Whalechaser's Musings

TTFN

2012-01-10T04:09:00.000-06:00

Ta Ta For Now...

Death Valley National Park, California

2011-12-29T04:24:00.001-06:00

Death Valley National Park is more than just sand. This was the driving force behind my Fall 2011 trip to the Southwest. Of all the National Parks, this one has always held a seductive attraction for me; maybe it was the desolation or the danger, maybe it was the heat or the shear fearsomeness of it I am not sure exactly what it was, but I knew deep down in my bones that this was the year...no, had to be the year, that I go and do...in this land of extremes.

It got off to a bad start right from the beginning. I originally signed up for a Road Scholar program that was to take place in early October and counted the days until I got the OK that the program was a go. It was an ambitious program which was to include a flat water float on the Colorado, tours of Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona, a pontoon boat ride on Lake Powell, a brief stay in Henderson, Nevada (so I could get my Vegas fix) and then four days in Death Valley, actually staying at the Flint Creek Ranch Inn. It sure was plenty to look forward to! It was cancelled very near to the start date due to lack of interest. What a bummer! So, I had to reshuffle. Check out other programs and make one work for me. I did, I made my own fun for a week getting out to Death Valley and got a full week of hiking in Death Valley while staying in the nearby town of Beatty, Nevada. So I managed to get almost everything in my original program (plus a little more) but under very different circumstances. I went the first week of November, which meant the weather would be very different. In retrospect, that was a good thing, it was brisk at night and delightful during the day, which allowed for pure enjoyment without worry of sunburn, dehydration or a host of other nasties one could encounter closer to summer.

Several years ago a film called "The Bucket List" was popular and I for one really enjoyed it. The story line was a bit far-fetched, but the spirit was solid. Two guys who were both diagnosed with terminal illnesses got together and used the rich guys money to do outlandish things, a pre-composed list of stuff to do before you die. While some of the activities were adventurous and fulfilling in a way, it was the relationship that developed between the two men that seemed to be the most rewarding. It became very popular to say, "well, that's another thing I can scratch off my bucket list." It always struck me as a little cavalier...if I can do everything on my list, then I will have, sort of, cheated death. Presumably, there would be nothing worthwhile left to do, so dying might be the better alternative. So the idea of a bucket list, played in my mind and I fought it. Just the idea of a list, that might have an end and then of course, the end...well it just didn't sit well with me. Nevertheless, I knew, IF I had a bucket list, Death Valley would be on it. Little did I know I may have been flirting with my last hurrah. For two years I have been monitoring what my pulmonologist calls a black fuzzy mass in my chest, it has been dormant...no changes, until this year. Now it is morphing. Taking more drastic steps, I had a bronchoscope (go inside the lung and get biopsies) done hoping to finally determine what it is. But still no answer. At the end of this trip, I am going to have most of my lung removed. My last hurrah indeed.

The first day of hiking was spent at the Mesquite Flat Dunes section of the park. This is what I had envisioned the entire park to be composed of before my arrival; desert as far as the eye could see, dry, desolate and forbidding. Well, yes, there is that but there is a whole lot more than just sand. Having already been to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, I already knew what it takes to get to the top of a dune and what it looks like from that vantage point. I decided to stay on the lower dunes and get some shots of the weather-beaten sand and the starkness of the landscape.

I was not the only one to opt for the lower, less-traveled road in the group

Another day was spent getting up close and personal with the salt flats, located at Badwater which is 282 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation point in North America. It is actually the remnants of a prehistoric salt lake that has been drying up at a dizzying pace. Here I am holding a chunk of the salt that makes up the flats. It is very hard, sharp and salty!

Another day was spent hiking through and around an area called Artists Pallette, the interplay of the sun on the multicolored surfaces can keep your imagination busy for hours.

Never let it be said that girls don't know how to have fun! The three banditos were getting ready for their next heist while riding in the group van...

We took a walk on the boardwalk leading along Salt Creek Springs, then beyond and into the hills above the meandering salty creek that winds its way through the park. Lots of water, but all salty.

Up in the hills the the Salt Creek seems tiny and the views were pretty remarkable

Another day we spent hiking in Mosaic Canyon, the beauty and awesomeness is really hard to describe.

On one particular hike we had to scale a wall to be able to continue the hike, it was called the Horse because it had foot stirrups and one had to straddle it, like a horse, to get over...

Ok, here I am, Death Valley. It was all I thought it was and more.

Just a little curiosity for me...a fire plug, in the middle of the desert? I just thought it was odd.

Another day was spent hiking Ubehebe Crater, some went down and up and around. I went up and around, that was enough for me.

They don't put up any barriers to prevent you from taking the big dip into the crater, they put warning signs in universal language that even non-English speaking folks can understand!

This is an aerial view of the infamous Scotty's Castle. There are so many stories about this place that it seems to take on a life of its own. It was established during the gold rush and several people were taking advantage of each other during this opportune time. I won't spoil the story but I will tell you, the tour is well worth your time, should you find yourself in Death Valley. Fascinating!

In a ghost town outside of Death Valley, bicycle ghost riders in the sky...

Strolling the grounds of the Furnace Creek Ranch Inn, this is the only lush green you are likely to find in Death Valley. The Inn was established by the old 20Mule Team Borax Company during the turn of the century, here is a delightful woman who also took the program.

Another canyon and another hike...it seems endless here.

Fitting, I think, to end the program with a shot of a beautiful full moon. As the group was disbanding for the last time, several of the program leaders asked if I would like to come back next year and participate as a leader in any of the programs. Would I? You bet! But answer had to be, we will have to wait and see what they find in my chest next week...this may be my last hurrah.

Vegas, Baby!

2011-12-27T16:17:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I couldn't come all this way and not spend some time in Las Vegas. I actually tried to get a hotel on the strip but the prices were just crazy, I don't know what was going on in town that week but I was not about to pay those crazy prices. They forced me to go elsewhere and I am really glad they did, because I never would have tried the Suncoast Hotel and Casino if I wasn't pushed into it!

I am a little surprised that I spent three days there and did not get any food pictures, nor casino pictures, I barely got a decent shot of my room. I may have to go back and make amends for my shortcomings!

I did eat at almost all the restaurants there and was very pleasantly surprised with the excellent quality and reasonable pricing; the Mexican restaurant, in particular, served Carne Asade that was exceptionally good and less than $10.00, pretty amazing.

This is looking out of my room, right to the golf course and beyond to the mountains. The view is much better than anything on the strip in my opinion!

It was a suite with a King bed, a huge TV and a separate living room area...way more than was needed for little ol' me.

I took one of the beautiful days to see the Red Rock Canyon, and discovered that you really need more than a day or two here. So many beautiful trails...some pretty strenuous, others not too much. Definitely on my to do list next time...

So here is the REAL reason I stayed at the Suncoast, it was only a few miles from Trader Joes! So I went in and got my fix of coffee, two buck chuck (which is now three bucks!) dunkers and a few other essentials

All in all, I have to say my visit to Vegas was very enjoyable!

Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona

2011-12-24T15:48:00.001-06:00

I would have to say that this stop was one of the highlights of my trip. It was actually one of the main reasons that I decided to go West this year. I had seen so many photos of the canyon and I decided that it was something that I had to experience...in the flesh. So I went and I have to say I was not disappointed.

Going during the first week of November had the positive that there was virtually no one there. It was easy to get a picture without 15 other tourists in it! The downside that I kept hearing about was that one could not get a photo with the sunlight streaming down just so...because the earth had already tilted so that the sunlight did not shine through the canyon wall the way it does in the summer. A small trade off in my opinion; I am not the worlds greatest photographer anyway!

My tour guide Nate was nice enough to take this shot for me, and it looks like he got a little of that sunlight that everyone talks about! This is the Upper Antelope Canyon which one enters by walking in at ground level. The distance has been compared to the length of a football field, of winding gorgeous canyon walls interrupted by openings to the sky occasionally. Every bend offers a new wow vision...

this shot, without people, would likely be impossible in the summer!

This is the entry to the Lower Antelope Canyon, one enters from the top and gradually steps down some 70 to 80 feet, to walk through equally beautiful canyons. The big difference here is that you
get to walk up a series of metal stairs in order to exit the canyon. It is difficult to say which is more beautiful the Upper or the Lower. I like to say they are both beautiful and each offers a uniqueness worth seeing

After completing my walk throughs of the canyons, I took a short hike called Horseshoe Trail just outside of the city limits of Page. The hike is not very strenuous and when you reach the lookout you must be extra careful since there are no barriers in place to prevent you from taking the big plunge. If you have fear of falling or of heights, I caution you not to get to close to the edge.

I took this photo standing back a pretty good distance from the edge and held the camera way above my head and hoped for the best. Not too bad, considering I could not see what I was doing!

On the hike out of Horseshoe overlook I came across this most interesting little Indian boy hopping from rock to rock. He was having such a good time; I asked if I could take his picture and he posed for me!

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

2011-12-13T14:09:00.001-06:00

No drive through the southwest is complete without a cruise through the Petrified Forest. This is an ancient fossilized tropical forest that existed 225 million years ago in a shallow tropical ocean. If you are silly enough to stay in your car and just drive the entire park, you will have missed everything. There are many paved hiking loops that will allow you to easily get up close and personal with the many artifacts and petrified wood objects...which are still in their original positions after all these years.

At my first stop I thought it was interesting that they had a resident raven to enforce the "don't take anything "rule

in the background one can see the chunks of petrified wood scattered about the landscape as though someone tossed a handful of pebbles on the ground

Each piece of wood hardens and is colorized in a unique way. Some of the surfaces have been polished smooth over the many years and are as reflective as a mirror would be. I found the whole experience mesmerizing.

Below are somber beds of mudstone that were formed many years ago during the Chinle formation

here it appears that an entire tree had fallen and broken into a series of chunks, each hardened and beautiful.

Another unique advantage of this park is that there is a visitor center at each end, you can see the very informative film in either location; so if you miss the first one, you can catch the second! I only allotted a few hours here, but I saw enough to make a mental note to stop again on my next southwest sojourn...there are so many places to hike here and all are unique. If you are here in the summer bring tons of water and sunscreen! Another advantage of traveling off-season!

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

2011-12-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

This is the beginning of my long awaited southwestern trip that should take me through a minimum of six states and quite a variety of landscapes and vistas. I deliberately selected Amarillo to be my first stop because I recently discovered Palo Duro State Park which is located just 25 miles south.

I got up early on day two to be one of the first at the entrance gate. I wanted to see as much as possible in the few hours that were allotted before I had to continue my journey. The ranger spotted my bike and asked if I was planning on doing some mountain biking, yes I said and quickly added a request for the least challenging trail in the park. I was told that would be Lighthouse trail and how to get there. Jazzed for a good ride on a glorious day I hurried along to find the parking lot. Along the way I was mesmerized by the canyons, red rocks and abundance of trees and other greenery. This is a pretty well-kept secret...a beautiful canyon on par with the the Grand Canyon but on a much smaller scale and I had to do quite a bit of research before stumbling upon it. I think I will be back in the not too distant future it is just too beautiful to see only once.

I rode just a short distance and had to stop and get a couple of pictures. The place is just so beautiful. The trail started off nice and easy and shortly thereafter offered steep climbs, sharp turns and challenging drops.

I guess my lack of riding this year was very apparent when I approached a two foot drop and quickly looked for a way around. Fortunately, there was a channel alongside for the chicken-hearted. To my dismay, I somehow jammed my brakes mid-channel and went right over the handle-bars landing on my feet in a forward motion...if I had only kept running I would not have taken a front dive as if reaching for second base in a tight baseball play! So after only a few miles I decided that this was way too "risky behavior" for this early in the trip and decided to turn around and do a little walking instead. It seemed the safest activity. There is so much to see and do here that I will have to come back and spend four days or so to really be able to enjoy all it has to offer.

To Know or Not to Know

2011-10-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

Suppose there was something big, really big...life-changing in fact, about to happen --- but the outcome could go several ways.

Would you want to know?

If you thought you were powerless to affect it in any way; would you still want to know?

Would you run to a psychic to see what they might offer you in the way of comfort?

Would you poke your head in the sand and plug along, waiting for the inevitable?

How about running away and pretending it just can't happen to you?

Would you busy yourself shoveling sand from one pile to another?

Would you let your imagination run wild with anticipated ecstasy or pain?

Would knowledge help? Could you learn as much as you can about suspected change and how it could affect your life?

Would you change everything in your current world in anticipation of it?

OR

Would you just enjoy life as it is and enjoy what you have up until it changes?

Just curious...

Digging for Diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park

2011-10-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

So, if I had a bucket list, which I don't, I suppose spending a day a Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas would be somewhere on it. I know when I was planning to move to Arkansas, more than a few years ago, I was intrigued with this place. Imagine it, open plowed fields from a defunct privately held diamond mining operation where one can search for and keep any diamonds found. Many sizable ones have been found too! The largest on record is the Uncle Sam diamond which was found in 1924 and weighed in at 40.23 carats. This year, so far, the largest recorded find is the Illusion Diamond which was 8.66 carats. See, you get my drift...or sift...you can find really big stuff here! But don't get too taken by the history...mostly what is found is pretty small, about the size of a match head

I arrived mid-afternoon Monday and registered at the visitors center...if you wait until 4:00PM you can buy a ticket for access to the field for today and tomorrow. They give you your first hour free if you do it this way. After pitching my tent, getting my stuff organized and having some lunch,

(never let it be said that camping has to be Spartan or unappetizing!)

I made my way back to the visitors center to be first in line for the the four o'clock rush. Turned out it was a line of one...me. Am I the only one that excited about this place? Anyway, I went out and walked the fields and discovered it was pretty hot and the sun was quite strong.

I also noticed that there are three distinct ways of searching for diamonds. The first, which is what I was doing is just walking around the field, poking here and there with a stick and picking up what you find. The second way is dry sifting. You bring or rent a sifting contraption, hand shovel and a bench of some sort, pick your spot and begin methodically sifting and looking for your treasure. I quickly discovered that you get your dirt from one place and sift it into another place. Don't mix them up or you will be working with the same dirt over and over again. So I found a spot and started sifting first thing Tuesday morning

Here is the sifter that I rented. I had not really sifted it enough to say there was nothing in that batch but I think you get the idea... try to get in down to pretty much all the small stuff, if a diamond is not waving at you, try again with another batch!

The third method is wet sifting. That requires a 5 gallon bucket and a strong back. You fill the bucket and bring it to the wet sifting stations located throughout the park. and begin a rather arduous task of dipping, turning, jiggling and continuing that for a bit. Then when the stuff is arranged just so in your sifter, you bring it up and flip it over on a flat surface and see what has accumulated in the center of the batch. It seems this is the most difficult and strenuous method. Since the field was very dry I stuck with the dry sifting method.

Actually, before I headed down the the field to search for diamonds on Tuesday, I took a nice little hike on the Little Missouri River trail which is about 1.2 miles long and is half paved and half single track. It was quite enjoyable and I had the entire place to myself!

There were a couple of these bridges over what was supposed to be a small stream, but with the very dry summer that we have had it was just over a dry gully.

When I got to the Little Missouri I frightened a Blue Heron and noticed a gaggle of ducks on the other side of the river out for a morning swim. Very nice.

I did not find any diamonds. I did find quite a bit of Jaspar, which is a brownish, smooth almost creamy stone. Anyway, I was there for the fun of it and I sure did have plenty of that.

One Great Whale Story

2011-09-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

I saw this at Dawg Run and had to copy it here. It is after all, "right up my alley" thanks Dawg Run for informing me about this incredible story! You will feel fabulous after seeing this, I promise.

An Amazing Story Worth 8 Minutes of Your Time

Garden Snakes can be Dangerous

2011-08-30T13:17:00.000-05:00

Stolen from Melissa Bratton

Snakes also known as Garter Snakes (Thamnophissirtalis) can be dangerous. Yes, grass snakes, not rattlesnakes. Here's why.

A couple in Sweetwater , Texas , had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze. It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants. When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa.

She let out a very loud scream. The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what was the problem. She told him there was a snake under the sofa.

He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor.

His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance. The attendants rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out.

About that time, the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is went to the hospital.

The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief. But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa.

The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her. The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches.

The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat. By now, the police had arrived.

Breathe here...

They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake! The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife.

Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes. The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car.

Meanwhile, neighbors saw the burning drapes and called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out).

Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world. A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night.

And that's when he shot her.

It Just Looks So Wrong

2011-08-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

It was one of those "suped" up motorcycles...the front wheel was stretched out about 12 feet from the seat. He actually managed to get a piece of two spots and the area with the yellow diagonal lines. I did not hang around to see the disabled person retrieve it, I doubt he was...at least physically.

Caught in the Act...

2011-08-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

It all started out innocently enough; I thought I would go and get gas for the lawn mower, since I would be needing it soon and also get some onions for the chicken and dumplings I planned on making. That was it, just a quick loop with two stops I should have been back in a jiffy.

I got to the new Walmart Market and got my onions, and some nice romaine lettuce for a salad. A quick turn around and I was at the gas station, but the place was packed. Sometimes that happens, but certainly not at the more expensive place in town. OK, two pumps are down and the rest (8) seem to be occupied. Two loops around looking for anyone leaving soon and I found my spot. Red can in hand I make friends with the pump, at least I tried to.

But that pump wasn't having any of it! It licked my credit card, winked at me, offered me several types of gas, but when I squeezed the pump so gently...nothing happened. That continued for several minutes. A new guy pulled in on the other side of the pump and I wished him luck getting any gas for HIS red can. He said the pumps had been slow several days ago; it took five minutes or so. With that he took his can and walked to other pumps hoping for better luck! I told him this wasn't the only game in town, and took off for another station.

So three minutes later I had my red can full and saved a big 3 cents a gallon in the process. Got in the car and decided to take the back roads home instead of the busier main road. That is when it happened. Turtle.

Right there in the road a turtle not going very far or fast. Argh...I hate that. I took a chance and stopped the car right there in the middle of the road, got out and picked up the little guy and placed him on the other side (the direction he was heading) and quickly got back in the car...no traffic yet!

As I was getting in, I spotted a couple walking toward me in the street. He said "I'm glad you did that", yes I said, I hate when I see turtles in the street. His friend said what? he explained and by then they were next to Mr. Turtle, he said "poor guy".

Briar Rose Cafe, Farmington, Arkansas

2011-08-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

Never let it be said that God doesn't hear and answer your prayers. In case you are not from here...(OMG I am starting to sound like the natives!!!) I should tell you first that it has been hot. REALLY HOT!!!! FOR A LONG TIME!!!!

That of course means that I cannot make my own bread 'cause you'd have to be nuts to turn on the oven in this heat! But I really do like my own baked bread and I haven't been able to find a place that makes something close to mine. That is, until now. A friend just happened to mention this new bakery/deli in the town next to me.

A couple of weeks ago I went to check it out. My friend said that their Sourdough bread is very close to being in San Francisco. I had my doubts. But I went and looked and felt like a kid in a candy store! They have so much good stuff that I have to ration my visits; that, or seriously consider a new wardrobe!

They have so many kinds of bread, that I haven't yet gotten to the sourdough, since I have been trying all my other favorites. So I have purchased several kinds of bread and they were all fabulous

Like right here, I had a BLTA on a Cibiatta roll (bacon lettuce tomato and avocado) and as you can see a spare cibiatta loaf and a french loaf just in case I get hungry on the way home. Oh, this is bad...very, very, bad.

Oh, the name again is
Briar Rose Cafe
right there on main street in
Farmington, Arkansas

479 300 6027

Oh, they have fabulous desserts, sandwiches and chicken pot pies...did I mention I started a gym membership just to be able to go here often? I did.

Doing Without

2011-08-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday the morning seemed to slip away from me before I realized how late it was getting. What drove that fact home was the fact that my morning shower was not as warm as usual...I waited too long and wound up taking my shower outside of the pre-selected "on times" for my water heater. I learned soon after I moved here to put a timer on my water heater or pay dearly every month for hot water that I wasn't using. So, I have learned to take care of certain things early in the day.

I was out for the day so it wasn't until I started to clean my dinner dishes that I noticed, again, that the water wasn't very warm. I went to check the water heater and the pilot light seemed to be out. Finished up the dishes after heating some water and then I proceeded to read the manual on how to start the water heater. Of course, I read the instructions right there in front of the water heater in the garage; it was only 98 degrees at the time. Sweat was dripping down my face when, with my newly acquired water heater knowledge, I went through the process of turning off and then turning on, step by step, my water heater. Nothing.

I tried it again...still nothing. So now I have to find a ...well at that point I wasn't sure what I needed. Did I need a heating and a/c guy or did I need a plumber, jeez this home ownership is not the fun it is cracked up to be! OK, I decided I needed a plumber, at least in the telephone book plumbers advertise that they repair water heaters, so I went with that. I wasn't getting any warm fuzzies from any of the ads though, so I decided to search for a plumber online. I found a couple pretty quickly and then looked a little further for recommendations. It didn't take long to zero in on what seemed to be a good one. I made the call and left a message and hoped I would hear back soon.

I did and the plan was for him to stop by the next morning; he said he would have to rearrange his schedule though, so he would call me as he started the trip to my place. I was feeling pretty good that I was able to put things together so quickly. I got up early and quickly took a cold shower and waited for that call. It came at 7:50 AM, I was pretty happy with the way things were coming together.

Tommy took the cover off the opening to the heater and doodled with the pilot light. it didn't work for him either. I was feeling a little satisfaction, at least I got that part right! So he doodled some more and disassembled the auto pilot mechanism and said he would have to drive some 30 miles to a supplier to get the part.

He assured me he could be back in time to fix it before I had to leave at 11:30. He said he had to get it done before I left because he was going away with his wife this weekend. So I was still feeling pretty good about the way things were going.

But about an hour later Tommy called and said "You sure aren't going to like what I am about to tell you"...he said the supply house did not have the part and would not have it till Monday. Now under normal circumstances I would have said something to show my anger or dissatisfaction but surprisingly I responded "Well, there is only one thing I can say." "Have a good weekend." He chuckled a little and I could hear the sound of surprise in his voice when he said he would see me on Monday.

Saturday while I was making coffee and gazing out the kitchen window, it occurred to me that the garden hose had been sitting in the sun for several hours and the first couple of gallons of water would likely be hot or very warm. I grabbed a couple of big bowls and filled them up with very nice warm water. Took them into the shower and proceeded to take a makeshift shower that wasn't bad at all. I was amazed that I could shower this way and use about a gallon of water. This was decidedly better than using the cold water straight from the shower head. Actually, my hot water needs are not so great and my work arounds were more than adequate for what I needed to do. Laundry was not on my schedule for a couple of more days. I had the chance to reflect on some ideas that I read about in a book titled "A guide to the Good Life" by William Irvine. This is a book about stoicism and among the principles that are discussed is deliberately doing without something, that we might normally take for granted. For example, deliberately taking a cold shower, or walking to the store instead of driving or doing without some modern convenience by choice. The idea being, if one does this by choice and in enough instances, should a difficult time come to pass where our comforts are no longer available for us, it will have less of an impact on our tranquility.

I think I actually experienced that this weekend. The water heater was not fixed until Tuesday; it was five days without hot water, but using the idea of a makeshift shower and heating the water for washing dishes was really simple and easy to do. It was not a big deal and now that it is fixed I feel a certain confidence in knowing that I am not as dependent as I thought I was. My tranquility was pretty much undisturbed for the whole five days. I suppose when one can go through life facing the trials and tribulations without having tranquility disturbed, that would be called success.

Toys

2011-07-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

With these really hot summer days coming so early in the season, I decided I needed something to do while hugging my air conditioner...I thought I would buy myself a jigsaw puzzle. It's been years since I've worked on one and they were always a borderline addiction for me. I have made the process a lot easier than it was in the old days. Now, I have good lighting...that in itself takes about 40% of the challenge away. I have a coffee table with a surface that is 'liftable' so the entire puzzle comes closer to the arms and eyeballs. Another 20% reduction in the original challenge. I put my meditation cushion on the sofa and I no longer experience back strain. So it is almost a snap now. Almost.

I set the thing up about a week and a half ago, first putting a large folded cardboard box on the table surface, making it large enough to hold all the pieces. Then, with some difficulty, I started looking for the edge pieces; the trouble started when I discovered that the cardboard box was not quite big enough. I still had half a bag of pieces and the surface was pretty full. So I tumbled the pieces in the bag and looked for the straight sides...and found a few. I started putting it together; that is when the real challenge started.

My bird flew over for a visit and discovered that he landed in bird heaven. There he stood among the pieces, and while his face is made up mostly of beak, feathers and eyeballs, I swear I saw a smile grow on his face. In a flash he had a piece in his mouth, he gave me look as though to say "ha! Catch me if you can I'm outta here!"

So my quiet puzzle time became an exercise routine, chasing the bird and puzzle piece through the house. He finally dropped it when he had enough play, then returned to his cage to look in the mirror as though absolutely nothing had happened. Since that day, I have religiously covered the puzzle with a blanket to avoid further incidents like that. I have worked on the puzzle little bits at a time and yesterday almost finished the frame. It seems as though I am missing about three or so errant pieces.

Time will tell, of course, if I missed a few when I was gathering the edges or if Mr. Birdie has made off with them! So now the question is: Why did I spend so much time finding a picture that I thought was worthy of actually gluing and mounting in a picture frame?

An Interesting History Lesson...

2011-06-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mellisa Bratton for allowing me to steal this from her!

We older people need to learn something new every day..
Just to keep the grey matter tuned up.

Where did "Piss Poor" come from?
Interesting History.
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot
And then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery...
.if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...
They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature
Isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May,
And they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell,
Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water.
The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water,
Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children.
Last of all the babies.
By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.
It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals
(mice, bugs) lived in the roof.
When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.
Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.
This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
Could mess up your nice clean bed.
Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.
That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.
Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery
In the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing.
As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door,
It would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.
Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables
And did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers
In the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day.
Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.
Hence the rhyme:
“Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old”.
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.
It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."
They would cut off a little to share with guests
And would all sit around and chew the fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter.
Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food,
causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes,
so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status.
Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle,
and guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky.
The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.
Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.
They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around
and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.
Hence the custom; “of holding a wake”.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people.
So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave.
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks
on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive.
So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin
and up through the ground and tie it to a bell.
Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.)
to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be,
“saved by the bell” or was “considered a dead ringer”.

And that's the truth.
Now, whoever said History was boring!!!
So get out there and educate someone! ~~~
Share these facts with a friend.
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering,
'What the heck happened?'

We'll be friends until we are old and senile.
Then we'll be new friends.
“Smile”,
it gives your face something to do!

Ponca to Kyles Landing, Buffalo River -- Arkansas

2011-05-29T20:48:00.001-05:00

The trip was planned for some time and as it got closer and closer I was sure that we would have to cancel it because of all the rain we've been having, but the rain Gods and Goddesses smiled on us. They gave us the only non rainy day in a string of ten or so to enjoy our outing on the Buffalo River. This particular section was new to me. Last year I paddled from Steel Creek to Buffalo City for a total of about 122 miles, but we missed this section due to low water last year, so I can now say I have paddled the full 131 miles of the Buffalo River.

We used the Lost Valley Canoe Outfitter in Ponca. The approach was a little different than usual. We drove to the put in point and they took the car and left it at Kyles Landing for us at the take out point. That makes it really easy when you are finished you can just get in the car and go. There is no waiting for a shuttle bus to bring you back to your car, pretty neat I thought.

We all opted for kayaks and I for one was surprised that Otters were as short as 6 feet; it made for a slightly more unstable float than I expected, but they are so easy to maneuver we didn't give it any more thought. The current in many places was stronger than I was used to and I found myself swamped once in deep and rushing water. I wasn't the only one to take a dunk, we all did at least once but there was no real danger. We were able to get to shore pretty quickly in most cases and we all appreciated the temperature of the water on a warm day!

Here is the group Cat, Tom and Jill enjoying the first pretty rock formation after starting our float trip

You never know where along the way you will find a pretty waterfall, this one went way back in the woods and was very pretty to look at from the river

Here is my friend Cat floating down a ripply rapid, it didn't take long for all of us to scope out the rapids and if all was well the paddle went up in a horizontal position for the others to see and enjoy their turn!

Here is Jill, she has found yet another waterfall. The sounds were delightful!

We found our way to Kyles Landing a little later than I anticipated, but still plenty of daylight and were very happy to switch into dry clothes. We all got in the car and headed out and that is when our perfect day began to unravel. The road to Kyles Landing is very steep, dirt and because of all the recent rains was graded and graveled that day. My little car was unable to negotiate the hill. I got about halfway up and the car just stopped. It was like driving in snow, that was absolutely no traction. I tried backing down the hill, got a good head start and tried speeding up the hill, but still could not do it.

Stuck out there I really did not know what to do. I had no cell signal so I could not call AAA. Others with 4 wheel drive could barely make it so it was not likely that anyone was going to give us a tow. After about 45 minutes, the outfitter had returned after bringing the canoes and kayaks back to the office. He had a friend with him that does mountain-climbing. What a fortunate turn of events, he had plenty of rope (that does not stretch when tension is applied) so he threaded it three times through the two tow loops on the front of my car, and shaped it into a triangle, so the chain with a hook could be attached. Then they and I drove up the hills. It was pretty scary since I was only a couple of feet from the pickup truck

But it worked and in practically no time at all we were on our way for a well deserved dinner.
The very next day I read in the paper that this very road was going to be posted that 4 wheel drive vehicles only were to be allowed on it since the grading had made it so treacherous !
Those fellows from Lost Valley Canoe, sure saved my skin that day and I appreciate that they were able to help me out of that nasty predicament!

Great Cookie Recipe

2011-05-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

I figured it was time to memorialize my favorite cookie recipe before my cookbook falls apart. These are my favorites because they have no added fats...no butter, no lard or margarine, nuthin' and I just go a little goo-goo over a cookie that is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. These are just fabulous with coffee...

Here it is:

Crunchy Chews

3/4 Cup of all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
3/4 Cup of Sugar (I like to mix brown and white equally)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 Eggs
1 Package of diced dates ( 8 ounces )
1 Cup of broken up Walnuts (not too finely)

Start by heating the oven to 325 Degrees

Then grab a large bowl and combine the dry ingredients (flour, powder, salt and sugar)

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl till they are light and fluffy

Fold them (eggs) gently into the dry ingredients, just until combined.

Then add the dates and walnuts and fold gently also to combine. Handle as little as possible.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (your WILL thank me for this later) and put a tablespoon or so of the cookie mixture for each cookie on the sheets. You should end with exactly 24 cookies...space them as much as possible because they spread a little when baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and remove from the sheets to cool. Let them air dry so they get crisp, then place them in an airtight container and munch away when the mood hits!

HH Dalai Lama Visit to Fayetteville, Arkansas

2011-05-14T20:27:00.003-05:00

This past Wednesday was a very special day. It was the day that the Dalai Lama came to visit Fayetteville, Arkansas and discuss nonviolence as the ultimate way to solving the worlds problems. In addition to his keynote presentation in the afternoon, there was a panel discussion held in the morning with

Sister Helen Prejean of the Congregation of St Joseph, who is perhaps best known for "Dead Man Walking An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States" as well as "The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions" which was inspired by her belief that several of those whose executions she witnessed were innocent. She has dedicated most of her life to the poor and powerless and has been working to abolish capital punishment for over 25 years.

Vincent Harding, who is an icon of America's Civil Rights movement, traveled to Atlanta where he met Martin Luther King, Jr and later worked toward the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The panel discussion can be seen here

His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has worked tirelessly for the betterment of the six million Tibetans who currently remain in Tibet, as well as those who have chosen to follow him. He has become a major spokesperson for human rights, environmental concerns and the practice of nonviolence in solving problems that range from the purely personal to the broadly political. He has also worked tirelessly to promote understanding and harmony among the world's religious traditions.

The photo opportunities were not so good but I got a couple of shots that I thought were worth sharing.

I was sitting directly in front of a huge screen where the speakers were being projected. Here I must have gotten the shot when Vincent Harding was about to speak and the previous shot of Sister Prejean and HH Dalai Lama were fading into the background.
I like it because it shows visually all three in harmony, with one voice for nonviolence.

This is a shot of His Holiness just before receiving his Honorary Degree from Chancellor Gearhart.

This is just prior to the opening of the morning session.

The afternoon presentation "Turning Swords into Ploughshares" can be seen here

Mount Magazine, Arkansas

2011-05-14T16:33:00.000-05:00

Last week I joined the local OLLI group for the last hiking outing of this season to Mount Magazine. We rode the limo bus to Mount Magazine and had a buffet lunch at the lodge perched atop Mt. Magazine and afterwards we all took a mile and a half loop hike at Signal Hill which is the highest point in Arkansas. I did not have to get acclimated to the height as is necessary at some of the higher peaks in Colorado.

So the leader was nice enough to take this shot for me...we were lucky on all of our outings this year, while rain was predicted, we had none, yet again!

The butterflies were all over the mountain top...the wildflowers are a great attractant. Here is a yellow swallowtail partaking of wildflower nectar.

I always try to include an unusual picture when I can. Here, as it was explained to me is fresh (well relatively so; perhaps a couple of hours old) bear scat! The leader poked it a little and uncovered the fresher stuff in the middle of the dried outer portion. Fortunately, we didn't see any.

Just Lazy I Guess

2011-05-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

I've been a little lazy lately. There have been a couple of good things happening which I will write about soon, but I guess I have just needed to chill out for a couple of days.
I think it helped because I seem to be feeling a lot better and my strength finally seems to be coming back! For a while I thought I was going to be stuck in some kind of funk as a result of my earlier accident, but I think I am rounding that corner and will back to my old self soon. Yippee!
So be patient, I have some good stuff that will be up soon. Probably not today though.

Poor Doggie

2011-05-03T15:28:00.008-05:00

I almost feel sorry for this pooch

And So...

2011-05-02T10:25:00.000-05:00

So, I was having a discussion with a fellow Sangha member the other day. We were talking about how we have changed over time, by attending Dharma talks and applying some of the principles to our daily life. Without really thinking about it, I blurted out that I had changed a lot over the years. She was nodding in agreement.

Then, again without really thinking too much about what I was going to say, I said: No I hadn't changed all that much, but I had rearranged the percentages of my personality quite a bit.

We both thought that was a pretty good way of saying it.

2011-04-29T08:25:00.000-05:00

I freely admit that I saw this on Brain Pickings, but for those who do not follow the blogs that I follow, it is really worth a look. Go ahead, enjoy, it is a book trailer and the book really seems worth reading. The title Wisdom: The Greatest Gift One Generation Can Give Another by Andrew Zuckerman

WISDOM Trailer from Andrew Zuckerman Studio on Vimeo.

I Just Couldn't Resist this one...

2011-04-27T09:53:00.000-05:00

A LADY WALKS INTO TIFFANY'S .. SHE LOOKS AROUND, SPOTS A BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND BRACELET AND WALKS OVER TO INSPECT IT...

AS SHE BENDS OVER TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY, SHE UNEXPECTEDLY FARTS...

VERY EMBARRASSED, SHE LOOKS AROUND NERVOUSLY TO SEE IF ANYONE NOTICED HER LITTLE WOOPS AND PRAYS THAT A SALESPERSON WAS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR...

AS SHE TURNS AROUND, HER WORST NIGHTMARE MATERIALIZES IN THE FORM OF A SALESMAN STANDING RIGHT BEHIND HER...

GOOD LOOKING AS WELL .. COOL AS A CUCUMBER, HE DISPLAYS ALL OF THE QUALITIES ONE WOULD EXPECT OF A PROFESSIONAL IN A STORE LIKE TIFFANY'S...

HE POLITELY GREETS THE LADY WITH, 'GOOD DAY, MADAM .. HOW MAY WE HELP YOU TODAY???

BLUSHING AND UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT STILL HOPING THAT THE SALESMAN SOMEHOW MISSED HER LITTLE 'INCIDENT', SHE ASKS, 'SIR, WHAT IS THE PRICE OF THIS LOVELY BRACELET ??'

HE ANSWERS, "MADAM .. IF YOU FARTED JUST LOOKING AT IT - YOU'RE GOING TO CRAP WHEN I TELL YOU THE PRICE..."

Hobbs Conservation Area - Shaddox Hollow Trail

2011-04-21T19:22:00.000-05:00

Today, I went with a group sponsored by OLLI for a hike at Hobbs State Park Conservation Area on the Shaddox Hollow Trail which is a loop trail 1.5 miles in length. It was my first real outing since my accident and I was concerned about my ability to handle it, but it went pretty well. I did the hike and enjoyed the cruise around Beaver lake on a pontoon boat, then lunch at War Eagle's Bean Palace. We caught a thunderstorm for our return trip, but our driver handled it very well. I have to admit that I was pretty tired when I got home and a little achy, but I am hoping that I am healing well and will be getting better as time passes. I know I am much better than I was when I first got home from the accident a month ago.

What was really special about the hike today was that there were so many wildflowers blooming. I felt like I was walking through the pages of a Tim Ernst book...wildflowers everywhere! So without further ado, here are some of the shots I got on our hike:
I will attempt to label them, but I know very few plants...any help is appreciated!

We took a group vote on these and concluded that they are phlox...

This is wild Iris, and just too pretty to behold!

A sassafras sprouting..what makes this unique is that (if you look closely) there are actually 5 different shaped leaves coming up from the same plant...most unusual!

Jack in the Pulpit, so...amazing

ok...here is where I can use a little help

A mayapple bloom

Half the group (including me) had already walked right past this fellow...probably only six or so inches away from our feet was this Pygmy Rattlesnake; fortunately someone in the group asked "what kind of snake is this"? Yes, it is as poisonous as a copperhead. He was ready to strike into action, but fortunately none of our group gave him (her) a reason to.

A little more identification help needed here...

A Penny for Your Thoughts...

2011-04-14T08:10:00.000-05:00

Last week, the plan was to meet some friends at a local strip mall and they would drive to a little theater in Rogers where Arsenic and Old Lace was being performed. The weather was perfect and as usual I arrived very early. It wasn't a problem since the area was relatively active, I enjoyed a little people watching while I waited.

I positioned myself just outside a Barnes and Noble bookstore and it wasn't long before two women walked out and headed for their car. One of the women bent down just after stepping down from the curb, as if to pick something up. It was a penny. She picked it up, looked at it, commented to her friend and then carefully placed it back on the pavement. They kept walking.

Five minutes passed when another couple (man and woman) exited and took the same route. The woman noticed the coin, bent down, picked it up, smiled and said something to the man pocketing the coin. Just at that moment...everything was right with the world!

I have no doubt the penny was facing heads up. That is the position for good luck and heavenly angels. What a fabulous random act of kindness.

Culture Day at a local school

2011-03-28T19:47:00.003-05:00

Before my fateful trip to Lafayette, Louisiana, I spent a day with our local Tibetan group bringing their culture to the children of a local elementary school. Of course, the effort is led by Geshe Dorjee Thupton, but each table needed a few people to help teach about the culture.

There were Tibetan clothes to be tried on, various cultural icons and then, of course the sand mandelas.

I was actually pretty amazed that I looked this good in Tibetan garb; Don't forget this is on top of my usual jeans and tee shirt
Another in our group showing a typical males outfit...Geshe is making sure to get the right fit!

While I was not able to escape the native clothing demonstration; my post for the day was at the sand mandela table. It seemed to be the most popular one; who could say no to the opportunity to spread different colored sand on a pre-marked board and make pictures?

Here is the board of the mandelas; see the faint outlines of design? The spaces would be filled painstakingly with sand. Grain by grain, until the whole pattern is completed...well, that is how the monks do it. The children...they have a different approach

This little girl was so adorable. She was so serious about doing it right and I could not resist getting a shot with her tongue placed just so. You have to do that to get the sand to go just so, right?
Once it becomes a group effort well, it seems the details are lost but lots of fun is had nevertheless.

My Whirlwind Accident

2011-03-23T18:29:00.004-05:00

Last week I was working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Lafayette, Louisiana. There were several houses in various degrees of construction. The one I was working on was fully framed and needed a sub-floor in the attic to receive the heating apparatus.

Sadly, I was only up there for a couple of hours before this weird accident occurred. A fellow worker seemed to be in a precarious situation and hanging on for dear life, I scrambled to lend a hand and misplaced my foot and ended up falling through to the cement floor below. I performed that little act of gracefulness in the closet...which is probably good, since I hit my head on the 2 x 4 wood plate instead of the concrete...which means I am still here!

I never lost consciousness and had a couple of minutes before the EMT came. It felt a lot worse than it looked

The Habitat for Humanity Services Director was on spot before you could count to three.

Later on in the emergency room, my really cute male nurse put this yellow band on my wrist...
Ya' think?
Days later, after being admitted, it was St Patties Day and the folks on my floor know how to celebrate.

The care and attention I received was extraordinary. After many many x-rays, a cat scan and an MRI they only found a compression fracture at the T9 vertebra; they did a cytoplasty injection surgery and released me the same day.

The bruising and muscle soreness continue to be a problem for me, but each day seems a little better. I am not complaining...

The accident happened exactly nine days ago and I am walking, talking and driving short distances. Yes there is pain and discomfort but when I think that I could be dead or severely crippled, well, no I am doing just fine thank you very much!

What a Bummer...

2011-03-18T04:29:00.004-05:00

You will all be thankful that I post no photos for this post.

The trip that I have been looking forward to for months finally happened! I am here in Lafayette, Louisiana and was working on a Habitat for Humanity program; I say was, because I got into a nasty accident and ended up in the hospital. The accident happened on Monday and after two days, I had surgery and was released last night.

So I missed most of the project, which looked like a REALLY GOOD one, and am unable to continue on for another week in New Orleans, as I had planned. That really bums me out, but I accept what is and will try to continue on gracefully.

The travel assist company is arranging to fly me home (I hope tomorrow) and also have my car along with bike returned to me, don't know if they are driving it or shipping it.
Since I can hardly move, this is a very good thing.

I cannot offer up enough praises for the Road Scholar folks, they have taken very good care of me and have attended to my every need...and here I thought I was "easy", anyway, they made a difficult thing easier to bear.

To all my blogging buddies, your prayers of support and healing are appreciated now!
...and take my word for it...you do NOT want to see the pictures!

Food Adventures on my Florida Trip

2011-03-13T08:04:00.004-05:00

I randomly loaded the pictures from the trip and wouldn't you know it, that the most visually attractive one came up first!

This was lunch at the Treviso Restaurant at the Ringling Museum complex. After walking the compound for five hours, I want to tell you, it was fabulous! Great to sit down and then to have this feast for the eyes and belly was wonderful...

This was a wrap from the Horsin' Around Deli deli near to the ECHO farm. One of my co-workers ordered it and it sure looked good

I stopped at an Italian restaurant Primo in Sarasota, the air was filled with garlic so I knew it would be good, it was...but I was really intrigued with the plate. I think at one time I was seriously considering getting dishes similar to this...in retrospect,m I am glad I didn't.

We made a huge pot of steamed clams gotten from a local calm farmer in Cedar Key. They were the best I ever had. Maybe it was the company!

I got a reuben from the Horsin Around Deli, just FAB!

Old Friend Reunion

2011-03-11T21:21:00.006-06:00

The best part of the trip was finally getting together with my friend; who I hadn't seen since 1960. It was pretty amazing that we found each other after all these years. But we did and we had a couple of real nice days in Florida. We romped around Cedar Key for a while, just relaxin' and taking in some needed sunshine.

Nobody can visit Cedar Key without getting a picture with their head in the sharks mouth!

Here we are at the Cedar Key Museum, my friend was very interested in all the history...

and we couldn't leave out the clam farming. Why Cedar Key has the largest clam farms in the country!
The guard pelicans are on duty at the fishing pier.

And then we made a day of it at Epcot...
Lady and the Tramp topiary providing the background
At the Mexican Pavilion
We were just starting the Clamobile on the underseas quest to find Nemo...
Daisy Duck doing the watering
Heading up into spaceship Earth
Getting on the tram at the beginning of our whirlwind day at Epcot!
We saw:
Soarin'
Spaceship Earth
Ellen's Energy Adventure
The Sea with Nemo and Friends
Living with the Land
The Circle of Life
Mexico
Norway
China
The American Adventure

It was a pretty full day!

Ringling Ca' d'Zan -- Summer Estate

2011-03-11T20:15:00.009-06:00

While in Sarasota, I spent a day at the Ringling Estate, Museum of Art, Circus Museum and the grounds and gardens. It is all located on one large property and is difficult to see it all in a day. I can say that I gave it a good scan, but I am sure that I missed a lot. A second visit would certainly not be wasted.

My first building was the Ca'd'Zan (the house of John)...the house where John and Mabel entertained lavishly. It was very elegant and lived in at the same time. It was obvious that they spared no expense and it had all the latest comforts of the thirties. I was most taken with the doors and windows though. They were unusual and highly decorated.

This one is silver embossed with a velvet background

The door in the upper right is gold gilt and quite ornate

This is a view from the back of the house overlooking Sarasota bay. Those rich people...they sure know how to live.

Another interesting door, all wood with very nice workmanship
Check out these windows. They seem to be standard rectangular shaped windows with a false front on them to appear Turkish.

This was all individually hand blown glass from Italy; notice the different colors of each pane.

This is the entrance to the Circus Museum and Store

The master of ceremonies and a man on very long stilts. Notice the mechanical bicycle riding the tightrope between the walls...

There were literally thousands of miniature circus animals/wagons/ performers on display in the museum. I thought this one was special; elephants wearing sea horse costumes pulling a very ornate float of mermaids and Poseidon, God of the Sea. All items are hand carved and painted. It was amazing.

Here is another interesting carriage being pulled along by ostriches

I am not sure what this is supposed to be, but it caught my eye and has made it into my blog. So I guess it was successful.

I was on my way over to the art museum and I had to cross a small body of water by walking over a bridge. While there I saw an anhinga (snake bird) swimming after a small fish. So this is my Monet photo shot.

Here's another...

Lido Mangrove Tunnels Sarasota Florida

2011-03-09T18:53:00.003-06:00

I signed up for an afternoon of kayaking through the mangroves just at the mouth of the Myakka River in Sarasota Florida, with Almost Heaven Kayaking...since I had a couple of days to fill before I went up to Cedar Key.

Here is a shot of an interesting approach through the tunnels...I looks like one cannot get through that tiny opening, but truth be told, if you go in on an angle from right to left, it is not a problem at all. Since I was first in the group, I scooted right through, I heard moments later though that others had a bit of difficulty.

There were Lightening Welks galore in the bay. you could actually just reach down in the water and pick them up. This particular one weighed around 4 to 5 pounds. I thought that was amazing. Yes, they are very much alive!

Here are other smaller welks that we looked at just after getting out of the mangrove tunnel.

This cute little guy is a tree crab. When we were in the tunnel the leader was pointing them out and could not see any. Then all of a sudden I saw one, then two then lots and lots. They are very fast.

Finally, we were in one of the many bay areas and right there among high rises in a little treed area next to a highway (of all things) was this osprey with a huge fish that he caught and was about to eat. Double click to see more!

Real Life Dharma

2011-03-09T18:28:00.005-06:00

Quite a while ago at a Dharma session, Geshe talked about something called false logic. Having never taken a philosophy course I paid close attention but when all was said and done, I felt like I missed something.

He gave the example of false logic by talking about a roadside fruit stand owner; imagine yourself driving along, seeing the fruit stand and deciding to stop and get some fresh and presumably delicious fruit. So you pull in, get out of the car and walk over to the stand whereupon the owner of the stand picks up a peach slices it and offers you half...all juicy and sweet. One bite and your senses are heaven bound and you need more of this! So you buy a half bushel, put it in the car and drive off...dreaming about a half bushel of delicious peaches. Here is the part I don't get. He says, just because you ate half a peach and it was good, does NOT mean the half bushel that you bought will be the same as the sample you had. OK, I know that the peaches probably come from different trees, and maybe some had more or less sun than the one I tasted, but still...they should be good. Geshe says, false logic. Each peach stands on its own. Well, I am still growing and so I keep thinking about this every once in a while.

Here is perhaps another example. This one I can fully understand....now.

Wednesday is garbage and recycling day for me. I always put both the trash can and the recycle box out the night before, since they have been known to pick up at 6 AM. Today, (Wednesday) I went about my morning business then went out to do errands at 8:30. Before leaving I put something in the mailbox and raised the red flag so the postal worker would pick it up when my mail was delivered. Making a mental note to check the flag when I returned indicating whether or not the mail had come.

I returned at about 12:15. As I entered my development area I noted that trash cans and recycle bins of my neighbors up the block were in disarray and empty. OK, as I drive down my street I am looking at the mail box flag and it too is down. So when I pulled in the garage, I went out and got the mail, got the recycle bin, placed it on top of the trash can and wheeled it in the garage. I took the bin and placed it on the floor and went in the house.

Moments later I heard a very loud truck. It sounded like a tractor trailer, but my street is really not big enough for one of those. The noise got louder and I went to see what it was...
Sure enough it was the trash man, picking up trash. And since I was watching him pick up my neighbors trash that means he has already passed me...and that must mean....

YUP, I brought the trash back in the house. What were the odds of my coming home just when he was a few houses away and around the corner? Pretty slim I'd say. So now I have trash for next week! It just never occurred to me to look in the trash can...everybody elses' was empty! False Logic!

Edison - Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers Florida

2011-03-08T13:55:00.007-06:00

After I finished my Road Scholar program, I discovered that I was practically a stones throw from the Edison-Ford Winter estates so decided to make a quick stop there as well. I have learned that you have to seize the moment at times like this. Even though I had already scheduled a kayaking trip in Sarasota at 2 the same day, I was hoping I could squeeze this in. It was a whirlwind visit and I am glad I did it, because I don't know when I'll be back in that area again.
So I have discovered that birds of a feather like to flock together, in this case people with very creative minds and some money in their pockets tend to mix and mingle with similar folks and thus we have the Edison and Ford Winter estates. Both men were very creative and extremely hard-working. One might think that because they were in a beautiful place like Fort Myers that they would kick back, take it easy, play golf and just chill out. That would be the furthest thing from the truth. They took the opportunity to brainstorm on all their latest ideas while they were on "vacation". Probably, they worked as hard while here as they did anywhere else, feeding those creative juices and fiddling with new ideas.

So here are a few pictures of the area and stuff that they invented...

This is a classic Ford engine while it is attributable to Ford, Edison was working diligently on rubber and was very instrumental in developing tires for the vehicles

This is a telegraph machine and was a precursor to the phonograph...another Edison invention

Many of the various household inventions by Edison

A 50,000 watt light-bulb...just wonder where they might have needed this big bad boy!

The flowering plants on the estates were just gorgeous

The first house is Fords and the second one is Edisons, the one with all the royal palms.

Plants Worth Knowing

2011-03-07T19:49:00.003-06:00

I found out about two plants that are so remarkable on my service program that I had to share them with you here on the blog. Prior to the program I had never heard of either of these plants and yet, they are so phenomenal I can only wonder why not.

First one is called Moringa;it has amazing nutritional value. In the dry or powdered state, the leaves contain 27% protein, 38% carbohydrate and 19% fiber, an amazing distribution. Further virtually the whole plant is edible. The roots may be ground and made into a replacement for horseradish, the leaves may be eaten fresh or cooked, the flowers may be eaten or made into tea, the young tender pods may be eaten as one might eat gen beans or asparagus and the immature seeds may be cooked and eaten as you would garden peas.

The powder form seems to be most interesting. Harvested moringa leaves are dried and ground into a fine powder, which is used as a highly-nutritious food additive. This has become important in child nutrition programs all over the world. Moringa is added to the basic staple the child is accustomed to eating (rice, potatoes maize, poi or cassava for example) and the child readily accepts the nutritious addition to his/her meal. In the Philippines whee the leaves are cooked and fed to children, moringa is known as mothers best friend.

Moringa is a tree of many uses. In addition to human dietary benefits, moringa leaves can be used as animal forage, green manure, to make biogas a domestic cleaning agent and a growth hormone that can increase some crop yields up to 30%. The bark of the moringa tree yields fiber to make rope and mats and the sap or gum from the bark is used in medicines and condiments; together the bark and gum are used to tan hides.

The tree itself is an important resource in alley cropping and as a living fence. The wood is used as paper pulp and produces a natural blue dye. Further nearly every part of the tree is used to make a wide variety of traditional medicines. Additional information about Moringa can be found by clicking the link.

The second plant that is equally astounding is called Neem. This is presumed to have begun in India. Ayurvedic Medicine, the Indian system of healing of at least 6,000 years has long prescribed Neem for a variety of health and beauty problems. Today, Neem has been introduced to many other countries and its popularity continues to grow because it has proven to be a safe, effective treatment to many ailments.

Current scientific research is convincing many Westerners what Ayurvedic doctors have known for centuries - that neem is a great remedy for numerous health problems and promotes overall well-being. Such as:

Burns - neem cream over the affected area reduces pain and kills bacteria, thereby promoting faster healing and less scaring.

Sprains and Bruises - neem cream increases blood flow to the area, reducing swelling and discoloration.

Headache - chew on a few leaves or drink a tea made with some leaves to reduce pain, blood pressure and open constricted blood vessels.

Psoriasis- perhaps the best weapon against psoriasis. Patients have reported that neem extracts or seed oil applied topically were as effective or better than cortisone and did not produce side effects.

Wrinkles - the same compounds that treat psoriasis also help in maintaining the skin's suppleness. Apply a small amount of neem cream after washing and drying the skin.

Teeth and gums - a daily application of neem mouthrinse has yielded improvements in tooth decal, bleeding, sore gums and infections. Neem has also prevented cavities in millions of South Asians in spite of the lack of "modern" dental care.

Both of these products can be purchased by using a search engine online.

Take a Look...

2011-03-07T09:18:00.003-06:00

Everybody is free to wear sunscreen. I just discovered this video and I think it is worth a look

Bonus Adventures after ECHO Farm Work

2011-03-06T20:29:00.002-06:00

The folks that hosted the Road Scholar program were so fabulous...they made sure that everyday we had some sort of special activity to enjoy. They were definitely from the school of all work and no play makes for a dull day! Anyway, we filled our evenings and early mornings with some pretty special stuff. Take a look and see if you don't agree.

One night we took a cruise on the bay at Fort Myers,

While waiting for the Captain to say..."All Aboard!" we watched a nearby fish monger clean the days catch...as well as a very interested egret looking for a handout

The bird is getting anxious...

it was so comical to see the bird slipping in the goo on the counter, but he was REALLY interested in the handout that he knew was coming

After eating he went back to his guard-post

Here is one of the many shots I got of a glorious sunset.

On another evening we went to Sanibel Island and visited the Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum I took a few shots of some pretty amazing stuff...

This octopus looked alive!

These are made by sailors sweethearts from seashells...presumably while waiting for them to return from their voyages

a group shot after a too-brief visit to the museum

from left to right: me, Glory, Kaye, Linda and Donna

Hey...we weren't the only ones who got to stroll the Sanibel beach at sunset

Another glorious sunset!

Wednesday morning we went to Arcadia Stockyards to see how cattle auctions are held. It was very informative but I could not see the whole thing and not feel really bad for the cattle...knowing where they are ultimately ending up. It was a very stressful experience for them and this operation is really cutting edge the nicest and newest in all of Florida. So I took a few shots of things that caught my eye

There were state of the are holding pen areas where the cattle are held, separately from other sellers cattle. These areas allow for funneling into the auction building holding /viewing section, which opens to another area where each buyer picks up their purchase. It was really quite an amazing operation, very well designed and civilized.

Here are a couple of long-horns waiting to be auctioned

Here area a couple of cowboys waiting for the auction to take place so they can get back to the ranch...I don't know what it was about this picture...I just had to get a shot of the spurs, I didn't know that I would get the point of two others shoes waiting for their cattle to be auctioned too

Here is the actual auction taking place. The cattle come in from the right side of the pen, when they enter the door closes, they are weighed and the auctioneer begins the process, the bids are made, the sale recorded and the cattle exit to the left. It all takes place in about 30 seconds!

ECHO -- Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization

2011-03-06T17:04:00.010-06:00

ECHO That's the name of the non-profit organization that I spent a week doing a service program in February. (See other recent posts to understand the activities that were performed in the service program.) The organization is so powerful and all-encompassing that the name hardly does it justice.

Physically it is located in North Fort Myers, Florida. It has a global demonstration farm which functions as a living classroom that is focused on helping the poor farmer overseas become more productive. It has a variety of farm environments: tropical, desert, mountainous, swampy or overly wet and urban. In each area of the global farm, plants are tested and developed to grow in specific harsh environments. Once successful in harvesting healthy nutritious plants, seeds are painstakingly separated and packaged.

The farm provides a laboratory for developing seeds, growing, harvesting, pest control, erosion and irrigation methods which are then documented and shared with agricultural workers throughout the world in order to help reduce hunger in the world.

The organization networks with members worldwide to share information and seeds to help in areas where hunger is a serious problem. The demonstration farm is one resource that allows them to provide tailored options for missionaries and agricultural workers in 180 countries. They do not send workers out; they assist those already in the field.

Their seed bank contains over 350 varieties of vegetables, multi-purpose trees, fruits and other tropical crops. These plants hold special potential for producing under difficult conditions: where it is too dry, too wet, or too hilly for most crops. The seeds are sent free to overseas developmental leaders who then report back to ECHO on performance and community acceptance of the plants. These are not hybrid seeds, so one packet can in short order become the source of thousands of seeds for the needy.

Seed drying racks specially made for ECHO

Florida volunteers separating seeds and getting them ready to package

Low tech way of packaging seeds. Hey, it works!

I was very impressed with the urban farm area. They were able to use just about anything that could hold dirt to make a garden and have healthy and nutritious plants growing. It was amazing, an old two liter coke bottle, a gallon milk container even a wal-mart plastic bag were all successful plant holders.

Some of the plants that thrive in inhospitable areas are amaranth a nutritionally packed grain

They also use what is available to produce water and grind grain, Here are only two of many examples that I saw at the farm

A simple hand pump setup with pvc pipe brings water from a nearby pond/stream to a container for irrigation

Here an old bicycle was converted to a manual motor that helps to grind grains grown in remote areas.

More on Road Scholar Service Program--ECHO

2011-03-06T08:07:00.007-06:00

I have been back from my trip for a little over a week; it took me that long to recuperate from this lingering cold that I have been dealing with. I didn't know a person could feel so tired for so long! That is now behind me and I can show you all the stuff I have been up to and learning...

I left off at ECHO, which is such an interesting organization. Our purpose was to help out where were needed. After collecting and preparing bamboo for the fencing, we moved to another area that needed attention...mulching. Since it is a global farm compound, the amount of mulch that is required boggles the mind. So four ladies in the group formed what we called the "Mulchin' Mommas" and performed admirably! We mulched almost the entire orange grove which was huge and then we took care of the area around the store and administration buildings. The Annual Open House was weeks away so tidying the place up a little was appreciated!

Echo makes its own mulch from the tropical plants that thrive in the area, this was not the light, tiny bits of mulch that you buy in those bags at the mega marts...this was stringy and had lots of really large chucks of dead growth in it...a challenge for us, but we were able to handle it with ease.

Here are three of the Mulchin' Mommas happy with our progress Nancy, Me and Glory

And...wouldn't you know as soon as we finish one area a snake moves in to claim it as his territory!

We thought it might be fun to see what was going on in other sections of the farm, so we absconded with a golf cart...we had a short and fun afternoon ride around the compound before returning the cart to its "fueling station".

Fence Building at ECHO

2011-02-28T10:54:00.017-06:00

I signed up for a work service program with Road Scholar to assist at the global farm of ECHO , (North Fort Myers, Florida) wherever they needed some help. I thought my efforts would be spent doing gardening work but that was not the case. One of the main areas they needed help with was renovating a bamboo fence that was a bit worn and rickety.

So, the first step is to get some bamboo. There was plenty of that growing in designated areas around the farm, all we needed to do was pull it out. Fortunately, we had at our disposal a John Deere 4-wheeler and a chain..which made the effort a lot easier.
Here one of our Road Scholar hosts, Junior, is removing a live bamboo plant for us to strip and prepare for making into a fence slat.

It is a bit difficult to pull one plant out of a cluster...the branches become entwined and pulling is challenging. The real fun begins when we have to remove the little branches growing along the bamboo pole; this stuff is way harder than I ever imagined. We used machetes and sometimes handsaws; the work was slow and tedious but we finally got about a hundred cleaned bamboo poles for repairing the fences around the property.

The next step is to cut them into proper lengths and deliver them to the fence repair sites. Several of us were working at each site. We had to remove the top hand-rail on the fence and re-align it so it was plumb and vertical, after that we added the newly cut bamboo to the areas that either had none or replacing those that had disintegrated.

Fortunately, we had power drills which made the job go a lot faster than if we had to do the work using an old fashioned screw-driver.

Here is the finished product...much better than that rickety old fence and chicken wire; the ducks will not escape anymore!

Arkansas Snowstorm Clean-up

2011-02-19T06:35:00.002-06:00

I started my trip on Friday, a day and a half after the two foot snowstorm that plastered Northwest Arkansas. Surprisingly, the North/South interstate was pretty clear but I found some nasty stuff as I approached Little Rock. Although none of my shots actually show the ice packed road, you can see the aftermath. It is not a pretty sight to see semi's ditched or turned over.

This first shot is of a pick-up truck with a trailer that jack-knifed. Now that the road is "clear" they can remove these vehicles. Each one of these cost me half an hour. It made my first day 12 hours instead of 8. But I did get out of the snowy areas eventually.

This fellow apparently just slid off into the median...but once there...well, he's there for a while.

This fellow not only slid into the median but also overturned. His cargo is spilled over the median and part of the highway. they were manually unloading and stacking the cargo in the road...presumably so it could be reloaded to another truck. This was my longest delay

This accident occurred in Tennessee. Most probably it included a fatality. When I passed by I could see this was almost a total demolition of at least one vehicle. That is a medivac copter sitting on the road opposite my traffic jam.
It was very sad to see all of this destruction and suffering on my first day, but it ensured my taking special driving care throughout my trip.

We've Only Just Begun...

2011-02-09T07:38:00.009-06:00

That's the song that kept going through my mind when I opened the garage door this
morning at 6:30 to see just how much snow had already come down. They get all excited here in Arkansas when we get a couple of flakes. So my first reaction was sort of usual, for here...

I mean I had to grab something so you could get an idea of just what I was seeing... I found an old snow brush, we all know how big they are!

I mean, so really....NOT MUCH!

But then, I got my snow stick (I got this from Lowes just a couple of weeks ago...I saw the yardstick and couldn't help springing for $0.60 just so I could reminisce)
I stuck it in a wide open (already cleared from the last snow) part of my driveway.

Stay tuned. they promise this will keep up until at least noon, it is now 7:45. I hope I can still find my snow stick by then!

Well, here we are at 10:00
I decided that the birds needed food too...but where did all these cow birds come from?

Lots and lots of goldfinches...
and finally, my favorite meadowlark showed up...
I started a loaf of bread very early this morning...I have some grilled veggies
that I froze back in July. Keep going to see the sandwich.
It was delicious!
Here is a shot from the end of my driveway and up the street

and down the other end of the street

Will Rogers

2011-02-08T15:31:00.000-06:00

Will Rogers

Will Rogers was quite the cowboy, with all the wisdom of simple, honest folk.
He died in a 1935 plane crash in Alaska with his best friend

Wylie Post.
Rogers was probably the greatest political sage this country ever has known.
˜˜˜˜˜
His words still ring with common sense today.
Simple but Brilliant and full of truths!
˜˜˜˜˜
1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
3. There are two theories to arguing with a woman.
Neither works.
4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
5. Always drink upstream from the herd.
6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and
put it back into your pocket.
8. There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading.
The few who learn by observation.
The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and
find out for themselves.
9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from
bad judgment.
10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to
make sure it's still there.
11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.
12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring.
He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him.
The moral:
When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
˜˜˜˜˜
ABOUT GROWING OLDER...
First
~ Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and
start bragging about it.
Second
~ The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Third
~ Some people try to turn back their odometers.
Not me; I want people to know 'why' I look this way.
I've traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren't paved.
Fourth
~ When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth,
think of Algebra.
Fifth
~ You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
Sixth
~ I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
Seventh
~ One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that
it is such a nice change from being young.
Eighth
~ One must wait until evening to see how splendid
the day has been.
Ninth
~ Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
Tenth
~ Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft.
Today it's called golf.
And, finally
~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at
when you are old.

All's Well that Ends Well

2011-01-31T19:09:00.004-06:00

I have had my last eye exam since both cataracts have been removed. The good news is that with glasses I can see 20/20; the bad news is I still need glasses. It is more than a disappointment for me and it will take a while for me to accept it. I really thought I would be glasses free. ok, moving on.

I tried going to eyebuydirect.com again, but I had a little trouble with the size of the lens I got last time and one of the pair had such long temple arms that they could not be adjusted for me. So I thought I would call them and get it closer to right this time. All the lines are busy, leave your name and message and your call will be returned in the order it was received. Ok I did that....I still have not heard from them, hours later.

Then I thought I had it all figured out, so decided to order on line...the very best I could do with express delivery is ten business days. Well, I need them sooner than that. So on to plan B; try the local eye mart that opened here in the last year.

What I thought was going to be a $50 or pair of glasses costs $141. and NO you can't have them in an hour. Maybe by noon tomorrow. Good enough, I want them in the next couple of days, so this works.

I was a little sad when I left the store and it is all cold and drizzly out...and then it hit me! Someone told me there is a REALLY GOOD sandwich shop right here in this little strip mall. I went investigating and sure enough, there it was.

I walked in, not expecting much, even though the name of the place is Jason's Deli. Well, excuse me, I am from the New York area and you just don't use the name Deli unless you 'got' pastrami and maybe a little corned beef. So here we are on the verge of 6 inches of snow (that is a LOT for here) and the place is almost empty. But I pressed on, I see a take out menu so I decided to review it before I actually got into the place. Hum, all the usual bland stuff roast beef, turkey, chicken salad, tuna salad but nothing there is catching my eye. Then I saw it, in it's own little section of the menu Pastrami and next, Corned Beef. OK, I'm in Let's give this a try.

I decided that it would be best if I took this home instead of running the risk of getting sleeted in, so I went to the take-out section and ordered: Pastrami on rye with mustard...walkin'. He understood it all, but HAD to ask if I wanted it on toast...no. Very quickly the wrapped sandwich appeared on a tray and then it along with a pickle and bag of chips were packaged and handed over. I was enjoying the aroma all the way home and as soon as I got my coat off, unwrapped that puppy and took a look at what an Arkansas Deli calls a pastrami sandwich...

Oh my gosh!!! for a minute I thought I was back in New Jersey at a local Jewish Deli. Oh, I couldn't help myself; I took a big bite and savored all the flavors. Man that was a good sandwich. And if you don't think for a minute it took all my will power not to gobble the whole thing down before I got a picture, well, you are mistaken.

So, I find out this is a central-southern chain...if you find yourself in the south near a Jason's Deli, go there, I doubt that you will be disappointed.
This one is located at:
745 E Joyce Boulevard, Fayetteville, Arkansas

They deliver as well. Just in case you wanted to know. Call them at 479-442-5500.

New Position

2011-01-27T07:31:00.003-06:00

I have recently been appointed as Treasurer of a local non profit organization. This is not a first for me. It seems as soon as you let people know that you have an accounting background an organization will sniff you out, ply you with compliments and before you know it....WHAM...you are knee deep in debits and credits. It's OK. I actually like doing it.

I have been away from this sort of thing for a few years and I was pleased to receive not only the responsibility but some great software! In my absence from the accounting world, Quickbooks has developed a downright usable piece of software for non profits. The detail requirements far exceed anything you may see in regular accounting. This software makes it, I dare say, EASY!

They have a series of videos that introduce the modules and after spending a mere 30 minutes or so, I am right back on top of things.

So here I am, feeling good....doing good!

Ideas...Where do they Come From?

2011-01-21T10:51:00.005-06:00

Here is an interesting partial summary of a book that I just finished reading. I really love just watching the art work come together, but listen to the message and maybe go read the book. Get those good ideas percolating!

The Other Eye

2011-01-19T22:25:00.005-06:00

I got the other eye done on January 4th. So now I have all the cataracts removed and am on the way to recovery. It seems that I know lots of folks, who know lots of folks who had this done. They all said "it's nothing, really." So I was expecting it to be, well, nothing.

The vision is no where near what I expected it to be. I suppose those folks who had it done, live with someone who can drive them around and that certainly makes it more like nothing. Since I do all my own driving, it has been a bit more than a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I can see really good for about three feet or so. But I cannot read the titles of the programs on TV from my chair...I would need to get up and stand closer and read it. That is not a problem for me. It is a problem when I am trying to drive and a pedestrian appears to be a blurry mass that could be a tree or a trash can or a person. So I have been driving only when necessary and only during the off hours of the day. I am happy to report no mishaps.

So if you want my opinion, this surgery is more than nothing. You really don't see well for better than a month. If you need to drive every day, that is a problem. I am delighted that I can read without glasses for the first time in a very long time! Weird, huh?

I will be very happy to get my distance vision back again too. It has gotten better. During the day I can see pretty well; it is just at night that things get eerie.

So for now I am becoming a becoming a bookworm. The library is furnishing me with lots of the latest titles every other week.

Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson is pretty good and interesting on how the brain connects to various ideas and presents unique solutions in the process.

I just finished The World According to Monsanto...THAT is a scary book! The stuff that happens to our food, soil and air is very sad.

Part of this reading marathon was also The Secret Gift by Ted Gup a fabulous true story of a man who chose an odd way to help folks during the depths of the depression.

Next up: Let's take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell and

The Wave by Susan Casey about rogue waves in the ocean; I probably selected this because for a long time I had dreams about REALLY huge waves with varying conclusions. I haven't had one of those in quiet a few years now, so the book may fill that gap.

Well...Duh!

2011-01-08T07:57:00.004-06:00

Some of you may recall that I bought a heated bird bath recently, then after resolving minor problems with a timer/extension cord was successful in having it work by providing my local birds with drinkable water in the dead of winter. Not only that...I was able to enjoy seeing them eat and drink just outside my dining room window. It was a win/win endeavor!

Then trouble.

Out of the blue it stopped working. Of course I had to check everything about it before I was willing to give up. I checked the plug under the tray and in so doing spilled the water from the tray all over my sneaker. Then I followed the extension cord back to the outdoor receptacle and then I tinkered with the receptacle. A vague memory of prior troubles with the receptacle danced through my brain (but not enough to provide the past solution)as I was formulating my attack plan. I plugged in my boom-box and turned it on, but nothing happened. Ah, Ha..the receptacle is fried.

I went on line and discovered how easy it is to replace it and got a new one from Lowes and followed the installation instructions to the letter. Electricity really scares me. I couldn't find the breaker for the porch outlet, so I cut the juice to the entire house. Anything to continue living! It didn't take long before I was replacing the faceplate and plugging in the boom-box again.

With a feeling of complete satisfaction, I turned it on. Nothing.

OK, I see I have reached my limit when it comes to electricity. I called in an electrician. Like every other tradesman that I have met here in Arkansas, he was patient, knowledgeable, polite relaxed and friendly. He rang the doorbell and before I could answer it, he was tightening the button so it wouldn't wiggle anymore (I have been trying to fix that since I moved here!)

OK the inspection didn't take long. The solution came in the form of a question: Where is your GFI. Hummnnn, gfi? I seem to remember something about those but where are they? The bathroom? He said yes, you probably do have one there, but there should be others. Now, my brain is hurting. I saw labels in the breaker box with GFI on them. He said no not that.

I went to the garage as if I knew what I was doing and scanned the walls. It all came back to me...yes, there is this one outlet with a reset button and now I see it has a little red light that is all aglow. I reset the button and like magic all was right with the world.

We stood on the porch happy to have the problem solved and discussed gardening. After several minutes I thanked him for his help and asked how much; you can't stay in business by solving these problems for people for free! He was hesitant and charged me very little.

As we were leaving I asked if he could install canned lighting in my living room ceiling. (This is something I have been trying to get done for a while, I got a price earlier this year but the guy never called me back). He looked and said sure. He calculated the total cost mentally while listing all the material that he would need. He said he could do it next week. I am so looking forward to this!

If I didn't have that little brain-fog about the GFI, I never would have gotten the lighting done in the living room.

Happy New Year--One and All

2010-12-31T23:59:00.001-06:00

After serious & cautious consideration... your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2011

It was a very hard decision to make... So try not to screw it up!!!

My Wish for You in 2011

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy

May the problems you had, forget your home address!

In simple words ..............

May 2011 be the best year of your life!!!

Happy New Year!!

Wildlife at Lake Fayetteville

2010-12-30T13:24:00.003-06:00

The weather has taken a turn for the warmer, so I took advantage of it and went for a stroll at Lake Fayetteville. Usually I see NO wildlife and a couple of birds. Today was different!

I was walking along, daydreaming and enjoying the solitude when I heard rustling. I mean a LOT of rustling. So I figured, even I, (who rarely can find any half-way concealed critters) could see this one. I mean, it was a lot of noise. So I looked and looked. In the trees, around the bushes and I wasn't finding anything. The noise got louder so I looked across the path and then I saw the armadillo! He was standing right next to me! It waited for me to dig in my pocket, grab my cell phone, turn it on, get the camera part working and take the shot. Very patient I must say! I think this was my first armadillo here at the lake.

Then, just a quarter of a mile further....ANOTHER one!

Well, it was just a critter bonanza! I sure enjoyed seeing them.

Last Minute Gift Wrapping Ideas...

2010-12-23T07:24:00.002-06:00

This is best viewed by watching the video first and then clicking the cute things exploding link.
Merry Christmas one and all!

Stuff

2010-12-18T16:05:00.001-06:00

Take a look at this, if you've ever wondered about stuff...

I found this on my facebook page and was fascinated for the full 21 minutes!

Truffles for Christmas

2010-12-16T16:44:00.010-06:00

This year I decided to try something new for Christmas. Instead of cookies, which I have been doing for the last several years, I have ventured out and made (for the very first time) truffles. These are little mounds of the most decadent chocolate one can possibly imagine dusted in some powdery/flaky stuff that makes them just too much to resist. I have always purchased them from some exclusive candy shoppe and paid plenty for them. I have NEVER found them in a store where I thought the price was anything close to affordable. So they have always been a rare treat...until now.

I have discovered that they are incredibly easy to make and not so expensive at all. So below is a photo series of my latest batch of truffles...Grand Marnier rolled in toasted coconut.

(I made these for a friend who recently underwent some nasty surgery..all is well, and she is dabbing the chocolate from her cheeks and looking for the last shreds of coconut as I write this)

The Recipe:

Makes about 17 pieces
6 ounces of good chocolate.

( I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao, but 70% works too, even semisweet bits that you use for chocolate chip cookies work! )

2 Tablespoons of sweet (unsalted butter)

3 Tablespoons heavy cream (add 1 Tablespoon...if you are NOT using a liquor flavoring.)

1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

Something soft and flaky to roll the truffles in...toasted coconut, powdered dutch cocoa, ground walnuts...go ahead, use your imagination!

Here you can see I have set my scale to zero with an empty measuring cup and added the chocolate to correctly measure 6 ounces. There are 3 tablespoons of heavy cream in that tiny measuring vessel, the butter is ready to go as well as the liquor.

I thought I was pretty creative making this double boiler...I used my smallest old metal mixing bowl because it has a little metal ring, which I have twist tied to the handle of my pot--so when I stir the chocolate the liner pot will not turn. In the pot under the mixing bowl is about a cup of water which has been brought to a slow boil...no real high heat needed here. It scares the chocolate!

See the chocolate wants to melt...not too quickly

ah almost there, a few lumps..soon you we see that magnificent deep shiny brown sheen...

All melted and now stir in, gently the butter

Then the cream...here is where we want to see that sheen I mentioned earlier...stir gently

See? it's coming, it started in the middle...just a little thicker and oh so shiny

ah...perfection. How long does all this take you may be asking...about 3 minutes...or less. When you get that nice sheen, you can add the tablespoon of liquor. Don't try to add too much of any liquid or you will end up with sauce instead of a semi-firm chocolate.

I put the melted concoction in a clean soup bowl and covered it with a plastic wrap. Then it goes in the fridge for about 2 to 4 hour to set up. It should be pretty solid and give gently to a finger prod. Then take it out and let it sit for twenty minutes or so. It makes it much easier to work with. Using a teaspoon, curl up a few small pieces into a lump about the size of...well a truffle! Roll it lightly in your palms to form it and then roll gently in flaky coconut (or whatever you have chosen)

Place the finished product on a parchment or waxed paper tray, when all done, cover them and put them in the fridge so they can firm up again. Munch to your heart's delight or give them away!

I made Coconut ones because that is what my friend indicated was her favorite. But I made one ginger one for me...so I could test the batch before I gave it away.

So this is Cataract Surgery

2010-12-15T12:54:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I went in for cataract surgery. They do one eye at a time and they started with the left one. They promised that I would be able to see the same day. That is true but I really can't see details very well.

You would think with that great big pupil, I'd be able to see everything, but no. Stuff was very cloudy the first day and now that I am into my second day, it has gotten better but I would not think about driving just yet. I can almost feel it getting better by the minute but then I get bouts of scratchiness and discomfort. I can sense that when it is all healed that I will be seeing better than I did before with my glasses.

Wow, look at those circles...I think I need more sleep!

My Favorite Dalai Lama Prayer

2010-12-11T08:44:00.007-06:00

I have been attending Buddhist meditation sessions on and off for the last seven or eight years. Through that time I have gradually learned a little bit about patience, compassion and love for all sentient beings. There is one prayer that we recite to close our session that has had a tremendous impact on me. Why? Well, from the very beginning when I would read it aloud, I would get so choked up that I had to stop and listen to the others in the group finish it. Often I would visualize these things actually occurring and I just could not go on. Then over time, I was actually able to read it aloud.

Even now, after having read it hundreds of times, I still feel it affecting me in very loving ways. Just read it, let it take you to a very nice place...

Dedication Prayer
by His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

May all beings everywhere
plagued by sufferings of body and mind,
obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
by virtue of my merits.

May no living creature suffer,
commit evil or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
with a mind weighed down by depression.

May the blind see forms,
and the deaf hear sounds.
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.

May the naked find clothing,
the hungry find food.
May the thirsty find water
and delicious drink

May the poor find wealth,
those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find hope
constant happiness and prosperity.

May there be timely rains
and bountiful harvests.
May all medicines be effective
and wholesome prayers bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill
quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world
may they never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid
and those bound be freed.
May the powerless find power
and may people everywhere think of benefiting each other.

A New Discovery

2010-12-03T19:18:00.002-06:00

Today was a whirlwind of activity, running here and there, trying to fit in all the meetings prior to a doctors appointment at one. The meetings all went well and on time, I actually had a few extra minutes to spend with a friend who also had a few extra minutes. Then it was on to the appointments and finally finished at 2:15.

No small wonder I was hungry...breakfast was lots of hours ago. But what to eat? I wanted to get in a quick bike ride since the 60ish weather will soon be a thing of the past...but I'm hungry.

Scanning the fridge I saw a loaf of home-made bread, I remembered a fresh jar of extra crunchy peanut butter in the pantry and was willing to settle for that on toast..but wait. There is an old jar of some kind of jelly, I'll use that up.

I sliced the bread, stuck it in the toaster and retrieved the jelly; a cherry-ameretto jelly from Colorado. Must have been in there for ages! Ugh...it is almost crystallized, so I popped it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
The toast was ready so I slathered it with crunchy peanut butter and was about to spread the jelly but then I noticed that it was now a liquid. So I poured it over the peanut buttered toast. OMG!!!

It was wonderful! Try heating your jelly and pouring it on your sandwich! You will not be disappointed. If done correctly, you may need a knife and fork.

It's Official

2010-12-02T20:47:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving is now behind us and Christmas is just around the corner...
So here is a little something to put you in the mood. Enjoy!

Cold Snap!!!

2010-11-28T07:56:00.004-06:00

The last few days have brought severe weather changes around here, too much for me to keep up with for my backyard wildlife. I guess I didn't think it would be flooding and then freezing in a matter of hours. Many have suffered and sadly...many have died. I am trying to make things a little better for these folks though
First, I looked out on Thursday morning to see about a hundred worms on my patio. They were there because we had so much rain that they we drowning in the grass! It was cold but not freezing, so I gathered them up and

gently put them on this dish so I could replace them to the grass before it gets so cold they will freeze to death. It seemed to work...they had several hours before the temperatures plummeted to the twenties

These sparrows seem to be complaining to me...what was the point of getting a heated bird bath IF YOU DON'T PLUG IT IN??????? They don't know about the complications of three way plugs into two-way timers. I will get it fixed though. After much trying with several extension cords I think all I really need is an outdoor timer. That should have a three-way plug...which is what I need on both ends.

Eye Buy

2010-11-17T07:16:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I was watching Dr OZ and as always I came away with something useful. I mean REALLY useful; that is for those of us who wear glasses. He was pushing this website that makes eyeglasses and interestingly enough it is named Eye Buy Direct , Com. I quickly jotted down the URL and kept watching.

I was not really ready for an eye exam (so I thought) since my last one was only about 14 months ago, but I got to thinking about the savings and after going to the website a few times, decided to get the exam and my new prescription so I could get lots and lots of new glasses for really cheap! I did my homework by making sure I got all the measurement information I needed from my optometrist so the glasses I selected would be right for me. In particular...something they call the pupiary distance...that is the distance between your pupils. This is easily obtained when you get your exam.

I did have a little difficulty getting the right length for the side pieces of the glasses and if I had it to do over again, I would probably call them before I placed my order, just to be sure I get the right stuff.

So anyway I thought I would show you the comparison of what I got the last time when I went to a National eyeglass chain and what I got when I ordered from EyeBuyDirect.com.

Take a look:

From the national chain I got one pair of sunglasses and one pair of progressive lenses. Standard quality. No, wait, the sunglasses fell apart and they charged me $35 to get them replaced, since I was within a year of purchase. They need adjustment at least once a year, that is free since I bought them there. Price for the package: $ 452.00

From EyeBuyDirect: I got one pair of reading glasses, one pair of progressive lenses and clip-on sunglasses for them. I had to go to a local eyeglass store to have them adjusted properly; I went to a new place that did not charge me for either of the new glasses shown above, nor for adjusting the sunglasses that I purchased from the national chain a year or so ago.
Price for the package: $127.00

Oh, I forgot to add...each pair of glasses arrived in its own little box, with a rigid eyeglass case and wrapped in an eyeglass cleaner cloth. Those cloths are a few bucks each at the local National chain store.

Now for the bad news...
In getting my eyes examined it was discovered that the cataract condition I have is a rather fast moving one; something they call posterior subcapsular cataracts. In English it means that very soon I will need cataract surgery or I will no longer be able to drive at night. This was quite a shock for me since the first mention of these was last year, I felt pretty sure I could make it till I was old enough to have medicare help me pay for it. That will not happen. I am seeing an eye surgeon in a couple of weeks to put the plan in place.

Wouldn't you know it, I find this great eyeglass place and after I have the surgery, I won't need them anymore....HA!

Elephant Sanctuary

2010-11-09T06:48:00.012-06:00

One of the Blogs that I follow Bailey's Buddy posted something about an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. That same day I saw a new article showing that the woman who founded the sanctuary had been fired and efforts were being made to stop the relationship that had formed between the woman, the elephant and the dog. Yes, that's right...the dog. Watch this (hopefully BEFORE you have seen the news)

Now, here's the news

For some reason the video that I posted earlier cannot be viewed.

The Prohibition and More

2010-11-01T07:33:00.007-05:00

During my trip on the Katy Trail we were fortunate enough to stop in Augusta, Missouri and listen to a presentation by Anita Mallinckrodt, Ph.D, the town's Historian (among many other things!).

We listened to a delightful presentation about the Prohibition and how it affected the little town of Augusta; how the Revenuers ascended on the town and discovered alcohol being sold in several establishments!!! She then told the story of how all the townspeople rose to the occasion, modified their ways and managed to survive this most interesting period of American History. She has written a book entitled: According to the Law and it has been released this week. I am sure it will be very interesting and enjoyable. Anyone who may be interested in obtaining a copy, please email me.

Then we toured the building and discovered a old wooden box with drawers and a functional lid (see below) It was the record keeping system for the local General Store during the early years of the 1900's

Since I spent the majority of my life in accounting, I find this fascinating because, if one were to look closely at these little slips of paper, you would find everything, every little thing that they purchased...which would indicate the kind of life they lived back then. There was a system for credit as well, which showed the struggle a lot of people went through and how the merchants helped them to make it through the hard times. All very interesting stuff! I think Anita may be working on yet another book!

The Katy Trail -- Sedalia to St Charles

2010-10-29T21:21:00.017-05:00

I signed up with Road Scholar to do a biking program on the Katy Trail in Missouri. Mind you most of the folks that were in my group were older than me and I just turned 60something. Anyway, we met in St Charles, got some idea about the week's itinerary and then shuttled to Sedalia, Missouri, mile marker 229. That is a city that is about 30 miles east of Kansas City, Missouri. We stayed in a motel that night and the next day (my birthday) we began our trek across Missouri on the converted railroad line...now a biking trail, the longest in the rails to trails program in the United States. Our destination was St Charles, Missouri (just outside of St Louis).

We stopped in a McDonalds along the way and I got this shot from one of the pictures they had on the wall. I thought it was appropriate as a starting shot for this entry.

Here we are getting ready to start the trip from the parking lot of our hotel in Sedalia. We had the sag wagon stopping at various points along the way; anyone who felt they could not go further on the bike could load it and ride the van. Only one person did that because she had a biking accident. All the others managed to ride the entire trip as planned.

I had been practicing every day making sure I got at least 10 miles in, often I would do 15 or 20 miles. I tried to make sure I was in shape for this trip, but I think I was a little light on the miles. The first day we went 37 miles; that was more than my very best day of 36. The trail had at least three long sections of uphill (not severe, but still) which were enough to make me realize that this was going to be a challenging week.

We stayed in Boonville the second night, mile marker 191.8 and had dinner at the Isle of Capri Casino. I got this shot from the trail the following morning.

I behaved myself at the buffet and then got a little naughty with the slots.

They treated me well and I ended up $45 to the good. I appreciated the generosity and accepted it as a birthday present for my good behaviour.

We headed out first thing in the morning on Tuesday because we knew we had a 52 miles day ahead of us. Lordy, the last three miles were the longest miles I have ever done. The muscles between my shoulders felt like someone stuck a knife in them. I could not turn my head even an inch. I was seriously considering walking the last mile or two, but we were already running late and I was the last one in the group still on the trail; somehow I managed to finish the 52 miles but I was really glad I brought Advil with me. That helped a lot; the following day I found doing a series of stretching exercises for my neck and shoulders I could prevent the severe pain from recurring.

We stayed the third night in North Jefferson; mile marker 143.2. On Wednesday we headed out and continued to Hermann at mile marker 100.8. We stayed at the Harbor House and we did a tour of the Stone Hill Winery before having dinner there as well. It was a perfect setting, the foliage was turning gold and brown and the rows of grapes were mesmerising.

All in all it could almost make one forget the pains of the day. The German wursts dinner was delicious and everyone seemed to enjoy the mood.

The most spectacular bluffs were found in the Rocheport section of the trail; they seemed to go on and on..bluffs on one side, the Missouri River on the other. We were never at a loss for something gorgeous to look at
Like this beautiful weathered barn
They took what appeared to be the ends of a caboose and created this make-believe piano at the depot in Sedalia, I pretended to be a great pianist...see how I have those keys jumping?

Have you ever seen the scene in the desert where cars are half-buried vertically? Well, this appears to be Missouri's version of the same thing, but with boats.
A little wild life on the trail. The snake I saw was too quick for a picture.
The last day, I rode straight through and checked in to the hotel, then went searching for lunch and found it at an outside cafe. They had a special soup 'n half sandwich. Since I was starving, I had the baked potato soup and a turkey BLT...I think it was the best meal I had all week. So delicious!

One of the "fru-fru" shops in Old Town St. Charles...it really is quite picturesque

Here is a shot of the sag wagon and my speedometer showing the trip mileage at 200.69 miles.

My dusty old bike happy to be at the end of the line in St Charles, mile marker 39.5.

Note:
Augusta was such a special stop that I will be making a separate posting about it, since it has nothing to do with biking!

Pre-Birthday Fun

2010-10-28T20:24:00.005-05:00

Last week I visited with my cousin and her family for a day before I started my week-long trek across Missouri on the Katy Trail. I try never to visit with them without bringing some munchies. This time it was bags and bags of cookies; there were thumbprints, cherry/butter cookies, chocolate butter cookies, Chinese Chews (which seem to be the hands down favorite among the group), oatmeal date cookies and finally a light as air chocolate ball cookie covered in walnuts. The biggest challenge for me was not to have any prior to my starting the trip. I knew if I started eating them before I got there, the pickins' would be slim. I was very proud of myself. I had NONE!

So after coming up with that great array of cookies I later found out that Darline's favorite cookie is peanut butter....back to the drawing board! Even though I did not have her favorite, it looked like everyone was enjoying the bounty!

Then it was on to Harrah's for a seafood buffet. Man o man that was fabulous. They had steamed crab legs and Hong Kong crab legs; big fat and juicy and as much as you wanted...just can't beat it. But since crab legs don't make for a very exciting photo, I thought I would show some of the desserts that we could choose from
Here Darline found a peanut butter cheesecake that seemed to satisfy that craving...
I was torn between the lemon meringue and the little fruit tarts...so I had them all!
Sissy had gelato and little key lime tartlets
Then it was on for a little slot fun. I took this as an omen for my success for the evening...

$20.90 isn't huge, but it's better than nothing!

I'll be back

2010-10-28T09:57:00.001-05:00

I've been away on a strenuous trip for a week. Almost recuperated and will post a few interesting things soon...Stay tuned!

Oklahoma Execution

2010-10-15T08:06:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was probably one of the most interesting days of my life. It isn't often one can say that. Of course, it didn't "just happen", it was the result of a series of events, but it was a result that I didn't see coming.

Several weeks ago while attending a meditation class, the Buddhist monk who was leading the class mentioned that he would need a ride to Oklahoma to attend the execution of a prisoner on death row. It happened to be during the week on a day that I was available, so I volunteered. My intent was to help the monk so he could help the man die in a compassionate way. As the day drew closer I had to submit identification information to the people at the prison, this was so I could enter the grounds. I was told that I would not be allowed to witness the process. Good enough, I was just there to help the monk.

So, in the morning I was surprised to receive a call from the monk, saying we should leave earlier than we had originally planned because of administrative issues. So leave early we did. Along the way the monk was telling me that he was informed that he would probably not be able to see the prisoner nor attend the execution. He was disturbed because he had to miss several classes that he teaches at the University of Arkansas in order to do this. We both felt as if we were going through an unnecessary sacrifice; not being able provide the compassion either of us had envisioned. We got to Mcalester at two in the afternoon; the execution was to take place at six. It seemed like a lot of extra time for paperwork, but I was happy to oblige. We killed a little time by having some snacks and a coffee at the local Denney's.

We arrived at the Maximum Security state prison at 2:45, after being approved by the guard at the gate, we parked and entered the building. Walking up the stairs I began to feel very uncomfortable. Our ID's were taken at the front desk and we waited for further instruction. It came quickly. We were in the wrong building. I was glad to leave this one but wasn't all that anxious to get to the next. So we followed the signs and went to the building with the name they gave us...wrong again. The third stop proved to be successful. It was an old converted hospital that was being used by the prison system. Our ID's were taken again and they led us both to a waiting area. Gee, it looks like I will be attending. I pulled out a puzzle and tried to busy myself but found I wasn't able to concentrate on it. Then the Warden came in the room and informed me that if I had asked earlier, they could have made space for me. But now it is too late and I will have to leave. I knew I wasn't going to attend the process, but I thought there would be a place they would let me sit. Well, there was: my car. A little stunned, I asked where the local library was, got directions and headed out. The monk, however, would be attending the execution.

I drove around town for a while and cleared my head, found the library and proceeded to enjoy six magazines that I am too cheap to subscribe to. That worked very nicely. I lost myself in Oprah, Traveler Magazine and a new one for me Discover (had a fabulous article about poker) and others that escape my memory right now. I was surprised when I checked my watch and found it to be 5:20. The whole thing would be over in less than an hour.

People started coming out of the prison at 6:17. Most were dressed very formally in business suits and women in dresses and business suits. I did not expect to find dignity here. The Monk was among these folks and I watched as he went to each person at their car and spoke with them, shook their hand and was obviously being supportive. He got in the car at 6:25. I asked him if he was alright. He was. I waited for him to say anything about the experience.

He said he had come to visit with the prisoner back in early October to teach him about love, tolerance and compassion towards those people who want him dead. The prisoner was a converted Buddhist and accepted the teachings; meditated on them during his remaining days and said that he was ready to die today. The monk then lead a chanting prayer for a good rebirth and that he should become a disciple of Matuya Buddha.

All of the monks and the prisoner joined in chanting the mantra of compassion, "om mani padme hum" during the execution. There was a microphone placed above the prisoners head and he continued to chant until the life passed out of him.

Our mission was accomplished and the day ended on a good note. Not only was the prisoner able to attain true compassion and die peacefully, but his family was also touched by the compassion and love demonstrated in the end.

It wasn't until I got home did I find out from a news article that the prisoner was charged with the murder of a fisherman in a failed robbery attempt. The accused still maintained his innocence, saying his wife committed the murder.

Note: (there is a saying that all men on death row are innocent)

Justice?

2010-10-14T07:43:00.002-05:00

Today I am playing chauffeur for a very delicate mission. I did not think it would affect me, but I find I am feeling torn between two thoughts. One very positive and one very negative. I will focus on the positive one; that being a really good thing for a sorry soul. The negative, that it exists at all.
Today I am driving a monk to attend an execution.

You Gotta Love Technology

2010-10-12T20:06:00.005-05:00

Wow, today has turned out to be quite amazing for me.

During my first 21 years I counted it out once and discovered that I had moved 19 times. 19 TIMES!!!!! Well as a result of that I learned how to move. I also learned that when you move that often it is really hard to have any friends. At one point I did live in the same city for about five years; not in the same place but the same city. That allowed me to have a friend. That was when I was finishing up grade school and starting high school.

And then it was all over...I moved far enough that the friendship ended. Sure we tried writing letters to each other, but we were kids and I guess letters just don't cut it. When I realized that we had really lost touch I tried everything I could think of to try and find her, but without success. So there was always this empty space where my friend should have been. I always hoped I would somehow find her...don't ask how, I think I was looking for divine intervention here.

As the years rolled by I would look in phone books where ever I happened to be living hoping that I might stumble upon her name. No. The old addresses that I had were useless and so I had to accept the loss of my best friend.

Then came technology, I have Googled her name countless times...nothing. Then a couple of months ago I got a spam email from Classmates. I went there and searched for her. I found a name that might have been her; I sent an email, but heard nothing back. Weird. Today I tried searching for her in Facebook (it is a pretty popular site) and hoped that something might turn up. I wasn't expecting anything since I had already done this several times over the last couple of years. But TODAY, I found her!!!!

Can you believe it? 50 years later we found each other again! We are so surprised that it really is a kind of a miracle. Technology, you gotta love it!

Aaargh...

2010-10-01T07:46:00.005-05:00

As we all get a little older, we occasionally think about what changes we will have to make to accommodate our ever increasing short-comings. Stuff happens and we just have to deal with it. Fortunately, I am very physically fit and I like to think mentally stable, so these thoughts are just vague hints of future concerns or at least that's what they have been. Until today.

Things were moving along quite normally, I went and did some volunteer work and stopped at an Aldi's on the way home. I was thinking about baking some cookies and wanted to get some butter. Aldi's is the kind of store that you have to enter without preconceived notions...you buy what they sell...at really good prices. They may or may not have what you actually need. So, I got dark chocolate bars, bags and bags of diced dates (needed for the cookies), evaporated milk (for the possible pumpkin pie I will make in November) cans and cans of crushed tomatoes (the big ones for spaghetti sauce) and on and on. Yes, I did get butter.

Once home I started putting the stuff away, when I got to the cans of tomatoes I noticed that the shelf space was very crowded and things needed to shift a little. Okay, with a swipe of my left hand I moved the peanut butter and other stuff and simultaneously placed the first can. The peanut butter fell to the floor (thankfully it was a plastic container) and as I was placing the second can I bent down to pick up the peanut butter. That's when the second can whacked me in the back of the head...almost hard enough to knock me out. The can fell about three feet and is twenty-eight ounces. Math was never my forte but let me tell you, A pound and a half of can falling three feet to the back of your head REALLY HURTS!

I was stunned for a few minutes (well, maybe a minute) just holding the back of my head. The lump was growing very quickly. Then I finally decided I should try to move; yes, I can do that, so since I am right next to the freezer, I opened it and grabbed a bag of Trader Joe's Roasted peppers and onions and gingerly dropped it (to loosen the contents) then placed it on the back of my head. It helped but not enough. It took several hours for the pain to stop, but it did. Now it only hurts when I prod it...so, yes, I don't do that!

So I am left thinking to myself...am I the only one who could knock themselves out and have no one know about it? This is really serious...(when you stop laughing!!) My bird was useless through the entire ordeal. Until I make better arrangements I guess I will have to rearrange my pantry...put all the light stuff up top and all the heavy stuff on the bottom shelf. Then...watch out feet!

Tibetan Sand Mandela here in Fayetteville

2010-09-29T08:09:00.009-05:00

Sunday afternoon I attended the opening ceremony for the creation of a sand mandela at the University of Arkansas, in the Anne Kittrell room of the Student Union. Generally, a sand mandela is a Tibetan tradition of monks creating and subsequently destroying a mandela made of colored sand...grain by grain. It is meant to depict the transitory nature of material life.
Creating it is a lot of concentrated effort requiring many hours of tedious attention; the end result is always beautiful and then it is gone. Yes, it is a lot like life.

The Mystical Arts of Tibet are creating the mandela and they also will be performing and chanting at the Peace ceremony on Thursday. I have tried to link to their website, but all connections result in "bad link"...I will try again later, so check back.

Here are some shots I got at the opening ceremony; I am hoping to also attend the closing ceremony where I may get some shots of the finished (but un-destroyed) mandela.

The opening ceremony which included throat singing, chanting and music.

Once the festivities were complete...it was on to the job at hand. Here the monk is fastidiously making the pattern for the mandela.

This is a sample of the completed pattern that is used in preparing the mandela.

Here are the tools that the monks will use.

Here is the colored sand that will be the mandela.

Oh, the best news of all is that this particular mandela is being prepared in anticipation of the Dalai Lama visit, which should take place on May 11, 2011. Very exciting.

Little Darlins'

2010-09-19T07:39:00.005-05:00

A while back I went to visit a lady who heads up the volunteer office of a non-profit that I spend some time with. She moved here to Arkansas from the west coast with the idea of having a farm and raising some animals. Along the way she got a position with a very well run organization and she has added tremendous value to its operation.
Here is how she spent this particular day off

If you start every day hugging a lamb...nothing that happens that day can upset you

These are two of the older lambs she has right now, but she also has some that are only days old. Oh my gosh! They are so cuddly.

Hey...just because I am older...does that mean no more hugs?

Backyard Happenings

2010-09-18T07:39:00.006-05:00

Taking a walk around the back yard after the summer profusion of growth can show a little of what has been going on behind the scenes. Here's what I saw last week...

You don't know how badly I want this fellow to be the beginning of a beautiful butterfly. Is he? I don't know. Will he turn into a ravenous destructive monster in his next life? I don't know. For now, I find him mesmerizing. He is doing a number on my parsley though!

I asked around and did some research and found out that this one is a Black Yellowtail Larva... at first I thought it might be the dreaded Tobacco Worm (eats everything in the garden and has NO redeeming qualities) but fortunately it was not! The worm has 5 distinct feet; the one above has a few more than that. The yellowtails are customarily found on parsley plants...that's where this guy was!

I was clearing out the sunflowers and undergrowth in the corner of my yard and saw this guy taking a rest on my fence. I had to look closely to see him, at first I thought it was a dried leaf.

...and of course, my first fig crop. I need say no more.

The Call...In Memory

2010-09-11T07:28:00.004-05:00

On this day of remembrance, I thought I would share this beautiful song and video with you. it was written by Karen Benedetto, I lady I hired as my assistant when I worked at a prominent NY University. I feel blessed to have met her. You may agree after listening to this:

Rain...Glorious Rain

2010-09-09T11:50:00.013-05:00

Yes, that is what I have been saying to myself for the last couple of days. We haven't had any discernible rain for months. My trees are all but dead and I won't bore you with the state of my lawn.

But that is all changed now. Last week we got inches of rain over a two day period and last night again...more inches. Just fabulous! I think I see life springing back in my trees.
But wait a minute, I think I see something else as well.

What are those spots in my bedroom ceiling? And wait a minute, what is this REALLY big wet spot on the wall in my bathroom? Oh boy, two pretty serious leaks and it is really pouring. I just had the roof replaced this past January because of a pretty serious hail storm that we had last year. As luck would have it, I managed to find the same folks who put the original roof on the house to re-roof it. At that time I shared a pretty sordid story of a hurricane related complete wash out in New Jersey and begged him to be sure when he did this job, not to remove any shingles if there was rain in the forecast. He did a fine job and I was very pleased.

But what's with the leak now? I fished out his telephone number and called at 8:30 this morning. He sounded quite surprised when I told him what was happening and said he would be here in 30 minutes. It actually turned out to be a few minutes longer, but I knew he would be here. I could tell by the way he handles his business. He cares about his work and his reputation.
I showed him the leaks and he had to admit it was a head-scratcher. Well, sure, a leak in the middle of the wall in the bathroom and another along the inside edge of the bedroom ceiling, I was curious too.

I was relieved to find out the leaks were not related directly to the shingling job that they did. It was actually caused by the rubber collars on two plumbing vents; they had dried out and pulled away from the vertical pipes thus allowing rainwater to trickle in and down the vent pipe. He told me these collars generally last five or more years and that they were all replaced in January. So he is attributing their failure to a combination of manufacturing defects and the extremely hot summer we had this year. Just fried the rubber and made it crack and pull away from the pipe. He said he replaced the two damaged collars and resealed all the other vent pipes.

OK, so I am setting up a long range "to-do" list.
Item number one: in 2015 replace all the collars on the vent pipes.

Probably the best news from this whole fiasco is that when he sends a painter to repair the water stained spots, I may actually get a match for the paint in my house. I've been trying for years without success.

Last of the Washington County Fair

2010-09-08T09:25:00.004-05:00

I decided to make this the third and last of the Washington County, Fayetteville, Arkansas fair entries. While there was unbelievable stuff happening there, I really limited myself to the displays. So you won't be seeing tractor pulls, Ferris wheels, cotton candy or other edible delicacies.
Nope, just the last of the animals...because as far as I am concerned, that is what it is all about. So here, enjoy these shots that require no further explanation

Non-Animal Entrees at the Fair

2010-09-07T07:31:00.008-05:00

I was surprised to see some of the non-animal entries at the fair. Two in particular are worthy of note. First, was a demonstration of creativity with scraps of metal and I have to tell you, I spent quite a few minutes looking at the Grand Champion winner. This is really something!

Actually, it was positioned behind some fencing and since the day was warm there was a fan blowing right on the piece and toward the lady sitting just behind it. That made the ribbons fly all over. I was trying to get a picture of the ribbons facing me so they could be seen on the blog...not an easy task. After some struggle, a man walked in and saw me fiddling with the ribbons. Then he took an extension gadget out of his pocket, reached through the fencing and held the bottom of the ribbon so I could take the shot. I did and thanked him very much. He said I must be very proud of my grandson and what is his name? I told him I had no idea, I had no grandson and that I was just admiring the workmanship. He looked bewildered.
I was bewildered when I got home and found out that I did not get the shot of him holding the ribbon for me, but one of the others I got previously was OK.

In a different section of the same building was another fenced off section that demonstrated creativity with table-setting. This was not just two forks a few plates and a knife and spoon. No. This was all of that PLUS the THEME. The theme could be anything, beach, picnic, holiday, birthday, camping out etc. I selected this one because the theme was my favorite food: Italian.

Of course what fair would be complete without some of this

It was really difficult to pick from all the gorgeous entires that were on that shelf.

Chickens at the Washington County Fair

2010-09-03T17:57:00.008-05:00

I could not resist going to the fair this week. I just love seeing animals that are loved so much they are almost considered part of the family. You will most definitely see that at the fair. So I took a lot of pictures and decided that I would make a few posts on a particular topic rather than just run them all together.

I found myself in a section that was actually set aside as a kind of petting zoo area for baby farm animals and back to one side there were chickens. Not really chickens but certainly the beginnings of them. Here are fertile eggs getting ready to hatch. See the wet feathery chick right there in front. That one is less than an hour old there!

When they get a few more downy feathers they move next door to join the other newbies.

After this section I wandered around and found another building that housed poultry. I cannot begin to tell you how many different kinds of chickens were there, but this one caught me eye
I'll bet you this guy is not meant to be eaten!

Coming Home...

2010-08-30T07:22:00.004-05:00

If you want to feel good...just watch this video. I promise you WILL feel great way before it is over!

link

No Knead Bread

2010-08-21T16:11:00.004-05:00

To all those folks that I sent to this blog today for a no knead bread recipe...I guess I never did post that one! But not to worry, here it is along with links to King Arthur Flour who is rightly responsible for my addiction to this fabulous loaf.
Here is the recipe link:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe

and here is THEIR blog post with pictures and everything else. Go ahead and try this one...I promise you will not be disappointed!

Hawkin' Lunch

2010-08-15T20:18:00.004-05:00

So there I was, making lunch again and when I looked out the window this time I saw a huge bird on the lawn. It looked like he was having his lunch (turns out he was!) and because of that he was not going anywhere until he was done. If you double click the photo, you will see that he has something bloody in his mouth and there is a multitude of feathers all around his feet.

Then, I think to add insult to injury, he went over by the fig trees (where the sparrows sit among the branches) and was looking for seconds...

I managed to interfere with his plans a little. He flew up to the fence and waited for me to leave. I went inside, then came out again and slammed the door. That was enough for him to fly off. But not without circling the yard one full time before leaving for good.

Don't know what kind of hawk it was, but he sure was a big one!
I have done some research and discovered that this is a juvenile Coopers Hawk. If he is a juvenile, he is going to one big bird some day soon!

Peach Pickin'

2010-08-15T19:57:00.006-05:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to provide transportation for our local Geshe La and his friend Tashi to a town named Clarksville, Arkansas where a fantastic peach orchard is located. You can pick your own or buy from the pecks and bushels already picked by them...the choice is up to you. Geshe and Tashi decided to pick their own, I helped some,

but truth be told, they were so quick, that I had to decide whether to take pictures or pick peaches.

I decided to take pictures.

Maybe they were so fast because it was 100 degrees; I don't know. But it sure was fun finding just the right ones and filling up those baskets!

Peach Pickin' Paradise can be found at 1961 McGuire Road, Clarksville, Arkansas 72830

Phone: (479) 754-2006
They provide a map of the orchard so you can pick your own whether it be yellow freestone, white or white freestone....they have them all!

Emergency!!!

2010-08-14T07:08:00.003-05:00

I made myself a hot-dog for lunch today and set it down on the table while I prepared a cool glass of ice water. When I sat down at the table, Woody (my bird) flew to my shoulder so he could get some of the bun. I let him do this because he is a little underweight and whatever he feels driven to eat is ok with me..as long as he eats.
So I held the bun and let him munch; I looked out the window at the feeder that I have hanging just under the eaves and saw a sparrow.

That is not unusual, but this sparrow was hanging upside-down and flapping wildly. I could see something was dreadfully wrong. I dropped the dog, put the bird on the table and ran outside. I could see his foot was caught on something and he was in a kind of shock. I walked up to him and laid him in my open hand...on his back, and proceeded to try to dislodge his foot. It seemed to be caught in the adjustable perch. So I wiggled it a little but nothing; the bird is now very calm. But I am starting to panic. I tried rotating it just a bit and that seemed to do the trick. The bird knew before I did that it was free. He flew to the fig trees in the corner of the yard in an instant.

Wow, glad I was right there, right then with just the stuff to save that little guy.

Scissor-Tails

2010-08-09T10:41:00.005-05:00

I had never seen one of these birds until I moved to Arkansas...today there seems to be a convention going on. Almost every post had one sitting on it and I finally got a picture that was good enough to share.

Now if I could only get one in flight..they are so colorful and elegant.

More on Slaughter Pen Trail...Crystal Bridges and Compton Gardens

2010-08-07T16:34:00.009-05:00

You have probably gathered by now, from the title, that the trail I recently discovered leads to many places. It was quite a surprise to me! Last week I discovered that there is a tangle of mountain bike trails just off of Interstate 540 and running directly through it is a concrete paved trail that is supposed to run for 2.5 miles in and end...or so I thought.
I brought my bike with me this week since the weather promises to stay below 100..actually they were promising below 90 (BUT they lied!)
Anyway, I decided that I would do the paved trail first and get an idea of the space and layout before trying any of the actual single-track trails that they have.
I rode directly into the mess of trails with wild abandon, and noted that when I hit the 2.5 mile mark; the trail kept going. So did I.
Then it wasn't long before my trail ended but it only became another name...the brown trail, so I continued on. I rode on a very wide shoulder set aside for bikers and then on a sidewalk type trail which was not far from a paralleling single track trail (one can have their choice). I opted for the paved trail and kept on. Then the trail grew quite steep and windy, with a lot of S-curves. So much so that I had to stop and rest a bit. Then back on the bike only to discover that this trail leads to the back door of the construction site for the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. It promises to be quite a spectacular place right here in the heart of the Ozarks! I stopped and got a couple of shots so you can see just how far along they are in the construction process.

I can't wait to see the final picture; it looks like it will be spectacular.
Working my way up the trail a little further I discovered that I was just a couple of blocks from the square in downtown Bentonville (near the WalMart Museum!) the trail ended at the Compton Gardens complex.

In a nutshell what they have done is to connect the downtown Bentonville Square, Compton Gardens, Crystal Bridges and the Slaughter Pen Trail system. I was amazed!

So the return trip was pretty easy since in was downhill all the way...oops! I digress, when I got back to the tangle of single-track section, I went in and played on the mogul loops that they built for those who would rather play than seriously ride. Then I found the easiest trial and rode it: Seed Tick Shuffle.

This was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was doable. Most of the others are marked More Difficult. So I have decided that I will wait until leaf-off time and then give those a try as well. When I finished the single track ride I had gone only 8 miles and change but since a lot of it was uphill and the temps were playing with the mid 90's I was feeling a bit spent. Time for lunch!

I went into town not far from where my volunteer activity was to take place and had lunch at Rubaies Cafe located at 3404 SE Macy Rd in Bentonville. It is most definitely not a fast food place! They have a diversified selection for lunch but I spotted an open faced gyro sandwich and decided that I would try that.

It was very good and they surprised me with a side of thinly sliced and deep-fried potatoes sprinkled with cheese and tomato bits...that was fabulous!

Slaughter Pen Mountain Biking Trail, Bentonville, Arkansas

2010-08-01T21:09:00.007-05:00

It is hard for me to believe that I had to find out about this place by watching a show on the local PBS station entitled "Exploring Arkansas" but it is true. The reason it is so hard for me to believe is that I have been searching online for mountain biking trails around here since I moved here and I always come up with very little. Anyway, I found out about it and decided to go and take a look. Some of the stuff they had on the program was too much for me to even consider; like these elevated narrow wood bridges. I guess one ties to sharpen their technical skills by riding about a foot and a half above ground on a six inch narrow wooden surface. I was hoping that there would be ways to side-step these and just stay on the ground...well apparently, people got hurt on them because all that remained of those structures were the pilings...no raised surfaces remained for riding. Just as well as far as I'm concerned.

So the place is located just off the exit 93 of 540, head towards Bentonville and in about a half mile you will come to the trail head. Lots of parking is provided in a paved lot, restroom facilities are provided and there is a doggie park. Not just any doggie park. They have it split into three distinct areas, for small, medium and large dogs. Very nice!

I thought the Razorback fire hydrant was and especially nice touch!

Anyway, they have a concrete multi-use trail that runs some 2.5 miles from the trail head into the park. This leads you to the mountain biking trails; which are located about a half mile in, off the concrete path. Here is one of the easy trails. It runs along the concrete trail for some distance, but just a few feet away are other trails that promise a bit more challenge..

The Armadillo's Last Stand trail seems to go straight up, but not for too long, I think I could do it if I warmed up on one of the other trails first.
There is a nice stream that flows on the other side of the concrete trail and this blue butterfly caught my eye. Double click and you'll see there is a nice balance of stream, leaves and butterfly!
They provided some curves and moguls for practicing on, as well as some more intricate bike skills that I would never try...but it is here for the taking.
I have to admit that I have not yet ridden these trails; I only walked them on my first visit. I have learned that I should check things out before I decide to actually use a trail that I have not been to yet. So next week, when I find myself in Bentonville doing some volunteer work, I will bring my bike and see just how enjoyable this place is. Stay tuned!

Surprise!

2010-07-27T07:16:00.006-05:00

I was folding the laundry laid out on the bed and glanced out the window where I have a giant butterfly bush. I've seen lots of butterflies there since I planted it; lots of birds like to sit in and among the branches and just now I have seen the most beautiful hummingbird! Wow, I do believe that is the first one I have actually seen here in my yard since I moved to Arkansas.

Another perfect day!

Woody Gets his Wings Trimmed

2010-07-22T15:57:00.004-05:00

He was definitely not happy when this was over. but he has turned into such a sweet little birdie now. He doesn't bite anymore and loves to just sit on my shoulder; no more complaining.

Multiparker

2010-07-22T09:03:00.003-05:00

I found this you tube video on Mouse Medicine blog and had to share it here. This parking garage is straight out of the future and has just blown me away. I hope you enjoy it and thanks again to Mouse...

Cherokee Heritage Museum, Tahlequah, Oklahoma

2010-07-19T16:33:00.010-05:00

I visited the Cherokee Heritage Museum and the nearby historical village with my cousin, last week. The Museum building houses an extensive display of the history of events around the Trail of Tears. No pictures are allowed inside the museum. So I asked the fellow I got the tickets from if I could take his picture, reluctantly he said yes, his name is Justin

I usually get annoyed when these limitations are made, but in this case I really felt it was to honor the memory and history of the Cherokee and felt quite good about it. There were more than several videos and interviews with elder tribes-people about the effects of the banishment. It was quite moving. Words cannot describe certain things; it was akin to my first visit to The Wall in Washington DC.

We were allowed to take pictures as we toured the Cherokee Nation Ancient Village, so I got lots. Here, our guide started the tour with a comparison of a summer house and a winter house (in various stages of completeness) It seems each family had one of each and they usually sat next to each other. She did not explain why, but I suspect it had a lot to do with the weather conditions. The peaked house is the summer one; the other is winter.

Several native Cherokee men work on making arrowheads and arrows. The fellow making arrowheads was very good at the craft and was more than willing to show all the intricacies involved in making one from a rough stone.
We also saw a demonstration of how blow guns are made, along with the ammunition and a demonstration of actual use. They use deer sinew to affix fur to one end of the arrow. The fur fits snugly in the blow gun and one strong blast of breath send it to its target. Silently and deadly.
There was also a demonstration of the double sided basket weaving that is a trait of the Cherokee.
If you find yourself in northeastern Oklahoma, I highly recommend visiting this treasure.

Reminiscing

2010-07-14T07:40:00.012-05:00

I really enjoy sitting outside on my back porch in the early evenings when the sun is on the other side of the house. I like to look at the clouds floating by, or watch the birds or just listen to the sounds in the area and let my mind wander where it will. I was doing just that the other day when I heard an unusual sound (for my neighborhood).

A siren.

Well it took me back a lot of years...back to when I was sixteen. I was not old enough to drive but I had friends who did. One day when we could think of nothing better to do, we drove to Hackensack, New Jersey. This city was about ten miles from where we lived and was the largest and most lively place near us without going all the way to New York City (which we would NEVER do). It had a main street called...Main Street and the busy part ran for about twenty blocks. Back when I thought I knew everything, the best way to spend a Saturday night was to ride up and down Main Street and have some fun. So that's what we did. Some of the side streets were one-way, so one had to be careful on making the loops. Otherwise, you would miss the best part of town and have to go further east to make a turn into a section that was not so nice. Anyway, we did this for a while and then tried a new street to make our loop.

Not a problem, or at least that's what we thought. We had made our left turn to begin the loop again and it wasn't long before one of Hackensack's Finest pulled us over. Oh, oh...is it against the law to cruise main street? What was the problem, we wondered as the officer approached the car. Typical first words: license and registration. This did not sound good.

My friend dug and dug but could not locate the registration. The officer was getting annoyed with us and made us follow him to the police station where we went through some more questioning. Actually, my friend went through the questioning, I just listened. After what seemed like forever the officer wrote a ticket for making a left turn where none was allowed and then did the unspeakable: impounded the car.

So there we were two teenagers one seventeen one sixteen in downtown Hackensack with no wheels and little money and at least ten miles from home. See if it were today it would not be a problem. We would whip out our cell phones, call a friend and be on our way in minutes. But it was then and it was a problem. My friend would not call her father because he was the tyrant type and probably would have beaten her pretty badly; no we had to solve this another way.

We started walking Main Street in the general direction of home but had no solution in mind. I thought maybe we could scrape enough money together for one of us to take the bus back home and maybe my mom could come and get us. My friend was underwhelmed with that idea. WE kept walking and ended up at a bus stop in front of the YMCA. We stood there talking about the problem for a while when a car came cruising up my friend waved and smiled and went over to them and started talking. It did not take long for us to be in the car and on the way home. It was getting late and I was really starting to get scared about how I was going to get home that night.

The guys seemed nice enough, my friend kept yakking and before we knew it we were at her street corner. The guys let us off and went on their way. She went in and I walked the half mile home and was grateful to be there; went to bed and was happy to be back in familiar surroundings.

I called my friend the next day to ask how things went with her dad and as expected they did not go well. But there were no beatings involved. He deliberately took the registration out of the car so if she ever got in trouble with the police he would find out about it. Well, I guess it worked, sort of. I sometimes wonder at parents logic. He drove her back to Hackensack and they got the car, she paid the ticket and there were some other punishments involved but I can't recall them now.

Then I said how fortunate it was that we met people that she knew when we needed that ride home so badly. She said: "I didn't know them. I took a chance."

I think I will just end this here.

Kayaking the Lower Illinois River in Oklahoma

2010-07-06T20:44:00.005-05:00

The weather forecast for mid eighties and no rain was all I needed to hear for me to decide to take a kayak trip down the lower Illinois River at Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It is 68 miles of crystal clear water and class 2 rapids. It has been several years since I visited this river but it was still very nice. The water temps were perfect for paddling with my feet in the water.

On this trip I noticed that there are very large fish in this river. I mean really big; at least 2 feet and several different kinds, but I am not a fish expert so I don't know which ones I saw. I looked up some propaganda on the river and found out that it is stocked every other week in July and the listed fish were: rainbow and brown trout, record stripers (those were probably the huge ones I saw!), walleye, crappie catfish and bass. I was amazed that I saw only two fishermen during my 12 mile trip!

I was using a sit on top kayak, something I have never done before. If you are on a very calm river they are fun, but I would not want on if the water were just a deeper or rougher.

The only complaint that I have is that the river banks were littered with pop bottles and the like. It was very discouraging to see that people come to enjoy the river and leave their garbage strewn all over. If I had a bag I would have picked some of it up, it was truly disgusting. Maybe I will ask the outfitters to give bags to the folks who float so they can help put it back to its pristine condition again...

here are a couple of shots I got along the way; my camera is not waterproof, so I only got a couple.

I did not get any shots of the fish, but the turtles were nothing to sneeze at either...Here are three huge ones in and among the fallen trees, click for larger views

When I got home I noticed that my sunflowers finally bloomed!

Tarantula

2010-06-30T18:06:00.004-05:00

On my earlier trip to Costa Rica this year, I was very careful not to discuss the deadly Fir deLance snake. This is one of the world's, most deadly snakes; they attack without provocation. If you are bitten by one, you better get to a hospital very quickly or say goodbye. There is one foe that easily overtakes them...surprisingly. Check this out

Stuffin' Food Sacks--Razorback Relief

2010-06-26T07:43:00.007-05:00

There is a sack stuffing event going on here in Fayetteville for 24 hours. It started last night at 7. There are several organizations combining their efforts to prepare and send 2,000,000 sacks of food to Haiti. Each sack will feed six people. It is a very simple process and the camaraderie of the ten folks working together at each table is fabulous; young, old, fast, slow and everywhere in-between working in some sort of precision to stuff the sacks and keep the passion burnin'.

As I walked from my car at 7 last night, when the event started, I was a little uneasy and apprehensive, but I looked around and there were lots of other folks coming in; some in groups, couples and loners...but all coming, all working for the elimination of suffering, even if only for a little while. It was a wonderful experience.

I entered the building, got my apron and hairnet and waited on the bleachers for the formation of the next group of ten to be taken to the assembly area, I did not wait long! in the background you can see the 75 tables and all the folks already busy.

Everyone was working...even the Razorback Mascots!
This was my table. Four items grain, soy beans, rice and a powder of flavor and vitamins. All go into a sack, then get weighed and passed on to the sealing machines. When the white plastic with 18 boxes outlined on it, gets filled, they go into a box; add another layer and the box gets sealed. Then over again and again!

Hey lady...you sealin' that bag right?

I'm heading back today for another few hours.
I got a couple of more shots
This is the infamous bag that holds enough for six meals. It is amazing how rice and beans expand...if you look at the ingredients and nutrition section it is surprisingly complete.
Here is our master packer on Saturday..the guy was awesome!
We all had a great time!

Oh, we also broke a world record for meal packing. In the 24 hour period that was allotted to this event 1.4 million meals were packed! Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Lake Fayetteville Adventures

2010-06-24T09:49:00.004-05:00

I decided to go for a walk around Lake Fayetteville yesterday before having lunch with my friend Sue. We had planned on meeting at Olive Garden at noon but I found myself just arriving at the parking lot at 10:20 and I knew I would not be able to complete the almost 6 miles and meet her on time. I called and asked if we could meet at 12:30. Plenty of time, I thought. I checked the temperature before starting at it was 89, not so bad. I had plenty of water, bug spray and my hat. I was ready for anything.
I decided to go counter clockwise because I wanted to get the most severe hills out of the way first (I did not consider that I was also getting rid of the mostly shady areas first too!) The trail was starting to get a bit overgrown and I was glad I had my jeans on since I was brushing against all kinds of growth. But fortunately not too far into the trip I found this fellow and others with weed whackers and loppers cutting it all back and making it a much better experience.

He was all smiles when I told him he was doing a great job and how much I appreciated it!

It wasn't long before I came upon these pretty flowers, I couldn't resist getting a shot of these lonely reds in the middle of many yellows

This flower made me stop in my tracks and actually get my real camera out! it was just so gorgeous, double click it and see if you don't agree!

As I got about forty percent through the hike, I was out of shade and the temperatures had risen considerably, but I wasn't too concerned, I had plenty of water and my hat AND my bandanna tied loosely around my neck. I was set for anything. But it was very humid and I found myself slowing down.

I took several rests and found I was weaker and weaker. So now I was really sorry I did not take my electrolyte tablets with me, they really do work when I get like this. OK, no problem, I will just walk slower, rest more and get there when I get there.

But it was awful and I was beginning to realize that I probably would not complete the walk and make it to lunch on time. So should I call her and cancel, ask her to pick me up or just melt into the pavement...with thoughts like this I knew I was fading fast.

I took off the bandanna and soaked it with water, put it across my head and put my hat back on, that helped some, but my energy levels were gone and I knew it. I had about 1 mile left while I contemplated what I would do when I saw two young ladies that I passed earlier on the hike approaching with their very over-heated dog. I asked if they were parked anywhere nearby and they were just about a couple of hundred yards away. I swallowed my pride and asked if they could drive me to my car and they did. Even with the ride I hardly made it to lunch on time.

After getting in the car I realized how really close to heat exhaustion I was and it was then and there that I decided I would have to come up with a list of rules...something like Gibbs on NCIS.
Rule Number 1...NEVER go out without electrolyte tablets, some food, lots of water, bandanna and phone.

I am sure there will be more once I start giving this list some serious thought, but this is a good beginning.

Oh...
Rule Number 2...NEVER sit on grass in a wooded area.

How do chiggers get under your shirt and up your back?

Rule Number 3...If the temperature is predicted to be above 90 DO NOT go out for an extended period of time.

Bird Antics

2010-06-18T09:09:00.001-05:00

I certainly hope my little cockatiel never does this to me...what a shocker!

Lincoln Lake Hiking/Bicycle Trail

2010-06-17T09:23:00.007-05:00

There is a pretty good show being broadcast by our local PBS station called Exploring Arkansas; it features three segments describing locations of interest here n the state. Recently, they were discussing a place for mountain biking called Lincoln Lake. I checked it out on a map and found it was relatively close to where I live and decided to go "explore" it.
Surprisingly, I found it with almost no effort at all. I had already decided to hike it before trying to bike it. The hills here can be quite daunting. Sure enough, the hills were a bit more than I would like to handle on a bike. I was willing to hike it

But then, I thought better of it.

Don't know what the crime was, nor when, but I decided that this wasn't the place I wanted to be wandering by myself.

Is there a law about removing the crime scene tapes when the investigation is completed?

Volunteer Work Day for TCIA

2010-06-13T19:36:00.006-05:00

I belong to a local Buddhist group here in Northwest Arkansas. They were fortunate enough to receive a gift of roughly five acres of land in the Ozarks. It was determined that they would use the land for holding future meditation retreats and general spiritual growth.

Emails have been flying all week as reminders that Saturday would be our first day to go to the remote location and begin the clearing of the land in anticipation of erecting a 22 foot teepee, creating a parking area and eventually building a garden and individual cabins for people to use while on retreat here. Oh, and in our spare time, build several trails for walking the beautiful perimeter of the property. I met with several other meditators and we car-pooled to the site.

Here is Karen getting her all terrain vehicle off the trailer. That in itself was a pretty neat gizmo. There was a latch, so when a vehicle is being driven off the trailer, it would automatically tilt backward eliminating the need for a ramp or any treads; it works the same for loading. Cool!
We were not the first ones to the site. Several others had arrived early enough to build two very healthy fires with the trees that were already down. There were huge logs everywhere and lots of full trees down in the woods. Our job was to clear away as much of the downed trees and remove those that were dying, as possible. As you can see, the lot is moderately wooded and there was some concern about copperheads. They love to hang out around dead downed trees. I shook each log and tree with a rake before I got near enough to touch it. The good news is that no one saw any snakes! Pretty amazing since I usually see at least one a week when I am out riding my bike around the streets of Fayetteville!

Everyone who showed up, worked...including Geshe Dorjee. I had never seen him in anything other than his magenta robes; yesterday he wore a yellow polo shirt and was swinging a mean axe.
Just before lunch we chanted and Geshe consecrated the land and then hung the Buddhist Prayer Flags as part of the ceremony

Here is a shot I took after lunch...we did make some progress but this will obviously need several visits before it begins to look like our visions of it.

This is the section that I was working on. I was surprised that we cleared as much as we did. It is always nice to leave on a positive note

This is Chris, we all took turns riding the ATV when the work was done. What fun it is to ride these things!This fellow brought his own heavy equipment. It was fabulous for moving those big logs to the fire and clearing the really heavy downed trees. You drive one of these babies around for a day and you can really get some work done. Here, he is taking the daughter of one of the volunteers for a ride. She was having a ball! There is no place like the country for a little kid!

Well, it can't be all work! After lunch some of us made watermelon teeth and showed them off. Some looked better than others!

Where oh Where has My Little Bird Gone...

2010-06-07T17:19:00.003-05:00

After a rather busy day I thought I would sit down and catch the latest Dr Oz DVR'd show and munch on a couple of corn chips. Gee, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound very healthy nor does it sound like I am taking Dr Oz's advice seriously.

Oh Well, we all need a little salt once in a while!

Anyway, I'm watching the show, and munching then I hear a whoosh. My bird has decided to fly from his cage and land on the back of my chair. He does that sometimes; usually when he is looking for a little attention. I keep munching.

Then I notice that he is not on the chair anymore, nor on my shoulder, nor on my foot. Actually, I don't know where he is...

As I reach for another chip, it becomes obvious. This guy is beyond curious!