And now...........

Back to work!!!!!!

La Quinta

Anza-Borrego

Hiking the second biggest state park in the U.S. with Tom and Denise.   Found some Native American pictographs and morteros -- mortars ground right into the granite by women grinding pinon nuts and seeds.  Ate Lori and John W's fine venison pepperoni and goose sausage.  Stumbled upon the top of a long dry waterfall with sweeping valley views below and out.

Hiking the desert

Flood

Cold wind and rain.  Rivers rising, fields flooding.  But the swans, in the field  . . .er   . . . lake . . .  just down the road, love it.

My One-Man Show

Here's a photo of my 'one-man show' (that I mentioned before)  at the Edison Eye.  Oh yes, it's a one painting show too.  And no attributions!  Oh, well.  Still looks good.

Eliot Sez: Some Tinker Toys and a Little Reverse Engineering . . .

snow removal

I am the snow removal coordinator here at our crazy co-housing life style choice

this morning I have ordered a couple of pallets of salt

met the delivery truck and unloaded 98 bags of salt

at first I thought I was on my own stacking it up and 50 lbs times 98 bags

doesn't sound so good in your head when you start stacking

but four others came by and stacked most of the salt while I

made one other person an unofficial member of the snow removal team

with all of the unofficial perks thereby involved he is the driver

of our aged bobcat equipment and for plowing the parking lot and

I knighted a twelve year old boy into the snow removal team

as a full member after he heroically shoveled my walk this morning

I do try to take advantage of my position of power as best I can

I have acquired a free poker table this morning also while

I was waiting for the salt delivery truck

This I also received because of my largess as the snow

removal coordinator or should I say the keeper of reality for the

snow removal team.  People here have definite ideas about how

snow should be removed.  I personally think safety should be the

major issue but most people have other ideas.  In fact one outraged

parent admonished the snow shovelers for clearing a path down the hill

to my house because now the little children won't be able to sled down

the hill.  It was either an 80 year old fellow who was worried about his 

safety or the 12 year old who I just knighted who did this deed.  I told

the parent to go after either one of those culprits by herself.  Wear 

herself out I said.  Anyway I am excited about the poker table.  It has a real

wood base with a formica top which can easily be cleaned after the

requisite spill of alcohol.  I also mentioned to the mother who complained

about the lack of sledding possibilities now after the unfortunate clearing

of snow, at least for her, that I thought the kid's room at the common house

would make a great place for a saloon.  For some reason she hung up on 

me and muttered something about why don't I go back to Seattle.

Charles

Shan Writes: A New Trevor Activity

http://pollopac.com

Just thought you might like

to check it out.

 -- Shannon


(ED:  You can keep track of Trevor's activities on this and other issues by signing up for his newsletter on his site.)

Sudden, Unexpected Snow Flowers in Alger

Dateline Winthrop: Way Back Texas Creek, In the Snow

Chaz Muses on "The Meaning of Life"

Ok the meaning of life
It could just be meaningless
Or it could be rife with strife
Or the Jesus right could
Be right
All is Maya or Govinda
Jai Jai
Who knows maybe my
Parents were right
There could be purpose in
Living and then again all of
Our bother to be on this
Journey is for naught
I am a cautious man so
I'll bet something on all of
Them you just can't put
All of your crazy in one basket
So here's to all the theories
Of what it's all about
I applaud you for your courage
And wisdom in the face of
The onslaught of the ironic
Nature of this ever changing and
Vast mysterious Universe
That we all travel upon
No matter who we are
Charles

Uncle Larry Rescues a Doe

Aunt Pat writes from Kettle Falls:

"These are the only pics I have of the deer rescue and they are pretty poor as couldn't get close enough to get good ones.  . . . .We saw the deer go through as we were sitting down for breakfast . . she was too far to help from our side of the river and the bridge is being replaced so couldn't just drive to the other side.  Ended up calling a friend across the river who met Larry at the bridge, after he crawled over what they had finished so far.  The rest is history.  He tried walking out to the deer but one foot went through, so that's when he began crawling.  Once he managed to get a rope around the deer and out onto the ice, he slid it across to the bank where it took off, tailing waving.  Maybe it was saying "thanks".

Not too long after, son Steven sent us a link to a news article from Ohio re two guys who had saved a deer after sliding a raft onto the ice and then breaking it out with paddles.  When they got the deer back to the bank, they were both given tickets for not wearing a life vest.  That's a great exmple of no good deed going unpunished.  We're becoming a nation populated with idiots!

Anyway, blessings to you all; have a great 2011

Aunt Pat"

From Charles

Know it Alls

 

I've just discovered a new subset of human beings.  Through my travels I have met and observed many of these new species called "Know it Alls".  This species does not seem to need to have resembling DNA.  It seems that all they have in common is the need to facilitate a better way of life for the rest of us humans.  If only we would stop everything we are doing and thinking and just follow their advice the world would be a better place.

Another attribute of a "know it all" is to have quick mind mouth coordination.

 

Even though "know it alls" are certain that our own individual thoughts are less than theirs and certainly misguided the "know it alls" are happy to show us the better way.

 

The physical stature of "know it alls" can vary as widely as all humanity.  There are tall

ones, fast ones, obese and skinny "know it alls" but the most dangerous in a limited enclosure are the shorter ones.  They are the most in need of letting you know they are a

"know it all."  Some studies about a shared complex these shorter "know it alls" have have been conducted and more research is forth coming.

 

It is generally known that "know it alls" have a lot of passion (or maybe it is just hot air they need to release from their lungs?) about the tasks we need to perform from day to day.  "Know it alls" seem to have all the information you need to know about what to wear, how to move across the room, politics & religion, what foods to eat and most importantly how to shovel snow.

 

It appears that shoveling snow or just contemplating snow removal makes the blood of "know it alls" run very hot and doctors and nurses are looking into this.

 

Also I would like to caution you to not mix up the "know it alls" with the "Aliens from Planet Moron" which is another more complicated subset of human beings.   These aliens from Planet Moron seem to have inhabited human beings and are trying to live common lives right out in the open.  The aliens are infiltrating our neighborhoods and living quite happily among us just waiting till the moment when their leaders alert them to begin the destruction of all intelligence that is still left in modern life.

 

So yes it does appear you can make a great distinction between the "know it alls" and the "Aliens from Planet Moron" but I think all scientists and lay people as well will agree that both of these new sets of Humans are onerous and difficult to study in the open field.

 

Well that is all for now.  I hope to continue my studies of these two new subsets of human beings in the spring as I see how "know it alls" and the "Aliens from Planet Moron adapt to the warmer weather.  I would also like to study the economic effect these two subspecies have upon our own personal lives.

 

JP Woodcock

Conducting Field Studies

1/1/11