From my husbands metal workshop - on the Bridgeport the tools of the trade.
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 13th 2017
Some Friday the 13th magic in black and white.
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 12th 2017
Liquid water in January.... climate weirding in full view.
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 11th 2017
Most evenings i snuggle into bed with my book and read until i am ready to sleep.... it is a habit i have had for most of my life. Most of my life i have also had cats.... but this one in particular Artex has a particular issue with me reading and has many clever tricks to get between me and my book. It is a nightly ritual of what amounts to competition for attention and it is very funny. Definitely slows down the reading with the feline distractions.
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 10th 2017
During the storm the view from the front door before the ice......
Deep dreamed
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 9th 2017
From New Road Sempronius New York at sunset -
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 8th 2017
In a corner of my space is a place i can read......
“We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.”
Ursula K Le Guin
Ursula K Le Guin
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 5th 2017
Every time I drive past this old barn the roof get's closer to falling in and the decay and lack of use is palpable and very sad. So much history and survival in hard times echo from the timbers.
I would love to see this old relic get's some love and new life...... but like so many historical buildings ours is not a culture that tries to repair and renovate and restore but to abandon or to demolish these more pastoral barns.
I wish I could hear the stories they tell and that the timbers could talk.
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 4th 2017
I looked up and what did i see...... a beautiful bird flying over me!
The Redreamed version. AI
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 3rd 2017
In a corner of my studio the last few hectic weeks is on display..... no rhyme or reason but a pathway is visible of what i have been doing and a visual narrative of my thinking and doing., Can you read the story?
***Gather and hoard your inspirations as you live, then recapture them as needed in the studio. Nita Engle
***Gather and hoard your inspirations as you live, then recapture them as needed in the studio. Nita Engle
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. January 2nd 2017
If the eye is the window into the soul, the pupil is—quite literally—an opening into the eye. The pupil acts like the aperture on a camera, dilating or contracting to regulate the amount of light coming into the eye. We all know that our pupils get smaller in the light and bigger in the dark. This is the pupillary light response.
They claim that the size of the pupils tells us a lot about the emotions and intentions of their owners.
According to the researchers, the pupillary light response isn’t just a mechanical reaction to ambient light. Rather, as we shift our gaze from one spot to another, our pupils adjust their size in advance to the amount of light we expect to encounter at the new location.
Consider working at a computer: Most of the time, our gaze is fixed on the bright screen, so our pupils are contracted. But every now and then, we glance down at the keyboard, as when we need to reposition our fingers. The authors of the article claim that the pupils begin to dilate even before the downward eye movement begins. Because the pupillary light response is relatively slow—about a quarter of a second—anticipating the amount of light at the new location improves vision once our gaze gets there. (All of this, of course, operates below the level of consciousness.)
The pupillary light response is only one reason why the pupils change size. They also dilate when we’re aroused. The body has an alarm network called the autonomic nervous system that prepares us to take action whenever we detect a threat—or an opportunity—in our environment.
Encounter a bear while walking through the woods, and your autonomic nervous system goes on alert. Your heart and breath rates increase, you begin to sweat as your muscles tense up, and, among other bodily reactions, your pupils dilate. The autonomic nervous system prepares your body to take action against the threat—perhaps scampering up the nearest tree.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-apes/201512/your-eyes-really-are-the-window-your-soul
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-apes/201512/your-eyes-really-are-the-window-your-soul
Project 365 2017 Redreaming Extinction Series. A Celebration of Living. .January 1st 2017
A 'New Year' a new canvas of living and experiencing our lives and the world. One of the things I am returning to is Project 365 - and image a day for a year. Recording a bit of the day for a year to keep me on my toes and producing and finding time for myself, my passion and my art and myself to redream.
The most revealing thing about my learning in the last year was catching myself putting my personal desires last in a long litany of busyness. Now i am conscious of that it is easier to choose more thoughtfully what i am doing with my time. One of the things i truly enjoy is sharing my images and the things in the day that catch my heart and mind and eyes with my camera.
Here is the first. What caught my eye were the shadows . Without light there can be no shadow and without the direct sunlight this image would not exist. It has been very gray and monotone light wise for many weeks and so the joy i felt in seeing the shadow of the tree branches on the snow was a joyful arresting moment for me, It caused a pause in the day to just BE.
Wordsworth to Ponder
I HEARD a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:--
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
Wordsworth
Exponential Growth in 7 minutes
Of course in understanding exponential growth one has to go to watch a lecture given by Professor Al Bartlett called 'Arithmetic, Population and Energy'
CANNING CRAZY SEASON
Well this year i have been busy with the garden over the summer and so far it has been a very decent gardening year here in Sempronius New York.
The garden itself is now fenced as we decided to go totally free range with the ducks and chickens and THAT meant we needed to fence the food garden from their 'helpfulness'.
Good year for pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes and herbs like basil and parsley especially. Not so good for eggplants and capsicum.. lots of gray days and rain seemed to slow them down a lot.
But right now i am getting a head start on processing apples. We are going to have a MAGNIFICENT crop and that means.... getting an early start with some of the older apple tree's from around the property before the orchard apples hit peak ripeness .... which is usually after the first frost but i suspect this year might be a little earlier.
The Apples - I rinse and put whole into the steam canner.
Boil up the water and start collecting the lovely yummy juice.
Canned Apple juice.... (when you open these mid winter you can have it hot or cold and mix with 2 parts water to one part juice)... Sunshine in a Jar!
Once finished collecting the juice i then put the pulp leftover seeds and skin and all into the food mill.....
The bottom is filled with lovely thick apple pulp that i then can cook and spice for apple butter or just put straight into the dehydrator for fruit leather...with no added ingredients -. the seeds and skin waste goes to the chickens.
Wrapped to stop it absorbing moisture i put it in a container in a dark cupboard or freeze it for extended periods for mid winter snacking.
Thanks for reading.
The garden itself is now fenced as we decided to go totally free range with the ducks and chickens and THAT meant we needed to fence the food garden from their 'helpfulness'.
Good year for pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes and herbs like basil and parsley especially. Not so good for eggplants and capsicum.. lots of gray days and rain seemed to slow them down a lot.
But right now i am getting a head start on processing apples. We are going to have a MAGNIFICENT crop and that means.... getting an early start with some of the older apple tree's from around the property before the orchard apples hit peak ripeness .... which is usually after the first frost but i suspect this year might be a little earlier.
The Apples - I rinse and put whole into the steam canner.
Boil up the water and start collecting the lovely yummy juice.
Canned Apple juice.... (when you open these mid winter you can have it hot or cold and mix with 2 parts water to one part juice)... Sunshine in a Jar!
Once finished collecting the juice i then put the pulp leftover seeds and skin and all into the food mill.....
The bottom is filled with lovely thick apple pulp that i then can cook and spice for apple butter or just put straight into the dehydrator for fruit leather...with no added ingredients -. the seeds and skin waste goes to the chickens.
Wrapped to stop it absorbing moisture i put it in a container in a dark cupboard or freeze it for extended periods for mid winter snacking.
Thanks for reading.
Collapse of Industrial Civilization.
A clear and authentic treatment of the biggest crisis of our planet that is not being talked about in the mainstream media.
Probably one of the most logical and concise treatments i have read for a long time now. Just a little light reading.
http://collapseofindustrialcivilization.com/
Probably one of the most logical and concise treatments i have read for a long time now. Just a little light reading.
http://collapseofindustrialcivilization.com/
Food Inc: Monsanto
You can't protect yourself. Monsanto gaining control of food. This is how it works now.
AVAXI. Music and visualization
Please click the link to go to his you tube channel and check out one of his summer holiday projects.
This is my eldest boy.
Made by my son. Pretty amazing job.
Old House and the mysteries they contain
This summer one of the biggest jobs on the house we are doing is the renovation of our eldest son's bedroom. It has ALWAYS been the coldest room in the house and it is significant a job to repair.It is on the second floor....which makes re insulating it a question of doing it from the INSIDE... which entailed him to move out of his room temporarily.
So now the summer holiday's are here the job has begun. It is already turning up some interesting discoveries and as we thought .... the explanation for it being so much colder is revealed.
Packing up his equipment to take it out......
The tear down begins and the crowbars go into play........ Drew and Patrick attacking the sheet rock.
Well now..... isn't THAT interesting! Looks like a squirrel nest but one can never be really sure.... ewwww.
Not only evidence of rodents of some description but also BEE'S.... no creatures it was an abandoned hive... but we saved all the bee'swax to reuse for different projects in the future... there was quite a significant amount.
So now the summer holiday's are here the job has begun. It is already turning up some interesting discoveries and as we thought .... the explanation for it being so much colder is revealed.
Packing up his equipment to take it out......
The tear down begins and the crowbars go into play........ Drew and Patrick attacking the sheet rock.
Well now..... isn't THAT interesting! Looks like a squirrel nest but one can never be really sure.... ewwww.
Not only evidence of rodents of some description but also BEE'S.... no creatures it was an abandoned hive... but we saved all the bee'swax to reuse for different projects in the future... there was quite a significant amount.
Behind the sheet rock and the decomposing insulation there were holes to the outside vinyl siding!!!! Yeah that would DEFINITELY explain the lack of tightness in winter. Now it can be repaired.
The boards to the outside are wide - about two foot ..... amazing.
So with all the sheet rock removed..... then the internal insulation such that it was removed outside and bagged up..... the next stage was to remove all the old nails and staples and repair the external wood.
Once that was done..... it was time to insulate and we had some two part spray on insulation foam for the job.... not only does it insulate but it provides a barrier to animals and insects and..... it was free. So we used it.
Now we have an air tight and structurally sound external wall.... today we begin the second outside wall....
Redreaming Blinky Bill
I have begun a spoken word project to read Blinky Bill and record it for my grandson Hunter. HERE is chapter 1. If you haven't heard of Blinky Bill before .... go here
http://soundcloud.com/wendy-bandurskimiller/blinky
While telling the adventures of Blinky Bill, a naughty little boy in the form of a koala, the stories also present messages of conservation. Blinky Bill is known for his mischievousness and his love for his mother. His friends include his adopted sister Nutsy, his kangaroo friend Splodge, his platypus friend Flap, Marcia the marsupial mouse, and his mentor Mr Wombat or Wombo, as Blinky prefers to call him. In general throughout the stories he does things that are realistic for koalas as well as things that child readers would like to do. Wall tells the stories directly to the children and Blinky often interacts with the readers in an introduction. Her dedications are often to 'All the Kind Children', with her own son Peter and other common Australian names of the 1930s appearing. The books are also fully illustrated by Dorothy Wall herself.
There is also a copy of the book for those interested at project Gutenberg
I will add subsequent links for the next chapters on this page or follow me on soundcloud.
CLIMATE CHAOS AND FOOD SECURITY
The connection between climate chaos and food productivity seems to be a subject people do not like to talk about or even understand completely. This video is worth watching in that it explains very clearly the significance for all of us.
http://www.climatechange-foodsecurity.org/
Sadly, the risks and impacts of global climate change on food security are not on the agenda of UN climate change discussions or negotiations. Most of us aren't aware that today with already committed temperature increases all populations in all regions are losing future in food production. Food production globally and then in all regions will stop increasing and start decreasing. Certainly, the public isn't aware of this a dire emergency!
Finally, there is no risk assessment of food security under global warming and climate change. This site uses the documented effects of climate change and crop yields to give an indication of the risks. This should make us all think, be proactive and take action in pushing our governments to rapidly reduce emissions !
http://www.climatechange-foodsecurity.org/overview.html
So of course with all the information available what should one do? I suggest growing a significant amount of your own food if it is possible in your situation is a helpful and healthy response. It is without doubt food is going to be more expensive to everyone and there are going to be shortages and access matters. Growing your own food has massive benefits for the self... and brings food security into the conversation and makes it an important element of family life.
It is never too late to learn something new.
May i also suggest subscribing to this you tube channel.
http://www.climate-change-emergency-medical-response.org/ignored-climate-science.html
Ignored Climate ScienceOften ignored but essential aspects of global climate science explain why today's global warming of 0.78ºC is actually twice what we think it is. Published research indicates it is three times today's increase or 2.4ºC. (Ramanathan, Feng, On Avoiding Dangerous Interference Climate Interference with the Climate System. 2008).Today's level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere thencommits the world to a warming of at least 2ºC by 2100 which is beyond dangerous by any definition.(confirmed by computer models, 2007/2008).
Normalcy Bias... and today, tomorrow and the foreseeable future.
Normalcy bias is really a bit of a serious problem in trying to develop a more resilient and reflective and durable life style. It stops us from doing what we MUST and what we KNOW we need to do.
What is it?
Seems to me the only way to mitigate normalcy bias is through education. Learning about the threats to us all is a good start. The next time someone tells you something along the lines of "you are crazy to be worried about something like that" ask them why they think the threat is so small? That way they have to bring to the conversation the facts that they have.... and opens the doorway for them to bring forward the facts they do have....and also allows you to bring in the concept of "normalcy bias".
What is it?
A quirk of the human condition is for the mind to desire 'normalcy' so intensely as to consciously or subconsciously DISREGARD KNOWLEDGE that is disruptive to a pre-conditioned reality. This phenomena is an important part of crisis management and future planning. The consequence of a normalcy bias is that warning signs of a potential crisis go unnoticed or are interpreted optimistically.... When a crisis occurs people are so overwhelmed by events inconsistent with a desired reality they lose their ability to make decisions.
Another way to put it is this:
Researchers believe when the mind encounters an entirely new experience or event it attempts to match that reality to relevant experiences from the past. If there are no matching experiences the mind enters into a kind of feedback loop resulting in passivity. This lack of action as a response to risk is called negative panic1 and it culminates in a dangerous inability to act assertively in crisis. In essence, the psyche struggles to come to terms with what is really happening. Paralysis follows.
Having a strong 'normalcy bias' will prevent someone from preparing or planning for a disaster. This is particularly important when *normalcy bias* might be preventing you from moving forward on plans to increase your resilience and to prioritise what needs to be done.
Subjectively making decisions regarding prepping for a more sustainable and reslient lifestyle means to
approach the subject by focussing on FACTUAL information and preparing for a BROAD range of possible
futures. Kinda like home insurance..... you might not live in a place where forest fire's are 'likely' but that
doesn't negate it as a possibility.. would you consider not considering and acting on it as wise?
Further reading.
Normalcy Bias also infects the media.......tell me why this is not THE NUMBER ONE International news item?
Seems to me the only way to mitigate normalcy bias is through education. Learning about the threats to us all is a good start. The next time someone tells you something along the lines of "you are crazy to be worried about something like that" ask them why they think the threat is so small? That way they have to bring to the conversation the facts that they have.... and opens the doorway for them to bring forward the facts they do have....and also allows you to bring in the concept of "normalcy bias".
Strange Spring.
Without too much effort those that spend a lot of time outside and in the natural world will find this year's spring is without doubt one of the least predictable seasons ....for me personally.... of all time.
The numbers of records broken and the number of unexpected and dramatic events has escalated and become much more visible. No I am not just talking about 'weather' either.
As a food grower it is given me some sense of foreboding in that every day now i see evidence that leads me to believe that runaway climate change is much further along than is commonly discussed.
It has certainly changed my BEHAVIOUR in my planning for the season to grow. To begin with i have completely abandoned my idea of focussing on cold frames and changed priority to water harvesting and back up plans for keeping my crops alive over an unpredictable season. With such a significant snow pack reduction and the ongoing lack of rain i believe my concerns and experiences with the signs of drought will unfortunately be justified.
Already we are experiencing red flag fire danger warnings and watches. Here. In March and April. Stunning.
I observe that the carpet of sprouted seeds normally visible under the dogwood and under story in the forest is bare earth.
I notice that all the creeks and drains are barely damp in the bottom..... and the waterfalls are sadly significantly slowed down. I also notice that the flush of bright green as the tree's begin to leaf out is a much more sickly yellow than it should be. I also notice an increase in wind events and the Maple Syrup harvest was abysmal.
This is just in my own local area but the story is being replayed all across the North East of the USA.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/04/09-5#.T4NbQsS48Ew.facebook 
Will add more images later.....
But just to emphasise the point.
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/article.html
Rainfall departure from Normal.
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