Archive for the ‘Enviroment’ Category

Jack, do you never sleep — does the green still run deep in your heart?
Or will these changing times, motorways, powerlines,
keep us apart?
Well, I don’t think so —
I saw some grass growing through the pavements today.
Tull

Today on my Skillet Creek Journal I’m contemplating nature’s end.  Sometimes I when we ride the train we spend so much time involved in looking out the window, complaining about the food, and reading the newspaper that we never actually consider that the ride will soon end.  I think this is why conservation is both a hopeless endeavor, and yet an important act of desperation.  Sea kayakers are lucky in a sense. No matter how many humans we fill the land with there should always be oceans and wind to create waves. Even if all the sea life is long dead.

So deep, so wide, will you take me on your back for a ride
If I should fall, would you swallow me deep inside
– gabriel

In yesterday’s post I mentioned stopping along the roadside to wrangle some apples only to end up cleaning up a bunch of trash.  The photo above is from that very spot.  What looks like a swamp in the image is part of a vast network of small streams, bogs and sloughs that make up the lower Wisconsin River valley.  Somewhere out there past the swamp is the river proper.

You can’t depend on your teacher
You can’t depend on your preacher
You can’t depend on politicians
You can’t depend on superstitions
– donnie iris

So tomorrow I hop back in my kayak to paddle the Upper Dells of the Wisconsin River along with a group from Rutabaga.  Well, that is if the new Jeep starts. It seems to be having one of those battery/alternator/starter issues that simply leave you confused and going nowhere fast. Story of my life!  Right now it’s at the mechanics.  She’ll hook up the computer and like roulette wheel on a Mississippi River Boat Casino, it will tell me which of the 3 options I’ve selected to experience.  It can’t be the battery as I’ve already made that purchase.  However if my little wheel of misfortune does happen to land on “Battery”, it will be met with a long list of expletives loosely translated as, “Spin Again!”…

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And now a road connects the cul-de-sac
To the adjacent development
But there used to be trees stretching back
And there was no way through
- Cymbals Eat Guitars

So a friend noticed by new black Kokatat MSFit.. I actually left it in the box for a few days before I opened it.  I’m giddy as an 8 year old over it and so thankful Kokatat could make it happen.  Ah, now the thing is who do I refer people to who want a black MSfit of their own?  Sorry, but you knew that was  gonna happen! (What with slippery slopes and all that…)

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Gardens and trash cans
Hoodie and Chuck-T’s
Arm,Fingers, and Hands
Don’t slow down
– Matt & Kim

Each of the last two days I’ve spent time out on the trails around the local park.  As much as I might want to deny it the coming death of summer is as clear as the sound of screeching brakes on a highway.  The more stressed of the forest trees are beginning to turn, the heat of the sun can’t quite chase the chill out of the mid-day air, the days of rain are beginning to outnumber the days of sun. My Ipod is filling with indie rock once again.  It’s that time of year.  Oh yeah, and P&H has some new kayaks on the way… I think I have another post about that.. Now let’s see here… what drawer did I put that post in!??

Take a little walk to the edge of town
Go across the tracks Where the viaduct looms
like a bird of doom – Nick Cave

Here’s the music for today’s post…
(opens in a new window)

The folks on the northwest coast always warn you that when the sky is dark and gray for days you simply have to get out and stay active.  So yesterday under the pressure d, claustrophobic squeeze of heavy clouds I drug everyone along to explore another section of the 400 Trail.  Of course the problem with me and clouds is my perspective get’s a big ah, filtered…

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So you see, all these kayaks are forming a great big “350″ as part of a world wide climate action project. Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit. Currently we are around 390 PPM. So as part of the 350 project the kayaks of the Inland Sea Kayaking Symposium formed a big 350 which was photographed from the air. Cool huh? While this was all going on I had a short conversation with a friend who came down on the other side of the climate issue. In the end we both agreed that it does no good to be polarizing in your actions or stubborn in your opinions. We also agreed that in the end it can’t hurt either way to clean up some of the messes we’ve made.