Author Archives: Anet

Sep28

Wild – Cheryl Strayed on the PCT

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Wild – Cheryl Strayed on the PCT

bookWildMy sister Laurie’s friend Maureen left this book on the nightstand in the guest bedroom when we spent the night at her house before we set out on our drive from Colorado Springs to Portland, Oregon last Thanksgiving. I didn’t realize at the time that Maureen was offering it to us because she had finished it. At the send-off party that same evening, another friend of Laurie’s also recommended this book, but it would be nearly a year before I would be being able to “sport-read” again.

I started this book last weekend while we were camping in Gualala and really enjoyed it, especially the Acknowledgements on the last few pages which give a sense of why it took 15 years to write. It made me realize it can take a lifetime to write a novel, and why it is important to stay fully alive for your whole life. This is one of my favorite passages, page 258, where she reflects on her marriage that she tanked through infidelity:

What if I forgave myself? I thought. What if I forgave myself even though I’d done something I shouldn’t have? What if I was a liar and a cheat and there was no excuse for what I’d done other than because it was what I wanted and needed to do? What if I was sorry, but if I could go back in time I wouldn’t do anything different than I had done? What if I’d actually wanted to fuck everyone of those men? What if heroin taught me something? What if yes was the right answer instead of no? What if what made me do all those things everyone thought I shouldn’t have done was what also had got me here? What if I was never redeemed? What if I already was?

I’m glad I read the book before the movie came out.
loveJudgment300w

I like books that have me thinking about them afterwards. Even though his book was “first-person adventure,” the hike along the Pacific Coast Trail was just the engine that conceals the real content. As Cheryl hikes, she reflects on how she trashed her marriage, and other seriously-bad decisions she made. There are no comments or analysis from the 15-years-hence writer, just the ruminations of the hiking 27 year old on bad stuff she did — how she hurt someone she loved very much. The first-person ruminations gave me some insight into how people might feel when they behave badly in their own lives. I find myself using this book as fodder to consider what it would be like to not take the self-destructive behavior of others personally — but rather, to consider it as part of their own way of working out their rage or disconnection from Oneness-That-We-Are. Nothing like months on the trail to connect a person to the Divine!

Sep2

Ludwigia Removal in Piner Creek

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Ludwigia Removal in Piner Creek

Ludwigia, an aquatic plant that originates from South America, has become an invasive pest in the creeks and Laguna de Santa Rosa, a large seasonal wetland that is a nesting area for migrating birds. Sonoma County citizens work hard to protect the health of the Laguna and the creeks that supply it. Ludwigia was probably introduced by tropical fish fanciers who carelessly flushed this decorative plant into the creek. Like so many plants, it grows vigorously here, mainly along shallow areas of the Laguna’s main channel and tributary creeks.
ludwigia615w

Piner Creek, which runs behind our house, has an open, sunny spot where ducks raise their young and children like to throw bits of bread from the nearby bridge. Larger migratory birds like egrets sometimes fish here because there are lots of small fish.

Ludwigia anchors is roots in the mud at the waterline and grows large mats that cover the surface of the water, preventing the fish from getting insects and preventing birds from fishing. Ludwigia appeared for the first time this spring and by Labor Day had covered almost all of the surface of the creek behind our house. Saturday, Howard and I hauled out several sacks of it.

A about a half-mile farther down Piner Creek, it merges with Paulin Creek and this is a prime fishing area for birds. It is a beautiful spot and it was starting to become choked with Ludwigia also, so Sunday morning I went down there by myself to clean it up. I gathered up two bags of weeks but hurt my back and had to ask a passing jogger to help me haul the second bag up the creek. The next morning, Labor Day, it looked like much of the Ludwigia had grown back! (see photo left above)

Monday evening, Howard helped me haul up another four bags of weeds (see photo right above). Let’s see how long this cleanup lasts. We may have to resort to some targeted herbicide along the damp soil at the waterline.

Piner Creek is supposed to be part of the steelhead hatchery system, but Ludwigiacreates a barrier to migrating steelhead and other fish, and its bacterial decomposition threatens oxygen-dependent wildlife in the water. The Laguna Foundation is working with USDA-ARS researchers and local agencies to find a long-term solution to the problem.

Aug24

Doran Beach Campout 2014

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Doran Beach Campout 2014

Billy, Bruce, Bran, Benn, Leanan

Billy, Bruce, Bran, Benn, Leananin


Another great summer campout with SCPN, organized the the sensational Susan Small and Helen Hawk, who reserved Miwok Campground sites D and E for the best camping at Bodega Bay. Benn, in the turquoise tie-dye above, grilled marinated pork ribs and served up robust German potato salad and red cabbage. He even invited the motorcycling Germans at the next campsite to join us on Saturday night — they turned out to be a very engaging pair.
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Helen Hawk wowed us with a fabulous apple cake on Friday night, and Artemesia serenaded us both nights, accompanying herself on the tin whistle and the melodica. A fun celebration of Mother Earth.
Susan and friends with Artemesia and melodica

Susan and friends with Artemesia and melodica

BillyTwoNames300wEarth-based religion connects members of this group and some resist new technology. Others embrace it and earn their livings through it. Billy Twonames is a technician in communications and he brought a Biolite, a tiny stove that folds up small enough for a backpacker, that burns wood and could charge his cell phone! You see him here on Saturday morning heating water in his kettle for morning tea. There were three kettles in this group! And three different people brought canned baked beans to the Friday night pot luck. So different from camping with other groups where I have the only kettle and I have never seen canned baked beans! Sunday morning three of us cooked bacon for the group.

bioliteChargingPhone300wThese folks love meat, too! I don’t really feel like cooking after a drive (55 miles round trip) and setting up camp, so I thought salmon steaks would be quick to cook and easy to share, but it was a miss. Several people arrived after 6 p.m. and the grill wasn’t fired up until then, so it was dark when we ate. Fish with bones, in the dark, is not good.

Next time I will assemble brochette (with white meat for Helen Hawk) for a fast cook dish. And I will bring washed and ready to serve crudités with dipping sauce for hors-d’œuvre. There was nothing to snack on as people were arriving except the celery and pheasant pâté I brought. I would have enjoyed a salad on Saturday night, so next time I will have that prepped in advance. Benn made red cabbage, German potato salad and he grilled Thermal’s chickens, but dinner was so late again on Saturday I couldn’t wait. I sneaked over to Susan’s table and heated up some frozen Malibu chili as she cooked a separate meal of delicious-smelling lamb and vegetables. Helen had brought some large russet baking potatoes (which she doesn’t eat) which went unused. I traded a cauliflower for them and brought them home. Next time I will prepare small organic potatoes for the grill: wash, dry, and wrap in foil before I leave so they can be dropped on the coals without fuss. The big potatoes take too long to cook and are too large for a potluck.

Benn invited the neighboring Germans to taste his potato salad which was rich with bacon bits. He asked the man if it tasted like potato salad back in Germany. The man didn’t know, and the woman asked, “Why do you ask him? He has never made potato salad!” So Benn asked, and she replied, “In Germany, potato salad has more eggs and more pickles.”

Sunday morning I had the beach to myself for yoga and meditation, maybe because of the 6.0 earthquake in nearby Napa at 3:20 a.m. It woke me up, but I thought it was a strong wind shaking my tent and I went right back to sleep. This was the beach at about 11 a.m. I think our RV neighbors might have rushed home on Sunday morning to make sure all was well. I am looking forward to camping with these folks next year — it is so much fun to camp with people who love the earth.

SelfieDoranearthquakemap

Aug22

Little-Bear Art Class Starts

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Little-Bear Art Class Starts

collageKimono
Yesterday was the first meeting of the semester for the “Acrylic and Mixed Media” art class at Bell Manor in Windsor and my first time taking this class. I was surprised and delighted to find another Senior Peer Counselor in the class. Lia had previously taken the class during the summer semester that just ended and she had completed an impressive landscape in acrylic, so I am looking forward to seeing what comes. We started with learning brush technique, then cutting up the practice paper into small squares which we affixed to another sheet with “Yes!” glue.

The instructor, Little-Bear, arranged our art in a kimono shape. She had invited the students to work with two colors and most students chose colors that went well with each other: blue-green or yellow-orange. I chose opposing colors and my composition emphasized the edges of each color, so it stands out in the center of the kimono. Many of the students are taking the class for the second or third time because there is no charge for the “unlimited repeats” class. I like the teacher and am excited about what I will learn.

Aug18

Loon Lake Canoe-In Camp

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Loon Lake Canoe-In Camp

Another fabulous Sierra Club camp out led by Isabelle Saint-Guily and Carl Inglin. Howard took Friday off work and we left at 7:30 a.m. for Loon Lake at 6,400 feet in elevation near Lake Tahoe. We met the other 15 campers at the boat ramp and at 1 p.m. paddled to the first-come-first-served campsite that Carl and Isabelle had secured by coming in a day earlier. As you can see from the map, the boat ramp is at the bottom of the lake and the primitive boat-in camping is at the top. It took us about 90 minutes to paddle there because we were lucky and the wind was at our backs. We had a great trip, including S’mores on Saturday night. Click on a photo to see the gallery.


Campers included Lisa and Mitch who were with us at the Blue Lakes camp-out and my carpool-mate Lori from the Blue Lakes trip and her ride-along for this trip, Steve, who borrowed her silver kayak. We were joined by organic farmer Jennifer and her son Cody, Nurses Nancy and Ron, Carol from Berryessa and Liam who is planning an exciting trip to Italy. An interesting and active group!

Jul21

Sierra Kayak Camp at Blue Lakes

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Sierra Kayak Camp at Blue Lakes

The last time I was camping in the Sierra was 20 years ago, but when I saw this kayak camp-out on MeetUp, I took a chance and carpooled with a woman I had never met. Lori Parmalee was a great driver with a solid truck who knew the territory and was a congenial companion for the four-hour trip to Blue Lakes near Carson Pass, not far from Kirkwood Ski Resort.

At 8,000 feet in mid-July, we were delighted when the predicted thundershowers cracked open, just as the hikers returned from 4.6 miles along the ridgeline with a 1000 ft. elevation gain/loss. The rain washed out Saturday kayaking but gave us a rainbow at sunset, reflected in the calm lake, as we walked along the beach. Sunday kayaking was beautiful and I saw a marmot!

Carl Inglin and Isabelle Saint-Guily are a joy to camp with. Relaxed but prepared, they covered the picnic table with a tarp when the showers began and we all enjoyed dinner together on Saturday night as the sprinkles continued. Campfire conversation with Lisa and Mitch, Bill and Wendy, Lori, and Jonah was interesting and lively. The campground and location were beautiful. Great trip! Click on the images to see the gallery.

Jul7

The Chemistry of Conversation

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The Chemistry of Conversation

Why do negative comments and conversations stick with us so much longer than positive ones?
conversationcortisol
Chemistry plays a big role in this phenomenon. When we face criticism, rejection or fear, when we feel marginalized or minimized, our bodies produce higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that shuts down the thinking center of our brains and activates conflict aversion and protection behaviors. We become more reactive and sensitive. We often perceive even greater judgment and negativity than actually exists. And these effects can last for 26 hours or more, imprinting the interaction on our memories and magnifying the impact it has on our future behavior. Cortisol functions like a sustained-release tablet – the more we ruminate about our fear, the longer the impact.

Positive comments and conversations produce a chemical reaction too. They spur the production of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that elevates our ability to communicate, collaborate and trust others by activating networks in our prefrontal cortex. But oxytocin metabolizes more quickly than cortisol, so its effects are less dramatic and long-lasting.

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/the-neurochemistry-of-positive-conversations/

Jun4

Katie Couric “Fed Up”

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Katie Couric “Fed Up”

Fed-Up-poster-618x400Interesting stuff on “hyperpalatable” food and how our brains are hijacked into Programmed Hypereating with incessant food cues. An expansion of the audiobook “The End of Overeating.” Candy and chips at every checkout stand, including the hardware store and auto parts store. You don’t see that in France!

The movie attempts to do for the food industry what Congressional hearings did for the tobacco industry — reveal the lies, half truths, phony research and misleading statistics. And the elected officials whose careers they have ruined for attempting to resist them. Extortion at international levels.

On-camera interviews with Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman. Bottom line: avoid being tempted by packaged food by shopping at the farmer’s market, and cook.

Really puts the kibosh on the concept of exercise as the panacea. Went with some friends who love movies after a brisk walk around Spring Lake. They went to lunch afterwards, I had lost my appetite. Went back to work.

May30

I Adopted a Cat from the Shelter

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I Adopted a Cat from the Shelter

Thor

Thor

This big orange tomcat had been on the prowl in Jenner for about 10 years, until Animal Control was asked to trap him. His bullying had become a nuisance and he was persona non grata in the commercial area he defended as his territory. They didn’t want him back.

So the County cleaned him up, neutered him, then put him up for adoption. The Veterinarian commented, “Sweet cat. Robust.” He is 15 lbs of muscle and orange fur. Strong and handsome with pale green eyes, the Shelter gave him a new name, “Thor.” A month went by and no one adopted him, so they made him Cat of the Week and put his picture in the newspaper so I got him free. Even better, they threw in a bag of cat food and a bag of litter.

Turns out, he would have been free to me even if I had adopted him last week, because he is older than 6 and I am older than 55, so “Silver Paws” picks up those adoption fees.

Good thing I got to the shelter when I did. I was filling in the paperwork when another woman arrived and asked for him by name. When they told her the situation, she glanced over at me and muttered, “I hope you have a yard.” And I do. Quite defensible for a big, strong cat. And a creek full of interesting things.

I will miss the birds, though. I have found that I can have a backyard full of birds or I can have a cat. But I can’t have both.

UPDATE [June 12] Well, I guess I will have birds. I returned “Thor” to the Pound yesterday, the last day of my Two Week Free Trial.

“He’s not a ‘Thor,'” I said. “He’s no good in bed, and he’s no good on the battlefield. He is not the robust, outdoor, take-all-comers cat as advertised. He was out one night and seriously lost the fight.”

Thor's eye was bitten and he lost the fight

Thor’s eye was bitten and he lost the fight

After just 10 days with the cat, I found myself crying in my car in frustration and guilt. I only got one good night’s sleep, the night he was out, and he came back with a bite to the eyelid that swelled up the next day and sent us to the vet on Saturday morning, costing me more than $200.

As an outdoor cat, he sucks. Creamsicle was an outdoor cat with no claws. Claude was an outdoor cat, and small. They both came to me while living outside. They both fought for territory, and lost, but I never had to take either to the vet for bite wounds.

As an indoor cat, he sucks. He won’t sleep at night. In bed, he kneads incessantly, usually on the softest, most sensitive human part he can find. If he finally curls up and starts to nap, and I drop off to sleep, he suddenly YELPS and thrashes to a different position. Then I drop off to sleep and YELP again. This goes on through the night until it is elimination time and he does every noisy thing he can think of to get me to let him outside.

Then he fills my bathroom and bedroom with the redolent smell of digested cat food. Usually at daybreak. I can’t really get back to sleep after that.

I had the vet test him for intestinal parasites and giardia thinking that maybe his guts were hurting, but he was clean.

We don’t have a scratching post because we thought he was going to be an outdoor cat so he is shredding my crappy furniture.

I will keep applying warm compresses to his wound to facilitate its healing, and brushing him every day, but I can’t face 5 years of litter box cleaning and cleaning fur off my clothes. He’s going back to the Pound in three days when he looks better. Maybe he will find a home where he fits better if I give him a new name and re-write the ad. I gave the Pound this copy.

Mr. Marmalade

He’s a lover, not a fighter and he is sweet as marmalade. Sixteen pounds of muscle and fur, this 10 year old was a tomcat when he came to us. Beautiful long hair orange tabby with mesmerizing sea green eyes, this handsome boy loves to snuggle all night.

He is a very healthy cat. He’s just nocturnal.

The vet said it was unlikely he had lived on the street for 10 years. He had no scars, no feline HIV, no leukemia. I noticed that he did not jump up on sinks or kitchen counters. This was someone’s pet.

I think he would be a great pet for someone who is a Night Owl. Someone with a terrace and some way for him to prowl a small territory. He really does like to go outside, and on the his last day with me I saw that he was indeed negotiating his turf in the neighborhood.

​Maybe he would have settled down if I gave him more time.​ I hope the new ad helps him finds the right place. The Pound says that they find homes for adoptable animals.