Seasons are changing, we're fast approaching what I've always seen as time for contemplation. Schools started, garden seasons' wrapping up and trees are beggining to change colour. The last couple weeks have seen two great kick offs into fall. The first being the book club style meeting that was held at Collective coffee with Ryan Meili about his book "A Healthy Society." It was a great evening, and could have gone all night had many of the people attending not had families to go home too. The night started out great with a bit of a meet and greet with Ryan for those who came and don't know him, and quite quickly turned into political discussion. It was amazing to see a group of people that were diverse in age, background and profession come to so many agreements and be so passionate for change. The second night was last night.

 Last night SES (Saskatchewan Environmental Society) held the first meeting of a new book club. It brought a great turn out of another very diverse group. We came up with a great list of books with too many to chose from. The first book that will be read is "Everything Under the Sun." by David Suzuki, which is fitting as he is coming to town for a lecture at the broadway theatre early October.

The main reason though I wanted to write today was to answer a question I didn't have time to answer last night. I was asked as well as one other person to describe the close feeling that we have with "The Land" We both during out introductions stated that we were drawn to the natural world in a way other than just an appreciation of it's beauty. This is something I feel increadibly strongly about and is the reason I live the way I do. Our planet has for a long time been referred to by many names, probably the most common of these being "Mother Earth/Nature" It's an old name. Lots of time when people look back at things throughout history they dismiss it saying "Oh they just didn't know any better" I think a lot of time this is just wrong, people used to be much more connected than most people are now. We've created a cultural disconnect, a barrier between us and all other living organisms. Whether you look at it through the eyes of a thiest or atheist we all come from the same origin, dirt. Hummas, mother earth, she is our oldest of grandmothers, and like our other family members a personal relationship is possible. Like a relationship with your own mother a relationship with the natural world needs to be sought after. If you call she will answer. I always found the world to be a place of beauty, endless beauty. As an adult I went on my first hike into the alpine when I was twenty. Bear lake was the destination, high in the rockie mountains near one of the highest peaks; Mt Fisher.  An incredible place and an incredible walk. I remember how I felt the moment the water of a lake still encircled by the winters ice hugged me, it's a tight hug one as if from a good friend that has been away too long. I felt at that moment as though I had been baptized by the world. I really believe I came out from that swim a different person. I started the hike with an open mind and came home with a heart full of wonder and awe. Those mountains are old and they will tell you stories if you will listen. I have more recently I felt the same emotions when I went to the boreal forest for the first time visiting the Prince Albert National park. I encourage everyone who hasn't experienced this to take a weekend or just one day and go for a walk. Take the time to go slow, open your heart to the world. Stop at the peak of the trail or the spot you feel the most taken away with. If you truely listen you will find the wild is not silent, there is no silent retreat when journeying here. Listen and you will find yourself listening to the most beautiful poetry, a perfect symphony. Soon you will find yourself with the ability to connect with nature on an emotional level, not just experience it but connect and be involved in dialogue. The planet is living and we all need to live with her, co-habitation. We are the only species that have this idea that we can live separated from our mother.


On to a garden update, it's nearing the end of the season, it's really wrapping up. Not long and the squash will all be ready to pull out. I've harvested the majority of the tomatoes now, quite a bit of them. I had maybe twelve plants, all greenhouse orphans bound for the dumpster. And I'd say they all produced five pounds of tomatoes. I know I could have gotten mo out of them had I set them up better and taken better care of them. But for being plants bound for the trash can that weren't really maintained once transplanted they did amazing.

“It is to this new-found resolution to reassert our indivisibility with life, to recognize the obligations incumbent upon us as the most powerful and deadly species ever to exist, and to begin making amends for the havoc we have wrought, that my own hopes for a revival and continuance of life on earth now turn. If we persevere in this new way we may succeed in making man humane ... at last.”
― Farley Mowat

So I was at work today. Pretty fantastic thing that is, I was taking out the recycling, and I did what I often do when I do that. I stopped and looked around the alley, just simply to look, and look what I spotted! A great mural hidden in the alley. I've been told that it's from the Make Work studio, which is just at the end of this alley. I really liked the piece, I get the feeling of a vast mountain wilderness, but one that is in it's vastness empty. There's a patchiness to the painting that creates this feeling for me, the animals in it seem to be clumped together. The same way the trees are, much the way a patch work of clear cut areas look. At the same time the animals also look as it they're on the move. It's got three words on it as well, the one you can see in the picture here is home, I can't remember the other two but I remember they affected my thoughts of the message of the piece. I came to the conclusion that this painting is against industrial forestry.

  Secondly, I made kettle chips, without a mandolin... Man I wish I had a mandolin to work with, I sliced these things paper thin all by hand, while it didn't take me long as I was frying in batches anyways, my hand got a little sore. They turned out great though, the potatoes especially, go figure hey. The mix is Beets, Carrots, and Potatoes, being about fifty percent Potato, and twenty-five percent each Beets and Carrots. The salsa here is a sweet salsa made with Tomato, Cucumber, and Tomatillo. The Tomatillo was incredibly sweet, and almost apple like in consistency and flavour.

Thirdly, just because I love bikes, here's one for you. This is my polo bike, It's one of the six bikes that Kate and I own collectively. This one probably the most unique, not to say it's any better but every feature of it stands out as different than all the rest. Mainly the fact that it is a single speed, and a fixed gear. What's even more special about this bike is the gear ratio. I've got a thirty-six tooth gear on the front, (though I feel like I should double check the count on that I might be wrong.) and a twenty-three tooth track gear on the rear. I just put a bigger one on a week or so ago, went up from eighteen, on the rear. So this put me at a 3.1 gear ratio, It's incredibly low, nearly a granny gear. This makes it perfect for polo, I can ride backwards no problem, braking is much faster and my sprints have improved immensely. I love it, all except for bombing hills on it, I feel like my legs will snap like twigs doing that. Here's a video if you've never seen bike polo in action before.