On the Beach on Labor Day

Shells, Skulls from Beach Last Night

Not sure about the big skull (which animal, that it). I'm going to bleach it in hydrogen peroxide. The seagull skull is a nice one, going to get it stripped down and bleach. I want to retain the yellow color of the beak. Most of the shells shown here are these thin translucent wafers. They have slight iridescence like abalone shell colors. I've strung them together to make windchimes. I don't know what they are, can't find them in our books on seashells.

Floating Cabins For Sale in British Columbia

Today I was laying out pages (in the tiny houses book) on a floating cabin on a lake in British Columbia. The story of the owners, Margy and Wayne Lutz and their cabin and ventures is at: http://powellriverbooks.blogspot.com/
While browsing the blog (which I love) I ran across a posting for 7 lakeside cabins for sale in BC, ranging from $80-299K
Below is as fixer-upper on its own island --$79,000. Do you want to get OUT THERE and are short on cash, high on energy? http://powellriverbooks.blogspot.com/search?q=mcleod

"…a land cabin on Powell Lake listed for $140,000 but now drastically reduced to $79,900. On its own island (currently leased from Crown/BC government) in picturesque Three Mile Bay, just 3 miles up the lake from the Shinglemill Marina by boat. It's an older cabin with a large kitchen and living room area. The floats do need work. What a perfect summer (or year-round) retreat great for swimming, fishing and just getting away. Large kitchen and living room area. For information contact Don McLeod at 604-485-2741, or e-mail at don@mycoast.ca or his website www.mycoast.ca."

On the Beach Yesterday Afternoon

Primitive Technology-Traditionl Skills and Handmade Tools

Great website Lew discovered, with tons of info: making bows and arrows, atlatls, flutes, a dugout canoe hollowed out from a redwood log, tanning hides, building an Ohlone tule house (San Francisco Bay tribe). Scroll down on right side to see all the subjects. http://www.primitiveways.com/

Internet Archive of Old Books, Movies, etc.

Bob Gagnier has sent me a bunch of good info over the past year. The latest:

Dear Lloyd,

I am sure you have heard of the Internet Archive. I send this to you on the odd chance that you have not. The site is a treasure trove of old books, movies, music, etc., all in the public domain. A link to the site is here:
http://www.archive.org/

I've been getting some great comments on the blog lately, some of which I'm putting out front, like this one.

"masterofhounds has left a new comment on your post 'Couple Seeking Bona Fide Inexpensive Eco-Opportunity in New England':

You guys should move to Northern California. New England has lost the Back to the Land flair it had in the 1970's-80's. Wild crafting with your dog, that screams Bay Area!

Fabulous photo book of NYC skaters by Alex Corporan, Andre Razo, and Ivory Serra. This photo is a stunner. Credited as: Dan Pensyl. C Squat ramp, by Patrick O'Dell. 2002.
Double entendre of "Full Bleed," in case you don't know: in book layout, photos that run off all four sides of a page with no margin are referred to as "full bleed." Blood also being dues all skaters pay from time to time.

Us Water People

Got this comment (some times I like to bring them up center stage):
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post: Cold Mountain Pool on Hot Day:
Its a great image Lloyd and it looks like a beautiful spot.
It brings back memories for me of walking in Scotland with my cousin, on a quiet path high on a wooded hillside we found a stream and a deep pool among pine trees, being young and somewhat impulsive we threw ourselves in. Cold was an understatement! but it was great fun. Its one of those fond memories that has stuck with me over the years.
I hope the mountain spirits and the fresh energy there continues to treat you well.
***

I've always loved being in the water. Yesterday it was really hot and at day's end I -— heh-heh -- snuck into a tule-lined irrigation pond on a nearby ranch, slipped in through the tules, and swam in the cool water. Changed my metabolism, energy level, and attitude. Exquisite end to tough day.
Here's a family story that may explain some of this attitude: When we were kids, my family would go camping at a remote lake in the Sierras where my Dad and his trout-fishing buddies had built a cabin. We slept on a deck under the stars, took a boat across the lake to fill up a milk jug with cold spring water, picked gooseberries, saw bear tracks, and played in the lake. One day when I was 4, the story goes, I slipped off the dock and fell in the lake. My Dad was nearby and reached down and grabbed me by my overalls and pulled me up. I remember to this day looking around in wonder at the underwater world; I wasn't afraid. My Dad asked, "What were you thinking when you were under water." I said, " I was going to turn on my putt-putt (my word for outboard motor) and come up." This story got told many times over the years.

Old English Country Cottages

Below comment on my posting of last week revealed that the entire out-of-print book (a treasure) is available via Google. Here's one of the color paintings (not by Sydney Jones):

"depatty has left a new comment on your post Old English Country Cottage":

Just FYI. Old English Country Cottages is available from Google Books at http://is.gd/eLCqO for viewing and PDF download. Thanks for posting about it, it has some really nice illustrations!

Dave"

Cold Mountain Pool on Hot Day

Walked a few miles on the mountain yesterday, the heat felt good, then immersed in magic pool. Did wai bow to canyon, then in all 4 directions, homage to mountain spirits.