What's the big deal?

For a change I'm not being sarcastic - I mean this in the literal sense. The world has a lot of problems - what is the "biggest"? If you wanted to choose one thing to focus your efforts on, what would it be?

Population / Consumption

These two go hand in hand. Our 7 billion people very likely exceed the carrying capacity of our planet. But it's not just the number of people, it's how much each of them consumes. 100 primitive jungle tribesman consume a tiny fraction of what 100 affluent Americans consume - in terms of food, oil, energy, land, etc. Americans consume a lot more than Europeans for much the same standard of living. Although our population growth has slowed down*, consumption is set to go through the roof as countries like China and India try to match American standards of living. Unfortunately, we did too good a job of marketing our consumptive lifestyle. China is following up its one child law with a one dog law. Makes sense to me. We need to both reduce our consumption and reduce our population. Of course, neither is a popular suggestion, or very likely.

Side story: An older gentleman was asking if I had kids. I said no and of course, he asked why. I gave my standard answer - Shelley and I are too busy with work and travel. Usually people are satisfied with that, but he pushed for more of an explanation so I admitted the other big reason is that there are already too many people. He was quite taken aback. All he could say was "Too many people?!" Yeah, too many people - 7 billion of us on this bus and we're running out of gas.

* Making a big deal out of the fact that population growth has slowed is like making a big deal out of the fact that your debt isn't growing as fast as it used to. The bottom line is that it's still growing.

Climate Change

I think it's horrendous that we (humans) have managed to pollute the earth so badly that it is changing the whole climate. But I suspect this is more of a human problem. In geological time, the earth has seen hot spells and cold spells (ice ages). Even if we managed to flip the earth into one of it's hot spells, Gaia* will likely be fine. It'll just cause a whole lot of havoc for human beings. Of course, in the short term, a lot of plants and animals will go extinct and the ecosystem will shift drastically, but that's old hat for Gaia. Out climate has been altered in the past by giant meteorite impacts or huge volcanic eruptions. Although I'm not sure I find it reassuring that human effects are "no worse" than global disasters like meteors.

* When I say "Gaia" I'm not talking about anything magical or mystical, I'm just using it as a convenient way to refer to the gestalt of the earth's systems - biological, chemical, and geological.

Loss of Biodiversity / Habitat

In many ways this bothers me the most. If we just left a good chunk of the planet alone, the ecosystem and biodiversity would be ok, despite almost anything else we did. But as human population and consumption (e.g. land for McMansion acreages) rises, our human infestation spreads to every corner of the planet. We plowed up all the prairie grasslands. We're doing our best to cut down all the forests. We are trashing the oceans. Once these habitats are destroyed, and the species that live in them die out, it will take a long time to come back. The damage of the last hundred years will take thousands or even millions of years to repair itself.

Peak Oil

Peak Oil is not a sudden disaster, it's more like crossing the halfway point in a holiday. Likely we've already passed it and our oil production will slowly decrease from now on. Of course, we all still act as if consumption will continue to increase indefinitely. It doesn't take a Ph.D. to see that decreasing production and increasing consumption don't fit together very well. Something's got to give. We live on a finite planet folks.

The problem is, our whole civilization is based on oil. We humans hit the jackpot when we found oil, and like most lottery winners, we've been on a spending spree ever since, with no thought to what will happen when it runs out. Without oil we can't produce the food we need. Without oil we can't meet our ever increasing energy needs. Without oil we can't have all the consumer goods we've become attached to.

I used to think that science and technology would save us. There's a small chance we'll get fusion and nanotechnology etc. before the oil runs out. But I no longer hope for that. It would simply prolong our delusion of infinite resources, without changing the fact that we live on a finite planet. We'd simply expand to fill the earth entirely, wiping out even more of the ecosystem.

My current fantasy of technology saving us is if we can make a smart enough artificial intelligence that it sees how bad a job we're doing and takes over for our own good. It wouldn't be ruled by greed and corruption and delusional short term thinking like we are. Alternately, the AI might see how much damage people are doing and simply get rid of us. Another possibility is the singularity, which by definition we can't see beyond. But I don't think these scenarios are too likely.

In the long run, running out of oil will probably be a good thing for the planet. Unless we hit another jackpot like fusion, we will be forced to reduce our population and consumption. The bad part is that the transition won't be pretty. The death throes of our oil empire are liable to be ugly. And it's likely to be a long slow painful death.

Time Frame

Many of our problems our caused (or at least exacerbated) by our short term thinking. Corporations focus on the next quarter, politicians on the next election. Most of us, both personally, and as a culture, seem more than happy to borrow from the future to have what we want today. Who cares if oil is going to run out in the future, I want a big gas guzzling vehicle today. Who cares if I can't afford the mortgage, I want a big McMansion today. Our whole civilization is on a "buy now, no payments till …" binge.

But most of the big problems are on the timescale of tens or hundreds of years and are impossible to solve with short term thinking.

On the other hand, if you take a long enough view, any problem disappears. Don't like our civilization? Wait a few thousand years and it'll change. Worried about species going extinct? In a few million years, almost all the current species will be extinct regardless. The sun will burn out some day, the universe itself will probably end. So maybe none of these current problems are worth worrying about.

Or to be totally selfish, most of these problems won't really cause big trouble till after I'm dead, so why should I care? The standard answer is that we should care what we're leaving for our children. But I don't have any children, and from what I see of people with children, they don't seem to care any more about the future than anyone else.

If your house starts falling down, do you say "no problem, I'm moving next week" (short term thinking) or "no problem, eventually it would be replaced anyway" (overly long term thinking). Or do you say "this is a good house, we might as well maintain it"?

And so the question becomes, what is the right timeframe to think in terms of?

Conclusion

Honestly, I don't have one, I wish I did. I can imagine an earth with a much smaller population, consuming much less, powered by sustainable energy, with an undamaged ecosystem. But I can't see how to get from here to there.

So my question remains, if you had to pick one big problem to focus your efforts on, what would it be?

PS. Wondering about the conspicuous absence of "human" problems in this list? It's not that I don't care about starving kids in Africa, income inequality, human justice issues, worker conditions, cruel dictators, etc.. I do, I'm human, I empathize. It's just that, to me, the destruction of the earth's ecosystem is a bigger issue. Of course, I'm all for people working on solving human problems as well.

PPS. Yes, being on the train gives me too much time to think! (Especially if I'm also reading books like The Long Descent)

Riding the Rails

I left this morning from Saskatoon on the train, headed for Montreal and then Boston.

I like traveling on the train - lots of time to gaze out the window at the scenery and think about life, the universe, and everything.

Saw some wildlife - ducks, muskrats, a coyote, red winged blackbirds, and coots (both birds and humans).

There is a lot of water around and the Qu'appelle valley near the Manitoba border was really flooded. And the water is high in Winnipeg.

I'm traveling "sleeper" class in an "upper berth" this time. Meals are included so I'm eating in the dining car for the first time. So far the food has been good. My fellow passengers seem to mostly older retired people.

On the bus back from Banff the other day I was sitting beside a couple of young guys who spent the time talking about strippers, beer, unemployment insurance, and cars. In the dining car at lunch it was all about politics. I didn't participate much in either conversation but one was more entertaining than the other!

At supper I had a fascinating conversation with an older retired gentleman who was finishing a seven month trip around the world solo, by train and ship (no airplanes) - something I'd love to do.

The train stops for three hours in Winnipeg and the the train station is close to the Forks area. (A little nicer than the area around the Saskatoon train station!) Shelley and I were here in the winter. Then, the lower path by the river was closed due to ice, now it's under water. After stretching my legs wandering around I ended up at the lounge at The Inn at the Forks for a glass of wine. It's a hard life :-)

Walkabout in Kelowna

The two days Shelley was at her conference in Kelowna, I mostly walked - probably 40 km in total.

The first day I walked north from the hotel and then east up Knox mountain, through the park, and back through town. The next day I walked south along the lake to Mission Creek and then up the Mission Creek Greenway to near the Orchard Place mall where I caught a bus back.

I had just finished reading The Idiot and the Odyssey, and started reading Three Hundred Zeroes and The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation so I was in the mood for walking!

(click to see photos)

Mind Games

by Shelley

At work I’m always dealing with crime issues. I also deal a lot with peoples’ perceptions of crime, safety and fear. I walk down the same streets as everyone else and the panhandler, the drunk, the mentally challenged, the young kid with the baggy pants and his boisterous friends . . . they don’t concern me; I know I’m safe even if they ask for money, stagger in front of me, yell obscenities, or try to look tough. I know the facts and figures and it’s a rare occasion that anything more than that happens; and if it does, I’m confident I can handle myself.

But sometimes a person’s imagination can get in the way and make things larger than they are. For me, climbing is a case in point. And climbing is almost always about pushing out of one’s comfort zone. Especially at a place like Skaha with an abundance of routes well within my capabilities and above.

We’ve just spent the past three days climbing here and I’ve been trying to up my grade level and get more comfortable on the old classics.

Dryathlon is a one-pitch trad (natural gear, not bolted) route. It starts off fairly easy, with the crux about half way up where you start by standing on what I remembered as a thin pointy rock shaped like a dagger. I had it in my head that if I fell from a few moves above this I would land with the sharp end of the rock sticking out my back or my chest, depending on how I landed. Sort of like movies where the good guy’s sword runs through the bad guy and there’s an end sticking out the other side. I was surprised when I got there. I’ve been on this route many times before. In reality, it’s not a pointy rock at all! It’s long and narrow. It still made me nervous though as I hung leaning backward, stemmed across an awkward corner a few feet above it trying to place a piece of gear. But it was a solid placement! As Andrew so eloquently put it afterwards, “That nut (protection) you put in while you were hyperventilating was hard to get out!”

Double Exposure is another trad route that always makes my palms sweat. It’s a beautiful route with two steep corner ramps (hence the “double”).  The trick is getting from one ramp to the other. It’s next to impossible if you don’t get your hands onto a certain under-cling; and to do that, you need to get your feet up high enough on the rock. The gear placements below you aren’t the greatest; and as many times as I’ve tried, I’ve never been able to get a good gear placement to protect the move up and over. So if you fall from here it’s a long slide down the first ramp. Not nice! But I know exactly what needs to be done, I’ve done it before, so the fear is somewhat irrational!

The classic route at Skaha is Plumline. A 35m long sustained sport route on a steep cliff face; one of the first you see as you arrive at the bluffs. It’s always spectacular to see someone moving gracefully up the route. I’ve climbed it many times over the years and now can do it with relative ease. The holds are (mostly) really positive. The neat thing is that you so often look up and wonder where the heck the next hold is – or you can see it but can’t reach it. The trick is to look down at your feet. You’ll find more holds, move your feet up and suddenly the handholds are within reach and visible. The scary part is at the very top. Suddenly the positive holds disappear and you have to deal with slopers to get over the edge at the top. It always makes me a bit nervous. I’m well aware I can make the move so, again, irrational fears.

It’s all mind games. The rock plays with my head a lot! But when I take control of the game and do the moves and climb the route anyway . . . wow, what a great feeling!

(click to view photos)

Road Trip Interrupted

We left town with Starbucks in the coffee holder and Tim Hortons breakfast bagels in our laps.

Lots of water in the fields and ducks and geese in the water.

Had a good lunch at Olive R Twist Bistro in Cochrane.

As we left Cochrane I noticed a big new Toyota dealer amongst all the other development - Cochrane is growing fast.

As we merged onto the #1 highway the car suddenly turned sluggish and then the dashboard lit up with warning lights. I pulled off onto the service road and turned off the car. When I turned it back on we still had an engine warning.

So we turned around and drove back to the Toyota dealer in Cochrane. Luckily they were able to look at it fairly quickly.

The staff here were great, very friendly and helpful. When they finished looking at it the mechanic came out and went over what he'd found. There had been three errors - lean upstream, lean downstream, and loss of power. The lean parts could be faulty sensors but the loss of power was a little more troubling. Maybe the fuel pump? And it probably doesn't help that it's a complex hybrid Prius.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much more they could do right then. If we wanted to wait around till Tues. they could get parts in and replace the (expensive) sensors, but they weren't even sure that was the problem.

We decided to cross our fingers and continue. We had planned to get to Revelstoke today but after losing two hours and with doubts about the car we decided to camp in Banff. No problems with the car that far.

On our way to supper we ran into Greg from the Bike Doctor at their new Soul Ski and Bike shop. Supper was a cheese plate and pizza with Okanagan Pinot Noir at Bison Lounge.

Light snow falling steadily greeted us when we woke up. It's still coming down as we have breakfast at Wild Flour Bakery. Hopefully the roads aren't too bad over the mountains. And hopefully the car won't die on us in the snow in the middle of nowhere!

By the River

The other day I went for a walk after supper. I had been glued to the computer all day and hadn't been outside at all, and the sun was shining as it dropped. Almost as an afterthought I grabbed my camera. I'm glad I did.

2011-04-28 By The River

(click to see the photos)

Taking pictures of wildlife in low light, with a long lens, hand held is when you can never have good enough camera gear.

Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie

Just when I told people I was sure our mouse was gone because there'd been no sign of him for months.

(All the seed on the ground is fallen from the bird feeder.)

Easter Rabbit Visiting Innovation Place

Rootstrikers

Sawing off the branch you're sitting on

7 Science-Education Battlegrounds of 2011 from Wired Science

Do these people not realize that the science they are attacking is what supports their modern lives?

That if they succeed in killing science, they will destroy their own civilization?

We couldn't feed our billions without science.

Do they deny science when they or their families get sick and need a doctor or a hospital? *

Of course, they would say it's only certain parts of science they disagree with, like evolution. But science isn't a buffet. It makes no sense to say, "I believe in addition and multiplication but not division".

Science is a process with demonstrable results. It's not an infallible process. It's not foolproof. But we talk on cell phones that are a result of that process, we fly in airplanes that are a result of that process, we eat food that is a result of that process, we take medicines that are a result of that process. If you undermine and destroy that process, then you will lose the results of that process.

What's the goal? To go back to being ignorant sheep herders? All seven billion of us? And where would the lobbyists be then?

* There are a (very) few people that would refuse doctors and hospitals. And that might be happy to destroy civilization. But those aren't the people making anti-science legislation.

New Blog Views

Blogger has added some new view methods.

http://sustainableadventure.blogspot.com/view/mosaic

Try the other choices using the pull down at the top right

Alternate Realities

One of the reasons I think travel is worthwhile is that it reminds you that there are other ways of life. Living in Canada or the USA it's too easy to think ours is "the" way of life.

It's pretty cool to see there are kids out there that are ploughing their fields with oxen in the morning to grow their own food, and rock climbing in the afternoon. Despite the Cuban government making climbing illegal - what's up with that?

Great photography as always from Renan - watch it HD and larger sized to get the best view

Cuba Chapter4_The Life of Leo from renan ozturk on Vimeo.

Spring Slowly

Despite the cold (-15c yesterday) and snow still everywhere, spring is slowly arriving. The days are longer and the sun is stronger. And the honking of the geese is heard once more.

Museo Slips a Notch

I was biking by the Mendel yesterday and I decided to stop at Museo Coffee. Recently I've been hearing about Jimmy (the owner) roasting his own coffee and Collective Coffee using his beans.

Normally I'd order a latte or an americano, but I thought I'd check out their other coffee. I asked what kind(s) they had. Neither of the staff knew what kind of coffee they were serving!? This is a place that claims to have the best coffee in Saskatoon and they don't even know what kind they're serving? Eventually they found the bag of beans and told me it was "Kenyan" - not very specific. But I saw the bag and it was the Nyeri Ichamara that Museo had just blogged about. I was interested to try it so I ordered a cup.

I was a little surprised (and disappointed) when they poured a cup out of a big thermal dispenser. Museo's web site says "drip coffee is made fresh by the cup". Not any more I guess. The coffee wasn't hot, a sign it had probably been sitting for a while. It was still good, but I can't help think it would be better if it was fresh.

It was a little ironic because one of the reasons I order a latte or an americano is to ensure that it's made fresh. But I (mistakenly) thought I didn't have to worry about that here. Maybe they still offer individual brewing as an option, but they didn't ask.

As a business owner myself, I know that there is always a gap between the owner's ideals and the practical running of the business. All you can do is try to pass on your values. And the staff turnover in a coffee shop must make it tough to do that. That might explain the staff not even knowing what coffee they were serving. (Although at least one of the ones who didn't know has been working there quite a while.) But switching from brewing by the cup to brewing big batches was presumably a management decision. And no matter how much you think you'll keep the batches fresh, staff that doesn't even care what kind it is, isn't going to be motivated to throw it out and brew fresh as often as they should.

Probably the staff complained that it was too much work and too slow to brew by the cup. But it can't be any more work than a latte, and they still serve those. Maybe some non-aficionado customers complained about the wait. But you can't try to be the "best" AND be quick and cheap.

Maybe part of the problem is that Jimmy is now focusing on the roasting and not so much on Museo.

Note: Coffee Collective isn't brewing individually but at least in very small batches (in home sized french presses). Hopefully they won't devolve into brewing by the bucket.

Don't get me wrong, Museo is still a great place and the coffee is still really good. I'll continue to go there. It's just too bad that their initial ideals are fading a bit.

Frost and Fog

I'm a sucker for frosty foggy mornings. The funny part was that just this morning I had taken my G12 camera out of my pack (where I usually keep it, just in case) thinking that I was highly unlikely to be taking pictures when it was this cold (-25c). But I was listening to a podcast on my iPhone so it wasn't too bad to take my mitts off, pull it out, snap a few photos, and then quickly put my mitts back on before my hands froze. Perversely, if my better camera had been in my pack I might not have taken any photos because I wouldn't have wanted to dig it out.

Alamar

I watched the film Alamar (To the Sea) last night on Netflix. (Filmcritic.com review) It's slow and there's not much plot or action. But there's a friendly cattle egret and a neighborhood crocodile, beautiful ocean scenery above and below the water, and a glimpse of a simpler life. I liked it.

At one point the grandfather says: "Those who live at sea live happily. You have to love the sea, otherwise you'll be unhappy. It's beautiful here at sea." How many of us "more privileged" folks love where we work, love where we live, call it beautiful?

The film is set in Banco Chinchorro a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve off the coast of Mexico.

It's in Spanish with English subtitles. I even managed to catch a few words of Spanish :-)

Netflix may not have the latest Hollywood hits, but it has a lot of other good films that you won't find in the video store or on iTunes.

To Go

"For my part I travel not to go anywhere, but to go; I travel for travel's sake. And to write about it afterwards, if only the public will be so condescending as to read. But the great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of life a little more nearly; to get down off this feather bed of civilisation, and to find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints."

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

The Dirtbag Diaries

On long drives I like to listen to podcasts. I recently discovered The Dirtbag Diaries podcast by Fitz Cahall and we listened to a bunch of episodes on our recent road trip. The podcast is sponsored by Patagonia and you may have seen it mentioned on their blog, The Cleanest Line. You can subscribe on iTunes.

The podcasts cover lots of different outdoor activities including skiing, climbing, kayaking, and conservation.

One of my favorite episodes so far is No Car, No Problem.

If you listen to podcasts and you like stories about the outdoors, give it a try. I really enjoy them.

Fun Kindle Ads

Great ads (even if that is somewhat of an oxymoron). And I do like my Kindles.

A Hell of a Place to Lose a Cow

[by Shelley]

"Do these shoes go with this dress?" "Do my shirt and tie clash?" We're so timid when it comes to fashion. Instead we should learn from Mother Earth. She's beautiful because she's bold. At Bryce Canyon National Park, where she's applauded daily by an endless crowd of international critics, she sashays in a florid, orange-and- pink designer original by Dr. Seuss. -- WOW Guides, Utah Canyon Country by Kathy and Craig Copeland.

Leaving Zion we had just one more day to play before getting serious about heading home. We arrived at Bryce Canyon about 11:00 and again did a popular hike (Navajo Trail and Queen's Garden) which, being off season, was fairly quiet. Of course, the best times for photos are sunrise and sunset but I think we still got a few good ones and even at noon and into mid afternoon the funky spires and rock shapes and colors were absolutely amazing to look at. I won't even begin to try to describe them -- you'll have to look at the photos! We saw Thor's Hammer, Cinderella's Castle, the Flame, and Queen Victoria. I'm sure people's imaginations allow them to see much more!

The same guidebook points out that "this crazy, colorful land . . . was named after the region's first white settler, a Mormon farmer -- Ebenezer Bryce -- who was neither crazy nor colorful." However, I suspect Mr. Bryce had a dry sense of humor. According to a sign in the park he remarked of the canyon, "It's a hell of a place to lose a cow." I thought my Dad would get a laugh out of that one -- and also be able to sympathize with him!

Bryce Canyon

Zion National Park

[by Shelley]

We hit the road and left Vegas early in the morning to make our way over to Zion National Park in Utah. We've seen lots of photos of the area in climbing magazines so we wanted to have a look for ourselves. It was too cold for rock climbing and we just had time for an afternoon hike. We chose one of the more popular and scenic trails -- it's the off season and not busy so we didn't have to worry about it being crowded.

The trail up to Angel's Landing is rated as "strenuous" and although it's relatively steep, the vast majority of it is paved in order to prevent erosion. An interesting feature is the 21 switchbacks in the trail called "Walter's Wiggles" (named after some guy named Walter who designed them).

The great views just got better the higher we went. Utah is known for its amazing shades of red rock and Zion didn't disappoint. We looked at the sheer walls around us and wondered how many climbing routes there were. Surely, no climber could look at this place and not wonder what the best route might be.

The "for bad ass hikers only" part of the trail was the last 1/2 mile. It's narrow and very exposed! Although there are intermittent posts and chains to hang on to along the way and a few steps carved out of the rock, there are definitely some sharp edges with long vertical drops down to the canyon below. Our guidebook agrees that it's exposed but says that a stumble wouldn't do any harm. Well, we would certainly not want to be the ones to test out that theory! This part of the trail is definitely not for the inexperienced or faint of heart! The few people we did pass looked nervous. Especially on the sections that had ice on them for added excitement.

Once back at the car we did the scenic drive to the end of the canyon and got some better views and photos of the sheer cliffs below Angel's Landing.

2011-02 Zion

Winter 2011 Roadtrip

Our travels were a little confusing, so here's an overview:


View Winter 2011 Roadtrip in a larger map

Back at Red Rocks

[by Shelley]

We knew we had a couple more good days before the weather started to get cool again. Back to Red Rocks we went and onto another 3-star multi-pitch trad route called Birdland, located in Pine Creek Canyon. It was one of the warmest days yet as it was one of the few where we didn't have to put on an extra layer at some point. The route was 5 pitches (well, actually 6 but the 6th pitch is runout and not recommended). There were two guys from Milwaukee on the route ahead of us but they'd started far enough ahead that we didn't have to wait long for them and they were accommodating in sharing belay stations.

There were two harder pitches, rated the same, so Andrew and I each took one. I think Andrew got the hardest of them though, as it involved an unprotected traverse as opposed to a thin crack which allowed for lots of gear placements. Traverses are psychologically the worst. Not only could you take a big fall but a big swing as well!

It was a fun climb, we did it in good time and all was going well. The descent was to rappel the route and with one rap left to go, we thought we had it in the bag. Until one of our ropes got stuck as we pulled them down. Unfortunately, we hadn't thought to move around to the outside of a large crack system and pull the ropes from the front of the rock face. As we pulled we could see the rope land on various ledges within the crack system and go back in behind some rocks. Andrew tried flipping the rope, pull, flip, pull, flip. At one point I thought it was going to come but no such luck.

Since I had all the gear, Andrew put me back on belay on our other rope and I climbed back up (about 30 feet) to get the rope un-stuck. It was no easy task as the rope was wedged firmly into a thin crack between two rocks. I poked and prodded for quite some time. It's the first time I've ever had to use a nut tool to get a rope unstuck! I thought for sure we were going to have to cut it but eventually, after much cursing and knuckle bashing, it came free. We'll have to have a close examination of that rope before we use it again!

By this time, two other guys who had climbed another route but were using our descent route, came rappelling down and graciously allowed me to rap back down using their rope. Much easier than down climbing! One more rap and we were back down to the ground.

These two other guys were locals and asked us what our plans were for the following day. When we said we had just one day left in Red Rocks and would do some sport climbing they asked what grade we were looking for and recommended a new area that one of them had developed. Civilization Crags, at the first pullout of the scenic drive loop, isn't in any guidebooks yet but they told us a website to get the information.

We had a fabulous time! A bunch of one-pitch sport climbs that were well within our leading ability and a few that were a bit harder that we could top rope before deciding if we wanted to lead them. We did 11 pitches each which was definitely our most productive day and also the day we led the hardest routes of the trip! A great ending to the climbing part of the trip.

Our bodies, hands, and fingers are sore again . . . what a wonderful feeling!

2011-02 Red Rocks

Joshua Tree National Park

[by Shelley]

We left snowy Silver City, New Mexico (-11c !) and drove all the way across Arizona to try to find some sun and warmth in Southern California - and to check out the climbing area of Joshua Tree.

We entered the park on the south side, stopped at the visitors center and purchased a climbing guide book Since it was already noon and most of the climbing is on the north side, we decided to do the hike into Lost Palms Oasis. It took us about 3 hours round trip (~ 8 miles / 13 km) along a relatively flat trail. There were a surprising number of people trail running. At the end of the trail the reward was a wonderful little valley full of huge palm trees. It was still a little cool but good for hiking.

Joshua Tree has the largest number of climbing routes of any area in North America. It's also notorious for sandbagged routes (i.e. the routes are actually much harder than the grade would indicate). And we learned that for people climbing here for the first time, trying to find the route you want to be on can be equally as daunting! (Even to a climber, one rock looks much like another!)

Our first climbing day we started at Johnson Canyon near the Indian Cove campground. We first decided to stay away from the campground because "ownership" rules apply. If there's someone staying in the campsite where the route you want to do starts or finishes, you have to ask permission.

Little did we know that the Canyon presented its own challenges! Things always look so nice on a benign map without any elevation markings. Just go and meander your way up and find something to climb. Yeah, right! Meander up and over, around and under boulders of various sizes up to car and small house sized! We managed to find the first sport climb we were looking for as it was on "split boulder" which really was a boulder split in half. We then hiked further up the canyon trying to find a couple more routes but it was near impossible to figure out what was what. They were supposed to be trad routes and we did find a couple bolted routes which didn't look too bad from the bottom so Andrew started up one but quickly decided this was out of our range.

We headed back down to the campground and found an area away from the campsites which had a few doable routes and we spent a very pleasant rest of the day there. As one local climber said to us, at Joshua Tree you just have to forget your pride and climb routes that are a couple grades easier than you would anywhere else.

The second day saw us over at Atlantis Wall at Last Horse Canyon, leading and top roping several fun climbs until it was time to head out. We drove back to Red Rocks via scenic back roads through the Mojave Desert arriving in Las Vegas to a beautiful sunset.

2011-02 Joshua Tree

Silver City

[by Shelley]

After a couple days hiking and climbing around Phoenix, we got rained out and decided to head further south and east to the Gila Wilderness. The original plan was to do a multi-day hike around here but the weather forecast was lousy. We decided to check out the area anyway for future reference. The last 45 minutes of the drive to Silver City was in the dark and through a snow and wind storm. Visibility was nearly nil, it got icier and icier and the only way we could see where the road went was by the reflective posts at the side of the road.

But we arrived safe and sound and booked into the Palace Hotel. Built in the late 1800's it has a lot of interest and character to it. We asked the receptionist about places to eat and she first pointed out Isaac's across the street, highlighting the great bison burgers. When we said we were vegetarian she immediately said "Oh, you have to go to Shevek's." We did and it was awesome! Immediately upon entering, you pass through the small bar area and past the display full of handmade chocolates and desserts. The menu has three sizes of each dish -- tapa, mezze, and entree. We asked the waiter for vegetarian recommendations and almost half of the large menu was suitable. In order to try more things, we had the mezze size of the salad and tapas sizes of the other dishes:

Spinach, Cabrales Blue Cheese and Walnut Salad
with an aged sherry vinegar and walnut oil dressing.

Eggs with Fromage and Wild Mushrooms
soft scrambled eggs finished with freshly made fromage and topped with wild mushroom "caviar."

Spinach Briouats
traditional Moroccan street food. Spinach and herb-stuffed phyllo dough "cigar." Served with tzatziki on a bed of greens.

Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushroom
with roasted red pepper pesto on a bed of greens.

Spicy Chickpea and Eggplant Stew
spiced with garlic, red pepper flakes and cooked in a sauce of roasted tomatoes and fresh herbs. Served over cous cous confit.

Accompanied by a nice Luna Rossa Shiraz, made locally at Deming, New Mexico. (We were impressed that the waiter recommended a local and quite inexpensive wine.) And followed by dessert of yummy chocolate cake with peach and raspberry filling. There were only a few people in the restaurant and the chef came out and chatted with us. Even the background music was good.

We might have to go back again tonight to try a few more of the options!

This morning after the included breakfast at the hotel we had coffee, tea and reading time at the Javelina Coffee House which is also in the Palace Hotel building. It's large and funky with an eclectic crowd. The doors are set deep into the building and there are raised window seating areas. The place is filled with assorted mismatched tables, comfy chairs, and couches, mostly of quite old vintage. There were people on laptops (free wifi), some seated at the in-house computer terminals, a group of women that appeared to be a conversational Spanish group, and a couple guys that I can only describe as "rubby dubs". It was an interesting mix!

We wandered the downtown area for a short while and since it was sunny decided that we should try to get out for a hike. We drove just 6 miles up the road to Pinos Altos only to find ourselves once again in the middle of snow, wind and icy roads. Ok, maybe we won't hike after all! We wandered some more, this time going into several of the art galleries, art shops and the museum. It's a very historic area with lots of old buildings and interesting architecture. There is lots of art around - as one of the locals told us, "Silver City is full of starving artists".

This is a really nice town and we definitely look forward to coming back when it's warmer and doing some hiking in the Gila Wilderness.

2011-02 Silver City

Apache Junction

[by Shelley]

After leaving the Grand Canyon we stopped in Apache Junction, just outside of Phoenix, for a couple days to visit my dad and stepmom. They have a winter home there just a few minutes drive from the Superstition Mountains. Since dad went hiking in Peru with us last year I wanted to get out with them for at least a short hike. We headed to Gold Canyon and hiked the Hieroglyphics Trail up to a waterfall. Unfortunately there wasn't much water running and it was a very popular trail (including an entire scout troop!) Lots of people were out on a warm, sunny Saturday morning. (Question - shouldn't it be "Petroglyph Trail" rather than "Hieroglyphics Trail"?)

By the time we did the hike and had lunch, it was a bit late for Andrew and I to get any climbing in but we headed over to Lost Dutchman State Park (only a few kilometers from Apache Junction) to check out the approach to a route we planned to do. But when we arrived the next day there were three people there getting ready to head up. Rather than wait for them to get far enough ahead of us and then be behind them all day, we headed off to find something else to do and ended up climbing "The Hand", a classic route in the Superstitions. It wasn't difficult but a nice climb up an arete (ridge) with lots of airy exposure! Andrew belayed from the top of the first pitch with one leg on each side - and I had to carefully tip toe around him, using his shoulders as "holds" to start the second pitch. One very long two-rope rappel brought us back down to the bottom.

We also did a one-pitch climb on "The Pickle", another interesting shaped spire near the Hand. A fun couple of days!

2011-01 Apache Junction

Contrasts in Hotels

We started off in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino Resort. We ended up there because it was one of Expedia's "unpublished deals" through Hotwire.  We've never had any trouble booking hotels through Expedia, but this time when we arrived they had no record of our reservation. We showed them the confirmation from Expedia but that didn't help. We called Expedia and got an extremely unhelpful person. First he tried to tell me it was the wrong date. I've always had a recurring fear of booking stuff on the wrong day so I had a moment of panic but no, I had the right date. Presumably the call center is on the other side of the date line. I got nowhere with the Expedia guy so I handed the phone to the Palms clerk. She didn't have much more success. She wanted him to fax the booking to her. He said he couldn't fax but he could email. But the Palms didn't seem to be set up for staff to receive email.

We didn't resolve anything, but the reception person gave us a room anyway, and even upgraded us to compensate for our trouble. Our room in the "Fantasy" tower was very nice, with a great view over the city (see photos). But typically, the more expensive the hotel, the more they try to add on extra charges - like $15 per day for wifi (which we didn't pay). The other downside was having to go through the noisy, smoky casino to get in or out of the hotel.

We went from the Palms to a much more mundane La Quinta. It was the weekend, with less deals available and we paid almost exactly the same price. The hotel and the room were nowhere near as fancy, but wifi and breakfast were included, and it was about 10km less driving through traffic to get to Red Rocks. (The weather was good enough to camp, but the campground close to Red Rocks is an unappetizing dust bowl.)

And now we're at the historic Palace Hotel in Silver City, New Mexico. The hotel is over 100 years old - a long way from either the Palms or La Quinta! If you want a spotless modern  hotel, don't come here. But if you want a small, local, quiet place with character, it's great.

Grand Canyon

[by Shelley]

“Getting to the bottom is optional. Getting to the top is mandatory.”

The exact opposite of this is true for climbing mountains but it's certainly a suitable saying for hiking down into the Grand Canyon. We caught the shuttle from the Backcountry Information Center at 9 a.m. and were at the start of the South Kaibab trail and on our way about 20 minutes later.

The South Kaibab follows a ridgeline down, one of the few trails that does not go down one of the side canyons. Therefore, you get an excellent and wide open view the whole way down. Although it didn’t feel like we were “meandering” we certainly stopped a lot to take photos and enjoy the view. Near the top it was cool and windy but got much nicer the lower in altitude we went. The trail was wide, well maintained and very gradual descent of 4800 ft over 12 km. Much easier on the knees than I had expected it to be!

There weren’t a huge number of people on the trail. This is the off season so we just showed up and hiked. During high season, people book months, if not a year in advance to hike into the Canyon.

We booked into a cabin at Phantom Ranch. I know, I know! Very decadent of us not to carry tent and sleeping bags and stay at the campground! It was rustic but quiet. The ranch, campground, ranger station and mule pens are set in a very beautiful side valley. Meals at the ranch are served “family style” with everyone passing dishes around the table. We had a very yummy vegetarian chile with salad, cornbread and a humongous piece of chocolate cake for dessert.

The next morning we had a quick but filling breakfast and were on the trail by 7:30. We headed up the Bright Angel Trail, an ascent of 4400 ft (yes, the altitude of the rim at Bright Angel is 400 ft lower than Kaibab) over 15 km. The first hour of the hike is along the Colorado River so no elevation gain. Within a couple hours we got to the Indian Garden campground and passed most of the people who'd had an earlier breakfast sitting and had started out ahead of us.

Again, great views on the way up although more enclosed in the canyon until we got higher up. The trail was quite good, although a bit icy as we got closer to the top (in the shade). We plugged along at a steady pace and made it to the top in 5 hours (guidebook estimates 6-10 hours). The trail was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Both Andrew and I felt our legs were tired but not sore. Having said that, the Grand Canyon is not to be taken lightly. There are lots of people who have died over the years from heart attacks and heat stroke in the summer.

The next day we drove out of the park via Desert View and stopped at several of the scenic overlooks as well as the historic lookout just before the park exit. We ended the day at my Dad’s place just outside Phoenix at Apache Junction.

2011-01 Grand Canyon

Johnny Vegas

[by Shelley]

How could we resist a 3-star route called “Johnny Vegas”? Yesterday (was it only yesterday??) we were back on Solar Wall for our last day of climbing at Red Rocks. An hour’s hike took us to the bottom of the route. Andrew led the first pitch accompanied by the beat of Indian drums somewhere in the distance. Very nice! Perhaps there was something going on the at the Red Rock Visitor’s center.

I led the second and hardest pitch (how did that happen???) to the annoying sound of yelling boys. A wise woman once told me “Boys are stupid.” Why, after walking on level ground for 30 minutes and then scrambling on top of a 10 foot boulder, is there a need to yell and scream at the top of your lungs for several minutes as if you’ve conquered the world???

The guidebook said the first part of the third pitch had no protection but Andrew came up with some innovative gear placements -- threading a nut and tying a sling on a “chicken head” rock formation. It was impressive seeing him go out under a huge roof and then disappear over the arête.

The last pitch was an easy scramble up to the top of the buttress. A few rappels down the nearby gully brought us back down to the base of the route. Only to find that the zipper on the top of the pack we’d left behind was opened, a plastic bag chewed through and only one of our two apples left! The chipmunks (or whatever critters were responsible) are very bold and strong!

After a last coffee break back at The Coffee Bean, we headed east from Vegas. Very sad to be leaving Red Rocks. We did a lot in 6 days of climbing and 1 day of hiking but there’s still so much more that could be done!

Now at the Grand Canyon and packed up, ready to hike down tomorrow and back up the following day. Looking forward to some amazing views!

2011-01 Red Rocks 4

The photos are from three days - hiking up Turtlehead Peak, sport climbing, and then Johnny Vegas.

Whole Foods Dinner

Shelley figures we shouldn't eat out every night (she gets some strange ideas sometimes!) so we picked up food for supper from Whole Foods. We needed to stay "home" to do laundry anyway.

We managed a tasty menu:

Buddha Jewels - tofu, peanut butter, peppers, water chestnuts, sesame seeds

Black Quinoa salad - quinoa, feta cheese, spinach, sweet potato

Stuffed Portobello mushroom - stuffed with green and red peppers, eggs (cage free), mozzarella, and parmesan


Margherita Tofu Lasagna - spinach lasagna noodles, tomatoes, tofu, cheese

For desert, a dark chocolate turtle for me, and a Grand Marnier chocolate for Shelley

And all accompanied by an organic Frey California Syrah :-)

Geronimo

Yesterday we did a four pitch trad (traditional = not bolted) route on Jackrabbit Buttress called Geronimo. We expected it to be a short day with only four pitches, but unfortunately another group of three was in front of us. And of course, they were moving very slowly, and had a beginner with them who eventually decided not to climb after failing to get up the first 10 feet.

Luckily, the other two decided to descend after the first two pitches to return to their friend. (We ran into them later and they had come down a longer way and their rope had got stuck and they'd had to climb back up to free it. Not their day!)

We finished off the last two pitches without quite as much waiting around. It was a fun climb - quite steep, but big handholds so pretty easy. The only downside was that one of our cams got jammed irretrievably and it cost us $60 to replace it. On the positive side, it was an old one and we've been gradually replacing them anyway.

The raps (rappels) down went smoothly. The rock here is really nobby and it's easy for the rope to get hung up when you pull them down.

2011-01 Red Rocks 3

Agave

For the most part, Las Vegas is a wasteland for the kinds of restaurants we like - small, quiet, slow, local, organic, etc. Last night we ate at a place called Agave (presumably named after the agave plant). It wasn't quite as small or as quiet as I'd like, but the food was excellent and the building and decor was nice. Here's what we had, all very tasty.

Crispy “Street Style” Quesadilla
corn masa turnovers served with avocado-tomatillo purée, red fresno sauce, blackened jalapeño crema and spicy poblano carrot salad

Agave Ensalada de la Casa
mixed field greens with toasted pine nuts, warm goat cheese, pears, vine-ripened tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette

Black Bean and Smoked Cheddar Soup
black bean soup mixed with smoked cheddar cheese, salsa fresca and fire roasted serrano cornbread

Potato and Portabella Mushroom Tacos
yukon gold potatoes, stewed with chipotle peppers, caramelized onions, spicy tomato sauce and queso fresco

It was well accompanied by a glass of Lo Tengo Torrontes

PS. We only found this place because it is next door to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf we have been frequenting for our morning pre-climbing coffee. (Which we also discovered by accident, but really like.)

Suck it up Princess

2011-01 Red Rocks 2

[by Shelley]

I’m pretty sure Andrew was thinking “Suck it up, Princess!” But he didn’t say it out loud.

After yesterday’s longer multi-pitch route we were back to harder one-pitch sport climbs. It was my turn to lead. The first bolt hanger was a long way off the ground! The book said the crack to the left of the climb could be protected with a cam. We’re sport climbing you stupid book! All the trad gear is in the car.

“It’s an awfully long way to the first bolt,” I said.

“It looks pretty easy though,” said Andrew. “Besides, if you fall you’ll just slide down this smooth slab.”

Uh-huh. And lose a whole bunch of skin in the process. Not to mention the landing. That rock isn’t exactly padded you know. And did you happen to notice the ledge we’re standing on? It’s only a couple feet wide? And it’s sloping? And it’s another 10 feet or so to the next level of unpadded rock?

“Well, I don’t plan on falling,” I said. Suck it up, Princess.

Andrew was right though, the part to the first bolt was easy. Nice positive hand holds and good foot holds.

I clip the first bolt and look waaaay up to the second one. Ground fall potential, I think to myself and say so to Andrew. “No, I don’t think so. You’ll be fine.” Easy for him to say, safe on the ground. Who’s he trying to kid anyway?

I keep going. The first half of the 140 foot route isn’t overly difficult, just not very well protected. As I go higher though, the foot and handholds become more and more sparse until there aren’t any at all. “Trust your feet!” was the mantra with each move. Not . . . going . . . to . . . fall.

Although it was a bit unnerving, I didn’t fall! You gotta love gritty sandstone. Especially once you get used to it. That’s the joy of going to a variety of places to climb. They’re all different and all have a different feel and characteristic to the rock.

The rest of the day was a bit tamer, even the ridiculously hard climb we top roped. Andrew managed to get to the top of it, I only got about ¾ of the way. The last climb of the day was lots of fun – a layback crack with good holds and big pumpy moves.

Tomorrow is a “rest day” so we’ll do some hiking and then visit the REI store – and Andrew’s wondering if there’s an Apple store in Vegas :-)

Climbing at Red Rocks

We arrived in Las Vegas on Tues. and went straight to Red Rocks to start climbing. (After coffee, of course!) It always takes a while to get used to the rock and things seem hard at first. We did some single pitch bolted sport routes on Ultraman wall at the first pullout. We did a 5.7 that seemed really hard for that grade. When we looked it up in the new guide book it was now a 5.9 which made us feel a little better.

The next day we decided to do a longer route - Solar Slab (5.6). The easiest way to get to the bottom of the route is Solar Gully, 4 pitches of 5.1 to 5.3.

We got a late start - leaving the car after 10am and not getting to the base of the gully till 11am. The gully was actually quite fun. Because of the time, we just did the first four pitches of Solar Slab. They were good fun. It was nice to get up high (maybe 1000 feet up) and see the views. We headed down about 3pm and got off the many rappels about 5pm, just as the last light faded. It was another beautiful warm (+21c) sunny day, although it got cool when we started down and the wind picked up and we lost the sun.

Hiking out in the dark was interesting. There was a bright full moon, but it was shining straight in our eyes so it wasn't as helpful as it could have been. After a day in tight climbing shoes my toes did not appreciate being stubbed on rocks as we stumbled around. We lost the trail at one point and spent some time wandering in the desert trying not to impale ourselves on the cactus. Luckily we found the trail again. When we reached the highway we stepped into the parking lot to find our car missing! After a moment of panic we realized we'd taken a different branch of the trail and come out in a different parking area. The car was sitting waiting for us a few hundred meters away.

Haven't take many photos yet. Here are a few.

2011-01 Red Rocks 1

Organic

Stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a bottle of wine for later. I was surprised they didn't have more organic ones. I liked the label on this one.



Shelley says if she lived near a Whole Foods with all their prepared foods that she wouldn't have to cook any more :-)

Vegas Here We Are

Heading to Red Rocks to start climbing :-)

Day 2 on the Road

We went through a roller coaster of temperatures today. It was -12c when we started out. Soon after leaving Lethbridge I noticed the road looked wet. Strange. Then I noticed the outside temperature on the dash said +2c. As we drove south the temperature gradually rose to +6c. Then as we were driving along the windshield suddenly fogged up on the outside - the temperature had suddenly dropped back to -6c. But it rose again and got up to +12c around Great Falls where we stopped for lunch. This was 33c warmer than when we left Saskatoon at -21. It felt pretty nice.

The scenery around Great Falls was more like fall than winter. Much of the ground was bare. Flocks of Canada Geese were feeding in the stubble. But further south it was winter again with snow covering the countryside.

Then it started to rain and as we went over a few higher passes the temperature dropped. I crossed my fingers that it wouldn't start to freeze.Thankfully the lowest it got was +2c and the road stayed wet rather than icy.

Past Butte the temperature got back up to +6 but that didn't last. As we cross the border into Idaho it dropped below zero. Luckily the rain stopped and the road was dry. The sign said "Welcome to Idaho" but the thick fog that greeted us wasn't especially welcoming as the last of the daylight fades away.

We're definitely in cattle country - big herds everywhere. There was also a large group of pronghorns beside the highway. Hard to count but it looked like hundreds. We also saw a couple of bald eagles - probably feeding on road kill.

Tomorrow we'll continue South through Salt Lake and hopefully escape winter at some point. Rain predicted tonight, but with any luck it'll stay above freezing.

Trippin'

The Saskatchewan prairies in January are about as bleak as you can get. It's hard to tell if the sun is up yet or not. The grey of the ground and sky merge at the horizon. It's snowing lightly and there's enough on the highway that all you see of the vehicle ahead is a swirling cloud. The farms are greyed out by the snow in the air. It's -20c and there's no sign of life out there.

Shelley says "death zone". I think, yeah, it looks a bit like the summit plateau on Cho Oyu over 8000m.

But actually, what she said was "dead zone". While I study the scenery, she's engrossed in her BlackBerry, and frustrated by the lack of a signal.

I say that maybe holidays ought to be BlackBerry dead zones.

We're almost to Lethbridge and I haven't checked my email yet. But I have had my laptop out. Done a little programming, wrote this blog post.

It's not as dead as it looks out there. I've seen a rabbit, birds, deer, and pronghorn antelope. No doubt there are foxes and coyotes out there too. It's a far cry from the color and abundant life of a coral reef, but it has it's own austere black and white beauty.

Living for the Moment

via Vertical Carnival

The Myth Of Work Life Balance

The Myth Of Work Life Balance | Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image

good article, especially for those of us whose "work" is more than just a job

via Penny

Banks, Tigers, and More

Banks, Tigers and Related Matters — Sierra Club of BC: "Banks, Tigers and Related Matters"

"we may have crossed the boundary from being a part of nature to being apart from nature"

"The environmental crisis presently confronting our planet is a variant of the one confronting our financial system. The time scales are different but the dynamics are the same. So are the denials, the rationalizations, the failed oversight, the paucity of regulatory constraints and the public's naivete. The collective values that have engaged people in the busy enterprise of making money and amassing wealth have kept them so busy with the industry and commerce of production and consumption that they have failed to notice that the ecology of the planet is unravelling."

Waxwings

Saw a small flock of waxwings eating berries in a bush when I was walking across the university campus. I love their coloring - the black bandit mask and bright yellow trim on the tail. I thought they were Cedar Waxwings, but we're more in the range of the Bohemian Waxwings.

Not my photo, didn't have a camera handy :-(

And they call it democracy

We are the majority! | Sierra Club Canada: "In every poll done over the last five years, an overwhelming majority of Canadians are in support of climate action. In the last election, 68% of voters voted for parties with plans to take significant steps to address this issue. The last pollster even told me we have the best numbers she’s ever seen for a public issue. Yet, somehow unelected senators can block the will of the public with sneaky parliamentary games."

The title is from a Bruce Cockburn song - Call It Democracy

[previously posted in my software blog by mistake]

Birds

Yesterday, walking home in the wind and blowing snow, a bald eagle came soaring down the river, riding the updraft off the river bank. He was gliding quickly, barely moving his wings. They are impressive birds. I don't recall seeing one inside the city before. And I thought they would have migrated south by now.

Today, walking home again, I spotted something up in a tree on the riverbank. Was it a big bird, maybe the eagle, or was it a plastic bag snagged on a branch? As I got closer it looked more birdlike, but it wasn't moving at all, even when I clapped my hands. Eventually it must have got tired of me and it tipped forward, unfolded it's wings, and slid away into the night air. It was too dark to get a good look, but I don't think it was the eagle. Maybe an owl.

Great Climbing Video

I really like this video. For me it really captures the essence of climbing big mountains. It evokes many memories. (not that I ever was in this league) The early morning starts in the dark, the strange food, the banter between partners, the incredible views, the fear, the happiness, the exhaustion.

And I really like that it's very low key, laid back. So many climbing stories, especially those aimed at the general public, push the melodrama way too far. Everything has to be extreme, on the edge, "into thin air", in the "death zone", about to die, bodies scattered about. Blah! To me, that's not what climbing is about.

Heads in the Sand

"People are caring about—and believing in—climate change a lot less than they used to. A recent Pew study found that less than a third of Americans think that climate change is a very serious problem. Even scarier? Only 59 percent of Americans believe there is “solid evidence” that the planet’s getting warmer at all, down from 79 percent in 2006."

from: Best and Worst Environmental Moments of 2010

Not that it should be surprising. Look at how many people don't believe in evolution.

Photo of the Day

Sun shining through the clouds and light snow.

Money Isn't Everything

My last post on my computer blog was a quote about how the big threat is not losing your job, it's doing work you aren't passionate about. Jen commented:

Unless you are poor, and then it is losing your job! The only people who say money doesn't matter are the people who have it.

I don't think it's anywhere near that simple, and it bugs me every time I hear that kind of thing, especially from people that aren't "poor", except perhaps in their own minds.

I "have money" now, but for a good chunk of my life I chose to do work I was passionate about and be much poorer than if I'd just gone and got a regular job. In fact, I quit a regular job to do what I wanted, in full knowledge that I'd be much poorer. Coincidentally, that ended up with me being reasonably well off. But money was never my goal, and if it hadn't worked out the way it did I'd still be happily doing what I enjoyed, just poorer.

And my sister Penny is happily doing what she enjoys, rather than taking a regular job which would pay much better.

So no, it's not just people with money who say there are more important things than money.

By the standards of the majority of the world, none of "us" are poor. We think "poor" means having trouble making the payments on an oversized house, multiple cars, trucks, SUV's, ATV's, jet skis, snowmobiles, multiple big screen TV's, computers, video games, and on and on. That's not "poor" by any stretch of the imagination. Poor is not having enough to eat.

Money doesn't make you happy. Twice as much money won't make you twice as happy. Buying more "stuff" won't make you happier, no matter how much the people selling that stuff would like you to believe that. "Rich" people aren't happier than "poor" people, usually the opposite.

The people who are "poor" are the ones who spend more than they make, buying stuff they don't need. Having more money than you need is as much a matter of how much you spend as it is a matter of how much you make. It doesn't take an accounting degree to figure that out.

Are Shelley and I less happy because we live in a small house and share a single vehicle? I don't think so.

We all want to be happy. And we all want to find shortcuts. More money seems like a shortcut to being happy. Finding what you enjoy and are passionate about, and then sacrificing to do it, that's hard.

Photos of the Day

early morning fog

snow creature perched in a tree

oops, moved the camera, but the effect is interesting

Definitely pushing the low light (ISO 800 and 1600) capabilities of the G12.  The noise reduction in Lightroom is a necessity. The stabilization is also impressive, for example, the fourth photo with the path beside the building is hand held at .8 seconds!

McNally Winnipeg Annoys

I really hate petty bureaucratic small minded rule spouters.

Shelley and I are in Winnipeg on our way back from her conference in Grand Forks. One of the stops on our list was the McNally Robinson book store.

I'm browsing through the books and I find one that looks interesting. I try hard not to buy every interesting book I run across, so instead I was snapping a picture of the cover with my iPhone camera, as I've done numerous times before. Some guy comes along and says "hey buddy, you can't do that, it's illegal, breaks copyright law". I stare at him, thinking up wise ass responses, but keeping my mouth shut, as is usually wise in such situations. He sees I'm just staring at him and says, "I'm Andrew, I work here." I fight down the urge to say, "I'm Andrew too, and I'm the customer that pays your frigging salary, bozo."

Having said his piece, he left. Leaving me annoyed. First, I really doubt that copyright says it's illegal to take a cell phone snapshot of a book cover for personal use. Even if some lawyer could argue that it's against copyright, is it really something bookstore employees need or want to enforce? Or even something authors would want? Book publishers and authors spend large amounts of money and effort trying to get their books mentioned and the covers displayed anywhere and everywhere they possibly can.

I have no doubt that it pisses off bookstores when people browse the books and then just write down (or god forbid take snapshots) of the titles. I'm sure they imagine we all immediately run home and buy them from Amazon. But regardless of how annoying they might find it, abusing the customers who actually made the effort to come to the store won't help.

Nor does sticking to ways of operating that are helplessly out of date. The last time I asked for a book at McNally they said it wasn't in stock but they could special order it for me and it would only take 6 to 8 weeks. And they wonder why people order from Amazon when they get their book in 3 or 4 days? It seems to me they'd be better off taking the order, ordering from Amazon themselves, and getting the customer back in the store in a week to pick it up, even if they didn't make much profit on the deal.

I love bookstores and I don't want to see them go out of business. Yes, I buy books digitally because of the reduced impact on the environment (and the reduced impact on my basement stacks). I also read books from the library. But I still do buy books, and when I can, I try to buy them from local bookstores like McNally.

The people that care enough about books to be keeping wish lists are the very people they should be cultivating and encouraging, not pissing off.

You might say this is just one employee and not necessarily representative of the store itself. But the employees are the public face of the store. And this kind of behaviour and culture spreads. If one employee is acting that way, chances are good he's not the only one.

Needless to say, I didn't buy any books at McNally in Winnipeg.