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What??!! The camp hosts don't pick up garbage now?? I noticed lots of pieces of crap, all around the campgrounds and down by the river. First of all, to you idiots who left it there, shame on your sorry asses. Go home and throw shit in your own yard. On that same note, I became fascinated with this horrendous article about all the garbage in our lives.
Whenever something grosses me out on a global level, I just decide to attack it on a more personal level. I keep the garbage out of my own back yard, my own life. I don't throw it out the car window, in the campground, or in your or my back yard. I stop collecting such crap in the first place. No plastic bags, containers, or people for me. Less garbage = less stress. I want the real deal baby. Not the kind of crap that is shiny for 5 minutes and chokes the life out of you and yours for the rest of the duration. NO THANKS!
Last Friday we escaped to Laverne park. We rented our favorite spot, the cabin. I noticed that instead of the usual single electrical plugin, the park fairy had upgraded the cabin to an amazing 4 plugins. Whee!
Though the weather had been hot and sunny all week, by Saturday it was raining occasionally and very overcast. Still the weather was warm and pleasant. Sam strung his little tent and tarp city amongst the trees as I set up the home base: i.e - kitchen. We took turns getting a few truckloads of wood so that we could have a toasty big fire the whole time.
I brought ten times the food I needed and cooked constantly. I love cooking in the outdoors, it becomes my #1 hobby when I camp. I seasoned and cut into strips rib steaks so that we could roast them on our skewers. We buried corn on the cob and potatoes wrapped in foil underneath a hot little pile of coals. Huge breakfasts became a muchly anticipated event. Bacon, potatoes fried in bacon grease, chicken breasts seasoned, floured and fried in bacon grease, and farm fresh eggs. I even made a cheesecake, I mixed it in my tall pot, and sat that in an inch of water in my cast iron pan.
The swimming hole was not as deep as usual. Due to concern for the little steelheadettes, the dam will not be put into place until after the 4th of July. Little fishies were swimming about everywhere, but no crawdads, and only one salamander could be seen. The squirrel we usually feed must have died from what we fed him last year. Ah well. Didn't see any deer either. The shrubberies were especially grand however. I stared for hours at the botanical arrangements that nature put together for my personal viewing enjoyment.
Holidays are usually blessed with a little trouble, especially with huge families. I, however, lucked out this mother's day. I woke up to a most lovely, long, and heart felt letter of appreciation from my little gimpeepoo. It made my eyes water, ALOT. I got Happy Mother's day calls from all the kids, save one, who isn't talking to anyone it seems. One out of six ain't bad.
The family then proceeded to the house of the elders, where my stepmom and I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Nothing we had to do anyway. We went to the Shore Acres gardens, boys in tow. Many mommies were out there that day. It was observed that some of the old rhodies are being cut out, only to be replaced with azaleas or other things. That was rather sad. And the greenhouse was closed. Tsk, Tsk. The pond looked a bit swamp like, not the usual burst of water lilly bloom we have become accustomed to this time of year. But it was still wonderful, the perfect mother's day social event.
After our little stroll the boys went to get us Chinese food. I have always liked Thai Dynasty, but this time they did a most especially wonderful job. We all ordered different stuff and then we shared. Then back to talking about garden stuff, which the boys endured because, well, they love us and were being especially gentlemanly. It was really, a perfect mother's day.
I shopped today. Food. Camping supplies for the ensuing trip. Bird food. Garage Sales. Derek, having a day off from school, escorted me in my adventures. We met up with the parents/grandparents at an estate sale. Derek, being the moose that he is, came in very handy. Grandpa had purchased a few pieces of furniture that needed to be put in the back of his pickup. Derek spent his time following one of us around and holding stuff for us. So I fed him. ALOT.
You would think after a day of shopping I would desire an easier dinner meal, but after all that fine, fresh food purchasing, I felt inspired to COOK SOMETHING. Spicy pulled pork and flavorful rice. Home-made (non of that melamine enhanced stuff at the establishment of WYRD) strawberry shortcake. The strawberries were from the local Safeways, and were surprising good for store bought produce. Still....
I'm getting more than a little freaked out about eating things that I have not produced by my own self. Which has inspired me to increase my planting efforts here in my urban mini plantation. Although I am plagged by the thought that I can never start enough, early enough ..... and although I am mildly tortured by the little failures, the lemon cukes that were doing so well and I murdered by setting them out too early, despite these small setbacks, I have a nice little crop starting.
Red Cherry tomatoes waist high. I finally quit pinching off the blooms and the little green marbles are starting to explode from the yellow flower buds all over the place. The Yellow Cherry tomatoes and Heinz tomatoes are just a few weeks behind. I stretched out the starting season because I don't have enough greenhouse to house them all. So far I have 100 +.
The lettuce is abundant and mixed, started in batches every two weeks. Though yummy to eat, its especially beautiful as well. Two big patches of knee high potatos, two rows of knee high peas, two artichokes .. so far, 3 rhubarbs, 6 patches of garlic .. also started, MORE lemon cukes, and a new one for me, my attempt at growing a watermelon.
The herbs are starting to bush up, and the peonies and other garden flowers are beginning to bloom. Inland, things had about a month jump, being warmer and all, but I'm quite content with my little world of gardening success.
Dr. Nice posted this info in a bulletin on myspace:
| Date: | May 3, 2007 8:37 AM |
|---|---|
| Subject | Global Marijuana March, May 5th |
| Body: | For those of you in the Portland, Oregon, USA area I invite you to join me in participating in the Global Marijuana March this Saturday at Pioneer Courthouse Square. I will be representing the Oregon Marijuana Party. you will find me by the statue of a man with an umbrella on the top teir on the south end of the square between 11:30 am and when the march begins. I have heard people say these marches don't change anything, but that is not true. What these marches do, besides giving local activists and legalization supporters an opportunity to connect, is to remind those who oppose legalization that this cause is important enough for us to gather in public protest. And when you show up you represent not only yourself, but to a degree you also represent those who are currently suffering in prison for having used a harmless plant in their personal pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness is supposed to be an inalienable right that our government is supposed to secure for us. If we do not stand up in defense of this right the federal government will continue to deprive us of it. Though the march itself may not change many people's minds about legalization at the moment it occurs, what it does do is keep the issue in the public eye, it helps repeat the message one more time that we are not going to go away, that we believe this is an injustice worthy of consideration and that will help people to be more receptive to the truths about prohibition next time they are exposed to them. It is not one exposure that usually changes the opinion of a detractor, their false beliefs about cannabis are chipped away over time until they reach a turning point, the point at which they have ears to hear and eyes to see and the hearts to change. So, show up for the march Saturday and participate. Listen to the speakers and hear the arguments for ending prohibition so that you can articulate them more effectively to those you influence. Connect with local leaders and and other activists and find out what things are being done currently that you can help with. I hope to see you there, Dr Nice |
