Creating a way of living each day, still including travel tales, and appreciation of places, events, and cultures, but also thoughtful examination of life and all that entails. I welcome any and all questions, comments, arguments, refutations, criticisms... sea stories..
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Sad coincidence
Preparing for travel again, this time deep in the heart of Texas. More work, some stand in work for a customer, and just a wee bit of catching up with friends, including one poor traumatized black dog I've been missing.
I leave at a particularly bad time as lots of food in the garden is coming ready to put up. All I can hope in this case is that there will be some left when I return, perhaps as dried beans for instance.. That said, I am planning on spending part of the day tomorrow putting up edemame, one of my favorite foods, for later use.
Zero progress on the homestead thanks yet again to delays in the excavation. As I have said all along, I have but one step in this entire process upon which I am relying upon others (paid help) and that is what has prevented this home from being built.. Perhaps when I return in just over a month.. If not, then I may build a different, smaller home, as a temporary home and future guest house, as I cannot bear a third winter in this caravan.
So goes it here in the Backwoods of Hell..
Monday, March 08, 2010
More timbers, and a book review
Rain will put all progress on hold for the time being, as the secondary staging area quickly turns to mud as it was just cleared of trees last fall.
I finished:
Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American Historyby Richard Shenkman
And.. well give this one a pass. The author repeatedly relies upon biased and questionable sources, ignored some of the most obvious myths (like that Lincoln cared about slaves, he didn't according to his own letters) and for some strange reason referred to some of his sources as good "Marxist historians." Last I checked marxism is a pseudo-economic system, not a scientific or historical methodology..
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Books
A good day to receive..
Today brought with it five books, and a few dvd's courtesy of a friend who thankfully is supplementing my entertainment.. The dvds are of mixed shows and movies that he thought that I would enjoy.
The books are:
Forge of Heaven (The Gene Wars, Book 2)
by C.J. Cherryh
Giants' Star (Giants Trilogy, Book 3)
by James P. Hogan
The Heritage of Chinese Civilization
by Albert M. Craig
Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History
by Richard Shenkman
The great wine blight
by George Ordish
The first two will being part of a series will force me to pick up the earlier books in the series, but from these authors I can be confident that it will be worth it. The rest should appease my history hankering for a while.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Food Forests and Hemingway
During the times spent drying off and getting warm, I have been following the rabbit trail of links on permaculture and food forests. The basic concept of a food forest is to create seven natural levels of the forest with various complementary plants which will provide harvestable food with minimal care. In fact the food forest is a type of no-dig gardening once established.
Now before I get too far into any explanation, I have to admit that I have only just begun to really start to think about, learn about, and consider the concept, so I am not really in a position to provide any more than that basic explanation.
So off I go again on a book search, this time to find a really good book on food forests in the hopes of being able to create a wonderful environment of mixed edibles, from fruit and nuts, all the way down to potatoes growing at the base of these trees and shrubs..
And speaking of books, I have just finished Hemingway's Snows of Kilamanjaro. It was a slow read and most of the stories just were not compelling, unlike his longer works. However, that cannot be said of the last short story in the book: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber. This one read like Hemingway at his best. This one story justifies keeping the book (not that I ever need much justification for that!) and certainly will keep me reading through the Hemingway library.
So that makes book number.. 12 if my count is right.
I am already reading The Sword of behleu by Lawrence Watt-Evans, which is about half completed. Hopefully the Agorist Primer comes in soon as it seems time for a non-fiction work, though to be honest a history of some sort, such as a history of science is really more the flavor of what I am in the mood for. Well that or something on food forests of course..
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Shadow Roads
Okay enough of the book report format.. I've said before that Sean Russell is more a great story teller than simple writer of fantasy. His works are understated, yet detailed. They are engrossing, yet well paced. This trilogy is no exception. One of the marks of a truly good story is that you are sad that it is over, even when the story ends on an up note. Well, I won't claim that this is a tidy, perfect Hollywood ending, as some things are left unresolved, but they are unresolved in the sort of ways that love and life are so often not so easily resolved. That said, I am still sad to have the story end. Like the addict jonesing for the next hit, I just want to pick up just one more book in the series, then I'll be ready to quit.. I mean it this time..
At this moment I don't know what will be the next book.. It is very early morning as I write this (about 1:30 am) but as is so often the case when I finish a book, I am not quite ready to sleep.. so maybe I'll start another..
While I do not know what will be next, I do know the latest addition to the stack:
An Agorist Primer
by Samuel Edward Konkin III
"If you've ever wondered what Agorism is or why it is the next step in the evolution of libertarian theory and practice, then this introductory volume is exactly what you've been seeking. Told with clear and concise prose, An Agorist Primer is exactly that — a primer on all the important aspects of Agorism and Counter-Economics: how they work together to enable you to free yourself and expand freedom to your friends, family, and the world!"Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Reading
| The Integral Trees | Niven, Larry |
| The Smoke Ring | Niven, Larry |
Niven is truly one of the greats. His imagination is unique, his writing enticing, and the stories interesting.
| The Deep Beyond: Cuckoo's Egg / Serpent's Reach | Cherryh, C.J.* |
Cherryh too is one of the greats, able to drift between sci-fi and fantasy doing wonders in both.
| On the Shortness of Life | Seneca, Lucius Annaeus |
The Golden Sayings - Epictetus (online book)
Enchiridionby Epictetus
I began reading Seneca first (these are in no particular order) as I have for years wondered where I could find his "smoky room" argument for suicide. Well after speeding through Seneca, I discovered wholly by accident that the "smoky room" argument is not his at all, but belongs to another stoic, Epictetus. I immediately ordered Enchiridion, but could not wait so read the gutenburg online book The Golden Sayings. Here I found the "smoky room" argument for suicide, but it turned out that I already knew the entire thing: When the room gets to smoky, I shall leave through the door..
Still the stoics are wonderful reads, very contemporary surprisingly. They understand that we choose our emotions, and that others cannot force us to feel anything we choose not to feel emotionally. Taking this sort of responsibility for our actions and reactions frees us, but also allows us to grow as individuals while embracing the best emotions of life.
The next step on this particular path for me is either more stoics, else into the cynics..
| The One Kingdom (The Swans' War, book 1) | Russell, Sean |
| The Isle of Battle (The Swans' War, book 2) | Russell, Sean |
Sean Russell is less a fantasy writer than he is simply a truly gifted writer. I honestly believe that he could given a bit of time, and the market for it, be ranked along side some of the most notable names in literature.
| The Sun Also Rises | Hemingway, Ernest |
And speaking of the most notable names in literature.. Hemingway is one I came to only in the last several years, in part because of the reputation. So often that which is supposed to be great is disappointing. Not so with Hemingway. In some ways he reminds me of Tolstoy, but where Tolstoy is often as dark as a shadow on a cloudy night, Hemingway tends to be more like the darkness of a forest which is often broken by dappled light, and the occasional clearing.. Both are wonderful, and similar, but still unique.
Growing and Canning Your Own Food by Jackie Clay
This was a book I had intended to purchase over the hellidays, but put off because I was told that I would have full access and probably be given, several books on canning and preserving foods. Ironically the person whose books those are was given this book by some neighbors. I happened to be over there yesterday to care for a loving but challenging dog (a boxer.. ) when I noticed this book on the coffee table. I dove into it, not stopping until I had read all of the book, except for a few pages on butchering your own beef.. While I am not opposed to it, I know that I fail to have adequate storage space for a whole beef. I have to say that while it gives some recipes, and some killing and butchering methods, as well as how to can various foods from meat, to vegetables, to fruits, and even dried goods, Clay is able to explain it all in terms a novice can understand without going into anything arcane or truly challenging. You might find some greater detail or certainly more recipes elsewhere, but this is a wonderful primer and bible for canning.
I will try to review books as I finish them, so that from this point forward the books will be in order of completion, and there will be more detail for each book.. From the past year, in which I have truly been delving into reading more than I have since graduate school at least, I expect that fiction will still be the majority of the titles, followed by philosophy, political issues, economics and history. Interspersed will be books on homesteading, gardening, foraging (though do I really need more books on foraging?? Need, no. Want.. oh hell yeah..), and other subjects related to self-sufficiency. There may well be some on electrical work and off grid power generation as I am working on building my own off grid power station. (Wind, solar, and generator back up) .
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Rainy Days
Well yesterday was another rain day, and we are forecast for more coming tomorrow and the day after, so work is on hold. However it appears that captain Rob has all of the dozer work done, as he has taken the dozer off site. We still need to bring in the backhoe to finish up corners and hopefully dig trenches for the posts, then I can begin the build itself.
For now, I am still in waiting mode except for finalizing some of the details of the revised plans. One of the changes I have had to make in the name of privacy, and also some degree of efficiency, is to lower the roof a bit an decrease the angle. I have decided to make the low end of the roof be a mere 7' from floor to ceiling. This is still enough for me to clear it, and the front door on that side will be taller as it sits in a gable end. Then by decreasing the angle of the roof, I can get the top end ceiling height to be 13-14 feet, thus making the structure a bit more hidden, while not substantially decreasing the overall feel of openness and airiness of the U-house.
All of which will be subject to change as the build progresses since I am working with natural materials and a difficult site.
The only other progress being made at the moment is research on alternative energy sources. I've come across a small wind generator (200W or the larger 350W) for a very reasonable price ($150, $200) which I will likely pick up very soon. Though wind alone won't serve me here, it should help enormously in keeping me in an abundant power supply.
I did receive in three new books:
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guide Series #23)
The Timberframe Way: A Lavishly Illustrated Guide to the Most Elegant Way to Build a Home
Time Saving Gardener
The Timberframe book may seem odd given that this is an underground house, but in fact it is an underground timberframe house, so I thought that I might pick up some interesting pointers from it. The others are just for pure pleasure of my hobbies..
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
The Other Addiction..
One of the very real joys of the path I am on currently, is that I am now finding that I have the time to start in reading the ever growing stack of books I have bought at one time or another. Some date back almost 15 years, to a mysterious but lovely little bookseller in St. Louis, where you had to knock on the door and if you looked acceptable to the owner, he would let you in to shop..
Still, much like a drug addiction, the books you have just aren't enough.
Today's order from betterworldbooks:
Survival with Style : Bradford Angier (1972)
Hayduke Lives! : Edward Abbey (Hardcover, 1990)
Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist : James Bishop (Hardcover, 1994)
Rational Choice and Moral Agency : David Schmidtz (Paperback, 1997)
On the Shortness of Life : C.D.N. Costa, Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Paperback, 2005)
I am always looking for good sources for cheap books so if you have any suggestions.. send them along!
If you have not yet discovered it, I recommend GoodReads.com. Wonderful site which for me at least provides a more than acceptable alternative to browsing in a book shop, which has always seemed to me to be lacking in online book sellers. You just don't get the random factor in online searches or even browsing without having to manually sort though more listings than you would have to see books in a shop. I've not found a better or more comfortable source of book inspiration online.
Plus for those who are more social than I tend to be, you can even meet interesting people who share your love of books, or particular genres. Heck, even I have met a few interesting people who share some of my more quirky or obscure interests.. check it out..
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Entertainment in the backwoods
"what about television?"
After I point out that I have never owned a television, the next question is always:
"what do you do for entertainment?"
The answer has always seemed so obvious to me, but when I look around me, even those folks who live nearby are trying to keep up with their city brethren by watching Idol, Survivor, or whatever they are told to watch..
So maybe the answer isn't so obvious.
First and foremost, I live. The single most important aspect of choosing the life I have chosen is so that I may focus upon living, instead of merely existing or working to exist. In this, as in so many things, I am following Thoreau, who suggested that we should not be working six days for that one day off, but rather should be living those six days, and perhaps working but one.
I know that some folks will dismiss that as fantasy or not possible any more, but I am living proof that it is possible, and I am far from the only one. But that is a discussion for another time.. today is about fun!
So why did I think that the answer is obvious? Because I choose to live in a way that I enjoy. This means that I do not stop living in order to have fun. When I am in the garden, I am enjoying myself, I am entertained. When I am hiking in the woods, I am enjoying where I am, but also looking for wild edibles which is a passion of mine.
Shouldn't where we live be the place we are most entertained, the most happy?
But of course there is more than that to my entertainment. I enjoy making wine and brewing beer, which lead to the obvious entertainment later when shared with friends, even when that friend is just a friendly thunderstorm, or showy sunset.
More than anything though, my entertainment is reading. No less than Thomas Jefferson was known for saying "I cannot imagine a life without books." I share this sentiment whole heartedly. So those days that the friendly thunderstorm keeps me inside, I turn to the large stack of books which has been patiently waiting for me for so many years. Some of these books I acquired before I went to graduate school, but somehow in the decade since, I have not found the time to read. Now is that time.
If I tire of reading, and this happens very seldom, I can always turn to writing, or once again to designing homes. Even last night as I was drifting off to sleep an idea hit me for a modification to the current design which might lead to even more interesting possibilities.. so I will explore it just to see where it leads.
Being a luddite with an internet addiction also provides entertainment.. I've already touched upon the luddite entertainments, but of course I do get online as well, when the stars are aligned, the gods appeased, and the lucky numbers from the horoscope are all in my favor so that the wireless connection actually works..
Online, I read. Surprise, huh? But I also look for books to read, and enjoy seeking more ways to be frugal and be self-sufficient.
For books, I use Goodreads.com, which combined with Half.com provides nearly all of the books and book suggestions I can use (though don't let that stop you from suggesting books!!) Goodreads.com is well worth checking out if you have a passion for books. Unlike social networking sites, this site focuses on something of value. You may connect with folks, but not over a trivial ad driven game, but rather over ideas, issues, and books.. Best of all you can see what others are reading and get suggestions as to what others who like what you have read, have themselves read.
I'll go into the frugal sites later..
As you can see, I am not lacking for entertainment. It is all around me. It is all around all of us, if we will stop entertaining our selves to death and just see it..
"But what do you do for fun?"
I live.






