LIVE OAK LEAVES

Community Garden Greens

2011-11-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

new name

new post

new look coming soon

Reflection

2011-03-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

There the afternoon sun hits the creek just right, deepening the reflected blue and lighting the sides of the trees on the bank.

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Gritty and Polished

2011-02-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

a southern campus welcomes spring

Shared Realms

2011-02-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

This is the idea that there is no firm ontological divide in the field of existence. In other words, the world simply is not divided up into independently existing subjects and objects, nor is there any bifurcation in reality between the human and non-human realms. Rather all entities are constituted by their relationships. To the extent we perceive boundaries, we fall short of a deep ecological consciousness.

Warwick Fox, “Deep Ecology: A New Philosophy of Our Time?”

January Observations

2011-02-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

January observation can be almost as simple and peaceful as snow, and almost as continous as cold. There is time not only to see who has done what, but to speculate why.

Aldo Leopold, "A Sand County Almanac"

Mountains

2010-12-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

Not in the mountains, but a part of the mountains, “in the sparking whorls of/ living light.”

(quoted material from Gary Snyder's "Mother Earth: Her Whales" - Turtle Island)

Living

2010-12-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

"until the words had said themselves, he found that he had not known, or had not known the depth and extent of his desire"

- William Faulkner's "The Bear"

Rough Beauty

2010-07-31T12:17:00.001-07:00

Viewing one rusty window, with paint flaking off the structure, people see different things. Some would see a need for fixing, however others could see history of the item. The window has seen places, has provided shelter for many and served its purpose for some time. The window has a sense of place, a purpose of living. The same applies to a rusty fence, a falling board; each has served a purpose yet falls into a unique insensibility. Each of these objects has a rough beauty to a viewer. Despite its deteriorating presence, the lived sense of place creates an unique outlook of beauty.

West Virginia Photographs

2010-07-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Many photographs have captured of the hills of West Virginia to share with others. While these hills are beautiful, I wanted to show details of the West Virginian landscape I have seen on worksites. Some of these flowers are planted by homeowners, others I have seen growing wild. Other photographs show details of a homeowner's garden. These give a glimpse to the importance of place and the culture here in West Virginia.

Special Passengers

2010-06-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

While driving I seem to "meet" other people through their cars. Looking at bumper stickers, license plates, and where they are going can say a lot about someone. Special Passengers is the name of a local record label in Jackson. Based on their name, and the people you meet while traveling, I took photos of my journey from Jackson, MS to Montgomery, WV. While I met very few people while driving, I met the varied landscapes of the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The longest drive, I have ever made included frustrating events like stopped in traffic in Memphis and getting lost outside of Nashville. But also included, the beauty of the landscape while traveling through flat fields and snaking mountain roads. Part of the adventure definitely lay in the journey.

Friendly Inspiration

2010-06-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Experiences can stack up like past newspapers, yet hold much more symbolism. Recently, I reviewed the photos from my study abroad trip to Kaxil Kiuic in the Yucatan state of Mexico. For an impacting experience, I have made little time to process the trip, given I started spring semester soon after returning. Editing and reviewing the photos allowed me to immerse myself into the experience, again. I found this silly yet interesting photography of a friend and I hiking in through a Mayan ruin. She said this wonderful quote about "Nature Explorers", which meshes together ideas of discovery and travel.

"we are curious explorers! we are the future discoverers of the next and wildest frontier! there is no telling where we begin or end because the future is in our hands yet slips through our fingers like the sands of time!"

It reminds me of a quote from Eudora Welty's "One Writer's Beginning":

"It is our inward journey that leads us through time; forward or back, seldom in a straight line, most often spiraling. Each of us is moving, changing with respect to others."

While our each of our life journeys are personal and unique, each becomes impacted by our acquaintances, friends and loved ones. With Eudora's perspective, we do not live life on an airport moving sidewalk, we turn, dart and travel through life being impacted by experiences and one another. We find what we need through each other; mostly it seems we are unknowingly impacted by each other. It's not until we reflect on our life experience that we truly realize the paths our inward journeys.

We cannot stop believing. For life's journey, our next destination remains unknown, yet this is the beauty and gift of life. We travel, we explore, we learn, we live - and through these actions we find experiences.

Living With and From the Land

2010-06-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Writing about my experience in Southern West Virginia has impacted me in a way I cannot yet describe. In an effort to begin, I chose a few of my favorite photographs which represent the intense and unusual beauty of the area.

Eco-Steward: First Post

2010-05-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

This introspective quote was on a card given to me recently:

“Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.”

- Max Hermann

Just reading it brings a sincere calmness; it reminds me of The Creation Story. God made Adam and Eve last, and extremely special, yet it does not mean we are any different in value than the plants and animals around us. We have responsibility, yet what we are tending has great importance. This quote also reminds me, that we must nurture ourselves. We are a part of this universe and have a large part to play. To harness our best, we must take a breath.

As social beings, humans crave connections, and it seems sustainability thrives when people feel connected to their surroundings. I look forward to exploring these connections and more during my time as an Eco-Stewards Intern in West Virginia this summer. It seems, the more I acknowledge these connections with people and the environment around me, the bonds seem to grow. It can seem chaotic, yet the intensity and fullness of life makes it that much greater.

I enjoy working with my hands, being apart from the ordinary, and feeling inspired. These three traits and more led me to the Eco-Stewards Program and to my summer internship with The West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps (WVMAW) and Montgomery Presbyterian Church. This summer is going to be an adventure of connections. I was led to this program through a connection with and a helpful email from a minister at my home church, the Rev. Karen Akin. The deep connections between sustainability and faith also inspired me to join this program. In addition, the connections to those I am beginning to know in West Virginia have created a clear image of the greatness of this experience. I especially look forward to the connections the volunteers and I will make with materials, people, and the environment around us through building relationships and structures at WVMAW.

I look forward to great adventures this summer. Creating connections with all those around me, by learning to harness great things to do great things for others.

(Also to be published through the Eco-Steward official blog)

Are you a Contra?

2010-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Previously published in January 28th, 2010 edition of the Purple and White, Millsaps College's campus newspaper

For those of you who listen to Girl Talk or SuperMash Bros or some other awesomely hip electronic artist, I hope you receive the same uplifting emotion from their music as I do. It seems the combination of horribly bad pop music (we all secretly like), with insanely creative beats creates an instant party jam that surrounds you with more joy than a Snuggie can provide. So if it’s not obvious, I have been on the electronic (don’t call them a DJ) art music kick, and I find this genre relatable to Vampire Weekend’s Contra.

To my friends I am notoriously known for listening to the same song or album for days on end, creating an extremely small knowledge of music. Those hindrances aside, I feel qualified to recommend Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album, Contra, to all.

While it seems a band categorized as indie rock would have little in common with artists like Girl Talk, their new album creates the same excitement many receive from this other genre. With the pre-release of “Horchata” last fall as well as “Cousins”, I could tell this album of Vampire Weekend would have the same flavor but a deeper and more soulful feeling to it.

The song “Horchata” explains characteristics of their international influences. Horchata is a traditional Spanish holiday drink made from rice, cinnamon and sometimes milk. The song laments lost days of summer during the cold zap of winter. Not coincidently, their previous album simply named “Vampire Weekend” was released in the spring and appeals through out the year but especially in the summer. “Horchata” does an incredible job of summarizing the album’s aura, creating this simplistic world where we have time to wallow in the moment of changing seasons. I think this highlights part of the appeal of Vampire Weekend. While other music in their Indie Rock genre may appear to have deeper or more complex lyrics, Vampire Weekend creates spirit raising, fun-loving tunes that evoke simplistic emotions we tend to ignore.

This album shows the oil and water themes the band likes to explore. Self described as Upper West Side Soweto, meshing the upper middle class classical music of New York’s less famous Upper West side neighborhood with the joyful and soulful South African Congolese Soweto music. This influence not only creates their sounds but also their song themes. It seems one or more of the band members have dated social ladder climbers, most likely during their time at Columbia University. In “I Think Ur a Contra,” they sing of a woman who wanted “good schools, and friends with pools, but also “rock and roll and complete control.” These opposites seem characteristic of their influence, a clash of upper class hierarchical values with the spirit raising, and passionate sounds of Soweto music.

The woman they sing about seems to be caught in between these ideas of maintaining her class image while giving into her personal impulses of a fun, lively life of rock and roll. It seems many college students, especially at a liberal arts college would fine this “caught in between” idea to be appealing. We are at a transition of growing up, being influenced by different religions, ideas of economics and other social issues. We give into impulses and we regret some actions. Vampire Weekend’s lyrics and unexpected yet joyous melodies can serve as a soundtrack for this limbo time of life. In the same way Girl Talk’s songs provide uplifting comfort, Contra can hold you like a Snuggie.

While I may never pop my collar like some of V. Weekend’s band members, I will constantly be tapping the soles of my topsiders to the beat. And of course, you may not join me in the foot tapping but, find the part of the complexity that speaks to you. You should at least try it, because as you are well aware, we go to a liberal arts college, we are meant to like music like this.

Personal Style

2010-03-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

This article is a response to Angel Butler’s piece published in the February 18th, 2010 issue of the Purple and White.

Typically, I take my shirts from Goodwill, pants from the clearance rack and my bourbon with water. While my bourbon typically comes out of a plastic bottle, I know I want it with water because of its simplicity. Mixing with Coke or some other overly sugared carbonated beverage only disguises the thing you most want to taste or feel the affects of.

Like Paul Newman, or Cary Grant before him, he took his highballs in a glass with ice. His gin with tonic and scotch with water tossed back with a carefree toast to his life and health.
Do you think Andre 3000 or Jay-Z cares whether their suit has cuff-links with their monograms? I think A-3000 would be difficult to engrave. No, they wear what makes them feel like them. Each of these men, from Newman to Jay-Z, has become an icon of men’s fashion. Each one has a distinctly unique style, not comforting to typical rules of fashion.

Clothing like most of your outward appearance relies most on what is beneath it all. While you could follow every fashion tip given (and it would take an Excel spreadsheet to organize this) you should be most true to yourself.

Now, I do not attempt to be the uber composed Cree Cantrell or have the almost lazy calmness of another guy on the baseball team in the signature sweats, I can only be myself. I respect each of these examples for separate reasons and I respect the guy down the caf’ table from me, who squeezed himself into skinny jeans that morning. Each represents himself in a different way for a different reason. From the guy buttoned up in Vineyard Vines to the guy strutting his stuff in a Coogi suit, our clothes speak about ourselves. While not everyone dresses themselves to walk at Fashion Week, everyone does exude something about themselves from what they are wearing.
The clothes I decide to adorn my spindly frame are apart of that as well.

Above all, like a great book I read for my Environment, History and Power class, “there was no thing as the Industrial Revolution and this is a book about it”. Fashion is a terrible word and this was a post about it. Your outward appearance should truly be about yourself.

note, I do not wish to be rude to Ms. Butler, I just disagreed with her article and previous articles.

Smokey Bear and Other Neat Ideas

2010-03-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

These are notes from my field work at the Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, MS and I wanted to share them.

Date: 19 February 2010
Time: 9:45am to 12:00am

I was running late and decided not to risk it with my bike. Since I went to the Legislator reception the night before, I felt it was okay for me to arrive later. Its interesting and different from school and the normality of a job, to stay until 8:00pm the night before and then arrive back the next morning.

Smokey Bear
Also while wearing a bear costume to prevent the idea of forest fires twice in 24 hours is different from my usual routine. Immediately upon arriving, I notify the education director that no, I am here and she does not have to wear the bear suit. She is thoroughly relieved, and excited I am here for this appearance. As Smokey Bear, I am not allowed to dance, talk or laugh. Obviously, this is difficult for me. Not only do I typically use these actions, I am wearing a bear costume and then so feel more inclined to act silly. While I like to poke fun at this idea, I am happy I can serve the museum in this way.

Smokey Bear (NOT Smokey THE Bear, as we learned in his directions) carries different implications for different people:

generational differences, based on the knowledge of what he originally represented as a icon and then turning into a modern day furry Mikey Mouse in exhibits.
He originated in 1950 with an ad campaign by the Forestry Service. There was a bear in New Mexico who survived a forest fire and became famous through different media outlets. He lived afterward at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
I am not sure younger children actually know who he is, but what to touch, pet, and crawl into the lap of a large,friendly looking bear anyhow. I felt very strange during the lap sitting part but that was quickly stopped.
Should the education be about camping in general and not to burn down the forest while you are there? The exhibit focuses on this, so Smokey may not be as large of a focal point of the education as he is a large attraction for the youngsters. I wonder what the Forestry Department (the creator and “owner”) thinks about Smokey? Do they see his influence diminishing as well as the content of his message needing to change?
As well, with a changing perception of forest fire among environmentalist and others, while human caused fires are not good, we are learning the forest needs a good burning to be more healthy. Is this program preventing this idea from being understood?
as well, in a youth culture with a growing use of cannabis and other drugs, what are the implications of the word “Smokey” to them, although the understanding of Smokey Bear may be more ingrained than I realize.

The Exhibit:

The exhibit, Home Sweet Home, features different multilayered areas. Its a traveling exhibit the museum had to bid to show. A children’s museum created the exhibit and then “rents” it out to other museums to use. Its one of the most inspiring and creative spaces I have encountered. While this exhibit is geared toward elementary aged children, the things adults can learn from interacting with the exhibit are good as well. I have trouble describing the exhibit as a whole because there are so many pieces. I wish to take pictures the next time I visit.

There are two major parts. One is the in your backyard and home part. The exhibit transitions to the Forestry Department part with a instructional river and boat area. The Forestry Department area has a model forestry field post and model camping area. The exhibit moves from a house (area that would exists around the viewers typically) to a model forest area (area for viewers less likely to be around). People can enter the exhibit at either of these areas. The different activities teach the visitors everything from how to plant saplings, to how precipitation works and how to use rain water in a garden.

I am absolutely amazing at the creativity of the exhibit makers. I am very inspired about how they created a list of core ideas needed to be included and were able to create these ideas into interactive areas. I would like to focus the scope of my ethnography on the exhibit, what it means and how it educates. The education director of the Museum, has undergraduate education in anthropology and her graduate education in environmental interpretation. Many of the workers of the museum are able to think about how to take a concept and explain it to a diverse age of visitors. I fine this widely fascinating. Especially the idea of Smokey, which I wrote about earlier.

Further Thoughts:
So I made a few connections about this type of thinking. I thought about entering the exhibit without knowing what it was trying to achieve and not having a previously knowledge base of the material shared. What would it teach me?

I thought about meeting a friend recently who sold rain barrels he made himself. Would this exhibit teach me not only why a rain barrel in a garden would be helpful but also how I could make one on my own? I think children currently in elementary school, are learning many things like this and the next step may be to find a way to teach this line of thinking, of how to create things ourselves.

My friend Andy, takes large plastic jugs from the Pepsi plant in Clinton (local, reused material). He gets these for free and after a few minor changes and a good cleaning is able to sell these to others for their own use. I think his thinking through this is astounding and something others should be able to learn and repeat.

I think a lot of sustainable practices is about creative and critical thinking. I think this exhibit while sharing information on sustainability also increases levels of critical thinking. I want to think more about why and picture explanations of different exhibits.

Final Days of Eco Design

2010-01-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken leaving Kaxil Kiuic and during a stop at the market in Oxkutzcab before heading to Akumal on the coast. Its been difficult to express an ending to my trip. This could symbolize how the affects of the learning will never end and I have yet to fully understand the experience. I wanted to share these photos from the last days.

This is a detail of the image outside the door to each cabin. Each one was of a different bird or flower in the area. The pieces were made by hand from concrete.
This is a tricicleta in the market at Oxkutzcab. Fruit sellers can bring their produce in the plastic containers on these. The colors at the markets were incredibly vivid and diverse.
In another photograph from the market, a Yucatan man carries the fruit boxes.
Capturing the true emotions of people proved more difficult than I thought it would be. I tried to practice on this trip, and I liked the way this image turned out. He gave Anna and I oranges as gifts.
There seemed to be a Catholic cathedral near the center of every town we drove through or visited. As well, many of the churches were this beautiful yellow. This was the church in Oxkutzcab.

Passive Solar Hot Water Heater

2010-01-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Kaxil Kiuic is “off the grid”, meaning its power is self sustaining. The electricity comes completely from solar power stored in batteries. As well, there is a well pumped by the solar energy and then stored in tanks through out the camp. The only hot water found on site is heated on the stove.

So, one of our projects was to build a passive solar hot water heater. The way it works is quite simple. This cool piece of machinery takes no power and the water runs through it because of physics. As you can see from the photos a snaking form of pipes sits on top of a stand. The stand angles toward the southern sun, which provides the warmest solar heat. The pipes are painted black to absorb more heat.

Cold water flows into the pipe form and then (if the sun has warmed the pipes) heats the water. The solar heated hot water then flows into the shower or faucet through a another pipe at the top of the form. The nifty part about the heater is the cold water enters at the decline of the pipe form and then the hot water rises through the pipes because of physics. Dr. Galicki explains this part but it becomes extremely confusing, so I cannot explain the full process.

This type of water heater provides hot water only during the times when the sun is shinning. So showers at night will most likely still have cold water. We have discussed different ways to insulate the pipes, especially local alternatives. This is an interesting part of the course and permaculture, discovering sustainable ways through cultural history. The Maya used a certain type of construction called dobb and waddle. This process involves creating walls using alternating long sticks. Then the inner area is coated with a mud paste which hardens and creates a solid surface. This creates an insulation barrier. We discussed using this to have an insulator for the hot water and be able to use it more often.

The construction of both hot water heaters taught each of us a lot. Dr. Galicki helped each of us learn something new through the construction. The assembly took group work and patience. The lab activity taught us more than just the possibilities of alternate energy, it teaches the process of team work and effective planning.

Photos helping to explain the process:

Day 10 of Eco Design

2010-01-05T17:07:00.001-08:00

This experience is a difficult story to tell. This evening I was flipping through photos and thinking about the aspects of the day accurately describing the experience. This class and the adventure we embarked on covers many ideas and areas. Before leaving the United States, I think we had very little idea what our experience would entail. I am sure many study abroad experiences have a similar uncertainty.

Our class has focused on the idea of sustainability through the idea of permaculture and other less encompassing “green” practices like the construction of a passive solar hot water heater. The hot water heater construction was completed today but unfortunately we will not reap the benefits. This is apart of the unselfishness of permaculture, you must support everything from your fellow neighbor to your fellow ecosystem. I am sure I can speak for the other students to say the people we have met along the way will be some of our greatest memories. From the plumber to the groundskeeper or owners of restaurants along the way, we each learned something or found a great appreciation for many of the people we have met.

Driving to the Kaxil Kiuic Reserve (pronounced Kashil Keyweek) we passed through the tourist area of Cancun, the Yucatan country side, the bright metropolis of Merida, the quaint town of Oxkutzcab and the spirited but economically isolated towns of Yaxachen, Xobenhaltun, and Xul. Each place we visited had great problems but also a great vibrancy, a reflection of the people who lived there. The cultural learning accompanying the traditional learning of the course shows the need to have environmental practices reflect cultural norms.

While a passive solar hot water heat can work at the Reserve, it would look out of place and unconventional at home in Little Rock. Besides the water freezing, this water heater could not be maintained by a regular plumber and my family’s busy lifestyle could not support the maintenance needed. A more conventional style of hot water heater would suit my family. But, at the same time, a change in equipment would not necessary be needed, maybe just a tweaking of our water usage. Through discussion and many activities these situations exemplify some of our work done at the Reserve.

In the morning we will have a bittersweet departure from Kaxil Kiuic. We most likely are taking a new understanding of ourselves and the full extend of what surrounds us. We are headed for the coastal town south of Cancun called Akumal.

These photos are some of my favorite photos from today around the Reserve and in the town of Xul. Together the photos give an glimpse of Yucatan life. Note the complexity of the limestone and vibrancy of the plants. The photos of the town show how trash litters the ground but bright colors seems to emerge everywhere.

Day 9 of Eco Design

2010-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

"Don't ask what the land can do for you, find what you can do for the land."

Today we had a lecture about permaculture, which I have mentioned before. Permaculture, the word literally comes from permanent agriculture. The idea extents far beyond agriculture to meshing the cycles of nature with the disconnected cycles of humans. It creates convience, simplicity, cycles and efficiency. I plan to write more about the connections of permaculture.

As well I wanted to add some of my favorite photos from a nature hike today given by the Reserve Director. The spider is a wolf spider we found in a shoe, left by a construction worker. The plant growing off the tree is a epiphyte, numerous and fascinating in this area. The rock with red writing was found in the archeological site and marks different pieces. The others are also typical in this area and very interesting.

Day 8 of Eco Design

2010-01-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

words of the trip:

These are words we have learned, I have picked up along this adventure or I just generally appreciate.

biomimicry: sustainable practices or techniques that originate in nature. The shells of some sea creatures are harder than man-made ceramics. So the question would be asked how can these creatures create their shells with completely natural materials, but humans cannot create ceramics as durable as the shells with synthetic materials. The idea is how to mimic nature to create more “green” products.

gear: things we put in our packs, suitcases and then generally need through out the day. We typically yield knifes to do everything from cutting brush to widdling when bored. We all have some sort of head light and when it gets dark at 5:00, we are all running around camp with our head lamps (I think we all secretly look forward to this part of the day). Mine clips onto a crazy hat and has been a big hit. I attribute this word to Mary Mitchell Williams, she is the biggest fan of gear.

environmental interpretation: different methods and ideas about how to communicate and teach sustainable practices, ideas of ecology and generally being “green”.

With the growing presence of the Green Movement many ideas are emerging about how to translate different practices into teachable ideas to students and other people. I learned about this term from the Millsaps graduate who is living in Oxkutzcab, teaching and doing anthropological research. I hope to learn more about these ideas.

machete: an extremely sharp knife used by Maya manly men to chop imposing forces like brush. Today, Mary Mitchell and I were taught how to use the machete by Carlos, one of the men who maintains the reserve.He of course makes it look easy and we both needed more practice. It will be one of my favorite memories from the trip. The language barrier was impressive. I was speaking broken Spanish to a man who was a native Maya speaker and translates to Spanish. It was a reminder than laughter transcends many languages. (Please, see below for photos).

vernacular architecture: the style of structures native to the area

As you can see in some photos, the buildings at Kaxil Kiuic are grass roofs with adobe walls. These architecture was used because it was developed by the Mayans in this area. The archeological research done in this area shows how this style was used and its still present in many of the small villages outside larger cities. The roofs are extremely tall to let hot air rise and the grass roofs are also water proof. Modern additions are glass pane doors and windows. These are set up where each one has a path for a breeze, the windows are constantly open and the air quality (as well as the temperature) is amazing.

wheeling: when you produce more power than your house needs and the meter wheel runs backward. Then your production of electrons travels back along the wire to the the energy company.. In return the energy company pays you for the electrons.

photos:

- The pipes are the passive solar hot water heater we are building.

- The three machette pictures are Carlos, Mary Mitchell and I.

- The bottom picture is on the table cloth in the kitchen where we eat. This is a local Maya handicraft that is made by hand and found on anything from napkins to dresses.

Day 7 of Eco Design, part dos

2010-01-02T19:25:00.001-08:00

After lecture tonight we went on a night hike. Our attempt began without using light, trying to use the moon's light and our own senses to guide ourselves down the trail. As you could imagine, this worked about as well as it would with third graders. Someone would jump at any noise and be too loud to hear anything.

But overall, the experience shows the independence and power each of us has. An independence I feel we lose through our reliance on constant technology and hyper media. After sitting around a small camp fire, we had a moment to reflect on the greater purpose of our class: the ideas and possibilities of sustainable living. Much like the forest canopy in the Yucatan, there are many levels and kinds of sustainable living. We are gaining an introduction to many ideas, seeing the successes and the failures.

After the campfire, Dr. Galicki asked if someone would walk down the trail and see what he or she say. Krista and I excitedly jumped up and began walking. What we discovered was difficult to identify at first. The wideness looked like a river bed in the faint moon light but it was a haltune. These are depression made through breakdown in the limestone bedrock. We have been learning about these through out the week. Through the acids in rain and other water, the carbonate making up limestone breaks down and creates pools. This haltune was about 4 feet deep and 8 or 9 feet wide. I was absolutely amazed something like this could happen. It looks man-made, like some sort of swanky backyard pool, but natural processes created it. Its moments like this that remind us of the majesty, power and awe that nature brings.

I sat beside the haltune in a sort of daze. I am sure Dr. Galcki was concerned I wanted to walk around in it, it was waterless, but I controlled myself. I honestly had never seen anything so beautiful, and I felt an extreme spiritual presence.

Walking back with Dr. Galicki, Lizzie and Heather, I looked up at the moon. Our entire trip in the Yucatan, the moon has been full or almost completely full. Also at this latitude, it feels closer. I watched the clouds move over the moon thinking about the speed of the Earth and the movement of Earth in respect to the greater solar system and universe. Its an amazing idea, the concept of life. The connections through our living nature and our living selves should not be underestimated.

- wish this was less blury but diagrams of water collection from today's discussion

The concrete structure is a hurricane shelter the Mexican government built for locals to have a safe shelter during storms. Because of the lack of monetary resources in some families, many are living in these shelters full time. I have other pictures of modifications but this is an empty one.

As a field trip we went to the market at Oxkutzcab this afternoon. This small village is about an hour from the Reserve. Its the nearest large city. The market was different that we thought it would be. It had more modern things that we would have at our shopping mall but with fresh fruit, vegetables and some meat. The whole place was extremely colorful. These men work at a fruteria in the market. Only a few years older than I am, each of these men have worked in the United States and are not back. They sell produce grown outside of Mexico City and work for another man.

These are some of their tomatoes. These are grown using pesticides, which the produce grown around Oxkutzcab, most likely does not because it would be too expensive or unavaliable. These tomatoes are more expensive than the local tomatoes but are supposed to be "better". There seems to be a different thinking than a farmer's market in the US, where local would be better. Because of isolation and poverty, things from larger cities have a great value for some.

Day 7 of Eco Design

2010-01-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

Don Ki'

In order to better acclimate myself into the wondrous nature surroundings us, I have not showered in 2010. Studying the idea of perma-culture has been incredible enlightening. Perma-culture literally comes permanent agriculture but the more modern ideas are more encompassing than just the growing of food. The idea can be a completely self sustaining homestead or one that finds uses for its waste. Here at Kaxil Kiuic, the Reserve finds many ways to be self sustaining but is not completely. We visited another reserve today still "on the grid," meaning getting power from the energy company. For this place, power came from the government.

Today we had lectures on the geology of the area, topographic mapping, water collection and a brief introduction to site planning. Yes, this was information overload. We later had yummy sandwiches in the van made by the ladies from the local Mayan village who cook for us, and went to the market in Oxkutzcab. The places we have traveled feel extremely alive with life and color. Constantly the locals stare, but only out of interest and welcome. I have felt completely safe and even welcomed in almost all situations, as I wrote about with the bull fight. I picked up some gifts at the market and some great knowledge of where the produce comes from to sell.

Later we went to the U Kitz Ka'an Reserve. As I mentioned above, this place is attempting sustainable agriculture as well. It was interesting to compare their techniques to those we saw at a research center early. We discussed the difficulty with actual implementation with ideas created in a research area. Marista, the university we toured earlier, tries to develop techniques to bring into local villages in need of food and income.

Dinner will soon be served and I must go eat! Don Ki' means awesome in Maya and I use it to describe food, which has been incredible.

- Example of a roof support at U Titz Ka'an. The supports at Kaxil Kiuic are very similar.

- Our guide for the farm tour. He is pictured with one of their pregnant goats.
- In honor of the great state of Arkansas, a domesticated hog. The farm uses the hogs' manure for composting and the hogs become a source of food. Woooo Pig Soiee.
- These are indigenous bees to the area. They are being grown at the farm because bees populations are dropping for various reasons. The farmers help the bees create their hives in these boxes to protect the hive.
- A close up of seedlings the farm grows on a raised garden. The height keeps pests away and a canopy can shield the seedlings in intense heat.

Day 6 of Eco Design

2010-01-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

Today we started with more projects around the Kaxil Kiuic Reserve. We learned about solar heat and the direction the rays descend to provide heat or light. There were many other adventures today like finding tree logs for lumber in the monte (Spanish for woods) and going to a local bull fight to celebrate the 2010.

- helping Mayans loading logs into the truck for us to use
- An example of the cabins in the Reserve. The roofs are made from a grass that is indigenous to the area. Wood trusses support the grass from the inside. The grass is woven making it water proof. The walls are stucco and painted the orange-yellow because of ancient ruins possible being painted this color. The windows open on the inside and have screens to let the breezes through. Later I will post pictures of the inside and the hammocks.

- Seeing the compost pile was one of my favorite parts of the day. The colors in this picture are extremely vivid. There were knats flying around the top because of the all the available nutrients. All "living waste", otherwise known as organic waste, goes into a separate trash can in the kitchen and then disposed in here. This area has the recycling bins as well and is near the Reserve's kitchen.
- This is a view from the stands from the bullfight. Sol is one of the major beer brands in Mexico. Imagine the Bud Light or Coors Light logo on this tent and the similarities to a sporting event in the United States are very similar.

The places we have traveled in the Yucatan state of Mexico have received us very well. I have felt extremely comfortable in all situations. I am not sure how this extends to other countries but I know the local people want to get to know us and are very fascinated by things we do. Of course, we are just as fascinated about them.

Ecological Design, first days

2010-01-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

The first few days of my class Ecological Design in the Yucatan state of Mexico, primarily staying at the Kaxil Kiuic Bio-cultural Reserve. These are only some of the photos and are in reverse chronological order. Please enjoy and ask questions

batteries containing the power made from the solar panels:
Lizzie swinging in one of the many chair hammocks in the Gazebo:
some of the plants in the waste water treatment garden (this cleans the liquid waste leaving the bathrooms):

guided tour of the archeological site:

seeing the sunset at the top of the observation tower:
Oxkutzcab, beginning of town political meeting:
relaxing in cool, low material chair:
one set of the solar panels for the dorm (today we calculated the most effective angles to absorb sunlight):

tour at the permaculture experimental station at Marista University in Merida:

Hotel in Merida on the way to the reserve:
boys selling trinkets in the market at Chichen-Itza:
standing in front of Chichen-Itza, an ancient Mayan pyramid:
waiting in the airport upon arrival:

You May Call Me a Radical...

2009-10-04T18:03:00.001-07:00

Music serves many purposes but spreading a message may be at the heart of each. Gregg Gillis redefines making a statement album. He has clipped apart the definition of a song, how we share music and what it means to be a fan. He could define the message of the 2000's. An idea that we should be truthful to ourselves. Social and musical groups have fought the government, fought The Man, and now we may need to share who we are. This sharing of the personal cannot be limited to definitions of previous ideas. This is a different kind of revolution.

Gregg Gillis: “So when I started the Girl Talk shows, I was using pop as a tool of rebellion. It was confrontational, like, I’m going to show up at this show where there’s a math-rock band, and everyone in the audience is standing there with their arms folded, maybe some chin-strokers, and I’m going to get up there and do some Madonna remixes and take off my clothes. People would be thoroughly offended. But I was trying to push people. I wanted to stir that scene up."

Meshing of the Obscure and Ordinary

2009-09-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Can or should affection exist between two people if the relationship of the two people cannot exist around others? Literary history has seen many secret lovers, always with a tragic ending: the stereotype being Romeo and Juliet. The contradictory affection does not need to just be between lovers - the idea seems to exist in many work places where employees found the employment for the needs of money or some other societal end, and not for the company’s purpose. It seems to be a hard idea to ethically pin point an opinion, or even understand. The ideas of the contradiction are something I struggle and live through often. In a light hearted, yet expressive way I believe these photographs express this contradiction. I see true beauty in each, yet there is something wrong, out of place, or societally dirty in each. The obscure and ordinary come together to create a truer beauty than is traditional. I drive to school through the Mississippi Delta and have always found it truly romantic and pastoral. This view bothers me, because the simplicity from the poverty, the history of the class structure and, the breakdown of the agricultural system is what I find visually intriguing.

Dynamic Sun and Flowing Water

2009-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Maturity

2009-07-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Response to NYTimes article on negative affects of scenes with alcohol in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Movie:

While, you make a great point that alcohol does have a large presence in this movie you miss part of the point. This movie and the book series is not aimed at children. It is a coming of age novel at its best, its a coming of age series. It is possible that this movie, and the next two of the seventh book are not appropriate for children. The books, like life itself, become dark and scary as they progress through the series. Although, there is much to learn from the trials and difficulties the characters face. Arguing that your son should not have seen that is probable true because while the movie is PG, its not directed at his age group.

The books are written about another culture with different customs and laws. While, I do not think that teenagers should over consume, I do not think it should be hidden from our society. Exposed targeted viewers of the movie could learn something from the ideas of alcohol in the film. Its not something to lose your problems in but its not something that you can use lightly.

Many people seem to think that Harry Potter is aimed at children - its not. Its for growing with age and learning to understand yourself and your true identity - something that should be learned through maturity - not in a brief time.

Mental Rainstorms

2009-06-22T15:47:00.001-07:00

When the constant news stories of our downward spiral began and the financial quarters went down, I wondered what this time would feel like. Overall, we do not look different. Although, our landscapes are littered with “For Sale” signs, empty lots and 50 percent off sales, we still go about our daily lives in the same ways. Our mental stability has changed but it has yet to change our physical demeanor.

Major news media has named our present economic time the Great Recession, for lack of a better name. Ironically, it seems that the greatest change in our daily lives has not the overbearing appearance of poverty imprinted on our memories to represent the Great Depression, but our mental thinking. It seems no matter what your financial status is, a unique cloud of mental worry hangs over your life. What’s coming next, has replaced what our complacent and supercharged urged to spend. We now have an urge for safety and security that most likely cannot be met. This urge for safety works in different ways in the spectrum of financial situations.

While our world seems to have little physical change, I think what characterizes this time is the things we don’t see. The anxiety plaguing parents about the future of their children and the families stepping in to provide, the recent graduates with little prospects of new careers, it these mental rainstorms that are storming our lives. It’s the working class family evicted from their relatives rental unit for overcrowding and the school cutting back on retirement pay, these are the difficult to see things characterizes our time. These hardships are difficult to capture in film for the next generation to learn, like the famous photographs taken by civil service photographs on work projects.

Workable Solutions

2009-06-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

Three-hole punch holes are a bother to recycle. The first time I recycled the menaces, they scattered themselves across the floor, after I dumped the office paper recycling bin into the street recycling bin. This time, I used a different plan of attack. Not wanting to use staples to secure them into sheet of already recycled paper, I opened up a magazine we were recycling and then emptied the three-hole punch. Of course, the static of the glossy paper was not enough to trap the holes inside, and they quickly scattered across the floor, again.

It reminded me of a topic covered in my Environmental Issues class from this past semester. We talked about the idea of sustainable solutions. What makes a solution to a problem of waste or pollution or any sort of environmental degradation sustainable? Since everything from Escalade Hybrids to redecorating your home with fake plants is sold as “greening” your life, this avalanche with hues of green makes differentiating the “green washing” from the sustaining very difficult.

Going Green is great but only when it digs down to find the problem and develops a solution that stops the problem. Solutions that just paint the problem green are not actually sustainable. To me, a nation that has a major car company crashing because of fake solutions, an ongoing health care crisis because of avoiding facts, and an increasing problem of climate change while ignoring warning signs, is a nation that is in need of fixing.

The problem reminds me of a poem that was said by the speaker at my college’s baccalaureate service. While it is religious in nature, it speaks to the whole idea. It puts the ideas of different social issues into a simpler context, and makes me think about our commonality.

I was hungry,
and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger.
I was imprisoned,
and you crept off quietly to your church and prayed for my release.
I was naked,
and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick,
and you knelt down and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless,
and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely,
and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seemed so holy, so close to God, but I am still very lonely, hungry, and cold.
- Anonymous

Avoiding solutions creates more problems.

Primero

2009-06-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am using this as a soap box but I am going to try only to share my own views and not speak for others. A good friend once told me, I often speak for others who do not share the same view as I do. I only think they do. This blog is not only a learning experience of personal knowledge and the ability to share it with others but a learning experience of accurately sharing my opinion. I am looking for a way to voice my opinion without coming off as dissatisfied with everything or worse griping. Many of the things I want to write about may sound like advice. If this is the case, the advice may be more for myself than anyone else. I just wish to share my thoughts and hope in some way, someone else can benefit from them as well.

Life seems to be a string of learning experiences. For an exam this past semester, I read a writer’s essay about her life. She wrote; interpret life not as a compartmentalized chain of stages but as a continuous, changing and living being, because we are. This mindset not only helps to learn from experiences but it also helps you change as a person. Personalities do not have to fit into seasons or times of life but can change based on your preference and most likely the best way to convey and describe your true self. Actions becoming habits is a difficult concept to grasp. Far too often I (and others) would view the habit as a single, unimportant action rather than a damaging habit. The personal experiences to insert into this vague situation are undoubtedly different but many must have experienced this situation. Many of us have ignored our single actions becoming habits but accepting this occurrence could help understand what habits bother us and which do not. Seeing our life as a continuous act, like understanding when our actions become habits, could make us more realistic.

Going into my junior year of college this coming semester, I wanted to try being more realistic. I hold many strong opinions and carry many developing ones. One foolish opinion, I have held is a strong distaste for Dave Matthews Band. I have always thought they are overrated and less talented than their worshipping followers think. Their new album has reversed my opinion. While some could find songs like “Funny the Way It Is,” and “Lying in the Hands of God” melodramatic, I think both evoke great emotion and thought. The lyrics remind me of things I used to think. It made me wonder why it was a past thought and not still an opinion I held. Funny the way it is, if you think about it, somebody is goin’ hungry and someone else is eatin’ out. This line from the chorus from “Funny the Way It Is,” does make me want to think about these hypocrisies that exist in our global society. I used to think about it, but then I felt like an idealist or a worse: naïve. Yearning to be more realistic, I want to find a balance in this thinking, balancing empathy for others with a realism of the circumstances. Writing it out, actually makes it seems more plausible than mulling it over.