Something Sitting Bull Said

—“It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.”

—“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.”

—”The earth has received the embrace of the sun and we shall see the results of that love.”

My Brilliant Thought

Last night, while watching a really good robot fight on BattleBots, a brilliant blog idea popped into my head.  Usually, when such an idea strikes, I immediately jot it down on a notepad. 

Not last night.

The robots were clashing constantly, throwing sparks and fire, knocking each other across the fighting floor.  Exceptionally good stuff.  At the end of the match, I watched a recap.  I also watched interviews with the robot builders.

This morning, as I sat down to write my blog, I suddenly remembered I had a really great idea for a blog last night.

And that’s all I remember.  Therefore, this is my blog.

—Mitchell Hegman

Starting with a Mess

I worked construction for nearly thirty years.  One of the first lessons I learned on construction sites is that making a mess is required while getting stuff done.

Remodeling is twice as messy.  In remodeling, you need demo the old, clean up, and then fly in a brand-new mess.  Yesterday, a crew of three started replacing windows at my house. 

A quick and complete mess, that.

Window replacement creates a sprawling mess outside and an explosive mess inside.

Sprawling Mess Outside

Explosive Mess Inside

New Window

—Mitchell Hegman

Eyebrows

I understand why Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) has eyebrows.  But for the rest of us, they just sit there.

My eyebrows have gotten downright squirrelly over the years.  The hairs have seemingly cross-bred with corkscrews.  They twist out in all directions.  And, somewhere in more recent years, a single (long and conspicuous) hair has appeared smack in the middle of the space between my eyebrows.

This solitary hair is like a unicorn’s horn.  It grows long and straight, and grows remarkably fast.  I am forced to regularly snip this hair.

If you get all sciencey and google the reason for having eyebrows, you will find they are a sort of mini-visor intended to prevent moisture from running down into your eyes.

Fine.

What’s the purpose of a unicorn hair?

—Mitchell Hegman

Another Question

The Earth is a round and singular thing.  We know this.  Why, then, do we humans constantly try to make sides of it?

—Mitchell Hegman

The Long-Distance Chef

I found an amazing chef I can consult with each night as I prepare my dinner.

It’s my girl Desiree.  My long-distance chef.

Over the last few weeks, we have been working together on the production of my meals.  Though Desiree is in Manila and I am here in Montana, we prepare and cook my meals together by means of a video chat.  While Desiree sings out her instructions and suggestions, I do my level best to follow along:

“Add half an onion.   Stir from the bottom.   Maybe taste that and see if you want to add salt.  A bit of garlic would be perfect!”

I dance along to Desiree’s cooking song—inordinately happy in doing so.  And there is a certain intimacy to our long-distance teamwork.

I don’t feel alone.

Last night we made spaghetti with spaghetti squash.  Our end product was delicious.

The process for making it was better.

  

Spaghetti Squash and Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Squash

—Mitchell Hegman

My First Thought of the Day

I crawled into bed last night without a firm idea for a blog subject.  I decided I would write something about the first full thought I entertained after getting out of bed in the morning.  First—as a matter of full disclosure—I am naked and without rational thoughts for the first few minutes of the morning.

Here, then, my first thread of thought for the day (a question occurring as I fed my 20 pounds of housecat): “What would carrot hunting be like if we had to hunt them instead of pull them from the ground?”

—Mitchell Hegman

Covid Refugees

Since early last fall, and all the way through winter, the same collection of us—weather permitting—have gathered regularly near a campfire at the lakeshore.   We began as Covid refugees and have carried on.

The lot of us gathered again yesterday.

Though temperatures remained below freezing, the bluebird sky and perfect calm made for ideal campfire conditions.  We told our stories again.  Some of us gathered up branches knocked from nearby golden willows by wind and tossed them into the fire.  Three old wood pallets were submitted to the fire.  

We can tolerate both pandemics and winter provided we have a campfire.

Tad Hauling Wood “Hillbilly” Style

The Campfire Crew

—Mitchell Hegman

Rock Saw

I recently shared a post about Tad St Clair and his rock tumbler.  Today, I happily report on the next level of rockhounding.

Yesterday, Tad and I split the cost on the purchase of a saw for cutting rocks.  Tad picked up the saw yesterday.  By late afternoon, after a little assembly, we found ourselves cutting into rocks.

The first stone Tad cut was a conglomerate specimen I found near my house.  Conglomerate is a type of sedimentary stone comprised of smaller rounded rocks cemented into the same larger stone by calcite or quartz.  This type of stone is formed where stones, tumbled by running water or waves, are swept into layers along with sand clay.   

The conglomerate cut easily and proved striking once sliced.

    Uncut Conglomerate

Cut Conglomerate

Tad, Terry, and the Saw

—Mitchell Hegman

Four Things You Need to Know

1. Snakes are faster than you think.

2. If a little accelerant is good for starting a fire, a lot is something your brother-in-law should attempt first.

3. Computers apply Murphy’s Law to whatever you are doing without the normal waiting period required for results.

4. There is no substitute for a hike in the mountains.

—Mitchell Hegman

The Road to Extinction

The road to extinction is paved and without potholes.  If you follow the road, you will find yourself at a lovely, weed-free subdivision.  And the species going extinct, in this instance, is the lovely monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterflies are notable for both their beauty and the migrations they undertake to survive our North American winters.   The monarchs from the Eastern side of Canada and the United States migrate to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico.   Monarchs in Western North America overwinter in California.  Some of the butterflies will fly as far as 3,000 miles.

In the last 20 years, the butterflies have experienced a devastating crash in their numbers.  According to an AP article I read: “Scientists estimate the monarch population in the eastern U.S. has fallen about 80% since the mid-1990s, but the drop-off in the western U.S. has been even steeper.”

In some places where, at one time, tens of thousands of butterflies would gather for the winter, today, only a few hundred might appear.

A lot of factors can be blamed for this.  Climate change.  Loss of habitat.  And, surprisingly, the eradication of milkweed is a major factor. 

Monarch females lay their eggs exclusively on milkweed.  Milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars can eat.

Several years ago, I strove to establish a population of milkweed (not really a weed in my eye) on my property.  I was doing this specifically for the monarch.  My efforts failed.  I may take another run at that this year. 

Here is a link to the AP article I read about the plight of the monarch: https://apnews.com/article/monarch-butterfly-moves-close-extinction-d74874fe777b57edce510b0e716b6f34

—Mitchell Hegman

Life Changed in a Weird Way

Every so often, someone emerges from left field and changes your life forever in some weird way.  This happened to me in the 1990s.  At the time, my sister Debbie worked with a woman who regularly skirmished with our chosen language.  Among the words she mangled was this: “therapy.”  As in physical therapy.

“Thurpee,” was her version of this word.

A small thing, I know.  But in the time since, I have firmly adopted her pronunciation.

I like it very much.

“Physical thurpee” has a sweet ring to it. 

—Mitchell Hegman

Something Alexis de Tocqueville Said

For those unfamiliar, I will share what history.com says about Alexis de Tocqueville:

French sociologist and political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) traveled to the United States in 1831 to study its prisons and returned with a wealth of broader observations that he codified in “Democracy in America” (1835), one of the most influential books of the 19th century. With its trenchant observations on equality and individualism, Tocqueville’s work remains a valuable explanation of America to Europeans and of Americans to themselves.

Following are three Alexis de Tocqueville quotes.  They remain as valid today as they were when expressed nearly two-hundred years ago:

"There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle."

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."

"Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom."

—Mitchell Hegman

Love Song

It is enough.

Enough, to spend another lengthening day with sunshine warming my cheeks.   To hear the dee-dee-dee visitation of chickadees to my Mayday tree.   To offer a hand where I am able.  To see half-prancing deer crossing the prairie before me.  To sweep my hands through blue sky.

To know love at any distance.    

—Mitchell Hegman

BattleBots (A Learning Experience)

I watched an episode of BattleBots last night.  I learned a little something about myself as I watched: I am not opposed to yelling at robots.  

—Mitchell Hegman

If (Sunrise, January 15, 2021)

If rainbows signify the earth shall never again be destroyed by floods…if rainbows are a sign of hope and good fortune in dreams…a sunrise washed with such colors as ours must surely suggest we are invited to dance forever.

—Mitchell Hegman

Growing Magic Mushrooms

Recently, the family of a 30-year-old man, noting he had fallen into an episode of deep confusion and fatigue, brought him to an emergency room in Nebraska.  The man, doctors soon realized, suffered from bipolar disorder.  He had stopped taking his prescribed medications and had lapsed into manic and depressive episodes.

But this is a tale about magic mushrooms.

A mounting body of research suggests psilocybin (magic mushrooms) may be used successfully as a treatment for people suffering from depression.  The man we admitted into the emergency room in our opening paragraph, in seeking ways he might decrease his dependency on opioids to combat his maladies, discovered some articles exploring the use of psilocybin for treating symptoms of depression and anxiety.  He thought he might give the mushrooms a try.

While people wanting to “trip” on psychedelic mushrooms generally consume them as-is or in the form of a powder put into a capsule or tea, our man attempted a more “doctorly” approach.  He boiled the mushrooms in water, filtered the liquid through a cotton swab, and then injected the substance into his bloodstream.

Within a few days, he become fatigued, vomited blood, and developed jaundice, diarrhea, and nausea.  By the time the man appeared at the emergency room, he couldn't give coherent interview answers.  Subsequent testing indicated he had sustained liver injury and his kidneys weren't functioning properly.

A blood sample revealed the root cause (pun intended) of his organ failure: The mushrooms, which thrive in dark places, had begun to grow in the man's bloodstream.  They were causing system failure.  To save the man, doctors put him on a ventilator and filtered his blood for toxins.  He remained under treatment in the hospital for 22 days.

—Mitchell Hegman

Source: news.yahoo.com

Walking Against the Wind

Yesterday afternoon, I did a foolish thing.  I tried to walk.  With temperatures reaching into the 50s, I felt somewhat obligated to go outside and walk along my country road.

Normally, walking is a cinch.  Yesterday, however, our region experienced something near constant winds of 35 to 45 mph with frequent gusts reaching much higher speeds.  According to a local news report, Helena recorded gusts of 81 mph.  Trees toppled over.  Roofs were peeled off houses.

I began my walk pressing against the wind, thinking the force might help push me back home once I turned.  Apparently, I must have exited my house during winds in the 35 to 45 mph range.  “I can handle this,” I thought.  “Not so bad.”

About thirty paces from my house, I stopped walking.

I didn’t try to stop.  Instead, a tremendous gust virtually froze me solid at mid-stride.  I had to expend all of my strength and balance to keep from tipping over backwards.

I can take a hint.

I know when it’s time to abandon idea number one, head back to the house, and pour a wee dram of Scotch.  

—Mitchell Hegman

A Pretty Good Human

Generally speaking, my 20 pounds of housecat considers me a pretty good human.  I have the whole ‘supplying his food’ thing going for me.  I am pretty quick at operating the doors to let him in and out.  He likes nesting in a blanket on the sofa with me on chill winter nights.

I have my flaws.

Vacuuming the carpet is not acceptable.  I sometimes bring inside the big scary boxes the UPS driver drops at our door.  My ringing smarter-than-me-phone is, at best, problematic.  My cat also thinks I am responsible for the bad weather that often confronts him when I open the door to let him out.

I am not responsible for the weather.

The scary boxes?  Yes.

—Mitchell Hegman

My Father’s Birthday

My father was born on this date.  Had he danced on until today, he would be 92 years old.

My relationship with my father strained near the end of his days.  And I was surprised when, upon pouring his ashes into the water of Prickly Pear Creek from Riggs Street Bridge (as he requested), his cremains remained there at the bottom of the creek—a somewhat brighter color on the stony creek bottom.

My sister Debbie and I were both there on the bridge pouring out my father’s cremains.   I suppose we both fancied he would be carried away by the creek.

“He stuck.” My sister said to me.

“Yes,” I said, “he stuck.”

—Mitchell Hegman

Prepared

Over the years, I figured out that the better part of being prepared for every contingency is having a small packet of toilet paper in the glove compartment of every automobile.

—Mitchell Hegman

Sun and Fire

After spending a couple late-afternoon hours standing near a campfire at the lake with neighbors, I walked back up the hill to my house just as the sun dropped against the frost and snow landscape.  The last light of day proved surprisingly warm as I marched up through the sagebrush and juniper.

I pause near the top of the hill to capture a couple images, think about the fire down at the lake, and reflect on something Buckminster Fuller said.

“Fire is the Sun unwinding from the tree’s log,” he said.

—Mitchell Hegman

1½ Years

I have been keeping journals in one fashion or another since the 1980s.  Occasionally, I will pick up one of my old handwritten journal books and thumb through, reading passages here and there.  Last night, I picked my journal from 2006.

I chanced across this entry:

“I have now been teaching apprentice electricians for 1½ years, and nobody has learned more than me.”

—Mitchell Hegman

Curiosity Live-Trapped the Marten

Pine martens (sables) are one of ten weasel family members found here in Montana.  This family includes the highly aggressive wolverine.

Martens are busy and quick in movement.  They are also equipped with a powerful sense of curiosity.   Martens find it necessary to investigate anything new in the woods where they live—whether edible or not.  During a study of the species conducted in Glacier National Park, one male marten, in sating his curiosity, found himself live-trapped 77 times.

PHOTO: Tim Gage

—Mitchell Hegman

16 Psyche

Yesterday, we talked about pretty little rocks.  Today, we are going to talk about a big rock named 16 Psyche.   16 Psyche is an asteroid located 230 million miles from Earth.   It was first discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis on March 17 of 1852.   According to NASA, 16 Psyche measures 173 miles, by 144 miles, by 117 miles.  This makes 16 Psyche one of the most massive objects caught up in the main asteroid belt orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

16 Psyche is thought to be the leftover core of a planet.  And what makes this asteroid so valuable is that it appears, according to more recent studies, to be comprised entirely of iron and nickel.

And I do mean valuable.

This giant rock is estimated to be worth 70,000 times our present global economy.  If we here on Earth managed to collectively sell 16 Psyche and then evenly split the earnings, each of us (7.5 billion in all) would receive a handsome $1.3 billion.

Not bad for the sale of one rock.

IMAGE: Maxar/ASU/P. Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech

—Mitchell Hegman

Sources: Space (Amy Oliver), https://www.diyphotography.net (Dunja Djudjic)

The Rock Tumbler

If you’re a rockhound, rocks are important.  I mean the collectable kind: agates, petrified wood, crystals, and so forth.  Hounds are constantly scanning the ground, hoping to find a pretty rock.  Many rockhounds also invest in a rock tumbler so they can polish some of the rocks they collect.

I have two tumblers.

My friend Kevin and I have turned his son, Tad, into a rockhound.  Tad is all in, these days.  He recently purchased a tumbler.  Given the colder weather, he wanted to run the tumbler indoors.   As you might imagine, rock tumblers make a bit of noise.  And they need to run for days on end.

Tad opted to put the tumbler in a bathroom in his house.  He called me because the bathroom does not have an outlet into which he can plug the tumbler’s power cord.  “Can we tie an outlet to the fan in the bathroom? He asked.  “All I have is the fan and the light.”

“Well,” I said, “pretty much anything is possible.”   We talked a little more about what adding a receptacle might entail.  “You know,” I said after a bit, “most overhead fans have a receptacle built-in.  The fan motor plugs into it.  They are only a two-wire jobber, but I am guessing your tumbler is the same.  We might make that work for now.”

“Yeah?” Tad said, “I’ll take a look.”

Posted here is a video Tad provided me following our conversation.

—Mitchell Hegman

Sheep in the Sky

At dusk, a wolf in the sky chases sheep that are clouds.  The sheep escape with astonishing grace and soon flock together above a mountain range, seemingly grazing there along the ridgelines and peaks.  In the morning, the peaks will be painted with snow.

—Mitchell Hegman

Things I Can Do Now That I Could Not Do at the Age of Twenty

• Take a nap at any time of day
• Find satisfaction in spreading gravel on my country road
• Give myself a monthly Scotch stipend
• Very nearly understand the stock market
• Surf the net for the better part of an hour seeking recipes for cooking broccoli
• Find the humor in stubbing my toe on a midnight run to the bathroom
• Tell you the location of the nearest bathroom at any given time

—Mitchell Hegman

Personal Reflections on 2020

The year 2020, for me, was marked by continuing hair loss, the sobering realization I am (at the most basic levels) little more than a vector for Covid, and the half-a-world-away separation from the person I most want to be with.

—Mitchell Hegman

New Year’s Day (More Fire)

I cannot think of a better way than having a bonfire in the mountains to begin a new year.   I managed to have just that yesterday.

My good friend, Arnold, offered to help finish limbing the monster trees we dropped in the meadow below my cabin.  We arrived at the cabin at about 8:30 in the morning and immediately got to it.

Arnold is a rare friend, willing to work all day long for no other reason than I need help.

Any work in the mountains is good work as far as I am concerned.  I enjoyed the day immensely—swashbuckling along the lengths of the downed trees, knocking off limbs, and feeding them to the fire.  A big fire with scissoring flames.

And a good riddance to Corona-infected 2020.

First Fire of 2021

Me Near the Fire

Cleaning Up the Meadow

—Mitchell Hegman

Resolutions for 2021

Here is my modest list of resolutions for the year 2021:

1. I will repair the “spud” gun so we can shoot potatoes, avocados, and tangerines from my back deck.
2. I vow to have a lemon tree growing in a sunroom, attached to my house, by this time next year.
3. I promise not to molest all the bananas in the fruit bin when seeking the bunch I want.
4. I shall live each day as if the only shadow to be cast will be mine.
5. I vow to read more poetry books and novels and less expository and technical writing.
6. I will stop yelling at my television and computer.  (NOTE: I don’t have a problem with this, but my cat does.)

—Mitchell Hegman