Ray's Blog

Looking at the Mountains

LOOKING AT THE MOUNTAINS this morning as I sit at my desk, it is spring-like.  There is almost no snow on the peaks.  Barely a trace.  Yesterday it was 56 degrees and raining.  Today it will be in the 40’s and sunny.  It’s strangely beautiful with leafless trees defining the mountains and nearby hills in a fine tracery of greys and browns.  The fields are golden.

This is not normal. In Northern Vermont at this time of year it is usually in the 20’s during the day; snow covers the mountains and the fields.  The ski areas often open for skiing, although sometimes the skiing is limited to terrain where they make snow.

I’ve seen this before many years ago--- no snow until Christmas day and then a 3’ dump!  But, you have to ask yourself  about global warming. 

When I was in college I loved to mountain climb, and the glaciers in Switzerland and France even then were retreating ( 1950’s).  The glaciers in the Himalaya up in the Annapurna Sanctuary showed huge retreat back in 1982 when Shannon and I spent time there.  We stood on a lateral moraine and looked down 30’ to the glacier floor which was almost all gravel.  The glacier was snugged up much closer to Annapurna. It used to be a full river of ice and snow.

So, what is going on?  Global warming is real, part natural and I believe part exacerbated by C02 and other pollutants that are man-made.  I’ve seen it and I am seeing it. We must be better custodians of our planet home

R. A. M.


 

Return to My Blog

I’m so sorry that I have not been blogging for many many months. Sometime soon---a  month or so more --- I will tell you why.  It’s been a rough time in my life adventure.  But, we go on and life changes and we change --- or try to.  Anyway, I’m back and it feels good to blog again. And I’m smiling.  Family and friends and work that you love, that’s what it’s all about. No, it’s not about my health; it’s about loss.

CHOOSE books have been the adventure of my life.  Reaching out to kids and letting them know that they count, that they can make choices, that they can fail and try again, that they can fashion their lives and respond to the challenges along the way.  I love what I do.

I’ve written several books in the last year.  It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I did it. Two were written for WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, to help get kids to consider all the negatives about using drugs to enhance sports performance.  WADA, supported by the International Olympic Committee, is giving these books away to member countries to distribute free to kids. Wow! What a responsibility it was to write these two books: TRACK STAR   and ALWAYS PICKED LAST.

So, I’m back.  I’m so grateful that so many of you have loved reading CHOOSE books.  What I would like is to ask all of you is WHY DO YOU LOVE THE CHOOSE BOOKS?  Send me an e-mail and tell me why.  And, thanks!!!  I’m not looking for praise, I’m curious why the books have touched so many people.  Don’t forget, I’m not the only author.

Best,

Ray   (R. A. )

Vermont Intercultural Semester in the Himalayas

Here is a message from our friend Thayer MacClay, 18, of Warren, Vermont.  Thayer is taking a year off before entering college (Colorado College) to put on 7 League Boots to explore the world and help people at the same time.  I thought you would enjoy this. He is spending the fall in  Ladakh in the Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir.  I wish I were there in those high Himalays on the Tibet border!

Ray 

Vermont Intercultural Semesters 

Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh 

Dear Friends and Family,

A lot has happened since my last update. Now, the VIS ( Vermont Intercultural Semester)  group and I are well settled into SECMOL (Student Educational and cultural Movement of Ladak h) and it's way of life. A typical day starts at 6:30 for the Ladakhis. They tend to study in the morning and some milk the cows along with some other chores. Then, at 8:00 there is breakfast. Curd and tea almost always are available, accompanied by teemok (unsweetened, cinnamonless, and greaseless cinnamon buns) or chapatti (thick barley flour tortilla), and lentils

or some other vegetable dish.  After washing our own dishes, we hang out in the morning sun until 9:00 when work hour begins.

My good friend Oliver Hoblitzelle

Well, I'm back! Sorry to have been away for so long. Someday I'll explain it all. But for now, what I want to say is that kids are so important to our world and our future. So, here are some stories about the passion for fishing by my good friend Oliver Hoblitzelle. I'm sure you will enjoy them as much as I have.

P.S. If you are a kid and want to send in a story or pictures or art or anything that you created, please do and we might put it on the blog. Ask your parents permission to do this.

Thanks,

R. A.

Striped Bass Daybook — By Oliver Hoblitzelle

Last weekend I went fishing for stripers with Max in Charlestown. On Saturday afternoon, my mom drove me to his house. When we arrived at 2 o’clock, I sat down with Max, and we made our plan for the weekend. We decided that we were going to wake up at 3:30 am on Sunday morning. Almost immediately, we got bored with sitting around and decided to go fishing right then in the pouring rain. We walked to the bridge and decided to fish off of a small platform right near the locks. We both cast our six-inch storm swim shad into the current.

CHOICES. IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICES

Choose Your Own Adventure is all about choices. In a way it is a simulation model, an approximation of reality without the risks of the real world.  You make choices leading to different endings.  If you don’t like the ending, you can start again with different choices leading to a different ending. 

We as individuals and as societies make choices all the time.  The history of our species is amazing: fire, numbers, alphabets or pictographic language, medicine, architecture, money and banking, art, music, laws etc. Choices got us there.  We are still making choices both as individuals and societies.  Not all of them are good---but, we can change the bad choices, we hope.

So, here is something that was sent to  me the other day.  Give it a listen. Send it on, if you wish.

THE GREEN CUP CAFÉ, Waitsfield, Vermont

This is my second restaurant review.  This is another winning restaurant.  Small, intimate, excellent service and wonderful food. Flavors are fresh, scallops taste as though they were still in the sea, salads are almost a main course and are unique without trying for uniqueness.  If you want meat, the steak frites is excellent, and the fish is done so that the flesh remains true to the fish but never undercooked. If you want a large portion of twice-cooked ziti to nurture yourself, it is one of Jason’s mother’s old recipes and his family’s favorite.
     The wine list is small, well chosen and well priced. Desert?  Yes, more than equal to the moment.
    Prices?  For this food and this ambiance and the entire experience I would pay 50% more and not think about it.
     This is another  ‘run don’t walk restaurant.’

THE TIME IS NOW!!!!!

OBAMA.  What more needs to be said?  The world needs a leader, a person who can renew belief in humanness and decency.

Obama is just that.  Enough of venality, greed, dishonesty, and power- grabbing. Enough of war-making and preventative strikes  (neo-con).

Strong defense; strong leadership, fairness and leadership. Obama will give us this.

Here is our chance; and he needs our support as we need his leadership.

May the wind be at his and our back!

~Ray

PS: For your reading enjoyment, a Washington Post article

A break

Ray asked me to pop on and say we are on a mini Hiatus. A couple of things are on his plate that are devouring his creative time. Could it be another book? Maybe! He's not sharing.  He should be back wowing you with his wordsmithing soon. Thanks for your time! Check back soon!

~John (the Web Guy)

THE TIME IS NOW

IT RAINED last night and this morning the outside world was a luminescent green seen only at this time of year for a very brief time. Faust would say, Ah, moment, but stay a while!“ But that would be a bargain with the devil.  Never a good deal, although that lesson  doesn't seem to have great currency in this country of later.

So, with the rain comes another burst of growth: Obama!  It is time for change to spread and take root.  Would that Ms Clinton  would read the tea leaves and step aside gracefully. Let's hope so.

Alia y'acta est!

Spring