Two related developments

Well there is little I can do still on the site until we get the backhoe out, though I was able to get in the hole, around some of the mud which has remained, and mark off the dimensions of the house proper so that we know where the excavation needs to be tweaked. Very little to tweak actually. I'd still like to be able to get rid of some ledge rock on the high side, but the time and thus money required is simply too much to bear. So I'll have to work around this obstacle. 

However I did broadcast annual rye on the slope so as to hopefully stop it from eroding over the winter, and the good news is that because of the unusually warm weather (somewhere Algore is dancing a jig..) it has come up and is growing wonderfully. 

I realize that this is not the most attractive shot, especially with the lovely downed tree so prominent, but that will be moved when I get to covering and backfilling around the U-house. still, this is the only time, I believe, that this area will ever resemble a lawn. I am fully intending to allow it to return to natural native plants (as opposed to those plastic native plants..(yeah I can laugh at myself) )  as well as to try to seed it with various wild edibles, such as passion flower which I will have to post on another time.. 

That same new visually attractive "lawn" is quite attractive of and to deer. These prints were taken from the future floor of my home where clearly I had a couple of four legged visitors coming in for a drink from the bit of water remaining. Perhaps also hiding from the local yahoos who like to get all liquored up and go shooting.. * 

* I am NOT anti-hunting at all jftr. I have been deer hunting myself, and at other times I have been a vegetarian also. I have shot rabbits, as well as varmints including armadillos. I take no special pleasure in killing, and do try to avoid it in most cases. I mention all of this only to make clear that my comments about the yahoos around here are specific to those yahoos and not a general comment upon hunting. I hope to keep encouraging deer to visit, as I would really like to be able to take one right near, perhaps on top of, the house so I would need only move it a very short distance.. :) I will be encouraging lots of wildlife for a variety of reasons. There is a bobcat which lives in the area I am building. If he/she is not frightened off, I will hopefully have him/her as a neighbor. Though locals shoot them just to kill them, or trap them for their hides, I cannot abide either as they seem to me to be fine independent animals in many ways living a life of which I am quite jealous on nearly a daily basis. There are also bear in this area, which I would not mind seeing, ... from a distance. I've no desire to hunt them, but do realize that my home may be quite attractive to them. 

Leave it to a philosopher to have an aside be as long as the post itself.. More to come later.. I cooked the mystery fruit and am working on various plans for human powered devices.. 

A little light reading and listening

Taking a side step from the house project, which is on hold until the backhoe can get out to finish the corners and dig the trenches for the posts to sit in. 

I am back on cowboy duty for the next couple of weeks while Rancher Bob is out of town again. I discovered while helping run the cows and calves through the shoot to immunize them, that I was not made out to be a cowboy.. Oh I did the job fine, but there is a real drain on a fellow from working with the beasts, and a particular terror that comes from knowing that you have to stand fast as an 800 pound animal is charging at you, determined to get by.. 

Maybe this is why cowboys in the old west were also often outlaws.. the noose or a bullet does not look so bad after a day of wrangling cattle.. 

But on with the show.. now I just have to feed the critters and move them from pasture to pasture for a couple of weeks, which is fairly easy and usually uneventful. Since it is not cold, the beard I've let develop is a bit premature, but I recall how grateful I was for it last year, so though we have temps in the mid 70's now, I am keeping it. 

Since I cannot work on the homestead yet, though I do have grass growing now, I am focusing on a couple of projects for Rancher Bob, as well as enjoying the last few movies in my cheap mystery DVD collection, and then too I have just received three items on economics which ought to keep my attention for a while. The first is a book I've needed for some time so as to be able to explain in detailed ways why and where Keynesian "economic" theory went so horribly wrong, and why it is still wrong today. If you are not familiar with Keynesian "economic" theory, just look to the nonsense of the US government, which under the last two administrations (and many others) they claimed that if the government only went far enough into debt then everything would be wonderful and the rivers would flow with gold.. 

I don't know about you, but I've not seen any of those gold rivers or magic pills yet.. and I know from logic and the lessons of history that I never will. Still, it is good to get a firmer grasp on the inherent problems of the "charge your way out of debt" mentality (AKA "deny liberty and you will be free") so I am delving into first of the three: Where Keynes Went Wrong and why government keep creating inflation, bubbles, and busts by Hunter Lewis. 

I am reminded of some advice I was given almost 20 years ago by two professors of philosophy who knew at the time that I did not share their anti-individual, anti-liberty, pro-state ideology: take more economics classes.  I was tired of the academic economics classes, because they did not make any sense in following Keynesian "economic" theory though I did not know that then, so though I've always had an ear open and thought about it, I have not explored economics beyond the three classes I had already taken. The reason that this advice comes back to me now is not in spite of those two wonderful people, but because of them. They may have believed that I would come to adopt Keynesian faith, rather than follow reason, but I do not know. What I do know is that they honestly wanted the best for me (and for all of their students) and so gave excellent advice which would help me in the goals that I set, as opposed to any agenda on their part. I can never repay or appreciate enough the philosophy department of WSU for their dedication to philosophy, to the love of wisdom, the love of teaching, that leads them to this day to teach HOW to think, and not WHAT to think. 

The next couple of books are not both books at all. The first in no particular order is Murray Rothbard's America's Great Depression in which he examines the most famous "Great Depression" (there have been more than one, though few know it) in the light of reason, rather than seeking to find non-keynsian scapegoats.  The other is a collection of lectures by Rothbard, who btw is without a doubt the greatest economic thinker and social thinker of the latter half of the 20th century, which has been turned into a book on "tape" (cd/dvd) so that those of us who were not fortunate enough to be able to attend the classes of the great man can at least hear his famous voice, and listen to the arguments and evidence he presents. 

Though I've not read any Rothbard as of yet, though I do possess his most famous work Man, Economy, and State going on twelve years, I will admit to a bit of a positive bias going into this exploration, not because of my appreciation of the value of the individual, or because I know that no person has any right to control the peaceful actions of any other person, but rather because a dear friend of mine was one of Rothbard's closest friends and students, and I have been regaled with stories of the man for a good portion of the last decade. The stories are not always flattering, and seldom are they on the issues of economics, but rather they are on the person and his life, his way of speaking, and his appreciation for his fellow man, particularly if that fellow man was a young woman! (No implication here.. I have no idea about his actual behavior other than being told that he like most men, appreciated cute young women.. ). 

So there I am. Between the little and the profound, between the physical and the philosophical, between ignorance and bliss.. such as it seems that I always am. For now, I am going to be enjoying what Mill and other utilitarians believed to be the "higher" pleasures: reading and learning.. 

Any ideas what this is?

Trying to figure out what this is and what use it can be.. seems a bit like apples or pears, but stays astringent well after the first frost. Might be able to make some sort of cider out of it if I had a cider press... 

Change

You may notice that I added a banner for Swagbucks.com. Rest assured that this is my addition and not google's or just another banner ad. This is a program I have used for some time now, which has paid dividends in the form of Amazon gift cards worth to date approximately $50, and that just this year when I lost connectivity or computers were down for a good portion of the time. 

The deal is this, Swagbucks is a search engine, sort of. It is more like an information broker. It pulls searches from google and ask.com to display, and gives you points for searches. Those points can be turned into gift cards, cash (via paypal), or other "prizes." 

You can also get points via referrals, say through a banner on a blog perhaps.. Anyone who joins from that link will be helping me to feed my book habit and will receive much gratitude, as well as the benefit of getting paid for searches you would do anyway. 

Give it a try.. 

Rain is over...

...for the time being.*

I have already heard all of the swimming pool comments, so save them.. :) Given the amount of rain we had I am surprised that there is not more water in the excavation. Still, I have already capitulated to the idea of putting in a drain in the uphill patio so that any water which accumulates there will immediately be drained out down hill. When living in a timber frame underground house, it is a good idea to err on the side of caution. Well, that is true when building any home actually.

Finishing out the corners will be on hold until we can get the backhoe out, and that may be a little while as Captain Rob has other work to do as well. Speaking of the good Cap'n, he cut me a hell of a deal on the excavation, even knocking off time (and thus money) simply because he wanted to take some other precautions that he had not run by me. This is the sort of business man, more importantly this is the sort of man (meaning "person" in this context) that I want to deal with. As a result I offered to help him with some design and remodeling work on his home, free of charge. 

Good deeds may almost always be punished but I'll be damned if they will be punished by me! :) Seriously though this is how liberty works, or if you prefer how anarchy works. We are responsible for ourselves, but because we interact face to face we relate better to people and so respect them as people. I recall a similar situation in spirit if not details concerning some of the land I will be butted up to. The seller argued that the buyer was offering too little, the buyer arguing that the seller was asking too little. The result has been an ongoing friendship despite the seller moving hundreds of miles away to live a more nomadic, and more social, life. 

I may go into this, and related topics in the next post which would be decidedly political, practical, reasonable, and still a bit of a rant. :)

* What on earth does this phrase really refer to? What is a "time being" unless it is a time traveler?  Dr. Who must be the only time being left...  (Ain't equivocation fun?!)

A Decade of (employment) Freedom

While discussing ways to create a homestead, live frugally, and live with as much freedom as we can in the police state, it dawned upon me that I missed an important anniversary this year: Ten years of total self-employment! Come next month it will actually be ten and a half years. 

I recognize that this may not be the path for everyone, though most of us should consider it if not immediately pursue it. There is more direct personal accountability, and more authenticity to be gained, as well as advantages such as in my own case of being semi-retired now after only ten years, in fact I made that move at the nine year mark! 

There is also a great deal of flexibility which comes in very handy in all sorts of situations, whether it be taking care of a sick child, to dealing with the recession turned depression under which we are now suffering, and which will only get worse. My job cannot be downsized, and I cannot be laid off. Because I am flexible, I can take jobs that perhaps I would pass over when times are good, but still keep an income. 

Anyway, I just found the realization an interesting one, and as good a reason to celebrate as any. I've got 30 years of work history under my belt, and a full third of these were spent working completely for myself making others very happy.. 

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.. 

Another rain day

Well as predicted we are getting rain all day today, so no progress. But you can see the pond is looking really good. It will take a while to clear up, but once it does this will be a really nice and fairly deep pond. 

I had not found the camera when I was on the site last evening, so this is not the current depth, but it does give you an idea of the progress being made. We have actually gotten to the depth it is going to be, and now simply need to bring in the backhoe to clean up the corners and dig trenches for the posts. Though it differs from the PSP method somewhat, I am going to be setting the posts in concrete (though still protected as per the PSP method) because the soil here does not lend itself to compaction, and because I am sitting on rock which prevents me from digging down the several feet that we would want for the posts. So if I can get a foot into the rock with a trench, I can set the posts in concrete in that without any worries that anything will move. Then too being in the oldest mountain chain in the US movement really is not much of a concern. 

This is why I used heavy equipment to excavate: 

As you can see there are a great many rocks in the pile.. and in fact we hit ledge that thankfully was soft enough to break up. Still, with some rocks weighing more than a hundred pounds, I cannot imagine trying to dig this by hand. 

If the rain will let up a bit, I will try to get back out to the site for today's pics.. If not, it might be a couple of days as we are forecast for rain again tomorrow. 

Camera on walkabout..

As I cannot find the camera at the moment, I believe that I must have left it up at Rancher Bob's place this evening. So no photos today, though I will get some up asap. A little more progress today, in that the rock ledge has been broken up more so that I will be able to sink the house almost ten feet down, which should be sufficient to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 

Not much else to report. We are going over budget on the excavation, which does bother me, so I will have to find ways to save on the windows, doors, and other materials needed for the build. Add to this the necessity to set the posts in concrete, which was not in the plan, and I have to find ways to save even more if I am going to keep to the budget. 

Still, in the worst possible case, I will have built a very energy efficient home, which is self sufficient for pennies on the dollar (perhaps even less!) than the average home in the western world, and still retain comfort levels as high if not higher than the best of those.. 

Still is still moving to me

Still making progress on the site. As noted, the pond is full which is a delight, especially since it is higher than expected when full, giving me perhaps as much as 6 feet of depth in the pond. Hopefully this means that I will always have water available for myself and my garden. 

The excavation continues as well, and is as of 6:30 this evening about 10-12 feet deep at the lowest point. There has been a lot of rock, and unfortunately much ledge so going is slow meaning that this is pushing my budget as I knew that it would once I opted for the new site... but the incredible views and the dramatically increased privacy should offset the additional effort I will have to make to recoup the additional savings I will have to use to pay for this greater expense. I am also going to have to make some cuts somewhere if I am to suck up this expense and still stay under my budget of $5000 for the house. The excavation, clearing, and pond, could come close to half of that cost. I can deduct the pond at least from that particular budget as I consider it separate from the house, but simply moving the numbers around like some political ideologue won't create any additional wealth.. Still, the reason for moving this to another category is to keep my numbers straight on the house itself so as to work on documenting what it takes to build a home, and then a homestead even in this downward economy. 

No photos today, though I have a couple from yesterday. The camera is fighting me and perhaps on its last legs. She has served me well in travels from Texas to China, to Canada, and across the US. The motor on the lens is failing so I will have to fall back upon one given to me recently which would otherwise have been simply discarded. It is sometimes amazing what you can get simply be being open to the idea that everything need not be new, packaged, shiny, and meeting the approval of the most uptight constipated consumer.. 

I seeded the hillside today with annual rye so as to hopefully decrease the amount of erosion that occurs this winter. I still have more seeding to do, but that will have to wait until the excavation is completed. I probably have more seed than I need at two hundred pounds of seed, but in this case the seed is relatively cheap insurance against erosion, and for a time at least it will give the appearance of a fancy manicured English lawn.. not that I will make any effort to keep that look! 

Through one of the many groups to which I belong, I discovered a wonderful little wind generator at bargain basement pricing: http://www.usawindgen.com/200hd.htm

I am very close to ordering one of these, perhaps the 300 watt model, to provide power for my home in the winter, and any time that the wind is blowing more than 7 miles an hour.  Even at the government subsidized (read : "immorally taken labor of others")  electricity available locally, a little wind generator like this pays for itself in no time. Heck the monthly charge simply to have a hook-up with the local "co-op" electric "company" (again, this is merely a branch of the federal government, not an actual company) would pay for this little generator in less than 6 months, and with the increase that they announced recently, perhaps less than 4 months! This is not exactly the doom and gloom that the folks opposed to individual energy generation (again the feds to a large degree) preach. They tell us that the best possible return is 20 years.. For this they assume a Larry Hagman (yeah, JR Ewing!) approach: buy gigawatt solar arrays to cover any and all possible usage! Crazy approach, though kudos to Mr Hagman as he did this first for his own house which is larger than he planned (he let his wife design it) and voluntarily provides power to some local low income families he screened. 

The point is that we need not adopt these massive arrays to account for our power usage, but rather make different choices when we know power is limited. I won't do without my comforts, such as the internet and computer usage, but that does not mean that I need to be able to power up a stadium either. 

Okay.. perhaps a bit of a rant.. gist of all of this: much progress is being made, some things are really coming together, and we can live very comfortably, in fact even luxuriously if we think before we act or spend. 

More pics tomorrow.. 

Daily mundane aspects.

Reading: Survival with Style by Bradford Angier

       Immortality Option by James P. Hogan

      Freedom in Chains: The Rise of the State and the Demise of the Citizen
by James Bovard

Food/gardening/foraging:  Raspberries are still producing! The flavor is improving with the weather getting cold. The persimmons are edible, though still somewhat astringent, they have a delicious sweetness. What we believe are quince are ripe, though I have yet to positively identify them. If identification can  be made, then quince pies (like apple pies) are predicted.. Muscadines are still producing, for eating if not saving for wine. Clover is still up and growing, though obviously no flowers. I am still enjoying the malabar spinach which will in the next year comprise part of the roof of my home.. I am also enjoying the peppers from my aunt's garden, including jalapenos and habaneros... I am also lucky enough to have received some pickles from that garden as well as Basil from the herb garden I built for my mother.

As the weather cools meals of the sweet potatoes I have harvested in the great plains and in the Oachitas will be paired with tea from the brambles, that is from the blackberries and raspberries. The potatoes will be seasoned with wild garlic (maybe wild leeks??) and enjoyed twice as they warm the house during cooking and again in their delicious flavor.

Though it is my first full year here on site, I am glad to be enjoying so much natural harvest and gleaning from the gardens that would otherwise be completely wasted. Over the next few years I hope to be more efficient in harvesting, identifying, and gleaning of the produce of the woods, streams, ponds, and fields around where I will be homesteading. 

Music wise I am alternating between the prog of Marillion/Fish and the celtic sounds of bands like Clandestine. 

The difference a day makes..

After two days of good progress on the site, today work was at a stand still because of constant rain. Still, I am not too upset by this as the rain filled the pond (in fact filled it to overflowing..). This picture is taken looking back at the point where I took the picture of the pond yesterday. I had to approach from this side as the other is all mud where we have done the dozer work. With any luck this will stay full enough to provide me all of the water I need. So maybe no work done today, but still some progress made. 

The rain also gives me a bit of a chance to revise and rework the house plans given the new information about the specific site I have now that we have cleared it. Not that I need an excuse to work on house plans.. 

More progress

Captain Rob cleared the rest of the site, including where the pond was to go, then built the pond, and at the end of the day began the excavation itself.  As you can see he managed to get about four feet down into the high side of the hill before calling it quits for the day. We've got rain coming in tonight and tomorrow, so we may be on hold again for a time. 

That same rain which will likely keep us from making any more progress ought to help to start filling the new pond which will be the source for all of my water, in conjunction with whatever rain water collection I am able to set up. 

I know that it looks a mess now, but in a year or two the sides will be covered in grass, and this will hopefully be a nice little forest pond. 

PROGRESS!!!

After eight months of delays, of being stagnated and unable to do anything at all to move forward on the homestead, this morning the dry spell was broken. Captain Rob showed up today with the bulldozer and cleared to the site, then cleared the site once I saw the lay of the land and the view and so knew that this was the place to build. He managed to clear a couple of other areas for gardens, and a path down to where he will build the pond which will serve as my water source along with what little rain collection I can do.  

This is a shot of the site itself which is steeper than it appears. The house will sit right at the top of the slope in this picture, with terraced gardens below it.

This is but one of the views to which I will wake every morning. 

A Change in the Weather

The rain finally broke, and today the sun made its first appearance in a week or better.. The ground is still soaked, so no clearing work, but perhaps a few more dry days and we will see the bulldozer make an appearance. 

The clear skies means a colder night, a predicted low of 36F. 

I spotted what I hope is another possible hen of the woods while checking out the pastures. With any luck I will be able to head back tomorrow to try to confirm that identification. 

That is about all there is to report. I spent the day dealing with tech issues and supervising some construction on Rancher Bob's place. 

A very good year..

On the homesteading news, Rancher Bob and I bottled our first vintage today (not counting the two bottles I capped and took with me to Kansas). We netted 14 bottles, or 16 if you count the two 22 oz bottles I took as well. Not bad for a first purely experimental run using only the fruit Bob's vines produced last year. 

We look to be on for at least ten gallons of wine this year, or approximately 36-40 bottles given the fruit we have picked so far. 

The bottles I took with me revealed the best muscadine wine I have ever enjoyed, and a wine which I contend has the complexity and subtlety of fine European wines, while still remaining absolutely true to the muscadine flavor. Though golden in color, the wine has characteristics more often found in bold reds, like Zinfindel or Cabernet, but without some of the more harsh tannic aspects. The wine is still dry, unusual for muscadine wine, but not as astringent as those reds without any loss of complexity. I am even tempted to try to turn it into brandy, though I cannot imagine sacrificing a good deal of wine to end up with a small bit of brandy. Still, I think that the flavors would lend themselves quite well to the endeavor. 

Still very wet here so no work on clearing the site, much less excavation. However it is a good sign that captain Rob called to ask about bringing the bulldozer out to be ready to start should it dry out. This damn excavation which was originally scheduled for February might just happen this year.. 

To those who follow this for that aspect of the blog, I promise more timely updates, pictures, and details once the build begins. 

A bit of Entertainment

Some months ago I picked up a dvd collection of 50 mystery movies, all for under $20, in fact if I recall correctly it was about $12 for the collection brand new.  I mention this because this evening as I was enjoying Basil Rathbone portraying Sherlock Holmes I thought to check the date of that movie, and others in the collection. The dates sounded about right as I read them, as many of these movies are in black and white, but then I did the math only to realize that the oldest are nearly 80 years old! 

This in no way takes away from these movies, in fact often it adds to them as mysteries are not about the special effects, or the nifty camera or CGI tricks, but rather about the story itself. Certainly these are serving as fine entertainment for those rare occasions when I simply want to watch something rather than read. 

I was struck when I purchased the set, which includes parts by Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, the aforementioned Basil Rathbone, Peter Lorre, Reginald Owen, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Glenn Ford, Orson Welles, James Cagney and many others, as to the reasonable price of this collection, but watching it now I am also impressed by the frugality of "recycling" or re-using entertainment. These performances entertained my grandparent's parents, and who knows how many others since then, and now, nearly 80 years later in some cases, I too am enjoying them. Moreover I will enjoy them again in the decades to come, and I sincerely hope that I may pass these along to another who can not only appreciate the historical aspects (London with double decker electric trolleys in front of Big Ben) but also simply enjoy well made and well told stories. 

The actors, the writers, the cameramen, and probably all who worked on the oldest of these have passed away, but the pleasure that they bring to others lives on today on my personal computer, and upon the screens of others who recognized this bargain.  Were these furniture, or cars, they would considered antiques, but these antiques can be enjoyed by all today because some foresighted individuals thought to repackage them today for our enjoyment. Tonight I tip my glass to both the original producers and the creative individuals who "recycled" this material so that it may live on, and the enjoyment of these portrayals may also continue to grow. 

Simply Priceless

 http://www.cagle.com/working/091011/cole.jpg

Still up in the air

I know very well that there are those folks who read my blog who are interested only in the homesteading, home building aspects, which I certainly understand. However at the same time a large part of who I am and how I live includes standing up for the undefended, or the "little gal" who has no voice, usually by simply standing up for what is right.  The discussions of this latter sort while wholly in sinc with the discussions of creating a peaceful, self-sufficient life, are often of no interest and perhaps bothersome to many of the granola crowd (a term I use with affection, fwiw)

So I am trying to figure out how and whether to keep the reflections on issues of philosophical and moral importance separate from those issues of a more practical nature concerning solar showers, and earth sheltered homes. 

For the time being I will try to separate the two between the two blogs, but there will be crossover where independant living is threatened.

Muscadines

Picked what I estimate at about 45-50 pounds of muscadines, which are now residing in the freezer to await their transformation into delicious wine. Should be bottling the last batch any day now, and then beginning the next batch or two. The last batch used about 20 pounds of muscadines, so this batch will hopefully be about ten gallons of perhaps the best wine you've ever had. 

For those not familiar with the humble muscadine, it is a native "fox" grape, usually dismissed as being unsuitable for "true" wine and so is treated like the red headed step child of grapes, deemed to be good only as a table grape (it is infinitely superior to any table grape) or to be treated as suitable for "fruit wines" only. 

All commercial muscadine wines, such as the wines from Post Familie Vineyards, a fine vineyard btw, tend to be sweet wines, nice sweet desert wines, but the wine that Rancher Bob and I, along with the help of some eager yeasts,  created this past year is a rich, full bodied, wine that are far more complex than usual fruit wines. I suspect that it would make a wonderful brandy and/or grappa, though I admit to be hard pressed to ever distill any of this delicious elixir, regardless of legal technicalities. 

I have also enjoyed a few lovely persimmons, a treat that most folks in the US overlook or are completely unaware of. While helping to corral the couple of bulls, the retired massive beast and the young up and coming stud, I stumbled across two wild persimmons, one I knew of but often ignored, and another unknown to me or to Rancher Bob. The latter while being smaller and hidden, holds a good deal of fruit as long as one is not looking to make jam or jellies.. for eating these are delicious provided that you let the frost or other conditions to mellow the astringinent aspects. 

Little else of note, other than hearing a bit of good news that the mighty Rob should be bringing the dozer out to the site this week, despite the terrible rainy weather... This means that there is a chance of getting the site cleared in a week or more.. Then perhaps I can site the house and just maybe get the god damned hold dug for the house.. 

Can you tell that I am very tired of waiting??

 

To the Nobel Committee:

While I imagine all seems very peaceful when you are high as a kite, don't you think that making decisions of such magnitude should be postponed until you sober up?

The first and foremost criterion for granting any award is for the recipient to have taken SOME action, secondarily those actions should be positive. So far on the issue of peace, your awardee has done nothing more than increase the efforts of his predecessor. Surely we can all recognize that this is neither peaceful nor worthy of any admiration. 

So enjoy  your recreational activities, but save important decisions to those times when you might be clear headed. 

Thanks. 

Back on site/ computers yet again.

I made it back to the hills safely yesterday. I am trying to take it easy today, though I do have a great deal to do. There are muscadines to pick, malabar spinach to put up, fish to catch before it gets too cold for them, as well as setting up the Systemax computer that is now fixed. For some reason they felt it necessary to wipe the hard drive, thus removing my partition and other OS, in order to re-install XP. As a result, I first need to set up XP and all of the programs I need on it, then repartition the drive and install the good OS (Linux) for everyday use.  Following that will be the installation of all of the programs used under linux.. I suspect that I won't do it all in a day so this will be an ongoing effort over the next few days. 

On the upside I confirmed 3g connectivity on the site so I can go ahead with my plans to use that for internet service rather than satellite resulting in quite a bit of savings. 

Hitting the road again.

Tomorrow I head out back to the hills, with the promise of a soon start to the clearing of the house site. I have stocked up on essentials and items unavailable locally so I should be set once I get back. The weather is turning chilly again, and it will have been 11 months since I first arrived on site with the intention of building my own home there. All of the work that has been done was completed by February of this year, and since that time I have been struggling to get Rob out to do the digging and leveling that is beyond the scope of what I want to tackle by hand.

Assuming that the work gets done in the near future, as I sincerely hope that it will, then I have to make a decision as to spend another winter in the caravan or to seek out paying jobs in other places so I can travel, see friends, and make enough money to cover the additional expenses and of course restock the house fund which has been diminished by the long delays.

Maybe the weather will hold out and I will be able to get the posts and roof up.. Regardless it will be good to finally once again be making progress towards creating this homestead.

?

With the paying jobs done as of today, I am left only with two tasks. The first is to plant some ornamental annuals for my mother, and the other is to decide whether to address the relationships that a couple of individuals have chosen to sever near as I can tell for no good reason whatsoever.

The planting will be cathartic. I look forward to some design and working in the soil.

The other I don't get. I don't get the games. I don't get the lies. I don't get the devaluing individuals who have been very important to your life. These I will have to just ponder further, and hope that something becomes clear. In the meantime I am appreciating the dear friendships which have lasted, and which bring joy to my life.

Light at the end of the Tunnel

I know it has been a while since I posted, and I have no excuse. There is little of interest (to me) to report of the time in KS as the jobs are uninteresting simple maintenance jobs. Replace siding and paint, in one case. Replace siding and sheet goods in another.. and paint a fence in the third. Nothing creative, nothing which provided any challenge aside from fighting the weather.

The current plan is to return on Tuesday to the hills, where it sounds like I might just be able to get some progress in clearing the new site, finally. I've spent much of the last day drawing up preliminary plans for the new site, as it is sufficiently different as to make me abandon the original plans as unworkable. Out of this has come what appears to be a "V" shaped house, which allows for privacy, efficient use of materials, and still give a very open feel to what will be a modest home. I am still looking at about 800 ft sq, with a 100 ft sq loft, which for one person is quite expansive. Even for two, should that come to pass, there is plenty of room for different interests and activities inside the house. That said, this house is going to be designed so as to encourage me to spend more time outside. The uphill patio is a separate room accessible only from the house, yet retains the privacy of any room in the house. Of course the garden will be a refuge for me, and I hope to continue to spend time walking the hills.

But that is all in the future. My current time has been spent doing these mundane jobs which will help to pay for the build, and trying to understand why what I consider to be the most basic elements of any relationship, from friend to lover, are seemingly absence in perhaps our modern culture, but if not that then in a few individuals I know from the midwest. Rather than go into that now, I am going to focus on the future, and hope that at some point I will figure out what the heck is going on. Still it is times like this that I wish that I had continued my work in psychology while I was still studying philosophy...

So I see light at the end of this long and boring midwest tunnel, and I hope to finally get started on the actual build in the coming weeks. I won't be able to close the house in before winter, so I might be traveling for work again, but at least I will have made a start.

So if you have paying work for a designer, remodeler, builder, or philosopher, shoot me a line and let's see if I can turn your house into your dream home..

Back to work

With the bug/virus/flu retreating today I immediately returned to working on the siding job I am on. Completed the siding repairs today, caulked all of the new siding, and much of the old, leaving tomorrow to finish caulking, pick up paint, and prime all bare wood to be ready for the start of painting on Friday, if the weather cooperates.

Obviously I am feeling better, in fact better than I have since I arrived here. I truly hope to make some good progress so that I can complete this job close to on time, take up the next two smaller jobs, and get back to my own build site in the eternal hope of getting some work done on clearing the area and excavating for the house.

I did receive a bit of good news today: my newest laptop will be arriving back at the build site on Friday. Though I won't be there to enjoy it, it gives me a pleasant feeling knowing that there is at least one computer I own which is functioning properly. I do have to put in a good word here again for Systemax computers. Even though they said that they could not see the shadow on the screen (no idea how it could have been missed) they sent the computer along to the vendor who immediately replaced the screen and sent it back to Systemax. They received the computer today, and shipped it out to me today as well. Other than a bit of frustration as I tried to explain how they could best see this rather obvious shadow, the entire exerience was what I am coming to expect from Systemax, which is to say that it went as all business interactions should.

If you need a new computer, particularly a laptop, I strongly recommend going with Systemax for the quality of their products, the options they offer, the price, and perhaps most importantly the customer service. This is a company which still understands that customer service is what counts.

Standing tall

It seems very often that whenever you take a principled position, someone (or several someone's) will claim that you are not willing to accept the consequences, or that you do not really mean it. Well today I have the opportunity to prove such naysayers wrong yet again.

Having read a fair amount about all of the H1N1 virus, I have come to the conclusion that most doctors have come to as well, that this is mostly hype and political posturing. Get people good and scared and you can do whatever you want to them..

So all along I have said that the best prevention is simply taking care of yourself. I have done this as well as I ever do, which is say less than I like, but better than average.

Secondly, if you get afflicted with the flu, get lots of liquids, take what meds you can, and rest. No difference this time around, hoopla or not.

Well while I cannot say for certain that it is the flu, today I have been very achy, sick to my stomach, and feel as though I have the flu.

Did I panic and go rushing to the nearest hospital to infect everyone else?

Did I blame everyone else and demand that the thugs with badges (government) force others to take care of me?

Did I demand that everyone else make certain that I get healthy again?

Nope.. I have had a few bowls of broth (flavored with mushrooms and jalapenos the latter for their flavor but also their healing properties). Been drinking juice and water, and took some generic dayquil to relieve the symptoms as best as it may. Tonight I will take generic nyquil so I can sleep and allow my body to heal itself.

I still feel terrible, but contrary to the predictions of the naysayers I am standing tall, even if it is from a prone position in bed..

Obligation NOT to vote

For many years now I have actively chosen to refrain from voting in any governmental election. I am not apathetic, quite the opposite, but rather I understand the immorality of voting for rulers. The trigger for this decision was the wonderful essay by Wendy McElroy Why I Would not Vote Against Hitler.

Today I read another such essay, this time by Alex R. Knight III on the obligation not to vote.

Both of these lead to that "How did I ever think otherwise" moment when you see clearly that which was always right in front of you, but never recognized.

Here is an off the cuff addition of my own:

We are morally obligated never to initiate violence or coercion against any other moral agent (person). Basically, we cannot morally steal, cause pain, physically harm, enslave, or otherwise harm another. Pretty simple and uncontraversial.

Government is merely that entity which claims to have the legitimate authority to engage in exactly those sorts of actions.

Government cannot even exist without engaging in those sorts of actions. If we have the power and ability to disobey, then the entity in question is not a government but rather at best some sort of advisory board.

Since we do in fact have a government which claims ownership over us, that is to say the right to dictate our peaceful actions and take without permission our property (in the form of wages, as well as any real property we may own), the issue of any such advisory board is moot.

So to voting.. voting is simply lending the illusion of legitimacy to the use of force against innocent non-aggressing others. With every vote, with every action taken supporting government you are not merely consenting to any and all harms which may come to you via that government, but you are also consenting to all harms to all others. While you may irrationally consent to harm to yourself, as I noted earlier, you do not have the moral authority or the right to consent to harm to others.

Show basic respect for others, show some compassion for others, show that you respect right action and simply stop supporting harm to others: Stop voting.

More computer woes

I have been fighting the thinkpad to keep it working well enough until I get the Systemax back, but it seems that have lost that fight. This morning the thinkpad decided that it cannot boot, claiming a stuck key, but no stuck key can be found. Needless to say this is quite frustrating. The Dell is still iffy with its memory problems, and I lack any wireless card for it so at best it is a paperweight as well. It will be a couple more days before the data plan turns on, so I am stuck currently on a borrowed machine, which is inconvenient to use.

And people wonder why I have luddite leanings...

Fininshed The Faded Sun trilogy by C.J. Cherryh, one of the rare wonderful story tellers. I first thought this to be a pale reflection of the Foreigner series by her, but in the end this is entirely its own and a story I hated to see end, a feeling I attribute to great story tellers.

Dinner was another garden feast of mixed squashes, garlic, and fresh herbs.. delicious..

Work progresses slowly due to weather and four legged complications. Still, I made some progress today after the rains quit.

Still experiencing computer issues, and phone issues, but I am adopting a bit of a view that they are all magic and there is not enough eye of newt in the mix currently.. or some such missing ingredient. There seems to be no rational explanation to the computer problems, and dealing with AT&T customer service is more difficult than communing with the dead via seance.. Perhaps I can rationalize some lesson to be learned here.. or perhaps this will tip the scales and turn me into a pure luddite.. (reminds me.. I saw an interesting hulu show called something like foodie luddite.. I will try to post a link later.. )

link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/85508/gourmets-diary-of-a-foodie-the-hungry-luddite?c=Food-and-Leisure#s-p2-so-i0

Practical and Effective Health Care Reform is off the table

Borrowed in whole from WendyMcelroy.com:

------------------

Since the Big O* is giving a speech tonight to try to sell his health care plan, and will doubtless regurgitate some blather about being open to all options, I thought I'd list for the record at least nine options for health care reform that are "off the table," and will never be allowed on the table...or even in the room:

1. Ending medical licensing.
2. Ending employer tax deduction for medical insurance; or better yet,
3. Providing a personal tax deduction for all medical expenses.
4. Ending patent protection for pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
5. Ending all regulation of drugs and supplements.
6. Ending Medicare.
7. Ending Medicaid.
8. "Fee for service" for routine medical services.
9. Tort reform.


* Obama. But to Canadians, "the Big O" has a special connotation of government extravagance, incompetence, and cost overruns: the 1976 Olympic Stadium.

---------------------------

Feasting from a few gardens

Tonight's dinner was a large spaghetti squash (if you have never enjoyed one of these you are missing out on a wonderful and unique natural treat), topped with a butter and olive oil sauce of red anaheim pepper, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil (four kinds), garlic chive flowers, and a touch of kosher salt. With the exception of the salt, oil, and butter, all of this delightful meal came from gardens I have worked in. Two in the flatlands, and one in the Oauchita mountains.

There was no longing for prepared pasta sauce, or some mass produced accompaniment, but rather an explosion of flavor which reminds us of what pale shadows all of the mass produced food is to real food.

Mass produced food is food with no history, no story. Even the "farmer" who harvests it could not recognize even one of the pieces of produce from "his" land, but the farmer who truly respects his or her crop, who knows the land and that which grows upon it, whether in a urban plot, suburban back yard, or acreage in rural areas, can identify the produce, the product of their effort. There is a story behind every piece of food in those gardens.

Tonight's stories include failed efforts to raise emu for meat, discovering entirely by accident a volunteer pepper plant brought low by malabar spinach vines, and a union of efforts of specific individuals, amongst other stories. These all add spice and flavor to the meal directly and indirectly.

I find great joy in the fact that even a nomad (as I have recently been dubbed by none other than the great David (another story, another time)) can enjoy the wonders of the garden in which he/she has worked, or in this case several gardens. Nomadic gardening.. there is an idea..

A day of labor

As is my usual tradition, I spent this day working, specifically doing labor. No paid time off, no demanding that others give me anything more than I actually earn.

Today was somewhat trying of that tradition in that I feel poorly and spent the day doing siding alone. As I write this I fear that I am succumbing to some annoy bug. Hopefully not, time will well.

A relaxing night with an old friend

Sometimes even amongst the most motivated philosopher, the most passionate thinker, a quiet night simply in the company of an old friend is enough. That was tonight for me. No heady (Lamar) discussions, not even the almost sophmoronic over indulging, but rather just a simple night of light discussion and channel surfing for two guys who don't really watch TV.

I suppose I could speculate about the importance even to INTJs, of some sort of "human" contact, or explore the notions of companionship, but to be honest, tonight was a night for simply being, without any need for analysis.

Arrived..

...in Kansas safe and sound. The drive was one of the harder ones thanks to gale force winds and a very heavy load in the back end. er.. of the truck that is.

The next day or two will be spent planning and prepping for the work here. As per usual, family have added jobs, almost certainly unpaid jobs, to my list without ever consulting me. Honestly there are times I envy orphans..

Still it is good to be here. I look forward to seeing good friends, enjoying some good food (N&J's cannot be beat!) and finally having some paying work again.

Travelin' Days are hear again..

I collected a few stones for some landscape decoration projects, mowed Rancher Bob's vast yard, collected what I could from the garden so that it does not go to waste, emptied the suitcase, washed the clothes and repacked them, so I guess I am ready to head out in the morning.

Hopefully the drive is a pleasant one, though I've made the trip to Kansas so many times through the same flatlands that it becomes increasingly difficult to find something new to enjoy there, though I try.

Yesterday the freezer I ordered about 8 weeks ago now, finally arrived. Even though the seller, AJ Madison, promised "white glove inside delivery" the shipper they finally did use could not have gotten the semi up the roads and back to where the freezer needs to be, and this is a much easier location than where my own home will be! So because the shipper, particularly the driver, had nothing to do with the attrocious service from AJ Madison, I took pity on him. I met him at the highway (two lane paved road.. generously dubbed a highway) so we could move the freezer from his semi to my truck. As it turns out this was one of those very rare times when a good deed is not punished.

Ernie Hill is the driver's name, and I am very pleased to have met him. Not only was he personable, but it seemed with every other sentence we were discovering that our paths nearly crossed on many occassions. We share some Kansas history, had roamed similar roads, and spent part of our lives in the same places. He too is a songwriter, and after relating various music stories, he pulls out a cd he self-produced. As I am typing this I am listening to ol' Ernie sing and play. I hope to make it to the bluegrass festival in Winfield KS this year, though I never did in all of the years spent just up the road from there. With luck, I'll run into ol' Ernie there.. sitting under his electric peace sign..

It is really about the food

Got up this morning to move the water from the blueberries to the raspberries, the latter of which are still producing! Of course enjoyed my morning ritual of picking all of the ripe raspberries for my breakfast.

Went out into the fields and hills again today to check the fences, but also to look for more wild plums like those I found while repairing the fence a couple of days ago. I found another tree, but the fruit was not yet ripe. Still, good to find these so I know what to look for whenever I am hiking. These plums are as good if not better than any I've had elsewhere.

While up in the woods I came across what I believe to be a variety of Hen of the Woods, an edible mushroom. I need to go back with my primary mushroom identifying book to make sure. Still, a nice specimen and it has many of the necessary traits.. If it is a Hen of the Woods, then I will have some very good eating in my future as this is definitely one of the prized mushrooms, related to the Maitake of Japan. This guy is over a foot in diameter, meaning that I ought to be able to get a couple of good meals off of it, and still leave enough for it to reproduce.

I checked the quince.. still far from ripe, as is also the case with the muscadines.

Dinner was a couple of varieties of squash simply sauteed with a bit of salt and one of them finished with a bit of parm.

Later I will enjoy the mystery melon, which I have been told must be a tiger melon from Asia. Regardless it is delicious and a welcomed treat!

More of the same electronic woes..

So after submitting a report about the forgotten repair on the laptop, and then also pointing out a new issue on it, I now have to call in to get the approval for return shipping to have these repairs done. Why isn't email sufficient? I described the problems, and they need only to tell me that they will have it picked up and fixed..

On a similar but far more frustrating front, I had to deal with AT&T (Southwestern Bell really) again. I want to cancel my old phone contract since I have no phone which uses that number anymore, and at the same time start up a data only plan for a PDA or similar device. Simple right? All I would need to do is go into the AT&T store, tell them what I need, and they will take care of it.. or as it happens, not.

Never once has anyone in any AT&T store ever been helpful, and never even once have they actually answered my questions or handled whatever it was that I needed. In Wichita they actually would not read my sim card so I could retrieve my numbers unless I would buy at least the $200 phone. Here they could not set me up with a go phone account unless I purchased a $60 phone. (I went through Best Buy and paid $20, and received a $10 credit!). In Austin the kid who was supposed to be helping me knew less about their contracts than I do, and he asserted repeatedly that AT&T did not offer any data plans.. Strange thing to claim given that the website clearly indicates that they do offer such plans..

So now I have to call in to cancel the service, and try to convince whoever answers the phone on their end, after the obligatory 15 minute or more wait on hold, that I really do just want a data plan, without a phone, and preferably without a long contract, if any at all. I have the phone that they try to use to justify the two year contracts so all I need is the service and the sim card.. Anyone believe that AT&T will actually give me customer service? No one?

If there were any other option where I am building, I would go with it.. Ever since SWB bought AT&T, the customer service has simply stopped.

Mystery Melon

Let me begin by saying that I know I need a pic of this melon.. I'll get to it once I make room on the camera's card..

After heaving up rocks heavier than I should be lifting, painting Rancher Bob's propane tank with a solvent based paint that I am certain no one should ever be using, and dealing with a multitude of computer issues (the newest laptop is still screwed up, but at least in a different way..), I opted for a stroll through the much neglected garden (the vegetable garden only gets attention when Rancher Bob or I are here, so with the funeral and subsequent Austin trip, and Rancher Bob's work related travels, the garden is in decline, when it ought to be thriving).

I discovered a few squash, including some winter squash which had been left for dead.. the Malabar spinach still thriving, though going to seed, and much to my delight a mystery melon growing out amongst the corn. This was not a plant that was intentionally grown, but rather some natural hybrid of melons grown in previous years.. or maybe a throw back to some older melon..

The melon is yellow and orange striped, sort of in the same manner as a watermelon is striped. I assumed because of the color that it was some watermelon which was overripe, but my curiosity got the better of me, as it often does, so I sliced one open right where I found it. Inside it was clearly not a watermelon at all, but something closer to musk melon (with a different rind obviously) or honeydew, but not exactly like either. It smelled perfectly ripe so I sliced off a bit and tried a bite.. damn that is one good melon!

The melons are slightly larger than a softball on average, so perfect for two people. I ate half of it while I walked around the rest of the garden, and saved the other half for a treat before bed.. which I am enjoying as I type this.

I may not know the variety, or if it is even a specific variety, but with a tip of the hat to Alton Brown, I do know what it is: Good Eats!

Ted's Legacy

. . . .. and let us not forgetMary Jo Kopechne . . . . 1940-1969mmmmmm

Mary Jo Kopechne . . . . Mary Jo Kopechne . . . . 1940-1969 1940-1969

Mowing

From 9 am, when I could find some of the yard where the dew had more or less dried, until 8 pm I spent nearly every moment on the lawn mower, mowing Rancher Bob's yard..

I am still not done..

An hour or two tomorrow should see the yard completed.. I hope..

Making some small progress finally on the deep freezer front.. AJ Madison the (disreputable) dealer from which I purchased this freezer sent an email five days ago telling me that the freezer shipped.. Today I was able to get the shipping company name and track the package on their site, rather than trusting AJ Madison's site... Turns out that the freezer did not ship 5 days ago, but instead was scheduled to be loaded TODAY! Here again I find AJ Madison being dishonest and unnecessarily delaying shipping the order which was placed over a month ago.

Still, looks like Yellow Freight has the freezer and hopefully will deliver it on time (by their stated time that is) so that I can get it installed before I have to leave again..

No contact with the bulldozer operator so no idea if I will be able to get the site cleared while here. Hopefully I will be able to catch him tomorrow.

A Brief visit..

..to my house site!

I am back in the rocky hills for a very brief visit (in which I hope to make some damn progress..) before I am off again, this time for paying gigs..

The time in Austin was good and modestly enlightening, in ways explained and hinted at, as well as others which may come to light in the future in this blog.. I've some thoughts on being a good house guest, showing adequate and proper appreciation to folks who host parties you attend, and other thoughts on places and interactions..

For now I am grateful to be back in my own bed, which is long enough for me!!! The importance of this cannot be overstated..

I have to hit the ground running, doing work that supposedly Rancher Bob's wife does, but in practice unbeknownst to him, others including myself make sure that these maintenance tasks get done so his time home is what it should be.

I am also going to be trying to at the very least get the homesite cleared so I can stake out where the excavation for the house should be.. With under a week to make this happen, and having been trying to get this to happen since February, I am not going to hold my breath.. Anyone need work done by a live in designer this winter?? :)

Tonight will be a night of rest and relaxation.. of reading and enjoying a fine bottle of Becker Claret, Vanerchuk be damned!!!

Cliche

I've been trying to explain to various people my reaction to returning to Austin a mere 13 months after I left, and I believe tonight I have finally managed to capture the feeling in a cliche which we all do or should understand: You can never go home again.

I came to Austin first when I was a child and loved that this small town (as it was then) was the capital of the biggest state (Alaska can bite me.. :) ) in the US. I returned many years later to go to the biggest record (albums, LPs.. ) convention in the world, and once again fell in love with the great green hills, the laid back atmosphere, and the feeling of place, of real unique identity. I visited a few more times while in graduate school, and finally moved here, mostly by accident, in 2000. I stayed in no small part because of the people (ironically those people were not from Austin themselves!) but also because of all of the attributes I had enjoyed in the past visits.

None of that has changed, other than the fact that Austin is no longer a small town in anyone's imagination, except perhaps in comparison to any small city in China.. (though the Chinese cities retain more of their community flavor than US cities in my experience..). Still, Austin is not home anymore, even though no where is home at the moment.

This does not prevent me from enjoying the drive down Spicewood Springs road over to McNeil, or from savoring with childish glee the negative G's that you can get on a particular arroyo on Westlake Drive if you hit is just over the speed limit.. Nor does it take away from the heaven that is a well crafted Freebirds! or a night at Shady Grove enjoying the big man, Bruce Robison, and his wife Kelly Willis. I have very much enjoyed my visit here, from the place to the food, to the people, but still it is not home and does not have that magnetic draw to it that Austin once held for me.

Just as Austin changed me, largely for the better, so has this year plus traveling changed me such that Austin is a good friend, a great place to visit, but not a place to live for me anymore. I noticed in my short, although extemded beyond my intentions, time here that I fall into a particular rut that is not where I want to be. I have done the whole rabid business owner thing, and it was good for a while, but my priorities have shifted a bit to focusing on my own life directly rather than focusing on creating environments for others that will ultimately contribute a bit to my own life (through the checks they send).

Tomorrow is my last day in Austin, and I am ending it in the right way: a birthday party for a lovely woman who tolerates a very trying but equally wonderful man, both of whom I consider dear friends. The Wichita crowd is largely going to be present which will be a nice reunion of those folks, then Sunday morning I leave to go back to the hills for a bit..

While none of us can really go home again, it is good to be reminded that life is not stagnant, that we grow, change, and evolve such that at different times we really are different people enjoying a different life.

It is what it is..

The Best of Austin

Once in a while everything just comes together which is what happened last night. I called up my cousin's significant other to check on him, and along with his brother we went to Shady Grove (very cool south Austin spot) to catch the free show. This alone would have been cool, but to make it even better the show was Bruce Robison. Yet it still got better.. his wife Kelly Willis also got up on stage and sang a couple of songs..

He did everything I could have wanted to hear, and then some. The company was great, the music perfect, and the food always good.

The only possible problem came as the evening came to a close when a gal who had spent the entire evening loudly talking to others and generally being obnoxious, turned around and told us to shut up when finally, for the first time during the entire show, I asked Greg how his brother was dealing with the death of my cousin. We were talking relatively quietly, but she went on a rampage which was accompanied by her homeless (?) beau also screaming at us. We quickly figured out that they were drunk and needed to be ignored while we continued to enjoy the last song. They saw it differently. They ran to the management who came on strong at us, until we calmly explained that this couple was drunk as could be, obnoxious, and was feeding the management a line of crap. A short while later the same manager came back apologized profusely, and then apologized later as we were leaving as well. Obviously the Shady Grove manager saw through their charade and recognized that we were just enjoying the show.

We did not let this sad but amusing incident mar the night. A great time was had by all of us.

Meeting and talking to both Kelly Willis and Bruce was a nice little bonus.. great people, even if Bruce is freakishly tall! (we need more folks like that!)

Insult to Injury

E-Cycle Pro did finally respond to the email much to my surprise. They even feigned regret over the problems that they have caused and to make up for it they shipped the motherboard... to the WRONG ADDRESS!

They had been given the address no less than 5 times, with the address also included in the special instructions so as to avoid any possibility of such an error. Sadly they went out of their way to ship to the wrong address. They dredged up an old out of date address from the archive and chose to ship to it instead of the address that they were given and appeared in the paypal billing.

This is the state of customer service for many businesses, and a sad state it is.

The next hurdle will be to see if E-Cycle Pro will immediately refund the entire payment, or if they will create some further problem. I have no doubt that they will fail to compensate for the lost time and opportunity costs.. and now I am left without the time to get the computer repaired here before I have to leave once again.

Good to be Wrong, or at least not all right

Though I am still completely unimpressed by the efforts, or more accurately the lack of efforts of most companies including those already named, I am happily reminded that there are still a few, perhaps merely a handful, or people who recall what customer service is.

Unfortunately I had to send in my laptop for service under the suspicion that the motherboard was kaput. Systemax not only arranged for UPS to pick up the computer at no expense to me and without even a hint of argument, but called today to let me know that they replaced the memory and have shipped the computer back out after stress testing it for 36 hours. Here again Systemax has reminded me why I should and do recommend them to just about everyone I meet when the topic turns to computers.

Now if only I were going to be in the same place as that computer... but that is beyond Systemax's control..

Customer Service RIP

The last two orders I have placed online have been met with what is sadly the current trend in customer service: no service.

On July 24th I ordered a freezer online via an Amazon link, and not only have I not received the freezer, I have twice emailed the company and cannot even get a response. Needless to say I am not going to be promoting AJ Madison as a seller to trust...

This last week I ordered a motherboard, and even requested expedited shipping, paying the extra $40+ dollars to get it the next day.. two days later still not here and the tracking on the website does not even show the order as fully processed and shipped!! In fact there is a line hidden deep in the site that says that they try to get most orders shipped in 4-6 days. Now, if someone is explicitly requesting expedited shipping, telling you that they need it the next day, do you take their money and then simply ignore the order? Apparently that is what you do if you are E-Cycle Pro... I have snt in an email to them, but I am not so foolish as to expect a response.

What happened to taking pride in your personal integrity, in your work, and in keeping your word? Are we as customers so complacent that we do not demand good service?

Austin update

I am making some progress in Austin, some of which is unexpected. I believe that I have found a contractor who I feel comfortable recommeding to my clients on the basis of the quality of his work, and the nature of his character. A person with a respect for doing the job right, and the integrity to make sure that the job is done right is all too rare. One who recognizes that such referrals are worth a great deal to him, even more so. With luck I hope that he and I will be developing an ongoing relationship where my customers are satisfied and I am even able to get a bit of income out of the deal.

I am also fortunate to have my truck back in the shop. Strange thing to utter, but when you have a mechanic as good as mine here, you are thankful when he can do the routine maintenance and even grateful when he finds other problems which must be addressed. I do not like spending money, but at least with Paul I can rest assured that the money is well spent and the work necessary without any hint of doubt.

With my Freebirds! fix currently sated, I am able to consider the other culinary opportunities in Austin such as Shady Grove, or perhaps other forgotten spots.

Though it is quite hot, I will likely try to visit some of the trails I used to know to enjoy the rugged beauty of the Texas Hill Country. Speaking of which I have been able to pick up a couple of bottles of Becker Vineyards' Claret, perhaps the best wine in Texas. I look forward to sharing these at some later time with some dear friends who have also moved away from this area, though in the meantime I hope to enjoy a bottle with friends who still live here.

The two jobs I have here are on hold until Saturday, when I do one of the jobs, and then next week for the other, which will make my further travels longer and more rushed. Still, it will be good to get a couple of paychecks even if they are small ones which do not even come close to covering the bill from the mechanic..

I will be looking into perhaps picking up a water storage tank while in Austin in hopes of saving a great deal on transportation costs for a 3000 gallon water tank.

However today is simply a day of rest as I am without the truck. So I am catching up on some reading (Nozick's Examined Life), contemplating various aspects of life including one recently discussed with a friend, and keeping the sausage dog company.

Secret to Peace and Contentment

:


Regular on Spinach
Rice and Cheese (mix cheese)
Black Beans
Dark Meat Chicken
Hot Tomatillo sauce (or habanero or death sauce)
Tomatoes, pico, and salsa
Jalapenos
Red onion
Cilantro
Corn salsa
Poblano salsa
and just a bit of lettuce.

Unwrap slowly and experience complete sensory satisfaction.

Freebirds! at last..

I have survived the death race which is Interstate 35 to Austin my reward for which was delicious Brazillian barbeque for lunch, and then Freebirds! for dinner. For those not familiar with Freebirds! imagine if Chipotle had flavor, character, and style and you will get an image which would be a mere shadow of Freebirds! World Burrito.

Though I would like to take today to rest from the travels and from the busy day here upon arrival, I have to hit the ground running by going to bid a couple of jobs and connect up with a new business connection which may well take over my old clients for me.

Then order computer parts and contact folks around here some of who knew I was coming.

Such is the day of this traveler..

Services today

Today is the service for Kim. I have been asked to be a pall bearer a grim task that I feel flattered to be asked to do.

Needless to say the day revolves around the issues of the service and Kim's life. The family is getting together again today, though we gathered yesterday at the "viewing." I refrained from viewing the body as I find the practice more than creepy and distasteful. However it was good to get together and to offer what support I could.

As my father commented last night, we can never find the time to get together and enjoy life with one another but always can make the time for a funeral. I suspect that this is true for most people, not merely our own family and as such a truly pathetic statement on what we value and our placing of death as more important than life an experience.

And on that sad I leave off... until Austin..

Computer outage

As I began to go through the morning routine of checking email, weather, and the like the new computer died on me. Near as I can tell the hard drive is shot.. so until I can get another computer or this one repaired I will be offline..

For Kim

Twenty-nine years ago or so this goofy looking socially awkward kid took it upon himself to stand up for a little girl who seemed to be getting the short end of the stick at a family gathering.. a couple of years later that ongoing role was captured on film.

This is a rare shared memory between Kim and I, and perhaps a beginning to something which led to where I am today. Regardless, I was made better for my interaction with that little girl, perhaps even when we reconnected as adults telling ribald stories and keeping the family traditions in liquid refreshment..

We both recalled the day of this photo, and I the Easter which started this role for me. For a person who lives very much in the moment, this shared memory stands as a landmark for me, reminding me that though I walk a solitary path usually blazing it as I go, there are times, or were times when that path crossed others and was better for it.

I took some heat in recent years for offering Kim a place to live while she sorted our her life, a time which some have demeaned by claiming mental illness on her part, chalking up the effort to learn and live to being bipolar, but I know better. Kim had her problems, including medical problems, but she was no more bipolar than the earth is a cube. Her memory deserves better.*

She and I often did not see eye to eye as adults, but we each saw that the other was walking a path with intention and some degree of strength. We each knew that the other has flaws, but respected one another nonetheless.

Kim grew into a woman I sometimes grudgingly liked, but always loved. She could annoy me at the same time that she made me laugh out loud. She expected great things of herself and of the world.

She expected me to be her protector, drinking buddy, sounding board, and honestly I probably don't know what else. I probably did not excel at any of these, but I did what I could when I could, and I will cherish the memories of the various times, from the little girl in her Easter dress to the woman ordering her own special concoction from the bartender who she had already worked into the palm of her hand..

Our time was far too short cousin.. my efforts too little.. my thanks always left unspoken. I am headed to Austin which you loved, and I will drink your silly girlie drink concoction in your memory.. It is too little and too late, but thank you for helping me to become who I am.



*no offense intended to anyone truly suffering from bipolar, the comments are directed at the falseness not the particular accusation.

More Travel

A trip to north Texas area, and then on to Austin may well be in the works. Due to the untimely passing of a family member, there is reason to head to north Texas. Once there the additional 3-4 hours to Austin make some sense provided that I can pick up some work there to cover the cost of traveling.

It would indeed be nice to see friends again down there, and I must admit a craving for the ever desirable, always delectable Freebirds!

More later as I learn more about the arrangements and timing.

Blog changes

As you may have noticed I have changed the name of the blog. With that name change comes a slight change in focus, from exclusively travel and the building of my off grid home, to include elements of philosophy, including a focus on the value of the individual.

As the title implies, I have no desire to rule any others, nor do I accept the claim that anyone has the right to rule me (or any other person for that matter). This is the pinnacle of peaceful coexistence and the necessary consequence of simply recognizing that others are also inherently valuable.

As this understanding and respect for others has been one of the major factors in the decision to lead the life I am living, including the off grid home I am building, I decided that I should not try to separate it out from the adventures of living.

I hope that you enjoy these changes..

Fresh food

Even though there are many difficulties right now, and I may well be at a crossroads, there is still much to enjoy. Fresh raspberries for breakfast, right off the cane. Blueberries for a mid morning snack, needing only a bent knee to harvest. Dinner tonight? Fresh mixed beans (Chinese long beans, Adzuki beans, haricot verde (green beans)), Chinese cucumbers, which in my experience are the most flavorful without any of the bitterness of regular cukes. in basalmic vinegar, mustard (real mustard not that neon yellow stuff) garlic, black pepper, a touch of cayenne, and salt marinated in the fridge. And fresh tomatoes sliced with salt for a appetizer.

If I were willing to heat up the house by cooking, I could have corn straight from the stalk as well, with a side of edamame.

This is a time of abundance, even in the small garden to which I have access so though my mind may be troubled by other considerations, my body is quite satisfied with the bounty of non-processed, fresh and flavorful produce at my doorstep.

"Title"

Anyone else notice the not too subtle return of generics in the food aisles? Mind you I am a fan of them, seeing no reason to pay for a name. Heck my own was given to me, why would I pay for another?

Anyway, on the shopping trip today I noticed again that white packaging was making a comeback. Sure it is still slicker than the quintessential six pack of cans labeled "beer" (my favorite example of generics) but I suspect that some marketing guru somewhere pointed out that the white packaging reminds folks of a certain generation at least, of discounted, inexpensive options, thus the comeback.

I have to admit that though I am a fan of scientific achievement and particularly space exploration, I am sick at heart of hearing about all of the advancements "due to" or which "would only have come from" the moon missions. The truth is that we either would have developed these technologies as they became necessary, else they were never necessary.

No government has ever or will ever create or otherwise be responsible for advancement of the species. This is self-evident but also easily proved once one considers the purpose and nature of government.

All government exists for the sole purpose of controlling others. Those in power assume that they are angels with no need of control, and many who are slaves to the powers that be agree with smiles on their faces. What this means for technology or for advancement is that the focus of these advances will always be in the form of control of others.

So when you look to the advancements of the space mission, look to the use of emotional appeals to increase taxation. Look to the increase in the use of cameras such that it is almost impossible to be in public but not on camera.. Look to the abuses of power for personal gain.

These are the legacy of the space mission, and every government endeavor.

As are 70 pound fancy calculators.. prohibited research into fuel cells and the infamous billion dollar pen which can write in space (the Russians were smart enough to use a pencil!!)

Microcomputers, modern fuel cells, and even fancy pens are the result of private individuals seeksing to make a living. Never forget this fundamental lesson of liberty..

Crossroads

I have been asked by a few folks if I am at a crossroads, and the truth is that as they mean the term, I am. But what I found interesting in the questions was my own reaction which is that we are always, or should always be, at a crossroads where we should seriously consider our next step which will begin a new path, a new direction, perhaps a new adventure.

James Bovard

One of the writers I enjoy reading for the clarity of thought, precision of language, and for the defense of the reasonable (aka "liberty") is James Bovard. I was turned onto him during a week long seminar at the Institute for Humane Studies more than a decade ago, and have enjoyed much of his writing since.

All of which is simply a brief introduction to a very humorous post from Bovard here: http://jimbovard.com/blog/2009/07/13/my-vindication-dammit/

While not central, nor even representative of his areas of focus, it is delightfully amusing, and to anyone who has ever worked on cars, houses, or other mechanical devices, completely unsurprising..

Read the article, then this anecdote will make more sense:

Many years ago, some friends were renting a room from me, and as a favor I did some work on the car of the girlfriend of one of these guys. (She was sharing a room with the guy.. ) At that time in my life, I swore very rarely. So rarely that most folks who knew me would have told you that I simply never swore. So while working on her car, I apparently let loose with a string of explicatives after some bolt slipped for the umpteenth time, or some part would not go into place.. She came out the door and to her credit asked if I was alright. Puzzled, I said, "yeah I am fine. Why do you ask?" It was then that she commented on my use of profanity, which she rightfully understood to be out of character.

In a rare moment of perfect clarity and timing, I responded that profanity is an essential tool in car repair..

While I may have loosened my tongue a bit when it comes to explicatives, I do still hold that the maxim is not merely true but absolute. Vehicle repair necessitates profanity!

That said, I will add one addendum: Or a damn fine mechanic!

To tell the truth, I prefer the latter to the former.

water

Reading: Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist
Gift from Earth


As you may know, much of the south is suffering under near record temps and unfortunately drought. These factors are not lost on me trying to build in what is at a stretch "the south" aka my current house site. I was recently informed that it may be likely that I will need to sink a well, something I have been avoiding not only because the cost and environmental damage, but also because the well water here is decidedly nasty. I am perhaps the biggest fan of well water, and still (pun intended) I will be the first to say that this well water tastes like an omelet of rusty nails and rotten eggs (iron and sulfur) with the appearance of weak tea..

The upshot is that I now must look even more closely into rain water collection and perhaps consider 5000 gallon tanks or the like to get me through the two to three months of possible drought times.. else drill a well.

Or perhaps better yet reconsider building here.. unfortunately I have invested a year prepping for this build, and that same year losing income so my options are more limited than I like. Still, other mountains do call out...

Reading

I am going to make an effort to note what I am reading with each post, or at least often enough so that anyone interested can follow what has risen to the top of the reading list.

Currently I am reading Epitaph for a Desert Anarchist: The Life and Legacy of Edward Abbey. If you are not familiar with Abbey, then become familiar. He is a character much worth reading.

I just finished Harry Harrison's One Step from Earth, a wonderful science fiction collection.

I managed to get a window ac unit installed today in the caravan, though it is struggling to keep the place tolerable. I am hoping that once the sun goes down that the unit will cool the caravan sufficiently to sleep.

Such is the state of affairs..

Back in the hills

I am back in the hills again after a successful trip. There is a great deal to think about, and perhaps blog about on the trip though none of it travel related, or location related, but instead life and liberty related. I have to decide if I want to explore the question of the celebrations of the 4th here or not, or address this and other topics in a separate blog such as bringing the Letters Not Sent blog back to life..

In the meantime, the long absence from blogging has ended. I will start to once again provide regular updates, and I sincerely hope very soon to have those include photos of the excavation starting..

Amongst the things that have happened during the silence, has been a changing of phone and numbers.. so if I've not given you the new number, and you had the old, then drop me an email. I have lost all of my numbers thanks to a cracked and thus unreadable phone screen and a very unhelpful AT&T "customer service" division..

Tomorrow will bring a better day...