Blogs I’m putting most of my posts on building on TheShelterBlog now. I’m starting to link to those from this blog. TheShelterBlog focusses on building, homesteading, gardening, and the home arts, whereas this blog tracks my eclectic path through life. Note: if you go to the “Categories” button on the right and select a subject, like, say, “Natural Materials,” you’ll get all the posts on that subject. The info available this way is growing each day. This is getting to be a body of work.

Dwell Magazine I can’t help myself from continuing to knock this soulless, sterile publication. Who are the people that live this way? Certainly different from our tribe.

Stretching—The Pocketbook Edition Rick Gordon is about halfway through building a 5″ x 8″ pocketbook edition of our best-selling book (3-1/2 million copies, 23 languages). Pocketbook editions of Stretching have been very popular in Spain and Germany and we feel it’s time to introduce it in English. Out in 2015.

Small Homes Our next building book is under way. Contributors are beginning to send us photos, descriptions. Note: Contact us if you know of (or have built) an imaginative, artistic, practical, and/or economical home in the 400-1200 sq. ft. range: lew@shelterpub.com

Mini-Skeleton I was looking through Cool Tools for Christmas present ideas and one of the items led me to this unique little (9″ high) skeleton, available from Amazon. One of the comments from a nursing student said that both the leg bones (tibia and fibula) were switched; same with the arm bones (radius and ulna) This is true, but I was able to switch all 4 of them into the right positions. This is a fine little skeleton, ingeniously produced, for a very low price. BTW, there is a great children’s book on anatomy that’s selling on Amazon or $.01 these days: The Human Body by Ruth Dowling Brunn and Bertel Braun.

My Life Since I quit competitive running, I’ve been taking long walks in the woods, looking for mushrooms, wild foods such such as yerba buena tea, cattail pollen, watercress, miners lettuce, etc. Been getting clams, fishing for eels. Picking up oak trees knocked down by storms on the roads for firewood. Skateboarding when I can.

–Yoga started again after a year’s absence, it’s so good for stiff, banged-up bodies like mine.

-Kauai Going there the last 2 weeks of January, to get in the warm water, do some hiking, shoot photos of small homes.

Comedian David Dean on the radio last week:

“Honk if you love Jesus.

Text and drive if you want to meet him.”

Intersections with the natural world the past few days: I studied water skeeters in a hill pond Tuesday; a brilliant design by mother nature. They float on 6 legs; 4 long ones for skittering and 2 short legs in front. They move mostly with breaststrokes of the 2 front legs and when startled just zoom. I was transfixed, watched them for 5 minutes or so, the fact they float on their legs…Doug saw a young mountain lion; we always look for the long tail to be sure it’s not a big bobcat…Yes, a long tail, he said, also that it appeared to be a young one, with spots on its skin…I saw a big healthy coyote crossing the road Tuesday night…Yesterday I paddled my kayak across the bay and dug clams…saw 4 of the huge American Pelicans; wingspan of 8-10 feet…harvested some seaweed — Macrocystis integrifolia, a smaller cousin of giant kelp; I’ve been bringing home all kinds of seaweed and this one appears promising. It’s flavorful, with salt crystals that sparkle when it’s dried. I’m grinding it and using it instead of salt on meat, vegetables. salad.

Summertime by The Zombies on Grooveshark

Left: salad with cucumbers, parsley from garden, cattail shoots

Salmon are biting. My friend Louie said there were 100s of boats out near Pt. Arena last week. Salmon and halibut are around these waters too. I keep being impressed by our local fishermen, who have to make it out a channel through breaking waves to reach the ocean. Not for the faint hearted; every few years a boat gets dumped. Certainly not like motoring out of a wave-free port. Now that I’m back on the beach a lot, I’m admiring the shore fishermen, especially those going after striped bass. Their gear and techniques, a zen-like skill. Hey with all the rotten news all over the world right now, the ocean right here is healthy; glass half-full…I’m pretty miserable (can I whine?); a bike fall didn’t feel so bad until a few days later, I cranked down with a plumbing wrench on a 1-1/4″ pipe union, pain like a hot knife in ribs. Shit! Turns out not to be broken rib, but tear in intercostal muscle. Like my friend Paul says about rib injuries, “Please God don’t let me sneeze.” Puts big dent in my plans to take a skateboard with me to Portland next week…Hey you people who know Portland: I’ve got an extra day or so, want to shoot photos of barns and farm buildings (my favorite architecture) within a few hours of the city; any tips?…I can’t figure out how I never heard of Timi Yuro, the diminutive singer in the ’60s with the huge voice; I gotta admit, I’m in love. She was constrained by Liberty Records but even with Nelson-Riddle type strings backing, she was a powerhouse. One only can wish that she’d had Jerry Wexler or Phil Spector arranging for her. The following song is with Phil:

What's a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You)(12-'62N)stereo by Yuro, Timi on Grooveshark

She sings a little flat, which has a sweetness. On some songs, a lot of similar phrasing to Etta James.”