Sun & Ice

Today was one of those cold but sunny days that I rode over hill and dale to get to a client's place. Just below freezing, sunny and wonderful. I seriously think I could ride this one-speed cruiser across the country. I am back down to my 15-minute writing limit, as my thoughts have been far too flighty as of late. So at 10:18PT tonight I am going to say g'night.

A long day, and tomorrow back to the mayhem of Seattle and Tacoma. Time to don the suit and tie and shave. And the music in my life has been bouncing back and forth between a Kean College JGB bootleg from 2-28-80. and the Charlie Parker Rockland Palace 9-26-52.

Off to Vancouver this weekend for fun. G'night.

Biodiesel

So I am working with a biodiesel company and it is funny how people will generally bring out the few negative aspects of it. It is also unfortunate that many people base their opinions on either half truths or misinformation. I guess this is a lesson in life, as I am one to go off half-cocked based upon a biased article that I read. But like it or not, biofuels are one of the viable choices we will have in this world as the demand for oil steadily increases while the days of cheap oil are forever behind us. It will be amazing to see what the second and third generation feedstocks offer.

But I really hadn't intended on discussing biodiesel tonight, it's just that I am going to Seattle and Tacoma on Wednesday with our dog and pony show to meet with prospective partners.

And Sherman the house mouse got into one of my cookies and this is not good. It was a big sugar cookie with M&M's on it. I thought there was an implied agreement between us about not eating my food, so things may need to change. But I have had far worse roommates. Gotta run. This web log has taken much more of my time than I'd initially anticipated and I need to start getting to bed earlier. I still need to get some e-mails out. Drat.

Sunnyham

Another picture from Bainbridge. Beautiful.

So today was a day sitting and lamenting that it is not summer when I realized it was mostly sunny and not very cold and I should get off my sorry butt and go for a bike ride. So I did. And took my kite to fly at the park. Like many days, I met someone on the bike path and talked with them for a bit. Then on to the park. Unfortunately, there was virtually no wind, but that was okay by me.

Upon arriving home, my neighbor and I decided that we liked the openness of where the fence had blown over (and has since been removed). Maybe we will keep the fence down and can plant a garden together this spring.

There has been interest in using my yard as a permaculture project this summer. I wounder if I will put my words to action? We would use my yard as a pilot and then do a bi-weekly project on someone else's property in Bellingham. And of course there would be food and drink involved with a dinner after each of these work parties. And a chance to meet new people. As crude oil continues its incessant climb, it would be prudent to relearn how to grow my own food. And fortunately I am in the right place to learn this.

Ferry

Another picture from the Islandwood center on Bainbridge Island. The weekend wound down to a departure of many hugs and warm feelings. I left there with a more positive worldview than I've felt in a long, long time. Sure, being pissy and negative only puts us in the same fear-driven anger felt by many, if not most, of the population in this country.

Yes, I haver come to the fact that I am a tree hugger and proud to be part of a growing murmur that is an element of change occurring throughout the world regarding the unsustainable path down which we careen. The more I read in the scientific community, the more I realize that things are occurring at a much higher rate than anyone ever anticipated - whether water depletion, species extinction, GMO contamination, CO2 emissions or global climate change. Enough pissing and moaning about the sad state of affairs, it is time for action. I am suddenly realizing that I am exactly where I always dreamed of being.

You will hear more I am sure, but right now it is very late and I am off to bed. Met a friend out after arriving home, and late to bed. Oh. I love ferry rides and the skyline of Seattle from the Bainbridge ferry is second to none.

Moss

What an invigorating day. And yesterday too. We attended a weekend MBA program on Bainbridge Isalnd as the entrepreneur in residence. So we are staying on a beautiful 255-acre campus with hiking trails and progressive people working towards an intense sustainable MBA program. This gives me an opportunity of hope, as my otherwise jaded worldview is somewhat squelched by the positivity pervading these rooms. There is a buzz afoot, and (although I am frequently surrounded by people of this like-minded ilk) there is growing consensus that the current path of our economy (based upon the base model of infinite resources) is an impending global catastrophe and required change - one way or another - will soon be imminent.

Hopefully it will not be too little, too late. But it really won't impact me, as our children are the ones that will undoubtedly be screwed as far at things we take for granted: oil, water, and other resources. Fortunately for selfish me, I have no children so in actuality this really doesn't impact.

At any rate, enough of a rant. There is some great energy here. And being amongst the moss covered trees just across the sound from Seattle is refreshing.

Island

This is a funny sign we saw at a rest area down near the southern part of the Arizona-New Mexico border west of Silver City taken back in 2006. Click on the picture and it will enlarge to a readable size.

Today was a very busy day and I spent most of it in front of a computer or on the phone. Very productive, but I am very tired. And tomorrow I need to go to a weekend conference, which is a tremendous opportunity for me and the president to gain exposure and meet interesting like-minded people. Besides, it's on a 255-acre campus in the San Juans. So I am indeed looking forward to getting away, although it will be socially intense at times in an invigorating environment. But exercising the mind, like the body, is always stimulating.

But either my eyes are playing tricks on me, or Sherman, the house mouse is darting about. It's been a long day and my eyes are getting buggy.

Cannot guarantee my posts the next few days, as web access may not be...

Chocolate

The one treat in which I indulge myself is chocolate. Dagoba chocolate. Every other night on the way home I stop by the Public Market and pick up two bars of this. Tonight I ate the brasilia, tomorrow it will be lavender. And I splurged and bought clover honey made down the road at Bill's Bees in Bow. It is crystalline and eating from the jar is yummy. I like sweets.

Tonight I welcomed the seasonal rain back. Forty degrees and it was comforting to bike in the heavy drizzle. I also found the old layer trick keeps wet pants from the body. So refreshing that I forgot to put on my rain gear and arrived home a bit moist around nine. Fortunately I have a dry home to go to. And the benefits of keeping the house cool have paid off. The gas bill this month was a whopping forty-three dollars. Tonight I celebrated and turned the thermostat up to sixty-five degrees. Life is good.

But we have not had the nor'easters blow in from the Fraser Valley where the temp dips into the teens. We had two cold snaps last year. This year none. I hope I do not jinx Bellingham. Those frigid nights you find yourself drinking a lot of tea. That way you get up a few times during the night to use the bathroom and run the water to prevent the pipes from freezing, and flakes of ice still fall into the sink when you turn on the cold water. Brrr.

I'll take forty-three and drizzle over that arctic blast any day.