Imbolc                              Waning Wild Moon

Oh, boy.  Woke up at 5:00 AM feeling behind the 8-ball, a feeling I don’t get much these days.  Kate’s ahead of me in the Latin and I’d done none.  I have a complicated presentation to have written by March 28th.  There’s that novel that needs work every day and I have to go the capitol for a hearing on sulfide mining tonight.

So.  Got up.  Stayed up.  Worked on Latin from 5:30 AM to around 10:30.  Fed the dogs.

Also have a guy coming to remove the door from the steam room.  Today.

Imbolc                                       New Moon (Wild)

Don’t let new law slow PolyMet: Current regulations balance environmental, economic needs.

In its new get soft editorial stance The Star-Tribune glosses over the effects of sulfide mining.  You might call sulfide mine operations serial rapists who use taxes and jobs as rohypnol for legislators and regulators.  A news organization like the Star-Tribune should be immune, but they drank the kool-aid.

Here’s the problem.  There is no instance–NO INSTANCE–where sulfide mining has failed to release toxic pollutants.  These toxins range from the most common sulfuric acid to heavy metals like cadmium and mercury.  Our neighbor Wisconsin has a moratorium on permits for sulfide mines, a moratorium that can be lifted only after a sulfide mine has operated for 10 years and proven itself pollution free in that time.

Northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan share certain geological similarities, among them the presence of copper and other minerals now deemed important for manufacturing.  The first mine would not be the last.  Far from it.  There are more projects waiting in the wings for Polymet’s proposal to get the go ahead.

Mining in general is a resource frontier industry.  That is, they go into an area with a natural resource, exploit it to exhaustion, then leave, often bankrupting in the individual mine to free up assets for further work in other  areas.  This means their insistence on the jobs they produce and the taxes they pay are no better than love’em and leave’em gifts to the lover who will, for sure, get left behind or married and abandoned with no support.

Imbolc                            Waning Cold Moon

Tomorrow I’ll post my blog material from the Woolly Retreat at Blue Cloud Abbey.  Didn’t sleep well last night and feel sort of yucky this evening.

The drive back from Blue Cloud had its exasperating moments, but nothing that was dangerous. A few slow drivers, some drifted roads, but after about Wilmar pretty clear sailing.  Frank and I had a long running chat.

Winter                               Waning Moon of Long Nights

We’re in to another night of below zero temps.  This is striking because our really cold weather usually doesn’t show up until the third/fourth week of January.

More writing today.

Decluttered many areas over the last month or so.  Work streamlined and feels good.  I like having multiple projects of a different sort underway and the current collection fits the bill.  I have a justice project–the Sierra Club, an aesthetic project–the MIA, a creative project–the new novel and Liberal II, and a gardening project–well, it’s almost time to start the leek  transplants and fire up the hydroponics.

Samhain                              Waning Dark Moon

After a month or so of quiescence Sierra Club has begun to pick up steam.  A contract lobbyist has come on board, schedules for meetings need to get drawn up and specific plans for our legislative work moved forward.  It has worked well to have some downtime on the Sierra Club front since I needed to get studied up for the Louvre show.  I still have pages to go before I sleep as far as the Louvre is concerned, but I can do a tour without tripping over my feet.  That’s a relief.

My two favorite works in the show are the Messerschmidt head and the Lorenzo Lotto painting of Christ carrying his cross.  Next after them are the La Tour and the Vermeer, then the Barye.   On another scale I also love the cylinder seals and the vase carved with only stone tools.

Samhain                                  Waning Dark Moon

Another quiet day.  Business meeting in the morning with Kate followed by lunch and a nap.  Workout.  Later tonight a meeting with the Wetlands committee of the Sierra Club.  A gorgeous day.

Samhain                           Waning Dark Moon

Kate rested today and has gained back much of the psychic ground she gave up a couple of days ago.  This  up and down cycle comes with the territory.

Tonight she comforted Jon and Jen.  Little Gabe pulled a scary stunt, not uncommon, but terrifying.  While crying, he held his breath, turned blue and began to have small tremors.  Kate says it happens sometimes between 18 months and 3 years, not much beyond 5.  It’s good to have Grandma the pediatrician around for those scary moments.

Fall                            Waxing Blood Moon

The phone rang.  Dog outside the fence.  Yes, indeed, Rigel had attacked the vulnerable spot in our defenses, the truck gate.  No electric fence there.  So, once again, I retrieved her and this time toughened up the gate some more.  I’d already had it repaired and chained.

Sierra Club legislative work proceeds apace with issue briefs coming in and the work load beginning to stack up.  Feels good.

This week I have gotten to workout each day.  I need that.  It keeps me mostly sane.

Business meeting today.  Doing fine.