Well folks, my time here on this blog is looking limited, at least for the immediate future.
As noted in my previous post, I’m currently computer- and internet-free in my daily life. Of late, I’ve been finding my way to the library a couple times a week, on average, for one hour or less sessions online. This is perhaps just enough time to keep up on email and a few other things I need to take care of via the internet. It’s not, as it turns out, enough time to type up and post blog entries. I had one entry that I attempted to type up and, even with it not quite containing my usual wordiness, it took me over a half hour just to type it. And it was only partly done. So this won’t work for the time being.
Further, it’s that busy time of year again. Two farm hand jobs, the summer markets starting up, and the garden constantly calling me. The weather has been gorgeous here, sunny and warm, essentially the antithesis of the previous two springs I’ve experienced here on the North Oregon coast. It’s making me feel behind. I feel like I should have everything planted already. That’s a bit silly, of course. I just put thirty tomato plants in the hoop house, have little peppers growing every day that will hopefully be ready for transplant soon, various greens and roots in, brassicas transplanted, and the other day I seeded down a couple small beds of quinoa. This is one of my experiments for the year. I’m curious to attempt to grow a grain out here and quinoa seems like it just might work. We’ll see. My other two experiments are Painted Mountain flour corn and Rockwell dry beans. I haven’t planted either of those yet. I need to get on that soon—they may be a stretch as it is.
I’ve lost my point, though. Not having the internet has, for the most part, been glorious. I think I’m getting more done (if nothing else, I’m working my two jobs, gardening, and still getting a ton of reading done) and I feel less stressed and crazy. I’m getting better sleep. I am, in other words, less distracted. This is good, and I think I’ll stick with it for the time being. Unfortunately, the blog doesn’t currently fit into all that.
I’m not shutting this down. It will stay here, the archives available, and I’ll continue to look in on and respond to any comments. I may yet even post on occasion this summer, if I come up with short musings I feel are worth putting up. Or even quick life updates, like this. And once fall and winter rolls back around, it’s entirely possible I’ll begin spouting off here again. You know how it goes, those of you who have been here awhile. When the rain and cold comes, I get back to the internal realm, and the writing calls me again. Summertime? It’s just that external part of the year. The outside world beckons. You can’t ignore the sun—not out here.
Hope you all are well. Comment and talk to me below. I’ll answer. Check in on occasion. At some point I’ll say more. And go plant something. As always, it’ll make the world a touch better.
Of The Hands 
It’s a good thing to be in the world where one actually is. I’d do better to engage where I’m at, as well. Best of luck with work, crops and reading (I just started to re-read ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ myself, 25+ years after I last read it; for the grimness of it, my brain feels so much better wrapped around it than with most contemporary literature). See you here and there, perhaps. Or come Winter, perhaps. 🙂
Same here, Joel. Actually, I’ve determined to cut my online time a good 50% or more myself. Have a good summer-fall.
Catch ya later….
Hi Joel. Good to hear about your life travels. It’s an interesting business. You are really giving yourself over to nature – who is our boss after all, you know (I think JMG is going to get to this point soon)! There is much truth in the old chestnut: “Make hay whilst the sun shines”.
I’ve been out and about this week celebrating “Good Beer Week”, and it has been an enjoyable experience, not that we have the same number of micro breweries that you have over there, but things are slowly improving. I’ve been experimenting with apple cider which is fascinating. In between this, the wind turbine project has been continuing and hopefully over the next day or so it gets raised and starts to generate some power as the winter solstice will kick in soon. It’s been very complex, especially if you try to do it on the cheap.
Keep well and I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather there. Chris
Just stopped by for a visit and make sure I didn’t miss a post. Hope your summer is keeping you happy and healthy! Until next time…
Question: When is a Blog not a Blog?
Answer: When the blogger quits blogging, just goes away and leaves the thing hanging there in cyberspace.
Joel – apparently you have no intention of returning to continue this blog, but it would be good to let us know one way or another.
Hey Martin,
The last month or so, I’ve been thinking of putting up a new post, but I haven’t actually found inspiration to write something specific. The idea of resurrecting the blog, admittedly, hasn’t been at the top of my list. That said, it’s getting to be that time that I start to want to do some reflecting. Perhaps the stretch of unseasonably warm and sunny weather we’re having isn’t helping.
You’re right, though, I should give an update, if nothing else. And now that I’m writing this comment, a post seems tempting. I’ll see about getting something posted shortly.
Hey Joel –
Good to see you’re still alive and (hopefully) well. I, for one, have missed your postings over the past few months, but I am also aware of the time and effort required to even work up the ‘juice’ to do so. Still, it’d be good to see a post (or two) per month, if possible – your perspective and writing skill are rare in the blogosphere and well worth reading.
Martin
Thanks, Martin. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things here. A new post just went up, mostly just an update on life and a bit about the summer. Hopefully I’ll come up with something more philosophical in the near future.
And yes, doing well! Good things happening, some of which may well be enumerated here on the blog in the near future.