Enter dusk

Time to get yourself outside early in the day or else! After adjusting our clocks, it’s now dark at 5 pm and counting down for the next two months. I’m still hoping to get some forest exercise in before it’s too cold (my lungs don’t take kindly to heavy breathing in frosty temps), but with rain, back pain, sick ponies and what else, my plans have been thwarted so far. I really don’t know why I keep making them!

I’ve been working on installing studio stairs instead of the ladder, but it’s still missing a banister at the top. I’ll show you when it’s done.

Actually

It’s untrue that I can only see the garage roof from the other side of my studio. If I stand on a step stool, lean very far out of the open window and look left, I can see more of this:

It’s end of week and I’m aiming at a quiet weekend. Not something I observe habitually, but it happens to fit. Continue reading “Actually”

Foliage of the week

– garden views for you today. I try to get my butt outside every time the weather lets up, even just for a short spell. And every year in October I just go nuts clicking at leaves, once I start I can’t seem to stop, 100’s of images and nothing to do with them! These are just the raw snaps, I hope to dive deeper into work on them later. Too many varied projects going on right now, so next task will be getting all my ducks in a row.

Too many people, not enough trees

not_enough_trees1

The following quote is by Matthieu Ricard in his book “Happiness”. I don’t know whether the facts are actually true, but it’s certainly interesting in these times of iPads and global warming, and perhaps especially at this time of year.

Unlike GNP, the economic indicator that measures cash flow through an economy, GNH measures the happiness of the people as an indicator of development and progress. In order to improve the quality of life for its people, Bhutan has balanced cultural and environmental preservation with the development of industry and tourism. It is the only country in the world where hunting and fishing are banned throughout the land. That is a happy contrast to the two million hunters in France. (MR is a buddhist. Personally I’m not as opposed to “real” hunting as to factory farming and hobby shooting)

In addition, 60 percent of the land is required by law to remain forested.

Continue reading “Too many people, not enough trees”