Ski with Esty as much as possible.
That seems like a good start. Kinda reminds me of a NATO vibe, minus the jerk stuff. Hey, I bet putting it onto the blogosphere will allow me to come back and remind myself. If you notice that I am not fulfilling these five (5) commandments, please send me a link to this post. 'Cause I know that all you readers are keeping an eye on everybody else, you're so dang selfless!
Ha ha ha ha! I love this. It's not every day that a man walks up to a campaigning politician and, in front of everybody, calls him a "F-ing A-hole!" But, as the other side of the coin shows, he is a lunatic democrat! As long as you are laughing....
Friends. Food. Water. Children. Pets. Family. Music music music.
Just a few of the things that I put in the blessings category. Being thankful and being un-thankful are both daily choices, moment by moment. Darned if I don't catch myself slipping into a repetitive spiral of thoughts that don't serve me (anymore, perhaps).
A smile cracks and the greater, more calm part of me remembers that I can't fight this current, I can't stay in the old shell, I can't stay put. A deep breath reveals that the blessings continue. Exhale; so lucky. Inhale; so free.
Work in obedience to your vision, not to career success.
That's the idea that has been rattling my delicate cage.
YES! Magazine (super rad non-profit ad-free ultra positive goodness) ran an article on a Mr. Wes Jackson, who has been working on basically lessening the damaging effects of agriculture by revamping perennial plants, like rice, sorghum and sunflowers, and tuning in the process to mimic nature's wise way. Hmmmm...a good idea, indeed. She (Nature) has been at it a while longer than we have. The classroom is all around us.
Jackson's daughter brought up the idea and it seemed to positively alter her Dad's life. The idea resonated with me and also made me remember just how much "career success" is kinda "what it's all about" in my culture(/the world?). The times I've spent clenching my jaw, fondling smelly money, eeking and squeeking, they have mostly been for a shallow vision. Money will come and go, but the vision is what will decide whether it will be adored for its false power or merely a tool to attain something greater than simply attaining it! I guess if you don't have a vision yet, well you had better get one!
My new favorite rock song: Warren Zevon's "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" from his Excitable Boy album. It's a freakin' great album...the video is from some Aussie TV show? Killer hair and dancing...
Also check out Detox Mansion, Splendid Isolation, and, of course, Lawyers, Guns and Money. This is another case of awesomeness that doesn't fit the cultural mold so it gets overlooked. Like Ween, the best band ever, and Estoria's favorite. That's my girl!
Check out Mogley's new blog. Make his dream come true. Donate Today!!!
If you have wondered about the potential for a link between fracking (hydraulic fracturing for natural gas) and earthquakes, here it is. Esty's Popop (spelling?) sent this to me. Seems that the "link" has been known about for a few decades...Let's just have EPA run some tests and trials that will not give us any results until two or three years down the road...at which point all of the gas will already be fracked. Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't. Loopy little poopaloop hole.
Been catching all manner of objects, creatures, and lights/shadows in the only two corners (well, the two that will never see what the other one sees) of mine eyes a lot lately. It's likely due to living in a house that has a road above my head level, which accounts for the buzzing objects and some of the lights and shadows. Then there are the creatures, often chipmunks, perhaps my dog, and, just today, my neighbors brave chickens, who were on my porch and surrounding my car two (2) hours ago. (Yes (YES!) I am digging up that old habit from Tony Bologna) It has been startling at first, but I am getting used to the flashes and dang-near-spottings and lessesning the sound in my head that says "Dude, you are too parnoid." When really the wiser voice says "Nobody gives a shit, carry on, smile pretty and watch your back....I mean, forgive but never forget, I mean, give it all but take back most of it...I mean....."
If we actually "caught" what was eluding us in that peripheral zone of mysteriousness, well, the mystery would deflate and reveal the little mice that blew up that dang illusion in the first place. Many miss the mice.
That image above is the northern band of our MilkyWay galaxy, from John P. Gleason of Celestial Images. "kinda makes ya feel sort of insignificant, doesn't it?......can we have your liver then!?"
Didn't find the witty fracking song? CLick and dig it, and then don't sell your mineral rights for money over clean water, "cause no amount of money/and no amount of man/can bring to life/what's gone when it's done...." - Michael Franti and Spearhead
Oh my sweet little sugar snap pea, how I do love thee!!!
Summertime has been blasting us with solar radiation. Rain is welcome and makes garden(er) happy. Pond is used often. River when not at home. Water and light, so nice.
The whirlwind of activity in my life is not subsiding. I am only blogging now because working outside all day has left me chapped and zapped. Lame for not keeping up with it more, yuppers!
Esty celebrated 'Merkah's B'day in Thomas and dug it for about five (5) minutes...before launching into a shrill shrieking fit that curdled the gallon of milk I was drinking. Pobre cita! Such delicate little eardrums and so little understanding of what was really going on...reminds me of the Ani DiFranco song (Independence Day):
"we drove the car to the top of the parking ramp
on the 4th of july
we sat out on the hood with a couple of warm beers and watched the fireworks
explode in the sky
and there was an exodus of birds from the trees
but they didnt know, we were only pretending
and the people all looked up, and were pleased
and the birds flew around like the whole world was ending
and i don't think war is noble
and i don't like to think that love is like war
and i gotta big hot cherry bomb, and i want to slip it through the mail slot
of your front door"
The song goes on....you get the point. My little love bird didn't know that it was all for fun. Freedom fun.
Big thanks to Ma 'n Pa for a scrumptious brunch to celebrate Dad's. It was oddly attended by some notorious non-Dad's (mainly Gary B.), which really took the edge off.
Estoria enjoyed Father's Day to the fullest by playing in the rain. Fine with me. Natural West Virginia bath right there buddy!
Don't call CPS, we got her dry and inside before any chance of hypothermia could set in.
"Now if only I could figure out how to get off this porch and dash into the wilderness..."
Evermore proving her love of water and its ability to make a mess, she takes her Mom's bike sock and proceeds to do some art on the floor. I should give her paint and see what she makes...we'll write you a check soon.
This is necessary. This is informative. This is real.
Ever notice that the "skeptics" on climate change often have links to the very entities that help produce a rapidly warming planet? Oil, agriculture, energy. Them damn politicians are bought and sold, and while the climate changes, the bullshit rhetoric and deep denial does not. Ah well, I guess we need complete flippin' ignoramus' in the world...so that one can learn how to better communicate! Grist linked me into USA Today's editorial on just how dang stubborn these deniers really are (it's a short read). Head meet sand...oh, you've met?
Blair Mountain was the site of a huge, if not the largest, civil uprising after the Civil War (wiki wiki!). We're talking pissed off miners with weapons that skirmish with coal company thugs and eventually the US Army, who actually flew Martin MB-1 planes over multiple towns and dropped left-over bombs from WWI. Are you listening? Shooting and bombing people (the people working to make those bastards rich) who want fair wages and to get out of the trap that was scrip set up by the company store. Our government, "for the people," was busy kissing coal's ass a long time ago...and it hasn't changed much. But the March on Blair Mountain could be the little push that snow ball needed....let it hit you in the face and make you think, act, feel.
On the gardening front, I've come across a handy website explaining just what may be in that compost you just bought at Lowes. Some of it is harmless and some of it can be a bit more dangerous. Speaking of big box stores like Lowes, if you are going to buy plants there perhaps you would like to buy organically grown veggies, herbs, and flowers from yours truly. The Inter-Mountain just ran a nice article on what's happening around the county (that's me with the Green Rivers hat and the crappy display...help wanted). Don't worry. Local is cool again.
For all you mothers who just don't want to give your child the best all natural food, perhaps you can hire a cow to do it for you. Chinese scientists have been genetically engineering milk cows to produce human breast milk. Maybe it's more like human udder milk. How about Mudder's Milk? Udderly the breast milk around? Oh this is too weird. They hope to sell it in supermarkets in a few years. Why is America so slow to catch on? Just think about all the free time mothers could have...
Extremes in weather are tricky to roll with. When it rains, it pours. When it doesn't, it really doesn't. What's that? We may get some thunder showers today? We'll take it.
Had a nice day yesterday with my first ever farmer's market at The Trail Mix. Sunny all day (hide the lettuce, let the plants bask). I brought a salad mix of Black Seeded Simpson, Bibb, and Salad Bowl Mix Lettuces, Bull's Blood Beet tops and Red Russian Kale. All other items were potted plants, mostly heirloom purple tomatillos, dill, and some random nasturtiums, calendula, and parsley. For a first market, it went well. There were five vendors selling all manner of art, hand-made leather goods, walking sticks, dog treats, fresh-picked herbs, baked goods and more...obviously the wetness has made the farming a bit tricky, but more produce will trickle in as time ticks by. Here are some details and links you may like to check out:
Market Locations and Times
Senior Center in Parsons: Wednesdays 10am-1pm (heard this may not start until late June or July?)
Hypnocoffee in Davis: Fridays 4pm-6pm
The Trail Mix in Canaan Valley (Timberline Road): Saturdays 10am-2pm
Make the connection between food, community, and local agriculture...
Found this cool video on beekeeping in Hong Kong. Turns out even the concrete jungle can get some local goodness. Now all the buildings need huge gardens on top of them...
UPDATE: Honey likes to kill chickens. After many days of free time with the birds, she got lucky enough to get a barred rock in her mouth. Dang. Many are missing (hiding, me hopes...) but returning slowly (what would you do if a murderer were loose in your yard?)
Young Funk Sung is blending more Reggae, Psychadelia, and insane solos to make for a helluva good dance party. Haven't seen MSBC that packed in a while. They get more fun every time. For real.
Polish chickens, also called "top hats" for obvious reasons. Some say that their topknots help one to distinguish the sex...the ladies have a rounder puff top, while the dudes have a more spiky, wild style. That or you wait it out, or do some vent scoping. Ah, cloaca, great stuff.
Honey dog, giving that longing look over at the birds...no fatalities yet, just a lot of drooling.
Keep in mind that the first Farmers Market at the Trail Mix will be this Saturday, May 28th. Its a start!
I am pleased to bring your attention to the hard work and dedication of my dear friend Mariami, who taught me a lot about things a country boy needs a teachin' about...like why people wear make-up, why hip-hop is so dang hip, how to gel with people that are so different....the list goes on. Deep in the midst of NYC, the antithesis of Dub V, this lady has been slaving to bring your spirits up through the power of music and song. I suggest checking out her MySpace and getting some of her earlier material before diving into this video. And if ya like it, you can get it on iTunes. Enjoy! (The offer still stands for a north central Dub V tour, will keep ya'll posted!)
FroMo takes a nip from a pepperoni roll found on a dead tree.
Found lunch...
...and had these for breakfast. Provided by the spring house about 10 yds. from the front porch.
Either the slug is eating the centipede or the slug stole his lunch.
My favorite creature to find in the forest growing up. The Red Eft. Shown here in it's juvenile stage. As an adult she'll be a water-dweller.Thanks again, wikipedia.
It's a sunny day and Ultimate Frisbee is happening again. Tuesdays at 5:30...DTEMS field in Thomas. Yaaahoooo!
Another great thing that happens only once a year is going down at Backbone Food Farm in Gortner, MD. Shiitak Inoc! Or the 8th Annual Shiitake Log Inoculation Weekend. Scrumptious grub and excellent people make it all fly by...come out, it's fun!!!
80 degrees in Thomas, WV, today. Summer weather in a spring that will still be peppered with wet wintery flashbacks. The moon grows and so do the abundant grazing animals. Saw a black bear on my road at about 7:45 pm. Stared at each other a bit, then parted. Hawks, geese, ducks, grouse, vultures, crows...they can be omens. Little reminders that survival is always happening. Comfort is dangerous. Stay sharp.
Speaking of sharp, this puppy is on it!
Lead Mine was socked in this morning. Cold, foggy and wet. A climb out revealed a toasty warm upper crust. Usually the other way around...but things are a bit turbulent these days.
Been dinkin' around the lowlands lately and happy to see flowers blooming and the garden growing! About to get some Polish chicks, and perhaps some R.I. Reds as well...am I crazy?
I know I know, all of you have been waiting to see what Mo can do when he puts his mind to it...enjoy.
So far so good. I have vowed to plunge Esty into the NATO Telefest for as long as it runs...and as long as she is interested? We both totally dug all of the pinheads (well, there were a handful of the true pinheads...the rest are...cableheads?)
I'll try to post some more pics/vids later, about to catch the last of the turns available in Canaan. Not to mention my pal Kyle just got back to the States! Time to make some sore quads....
Here's a VT vid of Mo, praying to somebody, doing a backyard backflip.
While winter appears to duck out before the final act, the maple sap has been flowing like milk and honey in pre-industrial America (sorry about the overgeneralization of our aphid-like tendencies). Our busy bee Karl is boiling as I blog, and after some dang fine music with Sol Driven Train I'll likely try to stay up late and keep the sap boiling. Maple syrup = super-local awesome better-than-table-sugar sweetener!
Here we see MoJo talking with the governor of Vermont to see whether we can usurp his state as the Maple Kings.
The tank. It's what allows one to make syrup in large(r) quantities...bless the tank and leaks no see.
I can say "rain" because it is already here in full effect. Most skiers know that saying the word (yea, even typing it) is considered taboo and just askin' fer bad karma/weather. But, as many humans have discovered, "bad" is relative.
Here's a little poorly lit vid of our little yoga girl.
"What? Rain? Dagnabit! I was so looking forward to ski-crawling."
In other weird world news, this one has been a long time coming....although, it has been done before (See South America: Agave and other plants used as shoes). Compostable shoes...That'll be the day, when all of our "happy" meal boxes are laced with wildflower seeds. "Yeah, I'd like a #3 with extra bacon and a love-in-a-mist box."
...and Abe, as well. Thanks for making America a great place to be. Although I like the Brit's accent, I sorta dig the down home Dub V dialect as well.
A rainy end to this holiday weekend has got the slopes slimmed out and the coffee shop packed. Guess rain is good for some businesses!
Once I get my camera back I'll post some pics. Esty has reached a great place in her human development. Grinning (toothless, still), grabbing and gulping; it's never a dull moment! Have kids! Share/show the love!
Off to massage more tired people, keep your head up high!
No, not that J. Although he/we all need a big up once in a while.
Well, if you have not seen it yet, Jacob (of hucking Little Hucks fame) has been slapping up some sick videos. He and his posse aren't really breaking any laws, although they may be breaking bones (maybe that is bass ackwards?) Ch-ch-check it!
Yeah, it's long, but dang, its sweet! About 7 1/2 minutes into it, upon emerging onto what seems to be the pipeline off of Bald Knob and seeing people skiing in both directions...."Damn dude...what's going on out here?" That, my friend, is what we call off-piste bliss finding.
Another hardening off of the wonderful white stuff (Snow, you sicko...) has occurred. The rain brought beautiful mini lakes to Route 32 that, upon being driven through, sent sheets of frozen slop to coat vehicles, people, trees, and those poor deer that always seem to hang by the road. From 40 degrees in the a.m. the temperature was slashed in half by the afternoon. All that slush, that crud on your car? Frozen. Doors, frozen. Windows, frozen. Driveways? Nasty.
So what better thing to do than reminisce about those powder runs?
OH YES! SKI HASH coming up. Try to catch Brother's Chase this SUNDAY, FEB. 6 atWHITE GRASS. The Hares kick off at 2 PM. Get yer sniffers cleaned out, ya mangy mutts.
Well, one of my most epic ski's of the season was just had down over, well, I ain't tellin' you where. But if you can geo-locate it thru these pics then I guess it's no secret. Everybody survived, and all were grinning ear to ear due to the amazing abundance of pow-pow and practically perfect glades. Yup, they coulda-woulda-shoulda made a ski area outta this place...but it's nice that they didn't, too. Harder access weeds out the weak lift-serve goons.
John "Sir Huxalot" Mo getting the most outta his NNN's and skinny Evos.
Cliffs Galore!
Caught in mockery and demonstration of how many Facebooker's take pictures, Curtis likely got his best mug shot to date. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey HEY LADIES!
Yum yum, this little lady got to try her first solid food (unless you count the chocolate covered espresso beans I've been given just before Mommy gets home from work) and I think that she burped it all up. Oh well, worth a try. She has been watching us eat for some time with curiosity so she grabbed that spoon and knew exactly where the contents went, and it wasn't on her shirt...well, not all of it.
Dang, haven't posted in a while. Will try to be more on it. I've been thinking of turning this blog over and changing the name to Esty's Funhouse but she couldn't remember the password. We'll have to wait.
It's been cold. Numb-your-fingers-in-a-few-seconds cold. Either keep moving and/or do the mega bundle up, preferably no skin exposed. Estoria's outside time is limited by these single digit/below zero temperatures. Oh, Come On! Just a short ski?
Come all ye Fathers who suck terribly at identifying baby's woes. The modern mil-ind superplex has the solution! Baby's communicate most effectively with a cry. Some of us hear it and it is just a cry...but there are, perhaps, different types of cries? Like "Feed me, dammit" or "I'm soaked in hot urine." Add to that list "I'm
being toasted from the inside out" and you've got the latest $33 dollar object to soon reach our shores: The Babyglow. If that little human is too hot, the dang suit changes colors. The human wrist is so 1990. We've got better things to do than self-monitor the little ones. Add the Baby Cry Analyser, which allegedly tells you why that little creature is crying, or the Frowning Milk Bottle, and you've got plenty of time to use that would have otherwise been wasted on giving a shit. Just sell us the Auto-Nanny that runs on compost. Now we're talking.
Once again Grist has turned me on to more inspiring eco info. Permaculture with a modern twist. This seems like the kind of thing that may reach into the mainstream, not just become a pipe dream for most and a tough road for those who choose it (bless you.) I mean, it's still always gonna be tough to live on this here planet, but these "farmer/scientists" are " proposing high-tech neosubsistence -- or the capacity to live from local resources by use of advanced, appropriate technology, without requiring any compromise on quality of life."
Here is a link to their blog. Very informative and they seem to be gaining moment and making some irie poz waves.
