Hi gang just got in from a jaunting vehicular hopscotch around california. Santa Cruz, Sabastopol, San Francisco, Oakland, for starters. The days long but the journey rich with new experiances and oppertunities laying in wait.
Spent a dew filled night slumbering under a kiwi grove after farming for a day, and playing music by night.
Since the fall, my trip has been entirely benficial to my healing and an incredibly rewarding time spent putting my ball in play for post Peace Corps.
good night be well,
I am exhausted!
but happy
wanderer
Well
Damn Good Biking
Mammath Mountain
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
where in the world
Indeed. Where in the world?
Hi guys in Tacoma Park Maryland (DC Area) with some fellow wayfarers who drifted back early from the blistering climate of Niger.
Just chillin.
Tuesday I spread my wings and fly to Oakland then later to the northern side of sunny california where a multitude of tasks will burden my load as I drift about and visit UC Santa Cruz for a horticulture program, meeting my good friend cecilia from old mexico in SF, and catching up with our long lost militantly sloppy farmer Matt Mccue "the iraq soldier guy"
Getting into the stretch of this last inning in the DC area I have been enjoying myself thouroghly. Its been interesting new territory, but none the less I'm strumm'n like a fat cat wandering between the many worlds crossed between on this terribly fascinating trip home.
So I have started writing and working in my mind what to journal from this trip so have patience. Its been terribly exciting.
Don't want to give it away but its been one magic sack full of handling spells and meeting monsters of all shapes and sizes, many of which can carry a tune pretty darn well too!
Start expecting stuff about the first of the month I should have some things set up by then after I return from Cali'forn'i'a.
be well and remember to check all hammock straps to prevent falling, you never know what kind of trip might become of it.
Peacefully trodding.
Joshua.
Hi guys in Tacoma Park Maryland (DC Area) with some fellow wayfarers who drifted back early from the blistering climate of Niger.
Just chillin.
Tuesday I spread my wings and fly to Oakland then later to the northern side of sunny california where a multitude of tasks will burden my load as I drift about and visit UC Santa Cruz for a horticulture program, meeting my good friend cecilia from old mexico in SF, and catching up with our long lost militantly sloppy farmer Matt Mccue "the iraq soldier guy"
Getting into the stretch of this last inning in the DC area I have been enjoying myself thouroghly. Its been interesting new territory, but none the less I'm strumm'n like a fat cat wandering between the many worlds crossed between on this terribly fascinating trip home.
So I have started writing and working in my mind what to journal from this trip so have patience. Its been terribly exciting.
Don't want to give it away but its been one magic sack full of handling spells and meeting monsters of all shapes and sizes, many of which can carry a tune pretty darn well too!
Start expecting stuff about the first of the month I should have some things set up by then after I return from Cali'forn'i'a.
be well and remember to check all hammock straps to prevent falling, you never know what kind of trip might become of it.
Peacefully trodding.
Joshua.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Oh my back!!
Today was my first session of physical therapy and so far after only doing breathing and relearning how to use my internal muscles that do all the work instead of the bigger bulky ones that have hindered all the rest I am tired.
Never thought breathing, tightening my stomach and simply raising my legs a few inches off the table would be so laboring but they are. I know baby steps, baby steps.
One session down, and two per week from here on out.
I am still waiting anxiously on the Peace Corps to decide whether I will be able to take a couple vacation weeks to supplement my time here instead of them going ahead and medically terminating my service, which will be undoubtedly more painful than the actual back injury.
Just a different type of hurt is all.
Often I think back of Niger, what are they doing, how is the rainfall, are the crops all in, are they missing me, has my time served there as an agriculturalist made any impact?
I think positively of my service and still see this current predicament of not belonging anywhere as just another few steps on my journey's.
On the domestic home front the devastating rains have left many farmers without crops for the year and many more close to home have lost investments not only in their fields, time, and operating costs but also in ruined equipment stemming from the levee's breaking or the torrential storms washing away the crops.
Often my heart flutters to think of their loss and and I pray that my African home does not suffer in the other extreme with a dry year. My heart beats optimistically hopeful that despite the devastation both of my homes can manage, or more so bounce back without losing everything. Though the situations are contrasting the stakes are equally as severe.
Ok that's it from Charlottesville, be well everyone, and don't worry I am getting better.
cheers!
Never thought breathing, tightening my stomach and simply raising my legs a few inches off the table would be so laboring but they are. I know baby steps, baby steps.
One session down, and two per week from here on out.
I am still waiting anxiously on the Peace Corps to decide whether I will be able to take a couple vacation weeks to supplement my time here instead of them going ahead and medically terminating my service, which will be undoubtedly more painful than the actual back injury.
Just a different type of hurt is all.
Often I think back of Niger, what are they doing, how is the rainfall, are the crops all in, are they missing me, has my time served there as an agriculturalist made any impact?
I think positively of my service and still see this current predicament of not belonging anywhere as just another few steps on my journey's.
On the domestic home front the devastating rains have left many farmers without crops for the year and many more close to home have lost investments not only in their fields, time, and operating costs but also in ruined equipment stemming from the levee's breaking or the torrential storms washing away the crops.
Often my heart flutters to think of their loss and and I pray that my African home does not suffer in the other extreme with a dry year. My heart beats optimistically hopeful that despite the devastation both of my homes can manage, or more so bounce back without losing everything. Though the situations are contrasting the stakes are equally as severe.
Ok that's it from Charlottesville, be well everyone, and don't worry I am getting better.
cheers!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Red Dreams
Hi guys this is a really random post.
I wrote this in an email to my step mom I think she was feeling a little bruised and abused from not hearing from me for a while so jotted down this dream I just woke from.
I know a dream, how flaky, but its short and funny enjoy.
Its 0434 just woke up from a dream, I and a few of my peace corps
buddies were flying back into the USA but we didn't come in on a
civilian airport, we entered at a military one, and as we are going
through we notice a lot of russians loading and unloading weapons and
many other things that look like a shady deployment of russian
military on US soil.
As I am walking through I am beaming at the American military police I can't help but quip'
"kind of lack security round here eh?"
they look back, unarmed and like pound puppies looking for a home reassuraing me they are getting hosed over on this deal.
So we exit the military compound and there are two uninspired and bewildered protesters sitting outside apathetically on the curb only looking in and still not grasping what is it that's actually wrong.
So then someone shouts "hey josh, you gonna protest this?"
"Ah, well, ok"
So i put down my bags, steal the megaphone from the protesters and say,
Hey ruskies, Putin scrubs submarines....Mine!
Without breaking stride I give back the megaphone and pick up my things and move on
everyone laughs, and apparently me too, it woke me from my dream laughing.
okay that's it.
Today I am going to King George Va with cathy she has work out there, but i am going to have here drop me off in Fredricksburg on the way so I can go to a super mandolin store and test out some high dollar mandolin's. I am getting really itchy to buy myself that certain something as a gift for a job well done after the Peace Corps.
I know, needs and wants, but after you play my current mando, but from the sahel sun the wood is as dried up as fried pepperoni, and has the action of a geriatric rocking it out at a eagles concert.
I see ovaltine and prune juice sponsors not Budweiser in this vision.
O'yeah lastly Cat' and I went to awesome pizza place, they sported live bluegrass, met the band, mando player. We are meeting up soon hopefully, on the ground and running as they say.
Peace.
I wrote this in an email to my step mom I think she was feeling a little bruised and abused from not hearing from me for a while so jotted down this dream I just woke from.
I know a dream, how flaky, but its short and funny enjoy.
Its 0434 just woke up from a dream, I and a few of my peace corps
buddies were flying back into the USA but we didn't come in on a
civilian airport, we entered at a military one, and as we are going
through we notice a lot of russians loading and unloading weapons and
many other things that look like a shady deployment of russian
military on US soil.
As I am walking through I am beaming at the American military police I can't help but quip'
"kind of lack security round here eh?"
they look back, unarmed and like pound puppies looking for a home reassuraing me they are getting hosed over on this deal.
So we exit the military compound and there are two uninspired and bewildered protesters sitting outside apathetically on the curb only looking in and still not grasping what is it that's actually wrong.
So then someone shouts "hey josh, you gonna protest this?"
"Ah, well, ok"
So i put down my bags, steal the megaphone from the protesters and say,
Hey ruskies, Putin scrubs submarines....Mine!
Without breaking stride I give back the megaphone and pick up my things and move on
everyone laughs, and apparently me too, it woke me from my dream laughing.
okay that's it.
Today I am going to King George Va with cathy she has work out there, but i am going to have here drop me off in Fredricksburg on the way so I can go to a super mandolin store and test out some high dollar mandolin's. I am getting really itchy to buy myself that certain something as a gift for a job well done after the Peace Corps.
I know, needs and wants, but after you play my current mando, but from the sahel sun the wood is as dried up as fried pepperoni, and has the action of a geriatric rocking it out at a eagles concert.
I see ovaltine and prune juice sponsors not Budweiser in this vision.
O'yeah lastly Cat' and I went to awesome pizza place, they sported live bluegrass, met the band, mando player. We are meeting up soon hopefully, on the ground and running as they say.
Peace.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Med Update
Sorry for not updating the blog sooner after the results of my doctors appointment last week.
The news is that I am healing normally, and medically cleared to return to Niger as long as I stay in the USA for an additional two weeks past my allowed 45 day medical leave.
So now I need to see if I can wrangle with the PC to allow me to stay an extra two weeks using my vacation time. If not, I will be medically seperated from the PC and my life long dream of living in the bush will be prematurely terminated.
Stupid hammock!
It seems nothing ever comes with out a hitch or little bend out of the way to get to where I am going, but what can one do, its part of wayfaring.
The doctor was a really cool guy and part of the medical team that worked on Christopher Reeves so it seems I am in pretty good hands. Its not just anyone who is allowed to work on superman I guess.
I know, Reeves, not me. ;-)
Cat' and I hosted our friend Alexandra last week, (we were all in PC Niger together) it was really a treat to have her come up and stay a couple days. And this week I am meeting her parents for the first time over the patriotic weekend, so thaaaaats going to be cool.
President Bush is coming to C'ville this weekend for the 4th, I'll try not to let it ruin my positive opinion of Charlottesville.
Today I invested in a annual pass for the Shenandoah National Forest it was a great investment, and couldn't come at a better time. I haven't started fully functioning yet and am going crazy from being couped up in an apartment full time.
I really start getting testy if not able to lose myself in Nature, so I stole cathy's car and drove the skyline ridge and found a nice little rock outcropping about 3500 feet looking over a spectacular view and played mandolin and watch some hawks circle and play in the sky.
I love this world, green and lush, or brown and dusty, my place is where ever my feet fall in front of me.
Okay that's about it
take care
The news is that I am healing normally, and medically cleared to return to Niger as long as I stay in the USA for an additional two weeks past my allowed 45 day medical leave.
So now I need to see if I can wrangle with the PC to allow me to stay an extra two weeks using my vacation time. If not, I will be medically seperated from the PC and my life long dream of living in the bush will be prematurely terminated.
Stupid hammock!
It seems nothing ever comes with out a hitch or little bend out of the way to get to where I am going, but what can one do, its part of wayfaring.
The doctor was a really cool guy and part of the medical team that worked on Christopher Reeves so it seems I am in pretty good hands. Its not just anyone who is allowed to work on superman I guess.
I know, Reeves, not me. ;-)
Cat' and I hosted our friend Alexandra last week, (we were all in PC Niger together) it was really a treat to have her come up and stay a couple days. And this week I am meeting her parents for the first time over the patriotic weekend, so thaaaaats going to be cool.
President Bush is coming to C'ville this weekend for the 4th, I'll try not to let it ruin my positive opinion of Charlottesville.
Today I invested in a annual pass for the Shenandoah National Forest it was a great investment, and couldn't come at a better time. I haven't started fully functioning yet and am going crazy from being couped up in an apartment full time.
I really start getting testy if not able to lose myself in Nature, so I stole cathy's car and drove the skyline ridge and found a nice little rock outcropping about 3500 feet looking over a spectacular view and played mandolin and watch some hawks circle and play in the sky.
I love this world, green and lush, or brown and dusty, my place is where ever my feet fall in front of me.
Okay that's about it
take care
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