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I have definitely been enjoying the chemical-factory that is running after a vapor session. I've been sticking with it and trying "au natural" as well, and... yeah... its a lot more fun stoned.
I've mentioned my stupid quest to fit my apparently too-wide-for-the-industry feet. I've tried and returned so many pair. Lems were super promising, nice and wide in the toe, but too narrow in the middle. I did finally find some Feelmax that are great, Ozmas, but they seem super flimsy. We'll see. I bought a 2nd pair to have on ice.
I've also special ordered some 4E NB Minimus Zeros for trails (the ozmas have very little grip). So far so good, I fear they, too, will not last long. I took out the insoles. They will still hurt when I hit a rock, but my trails are fairly mild around here.
Still wondering what to do for the feet during upcoming cold and rainy season here in the NW.
I'm hitting it every other day, first time in my life I have ever ran consistently. My bike is mad at me. My feet are too, a little. But I'm loving it, and this thread has definitely been a huge source of inspiration, thanks to all of you.
Few pictures taken off the Pacific Crest Trail....this morning..not very far into the sunrise
^ Looking east into the remnants of monsoonal flow...and onto an entirely different mountain range. In between the ranges...desert floor...thousands of feet below...miles and miles apart....absolutely...some of the most vicious terrain available to creation
^ this is looking south...the very top of a canyon (it was nuked by fire last summer) that dives (steeply) all the way to the desert floor. The PCT follows along its rim....but there are no marked trails leading down it...into the canyon itself. Now that it is burned out...it has become easier for me to see possible/runnable lines
...whereas before..a couple years ago...I was down there..in heavy brush..trying to see my way through...while at the same time..attempting not destroy an ankle or get bit by a member..of the..large population of rattlesnakes..dwelling down in its hell. This canyon is no joke...nothing to play light with
^ The friend I ran with this morning. He hadn't run in over a year...but endured over 8 miles of solid trails. We started our run..under the full moon..around 4:30....summited a peak off the PCT pretty quickly..then ran on and off the trail..seeing mostly by moon light..until the sky grayed
vaporizing some Jack Herer oil for accent and catching the changing of the guards..as..... one sphere went down and one sphere came up
* I'm done with court. My friend's killer was sentenced yesterday....that is over. This morning I spread some of his ashes on a rocky peak overlooking the desert. The winds up there will take him everywhere
Daaamn... nice report. I took a long walk last night, the moon was insane. Blood orange and very visually larger than normal. Your "changing of the guard" must have been amazing.
^ hum....this girl was on day 69 of flower...pretty much...what her branches look like. Flimsy...hollow..take well to bending...but must be supported. Flowers...are foxtail(ing) large bracts...sometimes more strung than at other times...sometimes like tufts of cotton...brush painted clouds
* My next plan for the Queen Mox Clone is to reintroduce more TFlux back into the mix.
Mox Mox = Chem DD "Deliah" X TFlux
TFlux = Original Flo X Chem DD
For weirdness. That's why I feel that I should reintroduce the TFlux (probably males out of the F2 generation will be used).....of course the Flo in TFlux is that element of weirdness. The extreme resin production..the potential of mutations excelled
the race was yesterday,kinda wish i had entered now after seeing the skill range of the riders as they passed by the spot i was at,sort of gave me some perspective on my skills,and i came to the conclusion im not as bad at it as i thought,within my age group i would have crushed i think...next year....gonna sandbag the crap out of those people....
.....not doing much trail time this week. I'll do uphill/downhill lunges on pavement...lots of mat/roll time..and lots of calorie uptakes
healing/recovering myself for this weekend's race. Go in on freshness of body
^ Seek and ye shall find? Decided on these beans...in the after all..of the process. Looked at 2 baggies of F2's but the pendulum spun its momentum over the originals...the very 1st TFlux generation. Note the harvest date of 10/2008...these are the only TFlux F1's in existence. Special Sauces
Tangy Flux (aka TFlux) = Original Flo X Chem DD
Male gendered plants are what I need. In particular...I'll be seeking mutated Flo dominant males.
I've been having the jones for germinating some Cannabis seeds...been waiting on the mission...the purpose. a little winter project>>>>>to ease away the tensions of narcissism<<<<<the utterance of others...their opinions echoing of their own faults
...ta steal away my energy...or my own time..or both and all
EDIT: And another thing...for the record...I believe that mutations in individual expressions (perhaps not in a line though) are of the highest of values. Things that are special can often be attributed to their sense of oneness...a uniqueness that can not be completely mimicked through selective breeding. Not mutation for mutation's sake...not that...as I've seen for myself...many of those are not worth growing....but the alienated sector of mutations that function in a progressive way...healthy helpings of the weirdness factor...without stymied down productions or adverse cultivation issues
a narcissistic theme continued through people and plant expressions....the recoils from self containment and isolation. a population onto itself...every man is an island..on his island grows indifference..to be...thatched together as shelter against the harshness of projections
2008. Not that long ago. But a long time ago in the ways of pollen dustings...seed making...in my garden. perpetuation being what it is...when aggressively minded and pushed forward in an indoor garden. the lack of need for the seasons...fast flooding under the lights..generation after generation...line after line....blur after genetical blur. such is the illusion of speed. seconds, days, months, years...less than meaningful measurements
Healthy beans. Soaked in a shot glass of water around 24hrs.
Having a good summer veggie season....been eating well
^ couple beets...and various peppers. Think I have 6 or so pepper varieties ripening up..sweets and hots...planted in a few different locations and elevations (as my property has a..more than 30' difference from back to front..big difference at this altitude)
yes..though I harvest some beets for their roots...mostly I'm interested in their greens. In my Vitamix blender...I juice up beet greens along with chard and spinach...most often...yes most often...
so that it motivates me to keep planting their seeds every so often...as well as.. letting them reseed themselves in order to keep perpetual greens
....maintaining several of their gardens (also in various locations)..of which at least one will be in production mode..whilst another may have slacked off...due to weather...time of year...location (a garden that works well for greens in spring/summer may not work in fall/winter. a good thing to know)
so....I manage to keep my household and blender occupied in greens throughout the year
In The Hothouse
^ the determinate tomatoes have been ripening and harvested for the last few weeks. The hothouse indeterminate tomatoes...of course..never stop growing or producing..and they too...are ripening fruit.
I'm finished with the cucumber plants...many jars of pickles were produced. The remnants of their great reign in the hothouse are few..as..the vines were taken down and fed to my worms. But yes...had an awesome time with them. Highly recommend Boston Pickling Cucumbers for cultivation and final pickle product
* Said before...say it again: The pickles my wife made are some really good fuel for the trails. Believe in the apple cider vinegar...believe in its pH abilities in the body....believe in the enzymes produced...believe in the process of pickling.
^ 2nd batch of basil coming along. We'll be able to make more pesto. Pesto is tasty stuff. The indeterminate tomato plants in this picture were the two that I uprooted from a different location..the reason why they are as small as they are.
* I have some indeterminate tomato plants in outdoor locations that are probably over 8' tall....and spread 3-4' wide....real beasties. I'll post some pictures...before they get blackened by frost.
...for this micro climate I live in....I'm having a pretty good tomato season. harvesting fruits daily.
I mostly stick to cherry tomato varieties..because they ripen faster and their fruits tend to handle cold nights better than bigger fruit varieties. This place is really tough on tomatoes. Even during summer...many nights are down to 50....even into the 40's
this season we've had many nights in the 60's with some higher RH's ..allowing for fruit ripening to stay constant. Anything into the low 50's will seriously slow the ripening process. I'm hopeful...that in the hothouse...I'll be able to extend the ripening window...increase the bounty....but....but...but.....I'm still at the mercy of the night temps in many regards.
!!!!!!!!!! Have not run since last Friday. Going to go for a short run today and probably tomorrow....then race Saturday morning.
its been raining for days,my veggie garden suffered greatly from iwannagoridemountainbikes....
spent this week moving and redoing the garden...everything is out of the house now,not a single fan running anywhere,or the swamp cooler for that matter....its weirdly quiet,been living with fan noise for years....
racing,it was a real eye opener for me,i think i will race the beginners course next year,and then the year after the single speed race and that will be it for my racing career as far as short course stuff,theres a 50 mile endurance race locally,and regionally there are some 50 and 100 mile races not to mention loads of 24 hour type events...
got a big ride coming up,theres not many people around here that like to do the sort of all day rides i like,and the one dude i know i have been chasing his tire tracks around the desert for months,at any rate we are going to do a long exploration/ride that should be about 40 miles of dirt roads and some hike a bike followed by a 35 mile road ride,although it may be we will get picked up in the town we will end up at....anyway,gonna be a big ride,probably the first mountain bike crossing of this area....although im sure its been done on foot by illegals many times so a couple of spoiled white folks on expensive mountain bikes with gps tracking and fancy trail foods probably hardly merits mention,but there you go...
awesome country,canyons galore,should be quite a trip...columbus day....
I fertilize my gardens all the time. I don't buy anything though...other than..once in a great while..bags of #4 chunk perlite...for bed gardens
indoor coco gets blended in...my container of red wigglers make the garden poo...oak leaves and pine needles fallen from trees...kitchen compost added daily...saw chips and wood ash from my firebox
unless the worm castings are considered...my garden is comprised of vegetation..and mostly from my property. I dig compost pits in multiple locations..at all times do I have...medium cooking. It is the way of the earth. Build the medium...water it...let seed spread
which leads me here:
Compost generates all kinds of variation...sights to see..a moving, living, breathing....organism. Out of compost many sprouts will rise..spread their volunteering wings
^ This picture represents 2 compost volunteer tomato plants. Back in April they germinated..sprouted forth..and managed to survive many a spring frost...many a cold night
put a square of bricks around them (mostly so I'd not step on them)..and let them go....just to see how long they'd make it...as this is my coldest bed. I gave up years ago on using it for tomatoes.
anyways..now in September they are still with me. I have no idea what variety they are...but for sure...two different variations. All along I've planned to keep the cross pollinated seeds from these two plants. Next spring/summer season....I'll grow only seeds from this union...just to see if I can find more plants that tolerate the cold nights....hot days
* The entire way...these were treated as one plant. Down low they were bricked in and tied/bent into a metal cage (fencing)...then as they grew...they were...heavily pruned multiple times...and trained/tied into a teepee of 8' redwood stakes....then
they were crimped/supercropped to control height. Indeterminate tomato plants are actually perennials...so they can get really huge (I've heard of 30' tomato plants)...especially hybrids. Controlling height becomes a factor for me. These plants if left untied/not crimped are 8' and still growing (I've grown plenty of 10+ plants in previous seasons)...3-4' wide....you can see I'm bushing them out
^ one of them is a cherry tomato variety...the other makes a mid sized fruit. Having cross pollinated...the size of the fruits should be inline with what I favor in this environment (smaller fruits)...and yes...they are very good tasting.
*** CARDBOARD: I use a lot of cardboard (get big squares of it from a local business)....cover lots of ground with cardboard. It holds moisture...keeps weeds out...and worms love it.
a happy medium is not an exposed medium. keep it covered.
EDIT:
* Temps were in the low 50's last night
** I have my garlic bulbs organized for next month's planting. I'll be planting 1/2 my back bed (the one where these pix were taken) with 3 or 4 varieties of garlic. Garlic grows outstanding in this bed. plant October...harvest June
Saturday's race went well. Can't walk...sit...or sleep all that good..right now..but it went well.
Finished in the top 1/4 of the field....ran the 1st 15.5 miles in style...suffered the last 15.5 miles out of fashion. Time was about where I thought it could be. Got to the point where I couldn't imagine being able to move any faster...unable to comprehend catching the runner in front of me.
ran through multiple cramps...in multiple areas of both legs...fell once going uphill....chafed...salted..depleted..humbled..happy..unhappy..in meditation...out of meditation..flowing...dribbling
all depends on moment
* learned some valuable lessons. Mostly concerning fueling during the race and conserving energy...preserving the body.
Endurance racing requires some forethought. Winging it...will only take you so far...and can lead you down pathways...you do not want to go down. I am now clued in...have a much better grasp of the sport.
Big ups champ...Grats with the Race. 31 miles thats deffeny some . Im hitting my 3 Maraton in 3 weeks and hopefully my 4 in about 4,5 weeks(depens on if i can get a day off from work). Its my first year running so havent tried anything longer then a Maraton yet...I will deffenly step it up next year and try a 31 mile run also. Like always Jericho , your an inspiration, Inspirations are importens for runners..well 4 all cuz else we dont breathe thx for that
bunch of months ago....one of these things crash landed..during the night...up on a hill around here. Believe it or not....the cargo was Mexi weed...and the pilot escaped into the woods. They (apparently) fly during the full moon...the smuggler's moon.
....seems it's the latest thing Homeland Security/Border Patrol wants us citizens to be watching out for. It's a matter of time before some overzealous local shoots one out of the sky as it skims the tree tops...
but yeah. some standard craziness
* been very busy. I'm racing a trail marathon in a couple weeks...and registered to race some 50 mile and 50K races coming up in winter/spring season
** Couple weeks ago I paced a runner the last 18 miles of a 100K race. He went down puking...then into the fetal position 3 times during those last 18 miles. Each time he resurrected himself (the last time he needed to pulled up to his feet)...composed himself...and finished in a good time. The second time he went down...it was coming out of the final aid station...and I had to keep the medical people at bay to give my runner time to gather himself off the ground. He told me "I don't want to talk to anyone" and I fully understood...because the medical techs can make the judgement call and end an individual's race..and you know
my guy's mind was somewhere else..and his body just needed to rest a few
never met him before...but those hours we shared on the trail...were special. watching a person come up to a wall...and make their way through...at the cost of their own wellbeing....is..to me...what dedication and discipline to the sport is all about. To be witness to the cause (at its strength and at its weakest point)...to witness the desire..gnarly gnarly stuff. It's a very thin line between...I can do it and I can't do it...one step in either direction...your choice sometimes....yet sometimes the mind and body fails
I hope that when the walls are breaking me down....that I too...have the resolve of heart..to carry on and make it through
anyway...guess you'd have had to have been there...because my mind still gets blown..when I think back on it. pure essence of the sport: heart
the last thing I said to the runner as we parted ways: "I'm proud of you...bro"
yup,i know that feeling,happened to me last week...i cracked hard 5o miles into a 60 mile ride,then the last 6 miles was into 20-30 mile headwinds....i was full on mountaineering...ride a 1000 feet,stop,slump over handlebars,drink some water,rally,repeat....i was almost to point of just getting off and sitting down,utterly defeated...but i made it...
Just harvested our 50 year-old olive tree again. Every year around Halloween or so. Made 30 nice pint jars last year using the dry salt brine method. It takes a week with the olives buried in coarse rock salt, slowly absorbing it. And each olive has to be pierced first with a tiny slit for better absorption. It took my wife and me 1 hour to pierce all the olives in this bucket.
This year we'll have 75 jars if we want to go through all of the pick/prep/can two more times what you see in the photo. The tree is beautifully overloaded. It takes a good 6 months of being jarred in water with an olive oil topping for the olive to become truly edible. A one-hour soak in fresh water and Voila!......
P3, I hope your garden is going well as we head into cooler weather (when?). Last week we put in 200 garlic for next June's harvest. Glad you keep this thread alive my friend. Stay alive......