2007-08-21

Finally, some rain fell on the Louisville area! Our temperature sank to 88 and Mick said it felt cool to him all day! We’re in the basket again tomorrow and henceforth, with predictions over 100 over the weekend, but at least we got a solid inch of rain! All the devas were dancing!

After Morning Offering Mick sailed off on his mower, Thetis, while I wrote my UPI column for this week. I decided to discuss the experience I had with the Homeland Security officer on my Mackinac Island trip.

I broke early for lunch in order to take in some BBQ at Mark’s Feed Store with Melissa, who had come down from Avalon for city chores and refreshment. Our worthy Avalon Caretaker lives day to day right in the heat and under wilderness conditions – except for solar power, so she does have a fridge. But no air conditioning, no fans, no bathroom. She needs a treat from time to time. And it was indeed a treat to be at that restaurant, which has transformed itself from grubby to homey and whose personnel are very courteous and welcoming.

On the way home we did errands, so we were a bit late returning, but I made the most of the afternoon, getting the green-ray quotes for Homecoming off to Gary and then working until bath time on Chapter 7 of 101. I made a good break-through there and it felt smashing. Thank you, Holly.

Lance White, who bills himself on BBS Radio as the Zany Mystic, wrote to invite me to converse with him on his Fireside Chat show. I wrote to tell him I’d be delighted. I also sent an e-mail off to the Ryan’s Well Foundation asking for permission to tell Ryan’s story in my book. It’s not legally necessary but it seems only courteous for me to ask.

Mick and I had a lovely whirlpool and relaxed with Amy Goodman, who interviewed two people concerning our presence in Iraq. In that regard, I would like to pass on a set of bumper stickers I received by e-mail, as the discussion today on Democracy Now points to their relevance and accuracy:

1. Bush: End of an Error
2. That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway
3. Let's Fix Democracy in this Country First
4. If You Want a Nation Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran
5. Bush. Like a Rock - Only Dumber.
6. If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President
7. Of Course It Hurts: You're Getting Screwed by an Elephant
8. Hey, Bush Supporters: Embarrassed Yet?
9. Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight
10.Impeachment: It's Not Just for Blow Jobs Anymore
11.America: One Nation, Under Surveillance
12.They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It
13.Jail to the Chief
14.No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade Iraq?
15.Bush: God's Way of Proving Intelligent Design Is Full of Crap
16.Bad President! No Banana.
17.We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language
18.We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them
19.Is It Vietnam Yet?
20.Bush Doesn't Care About White People, Either
21.Where Are We Going? And Why Are We in This Hand Basket?
22.You Elected Him. You Deserve Him.
24.When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46
25.The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century
26.One Nation under Clod
27.At Least Nixon Had the Decency to Resign
28.Iraq, Arabic for Vietnam

I do apologize most sincerely to those who are offended by my politics and these sentiments. And it is good to note that if we did not have Bush in office, the temper of the times is such that we would doubtless have (s)elected another neo-conservative who earnestly and religiously feels that America is called by God to rule the world for its own good. I am an FDR Democrat who would dearly prefer to spend our nation’s tax revenue on strengthening our infrastructure and funding universal health care at home, and offering similar aid to the countries of this globe who need it. It is fine if you do not agree with me. This is America! I celebrate our differences.

At 8 PM, Mick and I descended the stairs to have dinner with Gary and Melissa and to work with Gary on the Homecoming plans and with Melissa on Avalon plans. Things are popping on both fronts.

We decided not to rent an a.c. unit, for the Homecoming tent, as they start at $2500 for a weekend rental. We would have to double our fee for the Homecoming in order to cover that cost. So we’re doing four big fans instead.

Gary also proposed making a centerpiece for the big tent "floor", which is grass,out of planted flowers in the chakra colors. It’s a great idea, and we made plans to investigate local supplies of flowers in the rainbow of colors we need. We also finalized the contents of the packet we’ll give out and also of Gary’s letter to the attendees on weather, etc., which he will send tomorrow.

Gary will get in touch with Steve F to ask to borrow one of his huge crystals for the center of the flower circle.

Melissa is coming along on Avalon’s chicken coop, having built the footings and the floor. We OK’d a budget of $400.00 for the rest of the project. Since the structure is large, 25’ by 18’ if I remember rightly, and 9 feet tall to allow for ventilation, I’d say she is bringing the building project off very inexpensively. Still at question is whether any old hen can be a bio-dynamic hen if fed with bio-dynamic feed and treated in bio-dynamic ways. The going price for a bio-dynamic chick is $30.00, imported from California. We have the offer of five local, year-old hens, already producing eggs, at a very low price, $5.00 each, I think Melissa said.

Really, it’s the chicken and the egg question all over again. The first chick raised bio-dynamically was obviously not bio-dynamic from birth. We’re going with the adoptive hens from right around here. The use of only local seed and stock is a bio-dynamic value.

We talked late and Mick and I came upstairs to say good-night almost immediately, bidding each other a fond adieu at 11 PM.