The Gravel Bar

2008-12-05T11:56:00.002+08:00

Hi All,

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Connecticut to see family. And on the way we stopped in Virginia. In fact, it's the same exact mileage between home and my parents and my parents and Dana's family. Pretty wild!

Our drive home south was beautiful set against the universe - on the horizon, Jupiter and Venus, laying just above the horizon of the earth. The highway actually went right in between them. It had to be a sign saying that "you are headed the right way"!

Now we are back in Tennessee and letting the winter take us. The mountain air is clear and clean - the only time of year to appreciate it. The mornings are beautiful and the streams are chilly reminders of the precipitation at the higher elevations.

That's all for now. Welcome Winter and Snow!

Flickr

2007-12-09T06:28:00.001+08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

2007-09-16T02:35:00.000+08:00

Save the date because we're getting married!

Saturday, May 3, 2008
Cosby, Tennessee

Cosby is just outside of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, about 20 miles from Gatlinburg, TN, one hour east of Knoxville, TN and one hour west of Gatlinburg, TN. Camping will be available on our land at the wedding and reception site. There are mountain cabins within 5 miles and we'd love to help arrange for our friends to share them. Within 10 miles, there are motels and hotels. The closest airport is Knoxville, one hour away. And we will be arranging an airport shuttle from Charlotte, NC, 3 hours away. With the Great Smoky Mountain National Park right next door, this is sure to be a destination wedding you won't want to miss!

Please send us an email with your mailing address so that we can send you a formal invitation with all of the details.

2007-08-30T01:39:00.000+08:00

I applied to a number of companies in Knoxville that are hiring environmental professionals. I tried calling them today to follow up on my resume submittal. The first place I called was my last choice. The operator answered, "Shaaawww Environmental"

and I said "Good Morning. May I speak with a recruiter?"

"We don't have one."

"May I speak with Human Resources or someone you can recommend?"

"Ok."

"Hello"

"Good Morning, may I speak to someone about my resume submittal last week?"

"Uh.......... "What position?"

"Engineering Technician"

"The person you need to talk to does the hiring for the Engineering and he's in California"

"Ok, I understand, what's his number?" .....

Left a message with some guy in California about a position in Knoxville advertised on their website.

Next place, a place recommended by colleagues.

"Arcadis Environmental"

"Good Morning, may I speak with a recruiter?"

"There's no Human Resources in this office."

"Ok. Can you forward me or suggest a phone number of who I might contact?"

Put on hold.

She comes back on the phone "You might try calling the corporate office."

"Ok. Where are they located?"

"Mariaville, PA"

"And what is the number?"

I called there. "Hello, I understand this is the Human Resources for Arcadis?"

"No, this is the Corportate Office."

"I understand. Is there someone I can talk to about submitting my resume online if possible?"

"Are you online now?"

"Yes"

"On the website you can submit your resume"

"I already have. I'm calling to follow-up and learn more about the position."

"There's no one to field your phonecall."

"I understand. Have a great day"

and I'm thinking, that's why I left in the first place. I want to tell them, if this is how you treat your prospective employees, I can only imagine how you treat your clients. Large corporations are so horrible to work for, now I remember why I tried a different aspect of geology. But that didn't prove much good either. Guess I'll try the National Park Service. I'm just looking for something for a couple of years while we get Soul 11 off the ground.

On another note, I read about EPA grants today and it look like there are a number of grants we qualify for with Soul 11 related to conservation and sustainability. Just need to get the non-profit established. Fortunately, with the government grants, Dana's friend was working for a consulting group that's established a rating system for business plans. Once a rating is determined, they help improve the business plan to get a higher rating, up to 5. This system is being used to help grantors know which plans are solid. She helped on a contract with the US Navy and they rated 2! But since working with them, they have made some changes and now they are rated 4. To apply for a rating, it costs $15,000. Some grants are only being awarded to groups with ratings of 4 or higher. That's out of our league but she gave us the paperwork to do our own rating. So we might not have an official rating, but atleast we'll have a solid plan which is the most important of all. But it is difficult. It's very tedious. I'm in the process of writing our business plan and using this tool.

2006-12-20T01:47:00.000+08:00

Greetings from the Tennessee hills!

Things are good here. The weather is warm, the Smokies are beautiful... Today we have a fire lit and are about to play The Farming Game. We're all cozy and enjoying the winter weather.

Happy Holidays!

2006-10-19T02:32:00.000+08:00

Just back from New Brunswick...

After helping the Green Knees Farm in TN and meeting the Pinnix family in NC, we drove up to New Brunswick to attend our friend's wedding. As they said, "Autumn is the season when leaves start falling and nuts like us fall in love." Among the fall colors, we witnessed their committment. We also hung out like true Canadian hillbillies, riding 4wheelers and canoeing down the Maramichi river.

2006-09-22T01:15:00.000+09:00

On the road again....

We've been travelling since July, spending time with friends and family across the U.S. I think we've seen more states in a summer than most people see their whole lives. We've been from Colorado to Connecticut, up to Vermont and down to Virginia, through S. Carolina to Florida and up to N. Carolina and now Tennessee. Currently, we're at the Green Knees Farm near Rockford, TN helping our friends haul away some junk and cut back some trees. We're looking for a place to live and work over the winter.

The land in Florida didn't work out as we got carried off by mosquitos while attempting to line out which nearby trailers were squatting on the land, not to mention the thick sand that wouldn't grow anything. In all, we were there for about 45 minutes and we knew it wasn't the place for our sustainable retreat facility.

The change in plans has prompted Plan B and frankly, we're still trying to figure that out. But after reading excellent resources such as the Intentional Communities Directory and more, we also think it's an excellent opportunity to live in an existing community, so we can learn more about the process of community building, strengthening and communicating, not to mention the incredible systems out there for permaculture and sustainable energy designs.

We've put the intention out there to find a place for the winter. It's coming and we're spending each day giving back as much as possible and grateful for the journey that's been and the journey about to be!

2006-07-26T11:51:00.000+09:00

When I finished my work in Mongolia, I left the countryside during spring time. The wind was still very strong and the nights were cold enough to freeze water, but during the day the heat was rising with each day. On our drive north toward UB, we passed a lot of gers spread out, miles apart. Each family had herds of sheep, goats and camels. They were ranging free, as usual, without fences. One ger that we passed was so close to the road so I was able to capture the self-sustainable nature of the countryside.

That aspect of the Mongolian countryside and the experiences I had in Tortola gave me the peace to create change in my life, change that was intimidating at first but really was a part of the movement around me. I followed the flow, what God was moving together, and in June returned to Tortola to spend more time with Dana and process what was happening in Mongolia. I resigned from my position, closed that chapter and began a new one with my new-found friend and boyfriend.

Dana and I explored the Caribbean islands of Jost Van Dyke, St. John, St. Thomas, Peter Island, Fallen Jerusalem, Virgin Gorda, Antigua and the active volcanic isle of Montserrat. We hiked, biked, swam and snorkeled, took ferries, taxis and airplanes to all of these and saw the most amazing sea life, jungle flora and Caribbean views.

We headed back to the States mid-July and have begun facilitating the creation of a sustainable peace center for spiritual renewal, healing and education in Cedar Key, Florida. Stay tuned for updates!

2006-05-26T08:42:00.000+09:00

It is the gravel bar so maybe some shots of a gravel bar 260m below the surface is appropriate. Logged this last night and thought it was cool. Fining upwards sequence stratigraphy usually leads to coal. Last night it was textbook. I could picture the braided river, the swamps, rivers changing course, storm surges flooding vegetated swamps, burrying plants, preserving history.

2006-05-22T19:34:00.000+09:00

I went running this morning. The sun was rising and my shadow stretched fifty feet to my right as I ran toward the south ridge. When I got to my favorite view, the green grassy tuffs seemed to soak up the sun and glint in my eyes. Each pebble stood out in the sunlight. As I rounded the bend, the left where I return to camp but can see the old road descend into the next valley, I dropped into the saddle of the double crest ridge. I could see all around me but I couldn't see camp. In fact, I couldn't see anybody else, no gers, just land in all directions and the most beautiful aspect of Mongolia - no fences. The horizon is about 150km away and in all directions, I was alone. That point of my run is like a flashback on life - a point at which I see myself engulfed in the enormity of the Earth. All my passions dissolve into the abyss but strangely become magnified for what they truly are. All obstacles fade. The path, the way to live, becomes clear. It all becomes clear, intention is all that matters. I love that place. I've never been anywhere else like it. I imagine it's similar to being in the ocean and not seeing land. As I run up over the last crest and camp comes into view, its tiny anchor seems to give way to the essential force that is life. It will fade away. The sun will rise and fall.

2006-05-21T07:26:00.000+09:00

Wow, I think I’m leaving Mongolia soon and it’s amazing how happy it makes me to think about what lies ahead even though I don’t really know what lies ahead. Does that make any sense? The days I am counting. I feel free within the bounds of reality.

Recent developments have prompted change that has been waiting for expedition. I’d love to include details but they remain elusive. Only in darkness does the universe stand out in brilliance. In time, all will reveal itself. Before the next moment we are in the now. What a relief, that power of now.

“Don’t seek and don’t expect. Be patient. Your mud will settle. Your water will be clear. Don’t cling to comfort and everything will be comfortable. Failure is an opportunity. Demand nothing and give all. Rush ahead and you won’t go far. Try to define yourself, you won’t know who you are. Don’t try to control others. Let them go and let them be. Fix your problems by forgetting their problems. Deal with them and the world and yourself with patience and simplicity and compassion. Let things be, let yourself be, let everything be and accept it as it is. Nothing more, nothing less.”

-James Frey restating The Tao from A Million Little Pieces

2006-05-14T18:33:00.000+09:00

Mongolia's Parliament Passes Law on Mining Windfall Profit

I copied the following from www.mongolia-web.com

Written by Ulaanbaatar correspondent
Saturday, 13 May 2006
Mongolia Web News, Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia's State Great Khural (Parliament) has passed a controversial law on windfall profitts this Friday. The law would enable to government to take up to 70% percent of profits on mineral resources like gold and copper, if these raw materials would rise above a certain price level. It is likely that this law was inspired by recent popular protests on the influence of foreign mining companies like Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN)(NYSE: IVN)(NASDAQ: IVN) and the possible drain of mineral resources from Mongolia, without much benefit for the country itself. However the new law could have alarming consequences for the development of the mining sector. If the prospects on profit for large cooperations are weakened by this law, it might mean less interest and a possible withdrawal of large reliable investors from the sector, and leave if it up for grabs for smaller, less reliable parties.It seemed the government was very eager to give a signal to the people, indicating that Mongolia is not willing to give up its national resources to foreign investors. The new law was rushed through parliament within a week, with support of both the MPRP and the Democratic Party. But just the sheer haste and apparent lack of in-depth research on this crucial topic, leaves a question of whether this is indeed a step in the right direction.

Comments
Popular Pressure Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 04:23:16
We should not forget to take into account the circumstances how the government came to this law. It was certainly effected by all the protests that have been going on in the last period. The gov maybe wants to give a signal to the people they take their protests seriously, whether this is the good or the bad way is another question. In this respect I would find it highly unlikely the president can veto for this. Maybe he would prefer to do so, as he is genrally in support of foreign investment, but with the current explosive public opinion on this he might only create a counter effect.
More discussion of IVN shareholdersWritten by admin on 2006-05-14 04:29:48
Link: *Ivanhoe shareholders forum *Mongolia Neweurasia

who knows Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 04:02:45
Who knows if it is good decision or bad. I think time will show. Foreign investors should respect the country and their decisions. What I see is that both sides want to get best out of the deal which is good. Especially, Ivanhoe which has bad reputation that people says. It is not people's faulse, you can't do anything about it. Also I have fear too. Who knows.
Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 03:42:09
What are the stipulations of this new legislation? e.g. Does it effect all current mining operations or only potential future ones.

Aggressive or not Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 04:28:33
Whether or not a company, or Ivanhoe for that matter, is aggresive, depends of course totally on the perspective. Maybe in the international mining world their behaviour is common practise, but of course you have to take in account that the sheer size of Ivanhoe's operation can be percieved as intimidating in Mongolia. Ironically, it might be the fact that Ivanhoe choose not to fly under the radar - as most companies do, has exposed them in such a way that they recieve all the blame. All the projects and efforts of creating a good name and trying to give something back to the community have made them known by the public and maybe indirectly contributed to the current sentiments.

Bad Law Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 03:18:06
This is an example of a bad law - and a boneheaded move by the government. This is a great way to drive western investors from your country. Keep this up and you'll be left with the Great Dragon swallowing your resources - and will they care about the standards western investors use? Tom Terry www.thomasterry.com
Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 02:58:12

PS How has Ivanhoe Mines been "aggerssive" (referring to the first comment.) It would seem they have been very patient (spending millions of dollars over many years based on the word and law in Mongolia) and the only aggression I see are social benefits and hiring of Mongolians in the Ivanhoe Mines...those are of benefit to Mongolians, not harmful. I wish the Mongolians had facts, and did not make opinions based on false information. Too bad, very sad if this goes forward...and then people will realize only when it is too late.

Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 02:55:19
This could be the most harmful action the Mongolian government could choose to take. This is a hasty decision; which I hope the Mongolian President has the vision to veto. This bill could do irreparable harm to the country's prospects. ANY mining company is taking on huge risk by spending millions of dollars on the CHANCE of finding minerals and without knowing the future price of such minerals. The Parliament has passed an unfair law; they have not been honest, nor fair - what if the minerals found are inadequate? Will they give a "Windfall refund" of taxes? No, we don't see that; it would seem to show greed and unfairness. What if future minerals prices are low? The mining companies are risking their monies on such chances, and the Mongolian bill should the President not veto it, is taking away any upside, there will simply be no motive or incentive for ANY mining company to spend their resources in Mongolia - especially should Mongolian's not be people of their word and reneg. They should consult economic advisors who will tell them, this is NOT the way to encourage economic development in their country. Is not Mongolia a democracy in every sense of the word?

Re: win or lose Written by Guest on 2006-05-14 01:44:01
What "aggressive behavior" by foreigners are you talking about? Are you referring to their actual work of exploring, prospecting, adding their effort, time and money to development of mines in the "host country"? Also, what socio-cultural aspects are you referring to? The fact that Mongolia was essentially a Soviet satellite state with a Communist/Socialist government for the past fifty years that may have inculcated socialist and anti-capitalist norms in the populace? This called hypocrisy. If you want your "socio-cultural" socialist values to be respected, then don't encourage foreign companies to invest their time and money in your country. But too late, the "host country" already did. It would be nice if hospitality toward their guests were one of the socio-cultural aspects as well, particularly when the guests have potentially provided the means for the Mongolian people to become wealthy. In the interest of dialogue, let me make the point of the view of the foreigners very clear for those viewing: The foreign mining companies have come to Mongolia to do what they have done in other parts of the world, namely develop mines. They have nothing against the Mongolian people or government per se, and are willing to give the host country its due by paying taxes, adhering to environmental regulations and employing Mongolian people in their efforts. At the same time, the foreign companies feel that if they purchase an exploration license from the host country government in good faith, if THEY discover good mining prospects that the host country was not aware of, if THEY spend their effort, time and money in finding out how much metal is in the ground, go through the trouble of getting the workers, equipment, mining shafts, buildings, and factories organized in order to retrieve the metal from the ground, that the mine is their property in the same way that a ger or a horse is the property of a Mongolian citizen. Profits from the mine should then be taxed as profits from other property is taxed. If a Mongolian buys cows, and the cows produce milk, the Mongolian citizen should be able to sell the milk for whatever price he or she is able to get. If milk is in high demand, the government should not take the view that the citizen has made a "windfall" profit. Perhaps the citizen bought cows thinking that milk would be in high demand in the future. Should the citizen be penalized for his or her foresight? He got into the milk business because he thought it was a good business. IF HE OR SHE THOUGHT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER HIS HIGH PROFITS A "WINDFALL", HE WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE, BECAUSE IT WAS THE EXPECTATION OF HIGH DEMAND FOR MILK THAT CAUSED HIM TO BUY THE COWS. This, in a nut shell, is how the foreign companies view the sitation. This has nothing to do with being "aggressive". THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEPRIVING THE MONGOLIAN PEOPLE OF THEIR RESOURCES. This is simply how the mining business operates. Companies invest in exploration and mining expecting that they will be rewarded when they sell the metal. I am a shareholder of Ivanhoe Mines. I implore the Mongolian government and people not to penalize the foreign mining companies for having the foresight to explore in Mongolia. They did so partly knowing that China is next door and that China would have a need for metal commodities. It is the possibility of a high return that causes businesses to invest. The current high prices of Gold and Copper are not a "windfall" -- they DID NOT FALL OUT OF THE SKY. They were a known possibility and factor that was considered in the exploration. Robert Friedland invested in Oyu Tolgoi AFTER IT HAD BEEN REJECTED BY BHP BILLITON as a bad prospect. He would not have taken a chance on a property that had been rejected by the biggest mining company in the world unless there was a chance of a great reward. Therefore, OYU TOLGOI WOULD STILL NOT BE DISCOVERED IF THE INVESTOR DID NOT PURCHASE THE LICENSE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A HIGH REWARD BASED ON HIGH METAL DEMAND. Well, I believe I have made my point. I know people will respond that Ivanhoe stands to make too much money, which will "rob" the Mongolian people. However, there is no intention rob, there is only intention to run a business in the way it is run in America, in Canada, and in Australia and many other places. If the Mongolian people take the position that they do not want business to run in the manner it does in America, Canada, etc., they should have told that to the foreign companies in the beginning. If this new law remains standing, it is the Mongolian people who will have the real windfall through bad faith and hypocritical legislation, not the foreign companies.
with all due respect to both the foreign companies and the Mongolian people,
Aldarion

2006-05-05T20:55:00.000+09:00

Flashback

Been thinking of snow. Miss the slopes. My psyche has been so committed to carving for the last three years I knew this was bound to happen....but I had to break the spell and give the legs a break. Oh but if I could just have one weekend in the Boat, 5 feet of powder, a Cat, a Guide, a Phatty and a Line.....the best day I've ever had on the board, March 7, 2004....forever in the books.

2006-05-01T06:41:00.000+09:00

Happy Birthday Dad

2006-04-26T22:01:00.000+09:00

Ski Comedy, courtesy of Nick

An all too common conversation in ski shops between a certified & knowledgeable boot fitter and a beginner level skiier affectionately known as a "goob" or "goober":

Goob: "My boots hurt, I think they are too small."
Fitter: "OK let me check the fit and see what I can do."
*Fitter checks fit and it is perfect or maybe even a touch too big.
Fitter: "OK let me go in the back and make some small adjustments, I'll be right back."
*Fitter goes in back and makes fun of the goob with fellow employees and finishes his beer.
*Fitter: "OK lets see how this works."
Goob: "Oh these are much better, thank you so much."
Goob goes skiing, doesn't buckle them down anywhere near as tight as he/she should and wonders why this happens....

The boot fitter gets to actually see his knowledge of what is to happen come to fruition. Here's his comment below:
One of the guys here at Spyder forwarded this picture to me. He took this picture on the new Imperial lift at Breckenridge this weekend. He said he watched this lady take a bad fall and fell to the bottom of the bowl before stopping. It just goes to show how much control one can have when they have a good fitting pair of ski boots.

Wow! That's fucking awesome. peace hippies!
Your friendly local heckler, Nick.

Each day I arise, torn between the desire to improve
the world and the desire to enjoy the world.
This makes it difficult to plan the day.

- E.B. White

2006-04-13T01:25:00.000+09:00

Peter Island, British Virgin Islands

Some time ago, my Dad suggested visiting Tortola. Four months later I'm visiting for the second time. It's absolutely breath-taking for ocean lovers. I'm glad I took my Dad's advice and equally grateful I've had the opportunity to visit. This planet of ours has plenty of gorgeous places made unique by the cultures that cultivate them. Mongolia has a distinct beauty - it's raw and free, simple and evolving. And so drastically different than anywhere familiar to westerners.

Where the Streets Have No Name, Mongolia

In the past week I've been in two completely opposite places. Environment, location, culture, and people. I'm drained but transforming and it's an exciting time in my life.

As Ivan's Stress-Free Bar said - Too Blessed for Stress

And despite the cold winter that has blasted Mongolia, it appears that life is most important of all and choosing to love life - good friends, good music, good food - unites us all.

That's not to say we'll find all of those aspects everywhere we go. But once in a while, the stars align and ignite perfection. These are the days we want to live over and over and should. These are the days that can change the world and will.

So my friends have been asking, what do you do? A typical day is waking up with time to listen to music, stretch, sit and acknowledge that it is a new day. I love this time to myself. Through the skylight I can see the stars, the moon, the sunset or the sunrise, depending on my shift. On cold days, we pull a felt flap over the top to keep in as much heat as possible.

As soon as I leave my ger, even to go to the bathroom, I leave my warm stove and step outside onto the dirt, breathe deep and see across the valley in front of our camp. Sometimes the moon out, full and casting shadows against the mountains or new and the stars spread above us. Other times the sun is out throwing warm rays of orange into a purple dawn. Occasionally, the weather moves in and it’s snowing, engulfed in an orange dust storm, too windy to look beyond the next step. These are the days when Mongolia has lost its charm and it amazes me that people settle down here. Still, there’s a raw nature and simplicity that attracts me to it. It’s a privilege to have my feet touching the ground so often. In fact, when I go back to the city, I have soar feet from walking on concrete. The dirt is comfortable, ideal for long-distance running and better than the concrete jungle of city living.

After a quick, simple breakfast, we load our truck, put on the tunes and set out across the open desert; endless scrubby valleys broken up by rocky bands of ridges. The drill site is about 20 minutes away from camp.

It’s usually just me and my geotech for the next 12 hours of work and since I don’t know much Mongolian, our conversations are limited to one word expressions, sign language and written pictures. It helps to be able to draw. I was trying to describe my break in the BVI and that we saw a sting ray swimming in the reef. That was a challenge. I don’t think most people would even attempt to explain that. I doubt there is a Mongolian word for sting ray and if there was, it’s doubtful a countryside man would know it. But judging from the acceptable expression on Buyan’s face, I take it he understands what I’m talking about. Really, I’ll never know.

Communicating this way is fine until there’s a problem and then it can be very frustrating. It takes endurance and patience, endless attempts and a sense of humor. And only practice can produce all of these. When I first arrived to Mongolia, I failed miserably communicating, relying on words. I thought poorly of Mongolians but really my western mindset of “fast is good” had me a fool. Time is changing me. I’m finding that the Mongolians are usually one step ahead of me so as long as I can stay out of the way, things run smoothly. Sometimes it seems I only get hung up when I start to doubt their comprehension.

Once at the rig, depending on the type of drilling, I might be so busy I can hardly have a lunch or so slow it can feel like a jail cell. I don’t operate the drill rig, I classify the rock types retrieved by the driller. To be honest, it is not all that interesting once you’ve seen a few thousand meters of the same rock. But the big picture, the structural geology, is quite a puzzle as we strive to map what could be thought of as a randomly folded stack of blankets underneath a flat, eroded surface of windblown sand and rock. It seems as soon as we think we have a handle on it, we drill another hole to find our projections fail. And with it, our minds explode, just trying to understand how much the earth has changed to create such a jumbled puzzle and how much time it would have taken to produce it the way we see it.

I believe this aspect of geology is the crux for the debate on the age of the earth. Some refer to our ability to observe present processes and use this as a basis for estimating age while others study the evidence of catastrophic changes in history
to make their case that a young planet is possible. In the end, I think both make some sense and tend to lean towards a third possibility that a creator made the earth with an appearance of age. But I’ve been convinced otherwise in the past only to be swayed a different way later. So I think I’ll never be certain and that’s just fine. My spirituality doesn’t depend on it. Academically, it’s an intriguing debate and certainly there exists one acceptable theory in science. Believing something else would be considered professional suicide.

These sort of thoughts cross my mind as I look into the past, logging the rock. Sometimes I come across a pocket of leaves from plants fossilized in mudstones or conglomeratic sandstones that show rip-up clasts created in a high-energy environment. And my mind goes to work creating a story of how it all came to be here on my work bench.

Buyandalai marking the meters on the rock core.

Andrea marking rock types and minerals.

Preparing the core box for photographing.

Brett on the radio with senior staff.

Entering data and making a computerized depiction of the rock column. Old school geologists used to draw a picture of the rock and I miss this artistic aspect of the job.

We might not speak the same language, but we’re family.

It’s cold on night shift. Grin and bear it!

At the rig with the geophysics crew.

The rigs operate for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until they break, then they’re fixed and continue working until they break again. It’s not unlike us fools here actually. The long, continuous hours are draining. Busy is fine but slow days are a trip. These are the days my mind wanders far away. But there’s a fortunate benefit to having so much time to think. I read a lot of books and come up with so many dreams. It fuels my creative imagination as long as I can stay still and avoid feeling trapped by restlessness.

Being a geologist in Mongolia is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, literally. I don’t have plans of being in Mongolia long-term and probably will not return when I leave, mostly because it’s just so remote and requires a lot of logistics to experience the countryside, unless I get a bike and ride like the wind (Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor, a 20,000 mile ride around the world, crossing Mongolia). But while I’m here, it thrills me when I can appreciate it.

And so the days continue. The sun hits the horizon and swells with finality. The moon rises and we’re swallowed up by the Milky Way. I’m soaring, I’m dreaming, I have visions of loved ones, I see all of us together, I hear my name and I feel called to live my dreams; wholesome organic homegrown food, soul movement to the rhythm of drums, all our hopes and prayers given to humanity as we return to the earth with our hearts true intention, we revive. We don’t need or want. We’re committed to our higher selves in each other. We’re Family and we live on the Earth in full view of the Universe. We are peacemakers, instruments of God’s love, we work for justice, we listen with intent. In this place it doesn’t matter where we are or what we do. We’ve traveled beyond toward
enlightenment and we meet each other there, closer than ever, with visions of a better world for all of us.

“The text begins. It consists of a series of short poems numbered one through
eighty-one. The first one says that the Tao is that which has no name and is
beyond any sort of name. It says that names are not necessary for that which is
real and for that which is eternal. It says that if we are free from desire, we
can realize mystery, that if we are caught in desire, we only realize
manifestations. It says mystery and manifestations arise from the same source,
which is darkness. It says darkness within darkness is the key to all
understanding. It is not enough to make me throw it away, but I am also not
convinced.
Number two. If there is beauty, there is ugliness. If there is
good, there is bad. Being and nonbeing and difficult and easy and high and low
and long and short and before and after need, depend, create and define each
other. Those who live with the Tao act without doing and teach without saying.
They let things come and they let things go and they live without possession and
they live without expectation. They do not need, depend, create or define. They
do not see beauty or ugliness or good or bad. There just is. Just be.

Number three. Overesteem men and people become powerless. Overvalue
possessions and people begin to steal. Empty your mind and fill your core.
Weaken your ambition and toughen your resolve. Lose everything you know and
everything you desire and ignore those who say they know. Practice not wanting,
desiring, judging, doing fighting, knowing. Practice just being. Everything will
fall into place.

Four. The Tao is used, but never used up. An eternal
void, it is filled with infinite possibilities. It is not there, but always
there. It is older and more powerful than any God. It is not there, but always
there.

Live and let live.
Do not judge.
Take it as it comes.
Deal with it.
Everything will be okay."

From A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey. An Addict’s account of six weeks in rehab.

2006-03-28T12:18:00.000+09:00

"Life is not what happens to you, but how you react to it...for what caused you to react will surely pass, but how you continue to react can only be passed by you."

2006-03-06T20:14:00.000+08:00

A Tribute to my Mother

Thanks Mom! I love you!

2006-03-02T20:10:00.000+08:00

Tortola Flashback!

A seemingly spontaneous trip diving (my first) with friends from Tortola. A stop at Willie T's for lunch.

I didn't know the ocean could be so clear. But the Indians, a rock formation off the coast of Norman Island, juts out of the clearest water I've ever seen. A jungle of coral, fish free to fly through caves, reefs dropping off the cliffs in a deep, deep abyss of blue.

2006-03-01T22:20:00.000+08:00

"Martenitsi"

March 1st

Iskra gave me a red and white bracelet today for the Bulgarian holiday symbolizing new life, fertility, and spring. This holiday is for joy, health and long life. It is pure and bright, red and white, and shows us the necessity of harmony in nature and in people's lives.

Spring is the period of the year when nature is full of hopes and expectations. The purity of the white snow going away and the red sunsets becoming more and more intensive with the coming spring are necessary for life like the harmony between the male and female spirits.

From Wikipedia:

The tradition is that on the 1st of March and the days after all people give to each other very interesting strips or small wool dolls called Pizho and Penda (see the picture), or as we call them Martenitsi. They bear the name of March, in Bulgarian Mart. But according to our tradition, behind the name Mart stands an angry old lady who changes her mood very rapidly. Her name is Grandma Marta, in Bulgarian Baba Marta.
The tradition has remained almost the same today as it began. Today Bulgarians give the red and white colors to please Baba Marta so she will not make us cold. In doing so, we hope the spring will come as soon as possible. Once we have those tokens, which we put on our clothes or wrist, we wear them until we see a stork. After seeing this bird, we have to take away the tokens; because the stork is showing us that the spring is already here. In the different parts of the country, however, the process of taking away the token is different. Some tie it on a fruit tree, thus giving the tree the health and luck that we had while having the token. Others put it under a stone. The kind of insect we find right next to the token the next day will determine our health for the rest of the year. If it is a worm, it will be a very healthy year, and we will have success. It is the same in with an ant; the difference is that we will have to work a lot to reach success. If it is a spider, then we are in trouble and we might not have that luck with health and personal success.

2006-02-22T19:20:00.000+08:00

one of many designs on the inside of the ger walls

Ulzii and Gege visited today to check on work. They rode 30 km on a motorbike and it was only about 6 degrees C. Thick fur covers the handlebars, wool rugs have been upholstered to the seat but that steady wind rips across their faces. Still, they're all smiles when they arrive and I'm happy to see they made it -- I guess I've made friends here and it's nice to see them again!
Back to work!

2006-02-19T21:09:00.000+08:00

Early morning breathing proves difficult in Ulaanbaatar, dense with coal smoke and car exhaust and frigid temperatures. Our land cruiser is packed and ready for drive to the southern Gobi. Good to see our spare tire is ready for action. This being the 2nd time doing the drive, I'm aware that for the next 12 hours, every organ, muscle and thought will be reacting to the jolts of the 4-wheel road beneath us. Glad I spent a couple of hours stretching this morning.
"You know how to go?", Iskra asks me. More or less. Just head south. Whether we go to the right of that knoll or to the left, we just need to keep the sun on our left until lunch time and we'll be headed the right direction. Or just follow the powerlines. Anyway, our driver will take care of us.

Buddhist cairns also lead the way. And in general, we can follow the traffic, even if they're riding a horse.

The road winds and rolls along the alpine steppes of the Mongolian countryside as the sun sits crowned with a rainbow halo that touches the horizon. Countless horses run wild and free, camels clump together with a fixed gaze on the horizon and we fly along, slowly released from the structure of the rest of the world. This is what I love about Mongolia. It is a place to get lost from the cosmopolitan castles of western countrysides.

Enkhayar stops in front of a ger for lunch. The town serves as a truck stop for travellers. It is warm and cozy inside and the warm milk tea fills our bellies well.

We move on. With my 20 gig music drive on tap, the next 9 hours of 4-wheeling are accompanied by a killer soundtrack. The sun sets an auburn flood across the desert and we arrive to our destination, infused with the mysterious beauty of the Gobi. One long day done well and it's time to curl up next to the stove in my home ger.

2006-02-18T10:53:00.000+08:00

Mysticism

Architecture in Ulaanbaatar is calming. Monasteries rise in the bleak cold and the stillness of winter makes them look like sitting Buddhas themselves. Will be driving the 12-hour route to the southern Gobi tomorrow, a winding 4-wheel adventure. Got a massage yesterday - the best damn idea of the century. After the 24-hour travel, sitting sleeping, it is good to be still, stretched and calm.

How I miss the warmth and love of the Caribbean. But the Buddhists say nothing lasts forever. Before this passes as well, I must be present now. The universe will take care of the rest.

2006-02-14T23:39:00.000+08:00

Swinging to the Rythmn

Full moonlight drapes shadows on the sand. Thousands of schooling fish rise and fall with the waves. Drums beating rythmns we're singing, soaring in happy spaces, as clear as diamonds.

2006-01-27T05:46:00.000+08:00

Josiah's Bay

Looking down on Josiah's Bay and the place I'm staying between the pond and the sea, it just looks like a dream out of Neverland. I'm pretty sure they lived here and just like them I'm pretending to be a kid again.
Speaking of kids, I have a newborn niece as of a few days ago and I would like to say congratulations to my brother's family for such a blessing of health. The Tibetans say a friend's good fortune is a blessing in itself. And it seems right now it is all good all around. So praise God for good times and good people.

2006-01-24T08:29:00.000+08:00

San Sebastian Festival, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Big heads poured down the cobblestone street of San Sebastian in Old San Juan and I was there. They danced with the girls singing "Plenas" with drums and everyone having a good time.
When the sun set, the Hatillo festival guys came out with their Bacardi bat capes and the people surrounded them. It was a very happy day for Puerto Ricans!

Josiah's Bay, Tortola, BVI
Now with the absence of all the people, I sit alone on a north shore beach in Tortola. The waves continually pound out the sand. Surfers take turns and kids take lessons. Solitude has always renewed me when life seems to rush by. It gives me the space to dream big and the courage to pursue.

2006-01-23T05:47:00.000+08:00

PALMS

Since leaving Mongolia one month ago, the days have been packed with family adventures in Puerto Rico. From San Juan to the east coast town of Fajardo to the mountain pueblo of Patillas, I have been surrounded and embraced by a huge, loving force that will support me through the next few months of desert windstorms, drastic temperatures and long days. But, work won't continue just yet.

Arriving with a turbulent and fast landing, Tortola's coast came up fast. Now I'm at the surfer's hostel, the only hostel in the BVI, on the north coast at Josiah's Bay. This family run place will be a perfect transition. I can't get enough palmside pleasure. Three weeks of no agenda is just what the doctor ordered (right Dad!)

Signing off from paradise,
Andrea

A Season's Ending

2005-12-14T22:14:00.000+08:00

100_1143
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

The tournament proved to be a success. Not only was it enjoyable for those competing, it brought us together before the winter really sets in. Most of camp was let go on the morning of the 13th as the work is winding down and all the expats will be retreating to their warm vacation spots over the winter. I was happy to organize the tournament as a season's finale. After 3 months of 14 hour days on the drill rigs, day or night, it was a well-deserved happy day for everyone who attended.

2005-12-14T22:08:00.000+08:00

100_1183
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

2005-12-14T22:07:00.000+08:00

100_1187
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Those Shagaa players who prove they are the best marksman, are honored with big money and much respect.

2005-12-14T22:06:00.000+08:00

100_1131
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

2005-12-14T22:05:00.000+08:00

100_1133
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Hitting both targets with the bone is Shagaa. And when you hit it, a loud chorus erupts in the room, yelling "SHAGAA!"

Shagaa Basics

2005-12-14T22:03:00.000+08:00

100_1111
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Holding the thing in your left hand, on your left knee, Shagaa is played by flicking the bone with your right hand. There is a lot of strategy involved and a lot of area for error.

Medals

2005-12-14T21:51:00.000+08:00

Medals
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

The winners are awarded medals, certificates and money.

Starting Young

2005-12-14T21:50:00.000+08:00

Starting Young
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

A boy's team has also joined us from the sum's school. They will compete with the big guys as well as in a separate tournment for kids.

The Best

2005-12-14T21:48:00.002+08:00

The Best
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Teams from around the southern Gobi desert have made the trip to Khankangor to compete in today's tournament, including 2 of the best.

Opening Ceremonies

2005-12-14T21:48:00.001+08:00

Opening Ceremonies
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Each player's board and all game pieces are waved over incense and handed over to the players. It will be up to the team to knock down their own game pieces from the board with a strong flick of a finger from 4.72 meters away. They use a square-shaped bone from the knee of a sheep and hard-wood launching guide.

Pre-tourney huddle

2005-12-14T21:48:00.000+08:00

Pre-tourney huddle
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Shortly before the tournament, we all meet at the home of Burged (top, 2nd from left) where we crack open a bottle of vodka and prepare for an entire day of Shagaa.

The road to Khanhongor

2005-12-14T21:47:00.000+08:00

The road to Khanhongor
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Leaving camp in a fergon of 5, we head out on the open road for the Khanhongor Sum where our Shagaa tournament will take place. We take a shortcut because already we are late. Why not take the way the crow flies? In Mongolia, it's totally possible.

Shagaa Tournament

2005-12-11T19:55:00.000+08:00

tourney2
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

With all these lessons and some instinctual motives, I've organized a tournament to take place in 2 days. My Mongolian friend, Burged, came up with the idea and now that drilling is finishing, we will have a day of "Shagaa" - a local sport of target shooting, flicking a piece of bone to knock another small bone off its table. The underground network has worked well and the entire Gobi has heard about it. Teams from across the desert will converge on Khanhangor, 20 km north of Dalanzadgad, battling for a cash prize of 45,000 Tugriks or $45.
I am very excited about it and look forward to sharing this day with the Mongolians -- I believe I will be the only expat there, travelling with a company interpreter of course.
I hope to blog more after it happens and will keep you up to date as quickly as possible!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Urnaa

2005-12-11T19:46:00.000+08:00

Urnaa
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

The Gobi is a real desolate place but it's desolation has really infused the culture with such warmth and friendliness. I am so happy that I've found it because it is the only way to be happy. Getting to know people has opened a lot of doors for me as I find that I am always taken care of around camp. I don't think it's really hard to care for others - but I can see how people deal with the hardships out here in different ways - most developing a superiority complex and really shutting their hearts and minds to the people of the countryside. It's scary not being able to communicate so easily but just like a kid would act, you just have to have an open heart and look for the common strings that exist at the root of being human despite cultural differences.

2005-12-11T19:39:00.000+08:00

IMG_0063
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

I've moved to day shift and it's much better. The sun keeps me dreaming of the Puerto Rican Christmas to come when I'll have a lot of time to download the photos from Tibet and blog about them.
My new driver, Bayarmaa, is great. I really enjoy having another woman around.

2005-12-11T19:37:00.000+08:00

IMG_0072b
Originally uploaded by wuzupandrea.

Sorry it has been a while since posting. Just a real quick update that my trip in Tibet was awesome and the past 5 weeks of work have been packed full of a lot of core logging, little sleep, language classes, strong coffee and bearing the onset of the Mongolian winter with the current windchill at -50 degrees Centigrade. Sometimes your face will freeze in one position for a while, as my friend Nate is experiencing lately.

2005-10-25T15:17:00.000+08:00

Lhasa, Tibet
3rd Floor, up some rickety steep stairs, we've made it to the world wide web beneath a 40 foot tapestry beaming warm yellow hues on the 50 computers filled with young Tibetans gaming away. We've just finished climbing up to the top of the Potala Palace and down through the 13 levels of Buddha shrines. After a long lunch in a small restaurant with beautiful paintings depicting the faces of Tibetan elders, the three of us found a nice internet stop to let the world know we are all okay.

At 12,500 feet, I'm feeling my heart beating harder and the sun gives me a headache, but overall, my blood flows well and the invigorating scenery really strengthens my will to feel fine at this high altitude. We will be here for one more day, having spent one already and then will head to higher elevations each day for a week, ending at Everest base camp. The GPS unit I brought is really helpful and I have been capturing waypoints for mapping back at home.

I miss Mongolia and look forward to going back in a couple of weeks. The place has really gotten to my heart fast. For now, I just take in all of the wonderful smells beyond the hole toilets but savor the incense and yak. The hum of the city beyond these walls is calling. Rock abruptly ascends all around the city. The sky is crystal blue. It is time to go - to go see the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street and buy a singing bowl or a prayer wheel or jade - gifts for my family, Happy Birthday tomorrow Daniel!

2005-10-21T04:08:00.000+08:00

TIBET TO BE

Saine uu! Burged, our crew geotech, says hi!

In a couple of hours, fellow geo Iain and I will leave camp in one of the cruisers for Dalanzadgad, about 2 1/2 hours west. We a have a flight to catch to Ulaan Baatar. After a long, cold night shift, I bet we'll sleep through the flight and then upon arrival, will be met by fellow geo Ian and will proceed to the only Irish bar in the capitol city for a well-deserved Guiness. After 5 weeks of not drinking, I'm sure it will taste very good.

In a couple of days, the three of us will leave for Beijing and then Lhasa, Tibet for a 9 day tour of monasteries, lakes and mountains, hopefully making the trek to Everest base camp. After reading Michael Palin's book Himalaya I am ready for an exhausting journey to the snowy heights of the world. I'm really looking forward to experiencing a Buddhist culture, driving in a car at 15,000 feet and seeing the beauty, the art and the tradition of the Himalayas.

We return to Beijing and will have a few days there to rent bicycles and tour the forbidden city.

It is a good time for a break from camp and work. So I will update you later, on the flipside of the Himalayas! And I just uploaded a bunch of photos to my flickr account so if you would like to see them, just click on the picture above and it will open up wuzupandrea @ flickr.

Bayartai!

2005-10-12T08:30:00.000+08:00

Mongolian Mountain Biking

A little over a week after my ankle sprain, sleeping horribly with the lack of excercise, my ankle feels well enough to take the community mountain bike out for a spin. A little excercise goes a long way, no matter how tired I feel because after this ride, I slept for 7 hours straight. After a week of only 4 hours, waking up and almost rolling off my cot, I ride up over the ridge to the south where I can see camp with great perspective. Yep, there's us in the middle of the Gobi, surrounded by more Gobi and wait...('hulee' in Mongolian)...um...oh, nope, just more Gobi. And I found out how to post bigger pictures so you can see just how big the Gobi is.

Skidding the sand with a cocked front wheel, I ride the ridge of volcanic rock downhill, struggling to stay in the single-track of a motorbike once I leave the upturned hard redstone; the only driver who found a firm way through the dry wash beds of fine sand that sink tires and would send me on a Gobi endo before I could say 'yukshte!'.

Down the ridge, I decide to take a bend and head east instead of downhill and south to the next valley of dry sand. East continues running the volcanic rise of bedrock that may be sharp and knotty but at least lets my tires grip so I can ride free across the desert. Ewen McGregor must have had a hell of a time keeping his motorcylce upright in these deceptively soft sands when he rode across Mongolia (read the book). I hope I can keep my crank sand free in this desolate and harsh land.

Just as I begin feeling a little too alone, I lose my balance and slow to a stop in the sand, turn around and notice a flock of sheep behind me. Where did they come from? And then comes into view a rock dwelling right in front of me - there really are sand people out here!

It's about time to head in, get a shower, watch 'Strangers with Candy' with the rest of the night-crew lads (our self-prescribed mandatory no shop talk social hour), and then go to sleep. On my way back, I see that someone's horses are grazing outside of camp and I spin quickly for the photo op.

When I return to camp, Oyuna is hanging a freshly washed sheet. I snap a photo as she awkwardly poses in front of the camera with a kind of not sure what to do when my picture is taken way and thanks me for the tourist shot, 'bayarlala'.

So the crew that I work with on the rig are a good bunch of guys and we work hard. We're all the same age except for Ultse who is only 20 and the victim of most of our jokes. We make sure we have heaps of fun, even if the wind is howling, heaving sand and it's below freezing, burning our cheeks. The Mongolians are used to it and you can see it etched in their faces, standing up to the cold with just a baseball cap and leather jacket, not even a flinch.

Not used to having a camera, Burged urges me to snap a photo of us three in the logging container when we have a breather between core runs. Here it is, Burged on the left and Ultse on the right.

We attempted a photo at night as the moon was setting but the long exposure only caught their spirit in motion. Here's Khukkenbataar, Burged and Ultse and the Mongolian moonset.

It's been an adjustment, but my Mongolian friends are growing on me. Now that I'm learning the language, I'm beginning to understand the culture a lot more.

I'll get some pictures of the expats around here too. Hopefully I'll catch them slacking off. Then I'll give them some Irish Spring deodorant soap to liven them up.

2005-10-08T23:56:00.000+08:00

Break in Tibet
Just wanted everyone to know that my ankle has healed very quickly in just 2 days. I'm back to walking normal with a little soarness, though nothing unusual and am doing a rigorous therapy program that I printed off the internet. Looks like my ankle will be ready for a great trip to Tibet and I am really looking forward to it! Thanks for all of the prayers. It has really been a great trial for me to give it up to God and sit back to watch my body do its thing, heal, and be patient. I feel many blessings this day.

Coal News
Also, the company has just publicly released the following about our project here. Here is an excerpt:
"...pleased to announce that ongoing exploration work has defined ten thick coal seams with average true thicknesses of 5-20 m. Drill-hole, trench and geophysical data indicate that individual seams have minimum strike lengths of 1500-4000 m and that the coal seams are still open along strike. Coal is known to occur over at least 2 x 10 sq. km in the valley. ...undertaking an aggressive, five-rig, step-out drilling program in this area. Coal is hosted in a thick sequence..."

If you would like to know more, check out the web here.

Cheers!

2005-10-08T11:18:00.000+08:00

Thanks to the cooks for making a delicious birthday cake! This card reads, "Thank You, Thank You for the cake, The cake was delicious" in Mongolian.

2005-10-07T14:54:00.000+08:00

Gobi Night

Our rig is down for the night. 200m of pipe down the hole. Threads are busted. Drove over to Iain's rig to see if they are finished and can move theirs over to ours to get the pipe out but they aren't done coring yet. On the way out of his site, our headlights burn out and we're stuck for a bit in the Gobi night while Khukkenbataar (in english it translates to Woman Hero, but we just call him the Lady's Man, since he's my driver) fools with the wires. Twilight will end soon and I can't help but stare at the crescent moon setting to the west. It gets larger and larger, magnified through the Earth's curved horizon, orange and tall. We all pile out of the Russian minibus to get a picture, but we've lost to the night, we'll have to store this one in the soul. Khukkenbataar, Burged and Ultse get in the bus and we roll on back to camp, the three of them excited to join their girlfriends and I looking forward to resting my ankle, now a little soar from all the chaos.

Back at camp a foreign minibus sits outside the parking zone and there's an argument among 10 Mongolians. In the center, a single woman cuts the loudest, obviously upset about something, spitting distinct ch's and uck's, storming off...."zaa, zaa, zaa, zaa!", which means something like "get out of my life". Selenge, the night shift interpreter, tells me that four Mongolians were travelling through the area on their way to Dalanzadgad but had engine belt problems. All four arrived to camp drunk, looking for assistance but were turned away by our security guard. They had tracked up the camp, driven off road, which is not allowed because of our agreement with the governer of this county. So they were told to leave or at least stay with their vehicle which is parked halfway up a hill, top heavy with merchandise they plan to sell in DZ. I think some kind soul gave them a new belt and they'll probably have it fixed by morning, or by the time they sober up.

Salivating over pizza, I am so happy to have some familiar food, even if the toppings are sliced hotdogs, pineapple, canned mushrooms, barely-cooked bacon, and Asian beans. The cheese and the crust with a coca-cola is just plain comforting, but I'll be hatin' it tomorrow when I can't run it off. Although I'm getting good at one-legged jump-roping...anything to get the heart rate up.

Tess or Hammer, whether you are a normal person or a driller, is camp's favorite dog, very spoiled, about a year old, something like a mix between a retriever and a shepherd. Tess has a boyfriend, another dog from the driller's camp, with a similar personality. Last night when I came in, Tess's boyfriend was hobbling outside on three legs. Not accustomed to coming inside the gers, I coaxed this dog inside with beef jerky, a treat that I brought that hardly anyone has touched because apparently it's only an American thing. Since I've been getting to know our first aid kit pretty well, I knew I'd be able to help this dog out but didn't know if he would freak on me if I touched his wound. So I took a long look at it and gave the dog plenty of lovin'. He came around and looked at me as if he knew I would help. I tested him out by dropping a little iodine on his foot. He got nervous and walked around but he didn't whimper or growl or hide. So I quickly doused a cotton with iodine and taped it around his foot. He immediately began pulling it off with his teeth and Tess walked circles around us, wagging her tail, nudging herself between us. Then I opened the door and let them both out. I was sure the bandage would be off in 5 minutes. But a few hours later, I saw the dogs playing around and he still had his bandage on! I couldn't believe it! I haven't told anyone what I did - I like it to be my secret. I'm glad that dog won't be getting Gobi dirt in his gash. I don't know why I'm writing this story. But it's on my mind. It was a little success, a chance to nurture. I related to him since we both have gimp feet. And I enjoyed the affection - I love dogs!

When I got back to camp yesterday morning, they were assembling three new gers. I got a chance to snap a few pictures of Zorigsaikhan and his crew. And the other day, one of the Mongolian's herd of goats and sheep came through camp. They've been hanging close since 10 of them were killed by wolves.

2005-10-05T18:48:00.000+08:00

Today I am 28 in Mongolia. But I'm 27 in the U.S. The cooks made a birthday cake and two more for two others.

A sprained ankle threatens my plans to break in Tibet in two weeks and my positive outlook. But just a day at a time right now. No dramas.

I have posted many more photos on Flickr. If you would like to see them, just send me and email and I'll invite you in.

Been running everyday, enjoying the paradise of no fences, no trails, no roads...just open, arid freedom. I would have put up a photo but I haven't taken any during my spiritual quests on foot. And working at night would not do it justice. Running to the top of the hills by camp, I can see 360 degrees of non-stop desert. Still can't get used to it. Feels like a town is on the otherside. But the stars at night that sit on top of the hills are proof that there is no light of any town anywhere nearby, only the light of camp, duller than the Milky Way. We spin around the big dipper and tip it on its side by morning. I didn't realize it for a very long time, but I am a night owl and I love night shift. I love coming home to eat breakfast when everyone else is waking up. Kick around the rugby ball, have brunch everyday and doze off in a sunlit warm ger. It ain't bad at all. Almost antisocial even. But when you live with the people you work with, it makes a lot of sense.

2005-09-21T00:34:00.000+09:00

59 hours of travelling with only cat naps to get here. But I did just well.

9/17/05 Mongolia
The landscape is vast, currently in green native grass that is a third the height of chives but tastes just the same and often ends up in our soup. All of the vehicles we have run on diesel and are about 25 years old and up. International scouts, russian military trucks and buses, japanese pickups with wooden gates, upholstered with thick floral rugs. We are each assigned drivers but I'm told I can get a Mongolian driver's license for ten bucks. It's good to have a driver though who can maintain a rig in the Gobi desert.

Where I sleep is a very kind sanctuary. Except for the fluorescent light. But next break I'm definitely buying a battery powered lantern or a few. A small ger about 20 feet in diameter and 20 feet high, the door only four feet tall, the walls are blue and the supports are orange with paintings of intricate designs. It's a lot like a hobbit hole or a smurf house. Our stove is in the center and I've just thrown on some leaves from the valley -- sage-like native brush -- to give the ger a wild and grounding scent.

The drillers have their own ger camp just over a rise of volcanic outcrop to the northeast, which happens to be the southern limb of this west-plunging syncline we are exploring. The sun sets downhill from camp and casts a gorgeous array of pink horizons between us and the mountains to the west where the wolves live. Just today my geotech's (geologist's assistant - the job I had for the last few years) family lost 10 sheep to one wolf because they were grazing nearby. His ger is not far from our rig and in a few weeks they'll move on, since Mongolians are nomadic. Kind of makes sense in some divine way that I'm here since I've lived in 12 places over the last 10 years and had about 32 roomates last time I counted.

Constant winds sneak up on me at the end of the day. My skin is still acclimating to it and my lips require blistex on the hour. I'm told the winds will get colder and to cover every bit of skin in the winter.
With so many various foreigners working here, I feel like I've already picked up a few subtle accents. It's as if my work is constatnly announced by the MC of the Whitbread race from Australia or "whheat-brid rice" and he's cheering me on each morning with promises that we'll have a really good breakup at the end of this (check out the Irish pub in UB).
Russian, on the ohter hand, is extremely unatural to me and I doubt much will soak in with me without some concentrated input of basic vowel sounds, sayings and numbers. My geotech's name is something like "Tokh" and the other is "Amigaa". But you don't say it timidly. It's more like "TOKH!" and "AmiGAAA!".
Our drillers and geotechs know a few english words and we have our hands as well to point out the specifics. They are very smart but usually the communication barrier dumbs us all down.

We work long days but it seems so much less when you don't have to worry about a commute, groceries, cooking , laundry, cleaning. So it makes sense to have workers and it also provides some camraderie around this valley - it's like one constant Nadaam festival minus the wrestling and horse racing (which by the way is done by 5-7 year olds - 120km of horse racing and it's a nose-to-nose finish between a 5 year old boy and 7 year old girl).
Yes it makes a lot of sense to have help. It is odd to have a sixty or even seventy year-old man as my driver treating me like a VIP but then again he's got a pretty plush job and gets to be with his son, my geotech, all day. I couldn't get his name, it had way too many strange syllables that are extremembly foreign to me.
I respect that Mongolians do not allow their elders to do back-breaking work while the youngins sit around getting high. And I respect them for their patience which is certainly something I can learn (maybe already have). Along with Mongolians nomadic history, I see it day to day as workers will take spontaneous walks. When work is slow, they'll be seen on the horizon just strolling in the desert.

Or driving -- they don't like to drive in the same track twice and so the desert is littered with tracks, between towns even going the same direction but in new parallel paths. The motor bikes don't make as many tracks and since most Mongolians have bikes over trucks there are fewer tracks as a result.

I'd like to say congratualtions to my mates back home who finished the Colorado Outward Bound Relay, just a short while ago. I was thinking of you while I was logging mad coal, someone running along at 3 in the morning. You fools are AWESOME!
And to my family, yes, I miss you very much. But I'm afraid I'm lost to the world for a short bit. But only to enhance life back home after a while.
Until later folks!

2005-09-19T13:04:00.000+09:00

Have arrived

Hey y'all. I have arrived to my destination. LUV IT! Not a lot of time right now but I've been getting in some writing during down times in the desert so please standby, know that I am workin' hard and loving ger (yurt) life. My Gobi family of 14 expats among 120 Mongolian drillers, drivers, cooks, maintenance are just wonderful. I will be letting you know all about it and posting pictures very soon.

Cheers mate! Gotta go

2005-09-16T04:45:00.000+09:00

Korean Bidet Incheon, South Korea

I think for all you Colorado guys it's September 14th and it's 10:45pm. Well, not here. I'm in tomorrow.

I sweated out nerves all the way to the international terminal at LAX. When I walked in, I realized that I was about to see a part of the world that I have always wanted to see, a place where "Gracias" doesn't cut it. My first lesson was to watch people and how they bow - kind of hard for a yank to slow down.

I inadvertently picked the traditional Korean food for both meals on the 12 hour flight. Sticky rice and veggies, pickled ginseng and cantalope. Breakfast was gilatinous rice with a green tea flavoring packet, but still salty and sour. Pickled, spicy mild pepper and orange slices. I've tried Korean food a few times now and I have to say it's not my favorite. But I'm glad they didn't bring out the sealife while stuck on board.

Now at the hotel during a 12 hour layover, I went for a walk that took me through a park closeby. Open, green, with lots of places to sit. Apartment buildings surround it, the school on one side and the shops on the other - all easily walkable.

But probably the most memorable experiences today have been the drive from the airpot to the hotel, sun rising over the Yellow Sea, ancient volcanic islands off in the distance in all directions. I look forward to checking out South Korea's beaches and cliffs in the future. And the other, oh my, the hotel room bidet. I didn't use it, didn't want to use it, but got sprayed in the face when trying to find the flush button, only to find that the flush is the only manual button. And in my jet lag stupor I thought that was what they used to clean the walls of the bathroom until I figured it out, opened the door and hit the button to stop it (after I had closed the door and let it spray for a few minutes). Now I have to dry off the ceiling and the wood door.

Guess it's not safe to just start pressng buttons in another language. But at least it was all a test before I had to use the toilet. Yep, it'll go down in my book of epic journeys. And enough seratonin to get me through the next flight. Tonight onward to Ulaan Baatar at which point I won't have to think so hard anymore about transportation. Just remember to wear a seatbelt.

2005-09-08T02:50:00.000+09:00

Why Gravel Bar?
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters." - Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

2005-09-01T13:32:00.000+09:00

Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund
DONATE NOW

Donate what you can't afford.
Just do it.

August 31, 2005, Taken from Wikepedia

Hurricane Katrina will likely become the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States with major global economic consequences caused by the severe disruption of oil supplies, exports, and imports.

Some experts predict one million people could become homeless as a result of the storm [1]. Currently five million people are without power in the Gulf Coast, and it may be two months before all power is restored [2].

September 2002, Taken from American Radioworks

When emergency management officials think about the worst natural disasters that might befall America, San Francisco is always on the list. They say there's a 70 percent chance that a major earthquake will hit that city in the next 30 years and potentially cause thousands of deaths. But they say there's another disaster that could be far worse—and many people don't know about it. The chances that this tragedy will happen are much lower, but the death toll would be staggering. Government officials are trying to figure out if there's any way to prevent it.

Think about the great cities in this country, and one of them will be New Orleans. On a recent evening, a scientist pulls up in the French Quarter. Joe Suhayda takes a plastic rod out of his trunk and he proceeds to show us what could happen the next time a hurricane hits New Orleans.
"OK, this is tool that I have a range rod," explains Suyhayda. "It will show us how high the water would be if we were hit with a Category Five Hurricane."

Which would mean what?

"Twenty feet of water above where we are standing now," says Suyhayda.

Twenty?

A Category Five Hurricane is the most powerful storm on a scientific scale. Suhayda plants the rod on the sidewalk next to a 200-year-old building that's all wrought iron balconies and faded brick and wooden shutters. Every click marks another foot that the flood would rise up this building.

I can't believe you're still going.

"Yeah, still going," says Suyhayda.

Read the whole story at American Radioworks

Gotta wonder, if they knew that then, why didn't they do more to help evacuate the projects when they knew a Category 5 was headed for New Orleans?

2005-08-27T01:53:00.000+09:00

My mind is moving faster than I'm able to write, but I want to write, it's just a lot harder than I thought. I hope that soon I won't have so much to think about regarding the beauracracy of my life, the details of citizenship/expatriation and peace of mind. Fortunately, I was able to see some good old friends in Denver who were in town for business with the mayor and senator, promoting the bipartisan alternative fuel biodiesel.
Check it out at gobluesun.com. With the western states putting a million gallon a day demand on Blue Sun's manufacturing plant in the Arkansas valley of southern Colorado, it's time you get informed. Make your next car a Volkswagen TDI and run around town fueled by canola crops grown in Colorado and Nebraska. Become a local biodiesel enthusiast and spread the word. And if you live in Fort Collins, be sure to keep an eye out for 'Big Oil', jazzy and funktified, they recently played the Aggie and at Blue Sun's press event. Yep, I'm living large these days before I head west to the high plains of Mongolia.

2005-08-12T11:43:00.000+09:00

"Landscape, S. Mongolia"
Dave Edwards Photography
www.daveedwards.com

Some family and friends know that I've accepted a job offer to work in Mongolia. I wish I could record the hundreds of reactions, usually summed up in one word....Mongolia?!, MONgoliA?, MonGOLia?, MONGOLIAAAA???!!, Nice, Monwho?, China? I'll be leaving in September, so now that you know, be sure we get in some bluegrass, beer and bicycling. And for all you relayers out there, run, run, run and I'll catch you on the flipside!

Uprooting may be good for the soul. The pace of life is about to change. Plans and preparations come into view but the future remains unfocused. That's because in a short while, travel will take front seat to the idea of it and the only thing left to do will be to put one foot in front of the other. Anything that can go wrong, probably will, and most likely twice as often as at home. So it's time to put the ideas aside, cherish the power of now and let tomorrow bring anticipated necessities. So good for the soul since "life is much more important than food and the body much more important than clothes." Lk 12:23