•A (sort of) warm rain started falling around dusk yesterday. Rain has become a treat for me. I love everything about it. I just got a pair of rainpants at REI so now am prepared for walking out to the cliffs during big storms that roar in from the south. The air is sweet, fresh, electric. As energizing as getting head under waterfall. Simple joys.
•Solar light bulbs – For 50 years I’ve made skylights with flat (“Filon”) fiberglass, just interleaving it like a big shingle (on asphalt shingle roofs). It’s so simple. and solar-lights the room, free of charge. (I’ve found translucent, not transparent, provides best light.) I mention this because a young builder was here the other day, and this had never occured to him.
•Eatin local – I had 2 doves for dinner last night. One was roadkill, the other I shot. Yes, I do some small-scale hunting, OK? My dad was a serious duck hunter and my brother and I hunted for ducks and doves when we were about 12. Wild duck is my favorite food in the world. We have finally gotten around to eating a lot of local and/or wild foods. Crabs, fish, the occasional abalone, chanterelles, Yerba Buena tea… artichokes, beets and beet tops, chard, salad greens, tomatoes…from the garden. We started out to do this 30+ years ago and it’s all come to pass in the last 10 years or so. Local. Well, duh!
•End of a running (racing, that is) career – Bottom line: I’ve damaged my knees (20 years of fast downhill running) so at this point I’m knocking off the speed stuff. Oh I am so mature! Dumb fuck, I should have pulled out earlier. I should explain that there is a local race, the Dipsea, with tradition and romance and agony all wrapped up in a 7-mile course over the flank of a magic mountain. Me and my running friends (them even more so) have been obsessed with this great race. I’m starting to run differently. Once I give up on speed as a goal, it opens alternative paths. I’m fascinated with “chi running.” Trying to land more on mid-foot than solely on heel, flex knees more for shock absorption, better posture, and the greatest thing: FEELING the trail with my feet. Running as an art, running like an Indian…
•Tiny Homes book – is rolling. Rick, Lew, and I (with page design by David) have this week started turning out pages. 10-12 so far. We’re watching the book put itself together in this early phase. I’ve been laying out pages at random, just grabbing what looks exciting. Every day new material is coming in. Good stuff! There’s going to be way more than enough for one book.
•Rain and firewood – Rain is like, if you’ll excuse the expression, money in the bank. I feel secure when there’s been enough rain and the earth has enough moisture for the year. Same with firewood, we’ve got maybe a 2-year supply now (all roadkill trees), it’s comforting.
I thought my running career was over until I tried Chi Running combined with barefoot running. Six months now and it seems to be working. And, same as you, no more speed work, which I'll miss. Good luck to you!
Lloyd, Tim Ferriss has published a new book called "The Four-Hour Body" in which he describes his fitness experiments/hacks on himself. I have not read the book, but one of his blog posts describes some unconventional injury-recovery techniques. Perhaps it would be worth a look. And as always, thanks for the continuing information and inspiration. Steve