He Rocks in the Treetops All Night Long

I now "tweet." http://twitter.com/_fiddlesticks_

Looking Up

I've been on the Redwood Coast for a bit less than a month now, and I continue to be bowled over by how beautiful it is here. There's truly a bit of everything within just a few miles. Mountains, rivers, and forests (and such forests!) Cities (well, large towns, anyway), small towns, and farms. Sandy beaches, rocky beaches, and seaside cliffs. There's at least a little sun and a little fog nearly every day.

The city (Eureka) feels less like a seaport than any seaport I've seen. There's no seagulls, no salt spray in the air, and rather than nautical-themed houses there's Victorian gingerbread everywhere. It's compact enough that you can walk anywhere, and almost every walk is lovely.

The other day I needed to buy a couple of bolts, and that's when I discovered that I had to buy them at (gasp!) a hardware store. There's no Home Depot, no Lowe's, no OSH anywhere in town. If there's a Wal-Mart, I don't know where it is. In fact, I think you can count the "big box" stores on one hand. (Fortunately, there is a Costco!)

Maybe it's the change of scenery, or just getting up and out of the basement, but it occurred to me last night that, since I've been here, I haven't had an episode of grinding, despairing depression, the sort of day where you just can't pull yourself together. I'm accustomed to those days, and while three weeks is not a long time, it's a positive sign.

In the meantime, things are slowly beginning to happen. More on this later in the week.

Special Weather Warning!

This morning I log on to find that there is an active "Special Weather Statement" from the National Weather Service for "Redwood Coast, California":

Statement as of 5:33 AM PDT on May 12, 2009

... Hot daytime temperatures expected over the weekend...

A strong ridge of high pressure will build over the West Coast on Friday prompting daytime temperatures to climb well above normal over the weekend. Although uncertainty remains as to how hot it will get...coastal locations could see highs in the mid 60s ...with temperatures soaring into the mid and upper 90s across interior valleys.

These conditions may pose heat-related risks to individuals who will be outdoors for extended periods of time. If you plan to be outside... wear a hat and loose-fitting clothing... and be sure to drink plenty of water. More detailed information is available from the National Weather Service at weather.Gov/Eureka.

(emphasis added)

Ohmygawd...temps in the mid-60s? Whatever shall we do?!?

As my friend David likes to say, "just another day in Paradise."

This Summer I Hear the Drumming

Four Dead in Ohio.
Photo: John Filo (c) 1970 Valley News-Dispatch
Song Lyrics: Neil Young (c) 1970 Cotillion/Broken Arrow

Other people remember where they were when JFK was shot, or when the astronauts landed on the moon, or other events. This is the one I will always remember. At least Gov. James A. Rhodes, the man who compared the students protesting the April 30 expansion of American combat troops into Cambodia to brown shirts and night riders who were "the worst type of people that we harbor in America," and sent the National Guard in with loaded weapons, was subsequently thrown out of office and publicly vilified...

As if.

In reality, he was re-elected two more times, and this statue was erected in front of the state office building--the city's tallest building-- named for him in Columbus.

What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground? How can you run when you know?












(c) Dania Hurley; obtained from Flickr

Houston, Tranquility Base

The Eagle has landed.

(Not my photo.)

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

I haven't switched political parties, driven into a crowd assembled to see the Queen, declared bankruptcy, or caught the swine flu (although I have had some iffy days health-wise lately), which may explain why you haven't heard much of my doings lately. I'm just not newsworthy. Of course, I've spent the last few days holed up at Death Valley National Park, where there is no limelight--although the starlight is more than abundant. Even though it is still April (barely), it's already too hot for me to do much more than cross the valley floor; consequently I spent most of my time in the upper elevations, as well as doing what most overnight tourists in DVNP spend hours each day doing--driving to Nevada for gas. Now I'm safely back in California, and tomorrow I set my sights on Eureka, expecting to drive through rain all day and arrive in the late afternoon.

Bill Ferny

Where you have fog and mist and tall trees with a solid canopy, you're going to have ferns. And in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, there's a riot of ferns.

Final preparations for Wednesday's liftoff are well underway. The launch vehicle has been fueled and tested. The payload is being assembled for loading, which is expected to take place over the next 48 hours. Final flight plans have been filed and confirmed, and the recovery crews are waiting at the splashdown area, where a special reception will be held on May 3 to celebrate what one hopes will be a successful journey. The major cable networks are not expected to cover Wednesday's launch, however, since there's too many kooky Texas politicians and moronic "tax protests" and White House puppies for any real news to slip through.