Why have a nose?

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If not to smell mint?

Yesterday the plant came home from the grocery store in plastic. Last night a pouring rain beat it down. Later this summer I will try to establish this out in the yard.

I live among pines. While I don’t know the history of this land, my guess is that this entire street was someone’s farm. Once farming ceased, pines were either started, or they simply took over. Then the land was sold. Homes were built.

Years ago I read The One Straw Revolution, by Masanobu Fukuoka. I am starting to think that his approach should be my approach to gardening. Just try planting stuff. See what actually grows.

Instead of imposing my will by creating a garden, sew seeds in the woods and observe what grows. Don’t work too hard. Don’t work against nature. Learn to work with it. Fukuoka found that certain radishes did well on his forest/farm. Maybe I’ll start there.

Significant Finding — The Interbrain

Jan7

The Science section of today’s edition of The Telegraph features a story about how a form of ‘wi-fi’ connects human brains. This phenomenon is known as The Interbrain, and is based on the research of Professor Digby Tantum, a clinical professor of psychotherapy at the University of Sheffield.

Reading this article helped fill in some blanks on my own theory of culture, and how it manifests within people. I would like to develop a paper, after putting finishing touches on a different (current) thesis, that comes at this very same idea from a different angle. I already believe that we are wired together, and I have a lot to say on this subject. This only confirms some of my suspicions.

If you have not read today’s article from The Telegraph, do so. It helps to explain aspects of our social nature. Here is a passage I found particularly pertinent.

Prof Tantum believes that the communication between brains may happen as an ‘inadvertent leak’ and it may be linked to smell. Areas of the brain which have the most activity of neurons are located in the prefrontal cortex, and are linked with smelling. They also are situated where they follow the gaze.

Our social nature may be linked to smell? I am willing to go out on a limb with a detail of my own theory. I think the word ‘may’ is not necessary. But in order to explain this, I will have to first explain how similar we are to social insects. In my younger days, before i lost my strength, I was a beekeeper (among other things). I had the chance to study bees, and later ants, up close and personal. Those experiences have remained with me. I look at human behavior through a lens formed during those years.

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I have not abandoned my NaNoWriMo project. I have only set it aside for the time being. When i finish the project i started 36 years ago — only days from doing so — I will have more time for that, and this blog, and maybe talking about some things that Professor Digby Tantum is introducing to the world. His ideas allow me to begin discussing my own. Many of which bleed over into spirituality and its various forms of religious manifestations throughout history.

Have a wonderful day.

Discovering Death

Oct24

Two days ago I was exploring the Bolin Creek Trail. I wanted to photograph ‘autumn,’ but in the forest I am drawn to fallen and rotting trees.

I got onto my knees in front of this stump and stuck my camera into the holes in the wood. Seeing through the view-finder was impossible. I couldn’t maintain the necessary posture. So I just snapped about a dozen photos, pointing the camera at the bottom, at the top, and so forth from the entrance. Outside, scrolling through images on the camera, I couldn’t recognize what was in this photo. But after viewing it on my computer I was surprised and pleased that I went to the trouble to get on my knees. Do you see it?

There is a dead bird attached to the wood. A bird or a bat. I don’t know which. The skull of the animal is almost dead center. A foot is visible in the upper right portion of the image. It appears to have just died and decayed there. Perhaps on a cold and stormy winter night.