Polka Dot Feet.

Crazy year.  Like you weren't aware.  This is just to add to your list of how crazy.

Mom And Son Accused Of Stealing Gopher Feet.

Well.  Ok, nearly $5,000.00 worth of frozen gopher feet.  Pocket gophers, to be exact; if you ever wondered where the pockets are; they're right there in the photo- and they use them to carry seeds and roots back to the tunnels; seriously destructive.

This, incidentally, is right in my backyard; no, I don't know these folks (whew!) but it would easily be possible; Preston is a town we are in and out of all the time.

And, I have to sympathize with the victim- we have gopher wars here constantly; they're tree killers.  The bounty on their front claws is a slight remuneration for the trouble of catching them.

On the other hand, I've got personal experience with professional gopher trappers; we tried to get some to help us out.  But.  They like to leave a few untrapped; for seed.  Gophers are their crop- no, they don't want them wiped out.  The bounty can help when it pays the local kids a few extra bucks for going after them- but the pros just give the illusion of control.  And cost money.

Still here; in between downpours; the work year on the farm is goofed up by the late, late winter, followed immediately by summer; spring lasted about 3 days, I think.  Overworked.

Oh, and- are you aware- they year is half over, this Friday?  Summer solstice.  Yep, we'll have the bonfire/picnic, and I'd love it if you join us on your own places around the world.  But it's all kind of last minute/out of breath/ on the fly this year.

I'll be back!

Whole Planet Picnic! Again!

  Time zooms past.  Monday is the Summer Solstice- the absolute middle of the year.  Half the year is gone.

  I'm still fighting the tummy thing; so am seriously short on time; most I can do today is link here to past posts.   There are actually a number of them; if you have the interest, you can do a search the blog thingy for those.

  We're doing it!

  Wolfmamma had asked for some specific games we do; mostly after dusk the kids are either catching fireflies, then letting them go; or playing some jungle version of hide and seek.  Before that, there's a fox and goose course mowed in tall grass, and a steep very grassy hill for grass sledding.  One of the best bets; if you've got some elders in the group- ask them to teach the kids something.  That's usually pretty cool.

Whole Planet Picnic Pics

Folks, many thanks for the kind words and thoughts about my bug; I'm one of those who is convinced kind words truly help. I'm getting around a bit; and apart from the weakness from lying dead for 3 days, recovery looks straightforward. Can't really work outside yet; tried a little and was having my vision "white out" on me just from walking up a little hill; normally a symptom of heat exhaustion for me; shouldn't have been that exhausted.

Here are some pics and comments on our first Whole Planet Picnic (we've been having a bonfire on the solstice for 15 years, but we're shifting focus); and the following Earth Lent week- the participation was a little light this first year- not as much time to get the word out as it needed, for sure; but we'll be continuing, and doing a bit more next year.

This is our normal venue- a substantial meadow, mowed so we can get around just a few days before. You can see tables with food, chairs, and off to the extreme right the bonfire pile; our big attraction.

Having to cancel because of thunderstorms did mess up things a good bit. A fair number of folks had made plans to be here on Thursday; thanfully not too many from too far away. Though we did wind up with some in the Little House until pretty late; good friends from more than 100 miles off. That was very nice, for sure; but not what anyone had planned.

Though we got folks notified about the change to Saturday- of course; the majority of folks had plans already at this point. Ah, well. Next year! Basically we've had groups of from 6 to 50 for this event; last year we had 40+; weather and timing does always make a difference.

We had a great time; watching the still evening fall. The frogs on the pond tuned up and gave a concert; we've had deafening shows once or twice, this was more modest, though the Green frogs were much more vocal this year than ever. We have a small portable "fire pit" to actually toast things on-

and a lovely half-moon. It gets dark, with no extra lights around! Hence the blurry hand held photos; flash is just yucky for things like this; I'd rather have the blur.

We've never had a problem with conversation - folks find plenty to talk about. There are several friends where this is the only time we see them, all year. An added incentive to make the trip, really. Only one kid this time; Smidgen, who had a wonderful time adventuring from one group of adults to another- all alone, in the dark. First time she's really been that adventurous; sometimes she crossed 100 feet of grass, all alone (with about 8 sets of adult eyes watching every step). Fun. good fireflies, but they didn't like the mowed area much.

We start the fire at 10 PM, full dark -

remember why we postponed? Rain? The fire pile was wet, and much harder to get going than most. Oddly, a good fire brings out the latent pyromaniacs; no trouble finding volunteers to "fix" the fire, and get it going; that's one there, to the left.

When it gets going- it's something. Remember the tables and chairs? That's them, to the left, looking tiny. Lights up the whole little valley, and throws sparks 100' into the air. Yes, we're waiting for one to get away; but it hasn't ever happened. Usually on this date you can count on VERY heavy dew, wetting everything, by 10 PM; another reason to wait. But we have a pond, and hose, in case.

Took a good half hour to start to die down. Lots of conversations. There is, indeed, something primal about a fire. Two days later, when it had thoroughly cooled, I swept up the wood ash to use as a soil amendment, fighting the constant trend of our soil to shift into the acid range. Recycle.

Folks started to leave about 11; last ones left about 12:30; sometimes it's gone until 2. Alas, our musicians were mostly not able to make the rescheduled date. But it was an excellent time.

Leading up to- Earth Lent Week. I'm not going to list all the activities here that I know about; just a few; inevitably, one smart alec friend from Minneapolis assured me he would give up snow shoveling for Earth Lent. Another good friend from Yonkers gave up something more substantial; his elevator; and he lives on the 4th floor. A great thing to try. Spice gave up plastic bags- but I'm afraid she may have lapsed. I gave up-pudding. Cigars. Lobster.

Ha. No, I don't indulge in those, anyway. Ok, you ready? I gave up- bathing. :-)

eeeew! LOL! I can SEE you squirm. Two reasons- one, it's pretty hard for me to find something to give up! Already have, lots of things. Two; we already use very little water; a 50 gallon drum pumped by the windmill usually lasts 3 people for 6 days or more, down at the house. But the shower is different; comes from a different tank. So; by way of cutting some usage- I did without (ok, except hands for dinner).

Now- as ColinakaNIM can probably tell you- but is too bashful- actually, if you're working in the outdoors at non-stressful kinds of things, you don't necessarily stink. It's pretty common for us to go 3-4 days without a full shower in cold weather (yes, if it's hot, we do more) - but it's not even offensive to anyone; and not difficult to get used to personally. Sure, if you're used to two showers a day, you'll feel yucky after skipping a couple. Fight your way through; and actually, the human integument does not really require constant bathing, like a hippo or a seal. How often do chimps go swimming? Not much. Then there's this aspect: Women prefer.....

"When they found out afterwards that one of the odours was from a chimp, there was laughter. When they realised that two out of three had preferred the chimp, there was nervous laughter."

I could, of course, claim I was continuing this groundbeaking research...

So. The truth! That's what I did. It does help keep you "mindful"; a good exercise always, and not onerous for just a week. And, I confess, I'm now back to regular showers. So you can relax.

And- if you have stories about your own Whole Planet Picnic; and/or would like to tell about your Earth Lent decisions; please put them here as comments. And let me know if you have pictures you're waiting to send; I'd love to see them, and I've got to kick a couple people to get an email address set up to accept them. I can kick harder if I've got people waiting.

Whole Planet Picnic Time -

I've been doing something like this for 15 years now; and every year it's the same thing- "WHAT?? Already??"

Thursday (as in the day after tomorrow) is the Summer Solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year- essentially that day in the solar year when it's half OVER.

Half the year is GONE already; and it's always a shock, both to me and to the friends who've been coming all this time.

There's already been considerable discussion here about the Whole Planet Picnic- why, when, what, where, who, and whatever.

Here are the original posts and comments:
Big Party
Earth Lent
Picnic

IT'S TIME. Day after tomorrow. Ready or not.

In kind of scary ways, it's a metaphor for the world's problems. "What? Already? Ready or not?" Alas, yes; it's NOW.

So, the Executive Summary; We are beginning a tradition this year, ready or not, of Earth Lent; a one week period, beginning on the Summer Solstice, where the participants "give up something for the planet" - for a period of just one week. And, like the Catholic version; we start with a good party; only it's the Whole Planet Picnic, not Mardi Gras. Kind of a G-rated good community picnic, instead of the R and X type.

We placed the start at the Summer Solstice. No, it's not convenient. But it's REAL. This is the day the year turns over; this is THE day when the balance of nature starts to cycle down. It should be good for us to work on Nature's clock once in a while, not our own.

Then the "Earth Lent" part. Just between you and me- this community of "greenies" here is kind of small. We know that; but hate to mention it much; because if what we're doing is to be of any real use, a LOT more people are going to have to start listening, and doing.

A big big barrier to people getting greener is just that first step. So many "green practices" sound impossible to those who've never tried them- crazy stuff like "no toilet paper!" or "unplug your fridge!" or "sell your car!'. Impossible!

The Whole Planet Picnic is a way for folks to hang out, in a totally non-pressurized way, with folks who are on all sides of the situation. So you can meet someone who lives without a fridge, for example- they DO exist! It IS possible - and gosh; this person actually seems to be... a nice person, not a total whack job. The whole thing is NOT a protest; NOT a funeral - it's a picnic, and a time to enjoy and appreciate; planet and people.

And the following week - Earth Lent - is a way for neo-greens to just TRY one thing- for one week. Many many of them WANT to be greener; but just don't feel READY. Here, the barrier is low- just one thing. Just one week. They can do it.

Then - success breeds success; and belief; and a little pride here and there. We need those.

I think, and hope, this can become a larger event, with plenty of participants. I'd kind of hoped to do more promotion and publicity this year, but it's just not been possible; danged old reality keeps intruding; primarily with "sleep - now - or fall over." Kinda busy here.

But we will take the time for the Picnic; and the Earth Lent, anyway.

I truly hope you will join us, by hosting your own event aimed in the same direction. Does it have to be identical, and meet standards? Heavens, I hope not. Diversity is our only hope.

Putting on a picnic is work; no question. But there's never been a year when it wasn't worth it.

So - I hope your plans are well underway. If not- get on the phone NOW! (I have to confess, I just called my porta-potty people; I forgot before. Lucky for me, they can make it.) Get your bratwurst ordered- or your yoghurt, or whatever.

I hope you'll comment here and let us know what you're up to; and I intend to get an email address here where you can send some photos of your Planet Picnic. Hm; Crunchiqita has certainly demonstrated the value of the "contest"; perhaps we'll have one; best story; best photos; best whatever.

I'll toss one out now- I've had "The Teddy Bear's Picnic" song running through my head all day. I knew it well when I was a child, and it's kicking around a lot again. Somebody out there could write a nice parody of it, for us "The Planet Picnic" song. "for every Green that ever there was, will gather there- together because- today's the day the Whole Planet has their Pic-nic."

Or something.

:-)

Let me hear from you. Put up a link to this on your blog. Email it out. Contact the Associated Press. And. DO IT. It'll make you feel good; guaranteed. And, it just might help. A little.

Planet Picnic- Or-

As far as I can tell, what we have wound up with in the "community oriented green personal action" arena, are three essentially complimentary alternatives. Looming in the immediate future. That would be COGPA for short, and silly. I like the pa part, though.

I also like diversity- it's one of the best things out there to help "sustainable" along. Choices.

A) is a week long event for everyone, particularly those new to "green" living.
B) is a week long event for those who are already green, and would like to be greener
C) is a.... YEAR long endeavor- for the most serious greenies.

And kind of in the middle is the Planet Picnic/Party; to which everybody should come, of course. Undisirregardless of the Crunchy Commandowannabe's poll, which showed only a minority of party-goers. That's just crazy talk. We NEED the party folks, or we'll be painted as sourpuss party poopers. SP3's. Can't have that. :-)

You can pick your level of involvement, which is a good idea, and also match levels for those you are trying to bring with you. Not all spouzes are going to be ready for #C, for sure.

A) (The best alternative, by far... ) Starts June 21st, with a picnic for friends and neighbors, on the Summer Solstice; and continues for a week, during which everyone is supposed to pick one new (for them) "green" action, and try it out. Picnic Plan. This is supposed to be modeled after Mardi Gras- and Lent. Just borrowing a good idea here. Party first, pay later- it's the modern way, yes? :-)

The warm fuzzy vision for the party is here, In the Moonlight; and the over-all rough philosophy is here; Why, etc..

B) Is Crunchy Moa's "Low Impact Week", starting June 1; and you've got compleat instructions available there.

C) Is the 90% Off year long project from Casaubon's Book. Not for rookies, but an outstanding project, and great one to watch while we all learn.

All of these are intended to be joint efforts- a bunch of folks doing the same thing, at the same time. No question but that new adventures are easier, and less scary, when they are shared. A and B are intended to become annual events- not sure about C.

From this point on, I'll mostly be talking about A, which after all originated here. But that doesn't mean I don't like B and C- I do. I just think we need more than one size here; and my own primary interest is in getting the currently non-involved to dip a toe in the pool. Just a toe, is fine. For a lot of the barely green, even Crunchzilla's lists are going to look pretty scary. But you can catch them with toasted marshmallows, I'll bet ya.

"Earth Day", alas, is kind of a red rag to a bull, for some of the anti's - it started out as more protest than celebration, and it still comes across that way. Earth Day is fine- but we need a wider audience. Right quick.

Basic diplomacy. The kind our recent "leaders" didn't bother to look up in a text book. "Never back your opponent into a corner." And, "Never leave the table; keep talking, no matter what." If you ignore those basics, you tend to wind up - in a war. We can't afford a war over environmental stewardship. If you think it's not possible, you're not paying attention.

So- basic formats set. Now what?

1) Send this link to every newspaper you have access to. Email it to your friends. Get the story out- get folks involved. (We're assuming YOU are already hosting a Planet Picnic, of course!)

It doesn't need a huge group to be a great success- just you and a few friends, a neighbor or two, is a good start. Then there's next year. If we're ever going to get to "sustainable" - next year, and next decade, have to be where our heads are. They really will get here. Count on it. Act like you know it.

Of course if you can talk your local group into doing a Planet Picnic, great. Who? Audubon, Sierra Club, Knights of Columbus, VFW, Chamber of Commerce - anybody MIGHT. :-)

Ask- if you're a member, your opinion should matter. Whether you get a picnic or not, the subject will come up; and will get talked around; plus the fact that it's something you care about. That's important. Basically all you're saying is "Hey, guys- this stuff is important. Let's get together as a community, and just start talking about it a little. And let the kids run. And eat some watermelon." Fairly hard to object to that. (if you holler at me about "local" watermelons, I'll swat ya.)

2) Let me know you're involved, in the comments here. It'll help. Tell us what you're doing, and sort of where. I'm a little reluctant to suggest you give out invitations on the blog- the world does contain some nasty folks, as we all know. But I'd really like to generate a broader sense of community among those throwing Planet Picnics.

Maybe someone (with a bit more web skill and time) could set up a Planet Picnic Web site- where we could safely share photos, stories, and ideas for next time. I'd like that.

Other ideas? Questions? Answers?

I'll stick up some photos of ours here. Summer Solstice is June 21 this year- it's a Thursday; and NO, we can't move it to the weekend. (I tried- doesn't work.) It does happen on weekends sometimes, of course. Sometimes is often enough.

As you may have noticed- we're still kind of searching for the right names for all this. Maybe they'll just show up, after the Picnics.