2019 January « The Fixer

area-wide comms

There are a lot of factors here, but the most exciting part for me is that I got a community comms network up.

The BEARS (Bitterroot Emergency Amateur Radio Services) is a small local working group of mostly radio guys. Technologically I hang on by my fingernails in this company, but am an organizer, a real one. So I run the monthly meetings without title… this is a rather organic group. I am a good cat herder. I like driving the bus from the middle row.

I have worked with the radio geeks on my white-board at meetings […]

punch in the kitchen

I don’t pretend to be a chef, but have not hurt myself or my daughters when required to produce regular meals. My wife displaced me out of my (our) kitchen when she moved in with me. I rarely make it back with our current division of labor, but she does appreciate my forays there when I do.

Why?

She doesn’t have to cook for one meal, which is rather minor compared to: I bring fresh perspective, ideas and flavors to our meals.

Kitcheneers all do it. I haven’t met the person who can keep fresh and new coming day […]

Who Am I?

sailing the San Francisco Bay on my Nacra 5.8 catamaran

Claire Wolf called me a Renaissance Man. I had to look it up, but found she is correct. I have yet to meet anyone who dabbles with as much as I do.

Writer, reader, publisher, webmaster Activist, organizer, politician, Libertarian Philosopher, economist, sociologist, psychologist Mid-level rifleman, handgunner, careful ammo reloader Husband, Dad, grandpa, son, friend, neighbor, stalwart teammate 1%-er high-performance-driver from 2 to 18 wheels, street and track Organic gardener, small-farmer, teacher, chicken-rancher, landscaper Amateur radio teacher, proponent, planner, organizer, provider, student Nutritionist, herbalist, naturalpath, organic shopper, […]

Darby Dog Derby 2019 review

The 12th annual Darby Dog Derby sled dog and skijour races at Lost Trail and Chief Joseph Pass ski areas is now history. You can go see the official race results at the BITTERROOT MUSHERS website. My part in these events is to arrange and manage communications across the course over the weekend.

This was my fifth year in that role. We learn from our mistakes and failures each year and improve the next. Along with getting better and better at comms comes being more appreciated every year. We received this nice letter of gratitude from the mushers […]

travel kits

How many examples have you heard or read about where people slid off the road in the winter and had so survive (or not) days before being rescued? … or walking out to rescue? How many of these tales before you actually prepare to land on the side of “survived” rather than “perished”?

I finally had enough. Today I began reviewing what I had set up and was using, or not using. Completely inadequate was the early conclusion. I had lots of pieces kinda-sorta geared up, but I wasn’t even using the bits I had. My get home bag […]

pepper flowers

It is January first in Montana (yeah, kind-of everywhere today 😉 ) with temperatures ranging from the morning low of -1 to a high of 20 degrees Fahrenheit. When I raised the thermal drapes this morning there was ice six inches up the south windows.

The one tomato plant and one of my sweet bell peppers on my studio bench are starting to bud into flowers!

I think I planted the seeds in pots on the October full moon; the 24th. I definitely planted lettuce, spinach, basil and oregano in the greenhouse on that day, but can […]

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