A Mosaic Life

Moving is like smashing a mirror of your life then placing them back together as neat as possible.

I think when you move think of it like a mosaic art project.

Why not make the pieces in your life an art piece?

For a kid, its devastating to leave friends, yet invigorating to make new ones…….
…..adults, its new work, home settling and neighbors…….
....For a dog it would be difficult to conceptualize the complexities of say' Agadez the Super Pups thoughts but…….they would probably be something like……
Squirrel!!, squirrel!!!, squirrel!!!

Alas for me.

It means rediscovering everything I own in the world and functionally packing a 91 Chevy step-side/short bed truck with a custom wood box encapsulating my life along with a 60 lb puppy and enough bedding to bundle up in the truck on cold nights.

Like a Transformer "Autobot" when all packed, my truck "Red Fred" metamorph's into a brutal road assault vehicle aptly named "The Hobo Hatchback"

The cargo bay is packing bicycles (2), computer, tool box, farm tools, clothes, books, instruments, desk, office chair, 50lbs of dog food, cooler, kitchen ware, and various automotive fluids.

My arsenal for survival is my bow and arrow from childhood, a big harvest knife!, a 30-30 lever action rifle, and 6 quilts my grandmothers have made for me…..I even have two collections with me…all my rocks and minerals, along with my xmas ornaments since childhood. ……
………...just incase I have to hole up in a Cave and spruce it up.

I had no Idea I had so much stuff!
Yet it all packs down so nicely.

Currently I am in Minnesota to pick up more stuff, (mainly winter gear), recharge, and start the westward trail Thursday morning towards Nevada.

Seems I am going to farm in the desert once again.

Minnesota didn't pan out, right people, right project, wrong timing.

Starting a farm at this stage was unfeasible in timing and funding.
No, no…No spilled milk, the project is moving forward, will open, but the funding and timing just didn’t come along at the same pace.

Bummer.

However, I am signing up for a project equally exciting, challenging, funded, and actually up and running.

The farm is called Hungry Mother Organics based out of Carson City.

This is the 3rd year of production and is operated by a former Peace Corps/Army/Farmer Veteran on a 5 acre farm inside a prison. The farm produces plant starts, fresh veggies, and uses incarcerated inmates for a little work. They depend heavily on greenhouse and high tunnel production.

This year they are starting a retail center for produce, plants, tools and such and are working to make this center both substantive in food production as well as educational.

The farm on the prison has a river, Sierra Nevada mountains, and a herd of wild mustangs roaming the vast terrain. Not bad for a back yard eh?

Hungry Mother also has access to another wonderful 200 acre farm about 15 minutes out of town that is planned for village-farm development; complete with housing, organic land, good soil, unlimited water, mountains, trails and huge herd of deer…hence the rifle!

Best case scenario this year I get a grip on production, marketing, and overall farm planning, next year I really lay into doing exactly what I was going to do in Minnesota.

Even better case scenario is I put my wanderlust to rest.
My 3 year Omnivore's Odyssey is finally coming to an end.
A chapter of my life is closing, a new one begins.

My new life will be in proximity to Tahoe, Reno, the Mountains, and 2 hours away from the FVC Davis office.

One could say all the perks of California, without living in it.

Perfect.

A most rewarding opportunity to end my global farm and food apprenticeship.
Now its time to start putting the lessons to work.

This is cross country trip number 2 in less than two months.
Ah, Life.

Agadez says hi.

Niger, News of the Weird.

ANGRY bees attacked villagers in southwestern Niger, putting more than 40 in hospital and killing livestock

Gotta Love News from Niger.

The bees swarmed into Dake-Garka village after a gust of wind broke the tree branch that had held their nest for more than half a century, sending panic-stricken people fleeing into the bush, radio reports said.

More than 40 villagers, including 14 children, were admitted to emergency wards of the regional hospital in Birni-N’Konni, it said.

A horse and a donkey died of stings while 95 goats and sheep were left paralysed.

Hours after the invasion, many residents were still afraid to return to their bee-besieged homes, village head Chaibou Abdoulkarim told Anfani.

Our first FVC event, A quick film.

Hi guys, wanted to share this.
Cliff Figallo our media coordinator make this video for youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1UpXV3Q4jQ
copy and paste this address to watch.

I am shown in it a few times and speak briefly.
It was the first time I ever considered myself a veteran.

Wow how many things have changed since that time.
I love what I do!!

Our food and farming career fair was a smash success!
over 160 veterans came for the event.

Agadez the super pup was awesome.

We spent today in Sonoma County at a very swanky and horticultural paradise for a barrel tasting. It was beyond amazing.I even made freinds with the head farmer.
Brilliant stuff.

WEll I'm flying back to MO for about a month, coming back out to CA in the late of the month for a competive award. I'm making a project to hire vets on our farm and to use the funds to give them a 1,000$ stipend per month while covering room and board.

Can you believe I picked up 5 vets to come and work!!!
So pumped!

Cheers

1 Month + 4,000 miles = 2 Worn out Puppies

Before arriving in California Agadez the super pup and I had put on 2,500 miles.

Add a flight to California, tally the day trips to Sonoma, Napa, and other locales then add on this weekend trip to Santa Cruz this weekend and it should total atleast if not more than 4,000 miles.

Whew! We are some worn out road pups.

Since being in Cali' we have been working tirelessly to pull together our first regional food and farming career fair for the Farmer Veteran Coalition in Sonoma County (NorCal). Total score, we have nearly 40 tables of veteran, food, and farming organizations in line to deliver some fantastic services, jobs, and educational opportunities.

We are unsure of how many veterans are going to come, but we already have 30+ of our regional farmer veterans who are looking to continue or begin their lives into the realms of agriculture.

Did I mention the event is only 8 days away?

Incredible! If not anything else, we are actually ahead of the bell curve.
A first for us.

Though we are not finished, there are some finishing garnishes to add to compliment the dish.
I could not be more thrilled. Life is SPICY!!

Now for news of NIGER:

As you can read after my last few posts; you will see that in the midst of all this traveling, Niger has suffered a coup as in the last week. At first glance before the gun smoke dissipated one (including myself) would have thought that this was one more step towards the precipice of chaos that Niger seems to be teetering towards.

However. Its looking like a little coup is good for democracy.

In short initial reports from Niger are speculating that the military junta that overthrew the president did so to preserve the sanctity of democracy and have pledged NOT to run for public office in the ensuing election that will sweep the country.

Apparently President Tandja was overthrown as a direct result of his failed power vacuum to extend his presidency beyond his mandated term limits. Beyond the crushing hand he has placed over his people with the world's finest military training and weapons America can offer; he even found time to dissolve the supreme court and parliament….and that's for beginners.

If anything, getting him out of power was a good thing, his wife even better.

Well, nuff said on this matter.

Its been mentioned by another blogger that I should write something on behalf of my own opinions. I normally would relish in the opportunity to speak my piece on Niger and the horrible direction they are being nudged towards to preserve their country through strong military rule.

But as things stand. Niger seems to be doing better as a result of this coup…..well at least for now anyhow. Where in the world has anyone actually heard of "pro coup" demonstrations across the country….and peaceful at that?

I love Niger, everything I am doing now as a farmer is because of what the proud saheliens taught me about living.

I'm broke, penniless, and have no idea how I'm going to make my living in Minnesota.
But this I do know. There are worst things to be than broke, being without resourcefulness is far, far, worse.

Folk, I'm doing just fine.
Agadez and I are just pooped.

That's life on the road.

Now I'm figuring out how to put the farm together. Who knows I might even come out of California with a few potential farmer veterans.

Oh how I relish in the opportunity to finally cook my own meals, pump some iron at the gym and meditate in the solace of my own farm.

Another downside of the road. Restaurant food and hotels. Geez I think I've put on 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. Agadez too! But good normal weight for a puppy; he's 'bout 50 lbs!!

Well Folk Be well, and keep on rocking in the free world.

And don't worry, President Obama is American born and doing his best to reform health care.

Put the petty partisanship aside. I think 8 years with an inept faux dictator and his kabal at the helm was enough of a setback for our country.

Move on, move forward, and plant some Acorns :-)

One Coup over the Cockoo's Nest

An article from BBC describing Niger's current Coup.
Interesting Coup to say the least.....

NIGER Characteristics from the World Bank:

Chronic poverty:
Population 14 million, 61% live on less than $1 a day

Resource rich:
Huge reserves of uranium, Chinese firms digging for oil

Politically unstable:
History of coups, assassinations and on-off rebellion by nomadic Tuareg people in the north


Niger junta bars itself from future elections
Salou Djibo, leader of the coup that overthrew Mamadou Tandja
The junta leaders have not yet set a date for elections

Members of Niger's military junta and the interim administration it is setting up will not be allowed to run future democratic elections.

Junta spokesman Abdoul Karim Goukoye reiterated that the coup leaders' priorities were to hold transparent polls and restore democracy.

President Mamadou Tandja was overthrown a week ago after a decade in power.

Col Goukoye said that Morocco had offered to shelter Mr Tandja, but this was denied by Rabat.

Mr Tandja and several of his ministers are still under house arrest.

Niger's main opposition party has called for Mr Tandja to be tried for high treason because of his decision last year to scrap limits on the presidential term in office, which went against a ruling by the Supreme Court.

Earlier in the week Mahamadou Danda was named as a civilian prime minister to oversee the transition to democracy.

The junta has not set a date for the new polls.

"I have asked for the necessary guarantees to be sure of committing myself in the process leading to a real restoration of democracy," AFP news agency quotes Mr Danda as saying in his first public comments since his appointment.

Niger has experienced long periods of military rule since independence from France in 1960.

But Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power brought a measure of economic stability to the poor West African nation.

A Coup de E'tat In Niger....Not Good.

Now for some terrible but not completely unexpected news from Niger…..

The BBC reports…..

Niger President Mamadou Tandja and his cabinet are being held by soldiers after gun battles in the capital, a government source has told the BBC.

Gunfire broke out around the presidential palace at about 1300 (1200 GMT) and continued for 30 minutes, says the BBC's Idy Baraou in Niamey.

State radio is playing military music - a similar pattern to two coups in the 1990s.

Tensions have been growing in the uranium-rich nation since last year.

Mr Tandja was widely criticised when he changed the constitution in August to allow him to stand for a third term.

Long-term tensions
Our correspondent says tanks have been firing and witnesses report seeing injured people being taken to hospital.

An unnamed French official told AFP that a coup attempt was under way.

"All I can say is that it would appear that Tandja is not in a good position," he told the news agency on condition of anonymity.


Soldiers captured Mr Tandja while he was chairing his weekly cabinet meeting, the government source told the BBC. AFP later reported an official as saying Mr Tandja was possibly being held at a military barracks about 20km (13 miles) west of Niamey.

A witness told the news agency that the bodies of three soldiers had been taken to a military mortuary.
The situation in Niamey remains unclear - there has apparently been no large-scale deployment of military personnel.

The government and opposition have been holding on-off talks since December - mediated by the regional body Ecowas - to try to resolve the country's political crisis.

Mr Tandja, a former army officer, was first voted into office in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004.

Niger has experienced long periods of military rule since independence from France in 1960. It is one of the world's poorest countries, but Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power has brought a measure of economic stability.

Under his tenure, work has begun on the world's second-biggest uranium mine, and energy deals have been signed with Chinese firms.

Greet'ns from the Road

Hello folks, I am sitting warmly in a public library in Saint Louis.

I arrived yesterday after about 17 hours of being in the car.
Straight Shot, well I took about a 5 hour nap after being up for over 24 hours and flying cross country, just to then pack all the stuff up and head back west to where I flew from.....whew!!!

Agadez the super pup is a marvelous road dog, but is a bit of a bed hog in the truck.

The first night spent in Louisville I spent on my back in the fetal position as wonder pup slept beneath my feet.

Why not put him on the floor board you ask?
I tried, but when he is determined to sleep somewhere its like trying to plug a leak in a damn with your finger.

I'm staying in Saint Louis until Friday and then moving on to Warrensburg, (old college town) then to KC for a week, then my farm for a week, then Sauk Center Minnesota for who knows how long....but I hope long. I need a home.

The road trip thus far has been awesome, I love traveling and experiencing the joy of seeing the diversity of our country and the people we meet along the way are not to shabby of a perk as well.

so yes, single, homeless, and without regular paychecks coming in does have its drawbacks; but this is the happiest I have been in the last couple years. And they have been good years spent all over the country doing the things I love; A life devoted to creating music, traveling, farming, and eating good food regularly sure is a tough way to go.

I am loving life greatly and appreciating the joys of having Agadez the super pup always at my side.

but damn, charlie, my other dog.......sheeeeeeeeeee is going to be pissssSSSSssed!!

cheers,