This was frost on the inside of my bedroom window up until a few weeks ago. It seems that the storm windows aren't up to the task of blocking cold. I had to put a plastic barrier inside as well. It's better, but still plenty cold. At least there's not ice on the plastic.

Flickr Account

More and more the website Tribe has been out of service. As a business it's on hard times and that's effecting the performance. I've been using Tribe as the primary place to display and share my photos. Yesterday I did what I've been meaning to do for a long time and posted my photos on my flickr account. The link is in the right hand column------>

Many of the photos are ones I've posted in Tribe but there are already some new ones as well. Flickr is where I'll also be posting most of my new stuff.

Conservation Over Comfort

I've got the heat set on 50-55F. However, as of today I shut off half the house from the heat. The only part being heated is the part with the thermostat and the water pipes. Can't let the pipes freeze. I spend most my time in the part of the house that isn't heated. So if the "warm" part is 55F, I'm not sure how cold it is in my room. Right now I can see my breath a little.

I'm not doing this to prove a point or be macho. There's no sense in heating such a large space in this house. I'd rather pile on extra layers than burn fossil fuel when not necessary.

How It Seems To Me

Voice of Reason: The world is heating up.
Republicans: No it's not!!! You can't prove it.
Voice of Reason: Yes, it is. Here's the proof.
Republicans: (reluctantly) OK, so it's heating up. But it's NOT our fault.
Voice of Reason: I'm not assigning blame, I'm only saying that we all collectively have to change our practices because bad things are happening right now and they are going to get far far worse if we don't act IMMEDIATELY.
Republicans: Well, it's really just the natural cycle of the planet. It warms and cools all the time.

Voice of Reason: It's true that the planet has natural cycles. This is NOT one of them. The warming is happening faster than ever before and corresponds directly to the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Republicans: No. It's sunspots. I'm not changing a damned thing I'm doing. I will drive my SUV. I can afford the gas. I will consume rapaciously and not value the things I own.
Voice of Reason: You personally can afford the gas, but as a global community we can't afford your waste. It's hurting everyone.
Republicans: Well you are just a bunch of unwashed, tree-hugging, hippie liberals. (fingers in ears) lalalalalalalala.....

The Hazards Of Carpooling

For the last few weeks I have been riding an hour to the job site with a coworker. He listens to country music. It would be hard to overstate my abhorrence of country music, but etiquette keeps me from asking him to change the station. It's his truck, his radio, his time. He can listen to what he likes and I know he prefers country above all else.

However, listening to one hour of country is like listening to 4 straight hours of a 3 yr old whining. I would rather listen to a dental drill all the while. It comes close to physically nauseating me. Once to the job site or home I rush to a radio to wash the bad flavor out of my mind with another kind of music. Worse, is the fact that through the repetition of hearing the same songs day after day I'm learning some of them enough to get the chorus stuck in my head. Oh, it hurts.

For the record, I'm a referring to only new country pop. I love Johnny Cash, Waylon, Willie, and others who are seldom ever heard these days.

Just Because

Taking Time, Taking Photos

I spent some quality time this weekend with my camera. The foliage got a slow start this year but has made up for it in this last week. I'm still experimenting with the camera settings and haven't been able to nail some of the photos I wanted, but I'm enjoying the practice.

Crash and Burn

My father is 62 years old. A while back he purchased a kit to make a bike motorized. The engine is very small, but will get the bike up to 25-30 mph when opened up. Yesterday I got a call from him on his cell phone saying that he'd dumped the bike. A stranger picked him up and dropped him off back home. I drove him to the hospital to get him checked out as he'd landed pretty hard and was fairly scrapped up. Fortunately he was wearing a helmet (you'll see it on the bike seat and note that is saved his melon). He checked out fine - nothing broken. He has substantial swelling on his hip, but was told there's no serious injury.

When we retrieved the bike we found that the front fender had fallen off and its support posts and wound themselves around the wheel collapsing it.

I bet he's really sore today when he wakes up.

I'm Back

There was this Thing out there in the desert. It was the strangest thing I ever saw. Just this thing in the middle of nowhere. OK, I've taken that as far as I care to.

I got back from Burning Man two weeks ago. Since then I have been working, visiting with family, catching up with friends, and trying to unpack. I'm still working on the unpacking part.

Green Man

Though this year's theme at Burning Man was "Green Man" there was very little that was environmentally friendly about the event. This doesn't look very environmentally friendly so me.

Burning Man Update

I made it to Gerlach Nevada without any trouble. The bus performed admirably. It took 5 days of hard driving but I was in a good mindset to get through it without going crazy with boredom. I got some excellent photos of Bonneville Salt Flats at sunrise. I'll post those photos later.

There is no Black Rock City yet, only empty desert. The city is in the process of being surveyed and created. I've been a part of that process for the last two days and for many more days to come. It all starts with finding the location for the Man, and the entire city is based on that first point. Yesterday I helped map out the street; today I helped lay out the intersections - there's over 200 intersections.

This year the city itself is bigger than ever - another five streets were added perhaps. The city perimeter will be a whole mile longer - 8.2 miles.

The weather has been hot (but bearable), sunny, and windy. That's the way it will continue for at least the next 5 days. Dust hasn't been bad yet, but there's hardly anyone here yet to stir it up.

I Set Out Running But I Take My Time

This line from a Grateful Dead song comes to mind so often when I start my annual cross country trip in the VW. It's hard to do anything but take my time when driving a VW. But I've learned to adopt a different driving mentality when behind the wheel of the Dub. I've can't go fast so if I ever plan on getting across the country I have to put in LONG hours to make up for it. I hope to be on the road by mid morning tomorrow.

A Day In The Life Of A V-Dub Owner

Though my uncle and I have spent the last three days working on the bus, it broke down shortly after I drove away satisfied that the thing was rock solid. Apparently the fuel pump has given up the ghost. It had nothing to do with the work we did. So today's project will be to fix that issue, then hopefully I can load the bus and be on my way to Nevada for Burning Man. The perplexing thing about the fuel pump giving out is that it's a good brand name and only has about 5,000 miles on it total. I'm very thankful that it broke here in town and not out in some flat faraway corn state.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

My uncle, Kevin, has gone over the VW bus's electrical system for the past three days in minute detail. He has put a great deal of time and effort into it, making sure that it is done right. Things now work on the bus that have never worked in the entire time that I've owned it. It now has back-up lights, and will even pass inspection for the first time. He has really done an excellent job on the rig.

The Hay Is Done

For the last week or so I've been helping my uncle with the hay. There's been a number of family members helping with the effort. It's been hot and muggy work. The last stick of hay is now in the barn, and it's a good feeling knowing that project is finished for the year.

My ongoing electrical problems with the VW haven't been solved however. I picked the bus up at the mechanic's yesterday and my uncle is going to help try to track down the bug in the works. The bus DOES have a brand new set of brakes. The e-brake works for the first time since I've owned it which is nice.

The Way Is Clear

I just got word that I have clearance to arrive at the Burning Man location around August 6th. This is good news. It will take roughly a week to drive there and I won't be coming back til early in Sept.

Hike In The Whites

For the first time since I left the Appalachian Trail in fall of '05 I went for an overnight camping trip. The first night my friend from college, Adam, and I hiked a short way to Mizpah hut and set up camp. The following day we hiked to the summit of Washington and then back to Mizpah. The day was perfect for hiking. Though it was only 48 degrees on top with a steady strong wind it only felt cool as the effort of climbing kept me warm.

Tip Of The Iceburg (1 of 3)

A few years ago my father and I made an effort to go around the yard and dig up all the rocks that stuck up far enough to give us trouble with the mowing. There was one that we began to dig up and decide it was too big to lift out of the hole, so we filled in the hole we made and continued to mow around it.
I’ve been the one mowing the yard the last couple of weeks and decided that I was going to take care of the rock. I knew I couldn’t lift it, but I could dig a deeper hole beside it and bury it.

In For A Penny In For A Pound (2 of 3)

I lifted the grass and began digging. I couldn’t find the bottom. I had to lift more grass and make the hole bigger. I realize the stone was far bigger than I imagined, but at that point I was committed. Fortunately the back yard is a low area and there’s a good layer of real dirt before hitting hard pan. Still there were other rocks of various sizes that got in the way and had to be contended with. I found the bottom of the rock at about the same time I found the water table.

I WIN!!! (3 of 3)

I called it a day and went back to it the following day. Where there had only been a bit of moisture the day before there was now an inch of water covering the entire bottom of the hole. The water proved to be of great help though, softening up the dirt and it allowed me to undermine the rock just by swirling the water around underneath with the shovel. At last I was able to push the rock over into the hole.

The shovel is a short-handled one about 2 feet long.

New Effect

I saw this camera effect done and wanted to give it a shot myself. I had the camera pointed in a a somewhat random direction, but as it turns out I kinda like the result. There's no computer manipulation of this shot.

Still Tracking The Bug

My friend Dave thinks that much of the electrical problem is in the ignition switch, so I have on on the way now. I'm hoping that it will do wonders toward curing the electrical bugs the bus has. On a positive note, it's got new front brakes and the E-brake has been tightened up so it now works and isn't just the merest suggestion of a brake.

Beyond that, life is good.

Uh-Oh

The bus wouldn't start the next time I worked up the courage to try. The wire that runs from the ignition was fried. So with the help of my ever resourceful friend, Nate, we hotwired it and got it to the mechanic. On the way I discovered a host of other electrical problems of greater and lesser importance. The mechanic thinks it's a bad ground somewhere. But will I be able to fix it before I have to leave for Burning Man? The bus is important because it becomes my shelter once I'm out in the desert. Tents don't keep the dust out. The bus does....more or less.

Is It Supposed To Do That?

I got my VW bus out of storage last week. It needs help with some electrical circuits before I drive it out to Nevada in August. I moved the fuse box so I could get at certain parts. I put the fuse box back in the general location but didn't snap it into place. When I went to start it, it ran fine for 10 seconds or so and then quit. I thought it just stalled but then I noticed smoke coming from under the dashboard. I turned off the key and disconnected the battery. My good friend, Nate, was there and he assures me it's nothing to worry about. That he's done much worse to a beetle in the past with no permanent effects. I'm hoping he's right. I don't want the thing to act possessed all the way to Burning Man.

Not New But Hopefully Improved

I met with a friend today who helped me with some settings on this blog. I guess I'm falling behind the tech curve because I couldn't figure it out on my own. I'm hoping that if anyone is still reading this from time to time that you will be able to post a comment now without a hassle of jumping through hoops.

Thanks again, friend (you know who you are).

The Photos has nothing to do with this post. I just like it.

Back in the Granite State

Well for those that don't know it already, I'm back in New Hampshire. The weather has been stellar - with comfortable daytime temps and temps at night that are perfect for sleeping. It's a welcome change from the roasting high 80's down in Kentucky.

I'm working on a number of projects at the moment from getting my bus out of storage and roadworthy to fixing cracked windows (should have been done a decade ago), fixing the sash weight so they don't slam and break again, and fixing a leaky roof.

I'm still planning on taking the month of August to travel to Nevada for Burning Man. This will likely be the last year I go.

Happy Summer Solstice.

The photo was taken right here in town.

Blog Silence

One reason I haven't been posting recently is that staying on the internet here is highly frustrating. The internet provider here has a monopoly and their service is crap. The connection cuts out every few minutes. I spend half my time simply trying to reconnect to the web. It is analogous to trying to drive anywhere in this city. I'm spending half the time "traveling" sitting at a stop light going nowhere. It makes me less willing to get out of the house.

Thunder Over Louisville

The largest display of fireworks in North America is here in Louisville and marks the kick-off of the Derby festivities. There were an estimated 800,000 people there! It was 30 minutes of highly choreographed pyrotechnics. This photo is not in any way representative, but I think it's visually interesting. Right around sunset a volley of the snappers was sent up. This is some of them going off.

On-Line Photos

At the urging of a couple 0n-line friends I have opened a Flickr account in order to post more photos. The link is to the right. I have included some of the same ones that are in the Tribe album, but also some different ones. I had many more to post but had already reached my monthly quota and was prevented.

Yesterday I purchased a zoom lens to go with my new Nikon. I'm hoping to have it by Monday. Being able to use a good telephoto lens is one of the reasons I upgraded cameras.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7663945@N05/

Attack Goose

I was out for my weekly photo shoot walk when this silly goose charged me. I don't know what got it feathers all in a twist, but it seemed to take a dislike to me.

Lazy Sunday

I got up early to catch the light of the morning sun. I was going to go for a run when I got done taking pictures, but it has gotten a too hot. Maybe I'll go later.

This photos is a regular shot without any photoshop trickery involved. I was fortunate enough to catch the light of stained glass on one surface and the scenery behind me reflected on the glass in front of me all at the same time.

Photo Op

Yesterday was a perfect day to go out and take pictures, so I headed the the best place I know around here - the local cemetery. It's large and old and as well kept as any park. Dogwoods and early flowers are beginning to bloom. When the cemetery is in full bloom it will be a profuse with color in every corner. I enjoyed walking around for a couple hours taking shots.

A Springtime Casualty

Looks like this lil' guy won't be seeing summer time. It was not even as big as a dime through the middle. I was walking down to my favorite place to take photos when I saw this in the sidewalk. A large bush was overhanging the sidewalk but I didn't see a nest in it.

Damned Squirrels

The landlords plugged the holes in the building the squirrels were coming through and that kept them out of a while. But it's 4:02 a.m. Sunday morning and the reason I'm up is because they were running, thumping, and scraping around so much I couldn't sleep. There's nothing I can do about it. I'd kill them with my bare hands if I could.

To understand my extreme reaction to this squirrels it might help to know that I put up with similar situations in countless shelters on the Appalachian Trail so my patience tank for this sort of thing is on empty. Furthermore, Sarah refused to make the call to the landlord for 2.5 months the last time we had this trouble.

I didn't take this picture.

Taking Photos

I have gone out on several walks lately with the idea of taking photos. I got a few gems from the batch. On the most recent beautiful day when the local park was mobbed with parents, children, and dogs, I got the chance to experiment with the fast action setting on the camera.

To any who are interested, the link posted to the right will lead you to more of my most recent photos on-line.

Spy In The Sky

The white rectangle with the arrow pointing at it is my '71 VW bus parked at Burning Man. This is a satellite image.

Fascist Cop

So I'm driving back to Louisville last Monday. It's some time past 11:00 at night and I'm in Ohio. I pass 3 cop cars all parked right in the breakdown lane. They don't have a single person pulled over - they're just waiting. When I see them, I check my speed. I'm legal. I think about the car I'm driving. Everything about it is legal - registration, inspection; lights are all working.

But there aren't many cars on the road, and as soon as I pass them, they all pull out. One cruises right past me, but another one hangs back just a bit. Though I am totally legal and have done nothing wrong, I know it is just a matter of time before I'm pulled over for something. I don't have long to wait. The blues go on. WTF!!!!

I pull over immediately. I have no idea what excuse this knucklehead will use, but they don't really need one. Rather than come to the driver side window he comes up to the passenger side. Odd I think but I guess he just wants to stay out as far from traffic as possible.

He tells me I was swerving. Yeah sure I was. I always start weaving all about when side by side with a cop. It is something I can't argue. It is pointless to try. He tells me that he just wants to make sure that I am not too tired. I tell him I'm perfectly fine - wide awake - and hold up an empty can of Rock Star as a visual aid to bolster my case. Still he wants my licence, registration, and proof of insurance. It's just procedure I figure.

After about 10 minutes he returns to the drivers side window this time and asks me to get out of the car. I do, but ask him why. He tells me he wants to explain that he is giving me a written warning. I don't know why he can't do that while I'm sitting, but naturally he can do whatever he wants.

I don't understand why I'm even getting a written warning! We have established that I'm not tired. I know I was not swerving. If his job is to serve and protect, I would have been on my way 9 minutes ago. But his job description is apparently to harass and intimidate.

That New Car (freshener) Smell

At last I have been able to see the car I purchased a month or more ago. It was parked here in NH and I have been in Kentucky since November. It has been very well maintained. It has far more bells and whistles than I'd like, and I have to get to know how to operate them. For example, this car has an alarm system and I found out that if I hold the "lock" button on the key-chain too long it sets the alarm off. Who would have thought? Furthermore, it seems safe to assume that if holding the "lock" button too long sets the alarm off that depressing the "unlock" button would turn it off. But the old adage about assuming was not debunked and the alarm continued to blare throughout other attempts such as putting the key in the door and turning it, and putting the key in the ignition and starting the car. Finally I disconnected the battery and that did the trick.

I guess I'm officially old since I prefer the simplicity of my older cars. At least this car has a stereo that works which is a HUGE improvement when it comes to long trips!

Lake Effect Snow in NY

I'm currently back in NH for 2 weeks. It was one hell of a drive up here. I got a good start and everything was going just peachy til I got to New York. Keep in mind that I actually don't (heart) NY. It's quite the opposite. If you take all the other tolls I paid in other states and times that by three you get the the amount of toll for NY alone. In addition, the gas prices are closer to those of California than they are to surrounding states. Then the highway department adds insult to injury by posting signs that say "lower fuel prices in effect". And of course NY goes on forever and ever when driving west to east. I don't (heart) NY. I don't (heart) it one bit.

So as I got to NY the snow started coming down. I didn't mind. However, at times the snow was getting so bad visibility was nil. At it's worst I was unable to leave the interstate even though I wanted to because I was unable to see the exits. One particular gust of wind foiled me by completely blinding me for 4 seconds. I was only going slowly, but didn't dare come to a full and complete stop lest someone come along and collide into the back of me. Just as the snow cleared enough to see, I was heading toward the banking on the right shoulder.

I stuck myself, but not bad. The snow was soft and given time I could have dug out, but I was worried about someone following my hazards and plowing into me. So when I tow truck came along and offered to pull me out, I accepted. Though I was barely off the road and was "towed" all of 6 feet the price tag came to $100. Ouch.

New York continues to be no friend of mine.

House Sitting

Sarah and I are house sitting for a relative of hers that is away for the week. The house was the first built in this area and was originally an old plantation. It was part of the underground railroad at one point and had a tunnel that went across the street to a convent. It's boarded off now, and/or filled in. The first floor ceilings are about 14 feet high. Getting to the second floor is a bit of a trek. I can't imagine what it costs to heat this place even though the thermostat is set on 60.
The best thing though is that we can help ourselves to whatever is in the refrigerator.

It Must Be Inertia

I have noticed a strange paradox here in Louisville with the people. They often seem to move at a glacial speed. It is most apparent when waiting in line at a convenient store checkout line, or for the car in front of you at the green light to accelerate. However, once they are moving they seem loath to stop. In my daily travels I see 2-3 cars on average drive right through a red light.

Inspired

I'm currently reading a book written by the Barefoot Sisters who hiked the AT. They started in their native state of Maine and hiked to Georgia. They not only did that, but got to Georgia, turned around, and walked back to Maine. And not just that, but as their name implies they did most of the trip barefoot.

I have had the great fortune to meet these wonderful women a number of times. One of them even donated her rain coat to me the last time I hiked the AT when I got mine stolen from my pack in Damascus.

In reading the book, all kinds of vignettes are coming back to me from my own hikes and I am toying with the idea of actually taking a stab at writing my own account. Toying with the idea, mind you. Don't search Amazon for it just yet.

Breaking News

I am stunned. A TV show I am watching was just interrupted for "breaking news". Disaster? No. Death of the president? No. Anything of importance at all? No. The show was actually interrupted to announce that a Kentucky sports coach was leaving his team to go to another state. There was nothing more to say, but that didn't stop the "news" caster from repeating it about 8 times with the promise of keeping us updated as soon as there's more to report.

Do You Stop?

Here is a question that I have begun asking people. When I first posed the question I thought it was a no-brainer, but I was surprised to find how many people thought differently. I was also surprised by how emotional people got about the topic when you discuss the answers in depth.

It goes like this: You are driving through a big open desert where the visibility is excellent; you can see for miles and miles in all directions. You come to an intersection with a stop sign. You could see this intersection for miles in advance, as you can see for miles that there are no cars coming from any other direction and none behind you. There are no low shrubs, ditches, or billboards behind which a police officer could be hiding. You are certain you are the only person around. Do you stop?

For those of you that say "yes", let's say it is a traffic light. Would you wait for it to turn green? How long would you wait?

Glass Works

I went down to the local glass-blowing art gallery to get some photos. The artisan was making clear glass bottles. It wasn't as big a project as the last time I was there so I couldn't get some of the photos I'd hope for. It was still interesting to see how it's all done.

Bringing In The New Year

A friend of Sarah's hired me to paint the inside of her elderly mother's house so they can put it on the market. The mother was gone for the holidays so I was putting in some LONG days trying to get as much done as possible before she returned. I managed to get the kitchen and bathroom painted. There's a ton of prep work to do including hiding some cracks in the old plaster of the ceilings and walls.

I'm enjoying the work and the company (I've had the house entirely to myself).

I felt myself getting run down, but didn't take a break and now I'm sick on the couch with cough. I'll probably take tomorrow off since I don't want to bring germs into the old gal's house and get her sick.