Walks #283 and #284: Do Something Stupid...

Time for just a few short "Lollipop" walks over the last couple of days. With the dog. The major push has been on the house--dreaming that someday we will have all walls enclosed.

For motivation to walk, I reread Ed Abbey's "A Walk in the Desert Hills" last night. This can be found in his collection of essays: Beyond The Wall. Essentially, Ed decides to take a walk across 120 miles of desert, not knowing if there would be water in the tinajas (natural basins that capture rain water) and wells, out of shape, musing about grandiose thoughts while dealing with blisters. An impulsive and stupid thing to do. And in an age before cell phones, potentially fatal. Which is why I like it.

Sort of like trying to build a house out of natural materials. Without know how. Without enough money. Without proper tools. Without common sense.

It is the impulsive and stupid things we do, I think, that often brings us our most joy and sense of mastery. Go out and do something stupid today, I say... (just don't get yourself killed while doing it).

Walks #281 and #282: Mud

Mostly multiple short walks with the dog while taking a break from making mud. The mud is used as plaster and goes on to this house I'm trying to build.

Thoughts while building this thing? Why do we consider Afghanistan to be a uncivilised nation-- when I see photos of the place, all the buildings are sustainably built and look like what I am trying to build? Does this mean I am uncivilised? Or must every thing come from Home Depot in order for it to be acceptable and modern?

Walk #280: The Concow Fire...

Yesterday, I took a walk down to the bowl that holds the rural area of Concow. The first night Joni and I moved in to our Solar Homestead (the summer of 2008), we were awakened at 6 am by the ever helpful police, and told to evacuate.

A firestorm was on its way...and from the Red Cross shelter, Joni and I could follow the fire on CNN and various other news outlets. We spent a few days in the shelter. Joni was interviewed for the local TV station, with a dramatic story of a Family That Spends One Night In Their New Home And Then Watches Anxiously As Their New Life Goes Up In Flames.

I was interviwed by National Fox Radio, and told the Reporter that if the fire takes our home, so be it. It is normal and natural for the environment.

I haven't been down to this part of Concow since the fire. I didn't feel right taking pictures of the devastation. The photo above shows a logged portion; I didn't feel right taking photos of houses that had been burned. Nor did I feel right about taking pictures of people living in travel trailers where their houses had once been. Survivor guilt?

Joni and I survived the fire. 205 houses burned; 4 0f 10 houses on our ridge burned.

This is a poor, rural area and most of those who had homes here didn't have homeowners insurance. Most of the homes are owner built. I have been told that only one house has been rebuilt thus far...but that didn't match what I observed.

What I did see was a number of modular homes going in. Plus lots of trailers. Ugly metal coffin-like homes, that stand out all the more within the logged, cleared areas.

There has been a push to allow homeowners to use their own trees and natural construction to build homes. However, I haven't seen anybody attempting to do this due to the complications of permits and lack of know how.

It takes money to build a home the way a county wants you to build one. You have to consult with architects, get loans and permits and do every thing on the up and up. The last thing a Concowian wants is to draw attention to themselves; most are highly suspicious of any sort of Government official

So instead, ugly metal trailers are brought in. Modular units are quickly put up. And life goes on.

The Concow Fire was a stand replacing fire. A dreaded Crown Fire that jumps from the tops of trees. 35,000 acres burned. It is a cash cow for the local lumber companies that have been mining the trees. Salvage Logging.

Of course, this is a natural occurrence. California needs to burn. It is right and natural: a risk you take when you choose to live in such an area. My argument would be, that if you choose to live here, do so by using local materials that are fire resistant and easily, and cheaply, replaced. Use Cob, Strawbales and local timbers. Create defensive space. Then sit back and let the fires go...

Walk #279: On Being a Sloth

The first day back from a long run at work, I usually do what I really was meant to do in life: nothing. I'm good at it.

I took a couple of short walks with my dog (who begged to go much farther). We didn't.

Instead I caught up on the news. Watched the Twins lose. And rested...probably be reincarnated next time around as a Sloth.

Walks #277 and #278: Those Old Work Shoes...

Sometimes the Universe conspires for you; sometimes things go the other way. Both are good.

I'd spent most of the last week working shifts my body wasn't used to. I also worked some extra shifts. Then I stayed out much too late and ended up behaving like a self-righteous ass.

Then a double. And the awful double back on not enough sleep. Sleep deprivation. Then the clientele shifted to be the sort that keeps you on your feet for an entire shift.

Time to rally. I did, but it took its toll. My work shoes (which I have been wearing for years) were inadequate to keep my feet and legs from being beat up by the hard floors of the hospital. My legs ached after this run.

Time for new work shoes.

I took one short walk behind the library in St. Helena on Monday night. Then back to the Monastic Dorm to watch Bret Favre work his magic against his former team.

Being in the upper stratosphere of my 40's, I have come to enjoy those who are considered too old to work their profession. Watching Favre was every middle aged man's dream.

On Tuesday I took a short walk in a park on my way back to the Solar Homestead. Legs and feet aching from the pounding they had experienced during this marathon work session. Enough.

Time for a nine day break from the Psych Mills. No extra shifts for me.

I was greeted happily last night by the Girls: Jazzy, Kylie, Joni and Angel the dog. Four good reasons to get your feet and legs beat up...

And in addition: The Minnesota Twins won the Division!! This felt like redemption for me. The Universe takes yet another turn...


By the way, some photos have been added to previous posts. I am caught up!

Walk #276: The Double...

After an evening of revelry and a bit too much of family confrontation on my part, I toiled through a double shift. Sixteen hours of work after being out a bit too late the night before.

I considered it penance. Mea Culpa. Mea Culpa.

Walk #275: Looking For Redford...

Saturday. Joni drove down to Napa, joined her brother (visiting from the East Coast) and picked me up after work. We all took a walk on Bennett Lane. Looking for Redford.

To no avail. We did manage to pick up a couple bottles of wine, some stinky cheese and olives and had a pre-meal picnic.

Joni and I don't get out much. Sequestered mostly in our mountain hideaway, we took advantage of a semi-child free evening. I ended up having much too big of a mouth--and turned into the brother-in-law from hell.

Apologies to be offered...

I Will Catch Up...

Been working and getting into various forms of trouble. I shall catch up on the lurid and seedy details of walks and adventures when I have finished this long stretch of workaholism (and my penance). Cheers!

Walk #274: Lodi Lane, Markham Vineyards and Ken Burns

Due to a drop in the unit census (Hooray !), I didn't work a double. I took the time in the afternoon to walk Lodi Lane.

Lodi Lane is yet another inter sector of the Napa Valley. It starts on one side with Duckhorn Winery. I've been there before so I didn't stop in.

Instead I walked the road, admiring the trash along the way; Garbage bags filled with kids stuff. Someone had literally thrown out their television. This is an argument for socialised garbage service. If people have to pay to dispose of their stuff, they will deposit it any place they can. Usually along a road (being stupid, lazy and cheap). Arlo Guthrie admitted as much in his Alice's Restaurant. At least he was made to pick up the garbage.

At the end of Lodi Lane lies Markham Vineyards. One of the older wineries in the Napa Valley, I duck in to admire their photo collection of 60's Rockers. There they are: Jerry Garcia, Frank Zappa, Bob Dylan amongst others.

The wine (and I am a winery critic now) is decent. I pull out my hospital badge and they give me the bare minimum tasting (for free!). The Wine Pourer had to go to the back, off limits area, to see if she could give me the tasting for free. She returns. I share the tasting area with women dressed up in dresses.

Women must enjoy wine more than men, because every winery I drop in on has scads of women dressed to the hilt--out wine tasting. Women out number men 8 to 1. If there are men there, they are the normal nerdish, wimpy herd with Ralph Lauren shirts on and testosterone deficiencies. Real men like beer.

Except me (I am a nerd, but usually don't wear the attire of one). I like this wine. The Sauvignon Blanc was tasty. They hold their whites off the market longer than most (the newest being a 2007). They believe in letting the wine age in the bottle. Good choice.

Their Merlot was quite good too. "We are known for our Merlots" the host tells me. Her service could have been better...but why waste time on a free tasting? On a patron who is sweaty and looks like Micheal Moore? I can't blame her for keeping her distance.

Their Cab was watery and bland. Nothing special.

I buy a reasonably priced Sauvignon Blanc and head on my way. Markham wine is worth checking out. And the winery is beautiful...housed in a building built in 1879. Two thumbs up.

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I've watched most of Ken Burns' documentary on the National Parks. Impressions? Burns thinks Wallace Stegner and Terry Tempest Williams are cool. He ignores Ed Abbey. He loves nepotism. David Brower gets a slight nod of approval.

My impression? Mixed. Wallace Stegner is, and always will be, cool. Terry Tempest Williams is a sell out. In danger of becoming a New Age Flake and a money grubber (I refused to pay twenty buck earlier this spring to hear her talk). Nepotism mostly sucks.

Ken Burns is better at the history of dead people. When it comes to current movements and issues, he becomes a bland eunuch to mealy mouthiness. A dweeb.

Walk #273: Morning in the Napa Valley

Worked a "swing" shift last night. I've been trying to watch the National Park Series on PBS every evening. Last night I had the unenviable job of attempting to get 18 Schizophrenics and Manics to watch the show. Didn't work.

At midnight, in my room in the Monastic Dorm, they replayed it--and I was able to catch part four.

I'm working another Swing shift today (the 3 to 11pm shift) so I took my walk this morning. Bale Lane again. While walking, I thought about the PBS special.

This National Park Series just might bring about a re-awakening of the American Consciousness. Combine that with Michael Moore's new movie on Capitalism--and we just might have a one-two punch of reevaluating our economic and environmental lives. I haven't seen Michael Moore's film yet. But from Ken Burns' National Parks the theme I take away from it is one of : RESPECT.

We all live in a Park. The whole Earth is a Park. We never left the Garden (Park?) of Eden. Where ever we are, that is our Park. Respect it.

The National Park Series motivates me to see my surroundings as a Park. As such, I have decided to add "tidying up a bit" to my walks. So I pick up a piece of trash or two while walking. Not a big thing; but it shows some respect for the Earth.

p.s. As always when in the Napa Valley--photos will be added when I return to the Solar Compound.