Eat food, not nutrients

There are only a handful of writers whose every word is worth hanging on. Michael Pollan is one of those greats. I enjoy his quick style, his well researched discoveries, and his subject matter. He writes about food. More importantly, he writes about the culture of food, relationships with food, and the connection to the ecology and soil. In his most recent New York Times article, Pollan criticizes "nutrionalism", not nutrition. He offers nine suggestions for healthy eating. I've been following them for years. I'm glad he's sharing these simple and important ideas with others. I'm glad you can get a glimpse of my philosophy of living through his fine words.

Meany Lodge Weekend

Photos are here.

Otherwise a dry ride

Light lingers before five as
dusk draws crows home
to the rookery near the Arboretum,
where from McGraw street
those perched in birch trees, and on wires,
look like scattered coal buttons
from yesterday’s snowmen,
now glacial erratics on green grass
dripping into saturated soils.

It’s otherwise a dry ride home.

Snow People

Snow day number 5

Herman Saddle, Baker Backcountry

MLK weekend

As I slept in the car before dawn on the way to Mt. Baker, I was dreaming. I woke somewhere on 542 with sunrise clouds looking like flames rising out of dark peaks. Before 9 am we arrived at the Mountaineers parking area as scheduled to meet up with Kevin Steffa for our tour. After signing into the lodge we pushed off in the glorious sun. A few steps out, I broke the buckle on my skin. The lodge vice and a handy zip tie did the trick.

Deciding the difficulty of our destination was in large part due to the range of skiers in our group. My housemate Daryl and her friend Nate were newbies to the back country and had been making tele turns only a handful of times. Nick and Kevin were by all means competent. For me, the sun wasn’t the only thing casting a shadow on our destination options.

The last time I was in this area was July where I sustained a serious shoulder injury near Table Mountain. I have been back on my skis since the accident a number of times this season. I’m strong, at least physically. However, I had hesitation about Artist Point and Table Mountain proper. Plus, both Kevin and I wanted to see some new views. So we decided to head for Herman’s saddle.

The stability of the snow sang a sweet song. The styrofoamy squeak of steps and pole punches was the sure sign of consolidation. In addition, there was no wind. It was nothing but glorious. The tour was straightforward out from the Bagley Lakes flats, with only minor skinning difficulties for one member of our group due to skinny skins and lack of climbing wires on her rental gear. It was surprisingly hot in the sun. Occasionally we’d hear the loud scrape of a boarder hitting the dominant unbreakable crust beneath the 4 to 5 inches of shimmering powder. The saddle itself showed signs of wind sculpted snow revealing the ice at the surface.

From the saddle (5300’) we soaked up the sun, lounging in the sweetness of this day and the stunning views of both Shuksan and Baker. Nick and Kevin opted for an additional climb above the ridge. I led Nate and Daryl on the descent. The snow was better than I had thought given the crust. Turns were smooth, quick, and sweet. We chased the sun and shadows back into the basin.

Returning to the lodge I ran into fellow TAY’er Dave_R and his family. They’d been at the resort Sunday and we swapped condition reports, as we headed to the lifts on Monday.

I woke up this morning and it was snowing. I love snow days!

more photos

Sunrise, Snow Day: Seattle

Snow fell most of last evening and blanketed Seattle and cities around the Sound. Hardly enough for a snow day back East, but sure enough, with limited snow removal service, we have our fourth day off from school due to weather. 20K more troops in Iraq, huh big boy? What about that No Child Left Behind thing? You're not just leaving them in dust, with your poor budget plans, you're leaving them in the snow.

So we take snowflakes and make play days. Sledding with neighbor kids, walking the wintery world, and watching the flurry of feathers from chickadees on twigs in the back yard. I'm reading a great book right now called Winter World. It's a lovely companion to hot chocolate, a blanket, and the comfort of new snow.

Stay warm.

Full Moon in verse

I
I held up the filter paper
with an outstretched arm
to show them how to fold it.
Half the class disappeared behind
the brilliant orb
as I squinted,
and dreamed for tonight’s full moon
to separate out from the constant drip.

II
The whorls of my fingertips
warmed by a tea mug
this winter evening.
Steam rises,
mingles with the bare branches
out my kitchen window.
I’ve caught the full moon
on the end of this string,
bobbing in the dark brew.

Back in the Middle

Sometimes I forget what I do for a living. Yet when the alarm goes at 5:30 (and I realize it is not to go skiing), and I drive half sleepy to work, put the key in my door, the reality rushes at me like a heat wave, which does in fact occur when I open the door to my classroom. By 7:10 I'm trying to remember faces of students I haven't seen in almost three weeks, thanks to a power outage just before break. But by 8 o'clock, when most of you haven't even gotten your coffee, I'm remembering why I love this gig.

Students fall into routine and rigor. We reflect and review and roll on. A few students bring me rock candy and illustrated descriptions of a saturated solution while others wonder, "You mean you want us to bring you candy?" when they discover the sweet extra credit project on solubility has been extended.

It's hard work. And although there are frustrations with the bureaucracy and the politics of public education, I know I'm lucky to do what I do. I think my kids are lucky too.

Two New York Times articles show the challenges of being in the middle, and pushing through.
1. Stay in school, be healthy
2. Middle School Challenges