“There are no scratches on the outside of this car, but the vehicle is totaled!

A man in Waterton Park, (south of Calgary), came out to find the inside of his 18 month old Toyota Sequoia trashed.

A grizzly bear had somehow got a door open. Once inside it got trapped when the door shut behind him, probably by the wind.

The Toyota was the Platinum edition, all the door panels were ripped off, the head-liner torn to pieces, all headrests, the leather seats, the dash shredded. The steering column was twisted sideways. Two of the six airbags went off, the other four the bear ripped to pieces.…” From yougottobekidding

Sent by Lew Lewandowski

Lightweight tent: Nemo Obi Elite 1P, reviewed by Kevin Kelly on Cool Tools, this is an ultra-light, elegantly designed, one-person tent. I think it’s a breakthrough design.

Lightweight rain gear: 02 Hooded Rain jacket. Another item I discovered as a result of a recent backpack trip (with outdated gear), also on Cool Tools (here). V. light, waterproof, highly compressible, cheap. I got pants as well.

Sanuk Sidewalk Surfers – “Vagabond” They don’t look like much, but these are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever had. A few months ago my son Will and I were visiting old surfing friend Richard Novak and longboard maestro Wingnut at Rich’s office in Santa Cruz, and all four of us had on the same shoes.

iPhone 5: OMG! Just incredible. Seri alone (which people seem to bitch about): I can say “nearest gas station,” or “nearest pizza,” and lo and behold, there are lists in order of proximity. Camera functions are fabulous: clear videos, panoramic mode. Haven’t even begun to explore possibilities, which seem endless. I want to get more up to speed on a smart phone, because that’s the way the (young) world is going, and important for me to understand as a communicator. Also thinking about shooting photos on phone and blogging on the spot. I’ll be such a modern guy.

Read More …

From https://woodgears.ca/index.html

Thanks to Joy Banks

Sunday afternoon on my way home I stopped off in Santa Cruz at Verve Coffee, and who should walk in but my son Will. He had his 16-year-old niece-in-law with him and they were carrying skateboards. After coffee, we went out and skated along East Cliff Drive, from 41st down to 30th or so. “Do you realize Dad, that you’re skating with someone 60 years younger than you?” Ulp.

   Then, on the way up the coast, I stopped off at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Co., got a beer, and listened to blues singer Pamela Rose, with a very good band. Here were a couple of vehicles parked outside.

I was going over some old files in preparation for working on our new book on 21st century nomadics, and ran across this letter from Serena in Home Work (p.176). It refers to the 37 Chevy flatbed truck converted to a rolling home by Joaquin de la Luz and his wife Gypsy, and featured in Shelter (pp. 90-91), and in later years used as a bedroom by 4-year-old Serena. It was such a nice example of happy childhood memories, I thought I’d reprint it here.

“My earliest memories of the Gypsy Wagon begin when I was three or four years old. At that point, our family had settled down in a little house on the Klamath River, in Northern California. We had all moved out of the Gypsy Wagon but I really missed it. I remember begging my mom and dad to let me use it as my bedroom. Luckily for me, my parents were such free spirits that they could really relate to my independence. The wagon became my room. I have memories of kissing my parents goodnight, leaving the house, and walking to my own little Gypsy Wagon. I had a huge doll that my mom had made for me, named “Howdy Doody.” She made it out of vintage dress fabric, with old mother-of-pearl buttons for the eyes and mouth.  Each night, I’d hoist Howdy Doody over my shoulder (he was bigger than me) and off we’d go. I loved the coziness I felt each night as I climbed into my bed. I remember the beautiful hand construction of the wagon, the texture of the wood, the hinges, and the little window above my bed. Everything about it was so warm. I think what made it so special was that is was filled with good intentions. My parents set out in the Gypsy Wagon because they were peaceful people. Their travels always had the purpose of happiness. The wagon was constructed almost entirely of other people’s discarded junk. My father’s creativity soared as he built it, and my mother made it a home.To this day, I really appreciate the warmth of simple things like old fabric and rusty metal. This is my history, as a child of  free spirits with peace as their purpose. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

   -Serena”