This morning, as I usually do, I woke right up at 7:30am. I promptly dressed and headed to the front door to slip on my muck boots. After assuring that the two sibling cats were content with their breakfast I headed to the chickens. Monté, the border collie, is just as enthusiastic and bounds up the hill ahead of me. Although it is still near freezing out, the chickens are all up and ready to be released into their paddock. The several ducks that that live with the chickens see Monté and sound off quacking. Monté has a chronic herding disorder and tries to herd our feathered friends through the fence. The creatures of habit know what time to expect me and become pushy if I'm much later. They also habitually run to the entrance of the paddock we closed off two days ago.
Aña and I just built a third paddock area hoping to rotate them through vegetated areas. The 24 or so chickens and six ducks can decimate a good size area in just a couple of weeks. They eat everything that is green and tear up the soil hunting for insects. Our goal is to reduce feed inputs while allowing the chickens to produce healthier eggs. Among other things, I'm sure, if the chickens are eating more green plants their eggs will be higher in omega three fatty acid. In our society's grain heavy diet it's good to up the omega three to six ratio any chance possible.
Letting the chickens out this morning brought back fond childhood memories. Somewhere around six to eight years old I was occasionally “baby sat” on a farm. The farm was only about a mile from where I grew up in the country of northern Wisconsin. Appropriately named “North Wind Farm” was and still is an organic farm that operates off the grid and strives for sustainable living practices. Of course, at that age I had no idea what the gird was nor what organic meant. I mainly just loved arriving on the farm and rushing to check for any eggs in the hen house. It was always like easter; finding a pink one here, a green one there, and some speckled ones hiding under the straw on a shelf higher up. The rare breeds of chickens and roosters on the farm all had original looks and personalities. I remember watching them at great lengths and playing with the chicks in tall cool grass on warm summer days.
Today it makes me laugh remembering how odd I thought the life style on that farm was. People not driving off in their cars to jobs. Not enough electricity for a television. Going to the bathroom in an adjoined outhouse with a pit. Eating weird “alternative” foods and even some stuff that was pulled right out of the ground to cook up. There were drying plant parts and seeds all over and clear homemade soda. Not understanding or being accustomed to that lifestyle made it seem foreign. Now, however, it has become the lifestyle that I'm seeking out.
Aña and I both are happy to have ended up on a wonderful organic farm in California. We found the farm through the W.W.O.O.F. network. It's the same network that many people used to find North Wind back when I was being taken care of there. It stands for world wide opportunities on organic farms. There are international branches for farms all over the world. The idea behind it is to unite farmers with people willing to work in exchange for learning and commonly room and board. After subscribing to a particular country or region you get a list of farms with their descriptions and contact information. Then it is up to you to contact the farms and work out the details.
W.W.O.O.F-ing together has been our dream for some time. We've just been held back for one reason or another. Either we wanted to be close to family, we were bitten by the travel bug, or felt we needed to earn money. Now, at last, it seems we could become professional wwoofers and travel the world living on farms. It also seems there are often ways to earn a little money with a little creativity. Much money isn't needed anyways. With room and board covered, no more student loans, no bills, a little bit goes a long ways. It's hard to complain when there is abundant organic food, clean spring water, and a remote country landscape. As David, another worker on the farm here said, “We might be poor, but we live like kings”. For me, it sure beats working a meaningless job and living in a toxic city. Besides, to end with another quote from Michael Franti, “Only a rat can win a rat race”.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Sunday, November 27, 2011
On the Road Again
After another wonderful summer working at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon, Aña and I are back on the road. We've made our way down to the bay Area for a second Thanksgiving with her brother and a wonderful Guatemalan family. Along the way we enjoyed the company of many friends in Oregon and California and some shared adventures. We've eaten some of the best food in our lives, had some incredible mushroom hunts, checked out a couple of wwoof farms (see link to wwoof site on the right), and even spent a night playing at a gymnastics gym.
Aña and I are hoping to end up wwoofing for up to a year. It seems to us imperative to gain homesteading skills. We have spent the last couple of weeks on a farm outside of Ukiah, CA with our friend, Briz. I was hoping it would be a farm we could spend a year on, but upon reflection we're deciding to move on. It is an amazing farm with a huge orchard, chickens, and a few ducks. The only drawback is that the main focus seems to still be on medical marijuana cultivation that funds the farm. We're hoping to find a farm with more animals and less prevalent cannabis consumption and more focus on animal husbandry. It's also hard to feel comfortable around the owner as his communications are vague and he doesn't seem too interested in getting to know us.
After searching out and contacting some more farms on the wwoof site we have now formulated a new plan. Currently we're set to move to a different farm by Santa Cruz in a week. We'll spend a month there, then head back to Oregon and fill in for a week at Breitenbush. It will be a great way to cover the cost of traveling and visiting friends there. After that we have another gig lined up outside of Crescent city in Northern Cali. A retired couple that owns a hobby farm we stayed at on our way south want us to caretake their huge house and animal collection for a few months. We spent only a night with them but enjoyed their company immensely and fell in love with the area. They're located 25 miles from the nearest city nestled in red wood hills. On an all too brief outing with them we were in mushroom heaven and harvested so many chanterelles we had to sell some. We'll be taking care of their Great Pyrenees dog, four pigs and some piglets, two cows, and a variety of chickens. Come march we're hoping to have another farm lined up that does a farmer's market and has about 60 goats. Given our love for goat cheese it will be great to be a part of the process of making it.
Aña and I are hoping to end up wwoofing for up to a year. It seems to us imperative to gain homesteading skills. We have spent the last couple of weeks on a farm outside of Ukiah, CA with our friend, Briz. I was hoping it would be a farm we could spend a year on, but upon reflection we're deciding to move on. It is an amazing farm with a huge orchard, chickens, and a few ducks. The only drawback is that the main focus seems to still be on medical marijuana cultivation that funds the farm. We're hoping to find a farm with more animals and less prevalent cannabis consumption and more focus on animal husbandry. It's also hard to feel comfortable around the owner as his communications are vague and he doesn't seem too interested in getting to know us.
After searching out and contacting some more farms on the wwoof site we have now formulated a new plan. Currently we're set to move to a different farm by Santa Cruz in a week. We'll spend a month there, then head back to Oregon and fill in for a week at Breitenbush. It will be a great way to cover the cost of traveling and visiting friends there. After that we have another gig lined up outside of Crescent city in Northern Cali. A retired couple that owns a hobby farm we stayed at on our way south want us to caretake their huge house and animal collection for a few months. We spent only a night with them but enjoyed their company immensely and fell in love with the area. They're located 25 miles from the nearest city nestled in red wood hills. On an all too brief outing with them we were in mushroom heaven and harvested so many chanterelles we had to sell some. We'll be taking care of their Great Pyrenees dog, four pigs and some piglets, two cows, and a variety of chickens. Come march we're hoping to have another farm lined up that does a farmer's market and has about 60 goats. Given our love for goat cheese it will be great to be a part of the process of making it.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
A Fun E-mail I wrote on 8/7/2007. What's changed?
Dear friends and comrades,
This is the first of what will hopefully be a continuing posting to a
truly amazing group of people. This will be a way of reaching out to
a group of individuals who have more in common than an interest in
sustainable living. United by morale, compassion, a desire to learn,
community spirit, and strong "work ethics", this group can share a
great deal. Be it over a digital medium or in person, we can offer
ideas and inspiration to one another.
This group exists because of a dream of mine. I hope to one day live
in an outstanding community while being as self sustainable as
possible. The dream arose out of moral questioning, an observation of
contemporary societies, and a desire to ease our parasitic
relationship with the earth. This dream has metamorphosed from a mere
ideal to become a way of survival and perseverance of quality of
life. Current squabbling and fighting over high-yield energy
resources points to a coming brake-down of contemporary lifestyle that
will leave many in the dark (pun intended).
There is great controversy and speculation to the timing of events to
come. However, many working models based on peak-oil curves suggest
severe blackouts will start occurring in "industrialized" societies
around 2012 (not suggesting any correlation with Mayan or other
eschatological prophecy). By examining the recent events of global
economics and militaristic action it becomes clear that the current
relationship between fuel production and its consumption cannot last
much longer. This will bring great change to our society's relation
to food production, transportation, and macroeconomics. Virtually
every aspect of the "civilized" way of life we have come to know is
dependent on cheap transportable fuel that is being quickly
exhausted. Outside the question of timing, it will eventually be
imperative to be more self-sustainable and sufficient.
There are many questions for pondering within this group. Two core
questions are where and with whom may a sustainable living community
be established.
It would be my greatest delight to draw upon people within this group
to eventually live with. It will thus be necessary to add members to
this group but some discretion is needed. Community living takes more
than a common goal or philosophy to succeed. Individuals must be
adaptive, productive, and open minded. If you are currently receiving
this post, you have my vote for containing these qualities and more!
Whether a new community is established or an existing one is joined,
we can stay in touch and benefit from each other. Now, please help
this group grow through your contacts and discretion!
The more daunting question is in regards to location. It seems
obvious that a general location should be remote from any large urban
area. Although trade or sale from cottage industries would benefit
from the proximity of a dense populous, it is my opinion that the cons
out weigh the pros. My opinion is based on visions of contamination
(air, water, etc.), and the inevitable collapse of suburban and urban
lifestyles. I had also held the belief that settling in my home
country would make more sense for its ease and proximity to family and
friends. However, with the continual stripping of civil liberties,
the blatant ability of government to violate law and constitution, and
my role in financing oil extraction, multi-country invasions, murder,
and other atrocities, a multi-country search commences.
It is my hope to send out a post every two weeks. In the next issue I
would like to include a brief analysis of other countries around the
world that may be viable for expatriation. I shall start with Central
America for economic and food production reasons. If you have any
suggestions or thoughts please post away! Please help the membership
of this group grow as well.
Stay tuned, or online I guess.
Much Love and Happiness,
Rob
This is the first of what will hopefully be a continuing posting to a
truly amazing group of people. This will be a way of reaching out to
a group of individuals who have more in common than an interest in
sustainable living. United by morale, compassion, a desire to learn,
community spirit, and strong "work ethics", this group can share a
great deal. Be it over a digital medium or in person, we can offer
ideas and inspiration to one another.
This group exists because of a dream of mine. I hope to one day live
in an outstanding community while being as self sustainable as
possible. The dream arose out of moral questioning, an observation of
contemporary societies, and a desire to ease our parasitic
relationship with the earth. This dream has metamorphosed from a mere
ideal to become a way of survival and perseverance of quality of
life. Current squabbling and fighting over high-yield energy
resources points to a coming brake-down of contemporary lifestyle that
will leave many in the dark (pun intended).
There is great controversy and speculation to the timing of events to
come. However, many working models based on peak-oil curves suggest
severe blackouts will start occurring in "industrialized" societies
around 2012 (not suggesting any correlation with Mayan or other
eschatological prophecy). By examining the recent events of global
economics and militaristic action it becomes clear that the current
relationship between fuel production and its consumption cannot last
much longer. This will bring great change to our society's relation
to food production, transportation, and macroeconomics. Virtually
every aspect of the "civilized" way of life we have come to know is
dependent on cheap transportable fuel that is being quickly
exhausted. Outside the question of timing, it will eventually be
imperative to be more self-sustainable and sufficient.
There are many questions for pondering within this group. Two core
questions are where and with whom may a sustainable living community
be established.
It would be my greatest delight to draw upon people within this group
to eventually live with. It will thus be necessary to add members to
this group but some discretion is needed. Community living takes more
than a common goal or philosophy to succeed. Individuals must be
adaptive, productive, and open minded. If you are currently receiving
this post, you have my vote for containing these qualities and more!
Whether a new community is established or an existing one is joined,
we can stay in touch and benefit from each other. Now, please help
this group grow through your contacts and discretion!
The more daunting question is in regards to location. It seems
obvious that a general location should be remote from any large urban
area. Although trade or sale from cottage industries would benefit
from the proximity of a dense populous, it is my opinion that the cons
out weigh the pros. My opinion is based on visions of contamination
(air, water, etc.), and the inevitable collapse of suburban and urban
lifestyles. I had also held the belief that settling in my home
country would make more sense for its ease and proximity to family and
friends. However, with the continual stripping of civil liberties,
the blatant ability of government to violate law and constitution, and
my role in financing oil extraction, multi-country invasions, murder,
and other atrocities, a multi-country search commences.
It is my hope to send out a post every two weeks. In the next issue I
would like to include a brief analysis of other countries around the
world that may be viable for expatriation. I shall start with Central
America for economic and food production reasons. If you have any
suggestions or thoughts please post away! Please help the membership
of this group grow as well.
Stay tuned, or online I guess.
Much Love and Happiness,
Rob
A Response to a Friend in Wisconsin
Hey lovely!
Eva, how wonderful to know that there are beautiful people seeking community. I'm sorry that I have not responded sooner, but I have had much to think about in the way of communities. Once again, Aña and I have ended up at the community that runs Breitenbush Hot Springs. This place has so much of what I would desire in a long term community, but unfortunately falls far from the wants of sustainability and self sufficiency. Reading the news, crazy articles, and books about the peak oil theme, it seems self sufficiency will soon become a way of survival.
Aña and I have been fostering a great deal of conversation and some action here, but it's slow going. Part of the older generation is reluctant to change and processes are steeped in bureaucracy. For example: a proposal we submitted to raise rabbits for meat in a 90% omnivorous community won't be decided on until October. We might not be here to to benefit from the decision.
We're currently trying to decide if we want to try and stick around for a year or take off traveling to explore existing sustainable communities. Maybe in New Zealand? Maybe in Tennessee? If we stick around for a year we will be acquiring more skills while saving money. Then again, the value of the dollar is staged to collapse within a year or so. Crazy times we live in. So much human malice and destruction and so many quick changes on the horizon make it difficult to know what to do.
On thing is for certain though. Having a community is a viable way to survive and maintain sanity. The benefits always have outweighed the tribulations or me. For now I plan on continuing to acquire skills that will hopefully benefit a community I end up in. When and where that will be I'm not sure. In the maximum of five years time I hope to have an abundance of useful skills and assets to contribute to and help build an amazing community.
Much love and thanks for sharing your dreams,
Rob
On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 9:30 PM
----Forwarded Message----
Hi friends,
It has become more and more apparent (to me, and maybe to you too) that creating community makes me slightly giddy, simultaneously relaxed, nourished, inspired, and self-assured. I would like to start a conversation with you about the kind of vision that a community we make should have. I realize that I may not end up sharing land or a house, or even a city with some of you, but I also realize that the potential for any of those three things can and will be a reality, given the right intention and follow-through. It also seems possible that in a year (ok, 2), the opportunity to buy land for a cooperative-style community could come about. I would love to be deep in our conversation by then, and possibly ready to ease on into it. How do you feel about that?
What is realistic to achieve in creating a community? Producing our own food (or a large percentage of it)? Providing education for our children? Providing educational opportunities for others? Creating a retreat for ourselves and others? Producing a cash crop that we can earn a profit on? Rehabilitating a nature preserve? Other beautiful things you desire for your community?
Jack and I have been talking about putting some roots down in Madison, and feel like it would be nice to not 'rent'. It would also be nice to be in a close proximity to Madison, yet have legit wilderness around us. I recently came upon this property: http://madison.craigslist.org/reb/2295147453.html . I'm sure it won't be available by the time we are actually looking to establish something, but it give you an idea of the space, the beauty, the proximity that my brain has identified as ideal.
Thanks for taking time to read this. I appreciate just knowing that community is important to you, and that you are looking to fufill deep human needs through creating it. If you have time and inclination, it would be great to hear your ideas.
Love
Eva
Eva, how wonderful to know that there are beautiful people seeking community. I'm sorry that I have not responded sooner, but I have had much to think about in the way of communities. Once again, Aña and I have ended up at the community that runs Breitenbush Hot Springs. This place has so much of what I would desire in a long term community, but unfortunately falls far from the wants of sustainability and self sufficiency. Reading the news, crazy articles, and books about the peak oil theme, it seems self sufficiency will soon become a way of survival.
Aña and I have been fostering a great deal of conversation and some action here, but it's slow going. Part of the older generation is reluctant to change and processes are steeped in bureaucracy. For example: a proposal we submitted to raise rabbits for meat in a 90% omnivorous community won't be decided on until October. We might not be here to to benefit from the decision.
We're currently trying to decide if we want to try and stick around for a year or take off traveling to explore existing sustainable communities. Maybe in New Zealand? Maybe in Tennessee? If we stick around for a year we will be acquiring more skills while saving money. Then again, the value of the dollar is staged to collapse within a year or so. Crazy times we live in. So much human malice and destruction and so many quick changes on the horizon make it difficult to know what to do.
On thing is for certain though. Having a community is a viable way to survive and maintain sanity. The benefits always have outweighed the tribulations or me. For now I plan on continuing to acquire skills that will hopefully benefit a community I end up in. When and where that will be I'm not sure. In the maximum of five years time I hope to have an abundance of useful skills and assets to contribute to and help build an amazing community.
Much love and thanks for sharing your dreams,
Rob
On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 9:30 PM
----Forwarded Message----
Hi friends,
It has become more and more apparent (to me, and maybe to you too) that creating community makes me slightly giddy, simultaneously relaxed, nourished, inspired, and self-assured. I would like to start a conversation with you about the kind of vision that a community we make should have. I realize that I may not end up sharing land or a house, or even a city with some of you, but I also realize that the potential for any of those three things can and will be a reality, given the right intention and follow-through. It also seems possible that in a year (ok, 2), the opportunity to buy land for a cooperative-style community could come about. I would love to be deep in our conversation by then, and possibly ready to ease on into it. How do you feel about that?
What is realistic to achieve in creating a community? Producing our own food (or a large percentage of it)? Providing education for our children? Providing educational opportunities for others? Creating a retreat for ourselves and others? Producing a cash crop that we can earn a profit on? Rehabilitating a nature preserve? Other beautiful things you desire for your community?
Jack and I have been talking about putting some roots down in Madison, and feel like it would be nice to not 'rent'. It would also be nice to be in a close proximity to Madison, yet have legit wilderness around us. I recently came upon this property: http://madison.craigslist.org/reb/2295147453.html . I'm sure it won't be available by the time we are actually looking to establish something, but it give you an idea of the space, the beauty, the proximity that my brain has identified as ideal.
Thanks for taking time to read this. I appreciate just knowing that community is important to you, and that you are looking to fufill deep human needs through creating it. If you have time and inclination, it would be great to hear your ideas.
Love
Eva
Friday, February 25, 2011
Morning on the Farm
 |
| From 2011 New Mexico |
I start my day by rolling myself into child's pose beneath a pile of blankets on my sleeping pad. I reach my arms forward towards a new day and consider the various aches that have taken up residence in my limbs since yesterday. The first warm sunny afternoon that found us clearing brush , leaves and grasses from a long stretch of irrigation ditch, with Chris's Father and son baling the piles as soon as we heaved them up. My arms and back aching from the quarter mile of raking and piling. I toss back the covers and clear them from the floor. Air mattresses rolled away I lay down a yoga mat and mold my back into cat and cow, upwards into downward dog and so on willing my muscles to release and prepare for the morning that lies ahead.
I come out of a back liberating plow pose and ask Rob if he has eaten yet. He looks up from the computer screen and says no, offering to make us oatmeal and matte. I get dressed and snuggle up next to him over a steaming bowl of oats with raisins and maple syrup. Together we watch Democracy Now and share through film the celebration that pounds in the hearts of thousands of Egyptions who after 19 days of protest ousted their unjust leader Mubarack. We place dishes beside the sink, feet into boots and bodies into layers of warm wool and step out into a brisk morning. Rob heads out to the hay barn to gather breakfast for everyone and I load milking pails, udder butter, clean rags and vinegar water onto the milking wagon. I push my load around the straw bale house and through the paths of chickens and ducks towards the milking parlor stopping en route to gather up a few handfuls of chicken food.
I open the North facing door of the milking parlor and wheel in my milking wagon, then close the door behind me. Grabbing the container of chicken feed mixed with grain I open the South facing door which leads to Reina's pen. Her warm chocolate eyes turn to meet mine as she peacefully chews the hay Rob brought for her. Then she sees the container I hold in my hand and immediately beelines for the parlor. I give her a small taste, then quickly urge her onto the milking platform. She hesitates before sliding her head between two 2x4's but the treats prove too strong a temptation and she passes her great brown head between them and I slide them together and lock them in place so her head can't be pulled back out if she changes her mind. Once she is secured on the milking platform I pour the remaining treats into a small trough along with a handful of hay, and open the North door again so Reina can look outside. Content for now she resumes her favorite hobby of eating and I run a brush through her cafe con leche colored coat to remove straw, hay, hair and any other debris that could fall into the milk pail.
Reina's beauty treatment continues, her udders being cleaned with rags I wet down with vinegar water. I rub the swollen curves of her heavy udders and freckled pink teats until the rags I use fade from white to dirty brown. Lathering my fingers with udder butter I place a plastic garbage pail lid beneath Reina to drain the first bit of milk from each teat and to drain completely her infected right rear udder. A steady stream flows from each one except for the infected udder which struggles between the passing of clumps of pus that are flushed out with each steady pull. We don't drink this milk, it will be used to soak grains which will be fed to the chickens. Chris tells me that in commercial dairies these precautions aren't heeded and because of industrial practices many cows carry these infections and much of commercially available milk has pus in it. (Don't worry, it's pasteurized!)
After I drain this udder completely I reserve the milk in a bucket for the chickens and replace the garbage lid with the milk pail. I nuzzle my head into the soft brown curve between hip and wide expanse of belly, wrap my fingers around two teats, and begin the slow steady process of filling my bucket stream by gentle stream. A steady rhythm lays its beats into my pail and for a while we are both lulled by it. Reina chews along placidly watching the chickens that peck their way past the open door, and I rest my head against the sounds of her gurgling belly and the splish splash of milk in my slowly filling pail. Just when I think it couldn't be going any more smoothly I hear Reina fart.
Cow farts. Funny? Yes. Worrisome? Tambien. Her tail goes up and I use this opportunity to remove the milk pail from beneath her udders and pour the milk I have accumulated so far through a filter into a milk urn, while behind me Reina plops a big green poop onto the parlor floor. I sigh, replace the pail and resume our milking rhythm, turning my head to gaze out the south door where I spot three chickens kicking and pecking in the straw, on the hunt for insects and spilled grains. Beyond their black and white speckled feathers I watch the goats grazing from their trough, which at one time served as a wheelbarrow. Rob is standing their reaching his arm through the fence and scratching Snowflake's cheek and neck, which she loves. I feel the streams of milk getting thinner and thinner as they pass through her udders. Gradually the milk stops flowing and I pass my fingers over each of her udders in turn to make sure she is milked down completely. Reina moos and shuffles her hooves signifying that she is getting antsy, I moo right back at her in a low song like way and once more lift the milk pail from beneath Reina's impatient curves to filter the last of the milk into the urn placing the filter into the empty milk pail and pushing the urn lid snuggly in place to keep this sweet warm cargo from spilling over.
My hand pulls the long bolt out of the secured 2x4 which falls to the side and Reina withdraws her eager head from between the brace. Her brown eyes fixed on me she cautiously steps her hooves backwards off the milking platform until she feels the give of straw beneath her, where she makes a wide turn and lightly steps her hulking form through the door into her paddock and the warm morning sun. I bring a bucket of grain and corn out to her and pour it over her hay which she promptly begins to eat with appreciation.
After some good neck scratches I return to the milking parlor closing the door to Reina's pen behind me. I check to ensure everything on the milking wagon is secure before lifting the handles and pushing it's one wheel over the threshold, and past curios hens who enter the parlor in my wake to scavenge for fallen grain. The milking wagon clangs and jostles over dirt, bumps, gravel and finally the ramp leading up to the house. Dirty udder rags are hung to dry, udder butter and empty vinegar bottle replaced on their shelf. Milk, still steaming in the cool shady side of the house, is poured through another filter into tall glass mason jars for us to enjoy. Empty urn, pail and filter are washed thoroughly before returning to their rack to dry and wait for the evening milking.
As for me, I carry the fresh warm milk to the 15 watt solar powered fridge, chug the last of my now cold tea forgotten on the table, and head back outside to face the next tasks of the day.
Aña Marjenka
February 2011
Albuquerque NM
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Enjoying New Mexico despite Wisconsin Weather
Keeping ourselves busy in New Mexico has let three weeks slip by quickly. We entered NM right before Aña's golden birthday on the 28th of January. After checking out the Roswell alien scene we were able to make it to hot springs for her b-day. We had read about the hottest hot springs in northern NM just outside of Las Vegas (NM!). With a wonderful couch surfing host secured nearby, we soaked to our hearts content. There was a nice cluster of three tubs near a small river overlooking the campus of the Montezuma World School. The tubs ranged from 98°F to 108°F. The morning of her birthday we awoke super early and made it into the tubs a half hour before sunrise. A wonderful way to start the day.
We actually had great weather too; stripping down to t-shirts during the day. We spent our non-soaking time reading adventures of John Long and exploring Las Vegas. Several factors make the town quite charming. First, there are trees, which were absent in the barren lands around Roswell. Secondly, many buildings around town and especially around the town square still have a retro or colonial look. It was also pleasant to sense a general “laid-back” vibe to the people. Many locals speak Espanglish, which I found entertaining to listen to. It was common to hear sentences and even parts of sentences alternate between Spanish and English. A heavy local slang makes it a little tricky to understand. There is also 14th and 15th century Spanish spoken by some of the decedents from Spanish immigrants of the conquistador era.
After two nights by the Montezuma Hot Springs, it was onto Taos. The downtown area was shockingly touristy. We noticed as soon as we began entering Taos that all the buildings are made to look like Adobe, even the McDonald's. It wasn't long before Aña coined the term “faux-dobe”, or fake adobe, for this this facade based architecture. We explored to kill time hoping to hear from a couch surfing host. With darkness and the desert's cold night approaching we decide to make way for a nearby hostel. On our way we stopped by a natural food store and eyed up the bulletin board. We notice that a sweat lodge ceremony was scheduled for the very next morning. In need of some spiritual consoling and a good sweat we decided to make it our next day's activities.
After awaking in the congested hostel we did some cleaning as part of our lower price bargaining. Then we bought some fruit as an offering to share at the sweat lodge ceremony. We found the house on the outskirts of Taos where the ceremonies are held. We almost decided to abort after meeting the woman who would lead the ceremony and upon realizing we were the only ones attending. I am so very glad, however, that we decided to see it through. It was one of the most beautiful lodge ceremonies I've attended (out of five to date). Aña is working on a more detailed and poetically expressed account of the experience. That will be posted shortly!
With Couch Surfing hosts still not replying we were a little frantic trying to find a place to stay. We had contemplated camping before learning temperatures would be dropping to 1°F that night and snow was expected. Amazingly, word reached a friend, of a friend, of a friend who was happy to take us in. Kim and Kelly were a friendly hippy couple that put us up for three nights. We hadn't planned on staying that long, but we were snowed in! We received about 9” of snow and night-time temperatures plummeted to -25°F; below zero. Still, we managed to visit the Rio Grande Gorge and check out some Earth Ships. The Earth Ship structures are incredible, but require massive amounts of labour.
We fled south to Santa Fe only to find more sub-zero temperatures. Luckily we had warm company making friends with wonderful Couch Surfing hosts. We had some frigid hikes around the historic downtown, but relished our time conversing with our hosts. Great conversations about traveling and community building. Two nights in Santa Fe and it was time to head to Iron Wood Farm just South of Albuquerque.
Now, we've been at the farm for just over a week. We found the farm through W.W.O.O.F.; world wide opportunities on organic farms (see link on the right of this blog site). We've been staying very busy getting trained to preform the basic routine and help with miscellaneous projects. Twice daily we feed and water the goats, sheep, cows, ducks, chickens, and Aña has been milking the milk cow, Reina. We've also fixed frozen pipes, rebuilt a chicken coup, modified the green house, cleaned out ditches, put up fences, hauled scrap materials, and butchered a sheep. At night we've been spending our time hanging out with another wwoofer here, Phil. We became instant friends with Phil, a Poli-Sci, major, while ranting about global politics and doing some exploring.
We actually had great weather too; stripping down to t-shirts during the day. We spent our non-soaking time reading adventures of John Long and exploring Las Vegas. Several factors make the town quite charming. First, there are trees, which were absent in the barren lands around Roswell. Secondly, many buildings around town and especially around the town square still have a retro or colonial look. It was also pleasant to sense a general “laid-back” vibe to the people. Many locals speak Espanglish, which I found entertaining to listen to. It was common to hear sentences and even parts of sentences alternate between Spanish and English. A heavy local slang makes it a little tricky to understand. There is also 14th and 15th century Spanish spoken by some of the decedents from Spanish immigrants of the conquistador era.
After two nights by the Montezuma Hot Springs, it was onto Taos. The downtown area was shockingly touristy. We noticed as soon as we began entering Taos that all the buildings are made to look like Adobe, even the McDonald's. It wasn't long before Aña coined the term “faux-dobe”, or fake adobe, for this this facade based architecture. We explored to kill time hoping to hear from a couch surfing host. With darkness and the desert's cold night approaching we decide to make way for a nearby hostel. On our way we stopped by a natural food store and eyed up the bulletin board. We notice that a sweat lodge ceremony was scheduled for the very next morning. In need of some spiritual consoling and a good sweat we decided to make it our next day's activities.
After awaking in the congested hostel we did some cleaning as part of our lower price bargaining. Then we bought some fruit as an offering to share at the sweat lodge ceremony. We found the house on the outskirts of Taos where the ceremonies are held. We almost decided to abort after meeting the woman who would lead the ceremony and upon realizing we were the only ones attending. I am so very glad, however, that we decided to see it through. It was one of the most beautiful lodge ceremonies I've attended (out of five to date). Aña is working on a more detailed and poetically expressed account of the experience. That will be posted shortly!
With Couch Surfing hosts still not replying we were a little frantic trying to find a place to stay. We had contemplated camping before learning temperatures would be dropping to 1°F that night and snow was expected. Amazingly, word reached a friend, of a friend, of a friend who was happy to take us in. Kim and Kelly were a friendly hippy couple that put us up for three nights. We hadn't planned on staying that long, but we were snowed in! We received about 9” of snow and night-time temperatures plummeted to -25°F; below zero. Still, we managed to visit the Rio Grande Gorge and check out some Earth Ships. The Earth Ship structures are incredible, but require massive amounts of labour.
We fled south to Santa Fe only to find more sub-zero temperatures. Luckily we had warm company making friends with wonderful Couch Surfing hosts. We had some frigid hikes around the historic downtown, but relished our time conversing with our hosts. Great conversations about traveling and community building. Two nights in Santa Fe and it was time to head to Iron Wood Farm just South of Albuquerque.
Now, we've been at the farm for just over a week. We found the farm through W.W.O.O.F.; world wide opportunities on organic farms (see link on the right of this blog site). We've been staying very busy getting trained to preform the basic routine and help with miscellaneous projects. Twice daily we feed and water the goats, sheep, cows, ducks, chickens, and Aña has been milking the milk cow, Reina. We've also fixed frozen pipes, rebuilt a chicken coup, modified the green house, cleaned out ditches, put up fences, hauled scrap materials, and butchered a sheep. At night we've been spending our time hanging out with another wwoofer here, Phil. We became instant friends with Phil, a Poli-Sci, major, while ranting about global politics and doing some exploring.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Morning Rant
It has thus far been hard for me to find “direction” in this life. I'm talking about direction in terms of a stable career, acquiring a house, family planning, etc. The “direction” or lifestyle that seems to be the socially acceptable standard or goal. I have to guess that it's been hard for me because I accept a different framework of reality. To live a blissful life pursuing the “American Dream” standard of our society one must assume a lack of change. That our current social institutions will be fairly similar throughout our lives. That the sources for our education, our retirement, our energy, our food, and our income will always be there. Most people seem to blindly accept this and continue their socially standard lifestyle.
My rational framework, however, has been unable to accept that drastic change is not due. I can simply not rationalize that the foundations of our society and current lifestyle are going to continue much as they have. The life supports and fundamental needs of our industrialized lifestyles are coming to an end. The energy source that has become the backbone of our world is running out. This is a widely accepted fact, but with with an unknown date it is commonly brushed aside. It is common sense, at least to most fifth graders, that a non-renewable resource is non-renewable. It runs out! It's only a question of when. Well, this is a subject of endless debate. After reading many books, and viewing several documentaries on the theme, it seems we're already experiencing the affects of a diminished supply. Just keeping tabs on world news lends support to this train of thought.
Maybe you're thinking “no big deal”. Oil runs out, fine. Civilization flourished sporadically for thousands of years before we used oil. Well, maybe this would be fine if our current global population was that of 1-3 thousand years ago. The use of oil allowed our population to grow exponentially. Without listing the numerous ways oil is essential to our way of life, we only need consider food to realize an oil deficient impact. As is the subject of many books, articles, and documentaries, our food system is dependent upon a readily available supply of oil. The fertilizers, pesticides, machines for planting, machines for harvesting, trucks for shipping, machines for processing, refrigeration for storage, packaging production, trucks for distribution, and your car to pick it up at the supermarket are all dependent on easy access to oil.
So now, without massive changes to our infrastructure and lifestyles, the current populations will be non-renewable. Unfortunately we're not talking a small change here. If no miraculous technological super energy source is expeditiously invented, and if extraterrestrial beings with superior knowledge don't intervene, the implications are scary. To return to a stable population without the oil infrastructure, we're looking at a population reduction 10 times WWII every year for the next 75 years. For those of us who learned history in public schools, that's roughly 100 million a year, for the next 75 years. In other terms, that's a population reduction of almost three times the entire population of California (the most populous state in the U.S.) gone every year.
First, as they are right now, food costs will rise. Eventually the whole web of oil dependent food production will not be cost effective or even viable. If this happens suddenly, we'll really be screwed. Imagine no more food being produced and shipped to your local grocery store. The food in that store will generally only support its surrounding population for a matter of days or weeks. Are you prepared to grow your own food? Do you even live in a climate where you can grow your own food? Do you think you would be able to grow enough to support yourself, your family? What about those around you? What about surviving it things turn violent? These are the questions people in our society will be forced to ask, but should start asking themselves now.
For a nice clear explanation of Peak Oil and some of it's implications check out the first site that appeared from all knowing google! The search words were simply "Peak Oil, Population".
My rational framework, however, has been unable to accept that drastic change is not due. I can simply not rationalize that the foundations of our society and current lifestyle are going to continue much as they have. The life supports and fundamental needs of our industrialized lifestyles are coming to an end. The energy source that has become the backbone of our world is running out. This is a widely accepted fact, but with with an unknown date it is commonly brushed aside. It is common sense, at least to most fifth graders, that a non-renewable resource is non-renewable. It runs out! It's only a question of when. Well, this is a subject of endless debate. After reading many books, and viewing several documentaries on the theme, it seems we're already experiencing the affects of a diminished supply. Just keeping tabs on world news lends support to this train of thought.
Maybe you're thinking “no big deal”. Oil runs out, fine. Civilization flourished sporadically for thousands of years before we used oil. Well, maybe this would be fine if our current global population was that of 1-3 thousand years ago. The use of oil allowed our population to grow exponentially. Without listing the numerous ways oil is essential to our way of life, we only need consider food to realize an oil deficient impact. As is the subject of many books, articles, and documentaries, our food system is dependent upon a readily available supply of oil. The fertilizers, pesticides, machines for planting, machines for harvesting, trucks for shipping, machines for processing, refrigeration for storage, packaging production, trucks for distribution, and your car to pick it up at the supermarket are all dependent on easy access to oil.
So now, without massive changes to our infrastructure and lifestyles, the current populations will be non-renewable. Unfortunately we're not talking a small change here. If no miraculous technological super energy source is expeditiously invented, and if extraterrestrial beings with superior knowledge don't intervene, the implications are scary. To return to a stable population without the oil infrastructure, we're looking at a population reduction 10 times WWII every year for the next 75 years. For those of us who learned history in public schools, that's roughly 100 million a year, for the next 75 years. In other terms, that's a population reduction of almost three times the entire population of California (the most populous state in the U.S.) gone every year.
First, as they are right now, food costs will rise. Eventually the whole web of oil dependent food production will not be cost effective or even viable. If this happens suddenly, we'll really be screwed. Imagine no more food being produced and shipped to your local grocery store. The food in that store will generally only support its surrounding population for a matter of days or weeks. Are you prepared to grow your own food? Do you even live in a climate where you can grow your own food? Do you think you would be able to grow enough to support yourself, your family? What about those around you? What about surviving it things turn violent? These are the questions people in our society will be forced to ask, but should start asking themselves now.
For a nice clear explanation of Peak Oil and some of it's implications check out the first site that appeared from all knowing google! The search words were simply "Peak Oil, Population".
Monday, January 24, 2011
A summarized update! Heading for the desert!
I need to start writing more to capture more detail and reflection, but nonetheless here's a summation of recent ventures:
What an amazing long and drawn out holiday season Aña and I have been having. We started celebrating before the solstice visiting Aña's aunt and cousin near Milwaukee and my grandma in Red Wing, MN. She's 86 and still full of piss and vinegar, despite recently breaking her hip. I snuck into her house and surprised her and we had a great, but short visit. Then we backtracked in Wisconsin for a wonderful Solstice celebration with some lovely friends. That entailed dancing to drums, feasting, and rejoicing in the beauty of life. We saw those friends off while visiting Aña's cousin, Jake, in Steven's Point, WI. We had a nice sunny day of 15° F for some amazing tobogganing. At a state park there are some iced tracks where you can rent toboggan sleds and fly down a steep hill entangled with up to four other people. We went sledding that night and used our own sleds clandestinely on the toboggan runs. The little plastic sleds sounded like a jet taking off. The next morning we walked down a frozen water way with weary steps. The -2° F temperature gave some surreal security to our icy stage. We could not leave Wisconsin before seeing some dear friends in and near Madison. We stayed with some great people on the East Side; also known as the liberal or hippy zone. We visited with a couple who have an amazing 1 1/2 year old girl named Asha. One morning we were able to do a work exchange at a fair-trade coffee roaster while chatting with Asha's momma. Before leaving the winter northland we even ended up shoveling a frozen lake, or at least paths on it to make a large artistic pattern. We sought reprieve from the cold for x-mas.
We spent the days around x-mas in Conway, Arkansas where Aña's brother is going to grad school. Aña's mom and grandma joined us there which led to hilarity since her grandma is going deaf and refuses to get a hearing aid. This may sound mean, but after so long your only option is to laugh. That time went by quick and we left for my folk's place in Tennessee. I also have folks in TX who we were next to visit. My mom and step-dad are in Tennessee and my dad and step-mom are in TX!
In Tennessee we enjoyed relaxing, playing Big Boggle until our brains were mushy, some motorcycle riding, antique perusing, making some good food, and laughing until there were tears in our eyes. We shot up to Kentucky for a couple of nights to visit or friend, Emily, who was home on vacation from CA. Still managed to have a great time despite Aña having a cold and Emily having her wisdom teeth removed. her parents were a hoot and her dad had some delicious local (Kentucky) whiskey. Then back to Tennessee for a few weeks. The first week was warm and Aña surprised me by getting on a motorcycle with me and having a good time. My folks ended up with two motorcycles there so we were able to get a few rides in together exploring the river. Very fun to be back on a bike! To make our stay even more unbearable (100% sarcasm) I helped build a platform for a hot tub. They found a good deal on Craig's list and we spent our last few days there "soaking" in the view.
Next we moved onto Ft. Worth Texas stopping once more in Arkansas to see Aña's brother, Josh, and break up our drive. My dad and step-mom, Loretta, have a pretty nice place in the burbs. We're getting spoiled with creature comforts and culinary delicacies. This last Saturday was nice out, up to 60° F and sunny! We had been planning on heading to a rifle/pistol range and we weren't the only ones; it was packed. Too crowded to wait for the shotgun or rifle range, but we had a nice assortment of pistols. My dad was trained in the Special Forces, so he was able to bestow some fire arm knowledge upon us. We became comfortable with a .38 Special, a .40 cal. Taurus semi, a little .22 semi, and even a .50 cal Magnum "Dirty Harry Gun". I don't like the idea of guns, but with so many of them around I consider it useful to know how to use them. Today I'll get to meet my step-brother's wife and baby who are arriving from her homeland of Germany. Aña and I are going to make some pizzas and Loretta is having some family over to celebrate their arrival.
Tomorrow it's on to New Mexico. We're planning on exploring Roswell's U.F.O. attractions, and then be by hot springs for Aña's golden birthday on the 28th. We'll be couch surfing with luck and wwoofing soon. We plan to spend a couple of weeks wwoofing (being a Willing Worker On Organic Farm) at Ironwood Farm near Albuquerque. There we'll exchange our labour for learning, food, and shelter. It sounds like we're even going to get to learn how to harvest some sheep! We'll definitely post pictures of all the animal; dwarf goats, chickens, chicken guard dog, horses, sheep, fish, bees, etc.
Check out some somewhat limited, but fun pictures by clicking the link on the top right!
What an amazing long and drawn out holiday season Aña and I have been having. We started celebrating before the solstice visiting Aña's aunt and cousin near Milwaukee and my grandma in Red Wing, MN. She's 86 and still full of piss and vinegar, despite recently breaking her hip. I snuck into her house and surprised her and we had a great, but short visit. Then we backtracked in Wisconsin for a wonderful Solstice celebration with some lovely friends. That entailed dancing to drums, feasting, and rejoicing in the beauty of life. We saw those friends off while visiting Aña's cousin, Jake, in Steven's Point, WI. We had a nice sunny day of 15° F for some amazing tobogganing. At a state park there are some iced tracks where you can rent toboggan sleds and fly down a steep hill entangled with up to four other people. We went sledding that night and used our own sleds clandestinely on the toboggan runs. The little plastic sleds sounded like a jet taking off. The next morning we walked down a frozen water way with weary steps. The -2° F temperature gave some surreal security to our icy stage. We could not leave Wisconsin before seeing some dear friends in and near Madison. We stayed with some great people on the East Side; also known as the liberal or hippy zone. We visited with a couple who have an amazing 1 1/2 year old girl named Asha. One morning we were able to do a work exchange at a fair-trade coffee roaster while chatting with Asha's momma. Before leaving the winter northland we even ended up shoveling a frozen lake, or at least paths on it to make a large artistic pattern. We sought reprieve from the cold for x-mas.
We spent the days around x-mas in Conway, Arkansas where Aña's brother is going to grad school. Aña's mom and grandma joined us there which led to hilarity since her grandma is going deaf and refuses to get a hearing aid. This may sound mean, but after so long your only option is to laugh. That time went by quick and we left for my folk's place in Tennessee. I also have folks in TX who we were next to visit. My mom and step-dad are in Tennessee and my dad and step-mom are in TX!
In Tennessee we enjoyed relaxing, playing Big Boggle until our brains were mushy, some motorcycle riding, antique perusing, making some good food, and laughing until there were tears in our eyes. We shot up to Kentucky for a couple of nights to visit or friend, Emily, who was home on vacation from CA. Still managed to have a great time despite Aña having a cold and Emily having her wisdom teeth removed. her parents were a hoot and her dad had some delicious local (Kentucky) whiskey. Then back to Tennessee for a few weeks. The first week was warm and Aña surprised me by getting on a motorcycle with me and having a good time. My folks ended up with two motorcycles there so we were able to get a few rides in together exploring the river. Very fun to be back on a bike! To make our stay even more unbearable (100% sarcasm) I helped build a platform for a hot tub. They found a good deal on Craig's list and we spent our last few days there "soaking" in the view.
Next we moved onto Ft. Worth Texas stopping once more in Arkansas to see Aña's brother, Josh, and break up our drive. My dad and step-mom, Loretta, have a pretty nice place in the burbs. We're getting spoiled with creature comforts and culinary delicacies. This last Saturday was nice out, up to 60° F and sunny! We had been planning on heading to a rifle/pistol range and we weren't the only ones; it was packed. Too crowded to wait for the shotgun or rifle range, but we had a nice assortment of pistols. My dad was trained in the Special Forces, so he was able to bestow some fire arm knowledge upon us. We became comfortable with a .38 Special, a .40 cal. Taurus semi, a little .22 semi, and even a .50 cal Magnum "Dirty Harry Gun". I don't like the idea of guns, but with so many of them around I consider it useful to know how to use them. Today I'll get to meet my step-brother's wife and baby who are arriving from her homeland of Germany. Aña and I are going to make some pizzas and Loretta is having some family over to celebrate their arrival.
Tomorrow it's on to New Mexico. We're planning on exploring Roswell's U.F.O. attractions, and then be by hot springs for Aña's golden birthday on the 28th. We'll be couch surfing with luck and wwoofing soon. We plan to spend a couple of weeks wwoofing (being a Willing Worker On Organic Farm) at Ironwood Farm near Albuquerque. There we'll exchange our labour for learning, food, and shelter. It sounds like we're even going to get to learn how to harvest some sheep! We'll definitely post pictures of all the animal; dwarf goats, chickens, chicken guard dog, horses, sheep, fish, bees, etc.
Check out some somewhat limited, but fun pictures by clicking the link on the top right!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Contemplating life and exploring the South
I'm currently writing from a wonderful vantage point over looking the Tennessee River. It is an eastward view of a large smooth oxbow. The river winds around a flat fertile pasture land that leads to gentle rolling hills in the background. Every clear sky morning is ignited with a brilliant red sunrise. The hills and swirling river are bathed in soothing hues of blue and purple before being thawed in fiery golds and oranges. The rising sun accentuates the ridges of distant hills as it lights up the sky. Solitary birds and massive flocks explore the banks. Occasional barges push cargo up and downstream. A wonderful view, for sure, to return to a yoga practice and meditate on life.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Fall, A time for Reflection
Aña and I have been back in the States for just over two months now. I've wanted to update this blog for awhile. Leaving it alone with a mysterious post about our return to the U.S. was certainly not my intention. It is just that we have been staying very, very busy.
We left the Yoga House in Guatemala to return to Wisconsin. We were just getting settled in again after traveling around with Aña's brother, Matt. We were starting to sell homemade food and I was teaching some more advanced Yoga classes. Things were going great, but we decided in less than a day to return home. We received the tragic and upsetting news that Aña's father, Ted, had taken his life. In one note he left he stated he was "sick of the roller coaster of life". For him it had been a bigger roller coaster than many ride. It seemed he was finally fed up with the bipolar disorder he battled with for many years. Us returning home to be with family and offer as much support as possible is the only thing that made sense. As mentioned in the previous blog we had a very crazy trip back, but returned safely.
We were back about a week before Ted's memorial service on August 14th. The service was held at a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. It was one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching and warming memorials I've ever been to. Stories were shared, songs sung, and many tears were shed. Aña, her two younger brother's beautifully compassionate eulogies held a common chord. They resonated on the creative outlook to life their father passed on to them. It seems many knew Ted as a great story teller with an ability to make friends wherever he went. There is definitely a noticeable void in the day to day life here in Appleton.
I spent a month living with Aña and her mom. I stayed busy preforming a variety of maintenance on the house and donating or selling excess material objects. With the help of some very generous volunteers we even tore down the adjacent one and a half car garage. It had a leaky roof for several years causing the infrastructure to rot beyond repair. I'll post some pictures of that project.
Then, I had an opportunity to run my folks bar in Northern Wisconsin where I grew up. I ended up working about six days a week for the month of September. The bar tending gig culminated in one very crazy but lucrative weekend; Applefestival. A festival where the town of 500 people hosts about 60,000 visitors! I relished in the beauty of Lake Superior and some of the best fall colors ever. My folks have a 29' sailboat and I made it out on the lake with them twice. I spent a great deal of my limited free time loosing myself in the woods hunting wild mushrooms. One interesting day I was just missed by a couple of charging does. I also saw my first wolf in the area since their recent comeback. What spooky majestic creatures!
Now, I'm back in Appleton living with Aña and her mom. I'm back to work on the house. This time fixing up old windows and getting the house ready to be winterized. The nights are ominously starting to get cold. I'm sure it won't be long before snow flurries are in the air. At least winter will give us time to figure out where we want to go next. The hot springs of Oregon sure sound good. Maybe next summer will do.
We left the Yoga House in Guatemala to return to Wisconsin. We were just getting settled in again after traveling around with Aña's brother, Matt. We were starting to sell homemade food and I was teaching some more advanced Yoga classes. Things were going great, but we decided in less than a day to return home. We received the tragic and upsetting news that Aña's father, Ted, had taken his life. In one note he left he stated he was "sick of the roller coaster of life". For him it had been a bigger roller coaster than many ride. It seemed he was finally fed up with the bipolar disorder he battled with for many years. Us returning home to be with family and offer as much support as possible is the only thing that made sense. As mentioned in the previous blog we had a very crazy trip back, but returned safely.
We were back about a week before Ted's memorial service on August 14th. The service was held at a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. It was one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching and warming memorials I've ever been to. Stories were shared, songs sung, and many tears were shed. Aña, her two younger brother's beautifully compassionate eulogies held a common chord. They resonated on the creative outlook to life their father passed on to them. It seems many knew Ted as a great story teller with an ability to make friends wherever he went. There is definitely a noticeable void in the day to day life here in Appleton.
I spent a month living with Aña and her mom. I stayed busy preforming a variety of maintenance on the house and donating or selling excess material objects. With the help of some very generous volunteers we even tore down the adjacent one and a half car garage. It had a leaky roof for several years causing the infrastructure to rot beyond repair. I'll post some pictures of that project.
Then, I had an opportunity to run my folks bar in Northern Wisconsin where I grew up. I ended up working about six days a week for the month of September. The bar tending gig culminated in one very crazy but lucrative weekend; Applefestival. A festival where the town of 500 people hosts about 60,000 visitors! I relished in the beauty of Lake Superior and some of the best fall colors ever. My folks have a 29' sailboat and I made it out on the lake with them twice. I spent a great deal of my limited free time loosing myself in the woods hunting wild mushrooms. One interesting day I was just missed by a couple of charging does. I also saw my first wolf in the area since their recent comeback. What spooky majestic creatures!
Now, I'm back in Appleton living with Aña and her mom. I'm back to work on the house. This time fixing up old windows and getting the house ready to be winterized. The nights are ominously starting to get cold. I'm sure it won't be long before snow flurries are in the air. At least winter will give us time to figure out where we want to go next. The hot springs of Oregon sure sound good. Maybe next summer will do.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Yoga Travel?
Here is an interesting link a blog reader sent to me. Very interesting ideas for Yoga Travel and basic travel tips. Enjoy!
Article on Yoga Travel
Article on Yoga Travel
Friday, July 30, 2010
Crazy Trip!
4 Days of Driving from Guatemala to West, Texas. We had to drive in 4x4 on back roads to get around protesting workers in Guatemala blocking the highway. In Chiapas, Mexico we drove through a tropical storm. In one city a street was flooded so much that water got into our air intake. Water was two inches below the floor boards. We were pulled out and a mechanic had us back on the road in an hour for about $20. Tampico, Mexico: pulled over three different times by traffic cops soliciting us for bribes. One let us go for $16, one let us go after half an hour of me getting pissed telling him he was a liar and corrupt. He told me "I had balls" before giving me my license and truck permission back. The third one let us go when we told him we didn't have any cash. Day four took us by 15 dead mutilated bodies in the highway in the state of Tamaulipas. Getting into the U.S. was a pain and then I was stung by a wasp on the leg and in between two fingers. 70 miles from my dad's house in Ft. Worth our truck threw a rod at 2:00a.m. Today we'll scrap the truck to cover the towing bill.
All in all, a crazy four day trip. Somehow, we still have a positive outlook. We are curious as to where the universe is trying to lead us.
All in all, a crazy four day trip. Somehow, we still have a positive outlook. We are curious as to where the universe is trying to lead us.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Change of Plans
That's a funny title. Change is always happening all around us. With an unexpected change we will be heading back to the U.S sooner than expected. I haven't been able to write, or rather focus enough to write. I've been staying busy. Busy enough to distract my mind from the ramifications of recently transpired events. Busy saying goodbye to a lifestyle that was picking up momentum. Busy saying goodbye to new friends made. Trying to prepare for the culture shock of the return. A return to excess, naivety, corporate rule, and endless highways.
I plan to leave Xela, Guatemala tomorrow (Monday, July 26) around 6:00. Travel along the West Coast to the only break in Mexico's longitudinal mountains (Salinas Cruz). Then, crossing over Mexico's narrowest East/West stretch to the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully make it though Mexico in four days.
After a short visit with my father working in Texas, onward to Wisconsin. How long we'll be there is uncertain. Where our path will lead from there is uncertain. The only certainty, that we'll be together loving each other. Growing stronger and wiser together.
May we see many much missed chronically distant friends along the way.
Sorry for the nebulous theme of change. I'll fill you in eventually.
I plan to leave Xela, Guatemala tomorrow (Monday, July 26) around 6:00. Travel along the West Coast to the only break in Mexico's longitudinal mountains (Salinas Cruz). Then, crossing over Mexico's narrowest East/West stretch to the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully make it though Mexico in four days.
After a short visit with my father working in Texas, onward to Wisconsin. How long we'll be there is uncertain. Where our path will lead from there is uncertain. The only certainty, that we'll be together loving each other. Growing stronger and wiser together.
May we see many much missed chronically distant friends along the way.
Sorry for the nebulous theme of change. I'll fill you in eventually.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Back on the Road with Aña's Brother
Two days ago we drove to Guatemala city from Xela. What a drive it was! Under normal conditions the drive would be scary enough. In addition to steep winding mountains roads, there is now debris scattered on the highway from Tropical Storm Agatha. There must have been close to forty (yes that's 40) landslides that had covered the highway to various degrees. In most places only half the highway had been excavated necessitating a reduction to two lanes. Many sites were being worked on with bulldozers and backhoes. In one place half of the highway was gone. It had slide down the mountain side. Another place was still flooded with half a meter of standing water. Glad to be driving a truck.
We made it to Guatemala City after four hours of crazy driving. Unfortunately the craziness level only exponentiated. The first part of our Guatemalan City mission entailed researching a way to extend permission to keep our truck here. We became lost a couple of times on busy one way streets with chaotic drivers. Eventually we landed in a secure parqueo near two of the official buildings we needed to visit. After confused officials tried to find loopholes in confusing policies we decided to retreat. We will have to try talking with some folks in Xela when we return in a few weeks.
The second part of the mission involved finding a recommended Korean restaurant. With more driving in circles, cars cutting us off, and blind buses almost pulling out into us this didn't go much better. We decided to abandon yet another part of the mission.
Luckily the third, and most important part of the mission, was completed with style and panache. We mainly went to Guate. to pick up Aña's brother, Matt at the airport. We arrived a few hours early. We were not allowed into the airport and had no idea to check the flight status. Luckily the vagabondgoddess is on our side. The first gentlemen we asked about this conundrum had a spiffy iPhone. With this he quickly navigated to the airline's website and confirmed the arrival time for us. We spent most of the time across the street at an outdoor food stand eating barbecued chicken tacos and sipping coffee. We were eating amongst airline workers, waiting Guatemalans, and motorcycle police with Uzis and other toys. I also spent some time sleeping in the back of the truck while Aña serenaded me playing Guitar.
Matt arrived safely and on time bringing tons of goodies we'd requested. The most prized goody is a wheel of our favorite goat cheese. Aña had thought the wheels were smaller than the massive one we're now travelling with. It ended up being a $100 5lb. wheel of our Humboldt County Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Just a little more expensive than we had counted on, but it's hard to complain.
We promptly drove out of the insanity that is Guatemala City. Driving at night here isn't the best idea, but neither is staying in Guate. Our plan was to head to the Earth Lodge in the mountains north of Antigua. The drive to Antigua was mostly fine. The only scary part was running into an unmarked flooded stretch of highway. This quickly slowed the truck down from about 50mph to a near stop. At least now I have a better idea of what it must be like to drive into a lake.
We reached Antigua around 10:15pm. We had to stop and ask several times to find a small unmarked road out of town. This road took us up about 300m (1000') to a tiny village. As per instructions we had to locate the pilas (community wash area) and park there. Then a step decent down a dirt path and we had arrived at the Earth Lodge. A remote hippy hostel. We threw some stuff in small dormitory cabin and began work on the cheese wheel. Waking up we realized that the site offered one of teh most incredible views in Guatemala. Three volcanic peaks nearby with one erupting every half hour or so. We'll spend three nights here since the third night is free. Then off to exploring the rest of Guatemala.
Stay tuned for more pictures and vagabond rambling.
We made it to Guatemala City after four hours of crazy driving. Unfortunately the craziness level only exponentiated. The first part of our Guatemalan City mission entailed researching a way to extend permission to keep our truck here. We became lost a couple of times on busy one way streets with chaotic drivers. Eventually we landed in a secure parqueo near two of the official buildings we needed to visit. After confused officials tried to find loopholes in confusing policies we decided to retreat. We will have to try talking with some folks in Xela when we return in a few weeks.
The second part of the mission involved finding a recommended Korean restaurant. With more driving in circles, cars cutting us off, and blind buses almost pulling out into us this didn't go much better. We decided to abandon yet another part of the mission.
Luckily the third, and most important part of the mission, was completed with style and panache. We mainly went to Guate. to pick up Aña's brother, Matt at the airport. We arrived a few hours early. We were not allowed into the airport and had no idea to check the flight status. Luckily the vagabondgoddess is on our side. The first gentlemen we asked about this conundrum had a spiffy iPhone. With this he quickly navigated to the airline's website and confirmed the arrival time for us. We spent most of the time across the street at an outdoor food stand eating barbecued chicken tacos and sipping coffee. We were eating amongst airline workers, waiting Guatemalans, and motorcycle police with Uzis and other toys. I also spent some time sleeping in the back of the truck while Aña serenaded me playing Guitar.
Matt arrived safely and on time bringing tons of goodies we'd requested. The most prized goody is a wheel of our favorite goat cheese. Aña had thought the wheels were smaller than the massive one we're now travelling with. It ended up being a $100 5lb. wheel of our Humboldt County Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Just a little more expensive than we had counted on, but it's hard to complain.
We promptly drove out of the insanity that is Guatemala City. Driving at night here isn't the best idea, but neither is staying in Guate. Our plan was to head to the Earth Lodge in the mountains north of Antigua. The drive to Antigua was mostly fine. The only scary part was running into an unmarked flooded stretch of highway. This quickly slowed the truck down from about 50mph to a near stop. At least now I have a better idea of what it must be like to drive into a lake.
We reached Antigua around 10:15pm. We had to stop and ask several times to find a small unmarked road out of town. This road took us up about 300m (1000') to a tiny village. As per instructions we had to locate the pilas (community wash area) and park there. Then a step decent down a dirt path and we had arrived at the Earth Lodge. A remote hippy hostel. We threw some stuff in small dormitory cabin and began work on the cheese wheel. Waking up we realized that the site offered one of teh most incredible views in Guatemala. Three volcanic peaks nearby with one erupting every half hour or so. We'll spend three nights here since the third night is free. Then off to exploring the rest of Guatemala.
Stay tuned for more pictures and vagabond rambling.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Tranquility in a sea of Chaos
I just want to take a moment to assure family and friends of our safety. This might be hard to do considering recent events. However, we are very well informed and in a very safe place to live. Many recent events here in Guatemala have been devastating and ominous. Two recent natural disasters struck this tiny country; the size of the state of Louisiana. An active volcano near the country's capitol erupted killing several people, causing thousands to be evacuated, and created hazardous conditions raining down ash. Right on the tail of the eruption a tropical storm hit causing intense flooding and mudslides across the country. Besides natural disasters the political system has entered a period of turmoil. Drug cartels abound, the crime chief resigned, the attorney was just dismissed over corruption allegations, and in a political stunt some severed heads turned up in Guatemala City.
All this aside, we are in a relatively safe city. Quetzaltenango, or Xela, has a genuine small town feel to it. It only gets a little sketchy at night, but it's safe when walking in small groups. Although we are near the active volcano belt in Guatemala, we are relatively distant from any threat. Our house is also located at a high point so flooding during a tropical storm is unlikely. It was a kilometer away that people were being evacuated by small boats a couple weeks ago. As far as the political situation goes, we are white. Tourism makes up the base of the Guatemalan economy. Thus, we are fairly well protected and privileged over the mass populace. We also have a bad ass 4x4 truck and could get the hell out of dodge if need be. Other than petty threats of theft we generally feel pretty safe. For these we can arm ourselves with mace, our trusted machete, or a quaint hunting knife. It also helps being about a foot taller than most men down here.
We feel safe enough here that we are considering staying until late winter/early spring. We have been busy studying Yoga and making foodstuff to sell. I've even started teaching Yoga and would love to become more experienced. I've been teaching beginner classes in the mornings. My classes are usually in Spanish, but sometimes become bilingual. Aña has also been enjoying the steady Yoga routine. We are really getting into our bodies and making steady progress. We are constantly surprising ourselves with our bodies' capabilities. Along with the practice comes a great tranquility of mind that we are cultivating. Definitely worth sticking around for awhile longer. Of course, we'll see how events transpire.
All this aside, we are in a relatively safe city. Quetzaltenango, or Xela, has a genuine small town feel to it. It only gets a little sketchy at night, but it's safe when walking in small groups. Although we are near the active volcano belt in Guatemala, we are relatively distant from any threat. Our house is also located at a high point so flooding during a tropical storm is unlikely. It was a kilometer away that people were being evacuated by small boats a couple weeks ago. As far as the political situation goes, we are white. Tourism makes up the base of the Guatemalan economy. Thus, we are fairly well protected and privileged over the mass populace. We also have a bad ass 4x4 truck and could get the hell out of dodge if need be. Other than petty threats of theft we generally feel pretty safe. For these we can arm ourselves with mace, our trusted machete, or a quaint hunting knife. It also helps being about a foot taller than most men down here.
We feel safe enough here that we are considering staying until late winter/early spring. We have been busy studying Yoga and making foodstuff to sell. I've even started teaching Yoga and would love to become more experienced. I've been teaching beginner classes in the mornings. My classes are usually in Spanish, but sometimes become bilingual. Aña has also been enjoying the steady Yoga routine. We are really getting into our bodies and making steady progress. We are constantly surprising ourselves with our bodies' capabilities. Along with the practice comes a great tranquility of mind that we are cultivating. Definitely worth sticking around for awhile longer. Of course, we'll see how events transpire.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Volcanic Eruption, Tropical Storm, Landslides, and Flooding oh my!
I had thought that having a minor cold for the last four days would be my only worry. I thought wrong. While sniffling away my Thursday morning shift at the bookstore a patron shared a rather disturbing newspaper. He himself had come to buy something to read while waiting for the airport in Guatemala City to re-open. I had learned that one of Guatemala's several active volcanoes, Pacaya, had just erupted. This is a volcano Aña and I climbed up three years ago to see flowing lava. It is located 30 kilometers (19 mi) from Guatemala City. Its eruption was extremely powerful. It was reported that there were two spurts of lava launched almost 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi) in the air. Tons of rock, dust, and ash fell on nearby villages, Guatemala City, and its international airport. This was the initial cause of the airport being closed. Almost a thousand people have been evacuated from the volcano's proximity. Luckily we are currently residing quite far from that volcano.
The Thursday edition of the Guatemalan newspaper, Prensa Libre, also contained a sideline about the weather on the coast. It casually noted there were 4.8 meter (almost 16 foot) waves and heavy rains on the coast. The coastal weather slowly grew into a tropical storm that covered most of the country. It rained for almost three days straight where we're living; here in Xela. Many streets turned into muddy rivers. Most stores didn't even open. News slowly drifted in announcing several landslides, flooded rivers and cities, and further evacuations and deaths around the country. It also mentioned that a nearby hot spring site we've enjoyed, Fuentes Georginas, was completely destroyed. It was inundated by mudslides and a dozen or so tourists were trapped there as the road was also inaccessible. Even certain areas of Xela were evacuated as water levels rose and flooded houses. Luckily, again, the house we're living in is located at a relatively high point. Until today, many of the normal food sources have been unavailable. The landslides had cut off most major highways into Xela. Many people went into a buying panic stocking up on food preparing for the storm.
The international Airport in Guatemala City will be closed for another four to five days. The heavy rains have hampered the cleanup of the volcanic ash. The rain mixing with the the ash is creating a cement-like mud clogging drainage systems. Too bad the man I met in the bookstore only bought three books to wait for the reopening.
Today marked a lull in the tropical storm. After three days of rain, Aña and I over enjoyed the sun while reading and watching jugglers in Central Park. We're a little sunburned. This evening the storm is supposed to rage on continuing until Wednesday. We can only wait and see what further destruction awaits this tiny natural disaster havocked country. To the best of my knowledge we are in a safe location and we are fortunate. Last night we piggishly enjoyed a pizza potluck party cranking out devouring five pizzas. The 100% whole-wheat sourdough crusts were a huge success! Perhaps given the frustration of the weather, most people instinctively brought wine to share as well. A fabulous night and a comforting reassuring sense of community.
Stay tuned for an update on the second half of the storm getting underway soon!
The Thursday edition of the Guatemalan newspaper, Prensa Libre, also contained a sideline about the weather on the coast. It casually noted there were 4.8 meter (almost 16 foot) waves and heavy rains on the coast. The coastal weather slowly grew into a tropical storm that covered most of the country. It rained for almost three days straight where we're living; here in Xela. Many streets turned into muddy rivers. Most stores didn't even open. News slowly drifted in announcing several landslides, flooded rivers and cities, and further evacuations and deaths around the country. It also mentioned that a nearby hot spring site we've enjoyed, Fuentes Georginas, was completely destroyed. It was inundated by mudslides and a dozen or so tourists were trapped there as the road was also inaccessible. Even certain areas of Xela were evacuated as water levels rose and flooded houses. Luckily, again, the house we're living in is located at a relatively high point. Until today, many of the normal food sources have been unavailable. The landslides had cut off most major highways into Xela. Many people went into a buying panic stocking up on food preparing for the storm.
The international Airport in Guatemala City will be closed for another four to five days. The heavy rains have hampered the cleanup of the volcanic ash. The rain mixing with the the ash is creating a cement-like mud clogging drainage systems. Too bad the man I met in the bookstore only bought three books to wait for the reopening.
Today marked a lull in the tropical storm. After three days of rain, Aña and I over enjoyed the sun while reading and watching jugglers in Central Park. We're a little sunburned. This evening the storm is supposed to rage on continuing until Wednesday. We can only wait and see what further destruction awaits this tiny natural disaster havocked country. To the best of my knowledge we are in a safe location and we are fortunate. Last night we piggishly enjoyed a pizza potluck party cranking out devouring five pizzas. The 100% whole-wheat sourdough crusts were a huge success! Perhaps given the frustration of the weather, most people instinctively brought wine to share as well. A fabulous night and a comforting reassuring sense of community.
Stay tuned for an update on the second half of the storm getting underway soon!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Busy Times!
Last week and weekend were extremely busy! It started Sunday night with us making dinner for the house. Continuing with our food fetishes, Aña and I jarred up four of our five gallons of kimchi for eating and selling. I made a big batch of 100% whole wheat sourdough to sell and hand cranked out eight pounds of peanut butter. Aña made some chocolate truffles; some with Chai spices, and some mixed with a blackberry reduction.
In the middle of the week we hiked up nearby Volcano Santa Maria. The peak is at an elevation of 3772 meters (12,375 feet). That means the climb to the top was a nearly 1200 meter (4000 foot) somewhat grueling adventure. We did the hike with our friends Elly (who we have the pleasure of living with), and Katie who has, sadly, just returned to the States. We left at seven in the morning, but it was not early enough. During our two and a half to three hour ascent we had spectacular views. The views were taken in frequently as we had to keep stopping to catch our breath. About two thirds of the way up we could see some clouds rolling in from a nearby valley. I rushed ahead to the top to chance a clear view. Unfortunately the clouds had already rolled in on the South flank obscuring a view of an extremely active smaller volcano. On the bright side, another friend and former house-mate was already at the top. He is a Mexican and was celebrating the birth of a son in Germany. So, naturally, he had a bottle of fine tequila with him and a fat cigar. A slight indulgence of celebrating with him helped me to warm up in the cold high altitude air. Mysteriously, there were also four to five cows up top who practically surrounded us while we ate lunch. Luckily, as we learned, they're afraid of bananas.
We made it back down from the volcano just in time to attend the 5:15 yoga class. It was great to stretch out after such an intense hike. Yoga has become very fundamental to our daily life. I've even started teaching two morning classes a week. It is a great experience and very rewarding. It also pays a little. On the downside, it's hard to sleep in past 6am.
Then to culminate events, we had to cross the border to renew our Guatemalan visas. We put out an open invitation to others and ended up going with our friends Katie and Cody. We decided it would be fun to go to one of the coastal crossings and spend a night on a Mexican beach. After four hours of crazy driving we arrived in the border city of Tecún Umán. We were harassed by half a dozen guys trying to "help" us in hopes being tipped. They were not helpful at all and very sketchy. We were distraught to learn that we could not renew the permit to have our truck in Guatemala. Apparently, we would have to keep our truck outside of Guatemala for 90 days before it could re-enter. This would have really screwed up our plans. One of the sketchy guys, who became my shadow, suggested transferring the vehicle tittle to Aña or bribing the customs official. I sneaked back in loosing my sketchy shadow and pleaded with the customs official some more. After making a phone call he told me we would have to bring the truck to the border crossing we entered at. That crossing, at La Mesilla, was a long ways from where we were.
We ended up making the most of our trip and finding a beautiful beach in Mexico near the border. At Playa Linda, we found a small family owned restaurant with a small pool, trampoline, and palapas to pitch our tents under. After playing in the waves and riding a strong side town down the beach we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I cracked open some good "Sol" Mexican beers I had stopped to buy for the occasion. Then, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the little outdoor beach restaurant. We dined on fresh ocean fish and the most amazing shrimp Ceviche I've ever had. The owner brought out three parrots to keep us company while we ate. It was hard to sleep in the tent as the sultry humid air had us sweating while laying down. We awoke to play in the ocean once more before heading back to our homes in Xela.
The next day Aña and I drove to the other border crossing another four hour drive away. It still took some pleading, but we were able to gain permission to keep our truck here for another three months. Suprisingly, at La Mesilla, there were not any sketchy guys and the customs worker was very genial and sympathetic. Another day with too much crazy driving. Whoever said passing school buses on blind curves was a bad idea?
This week, I've continued enjoying teaching morning Yoga classes. I've also been going to a couple other Yoga classes each day and the feared boxing class. I plan to go back up Santa Maria this Sunday in hopes of getting a better view. This time I'll be leaving with a small party at around 5am. Hopefully we'll beat the clouds.
In the middle of the week we hiked up nearby Volcano Santa Maria. The peak is at an elevation of 3772 meters (12,375 feet). That means the climb to the top was a nearly 1200 meter (4000 foot) somewhat grueling adventure. We did the hike with our friends Elly (who we have the pleasure of living with), and Katie who has, sadly, just returned to the States. We left at seven in the morning, but it was not early enough. During our two and a half to three hour ascent we had spectacular views. The views were taken in frequently as we had to keep stopping to catch our breath. About two thirds of the way up we could see some clouds rolling in from a nearby valley. I rushed ahead to the top to chance a clear view. Unfortunately the clouds had already rolled in on the South flank obscuring a view of an extremely active smaller volcano. On the bright side, another friend and former house-mate was already at the top. He is a Mexican and was celebrating the birth of a son in Germany. So, naturally, he had a bottle of fine tequila with him and a fat cigar. A slight indulgence of celebrating with him helped me to warm up in the cold high altitude air. Mysteriously, there were also four to five cows up top who practically surrounded us while we ate lunch. Luckily, as we learned, they're afraid of bananas.
We made it back down from the volcano just in time to attend the 5:15 yoga class. It was great to stretch out after such an intense hike. Yoga has become very fundamental to our daily life. I've even started teaching two morning classes a week. It is a great experience and very rewarding. It also pays a little. On the downside, it's hard to sleep in past 6am.
Then to culminate events, we had to cross the border to renew our Guatemalan visas. We put out an open invitation to others and ended up going with our friends Katie and Cody. We decided it would be fun to go to one of the coastal crossings and spend a night on a Mexican beach. After four hours of crazy driving we arrived in the border city of Tecún Umán. We were harassed by half a dozen guys trying to "help" us in hopes being tipped. They were not helpful at all and very sketchy. We were distraught to learn that we could not renew the permit to have our truck in Guatemala. Apparently, we would have to keep our truck outside of Guatemala for 90 days before it could re-enter. This would have really screwed up our plans. One of the sketchy guys, who became my shadow, suggested transferring the vehicle tittle to Aña or bribing the customs official. I sneaked back in loosing my sketchy shadow and pleaded with the customs official some more. After making a phone call he told me we would have to bring the truck to the border crossing we entered at. That crossing, at La Mesilla, was a long ways from where we were.
We ended up making the most of our trip and finding a beautiful beach in Mexico near the border. At Playa Linda, we found a small family owned restaurant with a small pool, trampoline, and palapas to pitch our tents under. After playing in the waves and riding a strong side town down the beach we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. I cracked open some good "Sol" Mexican beers I had stopped to buy for the occasion. Then, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the little outdoor beach restaurant. We dined on fresh ocean fish and the most amazing shrimp Ceviche I've ever had. The owner brought out three parrots to keep us company while we ate. It was hard to sleep in the tent as the sultry humid air had us sweating while laying down. We awoke to play in the ocean once more before heading back to our homes in Xela.
The next day Aña and I drove to the other border crossing another four hour drive away. It still took some pleading, but we were able to gain permission to keep our truck here for another three months. Suprisingly, at La Mesilla, there were not any sketchy guys and the customs worker was very genial and sympathetic. Another day with too much crazy driving. Whoever said passing school buses on blind curves was a bad idea?
This week, I've continued enjoying teaching morning Yoga classes. I've also been going to a couple other Yoga classes each day and the feared boxing class. I plan to go back up Santa Maria this Sunday in hopes of getting a better view. This time I'll be leaving with a small party at around 5am. Hopefully we'll beat the clouds.
Kimchi on the market!
We're finally advertising to sell Kimchi and other cottage industry goodies. Using 12 heads of cabbage and other veggies we were able to make 5 gallons of Kimchi. This will finally be enough to meet demands greater than those of our house-mates.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
My First Earthquake! A nearby 5.6!
How exciting! This morning I experienced my first earthquake. (Apparently I did sleep through a small one when Ilsa was still with us.) Aña and I were in the kitchen making a carrot-mango-papaya-banana smoothie when things started shaking and rumbling. It seemed like there was a huge truck or train right out side our house. I went to the window and there was no truck, or train for that matter, on the street. My incorrect instinct was to run outside. Although this put me in a potentially more dangerous spot I was able to watch buildings vibrate and electrical lines sway.
I guess growing up in the mid-west didn't really prepare me for earthquake safety. I now know that it's better to get under a sturdy desk or table. According to the U.S.G.S. website most injuries happen when people try to move about during the quake. Being outside in a city also puts you at risk for falling walls or windows, and I'm guessing electrical lines as well.
The rumbling lasted only a few exciting minutes. I guess Aña hadn't even left the kitchen. So, we finished our smoothie before she had to go to work. Twenty minutes later I checked out the "official report" on the handy dandy United States Geological Survey (USGS) website. I learned that it was the tremor from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. It struck the Guatemalan coast about 40 miles from here and about 40 miles deep. Twenty two people had already reported feeling it on the website, some from Guatemala City twice as far away as we are.
A big deal for me, but not for the earth. Four earthquakes with magnitudes over 5.0 have already occured today alone. Almost fifty have occured today with magnitudes between 2.5 and 4.5. The big earthquakes that have occured this year in China, Haiti, and the Baja along with the Iceland Volcano have sparked interesting conversations. A popular theme seems to be the "Mayan Prophecy" interpreted with an apocalyptic scenario. Statistically, however, the number of earthquakes and geological events is actually lower than most years. Just coincidental consciousness hype I'm afraid, so far.....
Earthquake Details
Magnitude 5.6
Date-Time
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 13:30:58 UTC
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 07:30:58 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 14.523°N, 92.014°W
Depth 64 km (39.8 miles) set by location program
Region GUATEMALA
Distances 50 km (30 miles) SE of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
65 km (40 miles) WSW of Quezaltenango, Guatemala
160 km (100 miles) W of GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala
930 km (580 miles) SE of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 4.7 km (2.9 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=233, Nph=233, Dmin=745.9 km, Rmss=0.92 sec, Gp= 79°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
Source
* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2010vfa9
I guess growing up in the mid-west didn't really prepare me for earthquake safety. I now know that it's better to get under a sturdy desk or table. According to the U.S.G.S. website most injuries happen when people try to move about during the quake. Being outside in a city also puts you at risk for falling walls or windows, and I'm guessing electrical lines as well.
The rumbling lasted only a few exciting minutes. I guess Aña hadn't even left the kitchen. So, we finished our smoothie before she had to go to work. Twenty minutes later I checked out the "official report" on the handy dandy United States Geological Survey (USGS) website. I learned that it was the tremor from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. It struck the Guatemalan coast about 40 miles from here and about 40 miles deep. Twenty two people had already reported feeling it on the website, some from Guatemala City twice as far away as we are.
A big deal for me, but not for the earth. Four earthquakes with magnitudes over 5.0 have already occured today alone. Almost fifty have occured today with magnitudes between 2.5 and 4.5. The big earthquakes that have occured this year in China, Haiti, and the Baja along with the Iceland Volcano have sparked interesting conversations. A popular theme seems to be the "Mayan Prophecy" interpreted with an apocalyptic scenario. Statistically, however, the number of earthquakes and geological events is actually lower than most years. Just coincidental consciousness hype I'm afraid, so far.....
Earthquake Details
Magnitude 5.6
Date-Time
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 13:30:58 UTC
* Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 07:30:58 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 14.523°N, 92.014°W
Depth 64 km (39.8 miles) set by location program
Region GUATEMALA
Distances 50 km (30 miles) SE of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
65 km (40 miles) WSW of Quezaltenango, Guatemala
160 km (100 miles) W of GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala
930 km (580 miles) SE of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 4.7 km (2.9 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=233, Nph=233, Dmin=745.9 km, Rmss=0.92 sec, Gp= 79°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
Source
* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2010vfa9
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Glory of Kimchi!
We have started making delicious Kimchi to eat and sell! We sold our last three gallon batch in individual small jars. It sold out before I had a chance to put up some advertising flyers I made!
Not only is kimchi delecious, but very healthy when consumed with some moderation. It is a very nutritious digestion supporting pro-biotic. It also contains anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties.
This was made from a modified recipe found at HERE!
More info found HERE!
If this interests you and you haven't checked out the book Wild Fermentation, do yourself a favour and find a copy!
Not only is kimchi delecious, but very healthy when consumed with some moderation. It is a very nutritious digestion supporting pro-biotic. It also contains anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties.
 |
| From Xela Kimchi and Yoga House |
This was made from a modified recipe found at HERE!
More info found HERE!
If this interests you and you haven't checked out the book Wild Fermentation, do yourself a favour and find a copy!
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