Something to Make All This Snow Worthwhile

I recently went snowshoeing with my friend Colleen in the Pinkney State Recreation area and took some pics. Its nice to have something to do outside when you can't go snowboarding b/c you're broken.

The Trail was beautiful, and thankfully Colleen and Mel had been out the day before and beat down the path so snow didn't pile up on our shoes. Mel is apparently good at finding spots to take pictures, using trees and sign posts for the camera becuase we didn't need to look for a spot, just re-took the ones from the day before

We took the short route this time but next time I definitely want to do the whole 6 mile loop.

Locavore Slow Food challenge

So seeing as the first of the year is steadily approaching and I've made claims to start this locavore slow food challenge (props to Kate for the new word) I thought it appropriate to give an update or at least start defining the ground rules of this idea. I have been reading this book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver that a friend suggested to me and its giving me quite a few good ideas on how I am actually gonig to pull this off.

This book is about how a family moved out from their city life in Arizona to a farm they owned in Virginia and decided that for a year they would only eat local food and try and reduce distance their food traveled. Its pretty amazing when one steps back and actually looks at the food cycle he or she is a part of. Especially when a book like this points out how silly it actually is to eat food that comes all the way from China instead of food from the farmer who lives less than an hour away. Not only does it take less fossil fuels but it is healthier and promotes responsible farming practices and fair treatment of workers (not to say that non-American farmers can't farm w/out destroying the land - just that industrial farming doesn't really take into account the land they are destroying and that most food imported is owned by large farming corporations).

I am stepping off my soapbox now. Back to the topic at hand, the challenge. It started out in the form of me not eating any meat that doesn't directly result from me (hunted, caught or raised etc.). This is somewhat hard to do considering I have 20 square feet of front lawn and no room to raise any sort of animals. This also doesn't take into count all the vegetables I would be eating, that is a big part of the food 'industry'. So I have designed the ground rules as follows.

The Locavore Slow Food Challenge:

1. If I cannot produce something first hand I will and get it from the farmers market or a farmers co-op that sells all year round online. If i still cannot get it I will go to the local health food store and look for it organically. If I still can't get it depending on how much I need it I may go to Meijer and get it organically.

2. Starting in the middle of the winter is probably the worst timing for this challenge seeing as I have only stockpiled venison and frozen fruits that are mostly not organic, so I am affording myself some loopholes until the growing season starts in March so anything I already have stocked up is fair game (but I'm not going to stock pile anything else)

3. Any meat must be non-CAFO (Confined Animal Feed Operation) In other words no meat from industrial meat operations. Any vegetables must be at least grown locally if not organic (although certified organics are also becoming kind of a joke).

4. The hardest rule of all (bar nights and long car rides will suck!) NO FAST FOOD.

This is how I am going to do it:

I will make a monthly order from the West Michigan Co-op.

I will shop at my local independant grocer that carries many different kinds of organic food.

I will buy bread from the local bakery by my house

I will try to cut out as many packaged foods as possible including organics.

I will become a member of a local CSA at Trillium Haven Farm (anyone in the GR area want to go in on a share? Trillium with doesn't split shares and I dont need vegetables for a family of 4 but two other ppl would work out good)

I will buy vegetables as they are in season from the farmers market on saturdays and can, freeze and pickle as many as possible.

I've got enough venison to feed a family of 4 so after sharing I should have enough to totally cut out the need for purchasing red meat and I will buy my poulty, dairy and any other meats I need from the co-op or the local farm store as needed.

There are still probably millions of things I am not taking into account but I will cross those bridges when I get to them.

Update

UPDATE.....

Long lost disposable cameras are great!!

So I found this camera a while back while unpacking and I finally got it developed. I had no idea where it came from or what was on it. I was not disappointed by what came out of that envelope.

Most of the pics on the camera were from my 23rd birthday party. I was living in Kalamazoo at the time and had a few friends over for "Cinco de Mike-o" (my birthday is the fifth of May).





My little sister Emma even made it out after we came home from the bar and brought her roommate (SM)Ashley.





The follwing were my favorite pictures of this unforgetable disposable camera. Be forewarned I no longer condone any of what follows.





Especially not Roe in his underwear with no shirt on........

l'art du déplacement

The Art of movement. I've been watching these videos on youtube lately about parkour. Parkour is an activity or "sport" that has been growing in popularity lately in the states and all over the world. It was started by David Belle in Lisses, France. Its been featured in alot of movies recently. Like in the opening of the recent James Bond flick when Daniel Craig is chasing that guy. I dont know if I could ever do any of the things these people are doing but it's pretty cool to watch and think about doing.

Heres a video of the founder David Belle and some of his clips

APOD Bummer

So I had this awesome picture I got at the Atronomy Picture of the Day (which has some amazing pictures BTW). I planned on getting this particular picture blown up and printed onto a framed peice of canvas from Fed-Ex Kinkos. But alas, I was not able to b/c of the aspect ratio and low mostly due to the low resolution of the picture so I am going to post it here for everyone to see.


This is a pic of the Great Nebulae in the Orion constellation. I love the contrast of the red and the blue and that the red part is somewhat shaped like a heart, although the blue nebula is somewhat yonic. Thats also your word of the day.

Check out the A.P.O.D (Astronomy Pic Of the Day)

Latest Happenings

The quasi-annual camping trip known originally as the "Men and Boys" camping trip was last week. The name is somewhat misleading as now most of my cousins and I are over 21 so it was renamed to the "Old Men and Men" camping trip (to much objection by the old men). This trip has been happening almost evey year ever since I can remember. I'm under the impression it started as a keen way for all the men to get together for a weekend of drinking and bad decisions and that having children meant that if one child came, all of them would come to keep each other busy (sarcasm!). Over the years it has become a great way for us to get together and keep in touch and enjoy the outdoors. As many of 15 of my male cousins and all of my uncles have made it to the woods together for these trips.

There is a lot of history wrapped up in all those trips around the state for long weekends and canoing trips. Now that all the boys are grown up it has become quite a drunken weekend involving fishing, hunting, guns, occasional spear making and throwing competitions and general disregard for smart choices, as seen below.

From Brimey Blowout 08

We were in the town of Brimley in Michigan's upper penninsula this year for a tripped dubbed as the "Brimley Blowout" at Brian Halls barn. Everyone made it home without physical injury which made the trip a success. It was a beautiful weekend and I managed to get some good pics of the setting sun hitting the fall colors. There was a promise to open up the barn every second week in October if we chose to make Brimley the official home of the Old Men and Men trip. I dont think Brian knows what he got himself into.

From Brimey Blowout 08

I can't wait until next year.

Humongous Pillow Fight

So there was a giant pillow fight in Rosa Parks circle this Sunday. I was fishing and saw some people walking around with Braveheart-esque face paint and wondered what was going on. Little did I know there were hundreds of people gathered to smash pillows in other peoples faces, how fun that would have been. My Grandmother heard about it down in Tennessee!

There is an Mlive article about it but the general idea was this: a GRCC student wanted to do something fun that involved a bunch of people around town so he organized the event on Facebook and eventually the city ended up sponsoring it and payed the expenses. The guy who planned it is looking to do another "Urban Event" It would be fun to be a part of that. It was suggested by the author of the article that everyone gathers in Calder Plaza and does the Robot for 5 minutes - thats kinda weird, but I break it down with a mean robot so I might have to partake.

It's pronounced koh-hoh.

I landed my first Salmon yesterday. It was a 33 inch Coho Salmon and weighed about 18 pounds. I went fishing in the Grand River by Ah-Nab-Awen park with my buddy Brad from Ferris Rugby. On my second cast the salmon hit really hard and I was psyched as soon as I set the hook. It was a hard fought battle for about 20 minutes but after a sore wrist the fish gave up. It's always a good time when the salmon are running because they are in the river so thick you can see their dorsal fins popping out of the river. A re-enactment of my salmon fishing experience can be seen below.


(Thats supposed to be me in the orange!)

The fish I put in the freezer Sunday will help with my quest to challenge myself and eat only meat that I provide. But at this point I am not sure exactly how my challenge is going to pan out or what rules I will hold myself to but I do know this: It will start in whatever form on the first of the year and go on for as long as I care to continue doing it. Thanks to my friend Erin I've got a new book to read: "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver to add to another great book that started me thinking more about what I eat and where it comes from: 'In Defense of Food:An Eaters Manifesto' by Michael Pollen. I can vouch for the Pollen title and I'll let you know more about the other one after I read it, but I bet its going to be good.

[Insert Clever Title Here]

Today I had my first ever squirrel hunting experience. My roommate Mike and I went out to Cannonsburg state game area and walked around for a while after work. Until now I've only hunted for deer which requires a much higher investment of time and money. This adventure wasn't very productive and I only saw one squirrel and it was on a tree quite far away and it was gone by the time I got to the tree... but I'm determined and plan to spend more time in the woods.

Now before you write me off as some red-neck hillbilly let me explain. I have made a goal for myself this coming year to eat only meat that I kill and butcher. I have a lot of respect for vegetarians but I am not ready to take that step yet and I believe 'normal' meat is healthy for you (not corn-fed fatty beef pumped full of hormones and anti-biotics). I feel bad every time I take an animals life, but isn't that the point? Every time someone pulls into the drive through at McDonald's shouldn't they realize that an animal was killed to provide that meat? I'm proud that I take an active role in the meat that I eat. So I'm trying to fill up my freezer for the winter - I can see I'm going to have to put in some more time in the woods before I can enjoy some squirrel stew.

Number 2

Having a flooded basement is not fun. It started with just a little bit of water coming through the walls of a very holy michigan basement, and ended up as water seeping up through the hole in the ground where the sump pump should be but is not. Then things got smelly as the city sewers started backing up and water/fecal matter started coming through the drain. Which was even cooler.

Luckily most of my posessions stayed dry because the neighbors with whom we share a basement with were nice enough to knock on the door and let us know there was about an inch of liquids covering the basement floor - ah the luxuries of living in a vintage house.

On a brighter note I have offically started attending rugby practice for the Grand Rapids Gazelles Rugby Football Club. Even though I will be out of town hunting most of October I hope to get some B-side time in the next few weeks which will help me stay in shape.

It's nice to have some time to try and put down roots in Grand Rapids and get used to being in one place for a while.

Here we go

alright.........

Step one: create blog.

Step two: ??

Step three: Self actualization.

This being my first ever blog post I'm not sure where to take it. Do I discuss my opinions, vent, give advice, lament, write notes to my future self to remind me to live life to the fullest? Not sure, we'll see where this random rambling takes me for now.

Hopefully this will one day be hosted on my own webspace but first I've gotta see if this works for me.