We listened to this audio book on our drive also. I chose it because I have liked other books by Salzman. The subject of this one surprised me: it features a Carmelite nun’s struggles with epilepsy. The next surprise was that his presentation allowed me to truly relate to the character. Salzman has a knack for sniffing out and expressing universal themes with clarity and poetry, and he does so here. I was moved and intrigued by the book.
We borrowed a recorded version of this book from the library for our drive to Idaho. I’d never read any Agatha Christie books, but they are excellent for driving. The intricate plot requires close attention, especially in audio format. I probably would have done a lot of re-reading in a printed book, but in the end I think Agatha would have succeeded in keeping me clueless regardless. The story is nearly entirely plot-driven, which I don’t usually like, but again it’s good for driving. This seemed like the perfect way to gain an appreciation for an author I wouldn’t have read otherwise.
Even though the snow at Bogus Basin was not quite as good today, I left with a real fondness for the place. With perfect blue skies and not a breath of wind, we were treated to one visual feast after another. Orange sun on spruce trees with every needle encrusted in snow. A bright half moon floating above from afternoon until after dark. A blazing sunset casting a glow over endless ridges of small peaks. The slow fade of the gradient sky from sunset to starry night. All this is a long way of saying: I forgot to bring my camera.
It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been fiddling with a website called The Outdoor Map for almost a year now. My vision for it has changed, but I still use it all the time myself for finding places, keeping notes and links for them, and general map investigation. I had hoped that the site would support itself through advertising, but I never promoted it, and now the hosting bill is coming around. So, even though I still have many unrealized plans for it, I invite you play with the site a bit and see if you find it as useful as I do. Any comments you may have would be welcome.
We explore another small ski area. This one is near Boise, has six lifts, and is playfully named Bogus Basin. Once again we’re fortunate to hit decent snow, and several inches more fall while we’re there, keeping it fresh. The area is spread out, requiring some traversing from lift to lift. It has good trees, not quite as friendly as Pomerelle, but filled with fun little natural jumps and drops. There is more steep terrain to play on, and we both get nice and tired doing so. It also has night skiing, so we are able to enjoy the fresh snow after night falls. We like this place well enough to come back if more snow falls in the next couple of days.
We’re treated to a Christmas with all the traditional American elements: family (the Fish side), a tree, gifts, kids, church, snow, and an abundance of rich food. While enjoying it all I observe the contrast with my everyday life. There is time for pure play, and pure contemplation. I make sure to do some of each.
A Christmas present of sorts - some bleeding edge software for you! I’ve used some of my holiday break time to start implementing a few features I’ve been eager to add to the Geo Mashup Plugin. I’ve made a lot of changes in this one that will need some testing, so I’m going to release it in beta to begin with and leave 0.5.2 available as a stable version (See the home page for links to both). Now onto the goodies:
<?php wp_foot(); ?> template tag. It still needs <?php wp_header(); ?> before the </head> tag.I have many ideas for more features, so let’s get these tested and stable!
We need some activity to break up the long drive to visit Ann’s family in Nampa, Idaho, so we stop at tiny Pomerelle Mountain Ski Area. We’re lucky to hit beautiful weather and a nice foot of fresh powder. I’m reminded of the virtues of little podunk ski areas like this: easy access to your car, cheaper lift tickets ($30), and no lines. This place has near-perfect beginner tree skiing - widely spaced trees just steep enough to keep you moving and on your toes. We have a ball for four hours, then hit the road again.
This is a movie with a clear message that has nothing to do with Al Gore. The fact that he delivers the message is almost a distraction. It’s about how we react to threats. We overreact to dramatic threats like a terrorist attack with very little evidence to support our reactions. Yet gradual threats with far more convincing evidence we ignore. Global warming is clearly the second kind of threat. I’ll do what’s in my power personally to address the problem, but I don’t think enough people will do the same. I think humanity is going to have to learn this lesson the hard way. The warning is that we’ve entered uncharted territory. We don’t know what our new atmosphere will do to the climate, but we’re going to find out.
Referred by SimpleHiker
There were predictions for a big snowstorm starting yesterday, but I ride in to work like usual and see what will come of it. The ride in is nice - quiet, a gentle tailwind, and a few snowflakes. During the morning the university announces it will close at noon to let people get home before the incoming blizzard snows us in. By noon there’s about six inches of snow on the ground. I unlock the bike, wondering if I’ll be pushing it 5 miles home.
Riding turns out to be possible. The recumbent bike is difficult to get started, but once I get going the low center of gravity helps. I have to treat the front wheel like a ski - it doesn’t behave at all like a wheel. I wag it back and forth to keep me upright. Keeping the momentum up is key, which requires applying just the right torque to the pedals to turn the rear wheel without slipping. I bog down many times, mostly because of irregularities in the snow from car tracks. Once I hit the bike path I have the hang of it, and the rest of the ride is actually fun. Now I’m safe at home, and hear that Denver has closed all its highways and declared a state of emergency…
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