Shade brings relief. It is much like sunglasses in that it makes it so I don’t have to quint and therefore do not get as grumpy. Or rather, sunglasses are a small amount of portable shade. Shade also lessens the heat of the sun. It makes a hot day more comfortable, or in the case…

Campsuds are the most efficient cleaner. It takes a miniscule amount of campsuds to get both spume and efficient cleaning. I used barely 3oz. of campsuds for an entire month. You can use campsuds as soap, shampoo, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc. campsuds are actually efficient cleaners in that they make you feel clean as…

Using connections to accomplish something (關係) is…um…being connected. No really, it is the feeling of knowing people well enough and having enough of their respect to be able to ask a favor if you need. It is the feeling of knowing people that can help best with a specific problem you are faced with. It…

Latin is the base. It is the base of our alphabet. It is the base of four of the world’s most spoken languages. It is the base of the sciences and medicine. It is the language on in which many cultures have established and communicated their thoughts. It is the base on which we have…

Running water is healthy life. It is cleaner than stagnant water. It is the indication that enough water is present to be able to move onward and seek the sea. It makes a music of its own. It gives great variation in the coloring and transparency of water from giving a new color to the…

Chinese is multi-faceted. It has the usual complexities of languages, yet the grammar is very simple. The characters are so varied and can be their own form of art. There is a musical quality to the tones, and a monotone volume meter for your mood. I love the characters that are built with logic and…

Taroko National Park caused my home away from home. A canyon national park that served as a tourist attraction and the backdrop of my research and many epic adventures, it features 11,000 foot mountains and 3,000 foot marble cliffs. The park is essentially one watershed, but the variety of terrain is astounding. There is a…

Nanking cherries (Prunus tomentosa) may be my favorite plant from a beauty perspective. They grow as bushes, and do very well in the high desert of Northern Arizona. I really enjoy watching them go through their yearly cycles, awaiting their arrival in spring and rejoicing in their fall departure knowing the joys of the year…