busy busy

no joke. back to the grind. read, write, read, class, read, errands, read.

tomorrow is more of the same: wake-up early, read, class, class, read, class, sleep. Long day(s) a'comin'!

forgot my camera

Went to the airport at 4am last Saturday morning. Clint asks if I have forgotten anything... I say a four-letter word when realizing that my camera was not packed. Gave me an opportunity to focus on teaching and following-through with a successful week on the annual national parks tour. Great to teach students, great to teach teachers, great to see friends, great to be in the desert Southwest United States, one of the coolest (temperature varied!) places on earth.

no time to blog

gotta run... off to Harker for a week!

Tomorrow is Phoenix.... then Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Kayenta, Navajo reservation, Monument Valley, Kanab, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Las Vegas, Red Rocks.

Catch you on Halloween! Peace. Dave.

better but not?

Back is feeling better. Jacuzzi, yoga, repeat. I have to take it easy and focus on each movement. Conscious behavior is the only way to health.

I have a canker sore developing... does that mean I am getting sick? I noticed it yesterday and perhaps some recent cold weather has encouraged this. And not sleeping as well as I should be...? A toast to health... I would like it to last for a while.

Tomorrow is another strong end to the week. A long day of errands, class and a speaker I'd like to see. Then packing up and shipping off to the desert for a week with the gang.Looking forward to another great national parks tour and gonna try a bunch of stuff I learned this year!

Today was another strong day. Up at 5:15 out of bed at 5:30. I could use more sleep, but I was ready to go. A couple of small naps this afternoon helped me catch up on the day. Funny note about napping recently. I have been crashing really hard after lunch. I'm sure it has to do with my body lacking resources from a small breakfast and workout before class. I need to eat a little more in the morning so that I can sustain through the long Tuesday and Thursday morning blocks I have scheduled for myself.

In the dehydrator currently: carrots and turnips. I have never eaten turnips before... so I will make them into chips. I misread the directions and thought it could go overnight. turns out it will be a 2 hours project and I'll have to stay up later than expected. I can move the morning back slightly to accommodate.

My Yoga instructor this morning reminded us about things that hold us back from enjoying the present moment. I visualized the stack(s) of books in my room. And how I wrote yesterday about reading them and so on. Well, one day at a time. It is nothing to worry about. And neither is using all of the food I bought. These are small issues and certainly nothing that should cause stress. The books will get read and the food will get used or composted (hopefully not). I have to slow down, stretch it out and go about my business.

Another thing to read now, but it's for fun!

worthless wednesday

I woke up well-rested and ready to go. it was 5:47am. I chose not to get up... until 8am.

That set the day in a way that made me feel like I was running late. A sense of urgency that never amounted to much. I came home in a rush to save my laundry from the rain that only started to fall as I write this at 10:30pm. Then I figured to get some reading done... and took a small nap instead. So, I am still in a bind to read it all.

I guess life could be worse. I have food in my belly, and a roof over my head. And blankets to keep me warm. If I don't read everything that I am assigned or that I would like, is it really that bad? No. No, it is not.

I just want to keep pressing on. One day at a time. And read as much as I can!

another good day

jacuzzi and yoga to start today also. a long day of classes and a great afternoon with Elizabeth and then Elaine. Eliz and I had tea and then Elaine, who I met 10 years ago at UCLA, stopped by on her way from Seattle back to her new home in Vancouver. We lunched and tea'd and talked and it was delightful. Sunny afternoon patio experience. Lots of sun today. Who would have thought? It was fun to talk about Uganda, Japan, Chile, Costa Rica... and all the other places we have been and lived in the past 10 years. And oddly enough we are involved in similar studies now even though our paths divulged so differently in the past. For "the nature."

strong showing today

my back still aches, but that yoga... man, I'll tell you. Stretch it out and breathe into every tendon. Inhale the pain and exhale the deepness of the depth of fabric in interlocking cells that make up the muscles... a calm breathing and intentional focus on the body leads to a strong showing. Even getting up at 5:30am after not sleeping well because a cauldron of sauce is brewing through the night- worried about it burning or a fire... all for naught. Jacuzzi to loosen up that cold, northwest body and then into the yoga practice. May everyday start off so calmly and focused. Feeling confident about a day that I thought was doomed from the beginning. Release into sleep.

still pain

My back still hurts. Ow. I sat and read all morning and then wrote a paper till the mid afternoon. Boy was my back frozen in place. I am on the Ibuprofen train and plan to keep that constant in my life until the tenderness subsides somewhat. Went to the gym and straight to the jacuzzi. That might be a good remedy too and slowly stretching it out. Yoga tomorrow morning is the plan too.

I was sad today because it would was the PERFECT day for kayaking. Sunny, no wind all day. Clear. Alas, I sat docked. Such is life. Gotta take care of myself and it's a humbling reminder that I can't always do what I want. I have to slow down sometimes. Grrrr.

So, I embarked on the tomato sauce adventure. Borrowing a CAULDRON from Kate, I put in all the required ingredients. I think it's 22 lbs (pounds) of tomatoes, 2.5 lbs of onions, 4 head of garlic, a head of celery, six large carrots, two bunches of fresh basil, six bay leaves (laurel) which I took out after not too long, small amounts of salt and pepper- though this was wasteful because it isn't needed until the VERY end, and a lot of washing to do!

Now for the grandest experiment of all... turn it to low/simmer and go to bed. Expecting the water to slowly evaporate and not burning while I sleep. I'll get up early and check on it too. Fortunately, the smoke detector is just outside the kitchen and it will let me know if there are any major problems!

kayaks and cantelopes

Got a little bit of reading done today. I keep finding themes of ethics and morals involved in teaching and in environmental education. So be it. I will teach people how to be good people. I dig that.

Long walk along the coast again this morning. To the Farmer's Market where I spent quite a bit more time than I had expected. Stopped past the Co-op first because the F.M. still wasn't open and got some good fish, per my usual requests- Coho and a whole rainbow trout again (more expensive but they went and got it for me specially... it's also bigger than the last one!)

Upon returning to the Market, I went straight to the lady with the best melons in the joint (excuse the crude humor) and proceeded to buy $17 worth of melons. Only one honeydew in the bunch of 12 that I bought in total. Later on why I bought so much of this particular fruit.

Then I saw a box of tomatoes and thought about making sauce. Well, long story short is that the entire box was for sale... so I bought the whole thing (22 pounds). Then I bought huge onions, garlic aplenty, basil, celery and carrots so that the sauce can happen. It turns out to be about $50 worth of stuff now that I think of it. I'll get some ground chicken which should set me back another $25 and then I'll have $75 worth of homemade, organic, healthy tomato sauce for pasta. My goal is to dehydrate it and have it ready for camping.

After reading this afternoon, I had some daylight and space on my patio. So I cut all of the melons and prepped them for dehydration:

They averaged about the size of a shot put "ball"

One of eight trays. About one melon per tray.

Here are the honeydew slices.

Then I got word from my landlady that the local garden was closing for the season. I rushed over there 30 minutes before close and just went for it. A 30 pound box of red potatoes to get my through the winter and for all of the experiments I want to try. A 20 pound box of honeydew apples for drying and eating. Garlic at $0.10/head. And a couple of those scrumptious donut peaches. We'll see if they are any good.

All in all, I probably spent $200 today on 100 pounds of food including items like: grapes, turnips (never eaten one before-it'll be a fun experience), a whole chicken (from a different local farmer) and eggs from a sweet little old lady (who told me that she won't name her chickens because she doesn't want to have to worry about anything bad happening to them). It will be nice to prepare all of this food eventually and eat like a king in the following weeks as well as on the trail months from now. I'll have to make sure my products last!

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The sun was setting and I didn't think I'd get to the gym. With the weather being so nice, I decided to go for my first excursion in the kayak. I am still missing the spray skirt, but thought the effort would be worth it.

The wind had slowed down, but it was still rather wavy on the water. After towing my kayak for 15 minutes, I got to the water, and nearly went into it! I have a long way to go with my balance yet. The water was gorgeous and my kayak didn't leak. So everything is cool. Really cool. I got rather wet in the process of loading and bigger waves crashing over the dock.

I decided to turn back after only 5 minutes to make sure I could get out with sunlight left. After all, this was only a test run. Well, I struggled getting the boat out of the water and tweaked my back. Lugging it back uphill didn't help either. A long day of lifting and awkward carrying: fruits, vegetables, kayaks... and I finally had it. I even dug in the soil to bury my compost... so, my back has told me that enough is enough. I am icing my lower back, after sustaining a small strain perhaps. I plan to take it easy and let the body re-coop from a lot of work. On to some reading and resting.

The last picture is from the maiden voyage.... it was really pretty out there!

sunny and nice sunset

it was a pretty sunset. calm pink, orange, yellow sandwich on the horizon. afternoon tea and discussion with Codi was wonderful. urban naturalizing- corvids, a raptor (sharp-shinned hawk or maybe the Merlin--- now I am not sure what I saw last week!), gulls, looking at coloring leaves. Japanese and big leaf maples are quickly changing. ahh... not a lot to report. Lots of reading... lots of reading! More reading to do, boy I'll tell ya.

I hope to buy a lot of stuff tomorrow that I can dry in the new dehydrator. And most of the kayak gear is in! So, hopefully, I'll be able to take the boat out on Sunday! Lots of reading to do because I have to get ahead an entire week. Next Saturday I'm heading to the Southwest for the annual Harker trip. Excited to see the crew and to spend time in the desert!

It'll be nice to sleep early and rock it tomorrow! Here's to the end of a long week.

oops, missed one

i missed blogging yesterday. i erased it on my planner and was in the process of doing it... but that involves signing onto email which must have played a part in my forgetting.

A bird just flew into the window in front of me as I was typing.

Dehydrator arrived yesterday. The rest of the kayak stuff should arrive shortly. My toys are in and now it's time to use them!

With Erin and Maya: Yoga yesterday and in 15 minutes I leave for Yoga class today. It's so nice to stretch in the morning... reawakening the soul and putting the body in position to be successful in its endeavors of transportation, action, sitting... whatever comes its way, it should be ready.

Here is my thought for the day: Watch the crows play from a window-side computer seat... they are truly inspiring. That, and go outside to breathe the same air that they do. What's it like to be a Corvid? (that is a term worth looking up!)

stretch it out

Moonsetting over the Puget Sound around 6:45am. It is the harvest moon but bidding us farewell instead of reminding us that it autumn approaches.

Clouds and rain remind us that we are alive and that the world is a dynamic flow of energy and forces we can't control.

Get out early, train the body to rise early to test its limits, to elongate the physique. Stretch out that body fully from the crown of the head down the in-line spine and through the coccyx. Extending opposite arms and legs tests that capability and ability to relax the shoulders that tighten up so quickly. Not easy?

Humbling first thing in the morning to remind us that we should not take for granted even one second of the day, too much to do and enjoy. Break open the chest and drop those oh-so-tight shoulders again. You are not as good at this as you think. There is much to learn.

Listen and observe. Contribute where you can, but two ears should double the amount of usage as one mouth, if not more. Ask questions. Volunteer. Pour out the energy and see where it will get you. Read in those free moments... if not to be prepared for class, then to grow that grey jelly in the head!

Enjoy sips of coffee in the evening. It is a drug, to be used selectively. The taste is nice, but too much and you won't sleep well! Enjoy discussion late into an already elongated day and embrace technology. Texts, headphones and an mp3 player. But, remember that the hill on which you walk is full of living critters and foliage.

The ocean you can't make out too well in the evening pitch of light breathes with energy and it calms all nerves. Indeed it is a cooling down as you walk down. Down, downhill to home. Clean up after a long day and try to put things in their place, but know that tomorrow is another day, full and ready for us to enjoy, extend and stretch out.

Call it for the evening. Be a good person. Floss. Stretch. Sleep well. Follow your heart.

rainy evening

With a raincoat a walk in the morning drizzle is not only bearable, but rather enjoyable. To stay dry amidst the softwetness (one word in my world). Then the Great Blue Heron sweeps her long neck to eye you, making sure that you don't get too close. Past the GBH is a floating gull. And the gull on the shore behind you lifts his young head to cry out your presence. But you look at him, "Hey buddy, I'm just passing through."

Continuing along the coast one might then come across a harbor seal with its head floating, looking around, no, wait, there are two of them and it looks like they are dog-paddling to stay at the surface. Of course, they glide quickly and drop below the surface and then they're gone. The walk goes only a little bit further until the railroad tracks. So, turn around, say hello to the same people you greeted on the walk down (you've both reached your ends and have turned back) and then up the hill to home. Stretch it out and practice those new and still awkward Yoga poses and start the day. That seems like a peaceful and energetic way to go about things.

reading and living

Just read The Road by Cormac McCarthy and it was interesting. The writing style was unique, he didn't use apostrophes in any of his contractions. All of the language was morose and any glimmer of hope was quickly flipped. An example was that all the containers were half-empty, as opposed to half-full. I think the word "ash" was used hundreds of times. It was an interesting tale. I'm not sure what else to write about it. I am happy to have read it. Thanks Jake for giving it to me such a long time ago.
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I can't write right now. Laundry-lists of things done... that is what I have been writing. That is not a way to go about things.That is what my planner is for- to plan for and to keep track of things done. This needs to change to more creative measures I hope. I need a little inspiration besides hard work and accomplishing tasks.

animal dreams

So, I woke up after a second dream in which an animal was approaching me with the desire to attack. In the first dream it was a pair of wolves in the snow. The second one was a mountain lion in suburbia.


I woke up after both. The first one occurred at 5:37am and the second one was around 6:13am. Maybe it was time for me to get up and my unconscious was telling me that I had slept enough. After the first one I was woke up to feeling rather rested, so I pondered it for a minute before allowing the darkness to overwhelm me once again.


My alarm went off after the second one anyways so I used that excuse to get up.


Why animals? I will have to search through Jung to come up with some leads on that. I have never been approached by (wild) animals in dreams. Two predators. One hunts in packs (except for those lone wolves) and the other is a solitary stalker. One is a canine, the other feline. I'll have to ruminate on this a little bit.

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in the P.M. before reading one more article for tomorrow's class.

I did a small internet search. There was discussion of "You should use your will power" and "you need to release some aggression." I don't know. I forgot what I read this morning and this evening's search is not something I have patience to explore. My schoolwork is more important at this point. Thus, I will leave it at this. I lived today like it would be my last day ever... like if I were attacked by an animal then I would have been satisfied with my actions and attitude today.

Basketball in the morning was nice followed by Yoga which has been putting me in a great mood. Every Tuesday and Thursday I feel elated. My body feels healthier (except when I douse it with loads of cheese) and freer- to move and to breathe and to be. That puts me in a good mood and then my tasks are enjoyable and fun. And morning workouts are the way to go because there aren't a lot of people in the gym, freedom to use any area without feeling rushed or scrunched.

Got some work done after class and feel good about future appointments with professors to discuss my projects and ideas for the term. Had a nice tea with CeCe at her and Kate's place on the other side of town. Got lots of fresh food for the upcoming week and even saw a Merlin, Falco columbarius, on the way home from the library late in the evening. It was cool because as it flew from tree to tree while I was stalking it (visibly!) I had a chance to observe its behavior and flying habits. (I think it is a Merlin and not a sharp-shinned hawk. It was eyeing a neighbor's yard that is full of chickens, turkeys and other birds!

Then it flew into a tree near a house and as I turned the corner, I saw a Calico house cat stalking on the roof toward the bird! It was a wild situation and it happened 3 minutes walk from my house! I am still involved in nature so long as I open my eyes and look at it! A great feeling for me because I felt overwhelmed last night... stemming from feeling detached from nature. This plugged me right back in!

Reading on through the evening and had a nice dinner- salmon pasta with slices of Parmesan and a basil/tomato salad (no more cheese left!). It was perfect; I loaded up on more veggies by sauteing spinach again... ohh, and FRUIT- I got some more of those delicious pluots! Yum. Gotta read a bit more in order to head to bed at a reasonable hour. Apollo 13 in the morning and maybe a trip to REI before class to get this cool beanie that I didn't buy today (yes, I went there to look for kayak stuff.)

Tomorrow night is Kol Nidrei- chances are I won't write tomorrow or on Shabbat (Yom Kippur). Time to finish a week of reflection. I think I am on the right track. Trying to be conscious of my words- focusing on the truth and being a good person. I make mistakes too, but I recognize them and try to correct them. One day at a time. One action at a time. One moment at a time.

If I have done anything in the past year (or more) to upset you, I am sorry. I think I wrote this in a previous post, but I want to make sure that I say it again. I ask for your forgiveness and will do good this year.

L'Shana Tova :)

From the Transition Hike- Sept 18th ish

So this is an overdue post about a 3-day, 2-night transition hike that half of the cohort took in order to get our minds wrapped around moving from a rural, remote location where we had been for a year to the big city where there are people everywhere. We had a lot of fun going to the dry, east side of the Cascades... where it was supposed to be warmer but wasn't!

Codi smells deeply into a Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa. She will kill me when she sees this photo! This tree smells like vanilla or butterscotch (maybe Molasses!) when warmed by the sun.

We hiked to Tiffany Mountain (from 6500 at the trail head to 8100 feet at the summit). This is a famous burn-out zone from a huge forest fire (Tripod Fire) that torched thousands of acres in 2006.

Among the dead trees were flowers... even this late in the blooming season. It was a reminder that even in the midst of death, life exists. In fact, there would be no life without death.

Codi is not my muse, but she was in a good place for me to take a picture. John is in the background, walking towards us. We are at the easternmost point of the Cascades as the mountain range transitions to rolling hills and eventually the Okanagan plateau (high elevation, but flat) behind us. In the background of this picture (looking west) is the northern third of the North Cascades Mountain range (south is left). It was an impressive view as glaciers and snow are still visible. Perhaps a good year for glaciers to have grown. In fact I collected some snow around the corner and threw snowballs at all of my colleagues!

The next morning we stopped by the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. This is one of the famous "Cinnamon Twisps" though it came out sideways :( Lots of butter, nuts, sugar, cinnamon and dough baked to perfection. It is called a "twisp" instead of a "twist" because that is the name of the town: Twisp.

Four of us walking toward the Beaver Pond: Steph, me, Teresa and Kate

A Mourning Cloak butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa, fluttered about as we walked in the autumn sunshine.

This view made me think of Japan. Even in America there are places designed for observing and recognizing the exquisite views that nature provides. The only thing missing is a small shrine or gate. Still, it was rather "Zen," I felt.

If pictures could describe my transition, then these would do it. Did some camping and cooking, American-style, and it was a lovely way to settle into life in Bellingham after three wonderful weeks in Japan.

slight evening headache

My head started hurting as I consumed mac and cheese in a restaurant this evening. Ow. I bet it is the quantity (and perhaps quality) of cheese I have eaten lately. I should watch that a bit closer. And I should have gone with fish tacos tonight. Maybe a lack of protein is the cause of this ringing? I'll have a small piece of fish too right now. (I cooked Coho again last night!)

Tomorrow I'll turn in some paper that I have written. FINALLY finished my summer paper. Due only 5 1/2 weeks ago! It's as ready to go as it's gonna be. Along with the 3-page works cited reference list and a lesson plan. It's a nice project that I am proud of.

Also tomorrow is the first paper for THIS quarter. A short reflection for "Foundations of Environmental Education" class on Richard Louv's Nature Principle. It's a good read and inspiring for those of us with any inclination towards the natural world. It is a compilation of various things that folks are doing to integrate their lives more with nature, save money, create peaceful and safe communities and raise the value of life. There are lots of ideas that each of us can pull from this book to make our lives more fulfilling. Really.

Something I read in "Conservation Psychology" class really bugs me. In Clayton and Myers' Conservation Psychology (2009), from a poll to college students, "Although there were some differences depending on the behavior being examined, conservation behaviors were uniformly seen to indicate lower status" (67). These behaviors include: drying clothes on a clothesline, taking public transportation, and recycling.

This explains how I want to live. I suppose that means in the eyes of my peers or neighbors or others, I will be deemed a lower status. Ooooh. Not a big deal for someone like me who is always doing the opposite of everyone anyways. But it bothers me that others, who might be more inclined to care about image, will purposefully NOT do these things because of what "it might say about them to others." I will not hate on those people; indeed image is what some folks need. But the idea that these elements creates a "lower" image SHOULD change because it is wrong.

These actually say: "I care about the earth," "I care about my health," "I care about you and your health too," or simply, "I care." This image must change, and post-haste, because it is false. So, if you see anyone recycling, or drying clothes on a line, composting, taking public transportation, growing vegetables in a garden or raising chickens, then the first thought should be, "that person cares about me because they are minimizing our human impact on this planet." A second thought could be, "how might I mimic them to show others that I care too?"

Wow, I got preachy. But this is it. This is the web space that I have to share my truth. Good night moon!

overcast day and moderately windy

It was dark when I woke up at 6:17 this morning. I thought that I ought to sleep later, but that would have been counter-intuitive. I had to get up. I had to force myself out of bed. That is a goal of mine- to get out and live- regardless of weather, light or trains blaring horns at 3:30am.

An early gym workout was a great idea too. I had it lined up for my make-up yoga class. Got in some good stretching and blood flow and then changed for yoga. Except, I arrived and was told that the class was not where I thought it was! Oy. Fortunately, I figured out where it was, got permission to change it to the 10am class and then enjoyed learning about Warrior 1. Things always work out if we let them.

Met Nick at the gym on the way home- I wanted to get in some pull ups and push ups before lunch. The short is that we came back to my place and he played the piano (wonderfully!) I had a cup of tea with him, and then another one with Teresa who stopped by to get Nick. And then with Kate who came over to go through some homework. Now it's late in the day and I am full of liquid and still have the second half of Richard Louv's, The Nature Principle to read!

I am looking into the kayaking materials I need now. A skirt and a paddle. Oh, and a set of wheels to get it up and down the hill!

Last night I had a delightful dinner with Clint and Alexandra. I brought over a Caprese salad (using the last of my materials) and we enjoyed Romanian soup (stew) and toasted baguettes with melted brie, roasted garlic butter and sliced prosciutto. It was just perfect. Really. Then we had at it in Scrabble (I pour out some of my 40 for Wendy-chan)... and I had to settle their previous-night's Scrabble-squabble by taking the game by 35 points. "Q-U-I-Z," with "Q" on the double-letter score did me real good!

I have a bunch of paper to read and write this quarter. So much for that personal time I was hoping for! One day at a time... and everyday I can make time for me and for work. I need to remember this lesson. And the balance is dynamic... go with the flow.

now I need a skirt...

This stack will keep me busy for the next eight weeks. And there are some articles on my computer to read also. I am a professional reader!
The reason for needing a (spray) skirt: It is beat up and maybe broken in many places. But, if it floats (still haven't checked!) then I'll be good to go. 16' Carolina Perception. It is probably seven years old, based on my reckoning.

Nothing much to report on a misty morning on South Hill

after Shabbat

I had planned not to post tonight, but felt inspired by the sunset:
Inspired by going to the farmer's market this afternoon also. I will still celebrate summer, despite its being so cold nowadays, so long as I can still buy raspberries, melons and basil! So, I bought some small heirloom tomatoes to boot and a package of fresh mozzarella... and did a Caprese salad for the first time in years. It had black pepper but it wasn't the fresh cracked kind. The sea salt from Yakushima hopefully made up the difference in taste. And combining this Italian delicacy with a pot of hot green tea with roasted rice, I was able to combine my favorite cuisines.

From the other night... it was a 6-pound (LOCAL & REAL) chicken (in brine for 24 hours) roasted with onions and garlic and carrots. I have to reconsider how I did the carrots... I suppose they would be better steamed next time, but the juice from the whole process is outstanding if I say so myself:

I also roasted some potatoes in olive oil and thyme so as to use the oven's energy for multiple uses.

The finished product, tasted better than pictures or words describe. Now I have chicken for days! Slightly problematic in that today I bought Coho salmon to cook for this week... but I will just have to work out a little more so that I can eat a little more!

I spent the morning at the Temple. I went to the Torah study and then participated in the Shabbat meditation service. It was nice. I don't know if I'll make it every week, but it was a nice reminder back into Judaism... American-style. It only took me an hour and 10 minutes to walk there. I think the total was 3.5 miles. It was nice to know that I can WALK across down and that it really doesn't take that long!

And to end this post, I will say that I did something naughty today. I will post a picture of it tomorrow. It's red, and I owe Mr. Mikula a shout-out (I already took him out to lunch) for saving it for me while I was busy this morning so that I could swoop in and buy it!