Comments on: Is it the Universe or Is it Me?: Contemplating Geologic, Atmospheric, and Personal Trends While Waiting For Monsoon http://www.dougfine.com/2009/08/08/is-it-the-universe-or-is-it-me-contemplating-geologic-atmospheric-and-personal-trends-while-waiting-for-monsoon/ Personal website of author Doug Fine Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:03:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: stockpeople http://www.dougfine.com/2009/08/08/is-it-the-universe-or-is-it-me-contemplating-geologic-atmospheric-and-personal-trends-while-waiting-for-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-22319 stockpeople Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:00:30 +0000 http://www.dougfine.com/?p=455#comment-22319 Love the photo of stuck rides. Recent trip to Mexico with too much rain too late in the season left us up an arroyo without a paddle. We smart gringos got our minivan stuck in the arroyo. All of our material belongings inside. (We had made the trip without incident about an hour prior.) Love the photo of stuck rides. Recent trip to Mexico with too much rain too late in the season left us up an arroyo without a paddle. We smart gringos got our minivan stuck in the arroyo. All of our material belongings inside. (We had made the trip without incident about an hour prior.)

]]> By: OrgoCowboy http://www.dougfine.com/2009/08/08/is-it-the-universe-or-is-it-me-contemplating-geologic-atmospheric-and-personal-trends-while-waiting-for-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-18130 OrgoCowboy Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:26:47 +0000 http://www.dougfine.com/?p=455#comment-18130 What a great and funny post, Al -- less funny for you, I'm sure, since it's happening, but believe me, I and anyone living remote have analogous rural hassles. I still think the pleasures of rural living far outweigh the downsides, though. And salmon ARE good. I think your wife might be right -- it's up to you. How I wish I had a year 'round creek here. My creek is seasonal, and it takes a good Monsoon even for that. Old-timers say it used to be nearly year 'round, of course. Before, ya, know, where we are now. Thanks also for the interesting post, Scott. What a great and funny post, Al — less funny for you, I’m sure, since it’s happening, but believe me, I and anyone living remote have analogous rural hassles. I still think the pleasures of rural living far outweigh the downsides, though. And salmon ARE good. I think your wife might be right — it’s up to you. How I wish I had a year ’round creek here. My creek is seasonal, and it takes a good Monsoon even for that. Old-timers say it used to be nearly year ’round, of course. Before, ya, know, where we are now. Thanks also for the interesting post, Scott.

]]> By: Al Larabee http://www.dougfine.com/2009/08/08/is-it-the-universe-or-is-it-me-contemplating-geologic-atmospheric-and-personal-trends-while-waiting-for-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-18121 Al Larabee Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:18:25 +0000 http://www.dougfine.com/?p=455#comment-18121 Greetings: You have some problems with the weather as do we all. I live on my .96 acre in northwest Wa. with a creek fifty feet from the house. In the last five years we've been flooded four times.The county says they can't clear the debris from the creek because it's a salmon habitat and state fish and wildlife forbids them from interfering.(what do they think a flood does ?)Fish and wildlife tells me that they are not permitted to remove debris by the indian tribes.The tribes tell me that they are a sovereign nation and don't have to answer questions. My wife says "fix it !" I enjoyed meeting you in Seattle,Al Larabee Greetings:
You have some problems with the weather as do we all.
I live on my .96 acre in northwest Wa. with a creek fifty feet from the house. In the last five years we’ve been flooded four times.The county says they can’t clear the debris from the creek because it’s a salmon habitat and state fish and wildlife forbids them from interfering.(what do they think a flood does ?)Fish and wildlife tells me that they are not permitted to remove debris by the indian tribes.The tribes tell me that they are a sovereign nation and don’t have to answer questions. My wife says “fix it !”
I enjoyed meeting you in Seattle,Al Larabee

]]> By: Scott http://www.dougfine.com/2009/08/08/is-it-the-universe-or-is-it-me-contemplating-geologic-atmospheric-and-personal-trends-while-waiting-for-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-18120 Scott Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:03:45 +0000 http://www.dougfine.com/?p=455#comment-18120 Hey Doug, Great post. I thought I'd comment because your sentence above: "I had to refill the hummingbird feeders for the second time today — the manic little miracles are swarming, darting in a deafening frenzy of orange and olive green wings outside my office window..." struck me as eerily to something I just read in a TerraPass newsletter yesterday. The article talks about the "unknown unknowns" of climate change --- especially feedback loops. This is specifically what I remembered reading that gave me pause when I got to your hummingbird sentence: "Through a pretty clever experimental design involving new and old leaf litter, crickets, and wolf spiders, the authors discovered that wolf spiders tended to eat more crickets when water was scarce, and the crickets preferred to eat fresher leaves over older ones. Conversely, when water supplies were plentiful, crickets didn’t particularly care how old the leaves were and wolf spiders ate far fewer crickets." The rest of the article is here if you're curious: http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/i-drink-your-milkshake Here's to being optimistic and hoping that your hummingbirds were just stalking up before the big storm. Best, Scott Hey Doug,
Great post. I thought I’d comment because your sentence above:

“I had to refill the hummingbird feeders for the second time today — the manic little miracles are swarming, darting in a deafening frenzy of orange and olive green wings outside my office window…”

struck me as eerily to something I just read in a TerraPass newsletter yesterday. The article talks about the “unknown unknowns” of climate change — especially feedback loops. This is specifically what I remembered reading that gave me pause when I got to your hummingbird sentence:

“Through a pretty clever experimental design involving new and old leaf litter, crickets, and wolf spiders, the authors discovered that wolf spiders tended to eat more crickets when water was scarce, and the crickets preferred to eat fresher leaves over older ones. Conversely, when water supplies were plentiful, crickets didn’t particularly care how old the leaves were and wolf spiders ate far fewer crickets.”

The rest of the article is here if you’re curious:

http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/i-drink-your-milkshake

Here’s to being optimistic and hoping that your hummingbirds were just stalking up before the big storm.

Best,
Scott

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