Recipe of the Month

David's Bedtime Dessert,

3 Tlbs Chunky Peanut-butter
2 Tlbs Puffed Kashi Cereal
1 Tlbs Chocolate chips
touch of honey

Mix in bowl, and eat with a spoon.

Serve with a glass of milk.

Fall Travel

Back from a great trip to visit friends and family.
Stayed in a caboose.

































Delivered the pony to the Wilsons. Took a bicycle ride in the rain, the quintessential Eugene experience. Played Puzzle Pirates with my Crew. Ate and drank lots of good stuff.


















































And visited Tim and Pat. I gave them the basic design, and they have made a beautiful home. Good thing they like it, or I would be in big trouble. The pictures don't do justice to the beautiful finish carpentry that Tim did. And the mosaics by Pat deserve a professional photographer.
Thank you all for a fun trip.

Porch Wildlife

Here is a baby garter snake David found on the deck. Isn't it pretty?

Rock Slide

Here are some pictures of the rock silde and new bridge in the Merced River Canyon.

Hypercube

My Son Writes:

Hey Mom.

This is the URL;
http://www.dogfeathers.com/java/hyprcube.html
It starts out spinning automatically but you can stop it and move it by hand, too. To change the type of image (3-D glasses or stereogram) you click the "stereo" button.

Might get a headache though... so be careful.

Love,
-David

I like the stereogram best.

To see it in 3D look past the image until the two images merge.

In the News

UC Merced the location of a war protest

A group of protestors held a candlelight peace vigil protesting the war in Iraq on Friday night at UC Merced.

By Leslie Albrecht
LALBRECHT@MERCEDSUN-STAR.COM
Last Updated: October 14, 2006, 03:58:41 AM PDT

Marking another milestone in the life of its young campus, UC Merced played host to its very first student protest Friday night.

The students, however, mostly stayed away.

About 35 people gathered to hold a candlelight vigil calling for peace in Iraq and for troops to come home.

Only a handful of students joined the crowd, which met at dusk on Scholars Lane.

Other protesters -- many of whom were old enough to remember Vietnam-era anti-war demonstrations -- came from places outside Merced such as Fresno and Mariposa.

"I consider this an historic event," said organizer Patrick Benjamin, a 24-year-old junior at the Merced campus from Los Angeles. "It's the first time UC Merced has had a political action like this."

Benjamin said he held the protest in the hopes of sparking political awareness among what he sees as an apathetic student body.

"What I would like to see, if it was a perfect world, is this becoming an activist campus, kind of like Berkeley," said Benjamin.

It wasn't politics, but a personal connection to the war in Iraq that drew three students to the vigil.

Afton Nelson, a 19-year-old sophomore from Kelseyville, said she attended because her boyfriend is a Marine.

"He's been lucky enough to not have to go (to Iraq) yet, but I just don't want him to have to go ever," she said, holding a foil-wrapped candle in her hand.

Trisha Nelson, also a 19-year-old sophomore (no relation to Afton) said her brother had already served with the Air Force in Iraq.

Kaylynn Dall, a 19-year-old sophomore from Dinuba, said her cousin passed away last month while serving in Iraq.

Dall said many of her family members are in the military.

"When you're younger, you don't see how everything connects to your life," said Dall, "But when you're older you see it."

After assembling near the parking lot, the group walked slowly up Scholars Lane. Some carried signs that said Pray for Peace and No Iraq War.

Those participating in the peace vigil were the only people on the deserted campus, which was breezy and silent after the sun went down.

When the marchers reached the campus quad, a few speakers addressed the small crowd.

Among them was Tiffany Newberry, who told the crowd, "You should all be proud of yourselves for taking time out on a Friday night when everyone is at their most tired, to be out here holding your little light up for the world to see."

Jim Landis, a 73-year-old protester, said he leads peace vigils every Wednesday night in Mariposa. The Merced Democrats invited him to the UC Merced protest. It was his first trip to the new campus.

"I'm hoping the students will really take part," he said. "They're the ones that are going to be stuck with all the problems. I don't think we can keep going in Iraq without starting up a draft."

Reporter Leslie Albrecht can be reached at 385-2484 or lalbrecht@mercedsun-star.com.

Harverst Moon Garden Stew

Here is the recipe of the month. Take the garden harvest and put it in the slowcooker. Eat with toast and cheese.

ARR

Ahoy Mateys,
Bein' International Talk Like a Pirate Day, 'ere be the latest Pirate Post.

'ere be the Officers of Loose Cannons presentin' the Deed to the Grand Frigate Inexpensive Barbel, ta 'r Cap'n and King o' Otherworld.

Full Sails m' Hearties

May yer coffers bulge,
Yer Rum Barrels be full,
And yer Cannons at the ready.

I love my job.

Visiting people and helping them plan for the home they want.

This is going to be a spectacular patio, with an incredible rock cliff on one side.

Strawbale House

Here are some pictures from the bale raising at Scott and Poala's new house. One of my favorite designs.


Scott carving niche.




Paola and Clover serving food.




Cobbing the voids to even out walls, using a mixture of earth and straw.



Mmm, Loving earth on our hands.



Sewing thru the wall and attaching bamboo poles as stiffeners.



The bales were notched and stacked around and between the posts supporting the roof.

A great time was had by all.

Save the World

Here is a plug for my Architecture School.

http://www.sfia.net/index.asp

By designing and building efficient buildings, we can save money, live and work in more beautiful and comfortable environments, and Save the World.

OBLIGATORY SQUASH MONTH

The locusts have abated and the garden is in swing.

Today's special is yellow pattypan stuffed with" soyriso", the vegan choriso alternative.

Tree Home

I needed a raised bed for the chestnut tree. And a practice super-abode project. Voila! Happy tree. The earth is stabilized with lime and cement. We tested various mixtures. The cement stabilized mixture is rock hard.

The tree is in a cage because of the varmits (squirrels and rabbits).

I love my yard. Largely thanks to Steve and Carol.

Merced Shakes!

5th Annual
Merced Shakespearefest
The Merry Wives of Windsor

A wonderful evening in the park with the kinfolks, Cookie and Gordon.

An amusing play, in a beautiful place. A late summer evening under the majestic old oaks. Families gathered in the park.

Magic.

http://www.mercedshakespearefest.org/

Arts Council Celebration

Today was the Mariposa Arts Council 25th Year Birthday Party. My dear friend Phyllis and I presented the children's activities. We had hats to decorate with native flora. Here is a boy using a gue gun to add dried plants to his hat. And the favorite, wooden snakes to paint. Phyllis and a "customer" painting a snake. These free events were sponsored by the Mariposa County Arts Council.

Puzzle Pirates

Confession Time. I am Marmy. Sailing the Midnight Ocean with me mates of the crew Loose Cannons. Here I am in early July, in me festive and patriotic outfit, getting promoted to officer, starting my first time at the wheel, and dividing our ill gotten gains. Chancy is our Captain. Toothi in her former incarnation as Ruthietoothi, my dear friend.

Dirt Cheap - Do It Yourself Housing

Super Adobe, the wonderfully elegant earth building system. See the CalEarth link on the right. The answer to the world wide housing problem. This is the EcoDome, a lovely home built of earth. Here are Steve and Carol, building a retaining wall with the same technique. They are putting the earth and cement mixture into the tube to form the wall. You can almost see the strands of barbed wire between the courses. It is like a clay coil pot, with barbed wire for glue.

Chicago

And yet another picture. Trying to get comfortable with my looks.

New picts

Thanks, Wendybird.

And here are Marmy and Kayin with Tiffany, in the back yard.

Thank You

Thanks to Sunny Side Up and Beat Dad, and Large, Medium and Small, for Tara. I need all the compasion and protection available.

Work, work, work,

Or the faster I go, the behinder I get.

Gotta pay more attention to what I'm doin.