Mother Nature is...

Mother Nature [1]. Previously I’ve called her ingenious [2], grand [3], angry [4], and mercilessly vengeful [5]. Even muscular [6]. But that’s not all she can be. This growing season’s been a tough and cruel one for most, and maybe nearly all, Australian primary producers. Including darling Brendon and Kate at Daylesford Organics. In the last few months floods [7] (on at least two occasions), locust plagues (ditto) and fungal diseases have reduced their farm’s produce to almost zero – apart from eggs. (Apparently the chooks have continued to lay eggs, oblivious to the adversities just mentioned.) Of couse that’s a huge setback – compounded because in the previous two seasons their produce had won national awards, and they’d been supplying top restaurants. It’s hard not to take all this personally – even though, of course, there’s nothing personal about it. I know [8]. Brendon and his farm team have made plans to ensure future seasons like the present one won’t result in such massive production losses. One must learn by one’s experience and do what one can. But as people in Brisbane and Christchurch can confirm, Mother Nature can’t be totally controlled. She’s perverse, she’s contrary, and she has wry senses of irony and humour. Yesterday darling Kate and darling Jarrah picked some giant blackberries (pictured). As if Mother Nature created these giants as a reminder of who’s boss. And to signal that she’s not a bitch after all.

Annie Leibovitz watch out

Today’s ‘Positive and Optimistic Sunday’. I’ve no doubt women and men see the world differently. I reckon the cause’s not environmental. So it must be a genetic thing. To do with that extra X chromosome. Perhaps mediated by hormones. Perhaps not. Anyway, put a camera in a woman’s hands and you’ll get totally different types of images than you’ll get from a man in the same spot. And it’s never too early for a woman to start taking pictures. On darling Indigo’s 7th birthday in November 2007, Sweetheart Vivienne and I gave her a digital camera. So on darling Jarrah’s 7th birthday 15 days ago, our gift was preordained. Darling Kate – her mum – said Jazzy’s obsessed with her new camera. It’s red. And so it’s caused her favourite colour to change. From pink. I haven’t seen any of her photographs yet – but judging by the photo top left, she looks the part. Maybe that’s because her mum (who took that photo, and this one [1]) is a keen – nay, fanatical – and wonderful photographer [2, 3]. I don’t know much about famous woman photographers. But some websites have lists of them [4, 5, 6, 7]. Maybe one day darling Jarrah will be on those lists. If that happens I’ll be delighted to say that Sweetheart Vivienne and I gave her her first camera.

P.S. Darling Pepper, whose 3rd birthday’s today, wants a camera too! No show without Punch [8].

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. in fact yesterday, the ground-breaking ceremony occurred for Hepburn Wind’s two community-owned wind turbines [1]. Good on you, Hepburn Wind.

2. a survey of 235,000 US adults revealed that nearly 10% were depressed. Risk factors were living in the south-east, female, middle-age, black or Hispanic, and no health insurance[2]. Ho hum.

3. there was media coverage about the benefits of resuscitation by Continuous Chest Compression [CCC] compared with Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation [CPR] [3a, 3b, 3c]. It avoids the yucky mouth-to-mouth stuff, too.

4. planetgreen reviewed a book titled Holy Sh*t: Managing Manure to Save Mankind [4]. This is a massive problem. If the solution’s unpalatable, so what.

5. Nutrition Diva listed the ways sugar’s bad for us [5]. Food for thought, eh.

6. the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that getting sufficient sleep may play an important role in weight loss [6]. Interesting.

7. the Age questioned whether Power Bands were snake-oil [7a]. This is relevant [7b].

8. darling Kate blogged about some exciting news [8a] and some sad news [8b]. And today’s darling Jarrah’s seventh birthday XXXXXXX

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. I saw on treehugger.com some amazing bus stop shelters [1]. None is in Australia. Ho hum.

2. Microsoft published guides to ‘How to shop online more safely’ [2a] and ‘How to use third-party payment services’ [2b]. I doubt we can ever know too much about these matters.

3. the despoiling of parts of the Great Barrier Reef by a cargo ship makes this catalogue of corporate villainy apposite [3]. Ho hum (again).

4. this item from the Rocky Mountain Institute [RMI] explains how cars can, and must, be made lighter without compromising safety [4]. Yes we can.

5. adjunctively, this ‘Winning the oil endgame’ Ted Talk by the RMI’s Amory Lovins, a hero of mine, was released [5]. The sooner the better.

6. if you’re in a viewing mood, this film Tarkine: Saving the Last of Gondwana graphically shows what’s best and worst about Tasmania [6]. And Tasmanians.

7. Sweetheart Vivienne and her Dad featured on the Age’s ‘2 of us’ page [7]. Congrats to them both.

8. darling Jarrah lost a BIG front tooth [8]. I hope the tooth fairy took note it was a BIG tooth.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 575

In the past week there’ve been many joyous times in my life. One of the best was this morning, when Sweetheart Vivienne and I accompanied darling Jarrah and darling Indigo to their classrooms to start the new school week. Kate and her girls arrived late – because Indi slept in after her weekend birthday festivities. As we waited for them, I saw the Lollipop Lady (pictured) going about her business. Fluorescent, attentive, deliberate, measured. Impressively and compellingly so. As I watched her, it occurred to me what a responsibility society at large, and her community in particular, places on her. That is, to ensure the physical safety of a generation of schoolchildren as they enter and exit her workplace. She has no margin for error. One mistake would make her life intolerable. Unlivable. The captains of industry justify their multimillion dollar pay envelopes by the onerous responsibility they shoulder. Yet I’ll bet the pay rate of lollipop ladies and men is among the lowest in our workforce – despite their job being among the most responsible. Sure they may value their work for its intrinsic value, and also its community value. But its value to society is low – based on pay dollars. And, I note, their occupation isn’t among the 30 included in Roy Morgan Research’s annual survey of occupational ethics and honesty [1]. Ho hum. Despite this – no, due to this – I salute you, Lollipop Ladies and Men. Wherever you may work.

farmdoc's blog post number 545

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. I learned that a man’s reason for not attending an appointment with me, was that his daughter had changed their clock’s time for daylight saving, and in error she’d changed the clock’s date too. Daylight saving started on Sunday 4.10.09 [1]. His appointment with me was on Wednesday 7.10.09.

2. a US study found that exposure to nature helps people to value community and relationships more, and to be more generous [2]. I’m not surprised. It’s something I’ve intuitively felt for many years.

3. Professor Ada Yonath, an Israeli working at the Weizmann Institute of Science, was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She’s Israel’s ninth Nobel Laureate [3] – which given Israel’s population and economic and military situation, is a remarkable achievement.

4. darling Jarrah celebrated her sixth birthday with a cupcake party [4]. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.

5. GetUp! released its iCoal 2.0 advertisement [5]. Clean coal’s an oxymoron. It’s never going to happen. It’s an abomination that the coal industry will be compensated in the proposed emissions trading scheme.

6. the Australian Grand Prix Corporation announced a loss of A$40M for the 2009 F1 event [6]. Though the 2009 loss is miraculously the same as the 2008 loss, it’s an absolute waste of public money. It’d fund 400 $100,000 p.a. jobs, or 800 $50,000 p.a. jobs.

7. a comparison was published of the administration of Barack Obama, and that of Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing TV series [7]. Let Bartlet be Bartlet.

8. the invitations went out for Sweetheart Vivienne’s book launch [8]. Also the media interviews began. Her excitement and success are mine too. How very wonderful she is.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 538

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…
1. the Age published an article about politicians’ musical tastes [1]. Who gives a toss? I don’t. They should shut up and run the country.
2. there were 21 arrests at an anti pulp mill demo at the government school in Beaconsfield. The school’s principal withdrew the right of some people to be on the school grounds [2]. Those arrested were peaceful, and they weren’t breaking the law. The principal acted beyond his authority. He should be dealt with. But he won’t be. For this is Tasmania.
3. Voltaren Gel’s been shown to be effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the finger joints [3]. That’s good news for me because I have this disease (though until now it’s not been very painful).
4. Monsanto announced a fourth-quarter loss of US$233M, due mainly to a fall in the demand for and price of RoundUp [4]. The only way I’d be happier is if the loss was bigger.
5. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel won the 2009 Man Booker Prize for Fiction [5]. Tasmania’s library service has eight copies. I’m number 95 in the queue.
6. Jordan reprimanded Israel following recent riots in Jerusalem’s Old City, which erupted after Israeli police closed the Temple Mount to visitors and Muslim worshippers for fear of violence [6]. Jordan’s hypocrisy’s breathtaking. From 1948 to 1967 when it ruled the Old City, not one Jew was allowed access to the Western Wall.
7. A full 5% of America’s forest-products industry is taken up by toilet paper and tissue paper. Softer tissue requires older trees because their wood fibres are softer [7]. It’s best to use only recycled toilet paper.
8. Darling Jarrah turned six [8]. She’s beautiful and special. And the tooth fairy’s preparing to visit her for the first time.
Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 535

I have a younger sister. And no brothers. So I’ve no idea what it’s like to have an older sibling. But I imagine it’s difficult. Because the trail’s blazed by the older sib. The younger one can but follow. And try to emerge from the older one’s shadow. Preferably as often as possible. And for as long as possible. But if you’re not the oldest or the youngest? Your trouble’s multiplied. You cop it from above and below. You’re the meat in the sandwich. I’m certain darling Meg and darling Emily could tell you how it feels. Now our daughters no longer live together, perhaps it’s easier to live as individuals unencumbered by sibling line rank. From my viewpoint it looks like it is. But I’m not them. So I really don’t know. Thus to darling Kate’s three daughters. Darling Indigo leads the way. Beautifully and amazingly. First sibling to do this. And that. Then there’s darling Pepper. She’s at that endearing toddler stage. Cute. Very cute. So it’s not easy for darling Jarrah. Who’s every bit as deserving as her two sisters. Accordingly, when something fantastic happens in her life it must be celebrated with extra joy and gusto. Like last evening when she proudly told me she has a loose tooth. Her first. Which one? See the photograph. Will it come out before, on, or after her birthday next Friday? Who knows? Who cares? I adore her however many teeth she has.

farmdoc's blog post number 408

When I did matriculation in 1963, I took General Mathematics (which I saw as practical and useful) rather than Pure Mathematics (which to me was abstract and abstruse). So I didn’t study chaos theory then. And I’ve remained ignorant about it ever since. Though I know nothing of chaos theory, I’m an expert in chaos practice. At least I have been since last Friday afternoon when darlings Kate, Brendon, Indigo, Jarrah and Pepper arrived for a 5-day stay in Mole Creek with Sweetheart Vivienne and me. I've previously written that ‘Where I live it’s so quiet that when birds fly over, you can hear their wings flap. I love the silence here. It lets me think. Concentrate. Ponder. Reflect. No noise to distract and irritate me’. Well, folks, not since Friday. It’s been full on here. No. More than full on. Go go go the whole time. Noise. Mess. Laughing. Crying. Drawing. Games. Cooking. Eating. DVDs. Singing. And more. If not true chaos then close to it. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Wouldn’t have it any other way. The exuberance of our granddaughters is a joy to behold. And what’s more, I get kisses and hugs and high-fives. Too many to count. Each day, come early evening, every one of us seven is zombified. Tired beyond tired. Like I am now. So, chaos or no chaos, I’m off to bed. Sweet dreams, all.

farmdoc's blog post number 287

Today’s the first day of this summer’s last month. I’ve never understood why, but according to convention summer’s designated according to the calendar in the southern hemisphere (i.e. December, January, February) and astronomy in the northern hemisphere (21 June to 21 September, i.e. solstice to equinox). Sweetheart Vivienne frequently reminds me our summers are usually hottest after the new school year starts in late January or early February. Most years she’s spot on, but this year the hot weather arrived a week early. I can’t fathom why it’s not hottest around the summer solstice on 21 December, because that’s when the days are longest and the sun’s highest in the sky. But it isn’t. If our summer was designated to start on 21 December then high summer (i.e. mid summer) would be in February when it’s hottest according to Sweetheart Vivienne. Anyway I do hope this year’s February is not too hot, because next week our darling granddaughter Jarrah starts her career as a schoolgirl. Word is she has her school shoes (pictured) and uniform ready; she’s so excited her school shoes have hardly left her feet; and big sister Indigo’s been coaching her on the cans and can’ts of being a schoolgirl. How delicious and poignant this all is. This summer, as darling Jarrah begins this new stage of her life, my hopes and love go with her.