First Lyft

Recently I had to call a Lyft to get my car from the mechanic. This was my first Lyft. The driver asked me what radio station I listen to. I told him I usually listen to NPR. “Is NPR the anti-Trump one?” “Well, they aren’t pro Trump,” I said. He said that ever since he started driving so much he listens to AM radio and they make some good arguments for Trump. Soon he transitioned to, “I think this whole sexual harassment thing has gotten out of hand. I mean, how come so many are coming out now?” I suggested that maybe they feel more comfortable now – when they hear others they might think it is time, and maybe their duty, to say something too. He had an example of a woman who claimed to be raped but was “just at a party and a man pulled his thing out.” “People should be able to got to a party without having to see a guy’s ‘thing,’” I said. I also asked if he would believe a woman if it was his daughter and he said yes. Then I told him that every woman is someone’s daughter. He said, “Well I am supporting men because no one else is.” Then I said, “Um.” We had a civil back and forth about how men are in charge, “nuh uh, women are.” “No, men.” When I asked why, if women are in charge, are they satisfied making  .80 cents for every dollar a man makes? Then he blurted out, “women get all the money in the divorce!” “Well not all women are lucky enough to get divorced.”  I did not get a follow up text from Lyft asking how my ride with whatshisname was.

It would be neighborly if my car would let my thoughts exit with me especially when I plan on writing them down. Is this a Subaru thing? Thoughts, some that might qualify as ideas, swim through my mind as I drive until I park and leave the car. I can only guess that they are in the car somewhere.

Migration update.

I believe the osprey have arrived earlier this year. I saw one with a fish on a pole at the corner of Brookside Lane and highway 55 in Boise (or Eagle) Idaho about March 23. There is a pair of osprey nesting already on State street at that place with the dead trees full of bird houses (bird apartments). Also, a pair of Swainson's hawks near the farm April 7.

Headache

Many years ago and for decades - half of the sixties, all of the seventies, eighties and nineties, I was headache free. Everyday I reveled in my ache free head. There were other activities, events and occurrences that marked my childhood, sure, but none so important as the daily lack of pain in my head. Until about five or six years ago when it changed. I was typing evaluations for students. But they increasingly made less and less sense. I tried typing slower and more carefully but it made no difference. I thought maybe I was having a stroke. I rode my bike to the doctor. On the way there, I was losing peripheral vision. I made it to the doctor and while a nurse asked me about my medical history etc, pain started and grew, and grew. Unbearable pain (I am a man and I know how to not bear pain as well as the next guy). Eventually I got a shot of a strong pain killer. I slept for about 18 hours and was ok for about a year. Then a similar event happened. It became about a yearly event, these headaches. But in the last ten days I have had three.

I wrote the above last spring. I've only had a couple migraines since then.

There's a neurologist in town who specializes in migraines. It takes a reference and months to see him. When I arrived at his office there was a survey I was instructed to take. The questions were like this: On a scale from 1-10 how much pain are you in now? On a scale from 1- 10 how much pain have you been in the last week? Or, how many migraines have you had in the last week? How many migraines have you had in the last ten days? How many migraines have you had in the last month? That's as far back as it goes. My headaches may be the worst thing in my life but not bad enough. There are people who deal with it every week or even every day. Mostly women because men can't deal with this much pain.

This is what worries me: my neurologist prescribed a rescue drug and says "I use this and it works in about an hour and a half."It's not the hour and half that worries me. It's that he still gets migraines. I don't want my migraine doctor to suffer from migraines any more than I want to go to a flabby personal trainer. Physician heal thyself and then heal me.

The only pain I had during the visit was my sciatic nerve. The physician's assistant has the same sciatic problem. He said to let him know if I find anything that works. I like to imagine doctors have the inside track of miracle cures. Maybe that's more of a perk for clergy types.

I was hoping to be one of those people who humble brags about how great his life is (Damn, got to go to the gallery and pick up a check for my sold out exhibition. When will they learn about direct deposit?!?!), not a guy who keeps getting older and complains about his latest aches and pains.

Farm Notes

The goat head sprayers came April 13 to spray pre-emergent.

I say the first Western kingbird of the season yesterday, April 21.

Swainson's hawks are back. I first saw them April 19th.

Keeping track of migration

I've been wanting to note the arrival of certain birds and when our fruit trees bloom etc. But I am terrible at it.

I saw an Osprey with a fish near Home Depot on State Street March 29th. First of the year. Waiting for Swainson's hawks now.

Winter has Come

It's been snowing in Boise. It's been cold too - snow and cold go hand in hand, but it can snow at 36 degrees. We have experienced lows of -7 at our house. That's overkill. One of our young alpacas, Maverick, was shivering one night. It's heartbreaking to see an animal shivering and more so when it's going to get colder as the night goes on. Last night it was about 17 degrees and the alpacas looked relaxed, sitting (kushed) and chewing their cud. Or whatever they chew.

It has warmed up a bit but now there is freezing rain. It was today's forecast that made us shovel roofs yesterday. I estimated it would take and hour and a half to do the house. It took five. Then is snowed two inches within an hour of finishing. The weather people are anticipating freezing rain, rain, then more snow. Along with that they warn of power outages. We've been trying to find propane for a Coleman lantern. Sold out everywhere we've checked. Also, our diesel Ford f350 won't start. Jenny's taillights stopped working on her other car. My VW is buried.

The pipes in the barn have been periodically frozen even with heat tape and a space heater.

Our neighbor John plows our road and driveway regularly and we love him for it. And for other things, he is just plain lovable.

Snow is knee deep on our lawn.

I still remember 11/9

I still remember where I was when I found out Trump was elected President. Our dog, Ace, was pacing in the kitchen trying to tell someone he had to pee. By the time I got out of bed he had already peed on the floor, so I cleaned it up. Then, with a pee soaked towel in one hand, I opened my laptop. I refreshed the New York Times electoral map. Acid formed in my gut. I tried to go back to sleep. Stress and fear are tiring so I eventually nodded off until about 4 am.

Where were you?

Farm Notes

Started irrigating on May 11. Sprayed pre-emergent on March 25.

Paper Positives

I bought this "direct positive" photo paper. I was trying it out yesterday. It's a fun way to make original prints. It's tricky. Underexposed images are too dark. Overexposed are too light. Even slightly old developer makes for flat (low-contrast) images, so fresh developer is a must.

US National Cyclo-cross Championships, Austin Texas, 2015

Post I neglected from last year found in a dark, dusty corner of the internet

Every once in a while I remember this blog. Right now I am remembering it from the tenth storey of a hotel (Tryp Hotel) in Sao Paulo. I am here for a few days for a Robert Heinecken exhibition. Now that I am closest to an "Amazon Rain Forest" than I have ever been, I really want to look for birds. But Sao Paulo is not a tourist town. When I mention it to people they look like I just asked where I should dig for gold. One woman said we should fly to Rio. Not for nature but for tourist stuff. I am not really interested in tourist stuff other than maybe a guided nature walk.

Inspiration

is 90% perspiration. That's not right. Perspiration is the product of inspiration. Closer. Today I was inspired to clean the chicken coops. And I sweated quite a bit as a result. It is amazing how much dust chickens produce.

That is a chicken dust covered tape by the dub poet Mutabaruka. Incidentally, I bought Minute Made orange juice from Mutabaruka back in 1986 in Jamaica.

Chickens also produce an amazing amount of eggs.

Truth and Tattoos

I think of my self, or is it, myself? Either way, my impression of me is that of an honest man. Yet here is a lie I tell regularly:

 "Cool tattoo." Sometime I say, "I like your tattoo."

Here is one I actually like:

I am aware it isn't for everyone even though Devo's latest album is called Something for Everyone. 

1998, May

The first summer after Luke's first year of grad school at the Art Institute of Chicago and the last summer before my first year of grad school at the Museum School in Boston, we went on a trip. 

Islands

Jocose is a Word I Have Never Used.

Maybe I should just print this blog out. Does anyone read Blogger blogs anymore? Don't bother answering. I'm not really interested. That's how bad it is. I really liked writing this blog and I'm not planning to throw it away, but I often forget it is here.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I bought a Volkswagen Jetta. They are now being recalled. I wish "recalled" was synonymous with "refunded."

In other news, I was playing with a homemade medium format camera and took this picture of our Alpacas.

Car Shopping

I've been car shopping. Shopping in general is not fun and shopping for cars is worse. The person who tries to sell you a car really wants to sell you a car. It's so much more important to them then selling underwear is to a salesperson at Urban Outfitters. And it is almost impossible to trust a car salesperson (man). As far as I can tell they are all men. A line I got from Nissan, Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen is, "No one else does this…" One of the things that no one else does that they all do is have a "no haggle" policy. The other thing they all do that no one else does is look up the Carfax information for you.

The Ford salesman was the worst. I wasn't opposed to buying a Ford or a used car from Ford. This guy went to pains to tell me that he wants me to feel comfortable, feel no pressure, etc. But when I said, "Ok, I have to sleep on it he looked dismayed and said, "I don't know what you have to sleep on? I mean, if you like it you should buy it. I just don't want you to miss out on this." I told him I cannot shop for a car and assume the first car I look at is the only car for me. Then he said, "Well, its clear you want to leave. I don't know what I did wrong. I thought you were here to buy a car." I found my self saying things like, "You did great. Don't worry. You're fine." Then as I drove away I was saying, "What a manipulative jerk." I bought a Volkswagen and I felt fine. I always have buyer's remorse even when I buy groceries. But I did feel happy for not buying from that Ford salesmen. I almost drove my new Jetta over to show him.

I would be a terrible car salesman. I would keep reminding the person that they "do not have to buy this car. Shop around. Are you sure you want this one? It's pretty pricey. Sleep on it."

I reminisce, part 1

In 1991, 92, and 93 I spent many hours in the darkroom at Humboldt State University. My friends and I listened to mix tapes that we made for each other. In those days we would listen over a boom box so everyone got to hear our music. We were obsessed with Jonathan Richman. From memory a typical mix would have:

Jonathan Richman
Tom Waits
Hank Williams
King Missile
Daniel Johnston
Dolly Parton
Billy Childish
Holly Golightly/Headcoatees
The Louvin Brothers
Perez Prado
Johnny Cash
A Tribe Called Quest
Buddy Holly



Living in Humboldt County was perfect for us because we loved the rural and the old timey. We spent much of our free time shopping in the endless supply of thrift stores, junk stores and antique stores. We dressed like lumber jacks and farmers.

We would never go anywhere without our cameras. I had my Rollieflex and my Kodak Retina. Both were practically antiques. We were all fans of old cameras. Most of my friends used compact, folding, medium format cameras.

When I wasn't in the darkroom or out exploring with friends, I used to grab my fishing rod, sling my creel over my shoulder then wait on highway 101 with my thumb out. I imagine I looked just like my dad when he went fishing. It was his creel and often I was wearing his shirt after all. Sometimes I would stand there for what seemed like hours and other times the first car would pick me up. On a good day I would get all the way to Big Lagoon or Stone Lagoon in one ride. I would fish for coastal cutthroat trout. Sometimes I'd see river otters and osprey. Often a herd of Roosevelt Elk would be up to their knees in the water, grazing.

My Top Tens List

Echo Lake (top ten places)
The Notorious BIG (top ten rappers)
The Wizard of Oz (top ten movies that should not be re-made but The Wiz is the exception)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (film, 1971) (top ten movies that should have never been re-made)
The Lord of the Rings (top ten books)
Paul McCarthy or Paul McCartney, either one (top ten artists of the last few decades)
Donuts (top ten foods no one should eat but that are really hard not to eat)
Rolleiflex (top ten cameras that I own)
Brittany Spaniel (top ten dog breeds of the 1970s Sadler household)
Julia Child (top ten television chefs)