Category: lifestyle

tenkara fly fishing

Camping, lifestyle, travel July 2, 2015

My husband grew up fishing in the many lakes of Michigan and I have enjoyed it here and there throughout my life, but neither of us have ever really fly fished and we are basically clueless. I did read ‘A River Runs Through It’ at some point and developed a long lingering desire to fly fish. The romance, the meditation, the skill, and the trout. With our outdoor adventures often involving lakes and streamsit seems a natural endeavor to take on. However like so many other outdoor activities, fly fishing seems particularly burdened by the need for expensive gear and training.
I recently stumbled across Tenkara fly fishing, which is simply the traditional Japanese style. Like many other traditional Japanese things it is minimal from a gear standpoint. You have a rod, a line, a fly. It is also apparently ideal for fishing small mountain streams, much like those we have in great abundance within 20 miles in any direction of our home. I have been reading Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing and while we have yet to catch a trout, we have had fun messing around with casting in the rivers and streams we come across. The simplicity of the set up means that (like our sweet packraft), our fishing gear just stays in the van and is ready to pull out at a moment’s notice or a riverside rest stop. The spare set up also means that the financial investment is relatively small, from what I can tell, you can have a reasonable set up for less than $100. We went for the Wetfly Tenkara Package when it went on sale on BackCountry.com, and are so far pleased because it has everything we need.

I am thoroughly enjoying the book. It is sprinkled with quotes from the likes of Mark Twain and Thoreau and uses appropriately spare prose. Underlyinb the instruction is a gentle reverence for the spiritual gains of spending time out doors, and I am learning the basics of casting, fly choice, where to look for fish and other such details. You don’t have to “know what you are doing” to enjoy something and the learning process can start almost anywhere as long as you have the desire and the time. Things like fly fishing can be intimidating (to me anyway) because of the knowledge and skill possessed by experts, but like everything else, you have to start somewhere. When I was a prosecutor right out of law school, I often squared off against men who had been practicing law as long as I had been alive, I always had to remind myself that everyone has to start somewhere and that my inexperience was just that. This type of fishing offers an elegant and simple starting point for the inexperienced. So far Tenkara has really added to our enjoyment of the outdoors, and I’m sure our experience will really deepen if we ever actually hook a fish. As for now my three year son thinks holding the rod from the river bank is about the best thing next to ice cream.

the best boat is the one that is with you

lifestyle, travel June 28, 2015

We woke up this morning, and after a leisurely breakfast, decided that we wanted to take the boys fishing. We have a baby and a toddler, which means that just getting to the grocery store can be challenging. After everyone is dressed, fed, brushed, changed, and packed, it is almost time for another nap or meal. The pull of the couch can be powerful for even those who aren’t responsible for tiny dictators with lots of accessories. So anything you can do to streamline and simplify getting out the door to go out of doors is invaluable. I grew up paddling around mountain lakes on windsurfing boards, and the desire to get out on the water has been nagging at me all summer. We decided on the Advanced Elements Packlite Inflatable Kayak to get our family on the water. We wanted something easy, something that could fit atleast one adult and one child, and something that we wouldn’t have to sell one of the kids for. (Like an Alpackaraft , which I would love to have) This is kind of a tall order, but this boat is perfect. In fact, I think that I am now a fervent believer in pack rafts in general.

We drove up to the lake, grilled up some hotdogs and inflated the boat with the foot pump advanced elements sells for it. (Just a couple of minutes). We could actually carry the baby and all of our picnic items, as well as the boat and life jackets in one trip. That is four hands. On the way home we discussed just packing up a backpack with the boat, fishing stuff, a couple of chairs, picnic blanket etc. and leaving it in the car for impromptu day trips.

We wanted to avoid the crowds at the dock, so it was a bit of a walk to reach the shore. But it was no problem with this boat. My husband and I took turns paddling around with our elated toddler. So fun. The mountains, the water, the swans and ducks, the strain in your arms, the sound of the paddle dipping into the lack, the joy of an almost three year old. It would be no problem to load up two boats with a few picnic items and take small trips. (I believe our time to be more limited by the small passengers more than the boat). So that’s that. I considered numerous water craft options (fantasized about portages in a gorgeous wooden canoe, looked into SUPs to relive my childhood, love the Orukayak but couldn’t afford it). This wound up being the most affordable and it turns amount, most convenient way to get out there. Not only do we not need to heave the thing onto our car, but we can fit it in my diaper bag. Apparently these boats are also serviceable on a mellow river run. We may even go again tomorrow. And as I said, I want another. Yesterday. Happy paddling and find a mountain lake and packraft as soon as you can.

Update: I love this boat. Took it on another day trip to Cabresto Lake- 4 miles up a steep switchback, was glad to not have anything on our roof. Once again, the shoreline wasn’t close to our car, so we hiked a ways to a nice private spot and paddled away. We will hit up every lake in the southern Rockies until the snow falls.

a step in any direction

lifestyle, Uncategorized June 15, 2015

“Until one is committed, there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back. The moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE” For months I have been lost. Dissatisfied with my situation, and yet unable to pinpoint any changes that could be made to remedy it. I felt trapped. Recently though I have persuaded myself to take small sluggish steps in various directions, grasping at straws and hoping that wherever I ended up was where I needed to be. Like a reluctant runner who needs only to make it as far as the front door with shoes on before the miles fall away at my feet, those few steps have led me out of my confusion and helplessness. Just the other day in the midst of my newly gathered momentum, I uttered the wish that a certain government job I enjoyed as an attorney would allow for part time work. Then as if providence was indeed lending me a hand, I received a call from a friend in said area of employment asking me if I was interested in some part time work in his office. Here’s to taking any steps at all and keeping the faith.

december gardening in the dome

gardening, green living, lifestyle December 14, 2014

It has been a long time since I have posted about the greenhouse. It is mid- December with plenty of snow on the ground and things are growing beautifully inside. Our banana tree got hit by one of the cold nights, but I think it will make it and the lemon tree looks pretty good. My perennial herbs are happy as can be. We have some gargantuan Borage, my son likes to eat the sweet flowers. Lettuce, spinach, carrots, parsley, beats and chard are all as happy as can be. The grape vine has lost its leaves for the winter. And our strawberries are on their second round of production. I have onions scattered amongst the greens and herbs as an experiment. We are looking forward to some good winter harvests.

All the perennial seedlings that I started in the spring and summer have been up potted to 1 gallon pots, and will save us a ton of money on landscaping for our home come spring. There are also a bunch of orphans in there that my husband picked up from various landscaping jobs over the summer. We will have several wild roses to plant in the spring!

We have however, been battling various pests. I am sure that equilibrium will come in time, but we did build an oasis in the middle of a desert. It was bound to attract all sorts of hungry critters. We had a cricket infestation during the summer, but the cold has taken care of them. We have been releasing lady bugs into the greenhouse the last couple of days, and they are making short work of the aphids on our greens. My son loves watching them crawl around. As do I, actually. The only problem left is to figure out how to keep mice out. I plan on planting mint in great quantities in the spring and replacing the pecan shell floor with pea gravel. For the time being we are just setting mouse traps. We have hantavirus here in New Mexico, I do not mess around with mice.

All in all, the dome is living up to its promise of providing a growing space all year long and the whole family has enjoyed it. We haven’t quite gotten it to produce enough to feed us more than a bit here and there, but I am learning a ton and we are getting closer all the time. Next year we need a bigger fan and a misting system as the height of the summer was just too hot. We will also need to install a timed drip system off of the tank in order to be able to go camping without hiring a gardener to watch our house!

car camping road tripping the mountains are calling christmas wish list

Gear, lifestyle, travel December 12, 2014

Ok. This is my third and final car camping gear post. I promise. Maybe.

I have just realized that the last good trip I went on was three years ago, a combination of San Francisco (including running the marathon, ouch) and Alaska. It was our last hurrah before the kids came and we didn’t know it. It was a good one. Beer, friends, running, eating, travel and mountains. Some of my favorite things in no particular order. We covered a lot of ground, had zero itinerary, lots of time and were light on the luggage. Ahhh. I have been making a decent yearly trip for most of my adult life and this year as December closes in on me, I think I’m getting some major cabin fever. There was a time when I felt that 14 miles was the perfect distance for a run and that a trip didn’t count unless it lasted atleast a month. Now, I’m lucky if I can find 45 minutes to walk 1.5 miles with my double stroller up the hill by my house. My diaper bag is roughly the same size as the bag I lived out of for 6 months in Africa. The grass is growing tall under my feet. I am nursing a newborn constantly, buried in childrens’ naps and diapers, and have yet to figure out how to get my brood out the door within a reasonable time frame. I’m itching for an adventure. With this realization, my current and almost pathological obsession with camping and road trips makes some sense. At least that’s what I’m going with. In honor of those suffering from cabin fever and wander lust everywhere, here is my finalized wish list for the epic family road trip/ camping set up. Our current plan is to start with short jaunts to Colorado for beer festivals and go from there as our clan gains some finesse.

1. Vehicle: we just traded in the very fuel efficient station wagon for a Nissan Xterra. Not efficient. Not at all. It does however, have 4wd and we do live in the mountains where there is (hopefully for the ski season) plenty of snow. It is also very offroad capable, came with a tow package, and holds both our car seats and our legs comfortably. It also has a rubber cargo area that will contain our muddy dogs beautifully. This is our ticket to freedom. And yes, we looked at more efficient crossovers, but most of the fibers of my being resisted such a practical mom choice. I wanted a car that I can drive up the side of a mountain.

*** update, Xterra was too small and too thirsty. Traded it in for a Toyota Siena minivan. Amazing. Never driving anything else on road or camping trips.

2. Sleeping: this has been the biggest challenge because it is the most expensive and biggest commitment. And for a lifelong insomniac like myself, the most important. I’ve got it narrowed down-ish.

Least expensive: the good old fashioned tent. Coleman has some good cheap quick set up ones. Kelty has some neat inflatable camping palaces.

Pros- affordable, roomy. Cons- more set up, more restrictive in terms of where you can sleep. (We’d love to be able to park in a friend’s driveway and sleep in our car).

Middle road: Cartop tent, ranging from $1500-$3500 (for the size we would like). Pros- comfortable, quick setup, doesn’t take up cargo room. Cons- expensive, smaller, drag on fuel efficiency, and you have to schlep small children up and down a ladder and not let them fall out.

In my dreams: a teardrop (Camp Inn, Little Guy) or other compact, lightweight camper trailer like the Cricket or Sylvan Go. Pros- easy, just hitch and go. They carry your gear. Home on wheels. Cons- expensive. We probably should not spend our children’s college fund on this. The Sylvan and the teardrops start around 8k, and you can go as high as you want from there. These also have the added benefit of including kitchens or dining areas, shaving more time off set up and take down as well as a little savings on gear.

Last post, I had settled on the behemoth Tepui Kukenam XL. I’ve since decided that it is too heavy and make our already thirsty xterra even thirstier. I have finally decided on the Cascadia Mount Hood tent out of the following:

A. James Baroud Nomad 160: 62×86, 95lbs, nice windows, looks airy on the inside, 30 seconds to set up. $2,199.95

B. Cascadia Mount Hood: 72×96, 140lbs, $1,495. A few minutes to set up.

C. James Baroud Grand XXL: 63.75x 89, weight unknown but hard shell so probably not much. Opens in 5 seconds. Fan and led lighting as well as exterior cargo bag. $3,510.95

D. Autohome Maggiolina Airland Lg:63×85, 150 lbs. Hard shell opens with crank in a few seconds. $3,199.00

E. Tepui Kukenam XL: 76×98, 205lbs, $1,925. Huge. Rugged. Would work well on a trailer if we could afford that.

The hard shells are really nice with quick set up but they are smaller and more expensive. The middle road seems to be the nomad which is also smaller with a quick set up, but $1k+ cheaper than the hard shells. This one is also the lightest at less than 100 lbs. Then, there is the large, economical and slightly more involved set up of the Cascadia mount hood.

Al we will need to complete our sleeping set up will be a couple of sleeping bags for the boys and some pillows for all of us from Sierra Designs.

3. Eating: we have a back packing set up from GSI Outdoors. I really like it, efficient and useful and stores nice and small. I think we will go with another more expansive GSI system for car camping. They also sell nice classic enamelware table settings,
Volcano three fuel grill for cooking and aeropress for coffee.

Also, you need a place to store it, so the Camp Chef Camp Sherpa comes in at $100 to store and serve as a table for the stove.

A collapsible sink or two from from Sea to Summit, coupled with a water bag for washing dishes and toiletries.

GSI macro table and helinox chairs for dining

Hydroflask insulated growler. Beer festivals.

Yeti cooler- doubles as bear vault

4. Power
Goal zero generator kit to power lights, phones/tablets, and cooler.

5. Misc.
Nemo pressurized solar shower

Small porta potty and pop up tent seems like it might be nice for late nights and showers. Never used one.

Books! Books. And more books with maps.

The gear without the tent adds up to a little over a grand, with my husband’s discount through his winter job at a ski/outdoor shop. By my estimate, we can be fully mobile with our dream gear for around $2,800. That can be shaved down considerably if we make do with things like a normal cooler, our backpacking stove and dishes, no table, no solar power etc. In any event, that is a budget I can work with. Bye bye airfare, cramped hotel rooms, and terrible road food. Hello national parks and lots of bathroom breaks for the kids. In the meantime, it looks like ski season has started:

beauty matters

lifestyle, minimalism December 9, 2014

When I tell my husband I have to brush my hair or change my clothes before I leave the house, he invariably responds with ‘it doesn’t matter’. When I tell him we have to tidy up the house, he usually tells me to relax and let it be, to stop worrying about such small things. For a landscaper, he has a strange disregard for aesthetics in any other area. But when a leaf or branch is out of place, a pair of clippers will appear from nowhere to dispatch with the offending object. You would think he would understand.

I don’t have time for the sub par. Time moves very fast and we live only once (at least that we are aware of). I feel good when I am reading a beautiful book to my beautiful children, while listening to good music in a clean uncluttered home whose large windows looks out onto beautiful vistas, where the air smells good, and after eating delicious food. I want the textures we touch to be pleasing. I want the clothing we wear to be simple and attractive. I want our spaces to be bright and airy and tidy. I want the sights, smells and sounds we are surrounded with to be beautiful.

This extends to movement as well. I enjoy yoga, in part because of the beauty in the forms of the poses. Dancing is an obvious example, though I doubt anyone would accuse me of being a beautiful dancer. Skiing is my favorite example. First of all, what is more glorious than snow covered peaks, expansive vistas, and clean crisp high mountain air? Nothing, except for the feeling of making beautiful turns in the snow, the feeling that comes with good form, muscle control and execution. I love skiing in general, but when I can pull off doing it beautifully, then I feel as if I truly belong on the mountain and all its glory.

It is easy to dismiss these things as lowly, materialistic, or vain and hedonistic. But I believe beauty to be very important to living a good life. And this doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, having less makes it easier to keep a clean home. A couple quality items costs the same as many cheap ones. Keep less, but make it good. We are also blessed to live in a beautiful place, but we gave up a great deal to make that a priority. Every day I am grateful for that choice.

We perceive the world through our senses. Our experience of the world is through our senses. It stands to reason that the intangibles of thought and love will be filtered through these senses. Our mind and hearts may reflect the beauty that our senses experience. As we roll through the holidays, thinking of gratitude and giving and taking stock of the year and our choices, here’s to maintaining a simple and beautiful life.

Here’s a link to a discussion on Beauty in Western Philosophy as more fuel for the fire.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Beauty
I always forget the roll that studying philosophy had in shaping my thoughts and outlook, though I am so far separated from my studies that I can rarely point to any direct philosophic lineage.

lullaby

lifestyle, parenting, Uncategorized December 9, 2014

I sing my boys to sleep every night. The little one lights up when he hears a song, and the older one is starting to sing along. This holiday season I’ll try to remember the real gifts we give, and this one is a love of music. Here are my favorites.

The Book of Love, Magnetic Fields
– so simple, I have long loved this song

Stewball, Perer Paul and Mary
– my late stepmother used to sing this, it makes me feel like I am giving them something of her

The Parting Glass, old Irish song
– my dad introduced me to it through the Wailing Jennys version

Turn Around, as sung by Nanci Griffith
– can’t not cry while singing this to a newborn

Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby, Emmylou Harris, Alison Kraus, Gilliam Welch.
– what a round up

Where Have All the Flowers Gone, as sung by Peter, Paul and Mary
– my little one likes the high notes

Boots of Spanish Leather, Bob Dylan
– I have just always loved this song and so my kids must as well

This Land is Your Land, Woodie Guthrie
– because my dad used to sing it and all I want to do is go road trip/camping with these little guys.

500 Miles, Rosanne Cash put this on an album called The List, based off a list of songs that her dad compiled as the most important songs in American music. Who am I to argue with Johnny Cash?

Happy Holidays.

budget (car) travel with champagne taste

lifestyle, travel November 22, 2014

When I get moments to myself, I tend to fantasize about things I can not afford. Like traveling. I want to go everywhere and take my kids everywhere. Ever since I was a little girl, I was fascinated with the idea of easy mobility. The ability to just get up and go. Backpacking (of both the traveling and camping varieties) appealed to me immensely, and I was supremely happy for the six months I lived out of a back pack in Africa. Now I have children and dogs and a husband and in general a lot more to carry. We are also on a tight budget with a new business and me a mostly stay at home mom. It does not stop my dreaming. Someday my husband and I want to take the boys for a trip around the world for a year. It would be awesome to drive through north, central, and South America. Having children means that traveling by plane is a lot more expensive when you consider the tickets, the hotels, and the food. The ability to travel by car would save a lot on all fronts. And I have always enjoyed seeing the world through the windows of a moving train, car, bus, or boat.

Our mission: We have two children and a station wagon. I want to be able to comfortably drive down to Mexico and camp on the beach for an extended period. So we need to cook, sleep, and attend to our toiletries on the road without too much setup and take down. Here are some of my favorite fantasies of how to do so.

First, simple is good. The Cricket Trailerfrom a NASA architect. (Pictured above) This solves all problems in an efficient way. J and I sleep in the queen bed in the trailer, the kids sleep in the car. It has a refrigerator, kitchen area, handheld showed, even a portable toilet.

It is lightweight and can be towed with our station wagon. No messing with tents, or set up while on the road, and no need to worry about keeping our stuff locked up. It has all kinds of neat extras like solar panels and little berths that can hang above the bed for kids. It also comes in a very pretty blue and looks cool. It is also on the pricey side, starting at 21k. Onward.

Ideally, I want to be able to stop at a beautiful spot, eat lunch, take a hike or a nap, and move on without too much fuss. In the event that someone doesn’t decide to make us a gift of the cricket trailer, I like the idea of a car top tent from Autohome.

The Columbus could accommodate my whole family for around $3,400. It is quick setup and take down, spacious and lightweight. It also has the benefit of allowing us to have our car and nothing else. However, it only covers sleeping. We would need a car kitchen setup that is quick and simple. This means: atleast a stove, table, sink basin of some sort, cooler, and storage for food, dishes etc. We have some of it already, but I imagine only trial and error will provide the answers as to what will work fast and efficiently and not take up too much space.

Another cool option is the Sylvansport Go. It is a tent trailer, providing a sleeping and eating space as well as a means of towing your toys. I’m thinking bicycles to get us around our various destinations. This would also require the camp kitchen as an additional set up, but would provide the storage needed to transport the gear. (Not sure whether our dogs are with us on these adventures or not). This is great, but also pricey at around $8,000.

My next task is to figure out how to plug a portable refrigerator like this Colemaninto a solar panel. I would love to not have to worry about ice while on the road. When I figure this out, I will update.

Additionally, I like the idea of a little toilet and pop up tent to go with the solar shower we already have. It looks like we can have a reasonable (depending on your definition of the term) camp bathroom for under $50.

For a little more, (around $250) this is a pretty neat item. It is a solar shower mounted to your car that holds 5 gallons of pressurized water.

If any one from Cricket, Sylvansport, or Automhome wants to throw a sample my way, I’ll promise to write all about it to my 26 readers! Starting with a trip to the Baja in Mexico this winter and a Chicago/Michigan trip next fall!
(With plenty of local lake outings in the summer). Happy camping. Just like with gardening, winter is a good time to dream.

Minimalist bed: shikibuton and tatami mats

green living, lifestyle, minimalism, parenting November 22, 2014

Found this post from when I was pregnant:

We are expecting another baby. As with my first, I have already begun the process of trying to purify the world my baby will be born into. This time around, my sights have settled on our huge, expensive, and chemical laden tempurpedic mattresses. With my first, I scoured the internet for a truly non- toxic crib mattress and I found one with a hefty price tag. He sleeps on this, but with another coming, there will be some shifting and another bed will become necessary. Also, being pregnant and sleeping on my fire retardant mattress raises concern. So I decided to take the next logical step: sit my husband down and have him watch the documentary ‘Toxic Hot Seat’ in order to persuade him to get on board with selling the tempurpedics and buying something made of natural materials. 94 minutes later and he was purging the house of foam containing baby accoutrements and begrudgingly listening to my research on alternative bedding. Here is what I found:

There are any number of beautiful natural latex mattresses, but they are expensive! So, my next move was to futons. A little cheaper, but still very pricey. Additionally, we’d have to buy beds because futons need circulating air in order to be properly maintained. Finally, I found a truly minimalist option: the shikibuton mat placed on top of a tatami mat.

The shiki butons are nearly half the price of same quality organic futons. They are very thin, so easily fold up during the day when not in use and allowing air to circulate (eliminating the need for a bed frame). Because of the thinness, however, a tatami mat seems necessary. These are still a little pricey, but I love the idea of folding our beds up during the day and having the tatami as a floor space. (Think Murphy bed but way cheaper). This will also be great when two kids are sharing a room- it’ll keep it tidy and spacious for play.

Also, if we end up missing a little height to our beds, there are many beautiful platform beds out there that will easily hold the tatami/shikibuton combo. There are even beds made specifically for tatami mats. The mats are compact and can be used for travel! Multipurpose really gives you that extra bang for a minimalist buck. The aesthetic is also attractively clean and simple.

All in all, I think this the most financially feasible way to have truly chemical free bedding.

making time

lifestyle, parenting, Uncategorized November 21, 2014

I have failed to write for a long time. Being pregnant with a toddler to watch over took it out of me, and now caring for a newborn as well as a toddler has me running. I never have a moment with two hands and a laptop, so I have resolved to just go ahead and write with one hand while I nurse the newborn and the toddler sleeps. These moments are few and far between, but it is not nothing! Now I have to gather some thoughts that reach beyond the mundanity in theSisyphus like tasks of stay at home motherhood. The laundry, the spit up, the diapers, the naps, the feedings, the endless cleaning. These can overwhelm, but they are not interesting and are not all of who I am or what is important in this stage of life.

What is important, what I want to remember are these first smiles and the gradual awakening of my child to the world. His eyes see more every day, and I see more of who he is. His fat little body gradually gaining muscle and coordination. And the way my toddler wraps his arms around me and says ‘luf you’. How everyday is a new lesson in the lightning speed of his development. His vocabulary expanding every moment as he soaks up the world we show him. How my heart hurts because I can’t give each of them all of me, and how proud I am of how much I do give them. I want to remember this time when my body is slowly becoming my own again, and how I know right now that I will never give it up again to the complete tyranny of carrying a child in my womb. How I am teaching it to be one again as it recovers slowly from being two. I cry because I still don’t recognize myself in the mirror, but celebrate the new strength I am gaining daily. I want to remember the pain that I felt bringing our second and final child into the world.

And it is important to stop and feel how our family is now complete. I get to watch my boys become brothers and hopefully enjoy eachother as they become life long friends. Now my husband and I will slowly find our way back to one another through the separation of pregnancy and early sleepless months with a newborn and the wreckage of my body. I will find my way back to my work and pursuits as an individual rather than a mother as my children grow up and away from me, the separation that begins the moment they are born. How we, all four of us are building and growing and becoming more our family.

It is hard to find moments to recognize these things in the sleepless flurry of tasks, but I must. It goes by in a heartbeat, the moments are long and the years are short. It is precious and grueling. I feel bludgeoned on some days and blessed on the same. I am watching through tired eyes as these early moments as parents of young children swirl around us and pass in a flash.

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