That's what I say...

Peat and repeat were in a boat...

2008-07-07T11:17:00.001-07:00

What is peat, anyway? Peat is decayed moss and other plants that accumulate over time (centuries to millenia) in Irish bogs (Not just in Ireland, but the subject of this blog post is our trip to Ireland, so...).

This organic muck (a.k.a turf) is dug out of the bog, traditionally with a special shovel. The picture above shows some dug by tractor.

The peat is dried and then stacked, first in small piles to finish drying, then in larger stacks for storage.

The dried turf is then burned like firewood in fireplaces, etc. It has a distinctive smell - kind of like pipe tobacco but less sweet, more spicy. We frequently caught a whiff on the breeze during our hikes and drives through the countryside.

And, like many other surprising items, you can buy Irish peat on the internet. I now have two small bags of peat chunks for use in barbecuing. It smells just like I remember. Some of you may have the chance to share the experience at our next cookout.

As is often the case, peat smoke is now the "smell of Ireland" in my mind. The scent takes me back to our trip. I can't wait to smell it again!

Let's paint the house...

2008-07-05T05:50:00.001-07:00

People who know me would probably say I have a pretty conservative style when it comes to color. (If I even have any style at all :-) But I really loved the way Irish houses, especially in the towns made use of many and various hues. The houses in Ireland are almost all of stone or concrete covered with "plaster"... what we would call stucco. Then they're painted in almost any color. These 4 photos from Timoleague (top), Kenmare (top middle), Waterville (bottom middle), and Sneem (bottom) give a sample.

To me, somehow, the contrasting (more polite than 'clashing') colors made the towns and villages more vibrant and alive.

Too bad we have vinyl siding...

Fascinating...

2008-07-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

This really amazed me. Many of the toilets we saw in Ireland were a bit more primitive than US toilets. But not this one:

Notice the dual controls on the wall: one big button and one little button. Each one produced a different flushing level, depending on your "business." Truly the cutting edge.

Maybe I'll be a monk when I grow up...

2008-06-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of our Ireland trip was the day we visited Timoleague Abbey. it's a ruined abbey originally inhabited by monks in the 1100's. The setting is really beautiful: on the edge of a long narrow arm of the sea in a quaint little town. All that's left is the stone walls and a variety of grave markers of varying ages. It appears that the grounds and interior of the abbey are still used as cemetery space, and have been for quite some time. Many of the rooms were marked with stone plaques to indicate how they fit into monkly life.

I was profoundly struck by the historical place of the church and our connection to that history. Sometime, almost a thousand years ago, a few monks and probably many local villagers, who were scraping a pretty hard living out of the land and sea, made a considerable investment in time and materials to build a church and associated buildings, which survive (mostly) today. They were people very much like us (though with much less stuff), who put aside their daily struggles for sustenance, security, and comfort to gather and praise, worship, and pray to the same God we know today.

I know Mike Hsu is big on our connection to the historical church, but somehow it became more real to me to put my hands on stones laid by ancient monks, look out the windows they did, and worship their God in that place. I've never had much desire to visit Israel but after my experience in Ireland, I think I may be reconsidering.

Oh... and of course we took many pictures. Here are a few.

Do the Irish really know their beer?

2008-06-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Back from Ireland and back to blogging after a long absence... We had a great time in Ireland. Among other things, we sampled a variety of wonderful local beverages. These included Guinness (of course), Murphy's Stout, Beamish Stout (my personal favorite), Bulmer's Cider (on tap in most Irish pubs), and Smithwick's Irish Ale (pronounced 'smitix'). All are very good beers (or cider). All are even better when drunk in an authentic Irish pub - by which I mean a pub in Ireland.

Heineken was also very popular among the locals, but we didn't drink any.

There was one other beer that we did NOT try during our visit to Ireland. It was available on tap in every pub we visited. It was apparently very popular - we saw lots of people drinking it. It was also more expensive than any of the beers mentioned above. Generally these would all be signs of quality that might entice me to try a beer. However, in this case, I was not enticed to try the Budweiser.

Goes to show that any beer is appreciated more when imported, I guess.

In a loosely related photo, here's Gina examining a strange artifact during one of our hikes. We first thought is was some kind of primitive bronze age tool. Turned out to be a primitive aluminum age Budweiser can.

Even in the dead of winter...

2007-12-30T06:10:00.000-08:00

Even in the dead of winter, you can usually find some color if you look carefully. These are berries from Japenese Bittersweet - a vine that grows wild in NJ.

Chilly-Willy...

2007-12-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

While we were back home in NJ this month, there was some freezing rain. Not too convenient for our travel plans - flights there and back were both cancelled and had to be re-booked. However, made for some good photos.

Portrait...

2007-12-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

Here's a portrait I painted of Gina. Can't you see the resemblance?

Actually, it's a Picasso at the Museum of Modern Art. Gina loves Picasso.

I'm not a huge fan - a bit too abstract for me.

I prefer Monet.

A Fellow Alumnus...

2007-12-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

While in New York, we went to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). There was a room of sculptures (mobiles) by Alexander Calder. I was reminded that Calder was a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology, just like me. (By the way, it's more prestigious than it sounds.)

The photo above is of one of Calder's sculptures, but I actually like the one below better - it's the shadow.

Ouch...

2007-12-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

All right class... who can tell me why they call it a prickly pear? Anyone? Anyone?

Yes, I'm a beer snob...

2007-11-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

This is not a quality picture, but it illustrates this entry. Looks like a picture of someone enjoying a bottle of beer (Michelob) at a restaurant, right? Actually the young man in the picture is the boyfriend, who was apparently meeting the girl's parents for the first time. He has a pint glass of something. The Michelob belongs to Dad. I assume the parents (back to the camera) are from out of town. Seems like a nice, ordinary family scene. What's wrong with the picture?

...

The restaurant is Lazlo's, home to some of the best micro-brewed beers in America (my humble opinion). I was shocked to see someone order a non-Empyrean beer at Lazlo's. I was even more shocked to see two of his companions - Mom and daughter, who were drinking Miller Lite and Bud Light respectively. Actually I was somewhat appalled just to overhear a Lazlo's server listing off those beers as choices. Kind of like hearing Jonathan announce a wet T-shirt contest after church to raise funds for missionaries.

...

But I suppose it's a free country. They may not be allowed to smoke, but it's not illegal to choose mediocre (I'm being generous) beer. At least that leaves more good beer for the rest of us.

...

Cheers.

Beach...

2007-11-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

I like to look for patterns or compositions that are eyecatching wthout their context. Beaches can be really good for this. Here's one that I really like. I found it like this, and just got close enough to reduce the picture elements to just the sand, the rock, the grass, and the little piece of wood.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider...

2007-11-29T02:32:00.000-08:00

Spiderwebs are amazing. From an engineering perspective, they are incredibly light and strong. Yet they are also so beautiful. (And presumably, they're good for catching bugs or spiders wouldn't keep building them.)

Glorious...

2007-11-24T04:41:00.000-08:00

Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees takes off his shoes;

The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Brrr...

2007-11-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today felt kind of wintery to me, so here's a winter picture. It's my dad cross-country skiing in the Vermont woods. I like winter photography because you get a lot of black/white contrast. You can get the feel of black and white pictures but still include some color.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2007-11-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday, possibly my overall favorite. I have to admit, though that I am intriqued by some holidays in other countries that just have interesting names. For example:

Guy Fawkes Day (England - November 5)

Tomb Sweeping Day (Taiwan - April 5)

Boxing Day (British Commonwealth countries - December 26)

Double Ninth Chong Yang Festival (China - Lunar calendar 9th month, 9th day)

But back to Thanksgiving... Why do I love it so? It comes in fall, my favorite season. It falls on a Thursday, which makes stand out from all those ordinary Monday holidays. It involves pies of many sorts in great abundance. But mostly because it reminds me of my awesome family, even if I don't get to see them for the holiday. Back home Thanksgiving was always a time when many relatives gathered at one house or another for a leisurely day of eating, walking, games, naps, TV football, and just... being a family.

I have not done a great job of keeping in touch with family members as I've moved around the country, but one of the foundations in my life is the knowledge that I am part of the extended Seebohm and Moore, and now Terry, clans with their various branches and locations. It forms a bond deeper than whether we get along or see each other frequently.

Still Life...

2007-11-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

My usual approach to photography is to walk around with my camera and see what I can find that looks interesting. I take lots of pictures, then try to pick out a few good ones. Most of my pictures are therefore candid and unposed - pictures of people, animals, trees, landscapes, just doing whatever they're doing. In these cases the composition is formed by what I find and where I put the camera. It can be hit or miss.

Occasionally, I try to compose scenes myself. It's kind of fun, especially with inanimate objects that don't whine about how long it takes. It somehow feels more 'artistic' than my usual photography. Here's one example.

Light Sabers...

2007-11-22T05:51:00.001-08:00

Light sticks make great entertainment for children on camping trips. Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul kept themselves occupied for hours on this particular night.

Hi Ho, Kermit the Frog here...

2007-11-22T05:41:00.000-08:00

Honk if you like amphibians!

Do they live on land? Do they live in the water? Yes!

Moby...

2007-11-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

This is Mobius (a.k.a. Moby), possibly the best dog ever. And I've known some great dogs, so that is high praise indeed. As you can see, he quite a handsome yellow labrador retreiver, very (I mean VERY) affectionate, obedient, protective, and adaptable. He is quite comfortable in a nice warm queen size bed or a tent in below-freezing weather. In a car, canoe, hiking in the woods, or just sitting on the porch... wherever we are, that's where he wants to be. He is always ecstatic to see us (guests too, as some of you know), and he jumps into every activity with every part of his being. We say that whatever he's doing right now is his favorite thing.

Don't misunderstand... Moby's just a dog. But those of you who are true dog people will know what I mean when I say that it is possible to learn a thing or two from a dog: love unreservedly, express yourself openly, don't let fear of looking silly hold you back from seizing every opportunity, and don't let worries about the past or future get in the way of reveling in the glorious life that God gives us every day.

Oh, by the way... if you think Moby's handsome now, see below.

Another post inspired by my leaf pictures...

2007-11-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

Autumn

crisp harvest

glorious leafy decay

melancholy

fall

Pretty Leaves...

2007-11-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

I love fall. It is so bitter-sweet. Everything is becoming dark and cold and dormant, but it goes out with such transient beauty. And inherent in that dormancy is the preparation for spring.

Ants...

2007-10-08T08:41:00.001-07:00

Ants fascinate me. An individual ant has a brain the size of... well, the size of an ant's brain. Can't get much smaller than that. But as a group, an ant colony can do some pretty complicated things, including building nests, caring for baby ants, foraging for food, and, in some cases, building leaf bridges, farming aphids, attacking other colonies, etc. It shows that some pretty complex behavior can arise from a group of individuals who follow some pretty simple rules and exchange some pretty simple signals. Kind of like the cells in the human body. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Fearfully and wonderfully made. God is a heck of an engineer (among other things).

Marketing...

2007-10-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Sam's brand charcoal briquettes (or charcoal biscuits, as I like to say) are 60% larger than other briquettes. The package proudly proclaims this as if it's the greatest thing since man first figured out how to use lighter fluid. (We still haven't learned how to use it safely, but who needs eyebrows anyway?) When I see the label I'm instantly attracted. First of all, bigger is almost always better. Secondly, they must be longer lasting, right? That way I can have hot coals for two full hours to cook my steak for 15 mintues. But here's the real hook: If they put it on the package in big bold letters, it must be a valuable feature, right? If larger briquettes weren't better, they wouldn't plaster the fact all over the package, right? Wrong. I am pretty much convinced that marketers have learned how people think with regard to labels and advertising.

For example, I believe that larger charcoal briquettes are not advantageous to the average griller. They have less surface area per weight, and since the burning happens at the surface, this means they produce less heat per weight. Therefore, for a certain amount of cooking heat, I burn more charcoal than with another brand. But it's OK... Wal-Mart is happy to sell me some more when I run out. Also, if this was really a revolutionary advance in grilling technology, I would expect Kingsford or one of the other industry leaders to be on top of it. Not to mention that larger briquettes require less machine activity per unit weight, so they're probably cheaper to make. The moral of the story is that 60% larger briquettes are better... better for Sam Waldron... but not better for my grilling. But Sam knows what P.T. Barnum knew: you'll never go broke betting on gullible consumers. If you list a feature in big yellow letters on the front of the package, John Q. Public will assume that it's better. He won't wonder about surface area-to-weight ratios. He'll think it's a great deal because it's cheaper than Kingsford and the briquettes are 60% larger to boot. What a bargain.

But the real question is this: Knowing all the above, why do I usually make a special trip to Wal-Mart for Sam's brand charcoal briquettes? Raise a glass to P.T. Barnum.

Dental Hygiene...

2007-10-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wish I was a toothbrush engineer. Gina came home with a new toothbrush yesterday and I once again marveled at the constant advances in toothbrush technology. I remember when the revolution began. For decades (maybe centuries?) humanity struggled along with a square toothbrush with only simple white bristles. Then, sometime in the 80's, the golden age of home dental care began with the introduction of the tapered head and the bent neck of the Reach brand toothbrush. Now, 20 years later, we have all sorts of bristles that do a much better job of removing plaque between teeth and along the gumline (at least according to the fancy animations on the commercials), various shapes to fit deep within your mouth, colored bristles to tell you when to buy a new brush, and even battery powered oscillating paddles to massage your gums. And everyone knows that if it takes batteries it must be better.

All this means that somewhere there are teams of engineers furiously designing ever-newer (and better?) toothbrushes so we'll be convinced to buy them. With our dental hygeine hanging in the balance, I imagine that these engineers are the cream of the crop, with fancy desk chairs, big computers, and personal assistants. What a life that would be.

The advances in toothcare come so fast now that you better not get too attached to a particular toothbrush. By the time you need a new one, they'll all be different. But at least you'll have 30 or more types to choose from.

Back to Texas...

2007-10-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

They say that the sense of smell can evoke very powerful memories. All I know is that Friona, Texas has a certain delicate fragrance that I like to call Eau de Bovine. Imagine a town of 5000 people, half of whom work at the large beef slaughter plant 4 miles upwind from town, which is supplied by the million-plus feedlot cattle in the general vicinity.

I Took a trip to Kansas and the Panhandle of Texas for "business" last week. I had a very nostalgic visit to some of the beef plants I used to work in. I was also reminded how beautiful Nebraska is. On Thursday morning I had to drive from Amarillo to Plainview. There are several places where one can see for 15 miles in every direction without a single other than a fence-post. Sounds nice, right? Very scenic? Except there's also not a single tree or other feature, and the horizon is completely flat. No... I mean flat. Like a coffee table, only witout a matching end table. Like the middle of the ocean. It makes Nebraska look like a mountainous forest. I'm glad to be back.

On Friday I visited the Panhandle's best feature: Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Billed as the second largest canyon in the US, it's a great place to visit. Here's a picture that I took in April '03 at the canyon.

Back from West Virginia!

2007-09-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while due to a business trip to West Virginia. I spent a week with a group of my colleagues thinking and strategerizing about the future of information technology in the agency that I work for. (I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.) The conference was held at the National Conservation Training Center, owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It was amazing. I stayed in a dorm with hotel-like rooms, ate for free in the awesome cafeteria, and spent my evenings strolling around nature trails on the campus. The conference center was really nice, too.

For anyone who doesn't know me by sight...

2007-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

By the way... that picture in yesterday's post was not a self portrait. It was a mountain goat that I saw in Colorado on a backpacking trip. As you can see, the goat (actually goats) got pretty close to our camp. They were licking the "salt" that we had deposited around the campsite (starts with "u" and rhymes with stirrin'). Apparently a delicacy for mountain goats.

Here, however, is a self portrait. This is easily the most valuable photo I have ever taken. It was the photo I used for the e-Harmony page that subsequently won Gina's heart. I hope she married me for more than the picture, but either way, it worked out. The photo was taken in the Quetico Provincial Park (the Canadian side of the Booundary Waters Canooe Area, Eh). (It's apparently difficult to type a Canadian accent, so use your imagination.)

For those of you who like cute furry animals, here's another goat from the aforementioned trip to Colorado:

The first post...

2007-09-11T17:21:00.001-07:00

Well, folks... this probably signals the beginning of the end for Blogspot's coolness. Yes, that's right... even the old man has a blog now.

I feel a bit like that 40-year old guy who thinks he can still play basketball with high-school kids, though I guess blogging is less likely to result in serious injury.

I will try to fill these posts with my dry wit, amusing observations, and generally shower the readers (both of them, if you count Moby) with the benefits of my extensive life experience. Plus pictures.

Feel free to criticise or otherwise comment on the pictures. It is my main "expressive" outlet, and if I can stimulate some kind of response it will be even more rewarding.

More later...