Break time. I need to pull my head away from my lab work for a few minutes – mental sherbet if you will – and I was just listening to some Jim Croce which reminded me of an experience from my long ago childhood. I had gone with my dad to help an old man in our neighborhood move to Southern Illinois. Actually I didn’t help very much, I was to young to be of much help and the guy was a pack rat like my dad, in fact I still have his meat slicer in my basement. I digress.
On the trip down state, I was in the car with the teenagers who had a tape deck,. and they popped in a tape of Jim Croce music. On the tape, were songs I hadn’t heard before or since. The tape, one of them said, was from a studio secession, an album he was working on when he died. I can’t say weather or not this was true? But it is plausible. Song writers always have something unfinished in progress.
Fast forward several decades, and I think about a tape my brother-in-law gave me of a radio interview of Garnet Rogers where he did a really beautiful song his brother had written but never recorded because it was too emotional. (Hmmm…. Where is that tape … I should digitize it.).
And or course, I think about the live concerts I’ve been to where some unique magical mix of music happened. All through my life there have been these unique moments, and they are not just limited to music – that’s simply what I’m thinking about right now. Life is full of rare experiences. Not all good to be sure, but so many of them are.
So, I guess I’m in the enjoy the rare treasures as they flicker past frame of mind. And with that, I should get back to work.
Peace
Charles
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
12 String
It’s time again for a post and I have several topics on my mind. So, I’m not really sure where this one will go. But I will start with this: When I was a child my father had a 12-string guitar. Over time, the neck pulled away from the block because of design flaw, although we blamed it on storage at the time. Over the years, the guitar was brought to a few shops to fix. Each saying it would take more to fix than it was worth and there was no guarantee of the sound, and each doing more damage in their examination.
Eventually it was a collection of parts. And, for the last 25 years it has lain in a closet in that condition. Yesterday, I was in a blue mood. So, I knocked off work early. I gathered the pieces and a donor guitar - another dead12 string - and I began to reassemble it. I carved a new bridge, rebored the neck, added new pegs added an acoustic pick-up and equalizer, etc. I have some work still to do. But after 25 years – it is finally a guitar again.
This has me thinking about the people I have known and how differently they react to this sort of thing. For example, I had some guests over awhile back and one of them saw this beautiful antique brass swing arm lamp. She fawned over it. Asked me where I got it, even speculated on the cost. But, when I said, I found it in the alley and restored it, without missing a beat she said wrinkled her nose and said something like “well, maybe your business will pick up and you’ll be able to afford nicer things.”
On the flip side, I’ve also been accused of being overly wasteful because I bought a new flat screen when I had working TVs. (And even once for throwing out a molded peach rather than cutting out the bad part!)
Some people think I just like to tinker and fix things. But the sink in my kitchen - which I will repair or replace as soon as I get the parts - would suggest otherwise. And most recently, I was told how cool I was for being ecological and rehabilitating of old broken things.
But, the truth is I have nothing against buying new and have no grand motive for fixing old. It’s just something I do. Nice is nice even if it takes a little work. And as for the guitar, it’s sentimental. The sound may never be great, certainly not up to the sound of my Guild. But it was my father’s and working on it reminded me of him.
Peace
Charles
Eventually it was a collection of parts. And, for the last 25 years it has lain in a closet in that condition. Yesterday, I was in a blue mood. So, I knocked off work early. I gathered the pieces and a donor guitar - another dead12 string - and I began to reassemble it. I carved a new bridge, rebored the neck, added new pegs added an acoustic pick-up and equalizer, etc. I have some work still to do. But after 25 years – it is finally a guitar again.
This has me thinking about the people I have known and how differently they react to this sort of thing. For example, I had some guests over awhile back and one of them saw this beautiful antique brass swing arm lamp. She fawned over it. Asked me where I got it, even speculated on the cost. But, when I said, I found it in the alley and restored it, without missing a beat she said wrinkled her nose and said something like “well, maybe your business will pick up and you’ll be able to afford nicer things.”
On the flip side, I’ve also been accused of being overly wasteful because I bought a new flat screen when I had working TVs. (And even once for throwing out a molded peach rather than cutting out the bad part!)
Some people think I just like to tinker and fix things. But the sink in my kitchen - which I will repair or replace as soon as I get the parts - would suggest otherwise. And most recently, I was told how cool I was for being ecological and rehabilitating of old broken things.
But, the truth is I have nothing against buying new and have no grand motive for fixing old. It’s just something I do. Nice is nice even if it takes a little work. And as for the guitar, it’s sentimental. The sound may never be great, certainly not up to the sound of my Guild. But it was my father’s and working on it reminded me of him.
Peace
Charles
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Metaphoric Refrigerator
Well it’s been awhile since I posted here. This year has kicked off really busy. I can’t believe that it’s already Mach! But I guess the year marches on whether or not we’re ready. Pun intended! But I have a lot on my mind this morning and it all surrounds the metaphoric refrigerator.
I may ramble a bit as I am not sure exactly where to start. So, I’ll start in the middle. Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the jazz band concert for one nephew and then a musical where another nephew was performing. Really, I am always struck by how much talent kids show. They do some really cool stuff. So, why are there so many gray adults? I really don’t know.
One answer may be that the fraction of kids that do sports, and theater and music and art and etc… remains the same fraction who do these things as adults. It’s just that active people mix with the grays in adulthood.
Another answer is that we just don’t have time as adults to do all the cool stuff we do as kids. Oh sure we can take an art class, join a softball team, but in the end we still have to work and make a living. So there is just less time.
But the answer I think most fits is that we as adults don’t get the praise and support that kids get. So, it’s just less fulfilling. And maybe this is true. A scribbled drawing that a six year old is praised for is laughed at in the hands of a forty year old.
And this does bring me to the metaphoric refrigerator. Most of us had this in childhood. And it helps us build our self esteem. It prepares us to believe in ourselves for the time when we have to stand alone.
I have seen those who did not have the refrigerator as a child become obnoxious adults just trying to hear, “Wow that’s good!” But as adults we simply do not have the place to hang our drawing and have some one ohh and ahhh. And it doesn’t matter what we are doing.
So why not? Well for one thing as adults we are judged as adults in the field we are dabbling. Everyone else seems to forget that when we are beginners, we are beginners. It doesn’t matter if we are children or adults.
And the truth is beginner’s often suck. It’s true. But all skills take time to develop. But, too often we never get the time for the skill to mature. Whether the cause is opportunity, desire or reward does not matter. Adults just don’t pour themselves into things like kids do.
Some people compensate for this by convincing themselves their scribble should hang in a museum. Some … most in fact compensate by not trying at all. And both lose the joy of true discovery.
So, my theory is that for those that are seeking the “good job!” a metaphoric refrigerator will provide them the validation they need, happiness and may or may not inspire real growth. And for the others who just don’t have the courage to try, the metaphoric refrigerator may be just the crutch they need.
Now, personally I have to say that I am blessed. I have had the time to indulge in artistic pursuits, the opportunity to learn and plenty of people to ooh and ahh over my beginning attempts. And my life is richer for it.
Last month, I had my first solo gig; three sets of original music. As a beginner, I think it went well. Friends, family and even some strangers came to listen. Did I meet professional contemporary standards? Certainly not. I am unpracticed. The distractions one faces in a live performance got the best of me and I screwed up at least half the songs. But I got enough of them right that I’ve been offered the opportunity for additional gigs.
So the question is this, do I focus on the flaws decide I’m not good enough and quit? Do I ignore the errors and pretend I’m good enough because people are willing to let me sing again? Or do I knuckle down, work on the flaws and become better?
Well despite the oh so many errors in my debut, I am not discouraged; actually quite the opposite. Most people have had really nice things to say after. And that’s a huge piece.
In addition, some of my musician friends gave me good technical critiques. I know what I need to work on. I’ve even had some positive feed back on the songs themselves from professional singer/songwriters. And the combination of all the encouragement, gives me the wherewithal to push past the flaws and become better.
I put my music up on the metaphoric refrigerator and got the needed “good job!” I also got the needed support. People who can, are actually helping me get better. And I am richer for it.
So, what’s my take away. 1. Try, learn and really put yourself in what you do. 2. Be honest. Don’t set yourself or other up for failure. See flaws and strengths. But 3. Remember beginners are beginners. Allow yourself your flaws. Encourage the strengths in others. 4. Understand that as even as adults there is a difference in vocation and avocation. You don’t have to be good enough to make a living to grow, learn and enjoy.
Life can be fun, things to learn, experiences to have. But we all do better with an “attaboy!” once in awhile. So we all need to give it once in awhile. When you’re friend shows you a poem she wrote, accept it for what it is. You don’t have to lie. In fact you don’t want to say it’s great if it’s not. That’s setting some one else for failure. But don’t shut her down either. Encourage.
And remember this too takes practice. Support and giving constructive criticism are also skills that need to be developed. So why not start practicing!
Peace
Charles
I may ramble a bit as I am not sure exactly where to start. So, I’ll start in the middle. Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the jazz band concert for one nephew and then a musical where another nephew was performing. Really, I am always struck by how much talent kids show. They do some really cool stuff. So, why are there so many gray adults? I really don’t know.
One answer may be that the fraction of kids that do sports, and theater and music and art and etc… remains the same fraction who do these things as adults. It’s just that active people mix with the grays in adulthood.
Another answer is that we just don’t have time as adults to do all the cool stuff we do as kids. Oh sure we can take an art class, join a softball team, but in the end we still have to work and make a living. So there is just less time.
But the answer I think most fits is that we as adults don’t get the praise and support that kids get. So, it’s just less fulfilling. And maybe this is true. A scribbled drawing that a six year old is praised for is laughed at in the hands of a forty year old.
And this does bring me to the metaphoric refrigerator. Most of us had this in childhood. And it helps us build our self esteem. It prepares us to believe in ourselves for the time when we have to stand alone.
I have seen those who did not have the refrigerator as a child become obnoxious adults just trying to hear, “Wow that’s good!” But as adults we simply do not have the place to hang our drawing and have some one ohh and ahhh. And it doesn’t matter what we are doing.
So why not? Well for one thing as adults we are judged as adults in the field we are dabbling. Everyone else seems to forget that when we are beginners, we are beginners. It doesn’t matter if we are children or adults.
And the truth is beginner’s often suck. It’s true. But all skills take time to develop. But, too often we never get the time for the skill to mature. Whether the cause is opportunity, desire or reward does not matter. Adults just don’t pour themselves into things like kids do.
Some people compensate for this by convincing themselves their scribble should hang in a museum. Some … most in fact compensate by not trying at all. And both lose the joy of true discovery.
So, my theory is that for those that are seeking the “good job!” a metaphoric refrigerator will provide them the validation they need, happiness and may or may not inspire real growth. And for the others who just don’t have the courage to try, the metaphoric refrigerator may be just the crutch they need.
Now, personally I have to say that I am blessed. I have had the time to indulge in artistic pursuits, the opportunity to learn and plenty of people to ooh and ahh over my beginning attempts. And my life is richer for it.
Last month, I had my first solo gig; three sets of original music. As a beginner, I think it went well. Friends, family and even some strangers came to listen. Did I meet professional contemporary standards? Certainly not. I am unpracticed. The distractions one faces in a live performance got the best of me and I screwed up at least half the songs. But I got enough of them right that I’ve been offered the opportunity for additional gigs.
So the question is this, do I focus on the flaws decide I’m not good enough and quit? Do I ignore the errors and pretend I’m good enough because people are willing to let me sing again? Or do I knuckle down, work on the flaws and become better?
Well despite the oh so many errors in my debut, I am not discouraged; actually quite the opposite. Most people have had really nice things to say after. And that’s a huge piece.
In addition, some of my musician friends gave me good technical critiques. I know what I need to work on. I’ve even had some positive feed back on the songs themselves from professional singer/songwriters. And the combination of all the encouragement, gives me the wherewithal to push past the flaws and become better.
I put my music up on the metaphoric refrigerator and got the needed “good job!” I also got the needed support. People who can, are actually helping me get better. And I am richer for it.
So, what’s my take away. 1. Try, learn and really put yourself in what you do. 2. Be honest. Don’t set yourself or other up for failure. See flaws and strengths. But 3. Remember beginners are beginners. Allow yourself your flaws. Encourage the strengths in others. 4. Understand that as even as adults there is a difference in vocation and avocation. You don’t have to be good enough to make a living to grow, learn and enjoy.
Life can be fun, things to learn, experiences to have. But we all do better with an “attaboy!” once in awhile. So we all need to give it once in awhile. When you’re friend shows you a poem she wrote, accept it for what it is. You don’t have to lie. In fact you don’t want to say it’s great if it’s not. That’s setting some one else for failure. But don’t shut her down either. Encourage.
And remember this too takes practice. Support and giving constructive criticism are also skills that need to be developed. So why not start practicing!
Peace
Charles
Monday, December 19, 2011
Record and Teach
I was recently at a talk at the Oriental Institute on seal images from the Persian empire (4th to 7th century BC). I won’t belabor the role of the Zoroastrian religion in these images -- if you’re interested I suggest you look up the fire altars and the digs at Persepolis. But as the different images were put up on the screen showing people sacrificing animals or tending the fire altar, a comment was made that images show the everyday and writing shows the extraordinary.
The idea is fairly straight forward. Images have to be understood by the viewers, therefore they have to be familiar. Whereas, everyone knows the everyday so when something is committed to writing it is because it is out of the ordinary. I am not sure if I agree. Even from an archeological perspective there are a lot of examples of the everyday that get recorded, mostly in the form of commerce or fiction.
So where do music, science and philosophy fit in? Like fiction they are a dynamic. They can grow and evolve or can die and be forgotten. I think one of the things that our society has going for it is that we have so many ways to record and collect ideas. Maybe this is bad, because everything gets saved and has equal weight to future generations.
For example, the oldest recorded music is a song to Nikal, the wife of the Syrian moon god. -- Ok, maybe not what we think of recording, this song was inscribed on a tablet in Ugarit somewhere around 1400 B.C. and translated by Prof. Kilmer in the 1970’s. http://www.amaranthpublishing.com/hurrian.htm Unlike older verse that has been found, this tablet contained instructions to make and play the instrument. So the musical score was actually recorded even though we cannot hear the original version. But I digress.
We do not know if this song was common of the style and imagery of the day or extraordinary. We know some one took the time to really record the details. So it had some significance. But, what was the other music like?
I am of the opinion, that music, like fiction has to strike a common note that people will connect to it. Or it simply fades away. So if we go to Ras Shamra today will we hear evolutions of the same sound? I would expect that the answer is a “yes,” although we might not recognize it.
Consider “Eyes on the Prize” AKA “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," which is a variant of the earlier "Gospel Plow", aka "Hold On", aka "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" etc… The latest version I heard was from Bruce Springsteen with a large dixi-land style folk band. The sound was fantastic. But it was very different from one man plucking six nylon strings. And, while on the subject of Mr. Springsteen let me say this: as he was doing these old folks songs, he added his own lyrics, contemporized them. So we see the evolution beginning.
Ok so now pull this idea back to science. Do we more often record the ordinary or extraordinary? We tend to skip the ordinary. Pick up any lab book and see how much common knowledge and practice is taken for granted. I once had a technician complain that the protocol was inaccurate, not her, because it didn’t say to cap the volatile solvents. Something I assumed everyone knew.
And do ideas grow, if they are not communicated in a way that the main stream can connect to them? For my part, I think not. Ideas will only live in their isolated community unless they can be put in a way that the society as a whole can grasp. So, in an uneducated society, complicated science will simply die out.
The upshot of this is: record in accurate detail and teach in a way people understand.
I will leave you this morning with Bill Withers. His professional career wasn’t very long only really running through the 70’s and mid 80’s. But in that time he wrote songs that could well find their way into the lexicon of traditional American music in a few hundred years. I realize it’s hard to predict what art will last into the future, but “Lean on Me” had that “always been around” feeling right out the gate. Like most great art it touches a genuine human emotion, and does it in a comforting way.
I expect it will undergo some evolution much like “Keep Your Hand on the Plow" because it is recorded and we all know what it means.
Peace and Happy Holidays,
Charles
The idea is fairly straight forward. Images have to be understood by the viewers, therefore they have to be familiar. Whereas, everyone knows the everyday so when something is committed to writing it is because it is out of the ordinary. I am not sure if I agree. Even from an archeological perspective there are a lot of examples of the everyday that get recorded, mostly in the form of commerce or fiction.
So where do music, science and philosophy fit in? Like fiction they are a dynamic. They can grow and evolve or can die and be forgotten. I think one of the things that our society has going for it is that we have so many ways to record and collect ideas. Maybe this is bad, because everything gets saved and has equal weight to future generations.
For example, the oldest recorded music is a song to Nikal, the wife of the Syrian moon god. -- Ok, maybe not what we think of recording, this song was inscribed on a tablet in Ugarit somewhere around 1400 B.C. and translated by Prof. Kilmer in the 1970’s. http://www.amaranthpublishing.com/hurrian.htm Unlike older verse that has been found, this tablet contained instructions to make and play the instrument. So the musical score was actually recorded even though we cannot hear the original version. But I digress.
We do not know if this song was common of the style and imagery of the day or extraordinary. We know some one took the time to really record the details. So it had some significance. But, what was the other music like?
I am of the opinion, that music, like fiction has to strike a common note that people will connect to it. Or it simply fades away. So if we go to Ras Shamra today will we hear evolutions of the same sound? I would expect that the answer is a “yes,” although we might not recognize it.
Consider “Eyes on the Prize” AKA “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," which is a variant of the earlier "Gospel Plow", aka "Hold On", aka "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" etc… The latest version I heard was from Bruce Springsteen with a large dixi-land style folk band. The sound was fantastic. But it was very different from one man plucking six nylon strings. And, while on the subject of Mr. Springsteen let me say this: as he was doing these old folks songs, he added his own lyrics, contemporized them. So we see the evolution beginning.
Ok so now pull this idea back to science. Do we more often record the ordinary or extraordinary? We tend to skip the ordinary. Pick up any lab book and see how much common knowledge and practice is taken for granted. I once had a technician complain that the protocol was inaccurate, not her, because it didn’t say to cap the volatile solvents. Something I assumed everyone knew.
And do ideas grow, if they are not communicated in a way that the main stream can connect to them? For my part, I think not. Ideas will only live in their isolated community unless they can be put in a way that the society as a whole can grasp. So, in an uneducated society, complicated science will simply die out.
The upshot of this is: record in accurate detail and teach in a way people understand.
I will leave you this morning with Bill Withers. His professional career wasn’t very long only really running through the 70’s and mid 80’s. But in that time he wrote songs that could well find their way into the lexicon of traditional American music in a few hundred years. I realize it’s hard to predict what art will last into the future, but “Lean on Me” had that “always been around” feeling right out the gate. Like most great art it touches a genuine human emotion, and does it in a comforting way.
I expect it will undergo some evolution much like “Keep Your Hand on the Plow" because it is recorded and we all know what it means.
Peace and Happy Holidays,
Charles
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Admit Error and Move to Fix
So today I had to apologize to a customer for a late shipment of his order. I know everyone realizes things get delayed some times. Fortunately, it is a rare occasion. But, this is by far one of my least favorite things to have to do because there just is no good excuse.
I mean seriously, do any of us really care why the order is late? No. We order it, pay for it and have the right to expect that it will come when ordered. So, when it’s late we’re upset. And we have the right to be.
So as a vendor, I really don’t know what to say. “Sorry,” is insufficient and I doubt if the customer cares why it was late. Sure you can offer them credit for future purchases, but most won’t order again. And can you blame them? Who wants to deal with bad service? And this is why quality systems should all include a proper failure analysis investigation of any system break down.
I have been around the block enough to know that people always balk at this. Accidents happen. Why point fingers. Etc. Etc. Etc. But the why is listed above. Customers want and deserve good service. Errors left uncorrected will continue.
And yes I know that no one wants to be signaled out as the cause of a problem or have their mistakes highlighted. Believe me I have heard the “its not my fault because…” line so many times it makes my head spin. People are quicker to defend than correct.
But failure analysis isn’t about blame, it’s about cause. If a person in the chain made the wrong decision or did the wrong thing… why? Did they not know the right thing? Was it a careless error? Were they unable to do the right thing because of some obstacle?
You won’t fix what you pretend isn’t broken. So when something goes wrong stand up and admit the error, take your lumps and learn why. Then do your best not to repeat.
So, to the customer who shall remain nameless, should you be reading this, know that I am truly sorry for the service you received. We have already done our internal failure analysis and hopefully no one else will suffer from the same snafu.
Peace,
Charles
I mean seriously, do any of us really care why the order is late? No. We order it, pay for it and have the right to expect that it will come when ordered. So, when it’s late we’re upset. And we have the right to be.
So as a vendor, I really don’t know what to say. “Sorry,” is insufficient and I doubt if the customer cares why it was late. Sure you can offer them credit for future purchases, but most won’t order again. And can you blame them? Who wants to deal with bad service? And this is why quality systems should all include a proper failure analysis investigation of any system break down.
I have been around the block enough to know that people always balk at this. Accidents happen. Why point fingers. Etc. Etc. Etc. But the why is listed above. Customers want and deserve good service. Errors left uncorrected will continue.
And yes I know that no one wants to be signaled out as the cause of a problem or have their mistakes highlighted. Believe me I have heard the “its not my fault because…” line so many times it makes my head spin. People are quicker to defend than correct.
But failure analysis isn’t about blame, it’s about cause. If a person in the chain made the wrong decision or did the wrong thing… why? Did they not know the right thing? Was it a careless error? Were they unable to do the right thing because of some obstacle?
You won’t fix what you pretend isn’t broken. So when something goes wrong stand up and admit the error, take your lumps and learn why. Then do your best not to repeat.
So, to the customer who shall remain nameless, should you be reading this, know that I am truly sorry for the service you received. We have already done our internal failure analysis and hopefully no one else will suffer from the same snafu.
Peace,
Charles
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Lessons from a Christmas Tree
In November of 1986, my father and I went traipsing through the woods in search of the perfect Christmas tree. And no, it wasn’t for our house. My mother was afraid that live, err formerly live trees would catch fire so we always had artificial trees. (In fact I am still using an artificial tree. Hmmmm…) No, my father wanted to start farming trees. And since pines are amazingly consistent from one branch of their family tree to the next (if you will pardon the pun), he decided, rather than buying saplings, we would find a perfect pine and cultivate from seed.
Of course, we didn’t actually know what we were doing; not at the outset anyway. But we were confident that we could figure it out. So off we went through hip deep snow evaluating the symmetry of tree after tree.
After a few days, on the 20th in fact, we found what we were looking for. The tree was huge, well, tall anyway and nearly perfectly symmetric. So we set about cutting the tree down so we could access the seeds.
Now, normally when you cut a tree, you clear the trees around it so you have room to work. But, we only wanted the one. So we tried to carefully thread it between other trees as we dropped it. At one point the chainsaw got stuck in the trunk and we had to manually push the tree off the blade to get it out. (And the was a very large tree!) But, eventually we prevailed and collected the top for the pine cones. (Actually the real work was cutting the rest for fire wood and carting it back home!)
So we took the tree top back to the house and collected the pine cones. But here we realized that in a healthy tree the seeds are safely locked in the pine cone. And while it seems to be common knowledge that you open pinecones by heating, neither of us knew what temperature safely extracts the seeds so that they would grow.
But you know what? A little deductive reasoning goes a long way. Pinecone release their seeds to replant after forest fires. So, premise one: Ray Bradbury’s novel claims that books burn at 451°F. Premise two: books are mostly wood pulp. Conclusion – If we heat pinecones to 451°F we should have good healthy seeds to plant. Now I cannot tell you if we were right or wrong, only that it worked.
We placed the pinecones on a cookie sheet and placed them on the oven and waited. After a short while, the pinecones opened and the seeds fell out. We pulled the seeds out and the next day went out to plant them.
So now I know what you are thinking. You don’t plant in the winter. Why not? The seeds lay cold in the ground, until spring when the water and warmth would make them grow. Again, I cannot say if this is right or wrong only that it worked. And in spring we had little branches pushing through the ground were we planted.
For awhile we let the trees be. Then when they got to be waist high, we started trimming. My father got us a set of machete length knives. Razor sharp, and balanced like a good sword. And we would go through the woods shaping the trees into the perfect Christmas tree shape so that they would grow and fill out properly. And you know we were pretty good at it. Four swipes and a tree was properly shaped.
There were set backs that make good learning experiences. At one point my dad thought I was making fun of the enterprise and was quite hurt. For the record I wasn’t. But, it did teach me that to really be supportive the other person has to know beyond a doubt that you believe in them.
But of course people are not always supportive. And as most of us well know, no matter how much you do for people they still gravitate to selfish and insensitive. As the trees were reaching maturity, my uncle decided it was easier to cut down nearly an entire ridge to camouflage his hunting blind. My father was furious. Probably no so much at the damage as the disregard of him – and the subsequent poorly executed claim of innocence. It never ceases to amaze me how people will lie to you face and trust that you will accept it so as not risk insulting them. It was a demoralizing moment, and my father wound up letting most of what we planted go for pulp.
A few trees survived. We didn’t bother to continue shaping them. We talked about letting them go for awhile then collecting more pinecones and starting again, but life moved on. Personally I don’t think my father overcame the idea that someone would pull the rug out again. So, in the end we cut a few for use at holidays and that was that.
The last tree we cut, went up at my office. One night working late, before we turned the lights off, I caught a good shot of it on my cell phone.
So now I look at this picture and I think about my Dad, and following dreams. You can figure things out if think logically. You should actively support the people you care about. But you can’t let lack of support, even from the people you support demoralize you.
In the end, we may not have got a tree farm going. But start to finish, that last tree was something we produced together. And it has an enduring beauty that.
Peace
Charles
Of course, we didn’t actually know what we were doing; not at the outset anyway. But we were confident that we could figure it out. So off we went through hip deep snow evaluating the symmetry of tree after tree.
After a few days, on the 20th in fact, we found what we were looking for. The tree was huge, well, tall anyway and nearly perfectly symmetric. So we set about cutting the tree down so we could access the seeds.
Now, normally when you cut a tree, you clear the trees around it so you have room to work. But, we only wanted the one. So we tried to carefully thread it between other trees as we dropped it. At one point the chainsaw got stuck in the trunk and we had to manually push the tree off the blade to get it out. (And the was a very large tree!) But, eventually we prevailed and collected the top for the pine cones. (Actually the real work was cutting the rest for fire wood and carting it back home!)
So we took the tree top back to the house and collected the pine cones. But here we realized that in a healthy tree the seeds are safely locked in the pine cone. And while it seems to be common knowledge that you open pinecones by heating, neither of us knew what temperature safely extracts the seeds so that they would grow.
But you know what? A little deductive reasoning goes a long way. Pinecone release their seeds to replant after forest fires. So, premise one: Ray Bradbury’s novel claims that books burn at 451°F. Premise two: books are mostly wood pulp. Conclusion – If we heat pinecones to 451°F we should have good healthy seeds to plant. Now I cannot tell you if we were right or wrong, only that it worked.
We placed the pinecones on a cookie sheet and placed them on the oven and waited. After a short while, the pinecones opened and the seeds fell out. We pulled the seeds out and the next day went out to plant them.
So now I know what you are thinking. You don’t plant in the winter. Why not? The seeds lay cold in the ground, until spring when the water and warmth would make them grow. Again, I cannot say if this is right or wrong only that it worked. And in spring we had little branches pushing through the ground were we planted.
For awhile we let the trees be. Then when they got to be waist high, we started trimming. My father got us a set of machete length knives. Razor sharp, and balanced like a good sword. And we would go through the woods shaping the trees into the perfect Christmas tree shape so that they would grow and fill out properly. And you know we were pretty good at it. Four swipes and a tree was properly shaped.
There were set backs that make good learning experiences. At one point my dad thought I was making fun of the enterprise and was quite hurt. For the record I wasn’t. But, it did teach me that to really be supportive the other person has to know beyond a doubt that you believe in them.
But of course people are not always supportive. And as most of us well know, no matter how much you do for people they still gravitate to selfish and insensitive. As the trees were reaching maturity, my uncle decided it was easier to cut down nearly an entire ridge to camouflage his hunting blind. My father was furious. Probably no so much at the damage as the disregard of him – and the subsequent poorly executed claim of innocence. It never ceases to amaze me how people will lie to you face and trust that you will accept it so as not risk insulting them. It was a demoralizing moment, and my father wound up letting most of what we planted go for pulp.
A few trees survived. We didn’t bother to continue shaping them. We talked about letting them go for awhile then collecting more pinecones and starting again, but life moved on. Personally I don’t think my father overcame the idea that someone would pull the rug out again. So, in the end we cut a few for use at holidays and that was that.
The last tree we cut, went up at my office. One night working late, before we turned the lights off, I caught a good shot of it on my cell phone.
So now I look at this picture and I think about my Dad, and following dreams. You can figure things out if think logically. You should actively support the people you care about. But you can’t let lack of support, even from the people you support demoralize you.
In the end, we may not have got a tree farm going. But start to finish, that last tree was something we produced together. And it has an enduring beauty that.
Peace
Charles
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thanksgiving
You know it was a great holiday. My family came to visit and we cooked a feast, played games, saw movies, etc. Actually, it brings me back to the need to pay attention. My brother-in-Law and I were record shopping when he saw that a local nigh club had one of his kid’s favorite bands playing. So, in addition to everything else we did, they got to see a concert (and meet the band). I’m serious when I say you need to pay attention to the world around you!
But now, thanksgiving is done – a mountain of bench work and hundreds of emails await my attention. But in the spirit of the holiday past, I thought I’d like to take a moment and say thank you for the reception the new products are getting. Interest has been good and sales are starting to come in.
(And hey if you have a hunter or sportsman in your life check out our products page. http://www.anevalinc.com/buyproductsandformulae/sportingandhunting.html And hunters, while you’re away in the woods why not get leave your wives some luxury to enjoy while you were away. http://www.anevalinc.com/buyproductsandformulae/massageandbathtreats.html
Ok back to work with me.
Until Later
Charles
But now, thanksgiving is done – a mountain of bench work and hundreds of emails await my attention. But in the spirit of the holiday past, I thought I’d like to take a moment and say thank you for the reception the new products are getting. Interest has been good and sales are starting to come in.
(And hey if you have a hunter or sportsman in your life check out our products page. http://www.anevalinc.com/buyproductsandformulae/sportingandhunting.html And hunters, while you’re away in the woods why not get leave your wives some luxury to enjoy while you were away. http://www.anevalinc.com/buyproductsandformulae/massageandbathtreats.html
Ok back to work with me.
Until Later
Charles
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