Evening sets in Marshfield--though in other parts of the world it is more (4:00 P.M.) commonly known as afternoon. Listen, if I don't get a comment soon I'm going to do nothing but talk about the weather. This morning I was about to head out for my workout and clicked on Intellicast to see if I should put on another layer. I tapped in 04654 and the temperature reading was 62 degrees. I figured I must have typed in an incorrect digit and I was getting the weather for Atlanta or some place. But on closer inspection I see that I really did hit on Machias, ME. Turns out we had the highest morning temperature of any place in the continental U.S. So I ask you again, Global Weirding or what?

You know how I was talking about S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) up in this blog? Well it occurred to me that not only am I completely symptom-free, but part of the reason for that is my approach to the other SAD (Standard American Diet). When you keep your system fueled and running clean with God's perfect foods (fruits and veggies!) you almost can't help but feel happy.

Ironic, I guess, that I've never considered myself a person much interested in small talk, yet every time I do a post, if I don't have a poem or event I want to talk about, my inclination is to comment on the weather. You know, like how we got a foot of snow a few days ago, then this morning the snow was melting into a tropical fog. Is it Spring, is it Winter? Or some neverworld in between?

Our very first very vegan Thanksgiving was a smashing success. My plan going forward? I'm going to be a freak for the Quinoa. That's right, I'm taking it to a new level, giving up the processed flour for the whole grain. But did you know that Quinoa is not actually a grain? Look it up on Wikipedia if you get a chance. Those Incas were onto something.

This morning when I walked out to the workout shed there was less than an inch of snow crunching under foot. Now, just a couple of hours later, the friendly deer has to dig her snout into a few inches of fluff to root out her berries. What a wonderful day for a wood-fire and a snuggle-wuggle with our children. Then we prep for what is sure to be a most vegalicious Thanksgiving.

Self-portrait in the boonies. Finally I threw in the towel and got with the Facebook. Old high school friends, seeing a picture of Jake which I posted, say he's a dead ringer for me in my younger years. But look at that mug--I'm all nose. Jake, the lucky devil, has a perfect little pug nose. He's a kinder and gentler version of me, too, but I guess that's another story. So what have we established in my time doing this blog? I can't sing, I'm a mechanical nit-wit, and my nose is threatening to swallow my face. It's a wonder that I function at all...

This is the Machias River as viewed from the old railroad bridge in Whitneyville. I thought it went well with the following haiku, penned by my wonderful mother-in-law, Judy Cirillo:

River nature's gift
Again you are unsullied
Shimmer with sheer joy

All submissions are welcome, people, so send me something.

The Last Bastion

The pitbull barks
in Long Island City
back in the day
talkin' round about
hmmm... 1986.

This place is
the last bastion
tucked behind the
chain-link fence
under the tracks
no glimmering light
nothing but
darkness and shadows.

Long gone
I am gone
beyond anger
and sentimentality.

But then why
do you keep
stepping in
and stepping out
of my dreams.

Never Mind

Never mind
the rainy day
Hey ho let's go
we're moving
into the basement

Dregs and drivel
clean me free

This time
is the only time
different from the rest

Nah,
scratch that
tell me true
the clouds
won't stop skidding
across the sky

Years ago I drank Yogi tea, which was great because you got free spiritual guidance with each tea bag. My favorite was this: To be calm is the highest achievement of the self. Having just received a shipment of Yogi tea, I can now rest easy in the knowledge that I'll always have some words of wisdom, even when I'm drawing a blank.

Yesterday we had a little old neighborhood confab in the sunroom. If you enlarge the photo you'll see a deer right outside the window. She visited with her mother and her sister while the partridge family hung out in the cherry tree. It was great entertainment while we enjoyed a bit of conversation and a treat from the wine & cheese shop. Hope you enjoyed some SERENITY! over the weekend.

What a sweet morning. No work. No need to move too fast. Nothing to do but enjoy the morning tea while the rain makes its music on the metal roof. But now, it's off to Bangor to drop Alice off at the bus depot. It was such an awesome help to have Alice up here, but sadly we hardly got to see her. But in the lemonade department, our car ride will be a time to visit and catch up. I was going to sign off with some wise words on making your weekend filled with peace and calm but for some reason what pops into my mind is George Costanza's father shouting, "Serenity now! Serenity now!"

Last night I had an argument with Max on the phone about whether Margin Call is a better movie than Wall Street. It reminded me of the days we spent sharing a small bedroom with our twin beds (AKA mattresses on the floor) only a few feet apart. We'd get into these discussions that morphed into arguments where I'd become apoplectic. Then Max, in an insidiously soothing voice would say, "You see, you've lost your cool. You're yelling. That means I win." Now of course we've matured since then, so last night there were no raised voices. But clearly, and especially since this is my blog, I was right: Margin Call is a far superior movie. I mean, how can you even defend a movie that has a young guy standing on his balcony, speaking to the Manhattan skyline: "Who am I?" Everybody in the theatre where I saw Wall Street laughed when Charlie Sheen said that. (Funny how nothing has changed; people are still laughing at Charlie Sheen--and not in a good way). So you see, my brother: I won, I won, I won.

Something about my mother being in the hospital has put me out of the mood to post here on Birch Wisdom. But there is a story in connection with her trip to Bangor that I would be remiss to not share. This past Sunday we brought my mother to Downeast Community Hospital, where it was decided that she'd be transferred to EMMC. First, as they're carting her out to the ambulance she says, "I thought I'd get a helicopter." That was kind of funny, but her true wit really shined as the gurney was wheeled into the ambulance. She looked at me and said, "How come you don't have your camera? This is a perfect picture for your blog."
Well, Mom, I missed the photo op, but I'm thinking of you all the time. And I actually have had a great time with Lucy. She's really been enjoying the nice weather, so today we took her on one of her "long walks" where she did a complete olfactory study of Machias.
The doctors have still been unable to identify the root cause of my mother's symptoms. So at this point we're going to welcome all spells, finger-crossing and prayers.

Moments away from a walk with my honey on this perfectly crisp, clear Fall day, I thought I'd drop a bit of my exuberance on you. It's the simple things, it truly is, because nothing could be better than to wake up with those warm little feet brushed up against me, come downstairs for a cup of early morning nectar--mint green tea with raw honey--and then head outdoors to take a snort of fresh air and a gander at nature's beauty. Yes, this weekend is shaping up to be one of various little delights, and to top it off, we have one even more significant pleasure on tap: a week-long visit with fabulous sister Alice.

While I was out toiling away at the gym, Cara got a nice shot of one of our regular backyard visitors. It's hunting season--in fact I heard a rifle shot just as I started writing this sentence--but the deer no doubt relax at our house knowing that we're plant-eaters. Still, I have to say, from a health perspective venison is probably a best bet. I was about to say that a wildlife diet probably hasn't been studied, but then I sort of remember reading about the long life-span of native Alaskans who eat nothing but seal meat. Once again, in my opinion, it's not about whether it's meat or vegetable; it's processed food that's the real killer. Well, sorry for the rant. I guess it's on my mind since this Thanksgiving will be our first truly vegan affair.

That pin-point of light is the 5:00 P.M. sun. I snapped this shot moments ago as Jake and I finished up our work-out. We're trying to teach ourselves the Olympic lifts, and tonight focused on the clean & jerk. It's fun stuff, but I wish we had a coach rather than relying on You-Tube. But I digress: my real point is that come Monday the sun will be falling out of the sky at 4:00 P.M. Ouch! But hey, I'm fighting the S.A.D. and winning! Sun-lamp, exercise, healthy food, 8 hours of sleep and a smooch with the wifey! That's the ticket! No gloom! No doom! Boom boom boom!!!

Birch Wisdom Cafe
Fitness Menu

Appetizers

Push-ups
Pull-ups
Sit-ups
Toes to bar

Entrees

Back squat
Overhead squat
Front squat
Bench press
Snatch
Clean & Jerk
Rope climb
Ring dip
Farmer's carry
Burpees
Heavy rope
Double unders
Kettlebell Swing
Sumo deadlift
Wall balls

Dessert

Walk
Swim
Row
Elliptical

Choose any options at any time, but see if you can indulge yourself in the entire menu in a week's time. That's my plan anyway. Something to do, as they say.