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Nancyeclark's Blog

I can’t stop crying…and it is from a sadness and despair so profound, so deep, it has loosened my foundations like an earthquake. Everything I cherish and love and find beautiful in this world is being us. I cry in pain, and despair…and in the darkness of a soul that feels its connections withering into dust. My long dark night has begun.

I have seen the cruelty of humans. Active, intentional cruelty to children, to animals, to each other. And I have seen the neglect, the unintentional cruelty…the cruelty of not caring, of ignorance. Now I see, a cruelty, a neglect that comes, I believe from a deeper, more sinister place…and on a much more massive scale. We may say we are not aware…but if we stop to think, we must know the consequences of our actions…we are the smartest animal on the planet after all, and for years now it has been warned of, been in the news. “Activists”  and “environmentalists” and “scientists” have been issuing warnings for years. (I use the quotation marks because these folks have always been seen as alarmists and not quite with the mainstream.) We did not listen because we are too greedy and too busy to heed the warnings. There is a picture floating around the internet for shark week that I find revealing…(thanks to Ocean Defenders for the image)

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We have so polluted and corrupted our planet…our mother, our home…our only place to survive, that it may never recover and become whole again. And the cruelty isn’t just to our fellow creatures, it is to ourselves. If we create a place so toxic and unwelcoming to other species…why can we not see that it is toxic and unwelcoming to us as well?

We have spewed out so many greenhouse gases that we have changed our climate forever. Even if we stopped right this second…the damage has been done and the erosion of our atmosphere will continue apace because there isn’t any way to remove what we have already released into our air…and because the rise in temperatures we have already seen will continue to thaw the permafrost and release more gases into the mix.

We have cleared so much forest and rainforest, to satisfy our hunger and greed…our planet is like a smoker with stage 4 lung cancer…our planets lungs are not just sick, not just less able to breathe…they are going to die and everything within them die too. With the trees, plants and grasses go the animals that depend on them…and so go we. Maybe not today..but soon. Our remaining time on earth is looking less and less long term. People worry about how to live better now, how to leave something for their kids and give them a better future…we should be worrying about having a future at all.

And it scares me silly that we might explore and expand one day onto other planets. What will we do there? Create more garbage and more problems. Movies show us big bad aliens showing up on Earth and trying to kill us. Maybe the reason is the fear of us figuring out how to colonize other planets. If I were a species from another planet, I would be very worried about us Earthlings showing up and killing them…not with bigger weapons…but with our garbage, toxins, pollution and greed. It might take longer to wipe them out than the apocalypses seen in the movies, but it would happen just the same. I would find humans showing up very scary indeed. Have we not left our refuse everywhere we have been? The moon, space, our own backyards?

doesnt matter how much money we have1148943_604889226218606_512838833_n

We have so polluted our oceans that thousands of miles from any continent…we are still killing in the most horrible and cruel way with just the detritus of our unthinking, greedy, ignorant lifestyles. Tossing garbage out of our cars, off our boats…dumping waste into our rivers and into the oceans…there are huge rafts of plastic floating around the world’s oceans. There is oil and god knows what spilled and leaching into the waters off every coast. That bottle you did not recycle, that hypodermic you tossed into the trash, those 6 pack rings…all of them are deadly.

On the island of Midway…far off in the pacific…look, if your stomach can take it,…at what we have done.

A warning here…the video is graphic and disturbing…and so it should be!

I am speechless with grief and horror at the reach of the death we mete out to the planet’s other inhabitants without even being present or aware of what we are doing.

I have heard my whole life how smart we humans are and how we can put our minds to anything…to technology and advance it leaps and bounds…to create the internet, robotics, weapons, move into space exploration. How we create language and art and so are far and away more advanced and wonderful and precious than other creatures…we call ourselves Homo Sapiens or “wise man” after all.

I have to say I am more convinced now than ever before that we are the most stupid of creatures, because we have never been able to see the impact of our actions quite so clearly as we do now, and yet we refuse to countenance our complicity in the extinction of species, destruction of habitat and rape and pillage of the planet that sustains us.

Worse than any Mongol Horde, any plague are we…through our lack of insight, our greed and ignorance, our refusal to believe that we are part of the ecosystems we study…that we are somehow above being a species reliant on the Earth’s biosphere. Are we so damn blind?

This is why I can’t stop crying…and it is from a sadness and despair so profound, so deep, it has loosened my foundations like an earthquake. Everything I cherish and love and find beautiful in this world is being us. I cry in pain, and despair…and in the darkness of a soul that feels its connections withering into dust. My long dark night has begun. And so has ours as a species, unless we can make big changes to the way we see ourselves and our place in the grand scheme and loosen the grip consumerism has on our minds and hearts. The darkness we face only mirrors the darkness within.

Welcome to the long, dark night.

I Loathe a Rainy Night

With deepest apologies to Eddie Rabbitt.

“Well, I love a rainy night
I love to hear the thunder
Watch the lightning
When it lights up the sky
You know it makes me feel good
Well, I love a rainy night
It’s such a beautiful sight
I love to feel the rain
On my face
Taste the rain on my lips
In the moonlight shadow
Showers washed
All my cares away”

I used to feel the way Eddie’s song goes. I do love thunder and lightning and rain pounding on the roof. I love going to watch a storm march across the lake and the lightning all around me. My fantasy vacation is heading to Tornado Alley to watch storms, wind, rain, clouds and lightning…with or without tornados.

But now I loathe a rainy night. All because of tailless, hopping Anura. Frogs. Peepers. Leopards. I don’t know what kind exactly…but mostly dead.

I loathe a rainy night and driving in the rain because rain…or mist or just the promise of rain…brings out the frogs. By the hundreds. Even thousands. Sitting, gulping, hopping out on the road in the rain…getting shmushed by the hundreds and thousands too.

Driving parts of the roads and highways in this area is like driving through a minefield…full of small, squishy, living, hopping mines. I slow down and swerve a lot…but in most cases there is traffic or too many of them to avoid.

So, I find myself driving to avoid as many as possible with my body tense, teeth clenched and saying over and over and over again “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry” and mentally apologizing to god and the frogs for killing or maiming the ones I cannot avoid. Best case scenario is my husband driving while I close my eyes and apologize until we get home. Sort of the same way I drive over the bridge to the States at Ivy Lea…eyes closed and praying we don’t fall off or get hit by a gust of wind!

Poor frogs. So happy they are to feel the rain. Hopping out onto the dark, wet pavement. Sitting, gulping, blissfully unaware of approaching mayhem…little faces raised to the rain…saying to themselves…”Wow! This feels so goo………..SPLAT!!

How unfair!

I have always wondered why they do this. Why rush out from their homes in the marshes and wetlands to sit in the wet & dark…communing with each other? Praising the gods of rain? Looking for moths and worms? Mating?

Here are 3 of the internets answers…and it seems I wasn’t far off with my theories…

1. -“Frog are cold blooded, or ectothermic animals, which means that they do not produce internal body heat. They go to the warm pavement during rain to maintain their temperatures.”

2. “For sex = to find a mate”

3. =During rainy nights drivers may have noticed dozens or even hundreds of frogs crossing roads in the area despite the danger of being hit.
Tarr said frogs travel out onto the pavement at this time because moist nights make for good amphibian travel weather."They breathe through their skin so they are susceptible to drying out when the sun is out. When it’s rainy they can go wherever they want and not worry about it. They tend to be the most active at night," Tarr said.
Mike Marchand, a wildlife biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game, said frogs can be seen on the roads throughout the year during storms.
"When they move, it’s typically in the rain," said Marchand, adding the first big spring rainfall tends to bring them out of hibernation.
Experts say many frogs travel across pavement from their winter hibernating spots to get to wetlands where they can breed.
Tarr said the road also provides warmth as it holds the heat from the day better than the ground. Frogs also find things like worms and insects on the pavement to feast on, he added.
UNH Cooperative Extension officials are concerned about roads that run through wetlands because frogs and other amphibians are often run over more often during their travels.
Tarr said frogs and toads are remarkably adapted to their environment with features like camouflage and toxic chemicals that can be excreted to make them the last thing on the menu for many animals.
However, he said they certainly aren’t aware of the danger of vehicles.
"Most of the time the first time they are being educated about a car they are being squashed," Tarr said.
Marchand said the road is certainly a "risky" place for frogs to be considering that many motorists don’t even see them.
"There is certainly a high mortality rate on nights when it’s raining. When I drive I’m cringing and slowing down," Marchand said.”

The most telling part of what I found was this…"Most of the time, the first time they are being educated about a car, they are being squashed”.

So do we need to educate the frogs? Do we need frog tunnels? Signs warning drivers about frogs…like the signs for deer, turtles and other species?

Because it seems to me with all the talk about frogs being an indicator species…with their numbers dropping dramatically due to toxins and pollution, habitat destruction and climate change…we also need to take a look at the carnage on the roads.

So, when next you drive on a rainy night near wetlands…be aware of the little things on the road…they might look like detritus or leaves lying there…but if you really look…they are happy little creatures about to be annihilated…

and if you see a car ahead of you acting strangely…it’s probably me…because I love frogs and loathe rainy nights!

waste not,want not…A food rant

That proverb, waste not, want not means If we don’t waste what we have, we’ll still have it in the future and will not lack or want it.

I learned this from my grandmother. My grandmother lived through the depression and was a farmer’s wife; she knew how to take care of precious things so they would last into the next generation. She knew how to re-use and recycle. She knew that helping your neighbour was the right thing to do and that if you had food you were lucky and if you had more than you needed, you shared it with those that didn’t. She is the reason I have boxes of all sizes in my closet, why I keep a collection of used ribbon and wrapping paper, why I have recycling embedded in my soul and leftovers in the fridge. She is the reason I do not like throwing anything out and feel so out of step with today’s world where everything seems disposable; appliances, pets, people and food.

My grandmother would be appalled at the waste in our world. When she grew up, things like oranges were special because they only appeared in the store once a year, and if her Mum & Dad were doing well enough, she would enjoy one in her Christmas stocking. You ate seasonally…the things you grew or the things in the store that were available during growing season.

Now we have food from all over the world  and in huge piles in our stores. If you could see how much of that food is wasted, you would understand my pain.

Hundreds of pounds of meat, cheese, frozen food, produce, thrown into dumpsters every day. Produce that isn’t perfect, so it is not saleable…food close or at it’s expiry date…things like bananas or meat someone decided they did not want partway through their shopping and so left it in the cereal aisle to rot. There is more food in our stores than they can actually sell…it is to produce an effect, a display of plenty…to make you buy.

“Studies have shown that 63 percent of the average supermarket’s waste is food. . In California alone, more than six million tons of food products are dumped annually. An estimated $20 billion worth of food is thrown away each year by supermarkets. Stores in the U.S. waste twice as much food annually as those in Europe, and a recent U.N. report found that total American food waste—including what we pitch from our refrigerators—is worth $48 billion each year.
Although federal and state laws protect grocers from liability, many stores expressed concerns that donated food could sicken recipients, even if it has yet to reach its expiration date. While some major chains donate food, others do not. Major retail grocery chains are more likely to throw away fruits, vegetables and even entire hams and roasts than donate to distribution centers.”

But it is not just stores…40 % of food waste occurred in our homes.

“Every month, residents in the city of Toronto (Canada), toss out 17.5 million kilograms of food. A recent British study determined that about one-third of food purchased in the UK is thrown out every year. This equates to £10bn (about CDN$19.5 billion). A 1997 U.S. study found that 27 per cent of edible food is never eaten. In Toronto, the picture is not all that different: single-family households produce an average of 275 kilograms of food waste each year. Twenty-five per cent of this food goes into the garbage. Most of it edible. Much of it still in its original packaging.” Worldvision

The problem is, that we are consumers and wasters of food, and yet we allow so many in our world to go hungry. And there are rules and standards that sometimes prevent us from helping. At a fundraiser I attended a while back, there was a large amount of food left over, good, well made, nutritious food…enough to give to the local food bank for several family’s meals…untouched food, but the containers had been opened, although not used. Because they had been opened…we were not allowed to give the food away, it had to be thrown away. It killed me to see so much food go to waste. I suppose I understand the concerns over opened containers, but we all knew it had not been touched or spoiled or contaminated in any way, and it hurt, physically hurt, to know it was wasted.

It hurts me to think about wasted food…and hungry people right here, in my backyard.

It hurts to know there are people dying from the lack of decent, nutritious food the world over…particularly in the Horn of Africa…one of the worst hit places by famine on our planet.

“The world produces enough food to feed every man, woman and child on earth. Hunger and malnutrition therefore are not due to lack of food alone, but are also the consequences of poverty, inequality and misplaced priorities.” – UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Kul C. Gautam

And yet, 30,000 children have died in the last 3 months in the Horn of Africa.

And yet, famine exists….what is famine?

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Reference Table (the standard used by the UN), famine occurs when the first three of the following conditions occur:

  • 20 percent of population has fewer than 2,100 kilocalories of food a day
  • 30 percent of children are acutely malnourished
  • Two deaths per 10,000 people, or four deaths per 10,000 children per day
  • Pandemic illness
  • Access to less than four liters of water per day
  • Large-scale displacement
  • Civil strife
  • Complete loss of assets and source of income

There are places still on this earth, where famine and drought exist, where the first three conditions exist, where all conditions exist, and people are dying from lack of food and clean water. It is obscene, when so many have so much, that so many have nothing.

The F Word

We see the bounty (and so much waste) in our stores and are bombarded by advertising for fast food and we do not know what it is like to be hungry, homeless and constantly at risk…we send food aid to countries without realizing that much of what we send is nutritionally deficient, particularly for children. We saddle poorer countries with so much debt they can never get out from under. We can and do so many good things…but there is so much more a species so intelligent and creative could carry out…needs to accomplish. We need to reconnect with our planet and the people on it, or we will never care enough to bring about the changes that must be made to save ourselves from ourselves.

Canada sends food aid around the world…so do many other countries…and that is a good thing…partly. So much of what we send is doing so little for the children who are starving, because what we send is nutritionally deficient and even with our help, children are malnourished and face the effects of that immediately and throughout their lives.

“Diets that do not provide the right blend of high-quality protein, essential fats, carbohydrates,vitamins and minerals can impair growth and development, increase the risk of death from common childhood illness, or result in life-long health consequences. Yet the cereal-based fortified flours donated as food aid do not meet these basic nutritional standards.

The Starved for Attention campaign hopes to rewrite the story of malnutrition, by convincing governments to ensure food aid also targets the specific needs of young children with adequate nutritional products.”

MSF, Medecins sans Frontieres or  Doctors Without Borders has launched a campaign, Starved for Attention, to try to ensure that world food aid actually nourishes and helps children who are starving. You can find out more at their website…

MSF Doctors Without Borders

Famine is obscene…so is the massive waste of food in richer countries.We need to do so much more for hungry people, here in our own country, on our own doorstep, and in our “global village”. We are responsible on every level, from what we buy and where we shop and what we waste right through to our neighbours and neighbouring countries to those who live a world away…they are on our global doorstep after all.

I really do think one of the reasons for humankind’s lack of stewardship of our planet, our technological advancement at the cost of something deeper and more meaningful, the problems we face as a species, are brought on, partly at least, by the continued urbanization of and lack of connection with nature. We live more and more, in places where you cannot see the stars, where you cannot truly see and feel the seasons, where foods are available year round from far, far away instead of being seasonal and local, where children do not know where their food comes from, what growing vegetables look like, who have never met a cow. We isolate ourselves further and further from our own world, the planet that nurtures us and which we rape and pillage daily. If we grow up knowing only that food comes from a store, how do we care about what it costs to produce it, how do we care about the loss of the family farm to huge conglomerates, how do we care about the death of honey bees, or the cruelty to the animals we eat or the underpaid workers who harvest our coffee and other crops. If gas just comes from a pump…how do we care about a faraway oil spill, the toxic waste in Alberta or Ecuador…the cost to our oceans and marine life…to our air and climate?

Even with the internet and television there are too many people who do not seem to care that children are dying from hunger and thirst in a world that has more than enough food and water for all. We demand that our food be available at all times and in huge supply and not too expensive. We consume far too much of the world’s supply of food, resources, and water. It is time to re-think our ways.

Take a moment or two today (and every day) to assess your own habits, to open your eyes to the plight of the hungry. Follow a link, read about hunger…look at the faces of the children…and of the parents who would provide if they could, but instead see their children starve. Sign a petition…write a letter…make a donation.

Waste is obscene. Famine is obscene…allow yourself to be disgusted…and then add your voice to all those hungering for change…and help.

Please get involved. Now, before it is too late for one more child.

Nevada Continues War Against Wild Horses

Nevada Continues War Against Wild Horses.

My Rant for today…

I have been talking a lot to friends and family lately…my Mum has not been well at all and I have been trying to keep in touch and let everyone know how she is doing. With my Uncle Bert the conversation has been relatively new to us and thanks to his compassion insight and knowledge…very thought provoking. We have talked about Mum and Dad and friends and family and the stars in the night sky.

Funny isn’t it how something that looks so small, so insubstantial and not so very far away…just hanging there in the sky, is, in reality so enormous, and so far, far away and it inspires and awes me, that the light we see from the stars is so old…back into and past our human history and so much further back into time. The light takes so long to reach us and is so beautiful and bright….

I really do think one of the reasons for humankind’s lack of stewardship of our planet, our technological advancement at the cost of something deeper and more meaningful, the problems we face as a species, are brought on, partly at least, by the continued urbanization of and lack of connection with nature. We live more and more, in places where you cannot see the stars, where you cannot truly see and feel the seasons, where foods are available year round from far, far  away instead of being seasonal and local, where children do not know where their food comes from, what growing vegetables look like, who have never met a cow. We isolate ourselves further and further from our own world, the planet that nurtures us and which we rape and pillage daily. If we grow up knowing only that food comes from a store, how do we care about what it costs to produce it, how do we care about the loss of the family farm to huge conglomerates, how do we care about the death of honey bees, or the cruelty to the animals we eat or the underpaid workers who harvest our coffee and other crops. If gas just comes from a pump…how do we care about a faraway oil spill, the toxic waste in Alberta or Ecuador…the cost to our oceans and marine life…to our air and climate?

We see the bounty (and so much waste) in our stores and are bombarded by advertising for fast food and we do not know what it is like to be hungry, homeless and constantly at risk…we send food aid to countries without realizing that much of what we send is nutritionally deficient, particularly for children…just ask MSF. We saddle poorer countries with so much debt they can never get out from under. We can and do do so many good things…but there is so much more a species so intelligent and creative could accomplish…needs to accomplish. We need to reconnect with our planet or we will never care enough to bring about the changes that need to be made to save ourselves from ourselves. In my own small way I am trying to improve my world and lessen my impact on it.

I live in a small village north of Napanee, between Kingston and Belleville in Ontario, Canada. There are family farms nearby and we try to support them by buying local foods and products..attending markets and going to the fair each year to see the things they grow and the animals they raise. These are important people, the farmers who raise and grow our food…and they do not get the help and support they need from government or from business…local grocery stores need to carry more local food…why should I buy vegetables from California when there are neighbours growing the same things just down the road…or at least in the same province?

We live in an old house from the 1850’s and are currently renovating much of it to lower our carbon footprint and reduce our use of non renewable resources. It all started with the now defunct Eco-Audit/Green Audit program, one of the best programs a government has come up with, as it allowed some financial help for those in older homes to insulate and improve and lower their costs as well. The program has now been cancelled by our environmentally deficient government, an incredibly stupid decision because not only did it help home owners, it helped the economy through the products and services bought and used by the people in the program. There were contractors hired, work provided, products like insulation, windows, caulking, toilets…all given some rebate help and bought by those using the program.

We had our house and well audited and then insulated our walls,which had no insulation at all, our attic, which had a little insulation, but not enough, added vents for air circulation etc., added all new low-e windows and doors, rebuilt all 4 porches, patched, painted, rebuilt all the old trim and mouldings, did some electrical and plumbing and are now rebuilding the bathroom which fell apart during the rest of the project. It has been a full year of renovations and is almost over….we hope to have reduced our carbon footprint considerably and also our bills…although thanks to the idiocy of the McGuinty government in bringing in the HST, our bills may now go up instead of down and our payback on the whole project will be messed up. It has been a lot of work..both for the contractor and for me, as I have done most of the interior work myself…carpentry is indeed mostly math.

The house sits mid village, but is far enough away from Napanee, that we do get to see a decent view of the night sky…and it isn’t too far away to get an even better view…just north along the Salmon river or somewhere to the north. We are not really in the country and yet it is pretty rural…farms nearby, wild places not too far away…lots of birds and wildlife…coyotes come through most nights about 3 am…there are migration flyways for geese just at the end of the village…last year we had swans go through…and there are eastern bluebirds, larks and bobolinks in the hay fields down the street….oh, and lots of cats….people dump their unwanted cats and kittens here all the time…we have taken in and fostered 5 pregnant mums this past year…more than 30 cats and kittens…both on our own and through the local shelters. We have found homes for all of them so far.  There are two new mums upstairs in my studio and in Alicia’s room at the moment from the shelter…with 9 brand new babies. Now there is another rant i could get into…people not spaying and neutering their pets…but I will get into that another time.

I truly believe at this moment in our planet’s history and in the place we are right now as human beings…each of us has to do something to make the world a better place. It doesn’t have to be big. Teach your children about where their food comes from…show them vegetables growing…let them see a cow or pig if you can and that meat comes from living things too….show them how to recycle and why it is important…teach them to be kind to each other, their neighbours and friends, teach them compassion and respect for animals, for each other and for our planet. Show them the night sky and let them learn about our universe. Turn off a light. Turn down the thermostat. Join a group. Sign a petition.Teach your children tolerance, charity and compassion. Let them learn about other countries, religions, races and species. Anything that will impact our lives together on this small blue planet. Look at the stars…let them fill you with awe…let them inspire you to make a change, however small. From small things, big things come. From tiny acorns, mighty oaks grow.

They Shoot Horses Don’t They? and prod, stab, chase, starve, maim, you name it…they do it…..

Horses have given us so much. They have pulled our plows and our heavy loads, carried us and all our worldly goods, broadened our horizons, gone to war with us, given us milk and food, entertained us with their speed and skill, rounded up our cattle, pulled our canal-boats and wagons, turned the mills, delivered the mail, the milk; their speed, stamina, endurance and strength was ours. They have enchanted us with their beauty and intelligence, rewarded us with their loyalty and companionship…they enthrall us with their wildness, their spirit and ability to survive in harsh conditions.

We have used them and abused them…bred them for size and shape, speed and strength, agility and pace.  We have shaped them to fit our needs and wants…we have raced them, ridden them into new territories, terrified our enemies with them, traded them, eaten them, taken their milk and foals,  cosseted them, starved them, rounded them up and turned them into dog food, worshipped and revered them. They are symbols of beauty and freedom and yet we treat them so badly, so cruelly. We over breed them, we stand them in stalls forever pregnant to produce the hormones that keep aging at bay, we race them after breeding them for speed at the loss of bone and then put them down when their bones break. We round them up from land and air, terrified and hurt: we fence them from water, we use them for target practice, we protect them by law (just not here) and then treat them like pests. And no one gives a damn because it doesn’t affect our pocket books.  Little girls love them…books and stories and movies feature them…our history would be very different without them. They carried us into the frontier…and what do we give them in return….crops and whips, starvation and abuse, roundups where foals die and mares abort and dehydration kills, and then send them to god knows where…the end is often a harrowing and horrific transport to an inhumane and awful death at a slaughter-house…. here in Canada, our oh so lovely and kind nation. We slaughter horses for other people of the world..Japan, Belgium, France and the States.

What we owe to horses is a debt so big we can never pay it…yet pay they do. We owe them love, affection, food, water, exercise, green grass, flowing water, land to roam on.  We owe them decent stabling, company and respect…we owe them a life of fulfillment and peace…they could still work with us, entertain us, enchant us and carry us over jumps and round racetracks…but with care and respect and humanity. We can let the wild ones be free…let them have the land intended for them, allow them access to water, stop seeing them as pests and forage stealers…allow the wild ones, the ones that trace their bloodline in part back to the Conquistadors, the protection and freedom that they should have…what in the States, the bill of 1971 says they should have.

Politicians in Canada and the United States should be ashamed of themselves when they look at the state of the wild horse, the state of horses in general. In Canada we cannot even agree that they are wild..only feral and not worth protecting…so any Tom, Dick or Harry can round them up or shoot them or abuse them, so much so, there are almost none left. In the United States, the horses and burros are at least protected by law…but the protectors are now the abusers. In Canada, our oh so kind and gentle and smug land, we slaughter horses for the world, Japan, Belgium, France…and we do it in a way that no animal should ever have to suffer (see the video available from inside a  Canadian slaughter-house) We have rules governing their transport to slaughter…so much headroom on double-decker trucks, and yet no one enforces the rules…horses end up injured, maimed and dead before they ever reach the place where they are going to die a horrific, inhumane and terribly cruel death. The CFIA says they have rules and regulations about this…but who enforces them? This is what I got in return for a letter I wrote to them about this issue:

“Thank you for your interest in the issue of humane transport.

The regulations do not prohibit the transport of horses by double-decker trucks. The regulations specify that:

142. No person shall transport or cause to be transported animals in a railway car, motor vehicle, aircraft or vessel unless
(a) each animal is able to stand in its natural position without coming into contact with a deck or roof; and
(b) provision is made for the drainage or absorption of urine from all decks or levels.

Smaller horses can be segregated and shipped in double-decker trucks if they are able to stand in their natural position. If larger horses are shipped in violation of the regulations, the operator may be issued an Administrative Monetary Penalty by an inspector or face formal prosecution.

Thank you for using the CFIA web site.”

So…horses are inhumanely treated in so many ways…the wild horses of Canada and the United States are disappearing in the wild…there are now more mustangs in holding pens than on their range in the American west…they are sold, slaughtered and terrified. And supposedly protected by law. Canadian mustangs have no protection under federal law…and little under provincial…horses are slaughtered in Canada in at least 4 facilities…in a way that would make you sick…and you can see it on YouTube among other places…and the RCMP investigated and says there is no basis for charges…I wonder how they would feel if their beautiful Musical Ride horses ended up like that. Horses do not in any way deserve such callous treatment by our society.

There are people working to change things…check out some of the links here or google some…and get in touch with your MP and MPP right now…tell them how you feel…ask your MP to support the Private members bill C544…put forward by Alex ban horse slaughter in Canada. Please get involved.

The state of animal welfare in our civilized world is appalling…our laws do not do enough, the penalties are not harsh enough, they are not enforced. Institutional crueltyexists in Canada because our animal welfare laws of 1892…outlaw unnecessary suffering…and so would seem to allow necessary suffering…Check out “No Country For Animals”..Kevin Newman’s documentary for CanWest/Global.

I am distraught that I live in a country so smug because we make the list of places everyone wants to live…while we accept institutional cruelty, slaughter horses in a way that would make you sick, and live by animal welfare laws that have not been updated since the century before last…we pride ourselves on being a kind, gentle, peacekeeping country…all the while the creatures who live with us have no recourse and few protections. They are living, breathing, sentient and feeling creatures…pain is as horrible to them as it is to us…we spend millions on food and toys and trinkets for the animals we choose to spoil…and neglect the rest.

I love my country and I am a proud Canadian…but I am not proud of our continued abuse of animals and our inability to protect those who cannot speak for themselves. Countries in Europe are doing so much more than we are…surely it is time to make some changes…and truly become a kind, gentle and humane place to live. To quote a man I revere (as do many),

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”…Mahatma Ghandi

He also said,

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed

Be the change you want to see in the world.

That is precisely what I will try to do with the rest of my life.

The Canadian ‘Qiyus’

… Tsilhqot’in for cayuse. Cayuse is the word for horse, or mustang, derived from the name of a now vanished tribe of natives who inhabited the present day north-west United States.

Wild horses in Canada are a species under threat. The total number of wild horses in our huge country is about 800…i did not forget a zero…that is eight hundred ! In the United States the estimate is  20 to 25,000 in the wild, possibly as many as 32,000….in Canada we are looking at a total population of 800…400 in B.C….200 in Alberta…200 on Sable Island. There is no possible way these small numbers constitute a threat to anyone or to the ranchers who complain about grazing competition with their cattle.

Wild horses in Canada exist mostly in 4 places…on Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia (Acadian horses from French blood were shipped to the island after the Acadian deportations of 1760)…In the Siffleur Wilderness Area in Alberta and in B.C. in the Chilcotin  and Brittany triangle. In our Canadian herds, as in the American mustang, there is evidence of Spanish bloodlines…dating back to the Conquistadors in the 1500’s. Genetic dilution has occurred  as horses from other sources joined herds over the years…but many mustangs here and in the states carry the genes of Spanish ancestors. There were at one time millions of horses here…the Assiniboine people had herds of mustang in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, there were horses acquired from the Shoshoni in Alberta and many thousands in B.C., nurtured and used by the Xeni Gwet’in .  By the time explorer Simon Fraser ventured through the Chilcotin two centuries ago, the horse was already there.

In the United States, an Act of Congress became law in December of 1971, signed by then President Richard Nixon, to protect the wild horses and burros of the west…it is not working out at all well for the horses just now…but at least there is something on the books to argue about. Here in Canada, there is no federal law to protect or conserve our wild horses. They must contend with provincial laws…the Grazing act in B.C.…the Stray Animals Act in Alberta (in 1993 Alberta  introduced the Horse Capture Plan which limits capture to 25 to 30 horses per year…it was up to about 2000 a decade) and the Sable Island Regulations section of the Canadian Shipping Act.

One of the biggest threats to Canadian wild horses is that they are not considered wild…they are considered feral…and not worthy of protection. They are considered an alien species by Environment Canada…alien and invasive.

A dispute over the horses of the Chilcotin has highlighted how we see and understand the concepts wild, indigenous and alien. Community members and the Xeni Gwet’in (ha-nay gwet-een) First Nations are fighting the government to classify the horses as indigenous wildlife, and they want a preserve created for their protection. The government says the  horses are feral and not due any protection under the law, and ranchers view them as competition for their cattle. Logging destroys the horses’ habitat and leaves them vulnerable to predators. (Wild horses in western Canada are found primarily in forested areas, typically pine woodlands with pockets of grass and  shrubland and sedge meadows). A typical herd is 5-10 individuals. Horse populations may increase when times are good, but high mortality rates due to starvation and predation by cougars/wolves during severe winters tend to prevent over population.

The horses’ classification as feral, and not wild, is based on Environment Canada’s definition of invasive alien species, which states: "Alien species become invasive when they establish and spread in the new environment, and threaten the native species, the environment, the economy, or some aspect of society."

Friends Of the Nemaiah Valley, say the horse population "is kept in check by predators and harsh winters, and they live in harmony with the existing ecosystem." But the government says horses on Crown land affect the area’s ecosystem by contributing to habitat destruction, through overgrazing and increasing competition for forage in the area.

The federal Species At Risk Act defines a wild animal as one "that is wild by nature and is either native to Canada or has extended its range without human intervention and has been present in Canada for 50 years." By these terms, the issue doesn’t lie with how long the horses have been in the area, but rather that theycame to North America by humans as domesticated animals.

"They are not considered wildlife under the provincial Wildlife Act, there is evidence to support that these horses are descendants of the original Spanish stock. The majority of them were born in the wild and live and behave as wild animals."

FONV supports a program to get DNA from the horses to trace their origins back to their Spanish ancestors. The Xeni Gwet’in First Nation is seeking injunctions against proposed logging and is part of a court case seeking land rights to the area. Everyone agrees that no one wants to see the entire population of horses disappear.

However…check out this story from 2008…

“Chilcotin aboriginals paid to shoot wild horses

December 6, 2008. The B.C. government paid aboriginal people in the Chilcotin to shoot wild horses for wolf bait and to round-up other wild horses for live sale, ultimately to slaughterhouses, The Vancouver Sun has learned.

The Ministry of Environment purchased the shot horses as wolf bait for a predator study related to the recovery of threatened caribou herds in the Interior, while the Ministry of Forests and Range bankrolled the live capture of horses as part of a program to reduce competition with range cattle.

News of the provincial actions is generating debate even within the aboriginal community over the management of wild horses in the Chilcotin and the need to ensure their humane treatment.

The forests ministry, through an agreement with TNG, paid the Stone band $200 a horse to catch 25 horses last winter to reduce competition with ranchers’ cattle. Up to half of the horses were sold at auction and ultimately sent to slaughterhouses, he said, and the rest were kept in the Chilcotin as saddle horses.

Environment Ministry spokesman Dan Gilmore confirmed the ministry paid members of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation of the Nemaiah Valley $500 apiece for four horses last winter.

"When it came time to consider how best to lure and capture wolves for the purposes of the mountain caribou recovery program, it was recommended that we use horseflesh," he said in a statement.

The horses were shot last winter to aid in the live capture of wolves near Quesnel as part of ministry research into threatened caribou populations. Gilmore said larger carcasses are preferred because they keep the wolves longer at one location, and that moose carcasses are not always available.

Mike Pedersen, Chilcotin forest district manager, said the horse culls are a response to ranchers’ concerns about loss of forage. "It’s a worthwhile project," he said, noting that horses also compete with moose and mule deer. "These guys [ranchers] just have to buy more hay. And in these times for those individuals, it’s extremely difficult."

Aerial surveys in the area showed that the wild horse population has increased to 442 in 2008 from 123 in 1998.”

Wow…442 horses…on how much land??? The Brittany Triangle is 155,000 hectares and the Chilcotin is around 5 million acres…it is believed that about 100 horses live in the Brittany Triangle and the other 300 over the rest of the area. In the United States we are talking about  25,000 horses on 32 million acres…with much more supposedly available under the Wild and Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971.

For those of us hectare/acre/squarefootage-ly challenged: a hectare is

  • 2.471 Acres
  • 100 Ares,
  • 10,000 square meters,
  • 4,840 square yards,
  • 107,637 square feet

The issue is not so much too many horses on too little is competition with cattle ranchers over grazing/forage. When it comes to the pocketbook…the bottom line…who do you think will win???

I have spent a lot of time online recently, trying to learn about mustangs, here and in the States…and the overwhelming truth that appears over and over, is that there are not very many wild horses left in North America and they are under constant threat, the threat of extinction, through competition with cattle ranchers grazing their animals on public land, through energy and resource development, through drought and climate change, habitat destruction, senseless killing (Parker Ridge near Sundre, Al.) and wolf bait, and most of all through their lack of financial usefulness…it is apparently only through slaughter that you can value these incredible, beautiful, tragic animals. It is this lack on their part, of not touching our pocketbooks, that has, I think, ended them with a lack of political will on the part of government, to declare them wild and worthy of protection. There is much more money and tax to be made with logging, mining, oil production, pipelines and ranchers.  Wildness is it seems a political issue…not one of nature. True, the mustang was once domesticated…500 years ago. How many generations must be foaled and nurtured  in the wild before you are, in the eyes of politicians, at least, considered truly wild??  The distinction escapes me.

There are lots of links here…check them out…google yourself silly…contact your MP and tell them how you feel…the wild horses need us…and need us now, before it is too late.


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In the beginning…

In 2002 I was finishing up high school and decided that it would be cool to get into multisport.  I was a decent soccer player and a wrestler, having dabbled a bit in crew and basketball, and figured that enough of an athletic background would make my first venture into the sport a piece of cake.  After all, I was running all the time for other sports, which should make the run easy.  I was a casual biker and could go 20 miles with no problem, making the sprint distance easy, right?  Right??

Well, I was wrong.  One Cesar’s Creek sprint duathlon later (I decided that swimming wasn’t really my thing), and the world of multisport had humbled me for the first time – a feeling that now seems to be on repeat.  After that first race and more than a few glances at the sport’s pinnacle distance on ESPN2, I went to college with dreams of the Ironman and no plan towards or thoughts about actually training for it.  After college, work and travel took over, and I let it slip a bit further back.  I should say that it wasn’t just the Ironman that had me enthralled – it was the sport and challenge of triathlon as a whole – but to me the Ironman seemed like the ultimate challenge, so that’s the race that really captured my imagination.

Then came last year, mid-summer 2009 the itch came back and it was time to move.  I set my sights on the Ironman, and kicked it off with my second sprint event – seven years after my first – and this time actually trained for the swim.  I didn’t die in the water (much to my surprise!) and so I started to plan.  The 2009 season was pretty much over and I had no idea where to go from there (just start running??), so I started reading and chatting up a few people with a similar itch, and made the decision to dive in head-long.

That’s where I’ll begin this blog – trying to figure out what the heck to do with a combination of next-to-no experience, a new-found ability to not drown, an aging and only semi-used road bike, a rather strong passion against  the sport of running, and an even stronger passion to try something that was going to kick my ass.

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Lunch on Kings Bay

Anne and I enjoy eating out on the porch of a restaurant on the Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida. The restaurant overlooks Kings Bay on the Gulf of Mexico.

Five boats are moored in the calm mirror-like waters of the large bay. An occasional small boat pulls into the adjoining docks, its passengers come ashore to grab a bite to eat. An eco-tourism boat tours stops in the bay and many of its occupants jump into the water, snorkels on, and each held onto a soft Styrofoam noodle. They float along the surface of the bay looking for wild, native manatees.

Brown pelicans fly back and forth across the bay, attracted to boats returning from their fishing trips. These large birds sit on dock posts and float on the bay in front of the fish cleaning station hoping that a fisherman tosses scraps into the water.

It is just another normal day on Kings Bay in Crystal River.

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SCHUBERT: Lied Edition 12 - Mayrhofer, Vol. 2

Shipping time: In stock | Expected delivery 1-2 days | Free UK Delivery

In 1816 Franz Schubert, together with his circle of friends, decided to publish a collection of all the songs which he had so far written. Joseph Spaun, whom Schubert had known since his school days, tried his (and Schubert’s) luck in a letter to the then unquestioned Master of the German language, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

A selection of German songs will constitute the beginning of this edition; it will consist of eight volumes. The first two (the first of which, as an example, you will find in our letter) contains poems written by your Excellency, the third, poetry by Schiller, the fourth and fifth, works by Klopstock, the sixth by Mathison, Hölty, Salis etc., the seventh and eighth contain songs by Ossian, whose works are quite exceptional.

The Deutsche Schubert-Lied-Edition follows the composer’s original concept. All Schubert’s Lieder, over 700 songs, will be grouped according to the poets who inspired him, or according to the circle of writers, contemporaries, members of certain literary movements and so on, whose works Schubert chose to set to music. Fragments and alternative settings, providing their length and quality make them worth recording, and works for two or more voices with piano accompaniment will also make up a part of the edition.

Schubert set the poetry of over 115 writers to music. He selected poems from classical Greece, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, from eighteenth-century German authors, early Romantics, Biedermeier poets, his contemporaries, and, of course, finally, poems by Heinrich Heine, although sadly the two never met.

The entire edition is scheduled for completion by 2005. Thanks to the Neue Schubert Ausgabe (New Schubert Edition), published by Bärenreiter, which uses primary sources - autograph copies wherever possible - the performers have been able to benefit from the most recent research of the editorial team. For the first time, the listener and the interested reader can follow Schubert’s textual alterations and can appreciate the importance the written word had for the composer.

The project’s Artistic Advisor is the pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr, who has chosen those German-speaking singers who represent the élite of today’s young German Lieder singers, performers whose artistic contribution, he believes, will stand the test of time.

Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)

Mayrhofer Songs Vol. 2

After Goethe and Schiller the poems by the relatively little known Johann Mayrhofer, from among Schubert’s contemporaries, hold a dominant position among the composer’s songs. Not only did Schubert set to music, in the course of eleven years, no less than 47 of Mayrhofer’s poems, but also the vocal quartet Gondelfahrer (D809), the operatic fragment Adrast (D137), and the completed two-act Singspiel Die Freunde von Salamanca (D326). Mayrhofer’s wide literary culture also had an influence on Schubert that is not to be underestimated.

Schubert and Mayrhofer met through their common friend Joseph von Spaun, inspiring the setting of Am See (D124) at the beginning of December 1814. From September 1816 there were four years of extensive collaboration that can be described as cultural symbiosis: Schubert was inspired to set Mayrhofer’s poems in songs that served in their turn as inspiration to the latter. When Schubert returned to Vienna in November 1818 after his first summer stay at Zseliz, as teacher of the daughters of Count Esterházy, he finally left his parents’ house and moved to a spare room at Mayrhofer’s: "The house and the room have felt the influence of time: the ceiling somewhat lowered and the light diminished by a large building standing opposite, an over-used piano, a narrow bookcase; that was the room which, with the hours spent there, will never fade from my memory, wrote Mayrhofer in his Memories of Franz Schubert". The period spent together, then not so unusual, lasted nearly two years. Yet while Mayrhofer remained committed to ideas of the Enlightenment, Schubert turned to the newer poetry of romanticism; for him the years about 1820 brought anyway a period of creative crisis and new direction in which hardly a single great work was completed and many remained in a fragmentary state. The increasing estrangement from Mayrhofer became most evident in that at this time Schubert set only eight of his friend’s poems. There is a certain distance peculiar to Abendstern (D806) - face to face with man (characterized in the minor) stands the star (major): "Ich bin der liebe treuer Stern, / sie halten sich von Liebe fern" (I am the loving, true star, / they keep well away from love) - in Auflösung (D807), set in March 1824, he turns the programmatic words as it were against the poet himself: "…flüchte dich, und laß mich allein" (fly away, and leave me to myself). Mayrhofer reports on this growing coolness in his memoirs (February 1829): "The course of circumstances and of society, illness and altered views of life later kept us from each other; but what once was, was now no longer".

Johann Mayrhofer was born on 3rd November 1797 in Steyr in Upper Austria and his exceptional gifts and literary interests were apparent even in his schooldays. He was "always the first among his school friends", and distinguished himself "particularly through his very adequate knowledge of Latin and Greek and also of the Classics" (Joseph von Spaun). Without means after the early death of his father, in 1806 Mayrhofer joined the Augustinian foundation of St Florian at Linz, later known for its connection with Anton Bruckner, but left after four years, shortly before taking his final vows. He moved to Vienna to study law, completed under straitened circumstances. Thanks to his knowledge of literature he quickly found a position as censor in the Imperial and Royal Book Censorship Office and soon became feared by authors and booksellers for his severity. Only too well did he know of those strivings for freedom by which the restored state, conservative in structure, felt threatened - Mayrhofer was himself an enthusiastic supporter of growing liberal and democratic ideas. Described in various obituaries as a man of sensitivity, he must have suffered ever more strongly under the stresses of his position. With a strict performance of his duties Mayrhofer evidently sought to confront this inevitable conflict that endangered his own living. Joseph von Spaun, on the contrary, expressed matters almost euphemistically: "My opinions are one thing, my duty quite another". Mayrhofer observed with euphoria the 1830 rising in Poland, but was deeply depressed at its failure, and tried to drown himself in the Danube. His sensitivity and hypochondria six years later led him finally, on 5th February 1836, in a deluded fear of cholera, then raging in again Vienna, to kill himself by throwing himself from the third floor window of his office building.

How Mayrhofer tried more or less to hide his true opinion of the censorship is shown perhaps by those verses based on thoughts and concepts from the ancient world that he issued, at the urging of his friends, in a small edition in 1824, evidence that he himself was aware enough of the possible implications. The little volume appeared most probably in early autumn; Mayrhofer himself on 20th October sent Goethe a copy with a dedication. This may explain why Schubert, unlike the rest of his circle of friends, was not a subscriber; from the end of May he was in Zseliz, and returned to Vienna again on 17th October 1824 (possibly the second copy ordered by
Item number 8554739
Barcode 636943473924
Release date 01/03/2003
Label Naxos Records
Media type CD
Number of units 1
Artists Burkhard Kehring
Christiane Iven
Composers Franz Schubert
Disc: 1
Auflösung, D. 807
1 Am See (2nd setting), D. 124b
2 Augenlied, D. 297
3 Liane, D. 298
4 Abendlied der Fürstin, D. 495
5 Sehnsucht, D. 516
6 Schlaflied (Schlummerlied) (1st setting), D. 527a
7 Am Strome, D. 539
8 Uraniens Flucht, D. 554
9 Iphigenia (2nd version), D. 573b
10 Atys, D. 585
11 Erlafsee, D. 586
12 Beim Winde, D. 669
13 Die Sternennächte, D. 670
14 Abendstern, D. 806
15 Auflösung, D. 807
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Today in 90s NBA (03/06/1990)

Isaih 03061990

This is the first post of a new category that starts today. I will dub this category ‘today in 90s NBA’ and as it becomes apparent from its name it will consist of posts about things that happened at the same day in one of the 1990s NBA seasons. Today is the 3rd of June 2015 and I will be looking 25 years back at what happened in the NBA in 03/06/1990. I am sure that anybody that loves the NBA at 90s knows and remembers that the Bulls, in order to become the Bulls of the 90s, had to overcome the obstacle of the Detroit Pistons. In the same sense, the Pistons in order to get to the NBA Finals had to defeat the Bulls and this is how one of the great rivalries of the NBA was born.

I suppose that the rivalry between the two franchises originates in the fact that they are both located in Midwestern US and thus there is a geographical rivalry among them. However, the rivalry between these two teams in particular, the late 80s-early 90s Pistons and Bulls, began in 1988; when they first played each other at the ECSF. In 1988, Pistons were too much for the Bulls and beat them in 5 games (4-1), to finally lose to the Lakers in the NBA Finals . Next season, the Pistons did it again; this time though was a bit harder as the Bulls were able to win two – in fact the Bulls were up 2-1 after three games in the series.

In 1990, the Bulls looked stronger and they entered the play-offs as the 3rd seed in the East with only 4 wins less than their rivals Pistons that finished first with 59 wins. So, both teams, after defeating easily their opponents in the first and second round of the play-offs, were able to reach the ECF, as it was expected and anticipated by every NBA fan around the world. Following a series of six very physical games, both teams defended their home courts successfully and the series was tied at 3-3 with the seventh and final game scheduled for the 3rd of June, 1990. The question was whether the Bulls were ready to make the break or the Pistons would be able to defend their home court one more time to win the series.

The answer came from the Pistons and it came in an emphatic way with a big win against their rivals at the Palace of Auburn Hills in front of almost 22.000 of their fans; 93-74 was the final score and the Pistons were once again the champions of the Eastern Conference. As Sam Smith wrote the next day in the Chicago Tribune: ‘the Pistons, it turned out, let the Bulls only close enough to dream.’ Isiah Thomas, the leader of the ‘Bad Boys’ that had a great game with 21p., 11a., 8r and 2s., said that it was just another play-off game, to irritate the Bulls’ fans even more. Meanwhile, Chuck Daly, the coach of the Pistons, emphasized on the inexperience of the Bulls and Thomas’ great performance.

Michael Jordan, on the other hand, devastated by another play-off elimination and a super effort against the ‘Jordan Rules’ defence employed by the Pistons admitted that Detroit was a better team on paper as well as on the court. MJ had a near triple-double performance with 31p., 9a., and 8r., but did not get any help from his teammates, especially on offence. The key, however, to Pistons decisive victory over the Bulls was Scottie Pippen’s performance, who had migraine issues and scored 2p. hitting only  1 out of 10 from the field. Pippen, who according to the Bulls physician John Hefferon had suffered from migraines earlier in the season due to adrenaline surge, said that he was feeling well at that morning but the migraines came back during the warm up.

The box score for that game can be found here:

While if you want to watch the whole game, it is available on YouTube (thanks to the user Alex GrOZ):

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Tretorn Pop-Up Shop at Head of the Charles Regatta

The Tretorn Pop-Up Shop at HOCR

Women’s Skerry Boots

Nylite Canvas Sneaker

Men’s Strala Boots

Swedish Goodness

Tretorn Boots

Brigid helping out some customers

Today I had the great opportunity to cruise over to the Tretorn pop-up shop (tent) at Head of the Charles Regatta and take some photos for the blog. Brigid, who currently does marketing for Tretorn, was able to chat with me about the shop and the brand. This excellent Swedish company, known internationally for their rubber boots and canvas sneakers, will be celebrating their 120th anniversary in 2011 (catch up on the heritage of the company here). They have also produced an amazing new ad campaign, Swedish Goodness, starring Karl the moose and Oskar the bear. Oskar and Karl have teamed up with the Tretorn team to “celebrate the fact that the great outdoors is never far away” and have become quite the screen stars with clips titled “Hug A Bear” and “Oskar Approved?”. Tretorn’s pop-up shop at Head of the Charles Regatta, in association with The Tannery (a major local footwear/apparel shop) is currently the only Tretorn branded shop in the USA outside of their NYC permanent shop. Their tent is set up at the Weld Exhibition Area near the Weld Boathouse and will be open until 4:30pm tomorrow, Sunday the 24th. It’s supposed be on the chilly side and possibly rain tomorrow so it would be wise to pick up a pair of their incredibly comfortable, durable, and reasonably priced Skerry boots before enjoying a bread bowl of chowda and watching the regatta.

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Worth Repeating – September 2014

03-31-10 © shansekala Time flies! Already it’s September, and the year is two-thirds done. So naturally as I looked back through the New Leaf blog archives, I was especially drawn to past posts that help us make the most of our time. Here are a few I’d like to share, just in case you missed them the first time.

Perhaps you look to New Leaf and me (Margaret) for help with vision, mission, and setting goals. Good – we can talk about those all day! But once in a while, all we really need is some quick tips. I gathered 30 of tips on how to quit wasting time, one for every day of the month. Make this September the month you quit wasting time.

The worst kind of deception is self-deception. I’ve discovered some lies I tell myself. Are any of these prevarications on your rap sheet?

A few years ago my husband and I took a very special vacation. It put me in the mind of something Pablo Picasso said about procrastination. We will all do well to pay heed as 2014 races toward the new year.

I wish you the time of your life this September!

(photo from istockphoto.com 03-31-10 © shansekala)

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Copyright © 2009-2014 Margaret Lukens


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Vanderbilt News

Vanderbilt’s Ivey wins lifetime award from NAMM

Jul. 20, 2009, 2:22 PM

Bill Ivey, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and head of a prominent center at Vanderbilt University, was presented with a lifetime award from the NAMM, an international association representing the global music products industry.

Ivey was honored Saturday at the 2009 Summer NAMM show with NAMM’s “Music for Life” award. The award is the highest honor that NAMM bestows and recognizes extraordinary contributions to the mission of creating more active music makers.

“Mr. Ivey is a great champion of music and the arts,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “It is amazing to think about how many lives he has touched by his personal efforts to preserve and support these cultural endeavors.”

Ivey is director of Vanderbilt’s Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy, an arts policy research center with offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C. Ivey also directs the Curb Center’s Washington-based program for senior government career staff, the Arts Industries Policy Forum, and serves as senior consultant to Leadership Music, a professional development program serving Nashville’s music community.

Ivey served as team leader for arts and humanities in the Obama-Biden presidential transition. His book, Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights, was published by the University of California Press in 2008.

From May 1998 through September 2001, Ivey served as the seventh chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Following years of controversy and significant reductions in NEA funding, Ivey’s leadership is credited with restoring Congressional confidence in the work of the NEA. Ivey’s Challenge America Initiative, launched in 1999, has to date garnered more than $15 million in new Congressional appropriations for the Arts Endowment.

Prior to government service, Ivey was director of the Country Music Foundation. He was twice elected board chairman of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and is immediate past president of the American Folklore Society. Ivey holds degrees in history, folklore, and ethnomusicology, as well as honorary doctorates from the University of Michigan, Michigan Technological University, Wayne State University and Indiana University. He is a four-time GRAMMY award nominee (Best Album Notes category), and is the author of numerous articles on U.S. cultural policy, and on folk and popular music.

About NAMM

NAMM is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion international musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 member companies. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, visit or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).

Media Contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
Kymberly Drake, (760) 438-8007

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If you’re like me, then your favourite kind of getaway won’t be to a crowded city, but to the wide open spaces, to freedom and beauty and nature. Few parts of the world encapsulate that as well as the Jotunheimen National Park in Norway.

The name means “Home of the Giants” and it is easy to see why. Covering 1,151 square kilometres, and with over two hundred and fifty peaks, including the highest two in Northern Europe (Galdhøpiggen and Glittertind, both at nearly 2500m), the park is simply stunning. It is part of the larger Jotunheimen mountain region and the unique topography was mostly created by glacial movement, which led to the severe, crisp landscape you will find there.
The park has such variety of activities and interesting features you won’t want to leave. History buffs will be intrigued by the historical hunting sites which date back to the Stone Age.

Photo: hendry_670, Flickr.com
Photo: hendry_670, Flickr.com

For those interested in literature, the park captured the imagination of the world-famous playwright Henrik Ibsen in his drama Peer Gynt.

The wildlife is abundant and diverse, and it is not at all unusual to run into groups of reindeer on a trail.

The Besseggen Ridge Hike: This is one of the most popular hikes in all of Norway (and the world). It involves a total distance of about 13km, a descent of 759m, and takes between five and eight hours for someone with a reasonable level of fitness. Be warned that you should come prepared for this hike, bring plenty of water and food, warm clothes and the aforementioned fitness!

besseggen in jotunheimen norway

For those who want more adventure, you can also find:

  • Glacier walks in the Jotunheimen
  • Sjoa river rafting
  • Kite Skiing & Ski Touring
  • Summer Fun Parks –Very child friendly
  • Cross Country Husky Sledding
  • Cycling
  • Horseback Riding
  • Caving
  • Cycling
  • Ziplining
  • Scaling Glittertind

There are hotels, cottages and houses to rent, private cabins and camping all available in Jotunheimen. You can cabin it like a local or stay at a nice hotel right in nature.

Reviews of Jotunheimen National Park

The are is a hit. A great destination that will leave everyone happy.

On Tripadvisor, the two worst reviews are “very good”, and the only reason for a review that isn’t “excellent” is that the particular walk (the Bessengen Ridge Hike), was too difficult for the hikers due to their fitness level. Every other review is excellent, with people citing the abundance of wildlife and breath-taking scenery as their favorite aspects.

Photo- Herman Frantzen, Flickr.com
Photo- Herman Frantzen, Flickr.com

Can I get there by public transport?

Buses run regularly from Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Måløy all year around. The express bus from Oslo, which runs four times a day, is very modern and comfortable. It takes about five hours.

Some bus sites to look for more information are-
Nor-Way Bussekspress

Is there a fee for the use of the park?

There is a toll of 100 NOK (about $12) for entry to the park, which is very reasonable compared to many national parks in the world. It is also recommended that if you plan to spent more than two days in the park, that you buy a membership to the DNT (Norwegian Trekking Association) as it will give you discounts on accommodation as well as tonnes of information on treks and trails.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see one of the most wild and unspoiled parts of Europe. Always be prepared and plan your trip safely, this park is unique in every way.


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Electrovaya’s Litarion Signs MOU with E-Mobility OEM for Battery Modules

Electrovaya Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Litarion GmbH signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the e-mobility industry for the delivery of Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery modules starting in 2017.

Electrovaya says it will provide the battery modules, asserting that its technology and products are uniquely suited to the electric mobility market, as two of the critical performance parameters are highest cycle life and highest safety. The company states that its proprietary flexible ceramic separator, SEPARION, provides the highest safety in Li-Ion batteries.

The MOU envisages demand to be approximately $41 million, or EUR 37 million, in the first year and to grow quickly thereafter.

“We are pleased with this multiyear MOU, as this was achieved against strong competition, for this globally prominent major OEM in the electric mobility sector,” says Fritz Mueller, head of European sales. “Our multi-cell modules with laser welded tabs and built-in sensors are an attractive product for OEMs, who can use them as building blocks for many diverse battery applications in e-mobility.”

“MOU further strengthens our reach into multiple industrial sectors, and we are pleased in achieving this breakthrough into the electric mobility market with this major OEM,” Mueller continues.

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Last week, I read through the book of 1 Peter. It was incredibly relevant to what I am experiencing in life right now, and I made some notes on verses that stood out to me as I was reading.

1 Peter 1
:3 We have a living hope and inheritance – everything is not done. It doesn’t stop at salvation, yet neither is it necessary to wait until we die to experience this hope.
:7 Trials are not something to run from, but they refine our faith – if it is genuine (rooted in God), it will remain and result in “praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” This is the GOAL OF OUR FAITH. The one we have faith in will be glorified so we may enjoy His glory more.
:8-9 Faith in Christ requires trust, patience, perseverance, and a determination to focus on the “inexpressible and glorious” joy He provides. even when it looks like things are falling apart around me, I can be filled with joy in knowing that God is working out (has worked out) my salvation.
:13 I think the emphasis on our thoughts/mindsets/attitudes in this verse is interesting (and will later be seen in the rest of the book). “Prepare your minds for action, be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” It isn’t enough to simply try to act, or hope somehow we will act out the right ting. We need to plan ahead, think out the best course. We are to set our hope fully, which requires conscious, deliberate thought/attitude.
The verse immediately following says not to conform to our “evil desires.” These involve our thoughts, our inner selves. Not conforming can only be done through a choice to be “obedient children” to God. So our thoughts matter in that they help us take action and obey Christ.
:15 “Be holy in all you do” sounds like a tall order. But it shows God’s interest in all areas of our lives, not just a neat little section labeled “Sundays.” He doesn’t want us to just not do a few little rules then call it good, He wants us to involve Him in all we do. All our actions should be holy, done for His glory.
:17 We should live with a single focus and that should be God, not the world or ourselves. We should remember God as a Judge as well as our Father, and give Him the reverence He deserves. But the verse immediately following describes the sacrifice He made to redeem us from His judgment. So He is more caring than simply a judge, but because of that love and sacrifice, we have a greater obligation to fear God.
:22 Obeying the truth purifies us and enables us to love sincerely. Without God’s love, we could not show love to others, but because of it, we can and are expected to love others. This is the second time obedience is mentioned in this chapter.

1 Peter 2
:2-3 The emphasis is on growing once we’ve been saved, not merely staying in the same place spiritually. We are to continually taste more of the Lord’s goodness.
:9 We are chosen, made royal and holy by God so we “may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We are not simply to sit on our Treasure – we are to get out and declare it, grow to know and love God more.
:11 The term “wage war” here implies that our sinful desires (1 Pet.1:14) are not passive. They are warring against us. We must be mentally prepared for their attacks.
:12 We should be living so that others see God in us and are won over without words. Our actions bring God glory, which is why we are to be holy and blameless, yet our thoughts must also be holy and blameless, or we cannot act that way.
:15 It is God’s will that we do good and silence the talk of “foolish men.” Interesting that such importance is given to our actions without words. Our actions are so important that they can actually silence others’ words!
:18-21 I had never viewed this book as dealing with suffering before, but suffering is one of the key themes of this book. These verses, along with the ones in the first chapter, differentiate between sufferings. There is suffering as a consequence for sin. And there is suffering for righteousness. Everywhere in the world, there is suffering. We suffer, we know others who suffer; some have even said there is “irredeemable suffering” in the world, that is, too much suffering to ever be redeemed.
But 1 Peter says otherwise. Christ, our ultimate example, suffered. But not for anything He had done wrong. He suffered for others’ sins. This was “commendable before God.” And we are considered blessed if we also are chosen to suffer for doing right. Most of us suffer for doing wrong. Or merely from the consequences of Adam and Eve’s original sin. Most of us complain about this. But how many of us are willing to suffer for others? Or for God? For nothing we have done wrong? Lord, work on my heart. Strengthen me to gladly choose You over my comfort. Although suffering is ugly, at first it seems that nothing good can come from any of it, God can work it for good. It can become a way to please Him because when we suffer, we are showing how much more we value Him and than our own comfort, and therefore we bring Him glory.
:23 Along with the idea of suffering, the idea of no retaliation is very difficult for me. It is definitely not my first nature. I too often speak without thinking. This is yet another verse demonstrating the idea that actions speak louder than words. I think the second half of this verse is key. Because Jesus “entrusted himself to him who judges justly,” he was able to focus on God and not his enemies, his sufferings, or himself. He had no fear, and the desire for retaliation stems from fear, I think.


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Casting Crowns’ “Praise you In This Storm” is playing on my radio.
I feel there is a storm, yet no storm in my life. No. There’s a storm, just no rain.

It is spring, an unusually warm spring for northern Minnesota. The month of March has been unusually mild and dry. This is the first spring I can remember in which I haven’t seen puddles calling to be sloshed through.

I am at the most tense time in my life. I have never before felt such tension – physical, emotional, mental – not even in my last year of high school. Every part of me feels drained, stretched to the breaking point. I wonder when I will break. If I will.
Then I wonder why in the world I feel this way. After all, I may not have any plans that look as if they will fall into place, but I know the perfect Planner. He is so great He knows how to manipulate Time to suit his plans. Organization and attention to detail are His specialties. Yet, in spite of all that head knowledge, my head is tired and refuses to understand. Coming up repeatedly against brick walls tends to have that effect, I’ve learned.

The thunder cracks across the empty space. I feel it, know there is nothing I can do to halt it or change its course. I cannot move. Nor can I move it.

Lately, friends have been one of the sources of tension in my life. I always get a feeling of restlessness in the spring, feel that I should be more than I am, should be doing more than I’ve done; sometimes that feeling extends to relationships. I feel oddly dependent on people around this time of year for some strange reason. Yet I also feel most alone. I have not, however, had this sort of dependency before. I have had inexplicable, irrational compulsions to be with certain friends before, to simply be near them and know that they are alright. But I have not had so many friends depend on me before.
I feel that somehow, I’m letting them down. Yet I also wonder why they are not there for me. It’s very odd. Like the thunder, I cannot change it, cannot halt it. I can simply listen and hope to predict its next explosion.
I often think I listen, but no one listens back. Like the spring earth that gets dried by the warmth of the sun, but misses the rejuvenating rainfall.

Listening to friends is necessary, often enjoyable. Yet I need the rain. I need people to just listen, but not merely listen, to actively hear. It is not selfish. It is not arrogant. It is simply true.
How can I praise God in this? I feel weak, yet I must be strong for others. I feel drained, dry, but I must refresh others. I feel a responsibility for them that even they do not realize, or expect me to. That is where I praise God by giving them over to Him. Lifting them up to His perfect care, crying out for Him to carry them instead of me. I praise God by trusting that He is enough for me, that I need not rely on others to refresh my spirit. I praise God by thanking Him when others do come along and encourage me, to take the time to listen to what I’m feeling, experiencing, struggling with, then provide wise counsel when needed.

The scent of spring is in the air. The sun has warmed the grass, although everything has not yet greened. I feel that I am being stretched into something, I am growing into a mold I have not yet seen. I am almost an independent adult. But there are so many ways I am incredibly unprepared for that label. I need a dream. Or perhaps I need to stop dreaming. I’m not sure yet. I haven’t greened up enough yet. But I can praise God in the storm by abandoning my self-focus, allowing myself to appreciate the grandeur of the storm He has sent. Recognizing that there is so much more than myself in the world, that I am not my only hope, that He is my sole savior, is almost as refreshing as the rains that swell the streams and scent the air with their fresh coolness.

The sound and light of the storm swirl madly in a celestial chasing. Their crazy tangles mirror my thoughts. Mentally, I’m exhausted. I’ve chased myself in circles for the past year. What if I do this? What if I am not gifted enough to do that? What if it has nothing to do with natural talent but depends only on work or dedication? How much work can I put into it? How much should I? What do I want? What do I really want? What does GOD want? I cannot think any longer for thinking, thinking has made me blind. I can praise God by thinking on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. I can praise God by streamlining my mind, focusing on His perfection.

I have always been afraid of lightning. Ever since I was three and watched lightning strike an object a few yards away from me, I have feared its ability to destroy. I often fear my own ability to destroy. I see what I should be doing, try to measure up to some perfection. I see someone succeed at something. I think I should be able to do it better. And WHACK! , I have destroyed part of myself. Or I do not succeed like I think I should at something. Then I immediately blame myself. And soon white-hot condemnation sears through my confidence, splitting it apart wider than the large oak I saw by the roadside one summer after a tornado had passed through.

How can I praise God in this? When is my “failure” merely His direction, His closing a door He doesn’t want me to enter? And when is it Him challenging me to push harder, to test the door, push it open all the way? Do I thank God for the direction then abandon that path? Or do I simply pray for more strength and retry? Can I praise Him by simply focusing on Him rather than myself? By choosing to rely firmly on Him to clearly light the path He wants me to take, I am praising Him.
I can praise Him by relinquishing all my own bits of fire, my own tiny lightning bolts, in recognition that He is the ultimate Power, not me. I can praise Him by releasing all my worries and stress, the ones I’ve been hanging onto, as if afraid that they would strike Him down. I can praise Him by simply admiring the artistic patterns He uses His lightning to trace across the sky.

I lift my eyes up to the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth

For now, I feel the after-storm quiet. Although I know this storm will last longer than I wish, it is already over. It is won, it is finished. I am His, forever. Which means nothing else, no other power, can claim me.
I will praise God in this storm!
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons,
Neither the present nor the future,
Nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth,
Nor anything else in all creation
Will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
Our Lord.

-Romans 8:38-39


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Ninapintasantamaria's Blog

{January 20, 2009}   Housework

I’m really meant to be a rich woman.  On the news every night showing people my clean shaven (Waxed?  Yeah, they probably have a personal waxer.) tootie.  I’m meant to have a maid, a cook, and a dog-walker that follow me to the Mediterranean, Japan, and England, and wherever the hell else I feel like jumping on my leer jet and going.  I most emphatically am not meant to be hanging my husband’s uniforms and mopping floors, and picking up dog s___ because my dogs don’t understand this is their house and you don’t s___ where you eat.  I swear, it’s only in their room.  They don’t come in the rest of the house.  And I clean every week.  I swear!  Y’all don’t have to be afraid to come over, or anything.  We’re not those people.*sighs*  I JUST DON’T WANNAAAA!  There, did that give you an overview of my feelings about housework?  Let me know if you need a more elaborate display.  I can give it.  Oh yeah.  Uh-huh.  I can.  I would rent out that island on the travel channel the other night.  The one where they bring you drinks on the dock as you disembark, and fish for your meal personally?  You had to have seen it.  When I hit the lottery, I’m there.  Paris Hilton, ready or not, here I come!  Not that I would actually eat the fishy things, of course.  I haven’t touched so much as a fish stick since I was approximately 6.  That was waaaay before I started to try to procreate, so I’m ahead of the game, see?  Of course, if I were rich, I could just go and buy babies like that one “Hollywood couple who shall remain nameless.”  They wouldn’t actually admit to it, or anything, but that’s essentially what they’re doing.  I hate being po’ folks.  Well, I don’t really hate it, as I was raised with some values and morals, but it can be inconvenient when you have Dom Peringnon taste and a kool-aid budget like I’ve been blessed with.  My husband does keep me in the lifestyle to which I’ve become accustomed and all, but it’s just that I’ve had to become accustomed to southern-fried suburban.  Although, I suppose it is 1 step above deep-fried trailer park, so I guess I oughtta hush!

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Dave Congalton Of The Big Broadcast Comes To Nipomo

Dave Congalton, of local hometown radio fame, his lovely bride Charlotte, their four dogs and 12 cats have all moved to Nipomo! Wecome Congaltons and pets! The Adobe Press reports:

A place to retreat to at night and awake to the chorus of horses and roosters — that’s what Dave Congalton and Charlotte Alexander have experienced since their recent move to Nipomo.

While the couple’s careers may be high-profile, their new home isn’t.

“We both have high-pressure jobs, so it’s good to be able to escape here at night and recuperate,” Congalton said.

Alexander is executive director of United Way of San Luis Obispo County, and Congalton is a 14-year radio talk show host on News Talk 920 KVEC.

“The Dave Congalton Show” is a local talk show heard throughout the Central Coast each weekday afternoon that covers a range of topics.

Lately, some attention has shifted to conversation about issues facing Nipomo — development, restaurant critiques, things to do and the possibility of incorporation, to name only a few.

More focus on South County issues will likely continue in the future, Congalton said.

Dave's addition to Nipomo and the South County is likely to be positive for us in many ways. As Dave becomes more familiar with the local Nipomo issues hopefully some will give him ideas for The Big Broadcast, originating daily from KVEC 920 A.M. radio in San Luis Obispo:

“The more time I spend down here, the more familiar I’ll become with local issues and the more questions I’ll definitely have,” he said.

We will look forward to hearing Dave and Charlotte's voices in our south county symphony–well underway! It sounds as though they will be staying for a long time to come:

“We are enjoying the quiet, semirural lifestyle,” Alexander said, and they have patronized almost every restaurant in town. They have also spent time exploring the community’s back roads amid a milder climate than what they were accustomed to in Atascadero.

Everything so far is a reminder that they made the right move, Congalton said.

This time, the move may be permanent.

“I can see us being here for the long haul,” Alexander said.

We say, welcome Dave, Charlotte and animals–welcome to our paradise at the foot of the hills!

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China shoppersChinese tourists at Hong Kong's shopping district Causeway Bay.Reuters/Tyrone Siu
Chinese consumer confidence in August fell to its lowest level since February, a somewhat ominous signal given the dramas the Chinese economy was going through at the beginning of the year.
The latest Westpac-MNI China consumer-sentiment index fell 2.2% to 111.5.
A reading of 100 is deemed neutral, indicating that optimists and pessimists are equal in number. A figure above 100 indicates that there are more optimists than pessimists.
While on balance this is still the case, it is also true that there has never been a sub-100 reading in the history of the survey, dating back to April 2007.
Fitting with the weakness in the headline index, it came as no surprise that four of the survey's five components weakened in August.
Of note, measures on household finances dived, particularly for expected finances, which slumped to the lowest level on record. It fell by 6.8% — the fourth decline in the past five months — leaving the year-on-year drop at 13.4%.
Westpac MNI china consumer sentiment August 2016Westpact
That isn't exactly building confidence when it comes to the outlook for consumption, especially as this is being relied upon to power economic growth in the years ahead.
Perhaps explaining the weakness in sentiment, expectations for the labor market continued to deteriorate, with the employment outlook indicator declining to a six-month low of 92.2.
Chinese policymakers are attempting to remove excess capacity from the nation's industrial and commodities sector, resulting in widespread job losses.
Perceptions toward business conditions also weakened, with the measures looking one and five years ahead sliding by 4% and 0.9%.
Despite the weakness in the gauges measuring personal finances, the only component that improved in July was durable buying conditions — a measure on expected spending — which rose by a robust 2.1%.
Westpac notes there was a significant increase in car-buying sentiment, with the survey's car-purchase expectations indicator moving back above the 100 level to its highest since April.
Though he believes some of the weakness in August could have been caused by isolated events, Matthew Hassan, a senior economist at Westpac, acknowledges that deterioration is "concerning and a threat to what is still only a patchy improvement in the wider economy."
"Some of the August sentiment decline may be due to one-off events, with significant developments both in China (severe flooding in northern and central China) and abroad," he says.
"However the overarching theme is still of a clear loss of confidence since earlier in the year. Chinese consumers are less convinced that business conditions are improving and look to be bracing for another hit to their finances."
Given the importance of consumption as a driver of Chinese growth in the period ahead, Hassan believes "restoring confidence will be critical to shoring up demand near term and may also be critical in ensuring a more durable recovery emerges down the track."
Read the original article on Business Insider Australia. Copyright 2016. Follow Business Insider Australia on Twitter.


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About Teresa

Music fan and more

Chris Stapleton, authentic country

File_000Spring music season is underway with lots of bands hitting the road as the weather warms up. Months ago, we bought tickets to see Chris Stapleton in Roanoke. The show sold out quickly so we were glad to get in the door and it’s been a long wait!

Roanoke’s Berglund Colesium was packed with loud, energetic country and bluegrass fans. Stapleton’s first solo album, Traveller, was a big country hit. Lots of folks thought he was new to the scene but he’s been traveling the music road for years. He was a big part of The SteelDrivers, a great bluegrass band. He wrote songs and provided those strong vocals for the band.

Stapleton brings the audience back to what country used to be, not pop-country but old school, authentic country.

This two-hour set included several favorites from Traveller and a few older tunes from the SteelDriver days. The show was on April 20 so he opened up with Might as Well Get Stoned. 😉

Stapleton’s lyrics are often simple but pure and beautiful. Running on hope and a tank gas, like dreams ain’t just for dreamers,” he says in When the Stars Come Out. Another nice line is “I drink because I’m lonesome and I’m lonesome because I drink,” in Between Whiskey and Me.

Stapleton is a triple threat. He’s a fantastic guitarist. He’s long been a successful songwriter, with number one songs recorded by artists like George Strait and Kenny Chesney and his songs have been on albums from a variety of country artists and even Adele! But his real strength, in my opinion, is his pipes. His voice has depth and variety and those slow bluesy songs give him plenty of opportunity to wail on the lyrics. The combination of all of that, plus about 9,000 screaming fans, is something special!

Other highlights included Country Song, Parachute, Fire Away, complete with a cell phone and lighter candlelight ending all around the audience. He ended the show with the hit Tennessee Whiskey and sang intros for all the band, including several sweet lines about his wife, Morgane. What a romantic!

His band for this tour was a four piece group with a drummer and bass player, plus his wife, Morgane, on vocals and Chris plays guitar and belts out wonderful country tunes.

I wish the sound had been clearer when he talked. It was difficult to make out what he was saying as he chatted between songs.

He played a song from his new album, From A Room: Vol. 1. It’s out in May and is one of two long awaited albums he will be putting out this year. Can’t wait to hear them!