Goodbye to the Veteran Tire

Today was officially a day off here at the date farm, and besides assembling a bunch of new drip irrigation end-pieces to be installed tomorrow, I got to spend a few hours of quality time with my bike...

I cleaned the gear system and replaced the original tire that came with the bike when I first got it in Sept '08. That tire rode more than 6200km/3800miles with out a single flat... I had in my mind that I should not replace it until I got a flat. But I got influenced by the thought that by changing it now I could be avoiding a future troublesome situation on the road.

Veteran beside Freshman

My plans are becoming more concrete about going to LA this week and then riding to San Diego by the following week and around the 6th riding back here to the Flying Disc Ranch to do some more work before going further east to Arizona and New Mexico. Stay tuned...

Pedro de-thorning the palms for the next season...

Enjoy the photos and videos on my flickr page (click here)

Date Heaven

My first morning here was like waking up in paradise. Palms trees everywhere and the winter temperatures reaching up to 30C/85F in mid day (up to 48C/120F in the summer). Definitely a rapid transition from my snowy Oregon experience just a week and a half ago. I'm working on a 10 acre farm in the middle of the desert region of the Coachela Valley in Southern California. The Flying Disc Ranch, is a diversified permaculture oasis that has dates and citrus (grapefruit & mandarins) as their main crop.

Date Palms interlaced with citrus trees

"Palapas for WWOOFer"

For those who where inquiring about it before I got here: Date is harvested in the fall. Therefore not many date bunches can be found hanging from the palms today. There are only a few that were not harvested due to some impurity or animals got to them, usually when the palms are still short, young and low to the ground. I have photographed them for your visual curiosity. You may also go to the Flying Disc Ranch's website to find out even more info.

Unharvested date bunches due to animal visits

this is Robert the "date guru"

Aside from doing some post harvest clean-up work (picking up old branches and such), we will be getting a building site ready for the construction of a Cob natural-building structure, to begin construction in mid February. Hopefully I'll be here till then...

Stay tuned (-:


Enjoy the photos and videos on my flickr page (click here)

Happy 2011!

"Halfway in the fog"

I wanted to send out the warmest wishes for this wonderful new year that is full of possibilities and flourishing with potential for our best year yet! I had a wonderful holiday season with my brothers wife's family in NE Oregon, a town called Halfway. A very special place in deed. Besides the wonderful friends and family that I met and stayed with, I througly enjoyed the fact that in one day I went from Califorina temperate weather to a magical winter wonderland. It snowed a lot (about 3' feet) while I was there. I got to learn about & see several solar passive houses in the area. I also got to work with llamas at the Wallawa Llama ranch. If you are interested in packing trips with llamas, this is the trip for you.

"Feeding llamas in 3 feet of snow"

"The girls in single file"

Since the new year, I have once again set foot on the road. Have been getting rides from friendly strangers, visiting with new friends in Portland and Ashland.
I stayed a few extra days with Heather and Jason in Ashland. Had a short and sweet visit with Larry my permaculture teacher, and got to know some new friends Chev, Mia, Dara and Julia... thanks for your friend ships.

"Coco's solar passive home, Halfway OR"

So now I have come full circle to the north, and find myself back here in San Francisco. What is next?
Well I had already planned this since last year. I will get a ride to the Flying Disc Ranch in Thermal (Southern California). This ranch in situated just south of the Joshua Tree National Park, In on of the only regions suitable for growing dates in continental USA. This ranch is also a permaculture site, where I hope I'll be able to put my hands to good use... Have I any experience growing date? No. Do I know what it even looks like? I have a faint idea that they grow on tall palm tree or something, but I'll be sure to fill you in on the details.

After this (I'm guessing I would be there around 3 weeks) I feeling the call to head to southern AZ and NM. I have been inspired by my friend Mia, to go visit the Anima Center lifeways and herbal school. I will find out more about it and will let you know what is going on...

Any way this is what is on my mind. I hope your new year also come with many wondeful changes and opportunities!

Enjoy the photos and videos on my flickr page (click here) more photos to come

Purification of the Mind

Once I decided I would go to California for the permaculture course, I signed up for a vipassana meditation course as well. This is an idea that had been simmering on the back of my mind for about 9 years, since my second visit to Thailand. So I applied and got in for the 10-day silent meditation course (as thought by Goenka) at the Northern California Vipassana Center in Kelseyville. I knew that I needed to do this, but had no idea of how it was going to be... Here are some of my thoughts for you enlightenment...

December 1st, after having been hanging out with friends in SF for 2 weeks, I took the BART to Oakland to meet my ride to the centre. I new that this was the start a new phase to my life and I felt ready for it. Rich and Lillah had already done one or more courses before (Old Students), Brenda and myself were first timers (New Students). I had an instant connection with those fellow human beings, as we drove though the beautiful Redwood of Northern California it felt like I had know these friend for a long time. This is my favorite felling in the world; instant familiarity with long-term friendship; as I'm sure I will remain connected with these souls for a long time to come.

The Meditation Hall, before the start of the course

Arriving at the centre, I had some time with myself to organize my thoughts and my stuff (as we needed to surrender books and all electronic-communication device, etc). While getting settled in and having a hearty dinner meal, we got to meet fellow students (old and new). That evening in the Meditation Halls the course began. the "Nobel Silence" was in affect, that meant that for the following 9 days we were to abstain from all types of communication with fellow meditator (verbal & physical) and we were in complete segregation between man and women so as to not have any distractions for the mind, enabling us to go inside, deep inside...

The daily schedule resembled a life of a monk; In complete dedication to mastery of the mind and depending on others for basic necessities like food. We would wake up by a gong (a bell) every morning before sunrise, and be expected to meditate for 2 hours before breakfast, they say that the mind works best when the stomach is not too full. Thus this thinking would persist through the day, after each meal there would be a break period of about 1 hour. During the day there were 3 mandatory (1 hour) sits at the Meditation Hall. All other times we could meditate at the hall or in our rooms. Every evening we would watch a discourse by Mr. Goenka. He would elaborate on explaining the technique and soothing our doubts with his delightful approach.

Plenty of time for self refection... If one was able to maintain or slowly gain more focus of the mind, the benefits would start creeping up at a noticeable level. My biggest challenge through out the course was definitely the wandering mind, and the only way to change that was to bring my focus to the awareness of the body every time I caught it wandering into thought.

I must say that there were several instances that I remained focused for an extended period of time, only then I saw the tremendous value and impact that this technique had on my psyche, and now I can see how maintaining a daily meditation practice can be extremely beneficial on the long run.

My favorite tree in the men's walking path

By the 9th day, the last full day of nobel silence, I was starting to have a bit more consistency in maintaing my focus. That day I was able to open a few different processes that had been stored in my body for 10 year, 7 months and 10 days (to be exact). I maintained completed equanimity in my mind as my entire body was shacking and vibrating for over 40 minutes. Like every thing in life; rise... stay for a while... but sooner or later passes away. And so it did and my body became still. Ahhhh... I cannot even describe in words the feeling that came after this... bliss... pure bliss.

The following day was the last day of the course and at 10am we could talk about our experiences with our fellow meditators, if we so desired. The format of this course has been established for thousands of years and it works... I highly recommend it to everyone.

DISCLAIMER: I do not intend to teach or preach the Vipassana Technique to anyone. I'm simply sharing my wonderful experience and highly encouraging other to discover themselves by taking one of these course. The are 100% free (food & lodging) you may give a donation if you feel so inclined at the end of the course... Please visit their home page and look for a centre nearest you! www.Dhamma.org

Enjoy the photos and videos on my flickr page (click here)