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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Farming

Caught by a Catfish! opus 98

On one occasion (1985), using a 100 foot long seine and dragging the net from bank to bank (as always) we brought in a large number of catfish to harvest by the pond's edge. The top of a seine has cork floats and the bottom has a thick gathered rope mudline. As I was in my waders and working some snags away from shore, I suddenly felt a piercing pain in my right foot. Immediately I knew exactly what had occurred: A fish was caught sideways in the mudline, a barbed pectoral fin projecting straight upwards! Indeed, the fin had pierced my boot's sole, through the sock and into the ball of my foot. Instructing the student on the shore's end, to pull slowly as I limped in, I reached the bank, the fish connecting me with one fin to the line and the other in my foot-- Too painful to pull out, I reached down and snapped the bone, Thus freeing me from the fish and net, But still with a bone, locking the boot, sock, and foot together.

With great pain, the boot was dislodged, leaving a bare sock and foot (and fishbone)!

A trip to the nearby hospital, very painful anesthetic shots to numb the foot's pain, And the bone was removed, leaving a very sore, 'un-numbing' foot! After a drive back to the farm and to the evening chores, I started in limpingly to finish the end of the day's work. Such was the then life of a peasant on a farm with a PhD!

Juan the Basque opus 102

I am of the Basque stock--
Sheep and our coexistence therewith.
Our ancestors left the Old Ways and territories--
North of Spain and the wonders of that place,
To the rough wilds of mountainous Nevada.
Sheep were the source of meat and wool:
Work to butcher; work to shear; work to move for ever-new pastures.

I remember as a boy our movements from place to place in Nevada--
From Duck Water (near Ely), north, to Mountain City (north of Elko) in the Spring
And then back south to Duck Water in the Fall.
All the mountains were nicely arranged,
Their spines protruding North to South.
They guided our directional herding very well.

Now on the trail: dogs, horses, with thousands of bearers of wool.
I remember the sounds--bleeting and baahing:
The smell of dust and urine, and faeces and lanolin.
We moved slowly North and South, time after time.
Camped; the dogs managing the animals.
Our fires warmed us and gave us heat for cooking.
Coyotes occasionally crying out mournfully, beautifully in the distance--
Sometimes not so distant.
Vigilance; and human responsibility for those coexisting.

The final times of herding were always
A relief as well as a loss of a magical existence.
Back to 'civilization' and those fellows
Who comprehended nor felt nothing of what we had done.

Each time I touch an article of wool,
Now in my urban life,
I longingly recall those marvellous days
Which, except in far places of the earth,
Will never be repeated in my time nor place.

Telah, the Basotho Pony opus 104

One afternoon in the hills above the University (Roma, Lesotho),
I was driving along the smooth rock-based road,
Looking for a horse to buy to fulfill my equestrian desires.

Lesotho (Lesootoo) is renowned for its Basotho (Basootoo) Pony,
A horse which could be taught to triple--
A combination of an 'urged trot' and a 'restrained cantor'.
This 'pony' is one of the few breeds in the world,
Which is able to manage such a gait--
A gait which, when controlled well, is as smooth as glass!

So, that was my goal: scouting for an animal,
Which would also fulfill my aesthetic desires.
I had seen and checked out several that day,
But nothing had struck my fancy that was available.
Time was passing on towards mid afternoon,
When suddenly a rider approached on the road,
Mounted on a brilliant, muscular, red pony.
I stopped the old VW van and quickly descended to the dirt road.
The Mosotho rider stopped, dismounted and we shook hands.
He was wearing his conical, woven Basotho hat
And wrapped around his shoulders was the so-called Basotho blanket.
I explained that I was looking for a horse
And this one certainly struck my fancy.
He explained where he lived and asked that I return tomorrow.
I agreed, we shook hands once again
And I drove off with a pounding heart--
A beautiful pony indeed!

The next afternoon, having taught my biology lessons for the day,
I drove back up the smooth rock face above the school
And headed on towards the appointed group of rondavels--
The circular houses in which most Basotho dwell.
There was the red pony, as gorgeous as I had remembered.
We conversed for an hour, back and forth,
And finally decided on a price, agreeable to us both.

In anticipation of a possible fulfilled agreement,
I had a backup driver to return with the van
And I, with not only the horse, but also a fitted saddle,
Rode back down to the University horse barns.
The trip took two hours and the ride was magnificent.
Telah (Taylah) was strong with a determined will.
(That will, would, sadly, be his later undoing!)
Back then, home, I was at last the proud owner of a Basotho Pony.

Telah and I would have many happy rides together,
Through the open Lesotho valleys and mountains.
However, the next episode will divulge the sad departing
Of my beautiful Telah from me forever.

Telah's Sad Undoing. Part 2 opus 105

Ah, Telah (Taylah) my beautiful red Basotho (Basootoo) Pony.
How I loved your magnificence and strength.
We trotted, tripled, and cantored across the face of Lesotho;
This startling red pony caught the eye of all we passed.

In Lesotho (Lesootoo), the tenth (?) poorest country in the world,
Anyone with means, as we expatriate teachers had,
Hired a man or woman to work around or in the house.
I, being a biologist, had several animals in the yard,
Including a rescued maccac from an experimental lab.
I also had a garden which required maintenance as well.
Then of course, there were two horses--
Lots to keep a hired person busy and earning a relatively nice wage.
During the day the house animals and the garden
Needed feeding, watering, and special care.
The two horses were tethered out to graze each morning,
Moved for better grazing at noon and led back to the barn each evening.

One evening our 'hired hand' came rushing back to the house.
He had been leading Telah and his companion, a lovely mare, back to the stable,
When, suddenly, it was explained, Telah bolted and broke free.
Down the road he raced and was maneuvering a small bend to the left.
His forward momentum overcame the need to gallop left--
Over the right edge of the raised road and straight into an electric pole.
His right shoulder caught the pole and he instantly dropped.

I called the Maseru vet, who arrived quite quickly.
(Quickly for Lesotho that is--there was always 'African Time'.)
The diagnosis: no chance of repair--
Must be put down--such a decision.
I told the vet to proceed as soon as I had left--
I could not bear to witness such a thing.

Before I left, my hired man approached:
"If it were alright, may we butcher and take the meat?"
These people were the poorest of the poor.
I pondered, wondering what to do.
A neighbor South African family of a mother and three daughters
Heard what was transpiring and came to me.
"This horse should be buried properly and not butchered!"
Oh, goodness. Horse lovers versus semi-starving people.
Whatever I did, I would have to live with it!
I was a guest in a country of desperately poor people.
I decided to allow the dividing up of the body--
My beautiful Telah; energy passed from horse to human.

I never lived it down with the family.
Once again, Human philosophy colliding,
By acting with an attempt, trying to result in a 'Rightful' outcome.

Herding Geese opus 131

Herding geese is definitely not like herding cats.
I should know because my little farm produced 600 geese annually.
(And I also had unherdable cats on the farm, thanks to Nora, my now late wife.)
These were not 'water birds' as one might suspect,
Rather they were pasture-raised Embden Geese, A large, handsome, agile-on-land, white bird.

To work with geese, one manipulates them to move anywhere,
Simply by walking near them, raising one's arms--left or right or both,
 And the mass of white, cloud-like life bunches,
Then turns to the left with a right arm signal,
Obviously, turning correspondingly with a left arm raised,
And straight ahead with both arms raised above one's shoulders.
To split a smaller group off from the larger body,
One merely holds both arms raised and walks quickly forward.

Such a wonderful feeling, being able to gently control
Such a large group of fellow farm creatures,
Almost the same as conducting a Brahms symphony,
Leading an orchestra of one hundred!

Jessie Soto opus 154

Jessie came into my life from a 'Neighbors' ad,
Written by Paul to give me a boost to find some help.
I have worked with many on my farm--mostly students,
But Jessie, a 54 year old Postal Worker,
Looking for extra employment,
Came, saying he wanted work
And had some pastoral (as well as postal!) experience.
Well, 'Let's give it a try and see where we go'.

Is it possible that one could have found such a treasure?
He arrives early, works seamlessly, and leaves with a smile.
Will my bubble burst? Is he really as genuine
As I have always tried to be my entire life?
Jessie, I am pleased and will endeavour to keep this dream going.

Fences Needing Repair opus 184

A friend called and said she was frustrated.
'My horse fences need repair and there is no one here.
All gone hunting!'

So, feeling folksy, I texted back--
'Thanks for the call.
Used to fix fences.
Could help, but too old now.
Don't hunt.
Hunting is a religious ritual for
Many male humans, at least around here.
A substitute for our pioneer 'John Wayne'.
Senseless in these days with
So many available cows for meat.
See you someday.    Me'.

Nora opus 225

On this day, seven years ago at 0115 AM, my wife of 31 years passed.
This was a dynamic marriage with ups and downs--with most of the former.
As with all long term relationships,
The memories become more poignant as time passes.
We met when Nora stopped by to purchase a Wood Duck,
One of many species of wild ducks which I raised on my farm.
She always joked that she came to buy a duck
And left with the duck and a share in half a llama!

As time passed, our experiences became more profound,
Commencing with matching our new kitchen colors
With soft orange-yellow hues of a very studied sunset.
We continually worked together to manage our farm,
Working with chicken and turkey harvesting,
To netting catfish, using our 100 foot seine-nets,
To gathering vegetables from our one acre chemical-free garden,
To raising orphaned emu chicks in our living room!

Nora was a world expert linguist in the Breton language.
She guided me through her conference trips to Scotland and Ireland,
Where I found my own genealogical genetic roots.
Her use of continual elevated vocabulary raised my speaking abilities.

Her encouragement and support for our Quail Ridge land trust was incalculable.
Together, we raised six million dollars and purchased about 2000 acres!
This area is now part of the UCD Natural Reserve System;
Many thought its success would be absolutely impossible--not so!
Beyond this, a Student Endowment is now in a very active, continual place.
Nora and I never had children, but she always nurtured my two boys.

Her end was finalized with a merciless plague of cancer
Which raged throughout her body--she worried most about losing her special mind.
This disease ended the life of a most talented person--
Such knowledge and love was lost to the world forever,
Except through all those remaining who knew her
And continually recount her productive and giving life.

(Also on this day in Texas 60 years ago, JF Kennedy was assassinated.)

An Upper Trophic Level opus 281

I was comfortable with catfish as a product, raised in a hot summer environment. (Now after 40 years, summers are ever hotter--I remember at least three winters when all ponds would freeze over and the kids even skated -- not any longer.). While selling fish, customers had many questions, as is the wont in a direct Farmers Market. One, of course, was, 'Don't these fish feed on the bottom?' I quickly solved that one for a good reply, as well as for a better product: I used floating fish food, which created a wonderful feeding frenzy as well, which the many visiting school children immensely enjoyed! The nutrition of catfish flesh is quite complete and very healthy. But the 'haupt' subject which greatly worries me is the fact that we are fishing out our wild stocks, and, of course, most people wish to consume salmon and tuna and trout, all of which are on the top of the food chain--the highest trophic (feeding) level.

It worries me to see customers in a grocery store, ogling over salmon, when there are so many other, environmentally better fish species to be consumed. Captive salmon create their own problems such as antibiotics loose in the ocean near the floating pens, let alone the dissolving artificial food and fish waste. But most, the escape of domesticated varieties of salmon into the wild populations. Pond raised fish are isolated and do not create such problems. In general then, we must all be aware of the trophic levels from which WE feed as well!

Stirring up CO2 opus 285

A report just coming out states that bottom trawling
Is releasing CO2 from the substrate,
By stirring up, as well as , destroying such.
The results may show that this method of fishing
Is doubling the released once estimated CO2,
Relating to the whole world-wide fishing fleet.
There have been many former voices
Decrying the destruction of the seabed,
When not even considering the CO2 problem!

As with many human processes,
The Climate Crisis may force us
To reevaluate and then modify procedures,
Creating more favorable results
For both humans and our planet.

My Haplogroup G on the Y Chromosome opus 293

DNA family ancestry became popular in the '80's and '90's.
I was very intrigued and sent in my saliva sample
To the 'pioneer' National Geographic laboratory, now gone,
Which yielded to '23 and Me' and other commercial groups.
My mother's X results showed my European and Scottish/Viking side,
While my father's Y yielded an exciting, unexpected history.
Instead of depicting a European story,
My Y chromosome showed a haplogroup G,
Found in the Turkiye, Armenia, Iraq, and Iran area--
The Fertile Crescent, origin of agriculture from 9 thousand years ago!
The haplogroup G was basically rare in Europe which demonstrated
That the practice of agriculture was not spread through warfare and plundering,
But rather through more gentle, cultural exchange.
Having applied to be a Pacifist, Non-combatant in 1966,
I was pleased that my biological background
Led me to a farming existence in Davis, California, my now home.
My maternal grandfather and Bill, his son, were also farmers.
It just took me 40 years to recapitulate my genetic beginnings!

Heat--The Silent Killer opus 344

Our farm workers are laboring in rising temperatures.
When will they completely revolt to defend their lives
In conditions of blistering heat
While the rest of us are consuming our nourishment
In artificially cooled and comfortable environs?
Do we truly appreciate and are we grateful
That these invincible workers labor on?

The basic question, though,
Is why would certain (e.g. FL and TX) governors
Sign laws to counter efforts
Of more humane members in their governments
To allow temporary shade and water and rest when needed
For harvesters of our food, toiling over the heated earth?
One governor is caught blurting out
If heat remedies "are enacted here and there, it will cause
A lot of problems 'down there' for our farming businesses."

We still, sadly, value our fellow persons on a scale.

Indigenous American Agriculture opus 346

I couldn't wait for your information, so perhaps this might be useful to enhance your exhibit. The religious mounds, etc, would be another story. (I worked on this for about 10 hours!)

Contributions of Native Americans and the indigenous origins of many practices used today in the regenerative agricultural movement.

Original indigenous populations protected local ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, using good land management and farming methods. The landscape to which the Europeans arrived was not 'untouched land' -- the 'pristine myth' -- but rather that the land had been actively shaped. Indigenous Americans had advanced the practices, defining sustainable agricultural and land stewardship.

INTERCROPPING AND POLYCULTURES.

INTERCROPPING has been practiced by many early groups, including the Iroquois. The most well known is the 'Three Sisters'. The corn stalks provide a trellis for the beans, which add nitrogen to the soil. Additionally, the squash vines are a 'living mulch', improving soil health, maintaining moisture, and thus also preventing the growth of weeds.

INTERCROPPING, thus relies on crops that are complementary and compete minimally for resources. This improves crop productivity and yield stability over time, increasing soil health. Other benefits are pest management, weed reduction, insect and disease control. Temporary cover crops (eg. legumes) also improve soil health, sequester carbon and aid in biodiversity. Remember how the Pilgrims were shown the fertilizing method of planting a dead fish in each crop mound.

POLYCULTURES imitate nature by planting various species in the same area, with similar benefits of intercropping. Polycultures demonstrate greater use of nutrients, light, and water than monocultures.

WATER MANAGEMENT.

Today's water management historically returns to indigenous practices. Planting-mounds used by indigenous people in more humid climates drained excess moisture.Mounds or ridged-furrows are used the same way today.

Peoples in arid climates (the Hohokam, Arizona tribe) built canals for their irrigation to farm. The Pueblo people used small dams to productively redirect water, thus preventing erosion. These methods are used today and with modern technology, drip irrigation prevents water loss and erosion.

AGROFORESTRY.

Early peoples practiced agroforestry, by managing trees, crops and wild, then domesticated animals together for mutual benefit. SILVICULTURE or tree management (remember Pennsylvania means 'Penn's Woods'), including growth and composition to enhance wildlife and better hunting, had been traditionally practiced for millenia. SILVOPASTURE was used to graze animals (wild, then domestic) among trees. Better forest health, increased soil carbon levels, shade for animals (ever more important with increasing heat due to the Climate Crisis) and greater wildlife habitat are enhanced by using both silviculture and silvopasture methods.

Of course controlled fires were used by early peoples for forest management. With the ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESSION process, nutrients were shifted from the soil to an organic plant form. The Midwestern and Southwestern grasslands were burned in selectively chosen forest areas to promote regeneration of forests which still exist today in the Midwest and Texas Hill Country. The ash from these forest fires were used to fertilize crops by collecting it and transferring it to crop areas. Of course, the regenerating grasses, shrubs, and trees, having increased tender leaf growth, attracted wildlife for better hunting. The clearing of much brush and undergrowth allowed for easier hunting with bows and spears. As a byproduct of these fires, grasshoppers and locusts were 'fried' for delicious meals (entomophagy, the eating of insects, which as our protein sources become limited, will be used by future Moderns, once again). Today we use prescribed, controlled burns to reduce fire hazard, clearing areas near cities and towns. The native people also did this around their villages and encampments for exactly the same reason!

PERMACULTURE.

Permaculture, coined by Bill Mollison, was a practice to farm, using all the surrounding environmental features to maximum benefit; working with the natural forces, as opposed to against. The indigenous people planted legumes, plants which 'fixed' nitrogen and added other vital nutrients to the soil. This practice by Moderns is used to reduce dependence on fertilizers and to improve soil health.

For further information:

Books titled '1491' and '1492' by Charles C. Mann.
Permaculture books by Bill Mollison.

Glimpsing a Touch of the Sixth Extinction opus 354

When I arrived in Davis, California, in 1978,
I took over a small 37 acre former sheep farm.
Using the local newspaper and local expertise,
I learned about sheep, swine, cows, gardening and aquaculture.
However, being a biologist, I noticed and learned
The many native species, from plant to creature, surrounding me.
In the evening, as it darkened, twenty or more toads
(Bufo (now Anaxyrus) boreas)
Would congregate under an outside light to feast on 'hapless' insects.
Time passed over the years and, as with many of our amphibians,
My toad population slowly dwindled to--nothing.
Was this due to disturbance, rising temperatures or acid in the air?
I know not, but all I know is they were gone.
All that occurred in the early '80's, and then there is now.
I was carrying a bucket of greens by the north side of my house
To feed the rescue tortoises I have accrued,
When I noticed the movement of a grass clump to my left.
Being always curious and empirically longing to know,
I spied a small body, moving 'toad-like' away from me.
Oh, my god, after 40 years, what did I see, but a toad!
I watched in disbelief as it worked its way to hide.
My mind raced in thought--are they returning?
Is this the ultimate and absolutely last one?
Could there be some mutation, resulting in a more resilient form?
Not at all sure, watching the tiny creature disappear,
But nonetheless, leaving me with emotions of joy and despair

Contentment After Eight Decades opus 374

My world has been filled with a good childhood,
With the nurturing of two loving and attentive parents,
Exciting education, three major wars,
Civil Rights struggles, acting upon pacifism,
Exciting biological work and discovery,
Learning to fly and to organically farm, and fundraising for the planet,
And lastly, from my Pictish ancestry, hand carving of petroglyphs,
Now distributed throughout the world.
Of course so much of this was shared and aided with my incredible wife, Nora.
So much in one human life--Enriching.
Now, my body has slowed down,
To pursue less physically strenuous endeavors.
My thoughts and mind must continuously constrain
My former natural instincts to be able to accomplish 'everything'.

I wake in the morning to view from bed and opening eyes,
My Betta fish swimming up and down in their large vase aquaria,
To gulp air, they being obligate, labyrinth breathers.
I have studied their biology and joy in their every gulping breath.

Recalling the past,
During feeding, my gentle Scottish Highland Steer ate from my hand.
I have had many flocks of sheep, grazing down the pastures, preventing
fire risk.
After constructing acres of ponds,
Casting feed out to waiting, excited catfish swirling the water.
Planting thousands of bulbs which colored my fields every spring,
Ready to harvest for waiting Farmers Markets.
(I also led a CalTrans Highway flower project on I 80 and 113, lasting 3 years.)
Upon learning California flora, I have seeded many species of native grass,
One of which I got designated as the official State Grass,
Along with planting many types of trees and shrubs.
I had one set of two grandsons who shared these joys
(Plus two sons who grew up amongst all this)
And now a three year old grandson
Who is just beginning to learn and enjoy it all.

I continue to use my creation here to edify visitors about their
native environment.
Learning, creating and teaching to increase awareness
Has given me my now final contentment, following my eight decades on this earth.

Flying XIV. A Spray Application Demo opus 388

This is probably my last thought on my flying career.
I remember these demonstrations because of their forcefulness.
And also that spray planes are used to fertilize fields all around me.

Out of the blue one day with my instructor, he remarked on his 'spray' days'.
He asked if I would like to see (and feel!) just how applications were done.
Of course I answered affirmatively, so off we went.
He chose a field with telegraph lines on one edge
And an array of rather high trees on the further side.
We lined up--north to south-- barely clearing the lines,
Then abruptly dropped down to a 20 foot altitude,
Swept across the field, trees loomed ahead,
And shot straight up over the tree line.
With no flaggers to indicate our next pass to the north,
We made a broad circle to get us in line for the next pass,
Dropped abruptly again over the trees,
Swept once again across the field, aiming for the telegraph lines ahead
And miraculously shot upwards--just missing the lines!
It was a wonderful demonstration of how many pilots
Earn their daily bread and survive such a lifetime of risk,
Fertilizing our crops quickly and efficiently to feed a hungry world.

AI and Honey Bees--New Introductions into Society opus 390

AI is a new 'entity' entering our society.
It shall bring many 'benefits' to medicine, education, research and warfare,
But shall also be utilized by those who will harm society.
AI, in the greater picture, with its thirst for power, will be affecting climate change
In a major and exceedingly harmful way,
Unless several breakthroughs to lessen negative effects on society are
manifested.

Similarly, the introduction of the (European!) Honey Bee has had a
parallel biological effect.
It was introduced to produce honey, but more,
To pollinate the ever-increasing flowering plants in our 'growing' agriculture.
Being introduced, this 'new' species in a new place is vulnerable to the whims of evolution,
Including the many pests which have taken advantage of a vulnerable 'foreigner'.
If the use of Honey Bees fails, due to disease and increasing Climate Crisis temperatures,
Will the whole pollinating system of North America
Crash to a halt with simultaneously decreasing tumultuous food production?
Great ideas and systems may appear ingenious and invulnerable,
But in the long run, may not survive the desired intended human system!

Making Peace opus 397

There was a Swedish peace group (out of New York City?),
Which used the philosophy of attempting to gather hostile groups,
Find a common life challenge and merge them together to talk.
One such attempt was made at UC Davis in the nineties
To engage the Egyptians and the Israelis in such a situation.
With all the irrigation in California, the top soils were becoming mineralized.
UC Davis was developing plant varieties which would better survive in
such soils.
Egypt and Israel both have mineralized soils from the remains of ancient seas.
I learned that the two groups were attempting to interact.
First two separate rooms, then together but with translators,
Then as their scientists wanted faster communication results,
They just started to talk together--problem solving!
As the barriers were dissolved, field trips were created.
I was honored by receiving this mixed group of scientists,
To host a tour of my polyculture, small 37 acre farm.
To learn what had been accomplished in our nearby university was exciting
And I shall never forget the 'frosting' I added to the conclusion
Of a tremendous breakthrough between two hostile nations.

Butterfly Massacre opus 400

I reside in the Central Valley of California.
I have lived on my smallish (37 acre) farm since 1978--46 years!
At my age one contemplates one's death more than when a teenager.
Being a biologist, I also think about the death of other creatures.
Chatting with my wonderful farm helper,
I asked him why all the butterflies were moving en masse,
Being pulverized (as he also drove) by the speeding autos?
He wasn't sure, but finally, together, we came up with 'migration'.
Yes, many species of lepidoptera migrate besides Monarchs.
The predominant shifting species at present is the lovely Sulphur--
Moving to new local feeding grounds to ensure more future caterpillars!
The beautiful yellow (Sulphur), black-tipped flyers
Move across the more open roads for easier flight
And are sadly meeting their own holocaust.
We think of the roadkill of larger creatures: deer, rabbits, raccoons,
But insects such as butterflies and Honey Bees
Are slaughtered every year--
The butterflies as they migrate
And the foraging Honey Bees,
Innocently traversing from their human-made hives.
1925 was the beginning of road ecology science
And we humans, because of our vehicles,
Have invested millions in the prevention of creature annihilation--
Tunnels, wildlife bridges, speed limits, warning signs--
But the Class Insecta individuals remain ever in peril.

My Chickens and Chez Panisse Restaurant opus 403

I started my polyculture 'Research Farm' in Davis, California, in 1978.
I had completed teaching and research
In Turkey; Lesotho, Africa; and Uppsala, Sweden.
I had no vehicle yet, so I bought delivered animals from newspaper ads.
After a year or two, I began raising white Cornish Cross chickens en masse.
(I also raised various ducks, turkeys, and Embden geese.)
With incubators and divided areas in my barn,
I started chicks, delivered through the Post Office,
(A practice started, I believe, by Benjamin Franklin, himself!)
In weekly groups of 100 day-olds.
For the chickens, my market was the famous
Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California.
The owner, Alice Waters, had created 'California Cuisine',
Utilizing a restaurant garden just outside her back door.
As her restaurant grew, she sent out 'Foragers' to suss out product.

One day, such a Forager appeared on my farm.
He had heard about my poultry and asked for a 'sample'.
I gave him a bird to return to Berkeley to test it out.
A few weeks later, after I learned they had done blind tests
With Rocky-the-Range, a Pennsylvania product, and my bird,
They wished to buy my birds (50!) each week.
I agreed. We captured birds in darkness each Monday night--5 pounds live, only!
Tuesday morning I loaded up the caged birds at 5:30 AM and drove to Stockton.
There I unloaded the group, off to slaughter as they came out of the cages,
Chatted with the slaughterhouse owner concerning future loads,
And returned to my Davis farm (70 minutes) to commence the day's work.
This went on for about 20 years with my lazy white 'free range' birds,
When I learned of a red Cornish Cross (all were secret hybrids)
Which had been 'discovered' in Germany by a Canadian group.
There were finally two producers in California--one of which I chose.
I told the restaurant my plan, as I had discovered
That the red variety truly walked around in our summer heat.
They agreed and I changed over my whole flock,
Which took several weeks of raising up the new 'reds'.

Well, things went along for a few weeks with the new group,
When I suddenly received a call to come and talk.
The chefs found the meat of the reds was too firm!
They wanted the old 'whites' back again.
I was in a quandary, deciding what to do.
They were advertising a 'free range' product
And I knew that the reds were exactly that.
The meat was firmer, of course, because they ranged much more!
For me, it was an ethical question in advertising.
Even though it was very difficult for me business-wise,
I had no choice but to stop producing for Chez Panisse Restaurant.

A small business, especially farming,
Is always with a perpetual challenge to survive!

Challenges opus 406

We are now, regrettably, truly witnessing
Many adumbrations of pending planetary chaos (challenge?):
Food production, transportation challenges, new needs for shelter,
Extinction of many fellow creatures and plants,
Increasing range of disease, survival with rising temperatures,
New needs for nonpolluting energy sources,
Now even new rotation times for our very own planet,--
(The melting ice becomes increased weight of water at the equator),
All will be presenting a new existence for humans,
As well as for all companion flora and fauna on our planet.

Friday Night! (An 83-year-old's Perspective) opus 409

A long day today with chores and calls.
Just finished shopping in town--all on electricity (plug-in hybrid!).
Now I am back home and spacing out.
Thinking about what Friday nights used to be--rushing here and there--
For pleasure or some sort of entertainment.
Now, at 83 this month (!), I am content to relax and think:
Of my children and grandchildren and our future--
Just picked up a book 'The Heat Will Kill You First' (Goodell).
My house is 82 degrees at 1800 Hours and AC is not on.
Ready tonight to do a letter or two--
More fundraising for my Quail Ridge Student Endowment.
Small tortoises ready to be brought back into the living room--
Raccoons out there at night!
Two hens guided into their little coop for protection.
TV news coming on--Kamala--a Boudican Celtic Queen!
Mail to sift through, sending out small donations here and there.
Had squid for lunch--perhaps now just an egg with a sip of Sake?
I am moderately content--wish for more family contact.
Oh, I just received in the mail a 'Sitting Liberty' 1860, 50 cent piece,
Retrieved from the famous SS Republic shipwreck (1865)--
I am enamoured with the history of our coins.
I used to put a tooth under my pillow, anticipating a dollar.
'Dollar' comes from our first using money from the Netherlands
Before our own mints produced 'homegrown' coins!
(Dutch 'Daalder' comes from the original German 'Thaler'.)

So much for thoughts--see how an experienced old man's mind works?

The Canaries We Need to Watch opus 427

Our world farmers are the canaries in the coal mine.
Already we are noting that many are moving to more favorable climes,
Or, if impossible, leaving food production altogether,
Or, if possible, forsaking their traditional crops
And experimenting with 'new' xeric plant producers,
Or transporting themselves with their crops to more northerly climes,
To maintain themselves until the ever-increasing temperature
Forces them to a further unknown way of life.

Two Canaries to Watch opus 433

I have just finished writing about how our farmers are the world's canaries.
One example in California is the prediction--already seen occurring--
Is that it will be impossible for fruits and nuts to be profitably
produced in that state.
Are they certain? That is the nuts and bolts of California agriculture!
In Yolo County, where I live, funds are slowly being diverted to agave,
A drought-tolerant plant to produce alcohol for Tequila to rival Mexico.
Surely we might come up with something which is a little more 'noble'!
(By the way, because of the drought, California might revert to hydroponics
To be able to continue raising tomatoes!)
With the loss of major crops and the dwindling aquifers,
Will California just revert back to the semi-desert
Which the European pioneers first 'discovered'?

Now jump to the east and Pennsylvania and their potato crop.
Potatoes are a sensitive crop, which in Pennsylvania,
Are confronting higher temperatures and excessive rains,
As well as struggling in 2016 with a newly identified bacterium
For which there is no cure (soft rot).
All these factors will be a challenge to the potato industry
Which produces chips, fries, and many other potato products
For and from the state.

As an aside, Pennsylvania MacIntosh apple trees are being removed
(The days are not cold enough).
These trees may be replaced with peaches
Which (temporarily?) might improve production with the warmer weather.

A footnote from neighboring Michigan: Several northern tribes have decided,
Because of a warm, dry winter, to let the sugar maples rest this coming season.
Will this continue to obtain with all these climatic changes?

Google and research the myriads of agricultural challenges
Occurring around the world -- It is mind-blowing.

A Good Intention, Drowns Some Hopes opus 435

I taught Biology at the University of Lesotho, Africa,
For several years.
While there, I befriended a Swiss fish farmer,
Who in all innocence created a large fish pond,
By damming up a donga or deep crevasse,
Formed from excessive erosion.
The countryside was riddled with these long, deep wastelands.
The intention of my Swiss friend was to create
An aquaculture industry for the country.
In this case good intentions ended in disaster.
One of the challenges was to teach a landlocked nation to eat fish,
But that was not the route of these troubles.

One late morning an alarmed villager quickly knocked
On the doors of our campus.
Three teenagers had slipped down the steep,
Muddy banks of the new pond,
Struggled into ever-deeper water, and had drowned--all three!
What to do? Villagers had been digging away for hours at the dam.
Their intention was only to lower the water and retrieve the bodies.
It would take days. No one wished to, nor was really able,
To swim and recover bodies in the muddy water.
Suddenly (and long before I became an aquaculturist),
It hit me, there must be seines nearby which were used for fish harvesting.
One long one was immediately employed and our 'fishing' commenced.
Soon, sadly, the net was drawn onto the bank,
And three young bodies were seen in this netted tangle.
Their arms were frozen in a painful, as if reaching-for-air position,
Their fingers and ears had been badly nibbled, feeding the innocent fish.
The whole operation had been sickening with a terrible tinge of tragedy.
The campus rescue teachers quietly returned home.

Coincidentally, the University had an outdoor swimming pool
For teachers and their guests. The school was far from a town or city,
And perhaps the designers of the campus felt
The pool would help entertain foreign, urban staff.
So, then, teachers, being teachers, invited students to learn to swim.
However, also at that time, a native Mosotho
Was chosen as the new Vice Chancellor.
The VC, perhaps in a surge of nationalism (?), closed down the pool.
He viewed it as a western, useless pastime.
This action took place just after the staff volunteered
To recover the bodies of those drowned teens.
True, nets were used to retrieve the victims,
And no swimming actually occurred,
But if those three were able to swim--an unknown skill--
The horror of that day would have been just an hypothesis.
The rightful feeling of the Mosotho concerning foreigners
Taking only seeming pleasure in the pool--
Opposed to considering the good being done
By innocently teaching swimming--
Draws out the conflicts of one culture benevolently imposed on another.

If the fish industry were successful and many dongas were aqueously filled,
Swimming would have become a natural ability,
As well as adding fish -- a wholesome protein source for the people.

The End of Yet Another Golden Age? opus 440

We humans have lived through a climate golden age.
With our ever greater success in most things,
We increasingly traverse the world,
Slowly carrying viruses and bacteria with us.
With the human population-increase throughout the planet,
There accompanies an increase
In ever-more confined protein sources to feed us:
Feedlots for cattle, tiny coops for multiple chickens--
Our gallinaceous protein source--,
Ever-more fish farms, confining magnificent salmon.
These confined populations,
Ranging from humans, to our 'fellow-food creatures'.
Exasperates the increased possibilities of transmissionable disease:
Look at bird flu just now in our dairy cattle herds--
Milk still drinkable, yet affecting the caretakers.
Henry Ford's production line increased efficiency,
But that crowding was with the joining of metal and fabrics--
Crowding life with ever-more 'food producers' is not the same.
Some of the oldest forms of life--bacteria and virus--
Are constantly mutating, waiting for a new source of life-support.
(Remember, virus are part of our ancestry and DNA!)

This is the wonder and power of evolution through natural selection--
The thing called life, maintaining a hold on life,
In an ever-changing environment requiring constant adaptation.

Water, Water Everywhere, but For How Long? opus 448

When I returned to California once again in 1978,
The purpose was quite different in that I was to be a small farmer.
The way I looked at my environment was indeed also quite different.
I already knew that this state had at most very few months of rain
And that agriculture depended mostly on its many aquifers.
These waters had remained eternally deep under the Earth's surface,
Until about the early 1900's when the first deep-water wells invaded below.
I also knew that California had no regulations
On well construction and the numbers thereof.
Thus, it struck me deeply during my first forays into ag land,
Witnessing field after field being watered with a torrent of sprinklers.
My first thoughts went deep down to the unseen aquifers below,
Wondering how long this kingdom of agriculture would survive.

Thankfully, 10 years ago, to most, the invisible
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was passed,
Which started to regulate the amount of water taken out
To match that which comes in.
Lands taken out of agriculture are now harboring
Native species of plant and animal, as well as buffering flooding.
More recently, added to this was the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program,
A support plan for the transition toward a smaller irrigated footprint.

The great question is, of course, are these efforts far too late,
Or will those in charge be able to make definitive decisions--
Or will food demands, economy, and political party mantras
Overwhelm reason and empirical evidence guiding outcomes,
Driving our way of life, as we know it, to simply collapse, unnecessarily?
I have witnessed the loss of historical forests in eastern Turkiye
As well as loss of the water table in now parched lands of India.

A Note to a Daughter-in-Law opus 481

The murder of my two lovely hens by a dog(?)
Does not at all equal my sadness
By not being able to just plain
Talk with you and with your son.
Strange, I could talk with my two hens,
Even verbally, urging them into their shelter at night.

So, finally, I could talk with two sweet birds,
But not with a 'bird' who is human.

Needless Killing opus 483

My thoughts suddenly flew back to the morning
When I was six--my mother insisted that they care for my rabbits,
On a winter morning when I always took care of my pets.
On coming home from school I witnessed
The scattered white hair over the ground--
My favorites, butchered by two neighbor Boxer dogs.

So, yesterday evening, as I walked out to urge my two hens
Back into their safe shelter for the protected night's sojourn,
There were leaves all over the area near their pen--
No. The leaves were feathers near two dead bodies.
I had raised these two from their tiny beginnings.
They grew and manifested into regularly ovulating adults;
So many eggs consumed each day, with extras offered as gifts.

It was only two hens, but it really put a hole in our lives.
The sack of feed was only half used--
The remainder went to supplement the three emu.
The morning routine to check water and food suddenly ended.
The evening no longer was a time
To guide them into their safe cat carrier shelter--
The dog(?) villain had beaten me by an hour to urge them to safety.

What to do now?
I pondered a bit; then, determined, I dry plucked them,
Carefully gutted each wounded corps, saving the giblets,
And gently placed their remains in the fridge.
At least now those bodies I had so carefully fed,
Will become part of my body as their eggs had for so many months.
To me this is a superior conclusion, rather than, demanded by sentimentality,
To just bury them in the ground or, worse,
To simply heave them into the mindless trash.

A Thanksgiving Tidbit opus 486

For more than thirty years my little 37 acre farm
Has raised many poultry, including literally thousands of turkeys--
About 600 per year, totalling around 18,000 birds.
The first year or so we, of course, had to work out the 'bugs'.
In December, after Thanksgiving had been celebrated,
I had a few calls, giving me feedback concerning our birds.
In general, the reports were excellent--wonderful taste.
All our birds were ground raised, with mainly healthy grazing.
The one issue, if there really were one, was dry breast white meat.
That was an unexpected report from several customers.
Now I needed to figure out just what created this phenomenon.
The birds were raised quite perfectly to my mind.
I concluded that the 'problem' was not caused by our husbandry.
So, what on earth could yield this observation?
After some thought, I homed in on cooking methods.
With our birds being ground raised, the lack of huge amounts of fatteners
Created a delicious bird that was leaner than commercial turkeys.
Turkeys are most traditionally roasted with the breast up;
This method is convenient because on its back, the body sits stably in the pan.
Giving directions concerning a breast-down orientation resulted in a
perfect product;
All the breast meat was bathed in body juices during the whole cooking time.
In addition, we created a guide with weight and time rules,
Keeping in mind that a lean bird must be cooked slower and longer,
With a reduced temperature to retain more juices.
After two or three years, there were nothing but continual raves.

How to be Bailed Out with Half a Turkey opus 489

As I have said before, I raised ground-raised turkeys for three decades.
I always ordered my day-old poults through the mail.
(I believe Benjamin Franklin started this system to aid beginning farmers.)
One year I received my batch of 600 poults and started yet another year.
Part way through the season, the young birds seemed unusually large,
And indeed, by autumn, they were double the normal size.
I had inadvertently received some sort of super breed!
What on earth to do--much too large for most of my customers.
So, as usual, I fresh froze them but cut and wrapped
The exceptionally large ones in half!
Then I explained to each customer what had occurred
And 'sold them' on how unique a half turkey would appear,
Lying on a silver platter at the Thanksgiving repast!
It worked and I sold every one--and I was VERY thankful
There were no complaints, but I made certain with the breeder,
That would never happen again!

The Hunter-Gathers opus 520

In former days, our hunter-gatherer ancestors moved
At the 'whim' or general greater movement of the herds.
Sometimes it was feast and other times famine.
So the modern, unthinking person might thus conclude.
There is, still, a quiet factor which repeats history.
That factor is our surrounding virus and bacteria.
Contemplate the rise of heretofore virual outbreaks
And how we mobilize to cope with whatever.
Our 'herds' today are populations of pigs, cows, chickens, and bees.
When they die or must be hygienically slaughtered,
We, as in ancient times, must cope with diminishing food sources.
Unlike our ancestors, there are times when the change
Also affects us directly, needing medical aid.
We must not only mobilize to cope with reduced resources,
But must even protect ourselves from that which ravages our food source.
It seems that things are different, but really much the same.
So is the cycle of life--the 'hunter' and the 'hunted',
Ensuring that the flow of energy will necessarily continue to obtain.

The Dog That Went Too Far--An Allegory opus 527

Our farm needed a replacement watchdog.
We viewed a homeless, nice looking German Shepherd cross.
We all knew German Shepherds had their reputations,
But we voted and made the choice to give him a chance.
We needed a guard dog, the position high in our farm bureaucracy.
All seemed to go well, but there were glimpses
Of the possible predatory instincts of our nominee.
True enough, one night we returned to find a large open pen
Of communal rabbits had all been thoughtlessly slaughtered.
With discussion, some said to shoot the dog on the spot,
While others said that it should be banished or removed from the farm.
Our rules and governance of the once stable farm
Had been completely crippled and almost destroyed,
Because so many innocent rabbits had been needlessly slaughtered.
We needed to decide quickly so that no more such acts would occur.
Being a humaine group, a nice isolated home was negotiated and found,
And our farm managed to recoup and continue thriving.
Even by running our farm in a procedural way,
We were misled by the initial behavior of this dog.
Our lesson learned was to be more prudent and careful
In making decisions, concerning such an important station,
Supporting the hierarchy of our democratically run farm society.

Flowers for Marty opus 538

My friend of many years, Marty, was chatting with a participant about me
At a Quail Ridge Reserve ceremony honoring my work in conservation.
Along the way, Marty was asked how he had originally met me,
Marty outlined a few interesting characteristics,
Explained where he had met me with one outstanding point--
I was the only male who, during all his life,
Had actually presented to him a large bundle of flowers!
(He didn't mention that I raised thousands of narcissus and daffodils
Which I sold in several Farmers Markets,
And also spontaneously handed them out to all sexes, as I chose!)
Now the secret is out.

Bundles of Flowers opus 543

An afternoon at the dentist's office.
Had promised four bundles of my narcissus or daffodils
To the lovely ladies at reception and at the 'chair'--
Liz, Chantobel, Olivia, and the top dog, Dr Dominessey.
But what now? A Monica had slipped in, so now five.
Led into the 'chair', tooth drilled, interesting chat.
Had no time to bundle from my bucket,
Until in the aftermath and the bill paid.
In the lobby, I commenced bundling--not four, now five.
Then a patient came by--a sweet older eastern Indian.
She admired the flowers--
Probably originally came from her part of the world.
So now it was six--I had just enough.
Usha--meaning 'sunset' received a spontaneous bundle--
So, still, I had enough for five more (like the loaves and fishes).
I walked out six bundles fewer, but a heart full of multiple bundles!

A Fortunate Old Man opus 546

I have many memories of 'good' and 'bad':
It is all relative.
I have reasonable health.
I have warm or cool shelter--
Depends on the season.
I have nourishment--
Recycled, roadkill, entomophagous, or deluxe.
I have activities to keep my mind astute--
Conservation efforts, writing, fundraising,
Discourse with those who wish to engage;
Tending and feeding my animals--
From fish (Bettas), to bird (emu),
To reptile (Bearded Lizards), to mammal (Angus calf):
I have them all--my constant companions.
I have occasional friendly visitors
Who gift me bits of wonderful food
And to some, in return, I donate some remuneration
For various student and conservation causes;
But, most profoundly, my two boys (men),
Who check in on me, converse with me, help me,
And keep my faculties honed to sharpness.
It could be far worse.

Mason Bee vs the European Honeybee opus 559

I have raised many bees in Sweden and Africa and am well aware of their ways.
Honeybees have been used as pollinators in the US since the 1600's.
Today, the bee loss is tremendous--up to 60 to 100%.
Because they are non-native, they are succumbing to pesticides,
Habitat loss, and mite infestations.
Our native pollinators are affected, but holding on so far.
There are 4000 species of US bee pollinators--1600 in California alone.
The Honeybee is a terrible pollinator because
Most of the pollen is deposited in the hive.
Thus they do not pollinate efficiently.
An alternative native bee is successfully being tried--the Mason Bee.
This bee, also called the Blue Orchard Bee, simply belly flops onto a flower,
Then, covered in pollen, it continues, generously pollinating.
The Honeybee lives in large hives, allowing easy transportation for farmers.
Mason Bees live in cavities or tubes--they make no honey,
There is no queen bee nor workers--all females are queens.
Because they build chambers in the tubes--thus the name Mason Bee.
This bee rarely stings and all they need is water and a mud supply!
Of course a constructed tube hive of some sort must also be provided.

Playing Chess with Tariffs opus 563

Well, at this moment, we have tariffs flying in and out--
A frantic display of minimal planning wielded by outrageous power.
In the latest round (4th?). electronics are spared the tariff-tax,
While our farmers and their products are left in the fray.
Interesting that our leaders spare electronics,
While leaving farm products and food on the shelf (or not)
To languish for our population--
Are we really able to ingest electronics?
Our addiction to the latter, may starve us with neglect of the farmers!

Chlorinated Chickens! opus 564

Did you know that butchered US chickens are bathed in a chlorine solution?
This procedure is done to hygienically cleanse the bodies of possible Salmonella.
The EU and Britain have conducted surveys and found 80% reject such US chickens.
Concerning food poisoning, statistics show it is seven times more likely
To get ill from food in the US than in the UK.
The European agricultural centers emphasize that disinfecting poultry
Is a way, chemically, to mask food safety in the US.
Basically, Europe relies on 'pre-harvesting' interventions with living animals,
Including vaccination and various types of feed additives,
While the US focuses on chemicals and other methods
To eliminate pathogens once the animal has been slaughtered.
Such different approaches, preparing one of our most popular and common foods!

Mass Deportation and the Cost to Society opus 598

Mass deportation is being attempted, but there is a new (?) recognition
That farm workers, as well as hotel and restaurant laborers and meat packers are vital.
The decision to spare these 'personnel' goes back and forth.
When one looks at just immigrants, let alone illegal immigrants,
Their economic contributions goes into the trillions of dollars--
To completely remove this group or groups of people, depending on their length of stay,
Would be an absolute economic loss to our economy.
The only way to replace these workers is through the recruitment of more immigrants!
Are our leaders so filled with their deportation goals
That they are paying no attention to the effects of their efforts on the economy?
Also the cost for increased law enforcement and for deportation camps,
Could total 80% of all of the federal law enforcement budget.
What could save all this is a year-round 'farm worker visa'.
This would prevent the negative consequences and future illegal immigration.
Why was this relatively simple solution not implemented long ago?

A Story of the American Bullfrog opus 618

American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus, used to be Rana sp.)
Were introduced into California in the late 1800's (1896?).
The main thrust was to form a basis for a new food industry!
In addition, thoughts featured the pet industry and recreational purposes.
During the Gold Rush, miners ate up to 80,000 Red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) a year.
This nearly wiped out that native population of frog,
Thus, the concept for a new food industry in the State.
But hungry miners are not a model to be used for a less hungry general population.
Frog legs were commonly consumed pre-1900 and thousands of pounds
Were even annually harvested and exported throughout the US.
When the demand for frog meat was not realized,
The captive frogs were released into the wild, causing ecological havoc,
By disrupting the delicate balance of California's ecosystems.
Female Bullfrogs lay clutches of up to 20,000 eggs, twice a year.
These frogs consume a wide range of prey, including
Aquatic eggs, insects, fish, birds (including young ducklings) and small mammals,
Some of which are native species, already threatened or endangered.
Bullfrogs are carriers of chytridiomycosis which has devastated amphibians worldwide.
Their presence has led to changes in nutrient cycling and water quality.
Bullfrogs are so adaptable, that it is difficult to manage control.
Just the cost to the State attempting control has been very expensive.
On a positive note, these frogs are now used in research,
Studying developmental biology, physiology, and ecology.
When introducing a non-native species of any kind, one must always be aware
Of the unintended consequences which may result.

(Note: I first looked into this introduced species,
Suspecting that the Calaveras Frog Jumping Contest
May have been the source for this introduction,
But the Contest was just part of the whole phenomenon.)

A Virtual Farm opus 663

After I got my feet on the ground with my small 37 acre farm,
I decided to do some community service work.
Between Fairfield and Sacramento,
There were about 20 convalescent homes for elders.
For each visit, I would pack several animals and some intriguing objects--
The list included chickens, a lamb, a kitten, a tortoise, a rabbit plus others.
The 'objects' included ostrich and emu eggshells, a small bundle of oats
And a skin pouch from Africa, in which a Bushman or San carried an eggshell canteen--
In other words, an ostrich eggshell used to stash water,
Left for the return trip out of the Kalahari central area.

Well, following one such session, I received a phone call.
The woman speaker said she was the daughter of one of the participants.
The daughter said she had received a call from her mother,
Who said she had just visited a real farm!
The daughter asked me whether or not I had led an actual farm tour.
She said her mother was adamant such a visit had actually occurred.
I had to tell her the truth that her mother had never left her wheelchair,
And we were continually present at the convalescent home.
She laughed and said she had thought so,
But her mother was so absolute that her visit had been real.
(After presenting my African pouch with the ostrich eggshell,
One woman stopped me and asked, "Are you a caveman?")

Leland and Esther. (Wedding 2003) opus 674

Leland Glenna was a wonderful member on my Quail Ridge land trust board.
He was a Sociologist and Researcher at UC Davis along with Esther, a postdoctoral.
They were to be married in May 2003.
There was a Lutheran ceremony, followed by a reception at the Wilson Clarksburg Winery.
The venue at the Winery, near the Sacramento River,
Was modified somewhat by a statement I had made to Leland.
The reception was to be completely outdoors on a Sacramento spring afternoon.

Talking with Leland 22 years later, he declared I had 'saved the day!'
Oh?, forgetting what I had actually done.
Being a farmer, I knew the vagaries of a California Spring day,
And had warned him that in May, it could very well still rain.
"Be careful and have a backup in case of rain!"
The day finally came and, indeed, there was a light (morning) rain during that day.
Leland and Esther had listened to the old farmer/biologist and had an indoor reception..
The moral is, always ask a local peasant about weather,
When planning an outdoor event, involving many guests!

Bellwether opus 687

Managing a small farm, sometimes with sheep,
I have always been amused by the term 'bellwether'. 
I know one would initially think
Of a bell ringing to warn of the weather.
Today, we use it for someone or something
That leads the way or points out a trend.
Historically, though, the usage first appeared in English
In the 15th century, remaining to this day.
In Middle English, 'Belle' meant a ringing bell
And 'wether' was originally a male sheep,
Later to become a castrated male sheep.
This animal was designated to be the leader of the flock.
By using a castrated individual, rather than an 'active' male
May have designated, more accurately, the flock's position.
(This is my own speculation as a farmer and biologist.)
The sound of the bell was, of course, 
To locate the flock's whereabouts. 
It is interesting how word use shifts through the ages.

Our Coevolution with the Cat opus 703

Those in the Fertile Crescent perfected agriculture--
Organizing fields with seed saved from the previous year.
Random wandering to discover those tiny seed-gems
Became obsolete as a manner of food gathering.
Success of harvesting increased to a point
Where huge numbers of grain were amassed.
Methods of storage for the pending year challenged populations-- 
Those tiny rodents soon discovered that 'grain mine',
Slowly gnawing away at the food supply of the human suppliers.
Also arriving on the scene were wild cats,
Relishing the concentrated supply of those tiny mammals.
The humans realized the value of cat-presence,
Naturally combating and aiding in the control of those little munchers.
Soon, especially in Egypt, cats rose to the level of the sacred.
They were mummified and slipped into the sarcophagi of their owners.
Now, cats roam in many places uncontrolled,
Just like Rock Doves, which switched from cliffs to tall buildings. 
These days, human activities somewhat affect 
Most all other creatures' ways of life,
Except for bacteria, and more, viruses, which still hold power over us.
We cannot yet mold them genetically into the form we wish,
Except for ever-continued research, which medically wards them off!

My Timeline opus 710

A wonderful preschool life with loving, caring parents and a little brother, John, and a littler sister, Susan.

Hyde School Elementary, Newton Highlands, MA (1946-1951). (I loved school and started piano and in 6th grade, double bass.)

Weeks Jr HS, Newton Center, MA (1951-1954). (Met students from other religions and began my love of Shakespeare. Orchestra for real.).

Newton (N) HS, Newtonville, MA (1954-1958). (More and better orchestra, personal relationship with a supreme being, love, readying for college.)

Antioch College, BA, Yellow Springs, OH (1959-1964). (New subjects and thoughts, orchestra conducting, Cooperative academic jobs--whales, a museum job, teaching in Switzerland-- end of formal religion.)

Cornell University, Ph,D., Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology, Ithaca, NY (1964-1968). (Dinner with Hans Betha, inventor of the hydrogen bomb; field work on Microtus; learned to fly.)

Robert College, Istanbul,Turkiye, Prof Vertebrate Zoology (1968-1972). (Became department chair, field work in Israel and Libya, learned cello, composed music, travelled around Turkiye.)

U. of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, Lesotho, Africa, Prof Vertebrate Zoology (1972-1975). (Bred Basotho Ponies, rescued a baboon, learned bee keeping with this vicious species.)

U, of Uppsala, Sweden, Researcher (1975-1977). (Did research on the gentler European Honey bee as well as animal ag food processing, learned Swedish, ice skating, drank from royal horns.)

Created the Environmental Education Farm Foundation, Davis, CA (1977-2024). (Learned farming, farmers markets, raised ground-raised turkeys, chickens, and ducks, and aquaculture.)

Created the Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy, (Napa, CA), Davis, CA (1989-present). (Learned about Conservation Easements, fundraising, passed the legislation for the State Grass.)

Pictish Stone Art hand carved petroglyphs (1995-present). (Learned a completely new art form. did custom orders, learned even more Scottish and world history, gave lessons, exhibits.)

Conducted several outreach voyages to Scotland, one of my natal ancestral nations, to be with the people, and carve in situ and present stone petroglyphs to Parliament and to other organizations.

'Poems and Thoughts' poetry (2020-present) (Through new writing, I reviewed my history and world thinking; became more philosophical, viewing my past life; leaving a record for my children.)

Surveying a Pond Base opus 733

After my dear mother died, I inherited her house on our farm.
It was smallish, but tidy with a few solar embellishments.
The four huge wooden house rafters extended eight feet outside,
Creating a rustic ambiance.
The roof (and ceiling!) and beams were absolutely horizontal.
As well, the tiny main porch was unimpressive with a concrete flooring.
This was all nice, until we had our first severe rains--
The badly sealed flat beams guided water inside to leak in the rooms.
The porch guided water back to the inner house wall,
Because some idiot had not checked the slope before pouring concrete!

Each time I cope with these 'flat' problems,
I am reminded of my fish pond constructions and surveying.
I created ponds from deserted quarry mining,
Shaping, molding and carefully building each pond, 1/2 to 2 acres.
Unlike the builders of my mother's house,
I carefully surveyed the floor of each pond,
Allowing not less than a three inch drop,
From the furthest end, to the opposite drain pipe area.
I built the ponds long before my house inheritance,
But now, with each rainy California winter, as the house has its minor floods,
I recall the diligence I mustered to slope my ponds just right,
And continually wonder why the builders of a house for humans,
Couldn't have been as careful as I, constructing a home for plain old fish!

The Reverent Omnivore opus 735

I eat meat.  I like the taste of meat.
I have also butchered other creatures to eat meat.
So, I am, more than most, deeply involved.
Many arguments one way or the other.
(Humans have omnivorous dentition matching pigs and bears}, 
What could ever be the correct way?
I am now at the level where I contemplate
The pain or agony my food source experiences at harvest.
This helps, but I still like meat, at least in a measured way.
Turning to entomophagy, is my 'pain', less, consuming insects?
Upon purchase, one places the bagged stash in the freezer
To slowly pass into eternity from lack of warmth.
Life, no matter how one philosophizes,
Just plain needs energy to survive--
Vegetables exclusively?  The caveman diet of meat and fat?
Perhaps a solution is the 'Reverent Omnivore' way out.
Have that similar passion you feel, 
Also for the carrot ripped from the earth.
As well as the Kosher-blessed, properly butchered cow,
Bled correctly in the presence of a holyman! 

Finding a Loose Cow opus 738

This morning at 7, I received a text,
Reporting that a loose cow was sighted near my farm.
Jessie, my vitally important 'manager',
Arrived and called our Black Angus back through a gate.
A great relief for all of us here.
The escape place was found and repaired.
Lots of fresh grass to graze and daily supplementary grain--
So why the escape maneuver by this animal?
An Angus is a Scottish breed, perhaps 
With the Scots' desire to always be free!
From this incident, I was reminded of something from my past.
 
While in India, I followed a Mahaut 
With his working elephant for one day.
I was continually amazed that a small human
Had such complete control of a giant beast.
I relayed this to Jessie, that he was now a Mahaut of cows--
With kindness and training, relationships of all sorts
Can be formed, bringing many worlds into harmony.

The Airborne Turkeys opus 740

Wing beats, displacing the air.
My cohabiting wild turkeys
Are dispersing one by one
To their high roosting tree branches.
As they raise themselves into the air,
Powerful wing beats pull their bodies upward.
They rise over my narcissus flower beds
And, as they do so, displace air downward,
Inviting the white blossoms below
To momentarily dance in unison,
Delighting my eyes and my living core.

Defecation opus 750

One contemplates many things, while sitting on the John.
Pigeon pooh on my car; gull droppings on my picnic!
Disgusting, annoying, and just plain unclean.
With life, material must enter a body, willingly or not,
Is utilized and, unused portions must be excreted.
That is the pattern of life-maintenance on earth.
Comparing gull defecation to human waste dumps,
The gulls, though, lose in comparison.
With modern technology, humans 
Rarely contemplate their bodily waste.
Every modern child should really have a field trip,
Not just to a firehouse, but to a sewage processing plant, 
To view another vital profession.
Like the Romans, we today hide life's processes.
A farmer has no qualms about recycling his cow manure
To nurture his fields, spreading it from his 'honey wagon'.
('Honey wagon' was the term my New York grandfather used.
For the device that spread manure over his fields.)

Veronika, the Tool User opus 753

Jane Goodall, astounded the world by showing
That chimpanzees hunted termites with stick-tools.
More data among birds showed that crows and ravens were tool-users.
We must also consider the overlooked ability of rocks used by sea otters.
Incredibly, a new aspect concerning a cow has been observed!
Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow in Austria,
Living as a pet on a family farm, was observed
By researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.
Veronika, with her tongue, picks up sticks, rakes, and deck brushes,
Manipulating these tools to scratch unreachable parts of her body.
She uses the bristled end of a deck brush for her thick-skinned back,
And switches to a smooth handle for her sensitive underbelly.
This cow does not make tools, but neither, always, does a chimp.
(There are similar undocumented accounts of goats also using sticks.)
Humans had to slowly learn technology and the use of tools;
Are the creatures around us, picking this up for their own benefit as well?
If Veronika were given a couple of 'pasture-mates',
Would she teach them how to do such manipulations?
The passing on of such behavior to others could also be really crucial.