James Cameron and the Last Crusade

It's my personal opinion that James Cameron is a gifted film director. His talents as an archeaologist or even an amature historian are not his best hand. Ben Witherington has some interesting thoughts on this. www.benwitherington.blogspot.com

Movie recommendation of the day: Rory OShea Was Here.

Tua has a head cold. Her nose is very congested; its hard for me to watch her struggle to breath as she is feeding. However, the bottle went very well tonight. I think its down to a science at this point.

More snow for the weekend.
Snowshoe race in Pittsfield on Saturday....
The verse of the last chapter of James on Sunday....
The fun never ends...

Flags at the Corner

There are flags to mark a driveway
A banner in the snow, deep and wayward
They were put there by a widow once
when the strong October winds began to blow

Heralding the coming tides that would accompany winter
Warning that there might just be a rose beneath that snowbank
or that the corner of the house might be closer
that it may appear

Now the flags are tattered
and faded and look
more like a picture I once saw
in a travelogue
of a monastary in Tibet
high and rocky against a pure blue sky
and from its walls
were strung colorful flags
small rags no larger than perhaps 8 inches square
which lit up the pages with their muted tones
and with their resiliency
paid homage to the hands
which with care
had chosen each
and had offered it up
to the wind

The same care that went into those high banners in that far land
surly must be in the placing of these corner marks
just down the road from me
Fading flags to mark a lane
leaving nothing this winter
to chance.

Sunday 9am

Much of the morning is spent at rest

Waking for a leisurly lay-about until 6:15

At which point the words start to come and

I am helpless as I pull phrases from this nest

and burst them suddenly from my lips

Surely they make sense to whoever it is who hear

Entering this hallowed space

Catering to needs I was not aware of

Within minutes after they appear

Time is spent adjusting light

and the temperature of the bathwater

Cannot help but be made right

Heat the towels for my descent from

The basin to the floor

Dry me down and dress me up

with colors that will make me blush

Walk with me around the rooms

Watch the minutes as they gather into pools of time

Sleep will come to both of us

You have the balance of the day ahead

But I shall sleep by Nine

Peanut Butter and Orkney

The land that generated the minds behind much of the industrial revolution has big plans for their northern coast. Scottish Power...(www.scottishpower.com) has outlined a strategy for building the largest wave power plant in the world. They couldn't;t have picked a better place. Orkney is a tiny coal of in the midst of a churning, icy North Sea where waves outnumber residents by an insurmountable ratio. So while the Scots are busy bleeding light from darkness, America is in the throes of a violent salmonella scare. Industrial food manufacturers and consumers alike can take out their notebooks here. In an age where notions of quality and service in any sector are informed by assumptions made about the product and not necessarily by the truth, it is not surprising that this doesn't happen more often. This peanut butter scare is a prime example. It is assumed by the consumer that Peter Pan peanut butter is a wholesome variety of the popular spread. This assumption has been made not because it it actually is a wholesome variety, but because it got a green light from the FDA at some point in the past and has been manufactured up until this point with no ill effects passed on to the consumer. This assumption has led to a trail of sicknesses which has bred and will continue to breed lawsuit after lawsuit against the parent company of a product whose only intention was to provide a better butter. So while Con Agra must be held accountable to the production processes at their peanut butter plants, the American consumer must realize their own liberty in product choice. I recommend Teddy brand peanut butter. Much less corporate and a better flavor too. And for those of you who are wondering what all this has to do with the wave power off the Orkney Coast, we all might do well to take a lesson from Scottish Power and use the recourses at hand to improve the circumstance which, in this case, would be to buy peanuts in bulk and make your butter in the sanity of your own home.

Office Help

Today, Tua had her first typing class. You might think that we're doing things backward (the kid might do well to learn to read first), but our thought is that if she learns correct word formatting, the rest will follow.
This is Bug's corner office at home. It is beginning to resemble an orderly atmosphere as we continue to sort out what stays and what goes.

Churning a New Leaf

If you were to glance outside our east windows today at arount 10:30 you would have witnessed the propane delivery man struggling to make his way across an unshoveled path to our tank. This post is dedicated to that individual. May I endeavor to keep his path clear from now on.
Some of you reading this may already be aware of the big news that finally came to pass this morning. Killington and Pico ski resorts were bought by a local land holding agency. This is important for two reasons. The first is that it will hopefully keep the cash generated at the resort within the resort. The former owner (American Skiing Company - owner of resorts across America) was famous for using Killington's ready cash to keep its corporate head above water. It was like the British in colonial America...... In short, Killington profits were shuttled off to Boston, New York and points West leaving the mountain here to survive on crumbs. With a newer, much less corporate and a more decidedly local ownership on the table, much change for the better might very well be ahead.
The second reason that this sale is on the record tonight has to do with its timing. In an era of such extreme climate change (as well as an escalation of consensus that the world is indeed getting warmer), I am encouraged to know that a deal like this is still a reality. The snowless winters and the seasonless years may well fall within my days but when one can still fetch 83 million for a ski resort, winter as we know it may not be disappearing as quickly as we think.

Tonights score:

Tua- 10
The Bottle-12
For the first time in the two weeks that I have bottle fed her, she fell asleep mid-drink. She had less than an ounce to go but she wouldn't be roused.

Sightings

Bug took all of the above pictures this weekend. It was an eventful weekend, with most of the activities centered around the indoors. We are still sorting our way through the boxes we packed away last May. We found some items we didn't know we had, and still others we knew we had but thought had been thrown away. Everthing seems to be accounted for, save for a really fine pair of Sorels which would really come in handy right now with the amount of snow we have. The photo of Tua and I above is a rare portrait. Bug is usually asleep at the 10:30 meal and there is no one but the collies to run the camera at that hour and they aren't any good at it. I look as tired as I do for the simple reason that I actually am. That was taken only minutes ago, so if this post reads like a sailors lament, you'll have something to chalk it up to.

Digging Out

What these pictures do not show is the 30 mph sustained winds buffetting everything in their path.

Tua and Bug took a drive into town today. Tua, usually one to sleep through entire ventures, decided to stay awake for the day. No naps during the day make for a very tired girl tonight.
I have about 10 minutes before I have to wake her for the 10:30 feed...


Other news from our side of the world:

Killington (www.killington.com), our local snowbaron, was rumored to have been sold this afternoon. As of press time, there was nothing to validate this, making today's news no different than the six other times this winter when we were fed with the same information. Fortunatly, for the thousands visiting this upcoming week, this news will be neither boon nor bust to their holiday plans. They are mostly concerned with the quality of the snow, which at this point is very nice.

wind tossed

If I only had a better way to decribe how hard the wind has been blowing tonight. Metaphores...lets see... how about a wolf at the door. With the temperature at minus 10, I guarantee windchills are close to 80 below. I had every intention of documenting the 32" of snow we did receive. I have failed in that catagory. By tomorrow, we should have some significant drifting. Those pictures, if and when they happen, will be worth the wait.

It is ten pm now....I have just warmed up a bottle for the 10:20 feeding. Tua wakes up like an old car on a cold morning; Slow and with much persuasion. If she's not completely awake, the contents of the bottle end up on me rather than in her. The best part about the evening feeds is her unmitigated desire to return to slumber. Often it is within seconds after the last healthy belch.

Tomorrow: more pictures, less text, better prose....

The Big One (Part Two)

As of 2:00 pm we have about 14" out of this snowfall. The storm seems to be only intensifying. I was planning to ski half the day and spend the balance of the afternoon at work, but at this point it is snowing too hard to do either. I was not the 1st vehicle to arrive at the Sykeship base at 8:00. There was a semi parked just to the back of the lot which I assumed was a stranded trucker planning to hunker down for the next two days awaiting the roads to clear. As I was getting my boots on, I looked up and saw the driver decending from the cab skis in hand. It turns out, this was a planned stopover for him. The lift was delayed a bit in opening so John and I chatted as the snow continued to fall. He works for Old Town Canoe delivering their canoes and kayaks all over the country. In the front of his trailer, he keeps a mountain bike and two pairs of skis, just for occasions like today. Just before 9, we were allowed to board. I took four runs at which point the wind began to get to me and the snow increased enough in its intensity to bring the visibility down to nil. The snow was perfect, dry and deep, just like it never is here in New England.
It's interesting to observe the way in which this particular storm is being handled. If you listened to the news reports on VPR today, you would think that the apocalypse was upon us. The state offices closed at noon and we were informed not to go into Rutland unless you planned to spend the night there. I can assure the readers of this post, that I have seen snow like this before. Vermont has not yet called into effect the state of emergency that was issued in New York, Massachusettes, and New Hampshire at noon. As of this post, we still have our wits about us.
The Tua forecast for the remainder of the day....finish midnoon lunchon by 3....nap until 4:30....awake until dinner at 5:30....nap until 8:30 or 9...... a very predictable routine, yet so many variables.....

The Big One

The forecast tomorrow is for snow. The Northern new England region should see at least a foot of powder by Wednesday evening. Locally higher amounts are possible. Here at 1800 feet on Baker Hill, we are expecting 30". Stay tuned for more.........

Bee Afraid

Sunday Meeting High Fashion...
Tua's indifference to the color pink is
evident below.




This photo was part of a series of pictures we put together for a new PBS cooking show. Our working title for the proposed show is Cooking for Baby. It may be broadcast on your local PBS station in the near future. Here Tua is all ears as Bug explains the finer points of mincing garlic.








A recent article put out by the Agriculture Extension at Penn State highlights a disturbing trend in the apiary field. It seems that over the last three summers, bee keepers and crop watchers alike have noticed a distinct drop in pollenation activity. Bee numbers are down. I have chosen to draw on this for a couple of reasons. The first concerns our food supply. Contrary to popular belief, food is not produced at the grocers. 85% of the food we buy is grown. ( I'm trying to think of just one food item in our house that is not agrarian in its base.) Keeping in mind the amount of work that goes into the production, consider the role of the bee, whose job it is to leave the colony for the sake of gathering sustainance. Yet in the fulfillment of that role, the land is able to yield a harvest. It's a wonderful image of labor in humility and the broad net of blessing cast upon the many by the faithfulness of one. Beyond that, the bee is a necessity of sorts. To the agrarian community, the bee has a role that's almost as good as the sun. Without it, we might have to resort to the 15% of the grocer that is otherwise....

I have just found something in the cuboard that fits the bill. Despite its name, Chicken of the Sea is not ag-based and therefore owes nothing to the bee.

So the drop in the bee population. Pretty dire unless the tide turns. Inspired by Sir Branson and Mr. Gore in their efforts of last week, I have decided to offer a reward to anyone who can come up with a solution to the matter of the disappering bee. I will offer a Maple sapling from our backyard. The reward pales to Branson's 25 million award for harnessing hydrogen, but a maple tree will certainly last longer.

Pancakes, Anyone?

I'm writing this in the hopes that someone with a good heart and a passion for breakfast will read this and be inspired to move to Vermont and run a local fixture. And before I write anymore, I will tell you that I am not in the employ of any agent or broker. Now, the news. Blanche and Bills is up for sale. Rumors of this had been only hearsay up intil two weeks ago, when Blanche herself pulled us aside and broke the news. For those of you reading from afar, Blanche and Bills pancake house has been around for about as long as I. The building itself is a landmark of sorts. The small red cottage that sits off route 4 in Bridgewater has offered a pleasurable breakfast experience for decades. Blanche and Bill moved here in the 70's. They brought with them a pancake recipie that yeilds breakfasts so sumptuous, this eatery has been written up in food reviews the nation over. The reveiw from Gourmet Magazine hangs on the wall below their infamous menu wall paper. It was the first restaurant I was brought to in my life and I am so glad I was able to share it with Tua before it becomes something else. Blanche informs me that her recipie may be included in the sale, provided the buyer is willing to keep it a secret as well. The pancakes REALLY are the best. If you don't believe me, email me and I'll buy you breakfast. (I didn't want this to be all bad news. Blanche has promised to stay open until a buyer is found. That should give folks who want to eat here one last time ample opportunity to do so.)



For info on the sale: www.killingtonvermontrealestate.com (commercial listings)

Pumping Iron

While today might have been Tua's second visit to the gym, she has been a regular member of Curves for quite some time. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the last ten months, she has accompanied her mom through the half-hour workout routine, adding a measure of resistance to Bug's training with every ounce of growth. They actually worked out the day prior to Tua's arrival. Today, Tua got to sit this one out. Bug took a few pictures of the occasion. Here she is in the arms of our friend Susan. Susan heads up the Tua fan club at Curves.

NASA Bum Genius

If you were tuned into the great media zoo today, you no doubt learned more about NASA than you ever wanted to know. (Search the news headlines from FEB 6 in Houston and Fort Lauderdale if your reading this postdate). I've never driven from Texas to Florida before and I can't imagine that its any fun. I would imagine that Ms. Nowak was not trying make the trip go by any faster or make the mood any lighter by donning astronautical diapers. As you probably have read by now, this was as preconceived as it gets. If she is really had the marks to have made it through 7 years of the Naval academy, she was definitely counting on this strategy to save her critical seconds as she raced toward her foe. It's interesting that after countless hours of training in a space program that prides itself on grinding the cutting edge of speed and energy ever finer, the one piece of equipment that she chooses to use to accomplish her great mission of pride is one that I have become an expert on, of late. And this time, I think I'm on to something that not even NASA knows about.

BUM Genuis

I was planning to set aside one of these posts in the interest of one of our latest finds. Bum Genius is the name to trust when searching for an alternative to cloth diapers. This invention is doing to conventional diapers what the incandescent bulb did to candles. Months before Tua was born, we bcame aware of the great expense disposable diapers incure. When we added that to our philosophy of reduced waste, we realized that that we might want to consider the cloth diaper. We were raised in these and we seemed to have turned out okay. Upon closer examination (and after interviewing our own mothers) we returned to the search. Bug found a company in Colorado that sold a diaper made of cloth and engineered to be completly leak-proof. We bought a few to try out when Tua 1st came along. She thought they fit great and we found them very easy to clean. The liner is removable for easy washing. They come with their own lavender scented diaper pail. We ended up buying stock in BUM Genuis and heartily recommend them to anyone seeking an alternative to the conventional.


For those of you who have requested pictures of the house project, you can find the progress pictures (as well as various others) at http://www.stornoway.dell.shutterfly.com/. I'll take more of the completed house as soon as it is presentable.

the slightly evening post

It is believed that insomnia is a physical representation of overwhelming stress in ones life. That may very well be the case, but recent events in my life beg me to differ. Tua has adopted a sleep pattern that would try even the most patient sort. We are not sleeping much as a rule and from what we have been told, this is not likely to change anytime soon. I'll gladly get up to change a diaper or rock a fussing baby back to sleep anytime of the night. Were you to ask me a year ago what my thoughts were concerning rising from a warm bed on a cold night for any reason, I would have had a different outlook.
Tua is sleeping soundly right now. She went down about forty minutes ago and we're hoping for five hours of sleep tonight. So that will put us up at 4 am. Bug will be the first out of bed, I'll be right behind her bumbling my way through the darkness with nothing to guide me but Tua's ardent cry. I'll insist on changing the diaper as this task is the one small contribution I am physically able to make for the comfort of our daughter. Hopefully, by this point I'll be somewhat awake and won't have to bumble groggily through the procedure. Once this is done, I shall hand her off to Bug for early breakfast. I will try to stay awake to keep their company. From the last three night experience however, this is unlikely. I'll be asleep within minutes.
Before you lambast me for my slothful approach to night-parenting, I would like to inform you, reader, that we just invested in a pump. This means that, within a few days of now, I shall have the task of the evening feeds. If anyone deserves a rest, it's Bug. She's been the real star of the whole event.