Exposition

In 1855, Charles Goodyear brought a completely rubber room to the World's Fair in Paris.  Europeans had seen almost zero rubber ever before, so the sight of rubber walls, floors, furniture, combs, pens and umbrellas wigged everyone out a bit.  This party might not be quite like that, but I'm aiming for a close second.

The Homogenocene recycles

A good video by Ewing and Grady carried on the New York Times site.

Moto co-op?

They ask: could it work in your hometown?  At first, no.  Maybe.

Preparing

Valves, valve seats.  All eight have to fit well or it won't go.  This one looks good.  Some have to be sanded against each other, ground together in place, testing to match.  A satisfying process.  Reassembled, running now - satisfied again.

Now I can focus on getting ready for our opening night at Artifact.  There will be a lot to see.

Columbian Exchange

Some original Oregonians.  My granddad got some prints made at the turn of the century by a Mormon road engineer.  This place was somewhere near Mt. Hood.  It's a ghost town now.  Wouldn't mind dropping in to see how things look now.  In Charles Mann's amazing book, Virginia Company traders were sure North America was an isthmus 200 miles wide.  They were in a hurry to get across and trade with China.  Oregon is a lot further away than that.

High Line

January's Geographic had a story from Allard and Quammen, two greats.  Can't really think of a better combo for a piece about such an arcane part of the American West.  Untouchably good work.

I also enjoyed some nostalgia.  The green bus rode that high line one summer digging for dinosaurs.  From Sewanee via Albuquerque and Potter's West to the badlands north of Jordan and the Twitchell ranch - walking in circles searching for artifacts and nothingness under so much sky can make you an addict for life.  This was the Museum of the Rockies field camp with my well-beaten trail from the mess tent.  The bus is in my shop in Chattanooga now.  Finding photos like this makes me both desperate and hopeful while I think about what it will take to make her gallop again.

Rambler's Admonition

It's hard to remember how to remind yourself.  Daily maybe.