Hard to believe that 2016 is almost over. Here are some personal highlights. The fotos at the top are from December. At the bottom, earlier in the year. Most recent to early in the year.
Klik on the foto for a larger image and caption. Hover over the foto for the caption to appear. Fotos are below.
2016 was a bit closer to home compared to the past few years. I really enjoy being at home. There is plenty to do on the property and I always have some educational projects to work on
This was a great year for the garden. After agonizing for years, I finally cut down the cherry tree in the front yard. Its shade prevented me from using the space most effectively. Now its a full front yard garden, lots of tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and pole beans. Planted two new apple trees that will be espaliet. Fotos below show more.
Life at the house is pretty good. I always have housemates and its interesting to become acquainted with people by sharing a kitchen, bathroom, living room.
Home economics is a term I like to use - the rent, food grown, rain water used, passive solar energy all contribute to taking care of more needs here on site. I rarely buy fruit or veggies any time of the year. The house, paid for, is easily the best financial investment I have ever made. It is a small chunk of ecotopia. I love looking out my window and seeing the garden, lemon tree and south side of the house.
I play a bit of tennis, attend the occasional work party nearby. I spent a lot of time by the river this summer. I would make dinner, take it to a nice spot I know and enjoy the meal and view. I saw an osprey dive for a fish, caught it, struggled in the water to take off, but the fish was too large to lift so the osprey had to let go. This natural drama took place right in front of me, 100 feet away.
Hikes with friends are great fun. To the coast, to the mountains. So glad I moved to Oregon. Eugene has been a grand slam. Lots of beautiful places nearby. In my neighborhood, Trump received 20% of the vote. Some neighborhoods in Eugene the green party candidate had more votes than Trump. The new president will shake things up and it does provide lots of incentive to create alternatives.
I produced a new poster [<link] . If I was a rock and roll band, this poster would be the "best of." It combines bits of previous posters but updates analysis with a few succinct explanations about our economic system. I had 5000 printed and have been giving them away to the city council, faculty at UO, Metropolitan Planning Commission - all kinds of higher ups from local jurisdictions. And to people at meetings. If you would like some, please let me know. Great to give them to people who are not so familiar with these kinds of ideas like teachers, politicians, ministers,,,,,,,,
A new local micro radio station is planning to go on the air. I have been asked to do a program. That will be something like an audio blog and will include a pod cast .
I continue to blog for Mother Earth News. From the start, I have been nagging them to create a new blog category. They are still stuck in do it yourself. I told them from the start, my interests to do not fit in any of their categories. My interests are about social activation. People working together on a scale larger than a single home for an more expansive and ambitious purpose, regime change.
My last blog described the nearby filbert grove we have been restoring for the past 6 years. Its a great story [<link] and the most recent blog suggests to readers just about any neighborhood has some kind of feature that can bring people together on behalf of green and resilient homes, neighborhoods, economy and culture.
The blog I am now working on describes how a group of people in Friendly Neighborhood, in Eugene, turned an unused street right of way into an awesome neighborhood garden. Future blogs will be about other progressive and creative projects I know about in the Northwest. I think this is really important - creating civic culture - people involved with caring about where they live.
I am also working on a series of narrated slide shows that I will put on you tube called "Creating Green and Resilient Homes, Neighborhoods, Economy and Culture." The episodes will be about my place, the neighborhood, economics, civic culture, how to pay for these changes [the money is there, its a matter of personal and social priorities], examples of social activation and more.
The year's most just for fun occasion was driving out to southeast Oregon that included two days of bike riding. Several fotos below show and tell. That was one of the best bike rides in my life! I love to ride my recumbent, especially coasting downhill.
Like a lot of people, I am feeling a fair amount of anxiety about the new president. I did not vote for Clinton either. We need a direction dramatically different from what either of those candidates had to offer. Politics and culture are like a buffet, there can be a lot of choices, some good, some not good. Many of the smart choices at the far end of the table dont receive much attention because they don't make so much money for the owners of the place. Living within our economic and ecological means should be the main entree'.
So please have a look at the fotos. Some are every day stuff. Some spectacular. Its an incredible blessing to even be alive on this planetary oasis.
I would love to hear from friends.
Klik on the foto for a larger image and caption. Hover over the foto for the caption to appear. Fotos are below.
2016 was a bit closer to home compared to the past few years. I really enjoy being at home. There is plenty to do on the property and I always have some educational projects to work on
This was a great year for the garden. After agonizing for years, I finally cut down the cherry tree in the front yard. Its shade prevented me from using the space most effectively. Now its a full front yard garden, lots of tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and pole beans. Planted two new apple trees that will be espaliet. Fotos below show more.
Life at the house is pretty good. I always have housemates and its interesting to become acquainted with people by sharing a kitchen, bathroom, living room.
Home economics is a term I like to use - the rent, food grown, rain water used, passive solar energy all contribute to taking care of more needs here on site. I rarely buy fruit or veggies any time of the year. The house, paid for, is easily the best financial investment I have ever made. It is a small chunk of ecotopia. I love looking out my window and seeing the garden, lemon tree and south side of the house.
I play a bit of tennis, attend the occasional work party nearby. I spent a lot of time by the river this summer. I would make dinner, take it to a nice spot I know and enjoy the meal and view. I saw an osprey dive for a fish, caught it, struggled in the water to take off, but the fish was too large to lift so the osprey had to let go. This natural drama took place right in front of me, 100 feet away.
Hikes with friends are great fun. To the coast, to the mountains. So glad I moved to Oregon. Eugene has been a grand slam. Lots of beautiful places nearby. In my neighborhood, Trump received 20% of the vote. Some neighborhoods in Eugene the green party candidate had more votes than Trump. The new president will shake things up and it does provide lots of incentive to create alternatives.
I produced a new poster [<link] . If I was a rock and roll band, this poster would be the "best of." It combines bits of previous posters but updates analysis with a few succinct explanations about our economic system. I had 5000 printed and have been giving them away to the city council, faculty at UO, Metropolitan Planning Commission - all kinds of higher ups from local jurisdictions. And to people at meetings. If you would like some, please let me know. Great to give them to people who are not so familiar with these kinds of ideas like teachers, politicians, ministers,,,,,,,,
A new local micro radio station is planning to go on the air. I have been asked to do a program. That will be something like an audio blog and will include a pod cast .
I continue to blog for Mother Earth News. From the start, I have been nagging them to create a new blog category. They are still stuck in do it yourself. I told them from the start, my interests to do not fit in any of their categories. My interests are about social activation. People working together on a scale larger than a single home for an more expansive and ambitious purpose, regime change.
My last blog described the nearby filbert grove we have been restoring for the past 6 years. Its a great story [<link] and the most recent blog suggests to readers just about any neighborhood has some kind of feature that can bring people together on behalf of green and resilient homes, neighborhoods, economy and culture.
The blog I am now working on describes how a group of people in Friendly Neighborhood, in Eugene, turned an unused street right of way into an awesome neighborhood garden. Future blogs will be about other progressive and creative projects I know about in the Northwest. I think this is really important - creating civic culture - people involved with caring about where they live.
I am also working on a series of narrated slide shows that I will put on you tube called "Creating Green and Resilient Homes, Neighborhoods, Economy and Culture." The episodes will be about my place, the neighborhood, economics, civic culture, how to pay for these changes [the money is there, its a matter of personal and social priorities], examples of social activation and more.
The year's most just for fun occasion was driving out to southeast Oregon that included two days of bike riding. Several fotos below show and tell. That was one of the best bike rides in my life! I love to ride my recumbent, especially coasting downhill.
Like a lot of people, I am feeling a fair amount of anxiety about the new president. I did not vote for Clinton either. We need a direction dramatically different from what either of those candidates had to offer. Politics and culture are like a buffet, there can be a lot of choices, some good, some not good. Many of the smart choices at the far end of the table dont receive much attention because they don't make so much money for the owners of the place. Living within our economic and ecological means should be the main entree'.
So please have a look at the fotos. Some are every day stuff. Some spectacular. Its an incredible blessing to even be alive on this planetary oasis.
I would love to hear from friends.
