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Journal (The Ember Update)

Wednesday, December 22

Have a Merry Christmas (if that's your sort of thing)! There's a good chance I won't be updating until January 2005.

Leaves

Back in October on a rainy Cabin weekend we took a long, looping walk, ending on the pavement/gravel mixture that makes up the road. My eye was caught by a spade-shaped leaf glistening with the raindrops. These four photos resulted.

Nevada to Colorado

I never did share my photos of the drive home from Burning Man. I've just posted a new travelogue from Nevada to Colorado, the best terrain and sights of the trip. Here are a few to whet your whistle:

Thursday, December 16

The Greenbriar

Mom, my brother Robert and I spent last Sunday and Monday at The Greenbriar, a very posh resort in West Virginia. My travelogue with photos starts here.

Just before we arrived, the bus tour we were on took a step-on guide, who led us to a long, broad valley. A Swedish farmer had arrived there in the 1800s(?), decided he wanted to buy all the land as far as he could see, and did so. That huge farm is still owned and run by his descendents.

It was a beautiful valley. Almost heaven, West Virginia.

Moyers won't be Left Behind

(Or will he, on the day of final judgement?)

On December first journalist and pundit Bill Moyers received the Harvard Medical's Global Environment Citizen award. Moyers' acceptance speech focuses on an issue I've mentioned here twice before (entry 1, entry 2): the Religious Right and the Left Behind series of books (about armageddon), and the apparent influence their progenitors and insiders are realizing over a broad range of the U.S.'s domestic and international policies, from mid-East affairs to global warming.

It's scary stuff.

…millions of Christian fundamentalists may believe that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed—even hastened—as a sign of the coming apocalypse. As Grist makes clear, we're not talking about a handful of fringe lawmakers who hold or are beholden to these beliefs. Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent election—231 legislators in total, more since the election—are backed by the religious right. Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian right advocacy groups. They include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Conference Chair Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Policy Chair Jon Kyl of Arizona, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt. The only Democrat to score 100 percent with the Christian coalition was Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia, who recently quoted from the biblical book of Amos on the Senate floor: "the days will come, sayeth the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land." He seemed to be relishing the thought. [source]

So once again, I encourage you to listen to the 2002 Terry Gross interviews with journalist Gersom Gorenberg and novelist Tim LaHaye, and read Moyers' speech. The Left Behind series has expanded into a related political series (one entitled "Necessary Evils") and military series, plus 40 more books for kids on the same theme. The delusional is no longer marginal.

Thursday, December 9

Alison shook all the lovely russet leaves off the Neva Eylar Gift Tree (to save on raking)! I might have to grow my own Dawn Redwood, it's such a beautiful tree.

Save Our Ship!

I'm stewing over the fact that our presidential election may have been stolen and so far MSM (main stream media, a.k.a. mostly shit media) have barely picked up the story (NPR's Morning Edition mentioned it for the first time this morning … I was first notified by my friend Bernie a few days ago).

A programmer named Clint Curtis has come forward with a signed affidavit saying he was hired by Repulican Congressman Tom Feeney (then the Florida Speaker of the House of Representatives), to write election-rigging software to "control the vote," and Tuesday Curtis testified to that fact before Congress (House Judiciary Committee, chaired by John Conyers).

I sincerely hope you will read this long article by Curtis that details all of the scary, crooked dealings that are alleged to have happened (there's a follow up here). Near the end the author states:

"People may wonder why a group of intelligence insiders would come forward to a non-major media outlet with such tantalizing information at this time. The corporate-beholden media cannot be trusted to report such a news story. A common theme from all the intelligence and ex-intelligence officials with whom I have communicated is that George W. Bush made a major mistake in attacking and purging the clandestine service of the CIA. The "agency," which extends far beyond the confines of Langley, Virginia, is having its revenge. It has willingly exposed a portion of a traditional clandestine CIA money route to expose the vote scam that was used to ensure Bush's election." [source]

If the story is true, I hope Curtis is right that, "Some patriotic and brave people, who have served in silence for a number of decades [at the CIA], have chosen their country over a corrupt family and administration."

You might also be interested to know that the incidence of mis-matched exit-polls to supposed "actual" votes in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania is statistically very improbable at 250 million to 1. Read a scientific examination of the Unexplained Exit Poll Discrepency (PDF, 268k) by Steven Freeman, PhD, University of Pennsylvania. He writes:

"As much as we can say in social science the something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error."

Adelphi Mill Trail South

In November we hiked the Adelphi Mill trail south (I think it's part of the Anacostia Trail System). Remember those kooky mushrooms that were growing in that tree's crevasse … the Dr. Seuss ones? It's a month later and I thought you might want to see the big one from behind, left, and a better view of how the top and middle ones were relatively positioned, right. Gina says they're probably edible "bearded tooth" mushrooms — Hericium erinaceus — and might all be the same kind. (Here are my earlier photos.)

Across from those was another decaying tree with big shelf mushrooms, left. There was also a really giant one about 20 feet up, and since noticing that we've been looking up to see more mushrooms too. Down the trail a way we spotted some of what I'm calling plaster mushrooms, because they seem to be plastered to the log, right. There was also a cool knotted tree.

Puffballs and a bridge

Here are newer pics of the giant puffballs near the cabin. They're well into the decomposition phase and it seems they've been marred by some woodsy beast. The biggest one, left, was really worse for wear, and not only emitted clouds of spores when touched, but was festooned with gooey droplets that weren't dew. Here are pics of the big puffball and small puffball, when they were a month younger. Sure wish I hadn't somehow deleted the first photos I took this summer, when they were still probably edible and both bright white!

This last photo is of a low bridge crossing the Shenandoah River. At the first cabin party two of our guests independently commented on the view of the river in the valley below, saying that it couldn't be too far away and maybe we could hike there someday. Intrigued, Kevin and I have since dug out topographic maps, explored possible endpoints via automobile, and in the process discovered this bridge. Turns out it's just barely visible from the cabin and is maybe only 2 miles away (as the crow flies). We're pretty certain that a bend of the river is even closer, so now we think at least a one-way hike is inevitable next spring or summer.

Thursday, December 2

Where did November go? Another busy month, topped off by an extra special Thanksindians…

We've been cleaning out the shed and attic in preparation for Kevin moving in, finding a few treasures in the process (like notes passed in highschool). We bought a Christmas Tree from the place conveniently next door and Kevin's started setting up my mom's train set, which I gave her a few years ago after learning that we'd both always wanted one as kids.

Patapsco and Potomac

More hiking last month with more mushrooms. Needless to say they're all drying out and dying, but I took what I consider my best photo of a 'shroom yet, left, in Patapsco State Park (remember to click to see the full picture). It was such an awesome grouping! The more I look at mushrooms the more I think about terms like toadstool or imagine fanciful things, like midnight faeries spreading their dust around. We all know nature is beautiful, but how often do we take the time to examine things up close? My goodness people, turn off your TVs and computers and take a walk in the woods! Here are the other Patapsco photos:

An earlier November weekend we decided there weren't many stinging insects still out, so I agreed to go back again to hike along the Potomac. Good thing too, for we had the terrific experience of seeing several bucks with small racks in one area, and then later, as we stood still and silent on a rock looking at trees, a herd of 12 or so female deer came running towards us. When the first noticed us she veered off, still running, with the others in a long line behind…

Giving Thanks

Thanksindians day began with yoga. Dorian suggested it, Brooke agreed to hold class at the usual 8:00 AM time, and Kevin, Kristin and Alison joined us. My brother Robert called during, with exciting news that I'll hopefully be able to reveal later, circumstances permitting (sorry for the tease). The day couldn't have started better!

Mom was in Pennsylvania, so Robert joined us for dinner with Kevin's family (which was tasty). Interestingly, during grace Kevin's father gave thanks for the fact that we were celebrating the Pilgrim way with a meal, rather than like the Virginians who'd fasted and meditated. That brought to mind other friends who'd chosen to be thankful for their abundance by fasting this year, something I'd never considered before. (While they were out kayaking for the day they actually saw a flock of wild turkeys that looked nothing like Butterballs…)

The day ended at Wunderland and what might have been the last Thanksindians at the current house.

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