A sad and somewhat eery coincidence: Bill was killed in an auto accident yesterday (the day before this was posted), driving alone on slippery roads in Maine. I’ve known him for 40 years, stayed at his place in the Maine woods, and he visited our home last year. He was a grand man. Click here for news story.
Click here.
Sent by Lew Lewandowski
Late yesterday afternoon I went for a paddle. It was glassy, no surf, like Lake Tahoe. I headed out towards the reef, paddling directly into sun low on horizon. You never know with the ocean. It can be gnarly and unfriendly, or lovely and perfect. Which it was yesterday. No surfers at all.
My paddleboard (Joe Bark 12′ Surftek) just flew on the smooth water, it felt like the sun was pulling me, I had a wake. Ready to head for Hawaii. Well, not.
I got some seaweed at the reef, started paddling back. Up in front of me was a Western Grebe, floating. Elegant black and white head and neck. He didn’t seem concerned as I got closer. Then he dove, just under the surface, completely submerged, spun around, then came up and gulped down the little fish he’d snagged.
I got closer and closer and this dude was not concerned. I passed within a few feet of him and he just kept up swimming, diving, eating. I hung out with him for maybe 5 minutes. What a great end to the day.
Occasionally an animal (or bird) lets me into their world. Field mice around my feet when I was 12, conversations with owls (several times), a loon that rocketed underneath my paddleboard one day, an elegant grey fox that used to show up when we barbecued, coyotes more than once with their penetrating savvy out in the hills…
Dried out seaweed on woodstove last night, this morning turned it to rough powder in the blender, now putting on eggs, meat, potatoes. Salt + ocean flavors.
Photo: Wikipedia (no indication of photographer)
These look like very well-built, tasteful tiny homes.
“…inspired by the mountains, forests, lakes and culture of this special part of southern British Columbia. As such, we view building tiny houses as a place where science meets art, where trade meets craft, where a shelter becomes a home.…”
https://www.nelsontinyhouses.com/
“Was curious if any have used metal quonset buildings as residences.. Here’s one in the Canadian Kootenays ( BC )…Flickr link for current photos…looks great..…
Mike W”
It’s big, like the Whole Earth Catalog and Shelter (11″ x 14″). That’s just one of the brilliant things about this book, an analog-if-you-will version of Kevin Kelly’s 10-year-old CoolTools website/blog. Cool. Tools.
What’s great about the website is getting weekly WEC-type perceptive reviews; it’s embarrassing how many things I got from reading CT. A wrench, a light, a bunch of books, foldable reading glasses…It’s pretty much my favorite place to visit online.
But having it all together (472 pages!) in color, big like this — I’m happy as a pig in mud thumbing through it, opening to random pages, skipping back and forth, savoring the bookness. This kicks the ass of any possible electronic versions. Put down the iPads, Kindles, and smart phones, folks, and get a Real Book!
It’s got a ton of useful, inspiring, wonderful tools; the reviews are hip, tight, and informed.
Disclaimer: a) Kevin is a friend, b) I’ve talked to him about this project on and off for years, and c) I wrote a bunch of reviews that ended up in the book.
I need to digest it a bit before writing a review, but just wanted to tell you to get it. Trust me. It’s a major cultural accomplishment.
Note: The 1st printing is sold out (in advance orders by booksellers). I’m guessing it’ll hit bookstores around Thanksgiving.
Ah, the limitations of digital presentation.
Moonlight on water sparkling quicksilver.
I’m gonna print out these 4 pics and make a 3′ long panorama.
Hmm — might we be going into an appreciate-the-analog phase about now?
Lyrics to song here.
Shot with Sony Cybershot DSC RX100
“…The 1934 Paris show was a showcase for other groundbreaking French offerings, including the Citroën Traction Avant and the Renault Aeroprofil.
Voisin was known for his exotic creations, but the C25 Aérodyne was the topper; it suggested the limitless artistic possibilities of automotive design, even though the extreme costs associated with bringing it to life probably helped to doom the company.
By 1934, the handwriting was really already on the wall for Voisin’s somewhat quixotic dream of designing the world’s most perfect automobile. Chronically underfinanced — a condition worsened by the Depression — Gabriel Voisin had already let go many of his top people. He was unable to upgrade his smoky 6-cylinder sleeve-valve engines.
But there was no scrimping on the design.Voisin’s cars employed construction methods, and lightweight materials like aluminum and magnesium, developed for use in aviation. The company used airplane-style fender struts to reduce body flex, aerodynamic wheel covers and a fastback profile with an integrated trunk.
Evolved from the C24, the new Voisin was brimming with revolutionary curiosities — a retracting sunroof, fold-down rear seats, a shortwave radio and even rudimentary turn signals.
Click here.
The crabs are hoppin,
Leaves are droppin,
and rain drops are starting to fall.
It looks like a monster crab season. Not only are there a lot of them, but they are both large and meaty. The sport fishermen have been hauling in limits (10 per person) for 2 weeks, and the commercial season started Friday…Leaves on trees finally dropping; we’ve got enough trees on our land that we have a local source for the compost pile. Nothing better than oak leaves in compost. Plus I’ve got a healthy population of hungry red worms transforming garbage into sweet-smelling black soil…And, after too much dry weather, we’re finally getting R-A-I-N! “GENTLE ISENTROPIC LIFT SHOULD PROVIDE SLIGHTLY GREATER PRECIPITATION VALUES ALONG THE COASTAL HILLS WITH EXPECTED TOTAL PRECIPITATION ALONG THE NORTH BAY HILLS AND BIG SUR RECEIVING 1.5 TO 2.0 INCHES. THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA MAY SEE 0.25 TO 0.50 INCHES OF TOTAL PRECIPITATION…Yahoo!…The air smells sweet right now with the first drops, with the real action to start this afternoon…If I don’t wimp out, I’m going to hike in the rain tonight along the coast…
Loop De Loop Mambo by The Robins on Grooveshark
I have an affection for this song. The first time I went to LA, 18 years old, in my roommate’s Ford convertible, this was playing on the radio as we drove along the coast at Malibu at 5 AM. I’ve loved LA ever since.
“When you eat a day’s worth of food really does make a difference, according to Daniela Jacubowicz, a professor at Tel Aviv University. In a recent study, published in the journal Obesity, she randomized 93 overweight and obese women into 2 groups and followed them for 12 weeks. Both groups ate 1400 calories a day, consuming a healthy variety of poultry, fish, egg whites, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. The ‘breakfast group’ had 700 calories for breakfast, 500 for lunch and 200 for dinner. A sweet treat was included as part of their breakfast, such as a small chocolate bar, to stave off cravings for the rest of the day. The ’dinner group’ had exactly the same foods in reverse order – 200 calories for breakfast, 500 for lunch and 700 for dinner. I presume that their chocolate bar came with dinner.
At the end of 12 weeks, the results were striking. The ‘breakfast group’ lost an average of 19 pounds while the ‘dinner group’ lost 8. Waist circumference decreased by 3 inches in the ‘breakfast group’ compared to 1.4 inches in the ‘dinner group.'”…
More here: https://sadjascolumns.blogspot.com/