Am I Smarter Than An Apple Tree?

This is my secondary compost pile and the "Y" shaped tree trunk in the left background is my apple tree. My scarecrow in on the right. You might be able to see a little cross at the base of the apple tree, a gift from a good friend for Blunder's burial ground. When we bought this property about 17 years ago, I thought this spot would be the best spot for a compost pile because it was next to the apple tree. Many hours I spent as a kid picking up apples and lugging them around the yard. I thought if I put the compost pile right next to the tree, I can just toss them in and save all that carrying. Good idea, right? Well, it was a good idea for about 10 years. Then the apple tree sensed the rich, vitamin packed soil next to it and started sending roots that way. Eventually the roots threaded up through the soil and spread into my compost. The roots divided and separated and hung onto that compost like a baby hangs onto candy. When it came time to empty the compost in the fall, I felt like I was on the loosing side of a tug of war. I'd stick the pitchfork in and and lift up with momentum only to be stuck in mid-lift. It's no wonder I have a bad back. Eventually I'd end up kneeling in the compost and prying the roots loose from the compost and cutting them out of there. Some of the roots were over 4 feet long and too thick to be cut with the blade of a shovel. To prevent the same thing from happening year after year, I dug down a foot around the perimeter of the compost pile and cut the apple tree roots. That helped for a year. Then the apple tree was smart enough to go down deeper before coming up again into the compost. This year, before putting the leaves into the pile, I laid down some metal from an old sign on top of the bare ground and covered that with a triple layer of landscape fabric. Come next fall, we'll see who is smarter - me or the apple tree.

Happy Halloween

Torn Between Work and Fun

"Do you want to go out riding on Thursday?" he asks. "I can get a bike and we could go on a road trip." I am SO TEMPTED! What fun that would be. But an annual Years of Service Ceremony at work prevents me from taking a mental health day. This annual event is my funnest day at work. We hand out awards to people who have worked for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. Gifts are selected ahead of time. I am the emcee. I read a short paragraph about each person after they get their gift. Everybody claps. Then we have cake and punch and coffee. We usually have a few things that don't go as planned. One new thing happened this year. I am busy reading when out of the corner of my eye I spy a ladybug on the microphone. How close to that do I want to put my mouth? Not very close. That bug might fly into my mouth. But unless the microphone is close, no one can hear me. I could blow it off but people will hear me blowing. I could pop it off with my finger but the sound of the tap on the microphone will resonate throughout the room. It's really hard to think all these things through when you are reading aloud in front of a group. I trust the ladybug won't make any sudden moves in the next minute or so. After the next paragraph I decide to swing that microphone. That should silently fling that bug out of my way. It works! The Years of Service ceremony is really a lot of fun. But Thursday is supposed to be such nice weather! All week I've been hearing about the weather will be so great on Thursday. The open road and the end of nice weather tempts me. And it is nice out today. So, after completing my emcee duties, I leave work early. I don't have much time but I want to fill up the tank on the motorcycle and go to an auto parts dealer to buy some "Sta-Bil" to keep the gas from getting old in the tank. I could buy the gas additive on my way home and take my motorcycle to the nearest gas station. But that would be no fun! I head west to Elk River figuring I'll find an auto parts dealer there. But instead of going right to the many stores that surround the highway, I head into the neighborhoods. I follow a school bus for a while. I take a right because that way looks tempting. I take a tour of the town looking at all the yards and trying to see past the many political lawn signs. Seems like the most affluent houses have McCain signs. I take a road up a ridge. As I top the hill and look down the other side I think I have ventured into another world. This must be the gravel mine on the north side of town because it looks like the surface of the moon. I think it would be fun to climb those huge hills of gravel on foot but I see "No Trespassing" signs all over the place. I turn around and head back to town. Sometimes I think I know where I am and sometimes I don't have a clue. Eventually I find an auto parts dealer and a gas station. I fill up the tank and treat the gas. I want to be home by six so I won't have to ride in the dark. I put the motorcycle away. Is it away for the season? Yes, unless it isn't. Nice weather might bring it out again.

Livid Again

Earlier this afternoon I got livid during a phone call with Park Dental. I was questioning a bill and instead of answering my questions, the person on the phone became argumentative. So I am in the market for a new dental clinic. Later this afternoon it happened again. I got absolutely livid twice in the same day. I don't often get livid but I wonder, does one episode of feeling livid increase your chances of it happening again that same day? Is the emotion of livid similar to a balloon in that you never quite shrink back down to the same size again? My second episode of being livid was when I read about the triple homicide in Moundsview. Again it was domestic violence. Again, a victim who worked in a day program for adults with developmental disabilities. Is murder and domestic abuse an occupational hazard? What the heck? Do me a big favor, if you have any young boys in your household sit them down tonight and explain your high regard for respect of others. And if you have any young girls in your household, sit them down and explain the same thing plus mention that they themselves deserve respect too.

Spooky Music

On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra concert called "Spooktacular III." I was invited by a friend of mine who plays the cello. Of all instruments, I think I like the cello the best. The sound is low and lovely. I've loved the cello ever since I saw the movie "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." Or was it "Crouching Dragon Hidden Tiger?" Listening to Yoyo Ma play the cello in that movie was awe inspiring. Anyway, this was an informal concert with face painting in the back of the room for children. The orchestra conductor and performers wore costumes. They played Rimsky-Korsakov's "Dance of the Tumblers," Anderson's "Chicken Reel," Tschaikovsky's "Waltz from Eugen Onegin," Sousa's "The Golden Star Memorial March," Kopp's "The Scary House," Saint-Saens' "Dance Bacchanale," Straus' "Tritsch Tratsch Polka," and John William's "March from Raiders of the Lost Ark." During the polka, costumed audience members paraded around our chairs to show off their costumes. One song in particular stood out and it was Sousa's Golden Star Memorial March. Sousa composed a lot of marching music and patriotic music but this one was different. This one is a dirge - a slow march. Sousa wrote this song in 1919 and dedicated it to President Theodore Roosevelt's son, Quentin Roosevelt. Quentin died in 1918 in World War One. He was a courageous (some say reckless) pilot who was shot down over France. In the family photo to the right, Quentin is on the far left, the youngest of the famous family. The Golden Star Memorial March is a very sad and moving song.

Photos of The Last Flowers Of The Season

Some white flakey precipitation fell yesterday so I went outside and took photos of the last, die-hard flowers from the garden including a petunia, black eyed Susan, a yellow snapdragon, some purple petunias and a perennial that has purple bell shaped blossoms. I call them bluebells but I'm not sure what the official name is.

Halloween Party

Last night I went to a Halloween party. I didn't see lots of spooks and goblins but I did see a number of princesses, sexy witches, a storm trooper, a burglar, a nerd, and a dragon. There was lots of spooky food including a punch with a hand in it, a foaming cauldron, sloppy joes (oh, the carnage), strawberry and boogers (green fruit dip), baby toes (cocktail wieners that are pretty big for even for adult toes but it's a kid's party and we shouldn't say what they really looked like), bones (bread sticks from a refrigerated roll with the ends gathered to look like bone ends), apples that were bobbed (best to go first), and chips. I brought some eye balls which I made from dried apple slices topped with a half of a dried apricot (sticky side down) and half a raisin (again, sticky side down). I also brought a brain. I peeled a round watermelon. The directions were in the Star Tribune last week and they said to peel it with a vegetable peeler. That didn't work. I had to use a knife and it was a lot of work. I have blisters on my right hand and a couple cuts on my left hand from peeling that watermelon. Once it was peeled I found it was very easy to carve each hemisphere and carve out the frontal lobe so the pink inside showed through. I think the kids liked the brain, inside and out. The kids had fun. One kid, walking through the kitchen was offered strawberries and boogers. "No thanks, " he said, "I don't really have a taste for strawberries."

Joe Schmoe - I Want Some Attention

I am tired of Joe getting all the attention in this election. First there is Joe the plumber who is neither named Joe nor is he a plumber. Then there is Joe six pack who wasn't what I thought at all. Six pack refers to beer, not abs. Then Sarah said, "Say it ain't so, Joe." to Senator Biden - some oblique sports reference to make her sound like an ordinary person. It's time we paid some attention to a woman. Enough about the average Joe. More of us women vote than men and we deserve to be paid some mind. Why don't we focus on, okay, lets pick a random name here, Sue! Sue is a common name. Sue can also be a verb. Unfortunately, it is not that pleasant of a verb. To sue means there are two adversarial parties. You can sue for divorce. You can sue for damages. You can sue for pain and suffering. You don't hear about sue for pleasure or sue for happiness. But there are a lot of other Sues that involve proper nouns. There is even a town in Iowa. It's called Sioux City. Sioux City is the home of Sue Bee Honey. There was even a movie and a song about Sioux City Sue. There is also a movie about Curly Sue. That makes two movies about Sue that I've never seen. I have, however, seen Suzy Chapstick on television and in commercials. She was a famous skier. See her in the picture to the right? She looks like an amputee in the photo but she's not. She just being athletic and holding her leg and ski up behind her while hanging on to some white tulle. I'm not quite sure why she is skiing down a mountain on one leg while holding fabric over her head but it looks hard to do. Anyway, Suzy was outside so much her lips got dry that she did commercials for Chapstick. There was another Sue that was all over the science news a couple years ago. This Sue is the skeleton of the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex ever. And then there is "Run Around Sue." If you've heard of her you are old like me. This Sue was a

heart breaker. She broke some fellow's heart and inspired him to write a song about his pain and suffering.
We know she left him for another guy and he was sorely disappointed. But in songs, as in life, we don't hear the whole story. For all we know he was a creepy stalker type of guy. It could be that Sue had to run because he wasn't taking no for an answer. Last and probably least, there is even a boy named Sue. Johnny Cash had this radio hit when I was a pre-teen. I would roll my eyes every time it came on the radio.

Bakery Bread or Home Made Bread?

I feel sad today because I got the news that my Aunt Helen passed away. I remember her fondly. She was a very hardworking woman, often doing more work in half a day than most of us do all week. She was friendly, family-oriented, interesting, extremely tolerant, accepting, and personable. Besides working on a dairy farm and owning a resort, she had a large number of children. I remember going to her house for dinner one day. In those days, people ate four times a day; breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. We sat crowded at the table, elbow to elbow. The table was full of hot food and the farm house kitchen smelled delicious. Everyone was seated and eating but not her. She went around the table asking each of us, one by one, if we wanted bakery bread or home made bread. She came to me and I, being just a kid and had never been asked such a question before, wasn't quite sure what to say. I think I might have asked for bakery bread. I know now that I would never turn down homemade bread in favor of bakery bread. Rest in peace Aunt Helen. I am sure there is a special section in heaven for hard working women like you.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

I've been taking a community education class for the past couple weeks on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Our teacher was somewhat of a nutcase. I guess there is a little madness in all genius. He was very well informed. He's traveled up and down the Oregon Trail and has hundreds of books on the subject. He says the Lewis and Clark Expedition was the best documented and most successful military expedition in all of history. We learned much about the men and woman who went on the trip. On the second night, he dressed in costume as Patrick Gass - the carpenter/journalist who accompanied Lewis and Clark on the expedition - starting out as a private at $5/day and later promoted to Sergeant earning $8 a day. The class was good. The other students knew a lot about the expedition. I've read books about Sacajawea but most of the people had read Undaunted Courage by S. Ambrose. I'll put that on my list of books to read. I am inspired to read more about Thomas Jefferson as well because he had this expedition in mind for many years prior to the Louisanna Purchase. Jefferson seems like a good leader because he had varied yet specific goals for Lewis and Clark. He specified goals like studying the ethnicity of the Indian tribes, start and maintain a friendly relationship with those tribes, document the plants and animals, send back samples of what they found, draw maps of your travels, and find a water passage to the ocean. At the end of the second class our teacher gave us a slide show on the new bird species Lewis and Clark discovered. He read passages from their journals describing each bird species too. I really liked that part. Lewis and Clark found a new animal they called the barking squirrel. We know it as a prairie dog. The entire expedition spent an entire day pouring buckets of water down a prairie dog hole until they were finally able to grab one to send back to President Jefferson. Lewis and Clark sent 3 magpies and a prairie dog back to Washington DC. The little prairie dog survived in it's crate and was alive when Jefferson opened it up in the White House. This was a good class for me and has given me much to think about.

One Thousand White Women

I borrowed this book from a friend at work. The book was engaging and easy to read. The plot is another one of those "What If?" premises. This one is based in history. Several years before Custer's last stand, an Indian Chief met with President Grant and made a suggestion he thought would be in the best interests of both parties. He proposed a trade of one thousand white women for one thousand horses. This would benefit the United States with not only horses but also a process to help assimilate the Indians into society. The trade will help the Indians propagate and survive as a culture. The author takes it from there and creates a journal of May Dodd. The book tells us how she became one of the one thousand white women and what happened to her. My biggest disappointment with this book is that it is obvious that the author is a man trying to write as a woman but that by itself can be enlightening. If you are interested in light, quick and engaging reading, this may be the book for you.

The Secret Life of Bees

Two thumbs up for "The Secret Life of Bees." Sue Monk Kidd is one of my favorite authors. In fact, she is the only author I have written to and guess what? She wrote me back! So when one of her books that I liked was made into a movie, I had to go see it. Offspring #2 and I saw it at Showplace on Sunday afternoon. Not many theaters are showing this movie in spite of the big names in it including Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, and Dakota Fanning. I love it when the images I conjure in my mind while reading a book are almost exactly what is portrayed on the screen in a movie. The pink house was exactly what I imagined. So was the creek, the wailing wall, the beekeeper's house, and the Black Madonna. Be sure to bring tissues if you go. It's not a sad movie, just very moving.

Soon To Be An Officer, Always Been a Gentleman

Well, bust my buttons! It is with great pride I announce that the Navy has recognized the talents and efforts of Offspring #1 and invited him to attend Navy Officer School in Newport, Rhode Island.

130 miles

Yesterday I put aside my to-do list of chores and went for a bike ride. I'm thinking I'll have to put the bike away soon and wanted to get in at least one more ride. I'll have all the long, dark winter to work in home repair, right? This time I headed east on County Road 22. Now the leaves on the fashionable, trendy maples are down and we can see the oaks in their glory. Oaks are my favorite trees and they certainly have been beautiful this fall. The colorful leaves have stayed on the trees for a long time this year. Yesterday was a bit windy and I could feel the wind push my bike side to side on the road which was a bit disconcerting. I took 22 east and caught up with Hwy. 8 around Chisago City. I continued east to Taylors Falls and crossed into Wisconsin. I headed south on 35 to Osceola. Heading south is when I felt the wind the most. I crossed back into Minnesota and went back home on 22 again. I wish I could do it again today but duty calls!

Leaf To Food

Today I used my pitchfork and emptied the compost bin into the garden. Rich black compost was at the bottom of the pile formed from the leaves I put in there last fall. I compost kitchen waste so my latest contributions (cauliflower stems and leaves, potato peels, melon rinds and banana skins) were set aside. Once the bin was emptied, I put the kitchen waste back in and bagged the leaves as I cut the grass. Every couple of rows I steered back toward the compost bin to empty the bag. The bin went from empty to overflowing in about an hour. As I mowed up the golden walnut leaves, the brown oak leaves, the showy red and yellow maple leaves, some red sumac leaves, brown and tan basswood leaves, gray hackberry leaves, yellow/brown elm leaves and some red cherrywood leaves, I thought about how all this tree plumage would turn into food on my table in the summer of 2010.

I Loved This Debate

When I choose who to vote for, I make my decisions based on the candidate's values and their positions on things like children, the environment, human rights, international relations, medical insurance, and the economy. I don't base my decision on their debating skills. I watched most of the presidential debates and the vice-presidential debates but I've had enough. I just couldn't stomach this last presidential debate. I don't think it's dignified to see the future president of our nation and his opponent stand there and say, "You are a liar!" and "No, you are a liar." I get so upset I want to throw my shoe at the television set. So at the last debate I chose to watch only the closing statements. But today I found a debate on you tube that I truly enjoyed. This debate made me laugh out loud. I make it a goal to laugh out loud at least once a day and today, this was one of my laugh out loud moments. If you google You Tube Penguin and Batman Debate you will find what I am talking about. The Penguin is played by Meredith Burgess - the best Penguin ever. Penguin and Batman stand at podiums and a moderator invites the Penguin to go first. The Penguin explains that when you see his photo on television or in the newspaper, he is always surrounded by upstanding, law-abiding citizens; many of them are police officers. Penguin says that on the other hand, when you see Batman in the media, he is surrounded by hardened criminals. The Penguin asks who is the better person? One who surrounds himself with law abiding citizens or one who hangs out with the criminal element? The camera zooms in on the moderator whose expressive face shows that he understands and he gives a suspicious, narrow eyed look at Batman. Batman's face is hidden by his mask yet you can see his frustration in the eyes and mouth. Now it is Batman's turn to speak and as he starts to explain himself, Penguin's friends put music on a record player and drown out his voice. This YouTube is hilarious. You gotta see it. I think we all need some light hearted fun to contrast with the nasty political ads and disheartening politics.

Yiddish Policeman's Union

My book club read the "Yiddish Policeman's Union" by Michael Chabon this month. Here is another book that I would never have picked up and read on my own accord. In fact, the first chapter was so uncomfortable I debated whether to finish it or not. The book is written in an old-fashioned, noir, private-eye, hokey style that absolutely jarred my ears. After the first hundred pages or so I got used to it. Then I wanted to finish it. The plot involves a "What If?" turn of history. What if the Jews were settled in Sitka, Alaska instead of Israel? How would that work out? The main character is a Jewish policeman who disgusted me in the beginning. He lived in a sleazy hotel. He drank too much. He was rude and crude. He even drank on duty. As the book progressed, he drank less and became a better man. By the end of the book I loved him. He has a couple life endangering scenes, all in the line of duty. They were comical. His ex-wife is in the story and she comes back into his life as his supervisor on the Sitka police force - a situation burdened with awkwardness. She is a character too. When she gets mad, she calls people by the endearment, "Sweetness." I understand the Coen Brothers plan to make this into a movie. I can picture Francis McDormand, a regular in Coen Brother movies, to play the part of the ex-wife/supervisor. What I really liked was the author's wordsmithing. He would compare physical characteristics to odd inanimate objects that surprised me and yet I understood exactly what he meant. He said things like his eyes were the color of an old egg carton. You might like the book too. I definitely plan on seeing this movie.

Zip Back 40 Years

When I woke up this morning
You were on my mind
And you were on my mind
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind
So I went to the corner
Just to ease my pains
Yeah, just to ease my pains
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I came home again
When I woke up this morning
You were on my mi-i-i-ind and
You were on my mind
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind
And I got a feelin'
Down in my sho-oo-oo-oes, said
Way down in my sho-oo-oes
Yeah, I got to ramble, whoa-oh
I got to move on, whoa-oh
I got to walk away my blues
When I woke up this morning
You were on my mind
You were on my mind
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind

I was exercising at the gym the other night when this old song came over the loudspeaker. Suddenly I zipped 40 years back in time. The year was 1969. The setting was behind the wheel driving class. The person singing these lyrics was my driving teacher and he substituted "worries, woah-oh" with "student drive-ers." He did have troubles with me behind the wheel. Although I was extremely eager, I had no experience outside of the pasture. This was my first time with the tires on pavement. In my first 3 minutes of behind the wheel experience he had to use the passenger side brakes to save the life of a young boulevard tree trying to live it's peaceful life on the road beside Alexander Ramsey High School. But I improved. My teacher had to use his brake pedal only one more time - this time during my attempt to turn left off University Avenue going south on Dale. I didn't see that car coming in the far lane. But he was a good teacher. He had confidence that I could learn. He didn't like it that one time when I was backing up toward a brick wall. I thought I was close enough to stop backing up. He told me I had a lot more room. I didn't believe him so as I backed up, I watched and waited for his face to cringe instead of looking at the rear view mirror. He noticed where I was looking and scolded me. I knew he was paying close attention. I wouldn't have tried it if I didn't think it was safe. I remember another moment when I didn't make him happy. I was driving up an entrance ramp at a speed that was comfortable for me but too slow for the impatient drivers behind me. My instructor lifted his foot and put it on mine forcing my foot down on the gas pedal and making the car accelerate. Cripes, that really scared me but I did realize I could comfortably go faster than I thought I could. He was a good and surprisingly relaxed instructor. I have taught people how to drive and I become as jittery as Barney Fife by the time the ride is over. So as I was exercising, I remembered how my driving instructor would say something every time he saw a mound left by a gopher in a yard. He would look at me and say, "Gopher! I could go for you." As I remember this it sounds pedophilic and icky but it wasn't. I recall it as corny and innocent. He said the same thing to the other student too. We always had two students in the car. I am guessing driving instructors would refrain from saying such things these days. It's funny how music can take you back.

Busy Saturday

This morning I participated in the Walk For Hope in Coon Rapids. I didn't walk the walk. I volunteered to hand out shirts to the same day registrants. We got rid of most of the shirts. My heart was warmed to see so many people out there walking, taking steps to end domestic violence. I believe there is hope of this issue were treated like a public health issue. My belief is that domestic violence is a public health issue. I was especially pleased to see teenage boys and girls involved - many from Coon Rapids High School were there. If kids that young feel so strongly, maybe they can make a real difference in redefining domestic violence as a problem for ALL of us. I did some chores after the walk and decided I had earned a little enjoyment so I left for a short ride on the motorcycle. I thought I head north on the scenic road between Champlin and Dayton. As long as I was there, I might as well go to Elk River. The road was so beautiful that I couldn't turn around yet. I headed further north along the river to Monticello. Since I was there I might as well head just a little bit further north to see if I could find County road 75. Someday I hoped to bike to St. Cloud on 75. I found it and thought I'd just travel a little ways to see if it went in the right direction. I promised to turn around as soon as I got to Hasty or Silver Creek. The country is so beautiful. The maple trees are tipped in orange, shrouded in yellow with just a hint of green on the lowest, closest-to-the-trunk-leaves outfitting the tree in the fruity, juicylicious garment. Imagine my surprise to see a water tower for the town of Clearwater on it. I had no intention of going this far! But as long as I was here, I'd head just a little bit further to find the property where I used to live as a college student back in 1976-77. As I looked for the property, I came to Opportunity Drive - now I was in St. Cloud! I went too far. I turned around and followed the signs to a Good Sam camp. Sure enough, this was the road I used to live on. The barn and mobile home are gone and the property has become an extension of what used to be a Campfire Camp

and is now the Warner Lake Nature Center. I used to live on Warner Lake. We used to go fishing in a rubber boat. We never caught a single fish but we sure had fun trying. We used to swim there too. I remember walking out was a horrible experience because of the muck. My feet would sink past the ankles into the muck so we would run and dive in to get rid of that terrible mucky feeling. Coming out was no fun either. I see now they have a beach there. Looking back, I see now how lucky I was to live in such a beautiful spot - if only for a little while.

Project Feeder Watch

I just joined Project Feeder Watch. This project is run by the Cornell Lab or Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. By sending in data from ordinary back yard bird feeders like mine from all over the continent, scientists can keep track of movements of winter bird populations and long term trends of bird distribution and bird abundance. Anyone can join. For a fee of $15 I will get a poster of common birds, a wall calender, a resource guide, and data forms. I count the birds at my feeder on two consecutive days once every two weeks. The birds from my little backyard ecosystem will be included in data that is considered by bird lovers nationwide. How cool is that? If you are interested, go to feederwatch.org

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I've been listening to a book on CD by one of my very favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver. This one is called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver, Steven Hopp, and Camille Kingsolver. In this book, Barbara describes being a "locavore." She and her family try to eat only local foods. They eat foods that are in season. They grow their own vegetables and raise their own chickens and turkeys. As a frequent listener to books on CD, I always appreciate a signal that the CD has come to the end and in this book I can tell the CD is at the end because I hear the sound of chickens clucking or turkeys gobbling. There is something about the sounds of chickens making noise that makes me feel safe. She talks about the nutritional values of organic foods. She claims that eggs from free range, organic chickens have half the cholesterol of store bought eggs. The cholesterol in eggs from free range chickens have higher levels of the good cholesterol plus some minerals that are absent in the white eggs from the grocery store. Listening to this story makes me want to raise chickens. I consider how much hassle it would be to have 2 or 3 laying hens and possibly a rooster to keep an eye on their safety. I'd choose a heritage chicken - possibly the ones that lay green eggs. I'd like to be closer to my food sources. Listening to her talk about her garden inspires me to try again even though I've had the worst harvest this year in my gardening history. As for being a locavore, I just don't know. I have so many things to worry about - prices, protein content, calories, and fiber. It's all so overwhelming and I don't pay a bit of attention to sodium. If I add locality to the mix I think I might go insane. In the end, the Kingsolver family isn't able to eat only local foods. They are not willing to give up coffee and olive oil and some spices. But they come very close and it sounds like they ate very well. The book includes suggested weekly menus, cooking tips, canning tips, recipes, gardening ideas, and tips for holiday gatherings of family and friends. Kingsolver has a biology background and she conveys information about ecology, insects, pesticides, health, and genetics in manner that is not a lecture or a sermon. As you can tell, I liked this book. I have loved every book by Barbara Kingsolver. I don't think she can write one I wouldn't like.

Diagonal Road Trip

Yesterday I had the pleasure of a road trip to Dubuque. We followed a southeastern route along Highway 52. We traveled through many towns including St. Paul, Rochester, Pottsville, Postville, Harmony, Chatsfield, Decorah, Guttenberg, and my very favorite, Rickardsville. The weather was great, the company was great, the road was great, and the scenery was marvelous. I was happy to see so many prosperous towns. We even went through one town named Prosper. We traveled through Amish Country in the afternoon and saw horses pulling buggies. When we came back the other way through Amish country after dark, I was disconcerted by a fading yellow light on top of a bridge. I could not figure out what I was seeing until the headlights of another car lit up the outline of another horse and buggy with a lantern hanging in the back window. This area of southeastern Minnesota and northern Iowa is driftless, meaning the glaciers didn't scrape it flat. The bluffs are breathtaking. There were hints of color in the hills. Driving through Rickardsville was absolutely beautiful. Rickardsville is located at the top and down the slope of a huge bluff ridge. On either side of Highway 52 the land sloped down at an alarming and beautiful angle and you could see for miles into the valleys on both sides. The scenery reminded me of an illustration in a children's book I once saw and I wish I knew which one it was. We saw lots of very tall corn, soybeans, cows, sheep, goats, and pigs. If you would like to drive through beautiful rural countryside, I would definitely recommend Highway 52.

Circle of Leaf Life

How To Loose Friends and Alienate People

Nothing better to take your mind off your troubles than a silly movie with a little nudity, slapstick humor, quirky characters, crazy situations, and a British accent. Two thumbs up for "How to Loose Friends and Alienate People." I enjoy being introduced to characters who initially repulse me and who I grow to love as their character is revealed by the story line. I don't think this movie is a must see at a theater but it's definitely worth renting if you need a laugh and something oddly hilarious to focus on.

Beyond Knowing

This weekend I read a book by a local author called "Beyond Knowing: Mysteries and Messages of Death and Life from a Forensic Pathologist," by Janis Amatuzio, M.D. Here is a book, written by a scientist, written scientifically (without religious references) that suggests there is more to life than science. I think it is an easy to read, thought provoking book. I like that the author is from my own neighborhood and that she writes in a gracious, grateful, simple style.

No Where Bridge

Way back in the olden days, say from fall of 1975 until the fall of 1976, I had an apartment in St. Cloud next to the Mississippi River on St. Germain Street. I had to traverse the Mississippi every day to go to school. Some days I walked and some days I drove over the river probably making several thousand crossings over the years. Every day I saw the river and every day I saw the DeSoto (Highway 23) bridge - also known as the Division Street Bridge. It's a large bridge - two lanes going west and two lanes going east. I usually crossed the river on the St. Germain bridge and as a pedestrian on the southern sidewalk, naturally I would look to my left up the river toward the DeSoto bridge. I never thought much about it. Yesterday, I crossed on the St. Germain bridge again and saw that the DeSoto bridge is gone. Holy Crap! I was surprised at the stunning difference in the appearance of the river valley. I could see the road at either end but nothing was connecting. Nothing protruded from the water. As a passenger in a car traveling along St. Germain, I had only a few seconds to observe but I was as startled as I would be if the water were pink instead of blue. I don't think I would have recognized the city as being St. Cloud if I had seen this scene in a photo. We have much to be grateful for in this country including our road and highway system. In this harsh climate, we have flat, straight, virtually smooth roads going in all directions. If there is a curve ahead, we expect to see a warning sign. If there is a pothole, we complain and somebody fills it in. We expect the shoulders to be level with the road or if not, we expect a warning sign about that too. Signs tell us when it is safe or unsafe to pass. We expect to be able to go in all four directions and diagonally on a smooth road of asphalt or cement. And if it's snowing, we expect the roads to be cleared of snow and ice. The surface of the road is angled so the moisture drains off quickly. Roadside trees, grasses, and weeds are mowed down so we can sail along at 55 mph without having our vision obstructed by nature. I work with a man from Africa and he said the most astonishing thing about the United States when he arrived were the roads. I believe him. We shouldn't take our roads and bridges for granted.

Flying

I hung my clothes on the line to dry this morning and took off. The sky was blue and the road was smooth. I followed the east side of the Mississippi north to St. Cloud, taking the back roads. A bald eagle soared and circled around downtown Elk River. I stopped to take a photo of a pumpkin field. This field was between Elk River and Monticello. I motored past field of soybeans (yum), corn, potatoes, strawberries, wheat and oats. I motored past cows and horses. At one point, between Monticello and Becker, I was flying along when a blue jay joined me. We flew, side by side, beak to nose, for a time. He flew over the shoulder of the road, just a few feet to my right. I could see his wings raise and lower. He surged ahead and crossed the road ahead of me diagonally. "Freaking awesome!" I shouted inside my helmet. I figured out a way where I could avoid Highway 10 entirely. I thought I was so smart when I biked down the frontage road in front of Becker Furniture thinking I could just cross Hwy. 10 and get onto County Road 8. Turns out we're not allowed to go straight across there. So I had to turn right on Hwy. 10, go a short distance, make a U-turn, and come back to get on County Road 8. That took me right into St. Cloud. I stopped to visit a friend. Everyone there was very friendly. They asked me several times if I had to go to the bathroom. I'm not sure why. I've never wet my pants there. That is the kind of friendly people they are - wanting to make sure you are comfortable and your bladder is empty. We sat and caught up on our lives for a while and then we went out for lunch in Waite Park. We went shopping at a huge craft store. Sometimes it's good when you ride a motorcycle because the vehicle itself limits splurging. I would have bought more if I drove a car. After shopping I headed back toward home. I got home in time to take the clothes off the line before they started getting damp again. I had a perfectly splendid day.

Signs of Fall are Missing

I haven't seen two signs of fall yet this year - two bugs that fall into the "orangish" range of colors - the Asian ladybug and the boxelder bug. Where are they? Usually my house has a few on the southern side. At work there are thousands hanging onto the warm brick and dropping onto visitors forcing us all to brush our shoulders off as we come in from our cars. So, where are they? Is this a natural cycle? Do the populations of Asian ladybugs and boxelder bugs typically wax and wane? I understand that Asian ladybugs have a defensive reaction and emit an unpleasant smelling yellow fluid from their legs joints, grossing out the birds that like to prey on them. Boxelder bugs are not plentiful every season. They are more likely to be numerous when we have a hot dry summer followed by a warm spring. We did not have a warm spring this year and I guess that is why we have fewer boxelder bugs.

Happy Birthday Mahatma Gandhi

Here is a BBC photo of children dressing up in honor of Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Today is Gandhi's birthday. This is a guy I would love to have over for dinner. I think he would be a fascinating character. He led an amazing life. He is known for his six principles. The first principle is Truth. Gandhi called it Satya. The title of his autobiography translates to "The Story of My Experiments With Truth." His second principle is non-violence and he is well known for this. The third is vegetarianism. This diet is part of the Hindu religion and it makes sense economically for people

in a poor country to eat lower on the food chain. He drank goat milk but otherwise was a strict vegetarian. He is also known for fasting as a form of political protest. The fourth principle is Brahmacharya which is spiritual and practical purity involving celibacy and abstinence from physical pleasures. I can't really relate to this one. I've been celibate since the last millennium and I don't feel any spiritual enlightenment from it. I think physical pleasures are to be enjoyed but that is just me. The fifth principle is simplicity. Gandhi gave up reading newspapers in the 1920's claiming they confused him and filled his head with worry. I can only imagine what he would think about radio, television, or the Internet. He refrained from speaking one day a week. The sixth principle is faith. He was a Hindu and he believed all religions were equal. He was a tireless social reformer and did much to improve the life of the lowest caste - the "untouchables." Gandhi was an inspiration to others. Today, his birthday, is a national holiday in India and in 2007 the United Nations declared October second to be an "International Day of Non-Violence."