Summer is Over

Actually we have not had much August.  It has been dry this month.  The cottonwood trees are shedding their leaves on the bike trail.  The soybeans in the clay ground are turning already.  Those will not do well at all.  The tallgrass prairie wildflowers are doing well as they are drought resistant.  These go as high as 8 feet and 90 percent of the plant is below ground!  They re just the opposite of corn plants!

Emma Strikes Again

In a humorous manner I have been telling people to not get in Emma's way.  Last night was a lesson in that point.  I was sitting on tthe floor when Emma decided to take the musical instrument between me and a piece of furniture.  There was not enough room to do that, but during the struggle she was stomping up and down on my hand.  The combined weight was well over 30 pounds!  OUCH!

Oregon Coast

We did manage a Sunday drive to the coast.  It was COLD!  65 degrees here while it was 23 degrees warmer in Eugene.

Scam Attempt

All I wanted to do was sell a spare guitar for $950, but the check arrived today for $2900.  Showed it to the specialist at the local police department and he declared it authentic... as in authentic fake.  The killer thing about this check is that it will clear because it is using a good account number.  BUT 3 to 6 weeks later the misuse of the account will be detected and that $2900 will disappear from my account.  There is a large article on the front page of The Madison Press today about the general problem.  Seller beware!

1700 Bicycle Miles

This puts me on track for a possible 2500 mile year... as long as the creek don't rise as high as the Colorado River the past few days in AZ!  I figure I'm roughly 300 miles behind the local point leader who is prepping for a 100 mile day in the middle of next month.  I don't think I will make that event!  Especially after being gone for 8 days to Oregon.

Grand Canyon Flooding

The Grand Canyon had 8 inches of rain in one area causing an earthen dam to collapse and the resulting flood washed away rafts belonging to a private party in the canyon. They were helicoptered to safety (yes, any noun can be verbed!). Picture shows a pretty ugly Colorado river!

http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/08/18/news/20080818_front_179631.txt

Grand Canyon Best

This picture was taken late in the afternoon and better shows the palette of colors in the canyon. The lower right shows the Bright Angel Trail from the top of Devil's corkscrew to Indian Gardens. Our walk out was 7.7 miles long and 4400 feet up. Thankfully Todd was exagerating when he claimed it was a mile and a half up. I learned that only time to take Todd seriously was when he offers to bet. We had an exceptional day for hiking out in July as there were clouds and the temperature was cooler. Thank you, Lord!

The more important thing is to set a pace that is not too fast. In flat Ohio I walk 20 minute miles. I set of goal of 50 minute miles on the walk out and actually managed to average 45 minutes per mile. I used a walking meditation of 4 strides per breath in and 4 strides per breath out. This shifted to 3 strides in the upper swithbacks and near the top my steps were pretty pathetic. The counting kept me focused on walking, which helped a lot. I would do this again!

Trader Joe's Wild Boreal Blueberries

These things are fabulous... very small, but loaded with flavor.  They are well worth the $3.69 a pound TJ charges.  Long ago I picked wild blueberries in Ontario, mostly for blueberry pancakes. I don't get to the Ontario outback much these days and pancakes are off  my doctor's list of approved foods, but I'm having these flavor bombs in steel cut oats each morning.  TRY THEM!

You'll LIKE THEM!

Yet another reason for boycotting the tasteless fruit on steriods available at your local supermarket! 

Emma

This is the truest portrait of my granddaughter.  She is all motion, but I did learn something interesting about her this weekend.  While she will not sit on your lap for more than a minute, if you put her beside you on a couch and give her a book she will stay put for a long time.  As long as you don't put your arm around her.  This little girl has very definite ideas!

Lemonade Stands...

are still alive London. Ethan is securing the money jar!

The real money was made in the 50's and 60's before there were grain storage bins on the farms.  Wheat is harvested in July and back then it was taken directly to the grain elevators in London.  There were  blocks long lines of hot, dusty farmers waiting to dump their grain and serious money could be made with a lemonade stand.  Even more money could have been made if you had a beer stand!

Brilliant

www.indexed.blogspot.com

Kansas Flint Hills

Trip I Thought I'd Never Take

I have taken that trip before, but didn't know where I was. I just finished Jill Taylor Bolte's book, My Stroke of Inspiration, which provided the needed insight. I had crossed over into the right hemisphere of my brain during the final meditation of my yoga class last night. Nirvana!

The other trips were also taken during Joyce's unique Yoga Is Meditation class. So she is absolutely correct that there is a reinforcing energy from group meditation. Not that I should have doubted her, but that is my hardcore, left hemisphere, cynical self.

I can't give any directions, as directions are a left brain 'thing'. The key insight from Ms. Bolte's book is that the boundaries of your body begin to disappear when you move into the right side. My reaction was the same as Ms. Bolte's (minus the drama of being in the middle of a stroke): "COOL!" Then I noticed that the left brain's mind chatter was missing: "REALLY COOL!" It is, as promised, a place of peace and a place you want to stay. But the class came to an end and I reluctantly joined the ending ceremony. I hope to return.

Nirvana is not the same thing as the Buddha's enlightenment, which was the extinction of his ego. My ego was put in abeyance for a bit, and is back in control as I write this blog entry. I describe myself as a Presbyterian with strong Buddist tendencies, but lately I have been studying the Tao, as it seems more approachable. Getting beyond my math, engineering and physics trained left brain seemed too difficult. Wrong again! Thankfully!

My humble thanks to Joyce and her class of yoga and meditation students. And to Ms. Bolte for her breathtaking book about her stroke. Without all that support, I would have been RIGHT!

The Grand Canyon

Storm over Lake Powell