The News From Tucson

Ok, it’s been awhile. My camera is still out of commission, so I’ll have to actually write something before I head off for class.

My news of the moment is that I’m heading up to Washington to sing with the family at Northwest Folklife Festival. I’m looking forward to that. I’m taking a week-and-a-half off of work, which will be nice.

I’m also home sick today. I wasn’t dying, or anything, but I am feeling very low energy, and worn out. 52 hours of work last week, plus another few on the New Church Life project. I’m ready for a break, but work keeps coming. Oh well.

I’m almost finished with school. I have one more project to do, a final exam, and a practical in-class exam. Shouldn’t really be too bad, though. I’ll be glad to be done. Not that it’s particularly hard, just having one less thing to balance will be nice.

Let’s see… In other news, I’m looking forward to the Tucson Folk Festival. Aztec Two-Step is headlining, and I’m sure there will be lots of other good stuff. I might also take a short overnight camping trip.

E.B. White

I’ve been reading a book of essays by E.B. White with some commentary on the writing by some college professors. First off, a rant about the commentary, then I’ll talk about the actual writing. I’m of the opinion that commentary of that sort which “explains” what devices a writer is using is mostly a waste of paper. Reading good writing is an experiential process, and experiencing it through someone else’s perspective, even if it is “learned and intelligent” perspective, is limiting the value of the writing. I would equate it to seeing a slideshow of the forest compared to walking through it. I suppose it might be interesting to read some of this commentary after reading the actual writing, but I’ve chosen not to bias my thinking before the commentary before. It more fun that way.

In any case, I’m greatly enjoying White’s writing, and finding some of the essays to be very relevant. One written in 1940 particularly stood out for me. Its subject is fascism, and in it, White is discussing the tendencies of people around him to apathetically go along with some of the Nazi-like thinking that had reached its way to this side of the Atlantic. It strikes be that there are so many these days who are willing to do the same, and go for the “my country right or wrong” philosophy. Or for that matter, "G.W. Bush, always wrong." Makes you think. Maybe I’ll reread the essay at some point, and share some more thoughts.

Another Esterillos Sunrise Photo

The Long and Winding Road

Bananna Leaves

Foggy Mastatal View

I've got a few more photos that I didn't post before, but are still pretty good. This one shows how cashews grow. Tim and Robin strongly cautioned us not to touch, because the part around the cashew can produce a strong alergic reaction.

I got up early one morning to enjoy the sunrise.

An old piece of something on the beach.

The view out of our room at the beach.

A lot of the farming in Costa Rica is done on terraced hillsides.

Papa and Ryan waiting for the bus.

After the workshop, we heading out to the coast for a couple of days. Here we're heading to the bus stop to catch a bus out that way.