Xenolith. Don’t worry. I had no clue what it was either. Most won’t (except for my geology friends out there). According to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia it is a “rock fragment within an intrusive igneous body that is unrelated to the igneous body itself.”

You might be thinking where could I possibly go with this that won’t bore?Ironically, this is loosely tied to my W post (which I just finished writing too. Ooops.) Seemed like the perfect choice to me!

In my W post I noted how I did a lot of outdoor activities when I was younger. While canoeing was my favorite, I also did a lot of hiking. Many of the canoe trips also featured hiking, both as a pleasurable side trip and to actually get where we were going (someday I will tell of the horrors … and joys … of a portage).

Those who went on these trips varied widely in experience. For some it may have been their first real experience with nature. For others, well let’s just say a few thought there were entirely too many modern conveniences (like toilet paper for instance). Of course this presented all sorts of opportunities … for playing with naive minds!

We would have a variety of stories to explain some of the oddities we occasionally encountered, or simply to toy with people. It is amazing what we were able to make some believe. For example, frequently when hiking we would encounter these xenoliths (especially in my part of the world). Considering the teacher who lead these trips was  a geology teacher, I probably did know the word once, but that brain cell must have died long ago. Anyhow, we would encounter these, and convince the non-initiate that they were the trails of “granite worms”. Or maybe it was a hole in the rock caused by water erosion. That was from a “diamond tooth rock boring gopher”.

We had many of these little tidbits of “useful” info. If we were on a mountain and could see a road that passed through the trees causing a line from a distance … well that was the state line. Or when canoeing on the St Croix River (part of which runs along the boundary between the US and Canada), we had people convinced that if you could see the bottom of the river you would see the boundary line. Or maybe we had people worried about being attacked by “flying leeches”.

Talk about fun memories!

The post Xenolith first appeared on thrumyeyes.

The academic advisor of the club used to run 10 – 12 day canoeing / camping trips every summer. He did this for about 20 years. I was on all but maybe 2 of the trips. I was THAT passionate about it.

The trips took place all over the northeast. Every year there were different folk going (though there was a core group of repeat customers). The trips helped define who I am today. I learned leadership skills; gained self-confidence. Learned the value of team work. Not to mention just enhancing my appreciation of nature.

These adventures helped many of us grow. At first it was mostly kids with a few adults along. But the original kids kept coming back. Eventually we became old enough to start bringing beer along.  We went from a canoeing club, to a canoeing club with a drinking problem, finally ending up a drinking club with a canoeing problem! There are many tales to tell from these days, and maybe I will start sharing some in future posts.

Whitewater was my first introduction to living in the moment. In order to be able to maneuver, you have to react to what is here and now. You of course need to look ahead, and have a general plan of action, but once you are in the thick of it, you need to fully embrace what is happening now, or you may end up in difficulty.

This is also how I learned about going with the flow. In this case, “going with the flow” was in a literal sense. You need to use the water, not fight it. You need to recognize where it will take you, and work with it to arrive safely. if you fight it, you will most likely end up swimming, or worse.

I learned to apply these ideas to my whole life.

These trips helped me learn oh so many things! They taught me to be able to confront any fears I have directly. They taught me that most limitations I had were self set. And they taught me the value of perseverance.

Since I am usually on the other side of the camera, I don’t have many photos of my adventures that actually feature me. This series of photos is actually from one of the trips that my dad joined me on. Sadly, they are a bit dark, but you can get the idea. I am in the stern (the back of the boat). By this point, I had a fair amount of experience, so I would take those with little or no experience in my canoe.

Of course this did not guarantee that they did not swim!

Anyone who has met me might be able to tell you that one of my other passions is photography. This passion also grew from these trips. I have literally hundreds of photos. I will be kind and just share a couple of decent whitewater ones here, just cuz:

The post Whitewater first appeared on thrumyeyes.

On Sunday morning I woke up bright an early at 4:20 PM feeling like Executive Officer Kane from Alien. That was SOME party!

One of the best cures for a hangover (second only to a McDonald’s breakfast) is Chinese takeout leftovers. I love Chinese takeout. It is one of the staples of my diet. And though I am a carnivore at heart, I usually get at least some veggies. Gotta eat healthy after all. Of course if there are any leftovers, they will be the veggies. Being me, this is no deterrent from finishing them later. Now we all know that certain foods are best when eaten cold and congealed the next day (pizza for instance), but it just does not work for veggie leftovers from chinese takeout.

Sadly, it had been sometime since I actually got Chinese takeout. But there were always leftovers in the fridge. That’s what fridges are for after all! So I sorted through the various containers, looking for that ideal meal to break my fast. There in the back was a chinese takeout container. I opened it and sniffed. Not sure exactly what it was, but it did not cause me to pass out. Perfect!

Now putting it in a plate was way too much effort, so I figured I would just throw the whole container in the microwave. It fit nicely. I set the microwave for a couple of minutes. Wanted to make sure it was warm. And this is how the problem started.

I forgot that Chinese takeout containers often have metal handles.

At first nothing happened. Suddenly there was a blue spark in the microwave. And then another. And in seconds it looked like Frankenstein’s lab. Guessing this is not a proper way for a microwave to behave, I decided to turn it off. So I hit the clear/off button. And …

Nothing happened. The sparks kept shooting. And there was a thumping sound now. I tried the button again a few times, but still nothing. So I figured I would just open the door. That just shuts it off right?

I grabbed the handle and pulled. The door stayed shut and my hand slipped off the handle. Guessing I did not grab it right, I tried again with a firm grip.

It wouldn’t budge.

Weird! Determined to open the microwave now, I grabbed the handle with both hands, put one foot on the counter for leverage, and pulled with all my might. It opened a fraction of an inch. And then slammed shut again.

And was that a growl?

My next thought was that I should unplug the microwave. Unfortunately, it was a wall unit. So I could not easily access the plug. Getting a little worried at this point, I grabbed for something to use as a weapon. Just in case.

No doubt the rubber spatula would do nicely.

The microwave began shaking. And there were some pretty scary noises coming out of it. And then suddenly with a cough and a sputter, it shut itself off. And everything got veeeeerrrry quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you want to pull the sheets over your head as you cry for your mommy.

I gripped my spatula tightly.

Whoever was directing this scene had his timing perfect. Just when the tension was at its most unbearable, the microwave door slammed open. I looked around trying to find the little girl who screamed before I realized it was me.

Lots of steam. Something laughed an evil vegetable laugh.

Then the steam cleared, and the real horror stepped forward. A piece of broccoli flexed and growled at me. Some carrots eyed me menacingly. A snow pea pointed at me with intent.

And those were the friendlier vegetables.

They all jumped on the counter. And began to grow …

To be continued (maybe) …

The post Veggie madness (an adventure begins) first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Knowledge is limiting. Knowledge is static. Understanding is limitless. Understanding is fluid. I lay no claim to knowledge. I do lay claim to understanding.

The primary weakness of the following is that it is written with words. Words lie in the realm of knowledge. They often try to shape the shapeless; define that which has no definition. Knowledge is described in words. Understanding goes beyond words. Yet the path to understanding often must be gained by playing with knowledge – thus the necessity for words. Is any of it correct? Is any of it true? It is my belief that truth is in the heart of the beholder.

It should be the disclaimer for my life. Maybe I will make it into a business card.

When I was younger, I used to crave knowledge. I wanted to “know” everything. As I got older, I started realizing how limiting “knowing” is. Knowledge is about collecting facts. Learning facts allows you to be sure of yourself. Until you find out your facts are wrong. It is like your brain is a bag, which you are filling up with little pebbles. Eventually you have a very heavy bag filled with pebbles, and no room for more unless you lose some … or do something to the bag. And while this bag may have its uses, it is basically an unwieldy thing that is difficult to lug about.

Understanding, on the other hand, is about relationships and patterns. Sure facts may be necessary, but understanding allows for the flexibility of facts. Understanding also allows unrestricted room for facts yet to be discovered. Knowledge allows room for new facts, but the existing facts determine what new facts will fit. If knowledge is a bag filled with pebbles, understanding is a bag filled with the thoughts of pebbles. There still may be limits (i.e. the bag), but because a thought is insubstantial, for all practical purposes the bag is limitless.

Understanding flows with change. Knowledge is static. Understanding adjusts itself as facts change. Knowledge can only replace. And there must be a willingness to replace. With understanding, if you see a pebble that does not match the other pebbles, you can just incorporate it into the pattern of pebbles. With knowledge, your space is limited. When you are young, you can simply add it to the bag. However as you get older there is less room, so you need to either ignore the new pebble, or replace an existing pebble. Which is easy enough if the existing pebble is near the surface of the bag (a recent fact). But practically impossible if the inconsistent pebble  is at the bottom of the bag.

Knowledge leads to inflexibility.

So these days, I crave understanding instead. I still learn as much as I can, but as I frequently say:

I have learned much, but I KNOW nothing.

Understand?

The post Understanding first appeared on thrumyeyes.

The post Time Passes (a visual poem) first appeared on thrumyeyes.

And what was all the cerebrating about?

Word play. Or maybe it was phrase utilization.

It is that time in the challenge for the S post. But what should I announce in the contest for the 19th letter at this moment?

I had a thought. And idea even.

This language of ours is very flexible. I would even dare say our mode of speech is quite adaptable.

So why not write something about synonyms? I could even compose a bit on words with similar meanings.

Dare I? If this one presumes, my adoring fans might cringe. Assuming I have any followers who love my stuff. Though I wouldn’t want anyone to flinch.

Perhaps I should choose a different topic. Maybe even pick another subject! One not as painful. Less torturous.

But where is the fun in that? What amusement?

Best restrain my mischievous side. Suppress my impishness.

OK I am done. Finished even.

(And some thought my A post hurt)

The post Synonymously speaking … first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Why did the lightbulb cross the road? Because the chicken had a bright idea.

Vote NO on Question 2!

An inebriated ant laughed so hard he fell off his bar stool.

Grass is just a weed with connections.

Lambs eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. I hope they brush their teeth.

The end of the world is upon us. Pass the mashed potatoes please.

Revolution means we are going in circles again.

How many pins can fit in the head of an angel?

My bologna has a first name. And it’s spelled Polit. My bologna has a second name and it’s spelled icians. I am forced to eat it every day.   And if you ask me why I’ll say: Because Politicians have a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A.

A dime and a haircut … Two Bits!

The post Randomness first appeared on thrumyeyes.

My first thought was: Damn I could use a bit of peace!

My second though was: What exactly IS peace anyway?

Time for a new quest!!

I went to my neighbor, who has an answer for everything. He and his wife were shouting at each other.

Did not seem a good time to ask.

I went to the local bar. They might know. “What is peace” I asked? Just as someone was about to answer, there was a particularly vicious tackle in the game on the screen. The bar went wild.

Maybe I should look elsewhere.

I passed a place of worship. Some beautiful singing came from inside. I took a peek. Smiles on faces. Multiple voices joined in song. A good message being taught. Could this be it?

As I left, I noticed the sign in front. It said “Join our fundraiser to support our soldiers.”

Not quite there yet.

I went to the park and sat on a bench. Birds were singing everywhere. A cool breeze. No city noises. The few people I saw seemed content. Some kids were playing off in the distance. Could this be it?

The kids were playing with toy guns.

Maybe not.

I was starting to wonder if there was such a thing. Maybe humans simply don’t know how. I went home and turned on the TV. Not that I expected to find any there.

Sports that embrace violence. Crime shows. “Reality” shows that embrace conflict. Even the comedies thrived on it.

Can peace actually exist?

Suddenly a news report caught my attention. It was a war-torn country. The focus of the report was soldiers, “fighting for peace”. But in the background, I recognized a face. It was my friendly neighborhood Wise Man. He handed a flower to a child, and looked at him encouragingly. He then gave the child a little push. The child went to a soldier and gave him the flower. And smiled.

And then the wise-man looked at me directly through the TV screen and said: “This too is a choice.”

Ah. The answer.

I choose peace.

More from the Wise Man:

• The key
• Now in the Blink of an Eye
• Return of the Wise Man

The post Peace (My 100th post. Woohoo!!) first appeared on thrumyeyes.

I drove for about 15 minutes, and was literally a few hundred feet from my house when I was pulled over. Ouch!

By a rookie cop who was not even sure he wanted to pull me over. Ouch!

Of course, they towed my truck to the other side of town (which in AZ means miles away). Searched it for who knows what (since I obviously am now a criminal type for partying a little too much the day after Christmas). Left it a mess of course. Ouch!

Did I mention this was a Saturday, so I now had to pay for two days storage of the truck since they are not open on Sundays. Ouch!

Went to my arraignment. I was well over the legal limit, and freely admit I made a mistake, so I was going to simply plead guilty and accept my punishment. Keep in mind this was a first (and in my mind last) offense. The judge would not let me plead guilty until I talked to a lawyer. He said the laws were mandatory and even he thought they were a bit extreme. Ouch!

Talked to a lawyer, and thus was able to get the plea bargained version of the mandatory sentence.  10 days in jail. Several hundred dollars worth of fines. Minimum of 36 hours of counseling. And a breathalyzer ignition lock in my vehicle for a year. The full version would have been 30 days in jail plus more of the rest. All for a first offense. Ouch!

Just before I served my jail time, the company I was working for for the last 3 years closed its doors. Ouch!

Served my time in Tent City ( a story of its own).  Somehow managed to get home upon release. Ouch!

Now jobless, I can no longer afford my truck. So I voluntarily give it back to the Toyota. They still call it a repossession. Ouch!

I tell them that I will gladly drop it off wherever they would like me to. They say they really don’t have a specific location, so they will have someone tow it. He shows up without warning so I never get to clean out my personal belongings. Ouch!

The towing cost me almost a $1000. Then I had to pay the difference between what they expected to get from me and what they sold the truck for in auction. Ouch!

I paid my fines and did my counseling. Did NOT do the breathalyzer ignition lock. For one it costs about $1200. For another I am morally opposed to them. And The Ultimate, I did not have a vehicle any more. Ouch!

Eventually got work again. Requiring I walk a minimum of 4 miles a day. Of course this was in the Arizona summer. Ouch!

I was in Mesa at this point. The new job (this was when I was webmaster for “the cult”) decided to move up to Sedona. I could not afford to go with them, so I ended up moving back to my parent’s attic in Massachusetts. Ouch!

The company decided they still wanted me so made it possible for me to move back to Sedona. Ok, not an ouch!

Worked for them for another year or so. Managed without my license ok. But after 2 years of not driving decided to see what I could do about getting my license back. Was told that I still needed to do the breathalyzer ignition lock. When I said I don’t even own a car, they said “Buy one.” Ouch!

The job no longer needed me, and for this and a couple of other reasons (namely fed up with the world), moved back to the attic (or hid in a cave). Did not work for almost 2 years. Ouch!

I was lead to believe that my license issues would drop off my record after 5 years. So after five years of not driving, I decided to get my license in Massachusetts and rejoin the world. MA ran my records and said they won’t even talk to me until I deal with AZ. I try contacting the appropriate authorities in AZ and get no answer. Ouch!

Manage to get a job anyway. Of course it is twenty minutes away. Dad, who is retired, kindly offers to be my chauffeur. Until he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and can no longer drive. Ouch!

Out of desperation, I drive for  a while without my license. Obey all the traffic laws and drive very carefully, and predominantly just drive for necessities. The one day I try to go canoeing in New Hampshire with a friend, I get pulled over. Ouch!

The river we wanted to canoe was dry anyway. Ouch!

I stop driving. Until I get a call from the police officer in New Hampshire saying that my AZ license is actually valid now and he was tearing up the ticket. So I think as long as I use the AZ license (which was good for 30 years), I was OK in MA. A non Ouch again!

Everything was fine for several months. Then I get pulled over 2 miles for my house on a random plate check. I was doing nothing wrong, but the car is still registered to my father, who is no longer allowed to drive. Ouch!

They tow my car a few hundred yards. Costs $130 to get it back. Ouch!

Seems my licence is still no good in AZ. So now I am facing charges of driving on a suspended license in MA. Which can carry a mandatory jail sentence. Ouch!

Finally get a lawyer involved in AZ to try to get rid of it once and for all. I thought I had thrown out all  my paperwork for the case, so the first thing the lawyer had to do was track down my paperwork. Cost me $500 just for that. Ouch!

Seems the court I was tried in had closed. They lost my paperwork. Eventually managed to get it all together again. Only to find I still need to do the breathalyzer ignition lock. Ouch!

A few weeks later, looking for something else (see The key to finding), I found the paperwork.  Ouch!

Since I can no longer drive legally, I have not worked in a couple of months. Been house bound for that matter since the weather has not been conducive to getting out of the house. Ouch!

I have a second seasonal job. I work as bar staff for a function hall. Wedding season is starting. We only have three weddings this month, and of course they were all on the same weekend. A weekend I was also invited to a party. Ouch!

Since I have not been working and house bound, I have not really been exercising as I should. First wedding kicked my butt physically. Second wedding was a little mellower. Third wedding should have been easy except the bar broke (a water pipe blew). Ouch!

I can barely walk today.

OUCH!

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The post Ouch! (an Ode to idiocy) – Warning! Another long One! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

For all my supposed ability for understanding, it amazes me that many a human do their best to not only deny their association with the living world, but fight it tooth and nail.

It’s not natural.

When did we start forgetting our own nature?

I once met a man whose only comment about the Grand Canyon was: “It’s just a hole in the ground.”

People constantly deny how much we and the natural world are part of each other, despite ample evidence otherwise. Does not the very weather effect our moods? So why is it so hard to believe that mankind has an effect on nature?

I know another man who vehemently denies that mankind has any effect on the environment. His argument that he uses to illustrate this is: “Can an ant effect a whole field?” And my answer to him: “Maybe not, but 7 billion ants can.”

To me, it is the height of selfishness as well as self-denial to not remotely acknowledge that we too are part of nature. Even so-called modern technology would not even exist if it were not for what nature taught us in the first place. Innovation was all about using the tools nature provided. Sure we now have many “man-made” things, but where did they find the original model?

So this random gathering of words which has emerged with little guidance from myself is, I guess, a tribute to nature. Maybe it will help remind someone that, deny it as much as you will, we are all part of nature.

P.S. It was requested I post a few more photos here, so here are some random shots (I took all the photos):

The post Nature (a couple of days late) first appeared on thrumyeyes.