Where Birds, Squirrels and Humans Meet

For over a decade we have supported the winter feeding of birds. Right now we have a hexagon shaped feeder that holds over a gallon of sun flower seed. blue birds, red headed work peckers, cardinals, finches and a few other bird species love to visit. Our back yard is like an air field. Birds first line up in the back woods and wait for a clear approach. They approach the feeder, avoiding mid air collisions, and land on the ledge for a seed extravaganza.

And along with any free food outlet come the squirrels. Through the years we have experimented with different squirrel defense fortifications, or maginot lines, designed to keep the squirrels out of the bird feeder. I have come to learn that squirrels are very creative. They use persistent experimentation to find ways to reach the feeder. Some historical data- Over the past four years the squirrels have learned to jump eight inches higher. Second, a twelve inch disc that provides a protective squirrel collar no longer works. The squirrels now jump from the railing to the pole, shimmy up to the collar and do a wrap around maneuver to get up to the feeder.

So today I added a sixteen inch collar that goes on top of the twelve inch barrier.  Three hours since placement the squirrels efforts to reach the feeder have been subverted; my victory for the day.

p.s. the squirrels do not go hungry. At the deck level they feed on the seeds dropped by the birds at the feeder.

Speak Now, Oh Warrior

Speak Now Oh Warrior- a poem for solstice
Days shortened in light
Temperatures drop and I shutter as the
    northern breeze touches my neck
I stand here watching the stars move overhead
    like my father, like his father and his and his before me

Men I have not known but who lived in the
    same environ of trees, air, earth, fire and water
Men I do not understand; Men now laid to rest,
    who lived as the hunters and warriors before me with families, work
    and spoken and quiet questions

Warriors who survived catching food, fought
    great battles; who mated, hunted and
    gathered in a time before telecommunications,
    machines, running water, heat,
    before Nordstroms or Stop & Shop
Warriors who never understood 23 ½ degree
    tilt or why darkness came or why seasons repeat

Perhaps they lived in fear and desired to serve
    the great master of the seasons;
    their perspective limited to telling the great
    stories of their ancestors painted across the sky

Or maybe they had it figured out just right.
    There is darkness and there is light.
    A cycle of light and darkness that occurs in perfect balance

My breath quickens as I look up and see Orion’s belt,
    sword hanging as he walks
    the skies with his dogs. I live in awe
    knowing this heritage continues today

Speak now oh warrior. The cycle has begun again.
    The light is reborn! Farmers now know the planting day.
    This is the season of greater darkness
    and now we stand, speak and celebrate

Sing now in song, oh warrior!
    the sun comes back again and again

All material copyrighted by the author

Sherlock Ohms- The Electrically Challenged Sailboat

Voltaire experimented with frogs legs to demonstrate that nerves passed electrical currents causing a kick. Ohms law states the relationship between voltage, resistance and current. Design News relates problems that engineers face and how they approach finding a solution. They call this segment "Sherlock Ohms". It's in this blog because a) the problem happened on a sailboat and b) It is the nature of people to look at a system and identify how to analyze and improve it based on laws.

Here is the data: The Case of the Electrically Challenged Sailboat by Bob Humphreys
Over history, boat manufacturers, repairers and owners have used many inappropriate materials to conduct electricity. Finding those materials is often a challenge.
This particular one involved a 39′ sailboat made by a world renowned manufacturer. The retired owner was having difficulty starting the diesel engine in certain circumstances and was beginning to wonder if his choice for a retirement boat was a mistake.
This boat had two large 8D gel-cell batteries, a 150A 12V alternator and an aftermarket voltage regulator adjusted to prevent overcharging of the batteries. The batteries were connected to the engine through a ‘1, 2, both, off’ battery switch and when the engine was cold, it would not start using only one battery. When the battery switch had both batteries selected the engine would start without difficulty and the observed difference between single and dual battery cranking was a slight drop in cranking RPM.
The boat was two years old, and since new the starter had been rebuilt once and replaced, the positive cable from the battery switch to the starter had been replaced with one of significantly greater cross section, all with no change. My yard was storing this boat in anticipation of a sale in the spring because the owner just couldn’t rely on the engine.

This is also a great example as it shows how other people tried to identify and solve the problem. Philosophers state that that a problem can only be addressed from a consciousness (or understanding) that is larger than the original problem. The sleuth demonstrated that.

Click here for to find the solution:

And with this the case is closed.

Morning Clarity

So well represented today by the frost on the back deck.
(click on picture to enlarge)

Rumi says it perfectly

Today's Panhala poem is by Rumi.  On A Day When the Wind is Perfect
and my favorite section reminds me of going out for a sail-

On a day when the wind is perfect

the sail just needs to open

and the love starts.

Sunrise Planet Newark

I know that texting while driving or using your cell phone without a headset are dangerous operations. Dangerous for yourself and others on the road. In addition to my iphone camera I usually travel with a point an shoot camera in the car. With that I caught the sunrise while heading south on the NJ turnpike. It shows the eastern radiance highlighting the cargo cranes of the wharf.  I heard once that in Oakland, CA the tall shipping cranes were an inspiration to George Lucas when he designed the robots in the sand battle for the second Star Wars film. The sun, the cranes provided an awesome view of planet-full living.

Sun Angle

It's getting dark earlier now. This weekend we will adjust our clocks and align sunrise with our waking hours. I went walking yesterday in the late afternoon.  Over half the leaves seem to be down and we have gone below freezing for two mornings in a row now. Yes, shorter days and cold are here. I haven't been on the lake trail in a month so this was a happy re-walk.

The hornet's nest I watched since June has now fallen off the bush, bees gone, paper mache form opened up and the comb structure revealed. What struck me the most was seeing the sun illuminate the group of yellow leaf trees on the mountain. Mountains monitor two sides with their constant presence.

The sun's late afternoon narrow angle presented shade at the lake and bright yellow at the trees. Breath taking. I'm heading back today for a repeat performance.

Genius Sails

Such a gift of water, wind, waves, sunsets and friends. In his essay Spiritual Laws R.W. Emerson said.

"A man's genius, the quality that differences him from every other, the susceptibility to one class of influences, the selection of what is fit for him, the rejection of what is unfit, determines for him the character of the universe. A man is a method, a progressive arrangement; a selecting principle, gathering his like to him, wherever he goes."

On these days and evenings, cloudy, sunny, windy or adrift we explored our uniqueness and celebrated our genius. Here are some remembrances our these times.

The Personality of Clouds

Clouds, like every other element on Earth, have personality.  During the 'Genius Sails' we had the chance to witness clouds of many sorts. The expressions are diverse.

Sailing Conditions- just the facts

NOAA NY area winds (scroll down to New York Harbor)

National Weather Service NY temps and winds upriver

Live calculating Tide, Sunrise, Sunset and Moon Calculations Haverstraw (non-gov site)

Regional Radar- (turn on animation to see directional change- doesn't work on iphone...for iphone download  WABC-TV news app and clock on animated radar) 

Integrating Variability with Predictability

Sailing during this late summer has included times of easy expectation and also times of hair raising excitement. Small boat sailing is a process of examining the natural conditions and then constructing a plan to work with them in order to move the boat through the water. This post is about working with variability and predictability.

Predictable Currents at Buoy 25

The wind, weather forecast, tidal current, sun and moon angles, sail selection and sail trim all provide data that gets integrated before embarking and then again when out on the water. On calmer days you can take your time. On windier days with gusts 30% higher than the norm you get a change in apparent wind direction that require a prompt sail and steering adjustment.

Predicability
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides 2-3 day forecasts that have proved to be pretty accurate. I keep the sites bookmarked on my iphone. Most of the time I only read the first...what are the winds going to be today?
NOAA NY area winds (scroll down to New York Harbor)
National Weather Service NY temps and winds upriver
Live calculating Tide, Sunrise, Sunset and Moon Calculations Haverstraw (non-gov site)
Regional Radar- (turn on animation to see directional change)

Variability
Last weekend was a great northwest wind day.  Northwest winds come when a Canadian high pressure system comes to town. They are characterized by periods of steady wind and then variable gusts. On the North-South oriented Hudson River a northwest wind means it is easy to sail South. Sailing back to the North requires tacking and sailing a longer than a straight line distance (86 sec video).

Last weekend on Haverstraw Bay the winds were 10-15 knots with gusts to 25 knots. (A knot is 1.1 mile an hour).
This sailor near Fisher's Island on Long Island Sound experienced the variability and the force of the northwest wind that contributed to the boat grounding. This and other accidents that day are described in "The Day"- Thanks Joe)

Sailing blends the predictable and the variable that makes every voyage different. When the variable gets outside the range of predictable conditions a chain of events can happen so quickly that the training of what to do next, a process of real time integrated thinking, may not keep up. Accidents can happen. Some years I have shied away from heavy and variable winds conditions. This year I find it invigorating.

We wear life jackets, practice MOB (man overboard) drills and it's been great. More posts on sailing to follow.

Learning to Sail

This is a resource post to help new sailors understand more while they are out on the water. An Introduction to US Sailing Association is here. It is a little dated but has the principles have not changed.

Learn to Sail- great videos from US Sailing Association and a Primer on Sailing See here for a list of many 1 minute videos

Points of Sail  - learn the language. Depending where the wind is coming from with respect to the boat, a specific name is used. - Source: US Sailing The Ultimate Source in Sailing Education

Knots used on a sail boat

Demonstrated on small boats these videos give you an idea of what to do when tacking and jibing. Both Videos are from US Sailing.
Tacking - You are tacking when zig-zagging back and forth to sail upwind.
Jibing downwind (heads down). You Jibe when the wind is at your back and you want to make a turn.
The audio explains the call and response between the helms person (person steering) and the crew (person moving the lines and sails).

They also have a self learning page on definitions. When you hear the words, port, starboard, bow, stern, leeward, windward it's great for new sailors to know in advance what the term means.


Man Overboard Drill- In case it happens...

After the Storm

As a teen I took up sailing with an attitude when my father moved from the speed and noise of power boats to the slow and quiet of the sailboat. As an adult I have gone through periods of sailing my boat, sailing on friend's boats, and no sailing-no boat. For the past five years I've had a 22 foot trailer sailer. It is a perfect low maintenance vessel used on the water in summer and resting in the driveway in winter. My intention this year has been to share sailing with friends and family. And it is going oh so perfectly!

Last night was a late start because of the a thunder storm traveling from west to east. We were on the edge of the storm and delayed our embarking to wait for the rain. The rain stopped and right before going out we saw this rainbow- touching land to the south and the north. Out on the water the thin wispy clouds continued to pour over the western slopes. We traveled to Ossining, toured the prison by sea and returned with a dark, star lit night as the wind died and the current built against us

An awesome place to be. Today it is blowing 15-20 knots from the west-northwest. Sailing begins at 4:30.

Theodore Parker- most famous

I continue to study the historical dimension of men and women who have described liberal philosophy of religion. The transcendentalists resonate as foundations of my beliefs. In UUWorld this week the 200th anniversary of the birth of Theodore Parker and his contribution in American religious thought is highlighted. 

"Theodore Parker was perhaps the most influential American Unitarian minister who ever lived. He was one of the greatest American preachers; the leader, with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, of the Transcendentalist movement; and a major antislavery leader and theorist of democracy. His example inspired generations of radical activists..." (more)

“I believe in God. Only I spell it N-A-T-U-R-E."

This quote by Frank Lloyd Wright is the summary of an article written by Michelle Richards in her post 'A Reluctant Camper' in Unitarian Universalist Parenting.

Our family has camped- mostly in warm weather and sometimes sleeping on top of rocks. I too have experienced the wonder and quiet of the night. Have you?

Margaret Fuller- Happy 200th birthday

Margaret Fuller took her transcendentalist ideals to action that is now the subject of a new book.


Update 8/25/2010
For a greater detailed bio and description of Margaret's life, relationship with Ralph Waldo Emerson, her teaching and work see Kimberly French's article "Radiant Genius and Fiery Heart" published  this summer at www.UUWorld.org - the website of Unitarian Universalists.

Answer- the Electrically Challenged Sailboat

This post spoke about the Sherlock Ohms solving the electrical problem of the sailboat.
It is from this Dec 2010 Design News Article written by Bob Humphries.

Here is the answer to the problem on the sailboat:
"During the winter decommissioning I went head-first into a locker to examine the back of the engine and found the ground stud on the engine bell-housing was hot enough to raise a blister on my hand. The engine manufacturer had installed a stainless steel 3/8 x 16 1″ long stud to use as a grounding point for the multiple grounds from the various electrical loads. The stud was threaded into the engine block and a nut was used to tighten the bell-housing, then the ground wires were placed on the protruding stud.
The resistance of this bolt caused a significant voltage drop which severely limited the voltage to the starter. I installed a #00 ground wire direct to the bell-housing next to the starter itself and ran the ground wire to a copper buss bar mounted on a nearby bulkhead and connected all grounds to the buss bar.
The owner removed the boat from the market and enjoyed it for many years. Stainless steel is a wonderful material for fastening in the marine environment and works well for clamping two things together but should never be used as a current carrying component."

Emerson's Essays Overview and Homework

Your Resource and HW Center

Class Outline, Attendance Requirements and Details on the Class
The Latest Agenda- week by week

HW for Class 1

HW for Class 2
HW for Class 3 
HW for Class 4
HW for Class 5

Summary of all HW Assignments
What is my HW Status?-  See it on the spreadsheet

Outline for Transcendentalist Reports

Who is reporting each week-- the schedule

The Dial Project- due June 2- Instructions
7 Tips on Writing Your Dial Essay - read before you write
Who is writing which article for the Dial

The Capstone Project- due June 9- Instructions

Key Web Sites, Texts and DVD material:

Transcendentalists.com

RWE.org

Wikiquotes on Emerson

Cliff Notes on Emerson

Donna M Campbell Washington State Univ Notes

The Dial -  Magazine of the Transcendentalists

Rev John’s blogs:

One Forest Many Trees- a nature blog

Heart and Spirit Space-  descriptions of the mystery 

Class Member (old & new) blogs and other Inspiration
Matt's Walking Journey - daily photos and notes walking from Rockaway, NY across the US

Photos of Earth from Astronaut Sunita Williams

A view of Nature that was not available to RWE
ThoughtsOnPaper- a class member's blog
FithDecadeClick- a blog started for the Emerson class remains active

Fall (2)

Already it's the end of October and the woods continue to change daily. Monday I began my week with a walk along the River. After a weekend of heavy downpours of rain and attending to several commitments it was a good time to experience beauty and peace. The morning sun entered the woods highlighting the colored leaves still waiting to drop. With blue skies and no wind the forest was still while the Ramapo slowly drifted southward carrying leaves resting on the water's surface.

This is my second post on Fall and in just one month the woods have changed significantly. Although the temperatures are in the 60s the trees have nearly all dropped their cyclic cover. Just as I enjoy the empty woods of the Spring, full of anticipation of the plant growth to come I now enjoy the fall and the empty trees readying themselves for the cold winds due within the next month. Walking along the River I imagine the 18th century farmers harvesting their crops from the rich and replenished soil of the flood plane. The land remains beautiful.

It is the fall where the path opens up, the clutter is removed and the next steps appear so clearly. The underbrush has disappeared and the leaves create a new bed 'settling into colorful layers carpeting the ground' (Edward Hirsch). Squirrels dart through the environment and continue their work in preparation for the next days of shorter daylight as we approach the winter solstice.

Clearing in the Woods- Fall (1)

Fall arrived last week without much fanfare. I've had a sore back condition for about 3-4 weeks in August/September and I am rejoicing to be pain free...and back hiking. Today's temperatures were 74 and humid with lots of wind from the southwest as a new colder front moves in.

The two most inspiring periods in the woods are Spring and Fall. In Spring you can see the new growth sprouting in April and by the end of May the trees are in full leaf and the ground cover has filled in. It goes from empty space to full green thick growth in that two months. And now, early Fall, the green cover has subsided, the river level has subsided and the woods yells out with the sound of dropping leaves forming a rug on which to hike, padded seats on which to rest, and colors on which to feast your eyes.