How do you get rid of a raccoon that moves in for the winter?

Roxy started barking about 2AM Tuesday night - I made repeated trips out to have stern words with the dogs - they looked properly remorseful - but as soon as I returned to bed the barking began again. Finally I went to sleep about 3:30 - the barking continued keeping Judy awake until dawn. All Wednesday the dogs were skiterish all day -making frequent trips to the garage as if they were searching for something. Faced with another sleepless night we joined the dogs in their search., Judy spotted the familiar black eyes of a large raccoon staring back at her from the rafters. That wild animal seemed to have settled in and was in no mood to move - especially with two hyperactive dogs barking and jumping down below. Judy took the dogs into the house and the raccoon and I stared at each other. Finally in desperation I attached a loop of wire to a long pole and cautiously reached up into the rafters. Without much difficulty I slipped the wire over the animal's neck. Now it got exciting! I gently pulled and "encouraged" the raccoon to "climb" down the wall of the garage - jumping from stud to stud. Once on the floor his full displeasure became apparent - hissing and snarling at me - this was definitely a very angry and defensive animal! I escorted him out doors. Now I suddenly realized that my new problem was how to remove the wire from the animals neck. I yelled to Judy - she came running - but didn't shut the door completely - so the dogs were back... they turned form gentle little house dogs into wild noisy fierce hunters - They were trying their best to get a good hold on the raccoon with their teeth, and the raccoon was attempting to defend itself - and I was trying to prevent damage to them or to the animal. Judy finally got the dogs back in the house - and I grabbed a pair of wire cutters and walked the raccoon over to the edge of the yard and pulling the wire tight, I cut the loop free. The raccoon bounded away - hopefully never to be seen again. My neighbor Bill said - "Oh he will be back - Raccoons always return again..." We can only hope he is gone for good.

Finally - Rain! Well, at least a little...

Quarry Lakes Regional Park - Behind our house

The usual implications of "seasons" don’t have much meaning in Northern California. With our first rain we have moved from the dry season to the green season. Grasses and seasonal plants are emerging from their summer dormancy and the hills show signs of green. We have had only about ¾ inch of rain since June but its enough. Bulbs are emerging; perennial plants are starting to stir… This season of growth will be a long protracted unfolding of one plant variety after another when conditions of moisture, temperature, and light give the required stimulus for grow and flowering. We will have a few days with freezing in January – and that will certainly limit the growth of some plants...but is all part of the expected growth pattern for plants found in the Mediterranean growth biome. The trick is to only plant what grows naturally in these conditions.

Vertical gardens

Tanzanian sack garden - July is mid winter in Tanzania -

so this sack garden was not fully grown out at the time of this photo

While Judy and I were in Tanzania this summer we saw family farmers growing amazing vertical gardens in large synthetic fiber grain bags. First they insert a pipe in the center and filled it with coarse gravel, then added around the outside a mixture of top soil, animal manure, green manure, ashes, compost… The pipe is removed, and water can be added through the gravel to travel evenly throughout the mass. Kitchen gray water is often used with good results. Then holes were made in the side of the bag and garden vegetables were planted --- mostly salad greens and cooking greens, onions, etc. A system like this is good for 3-4 years before it needs to be redone. More compost and manure and soil can be added as needed to maintain the full sack as the mass settles. Adding earthworms also helps to add nitrogen and to keep the soil open.

My Northern California vertical garden

I returned home and built my version of the system: I started by using heavy gauge fencing material (about 3 ft. diameter) with 2” x 6” spacing. The inside is lined with soil weed guard cloth. I purchased a length of 4” plastic pipe for the center, which I filled with gravel… and then proceeded to mix top soil, my back yard compost, green waste, a sack of steer manure … and placed the mixture between the weed guard cloth and the central pipe.

Once filled, I removed the pipe and watered the soil mixture. Judging by the internal temperature, it took a few days for the system to “mellow” – the effect of the steer manure. Then I make holes in the sides of the system adding salad greens, kale, Italian parsley, and onions, mustard greens… Even during hot spells I found that I only needed to water about once every 3-4 days. During rainy times the mass avoids becoming soggy.

I have since created a second garden and planted strawberries.

This system seems to me to be ideal for many California home and apartment dwellers with small back yards. It can be set up in the location with the most sun. Even then the system does have different microclimates depending on where in the system the plants are placed.

We have had been quite a week in Northern California!

I have to admit that I didn’t watch a single San Francisco Giants game all season long – but I got hooked on the World Series -saw every game! Like one of the news people said, “Baseball is supposed to be boring – but these guys made it interesting!” And to top it off the welcome-home parade was incredible… Baseball players often have their indiocentricities – but some of these guys were totally unique. It was fun to see them come home winners .

For us Northern California Liberal Democrats – well it was a mixed bag. We are thankful that our new governor is Jerry Brown and Gavin Newson will be our lieutenant governor – both good men. Barbara Boxer will be back representing us in Congress… thank goodness! Also its good news that the oil companies didnt get their way ( Proposition 26...rolling back the environmental protection). And Harry Reid in Nevada made it too. I can’t say that I am so happy about the restructuring of the US House of Representatives… but this is what democracy is about… the will of the people. The pendulum swings both ways.

Judy and I spent last weekend in Sea Ranch on the Northern California coast – visiting family. As a rule I like to see pristine natural areas preserved as National or State parks – The development of Sea Ranch was conceived in the early 1960s – fiercely opposed by environmental groups at the time. The reality today is working well… Homes are arranged in small clusters with open spaces separating them. Some have chosen to build homes hidden away in the forest, while others prefer being perched on the brow of the rocky ocean coast. There are strict rules on acceptable designs, height limits, paint colors that can be used, planting around the building must be compatible with native vegetation, and there is a sharing of responsibilities among the residents.

Residents have a strict design review board and have kept alive the vision of a community living in harmony with nature. We regularly saw flocks of wild turkeys, quail, and deer on the grounds. There are beautifully maintained grassy meadows, deep forest glades, and wild breaking waves… Most notable are the wide range of architect-designed homes – causing Sea Ranch to be a sort of museum of innovative architectural styles and features – mostly featuring natural wood, and well lit open living spaces. Some live there full time but many are San Francisco residents who keep this as their quiet retreat.

Eron and Michelle's dog "Murphy"

So we returned to a busy week – for me lots of student teacher visits – I think I’m learning more than anyone!

Tuning into the season..

Most mornings I walk with my two Jack Russell Terriers. We have several alternate routes – Quarry Lakes Regional Park is walking distance from our house, the Alameda Creek flood control channel has walking trails, and from there we can walk into the Niles Community Park and into the “downtown” of Historic Niles. The dogs have no apparent preferences – happy with whatever route we choose. Walking is also a time to stop and talk to friends. Dogs sniff each other and roll in strange stuff that smells good to them. I deeply love the colors and smells of fall, the crisp mornings, the ripe fruit. This is the only season that we see sundogs when the sun is just at the right angle on the cirrus clouds. The earth is like some strange wonderful mechanism as it slowly makes its way around the sun and generates all this slowly emerging of seasonal changes.

And here it is the election season once more – back in the time of Lincoln – elections were about having debates – standing on stumps or on the back of train platforms -talking about the issues … Now its sound bites, endless advertisements, phone calls, mailings… I don’t think this is what the founding fathers had in mind when they envisioned “government of, by, and for the people) –not when 4 billion dollars are being spent for a midterm election (and this at a time of economic hardship?). That just seems too much like someone buying an election. After the election I never know what to do with all the political signs that we put up in our front yard… Some of the heaviest and best I turn inside out and use for projects until the next election.

To keep everything in perspective I go out, now and then, to check the progress of the persimmons – they are beautiful, as they turn orange. We have two kinds: the Hayashi (Pointed) and the Fuji (Flat); also my favorite Granny Smith Apples are just about ripe. This is all well and good – but the neighborhood Raccoons and Possums (to say nothing of the Scrub Jays) are beginning to show up to check things out. I built a kind of tree skirt out of wire fencing that the Raccoons and Possums haven’t figured out yet how to climb over … lets hope.

No rain yet…

Identity

Walking through a high school hallway during passing period is an experience in diversity. There are the academic kids, the athletes, those that identify with a particular style of music, the computer nerds, those with a strong ethnic identity, the musicians, and there are the druggers, and the gang members, and the loners…. All swirling around in a mad dash to make their next classroom. The AP chemistry students, the remedial pre algebra kids, the special needs kids, the vocational auto shop students, the kids wearing strong political and social messages - here they all are. Within minutes the hall is silent – everyone has found his or her niche.

What fascinates me the most is the self-selected identity that students choose for themselves. In today’s world there are so many choices- It's like out of the whole wide world each person decides to build fences and say, “ this is me”, “and this is not me”.

Developing an identity is something we acquire partly during our formative years, partly it’s choice, partly from our environment, partly the effects of our own decisions. Many of us choose to identify as someone who seeks to be a good neighbor, to support those who need a helping hand, we try to be fair, to do our share, and we reject being cruel and judgmental to others. But we all know people who have chosen other identities....and sometimes we ourselves fail.

I know people that have a passion for one topic – its like a filter that they wear over their eyes – they measure everything by whether it deals with their topic of choice: Cars, their political party, geology, surfing, sex, their religious orientation, their sport, plant pathology, modern dance, getting an education… ( or some combination of the above... ) All of these can be ways we build fences that limit what will be possible for us to see and experience…

In the schools that I visit I see gang members who live in a dangerous world every day. They often have no support group and live among people that they don’t understand or trust… the daily dangers facing them are real. - The only options that they see are to be regularly victimized or to join a gang to find acceptance and protection. (For which they pay a great price). This person has chosen a very limiting identity out of fear and the need to belong.

I see people with diminishing options as their life unfolds – a high school drop out has fewer options than someone educated. A felon returned to society is limited in his or her opportunities. Bad choices have real implications. I suspect that many of the limitations people put on themselves are based on fear – fear of what we don’t understand or what we can’t control. Many people retreat to self made walls seeking protection from the unknown. We become venerable to social engineering, as those with special interest and money can use their resources to shape us using modern media to cause us to become what they want not what we would normally become. Its easy to direct the opinions of those who lack knowledge. This is increasingly true as scientific, political, financial, social concepts become more specialized.

Notes on Inner City Eduction

Student Altar in a City School

I pull off the freeway and find my way through the Oakland city streets to the school I am visiting. After checking in at the office, find the classroom, I wait until the end of the previous class, and then catch up with the intern before the students pour into the room. Some high school age students enter graciously, some creep in quietly, others are boisterous or aggressive. Some students begin at once on the “Do Now” work on the overhead– others need a reminder. The teacher greets the students, then as students continue working, goes through the routine of starting the class. This formula varies little regardless of the neighborhood…

Student art can offer a window into real feelings

I visit a few schools that remind me of the 3^rd world conditions that I saw in Tanzania. There are neighborhoods where the unemployment is 20% and 10% of the males are in prison, there isn’t much to look forward to if a young man drops out of school but “workin' the street “ – …drugs, or crime. How do you build a vision of what is possible for kids that see no hope? Kids need to feel that staying is school is worth the effort. They need to feel that staying in school can be a way out of despair. To create such a system requires teachers who understand the realities of students’ lives, understand how to offer the learning that students needs, and cares enough about the individual students to follow up. Many kids have never had a male role model at home, isolation, temptation, and lack of parental guidance are daily realities. There are kids that find the violence in the street to be at best distracting, and at worst terrifying. How can a teacher with 150 students in a day keep track of the individual needs of kids that don’t have a quiet place to do their homework, who may be more concerned about avoiding gang action than learning about mitosis?

I want to testify that I see programs that are changing students’ lives.

“College Track “ is a program in Oakland and East Palo Alto that takes average but committed students as ninth graders and offers a community place where they can come in the evening to do their homework. Volunteer adults are there every night to tutor students in all subjects, counselors help students know how to be prepared for college and how to jump through the necessary hoops – The majority of students are still with College Track as seniors, they apply for, and are accepted into college … with scholarships to pay the way. This program provides long consistent support and provides a safe place to be in community outside of school. The program is funded by corporate grants. Such a program is a success due to the committed action of many people who care.

I see individual teachers who care – who treat students with dignity – who allow no one to be tuned out in class. They design class activities that produce meaningful learning and they build or review the learning skills that may have been overlooked or poorly learned in earlier years. However there is a great danger – If you build a sense of what is possible in a student… if you kindle that spark - there must be a commitment to support that student all the way through– Nothing is worse than the despair of losing hope after it has been offered. Real change requires a united action – a committed school – a community center – People that care… It happens when committed people dream, plan, implement, and follow through.

In Praise of Ordinary Things + Photo set

Photoset: "Three Excursions": Click here to open: At top left click on "slideshow" for best viewing http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/ThreeExcursions?authkey=Gv1sRgCJCw6t7K54zw9gE#

It’s a time of ordinary things – but ordinary things can be spectacular.

1. The dogs and I walked last night in an open space and watched the sun in the half hour before sunset. The great huge sun moved nearer the horizon and then bit by bit it vanished! It was incredible... The air was still, like it was holding its breath. The whole process was so silent! Not only does the sun shine its own light but it gives color to all other things. As soon as the sun was gone, colors quickly fade and it becomes a world of black and gray profiles. (Green objects were visible with the least light). Birds stirred in their treetops to settle in for the night. In the last twilight the crickets started their concert.

2. Fall in California is subtle – We don’t have great eqinoxial storms, no sudden shedding of leaves, and great colorful fall sunsets. I know that summer is past by the ripening of apples and persimmons turning orange. It is the season of orange and black “orb weaver” spiders – each morning I find one or two perfect webs in the garden. White pelicans return in significant numbers, geese become nervous as their departure date approaches. ( Some know a good thing and stay all winter... )Now is the time to visit the coast –there’s no early morning fog and it’s too early for rain. When I walk in the hills I may find tarantulas out seeking a mate. Afternoons, I hear football practice and the high school band is polishing its routine. Evenings come earlier and we need an extra blanket. It’s a time of expectation – it is so long since we have had rain!

3. There is a large fig tree on my regular walking route that has come into its time! The owner is quite willing for those who walk by to pick a fig or two…there are so many! The blue jays have a little different idea of who owns the tree. Figs bear for a long season compared with many other fruits – a few ripen each day– enough for walkers and jays.

4. I planted my winter garden this week– leaf vegetables and lettuce for salads… they all do OK even in the cold days of December and January… I started the seeds in a starting tray sitting inside a south facing window to keep them at a good germination temperature. Now I must wait 10 days for the seeds to “hatch”, and then when the plants are large enough, I will plant them into the soil.

Photos: Slopes of Kilimanjaro & Weekly commentary

9/30 Notes from Fremont

Click on web address below to open: To view slides click on "slideshow" top left corner

http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/TheSlopesOfKilimanjaro?authkey=Gv1sRgCLXX28W_zvi1dw#

We in California have an opportunity in the coming election to make a difference in an important climate change issue. Please vote "NO" when you vote on California proposition 23 in the Nov 2010 ballot! This measure would permit the state to return to 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels....under the guise of protecting jobs but in reality the measure is financed and supported by large petroleum and business interests attempting to protect their profits. California cannot afford to return to its high air pollution past. Studies show that more jobs will be created than lost by a change from petroleum to “green” alternatives. We can’t change the entire climate of the world but we can affect the air we breathe and set an example for others.

In this week's blog I want to outline what we know about climate change and why it is important for us and out planet...

Understanding Climate Change

OK – Lets get this straight.

Climate is based on the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time.

Weather is the present condition of these same elements and their variations over periods up to two weeks. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity.

Evidence for Climate change:

Based on information from NASA: http://climate.nasa.gov/

The Earth’s climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era – and of human civilization. Most of these changes are attributed to very small changes in the Earth’s orbit changing the amount of solar energy the Earth receives.

The current warming trend is of particular significant because most of it is very likely human induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years.

Earth-orbiting satellites and other technological advances have enabled scientists to see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate on a global scale. Studying these climate data collected over many years reveal the signals of a changing climate.

Certain facts about Earth’s climate are not in disput:

1. The heat trapping nature of CO2 and other gases was demonstrated in the mid 19^th century. The gradual increase of CO2 in the atmosphere correlates exactly with the rate of fossil fuel burning and removal of forests, etc. The gradual increase of CO2 also correlated with the measured long term warming of the Earth’s atmosphere.

2. Ice cores from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth’s climate responds to changes in solar output, in the Earth’s orbit, and in greenhouse gas levels. They also show that in the past, large changes in climate have happened very quickly, geologically speaking: in tens of years, not in millions or even thousands of years.

3. The Global sea level rose about 6.7 inches in the last century. The rate of increase in the last decade is nearly double that of the last 100 years.

4. Twenty of the warmest years on record have been recorded since 1981, all ten of the warmest years occurring in the past 12 years

5. Oceans have absorbed much of the increased heat, with the top 2300 ft. of ocean water warming by .3 degrees F since 1969. Such a temperature shift can trigger dramatic changes in animal and plant growth, leading to the destruction or moving of populations.

6. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are decreasing. Greenland lost 36-60 cubic miles of ice per year between 2002 and 2006 and Antarctica lost 36 cubic miles of ice between 2002 and 2005.

7. Declining Arctic sea ice - The extent and thickens of Arctic sea ice has rapidly declined over the last several decades.

8. Glaciers have retreated almost everywhere in the world: Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa.

9. The number of record high temperature events in the United States has been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense rainfall events.

10. The carbon dioxide content of the Earth’s oceans has been increasing since 1750, and is currently increasing about 2 billion tons per year. This has increased ocean acidity by about 30 percent.

Elections + African photos

Go to top left hand - click on "slide show" for best results

http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/ANIMALSPLANTS?authkey=Gv1sRgCMvkv-Wm-KH4ogE#

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No new taxes! Really?

Here it is almost the election and one of the hot topics these days is taxes.

How did taxation get to be such a dirty word in American politics? Now in the election season it is held up as a banner that the right rallies around “No new taxes” “ tax cuts…” and the Democrats approach the topic with caution.

One evening in Tanzania we sat with two couples – one from Germany, the other from Sweden. They agreed that they didn’t understand the American fear of taxes – the German spoke saying “ Sure we have high taxes – but we have an excellently maintained infrastructure, you never see homeless people on the streets, quality medical care is guaranteed for all, and my children don’t have to go into debt for years to pay for their higher education. I think our system is great.” The Swedish people agreed that they had a similar system and were also very satisfied.

I suppose it comes back to the American concept of individual responsibility – The underlying theme seems to be “What I work for I should get to keep. “ “Why should I pay for someone who is lazy or not as smart or lucky as me…?" We believe in the pioneer idea of rugged individualism.

However, individualism seemed to work better in a wilderness or at least a rural setting – as people live in more dense groupings the pioneer concept of individualism becomes increasingly difficult – We have common needs that can not be denied – good roads and schools are difficult for individuals to design and maintain. It makes sense to pool money from all individuals to pay for services that we all need or may need.

In Arusha Tanzania tax money is not spent on sidewalks in front of the stores - If the shop owner wants a side walk they can add it - it not, people have to walk in the street. The result is a system of sidewalks with 3 foot drop offs as you pass from one shop to another... or people walk in traffic in front of many shops. Some side walks are a foot wide, others 8 feet wide. Its the ultimate in individual responsibility and free choice.

The focus on lower taxes has left us in the situation with not enough money to maintain roads and streets properly, support of public schools and universities has been reduced to bare bones, many state parks are now shut, and police, fire, and city services have been seriously reduced. What is so bad about funding those common services that benefit us all? I guess I'm a rare bird but I would support the idea of all of us chipping in a little more to have these services running properly again.

Bottom line is – if we done like how our tax money is being spent we can elect someone that will spend it in ways that benefits our mutual way of life – Electing people who only promise additional tax cuts will result in an even greater reduction in our shared community resources.

Photos of Two Projects

Notes 9/18

Photos and information on one medical and one educational project:

( Be sure to click on "slideshow" - top left... http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/TwoProjects?authkey=Gv1sRgCODcyd2XjJmbew#

Adventures come in all sizes and flavors. This morning, walking the dogs after a misty night, the moisture brought out the smells of fall. I feel like I am watching a drama that I have seen before as I see seed pods swell, flocks of geese strengthening their wings as they prepare to fly away, ripe apples and purple figs hanging from the trees… and after the light rain the smells are subtle and wonderful. Willy and Roxy check every detail as we walk, paying special attention to the ground squirrel holes. They take their task very seriously. This morning the smell of wet fennel plants was especially prominent.

I have recovered from my jet lag – but still wake early and go to bed earlier than before the trip. I love the early morning and watching the day unfolds. The dogs and I went out soon after first light. Walking is a social experience – I invariably meet others– so many of us are creatures of habit.

I have made the rounds of all my student teachers and interns - No major concerns… I am always struck by now much courage and determination it takes to take over a class – to come well prepared each day – to think on your feet and make critical adjustments as needed – to balance class management with leading the class into new concepts and ideas – to involve all students and not just the most vocal.

Out of nowhere, while driving on the freeway this week, a small stone came flying into my front windshield knocking a hole and forming a crack (which rapidly spread). It was probably a piece of gravel picked up by a truck tire and hurled through the air. Such a nuisance! My insurance pays part – but I must pay $250… At least the replacement people come to my driveway to install the new window. It has happened to me before – but I know no way to completely avoid it – except not driving on the freeways. I guess it is an advantage to bumper-to-bumper traffic – that is too slow to throw up rocks.

Sept. 11. 2010

Sept 10, 2010

Click on to open: http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/WALKTOWATERFALL?

Open Slideshow - top left...

The photos I am including this week concentrate on a one day hike, that Judy and I made up through a village street market, through farmland, up a canyon to some highlands and then I went down a sudden drop down to a jungle canyon with waterfalls. We took a local guide with us to show us the way.

-----Weekly blog 9/11/10: Fremont California

I’m waiting in the hallway of an Oakland school with a reputation for being in a tough neighborhood. It is a few minutes until the end of the class and so I look around –many floor files are cracked, paint is faded - it appeared that there has been little effort to maintain this old school building. Still the hall appears clean and waxed not long ago. In recent years Oakland City has made great efforts to improve public education, and some excellent school programs have begun... but change happens more slowly in some schools.

I am here to meet a Teach for America Intern, someone that I will supervise this semester. When the bell rings the hallway quickly fills with loud teenagers talking, laughing, and jostling on their way to their next class…and I enter the room to meet my teacher. It is his preparation period.

Teach for America attracts some of the brightest and best graduated students from American Colleges to teach academic subjects in inner-city schools like this. It is a very competitive program to get into! They receive intense summer “boot camp” training, in a Los Angeles school, in teaching strategies and class management. Once the year begins they have weekly seminars, an on-site support person, and someone like me to supervise. There can still be culture shock when a young teacher comes from a middle class background and goes to work in the midst of a culture that is so different. After three years working with Teach for America I am genuinely impressed with how effectively bright young teachers can establish trust and communication with kids that have not had many good breaks in their lives. It doesn’t happen instantly and there is not success in every case. It is hard work and I have great respect for each intern. I certainly don’t have all the answers that they need– and when I don’t I generally know where to go to help them find the help that is needed.

I have spent a lot of hours this week making my way through the traffic scrambles of Bay Area freeways – to reach my first introductory meetings with my new teachers. Its always a bit of a game to guess how much time I will need, what traffic conditions will be like, and getting myself to my schools with time to gather my thoughts. I have an impressive group of student teachers and interns this semester! In addition to Teach for America I am also working with student teachers or interns at Mills College and Alliant University. Student teachers work with a master teacher; the interns teach a full schedule of classes. I will start seeing the teachers in action next week. You might ask – Why would I choose to work when I am supposed to be retired? I can only say that I get easily bored – plus- I find this work interesting and fulfilling. There is so much positive energy in the young teachers and in their students. I am working about 20 hours a week…

Sept. 6, 2010

Maasai Photos: Tanzania: At top - click on "slideshow"

The apples were still cool from the night and wet with dew when I picked them this morning. My favorite variety, Golden Delicious, is still crisp and a bit tart but make tasty applesauce for the winter (Judy prefers puréed sauce and I prefer chunky – we make some of both.) We were a bit late for the Gravenstein apples, but we have processed all we can. As I worked there was one curious Scrub Jay that sat very close by on a branch and watched me. He is an old friend that has hung around all summer – with little apparent fear. I talk to him and he crooks his head to one side and looks me over.

The school year is falling into place. I will be working half time with a variety of student teachers and interns to supervise. I will be travelling from Berkeley to Hayward… never more than two visits in a day… leaving time for other projects. It is a daunting thing for a new teacher to take responsibility for teaching Biology to 32 tenth graders! It takes planning, audacity, and courage. I tell my student teachers that it is normal to start with an “imposters complex” to stand in front of the students and feel certain that all the students know that you aren’t really a teacher. But I tell them that at first it is like play-acting – they must play the part of the teacher and over a few days time they discover that they function quite well in that role.

Late summer – I prune back my shrubs before cold weather, collect all the cuttings and feed them into my “chipper”. It is so satisfying to see the big pile of nuisance branches turned into valuable mulch. I scoop all the chips into a big pile and the next morning the internal temperature is too hot to touch. The bacteria have started digesting any remaining sugars as they begin the break down process. If my pile should be allowed to get too large, spontaneous combustion might occur! If there are stray weed seeds mixed it they will get cooked and unable to germinate. When cool, the nutrients will go back into the garden, either mixed into the soil or as a top layer to prevent drying.

We have been home 9 days and our jet lag is pretty much gone – I am now sleeping until 6 AM – almost normal. We must take anti- malaria medicine one more week. Its only negative side effect if that it gives me very intense dreams – not unpleasant ones – but dreams with a strong degree of presence.

Our week with Heifer Project Photos

We spent a week in Tanzania on a study tour with Heifer Project International - This is a rural development project that gives bred livestock to impoverished farmers. The project is over 50 years old and operates in many parts of the world. Each person who receives an animal must share the first born female offspring with a neighbor and provide support to them. For each animal given there is an average of over 6 families who later receive "spinoff" donated animals. We saw over and over the life changing effects in nutrition and economic security from people who recieve animals!

http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/Heifer?authkey=Gv1sRgCLKwwL24ppXkIw#

Return to Fremont: Aug 31, 2010

Early morning clouds rest above 1000 ft on our closest Fremont hills. Mornings start out brisk, before the sun takes over midday. First apples are ripening…. I’m not ready for summer to be over! A week ago it was early spring in South Africa – here are signs of fall.

Jet lag has its advantages – I still wake at 4- It’s a quiet good time to work. I am alert and productive until mid morning… In the evening I cave in by 8… We have been home a week and are both still bumping into walls… It is said that coming west is worse for jet lag than going east. How much of it is due to just coming home from a great vacation?

Our two terriers turned inside out with joy on seeing us return. We spoil them terribly – This morning they looked at me putting on my shoes and they said, “Well, we are going to go for a walk aren’t we?” …And of course I couldn’t refuse them. They expect communal “everyone sit on the couch time” every evening – and if we are slow they come looking for us.

Slowly we are reconnecting with our regular lives… getting the garden back in shape, meetings, making plans with my fall student teacher supervision duties, restocking the kitchen, processing apples and tomatoes.

What do we tell people when they ask, “How was your trip?” How do we begin to tell them about the people we met, the scenery, the daily encounters, the projects that we want to support… the routine sounds and smells of Tanzania? The dala dalas, the uneven sidewalks, the pleasure of a Kilimanjaro beer and conversation in the evening! We were advised to prepare an “elevator speech” – an account long enough to tell someone with whom you share an elevator ride… Impossible! I took my blogs and a sampling of photos and put them on this blog site… I hope to make regular additions… it’s a good discipline for me.

Are we happy to be home? Yes and No… Our home and garden is beautiful, it is comfortable and easy to be here… It is so nice to be able to call family easily … to meet our neighbors and friends, easy access to computers, the produce section of our super market, our own “just right” bed, meaningful work and challenges…. But I think there must be some gypsy in me… I love waking in the morning and having to adapt to a different culture– I love traveling and not knowing for sure where I will sleep that night- I love the challenges of a different language, different money, and cultural expectations for which I must be mindful. I love being surprised and amazed by new sights and experiences that I could not anticipate. Being in a new cultural setting makes me feel alert and very much alive. I love sharing these experiences with Judy. Yes it’s good to be home but it’s so nice to be able to have good adventures too!

A sample of photos

Now that we are home I have had time to organize photos - Here is a sample of a few photos showing some of the experiences written about in the "Africa Notes"...

<http://picasaweb.google.com/jzlatnik49/LastImport02?authkey=Gv1sRgCO_-2aX2lterlgE#>

For best viewing I suggest that you click on "slideshow" in the top left hand corner -

John

Africa Notes 8

Africa Notes #8
Series written by John Zlatnik
July/August 2010

Roosters start their crowing well before dawn – they are so hopeful! With the first light the chickens and the wild birds join the chorus, and soon cow-bells in the field behind our sleeping space join in. Before long we hear the grinding of corn to feed the chicks. We are visiting Tim Sandoe, ex student and friend from Fremont that is serving a two-year stint in Swaziland in the Peace Corps. He lives and works in an isolated village in the highlands above Piggs Peak two hours from Mbabane by bus and combi (small van). Judy and I are staying in the "ancestors house" – a round hut with a thatched roof. The farm family that Tim lives with depends on their corn crop for subsistence, but they sell some eggs for cash.
Tim is engaged in HIV/AIDS education. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a disaster in slow motion! The Swazi population has one of the highest infection rates in the world; with about a third of the population is HIV positive. It is predicted that if things continue as they are, by the year 2050 Swaziland will cease to exist as a viable country. With proper treatment HIV patients can remain relatively healthy and active – but as the infection grows the cost is considerable and the drugs must be taken twice daily. Already vast segments of the society have died of AIDS, including trained professionals in key functioning roles. There are two important means for dealing with the crisis – prevention and treatment. Adult circumcision of males appears to be promising but it not easy to "sell", also consistent use of condoms is effective, but still lagging. Tim’s work takes him into community groups and schools where he works to educate those most likely to be infected by teaching about the practices most likely to halt the spread.
I asked why this region has such a high incidence of HIV infections – I was told that due to economic pressures, many men go to South Africa to work in mining. They are away from their wives for long periods of time and some return with HIV. General cultural practices tend to condone multiple sexual partners. To some extent, reliance on traditional medical practices has inhibited prompt identification and treatment of HIV cases. Simple access to knowledge and medical help has been limited.
Friday we visited a local drama group that Tim supports– members of the group write and perform short educational plays for the purpose of educating the general community to better deal with situations that lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS. The group of young actors combines incredible music with their short productions. We found the acting to be remarkable.
Like many Peace Corp members, Tim lives a very basic life with few American amenities. He has adapted to the local language and cultural patterns and integrated himself into the life of the community. Walking with him along a dirt track, he stops often to speak with local people. The cultural patterns between people are polite and easy going. Tim’s diet is simple, based on available foods or things that he can buy in the closest larger village – but that involves an all-morning ride on a "combi" mini van- and they arrive only at irregular intervals. (So – how many people will fit inside a "combi"? - the answer of course is "one more".) Judy and I take combos that often have 16 people crammed into a normal size van. Tim is more fortunate than one PC volunteer we spoke to that must walk an hour to reach the combi stop, then hope that the combi will come that morning. He must also carry his propane tank to and from the combi after purchasing a refill.
In every trip there comes a moment when you turn around and start the process of returning home. We left Tim’s village yesterday – and are staying tonight in Mbabane, and tomorrow will take a small bus back to Johannesburg. Then we will warm up our wings and fly home to California. These last 5 weeks have been an epic journey for Judy and me – we have met so many wonderful people and seen such incredible sights. I won’t pretend that we have seen "Africa" – only that we have seen a few corners of Africa. It is often difficult to generalize because there is no single "Africa" – but a mosaic with many different facets. But we come away with some general conclusions about the peoples and countries that we have seen.
1. Africa is rich in both natural resources and in human resources. The natural beauty of many regions is stunning. So many of the people we have met have been polite and soft-spoken…. so gracious!

2. Large portions of the African population still live in abysmal poverty. Global climate change has produced devastating droughts and intense rainfall in different regions. (Normal weather variations are expected, but long term climate changes are happening here.) We come away with a much better understanding of the reality of living in a third world country (supporting your family on less than two dollars a day). Farmers can at least maintain subsistence farming if the weather if good.

3. During colonial times Europeans took control of all that they found useful in Africa. Few efforts were made to educate the African people – and when colonialism ended most European powers abruptly left leaving peoples with little education or preparation for self-management. Such conditions have made it possible for corrupt self-seeking dictators to rise to power in some countries.

4. The fall of colonialism has been followed by "neocolonialism" involving American, European, and Asian companies that come in to extract resources, often paying minimal wages, and provide little or no benefits for local people. In fact it is in the interest of large companies to keep education levels low – the better to control the local population. Examples would be large oil companies, mining interests, coffee, and forest products.

5. HIV/AIDS is having a huge toll on the continent – it’s hard to imagine the make up of cities and countries in 50 years unless the infection can be abated. It is truly akin to the plagues in Europe in 1300AD. The toll is felt at the national level – but also so intensely at the personal level – families without parents, schools with missing teachers, farms that are not tilled.

6. Both Evangelical Christian churches and Islam have undergone considerable growth in recent years. We see many new churches and mosques, and can sense the impact of religion on East African society.

7. There are amazing success stories of events within African counties that have achieved remarkable progress in a brief amount of time. There are dedicated African politicians, doctors, educators, scientists, etc working to bring improvements to their people.

8. Perhaps most important in bringing about positive change is the improvement of the education system so that more capable young Africans can join in building their countries. We found young people working in menial jobs but eager to complete secondary school and perhaps even go to university. But for too many the cost is prohibitive.

9. The other factor needed for change in Africa is access to capital. A bright young entrepreneur with wonderful ideas still would still be frustrated without access to loans and technical support. When support is offered it often comes with strings attached.

10. The medical system that we have seen often does what it can with
limited resources but is overcrowding. The doctor patient ratio is one of the most challenging in the world in Tanzania.

11. There are many caring people from Europe, America, and Asia who are donating time and resources to working with the African people. But we hear over and over that it is not effective to come and impose our ideas upon the Africans. We must be willing to work with them – listen to them and develop mutually acceptable plans that respect the local culture and the local economy.
So now as we leave – springtime is coming to the Southern Hemisphere – fruit trees are blooming and migrating birds are returning. Hard to imagine we will be returning to late summer in California!

Africa Notes 7

Notes from Africa #7 – Modern Heroes
Series written by John Zlatnik
July/August 2010

Quote: “The most difficult thing is to come up with is a vision of what could be done, and then find the courage to begin. Once people see what you are doing others will want to help and will volunteer their time.“

1. Hero One: Mama India: http://www.tanzanianchiensfund.org/founder.htm
After nearly an hour on a treacherous rutted red dusty road we found our goal… the Rift Valley Children’s Village. (A miracle in itself given the number of forks in the road with no sign markers but fortunately folks along the way who knew where Mama India was). Like other dreams, this started small – An American business woman, named India Howell, came to Tanzania on vacation and the seed was sown – she returned to Tanzania with the dream of making a home for orphans and for children of the working poor who can not provide for their children. The “children’s village” was started far from the main road but near a large village of coffee pickers (who make an average of 36 cents a DAY for their labor). Mama India began to share her dream with others in America – describing the conditions under which children were living and their prospects without education. Donors paid for the construction of five freestanding homes for 11 children each and 2 volunteer staff. Mama also began to interest people (mostly young college age and older) to come, live and work with the children. Each volunteer must pay $130.00 a month for room and board– they tend to stay from 3 weeks to several months. The children seem to understand that they can come to any adult for loving care or help, but the children also are expected to live up to reasonable behavior expectations. About 100 local people are employed as staff to run the many details of the home. Students attend a near by state-run school. Over time Mama India’s dream has expanded to support more students, provide medical care, and a social worker that works with community people. The Rift valley center also provides micro loans to parents and others in the community to assist them in economic development. Currently 69 kids live here and 25 KLF (kids living with family) more have living relatives but are here during free time in the daytime. In addition to the living units, a kitchen/cafeteria, a library, housing for the volunteers, and a nurses office have been added. Power is provided by solar collectors, and when we visited there was great excitement because each unit had just received a wood burning external water heater to provide hot water for a few hours in the evening. The kids look healthy and well cared for both physically and emotionally.

2. Hero Two: Dr. Frank Artess: http://www.fameafrica.org/

Frank was a successful anesthesiologist with a good practice in Modesto CA. He and his wife Susan travelled to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Near the top he developed severe altitude sickness, and as a doctor he realized the symptoms were serious, possibly deadly. His porters carried him over the mountaintop and down a safe route to a hospital where we recovered (fortunately without heart damage from the ordeal). When he was cleared to leave, the Tanzanian doctor told him pointedly that doctors were needed much more in Tanzania than in California. Tanzania has 1 physician for every 25,000 persons – one of the lowest ratios in the world.
Back in California, he and his wife Susan made the decision to sell his medical practice, sell their California homes, and move to Tanzania. They purchased land in a region that overlapped several tribal groups, a location with relatively easy access for many – and they established a medical practice directed toward serving the tribal people of the area, but open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Frank and Susan shared their vision with others in America; they have received grants from foundations, and established a web site to spread their message. With the money they have received they have been able to currently operate a small well-furnished clinic, equipped to hold patients for no more than 12 hours. Ten days a month they travel a route through the countryside with their mobile clinic and treat most distant patients. They see an average of 600 patients a month.
A physician who wished to volunteer for a year donated money to build a house for other visiting doctors and surgeons to stay since he wanted to come and the only other volunteer bungalow was already filled. They currently have more medical personnel who have volunteered their services than facilities to house them. The construction of a fully equipped laboratory and a small hospital is well underway. Their practice is growing as many traditional people are beginning to discover and trust Dr. Frank. One of their recent success stories is that the remote very primitive bush people are beginning to seek help as a relationship is being established. One of their recent problems involved nighttime elephants that visited the garden (an important source of food for the hospital staff) and plucked out those plants that pleased them most! (I will never complain about snails in my garden again!)
While we were there an affluent Indian African family brought in an elder man who had fallen and broken his nose. Those patients are charged full rates to help pay for those who cannot pay. Sometimes they return from mobile clinics with chickens and/or goats given as payment. Susan doesn’t like to eat goats she has babied on a trip so they go to staff that have no such qualms.

3. Hero Three: Sister Alexandra: http://www.dailynews.co.tz/feature/?n=6700&cat=feature (no site specifically for Sister Alexander)
Sister Alexandra has as her special mission the care of HIV and AIDS families. If a parent is sick it impacts the rest of the family. If a major breadwinner in sick not only are they not contributing to the benefit of the family, but the family members must spend extra time and resources for the care of the person. If one or both parents is sick or has died of AIDS then life must go on, despite the burden on those who remain well. In a growing number of cases young children, some as young as 6 years of age, are acting as head of household for all younger children. HIV can be controlled with increasing effectiveness if the patient takes the required daily drugs – but drinking alcohol negates the effectiveness of the drugs. This is the conundrum that Sister Alexandra faces daily. One of her solutions is to provide HIV/AIDS affected families with small livestock like chickens, goats, and pigs to help them build some financial independence, through a partnership with Heifer Int. These animals require less care than large animals, contribute greatly to the family nutrition and can produce good financial profit for the family. Sister Alexandra is a one-woman organizer of who needs help, what training and follow up is needed, and finding sources of financial help. To assist child lead households – she attempts to gain support from neighbors, and support for their animal projects. Sister Alexander dresses in a crisp white habit, but when she visits a farm project, she wraps a colorful African cloth around her waist and over her shoulder to protect her clothing from dust and mud. She seems imperturbable! Her order, the Sisters of the Virgin of Kilimanjaro, is a medical order that seeks to address the AIDS crisis as it affects all family members.

Nkosi Johnson – a 12-year-old patient with AIDS said it best…
“Do all you can
With what you have
In the time you have
In the place you are.”

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Topic One: Albino Africans are born with very little pigment in their skin. In parts of East Africa Albinos – especially young Albinos are sometimes kidnapped, killed, and their body parts sold. The body parts are purchased (for big bucks!) and the buyer will take the part to a witch doctor to create a “medicine” that is supposed to make that person very wealthy. Seventy albinos have been killed in the last 3-5 years in Tanzania alone. The albinos also have severe problems with light intensity, with both near and far vision, and with sunburn sensitivity. Today Judy and I delivered two large boxes with several hundred pairs of reading glasses to be distributed to the Albino community. They come from a project in the US called “Glasses for Africa”. We met with part of the Albino community in a special high school – all spoke some English and we had a wonderful warm meeting and exchange of glasses and information. Heifer Project supports such donations but feels that the long-range solution is to build more financial security and community project independence. One challenge to the Albino community is how to provide effective sunblock to all – when Tanzanian government policy does not support importation of such products. Each Albino requires ½ liter of sunblock every 3 months – and next year they will have 200 Albino students in the school.

Topic Two: We were waiting for dinner at the Ungorongoro crater lodge and one of our Heifer friends came to us and said, “ I just met some people that I think you and Judy need to meet – So we met Jo and Marian. They also come to Tanzania on holiday a few years back and caught the dream of developing a self-sustaining program to provide education to Maasai girls. The dream began to take shape as they built a guesthouse in the desert of Northern Tanzania near to the Longido Mountain Range, in the heart of traditional Maasai country. Early afternoon today we boarded the “Rainbow Bus” that travels to Nairobi Kenya, passed through the road construction dust and washboard dirt road to find an incredible guesthouse built along the ideas of a traditional Masaai hut. Round brick wall, with a few separate guest rooms around the periphery. The central space is a common area marked off by Maasai congas. Their basic concept is to provide full sponsorship for Maasai girls to go as far in education as they are able. They also have started projects to promote micro banking and a community library. To support these endeavor they take profits from the guesthouse and engage in self-empowerment business models with Maasai women. A recent project involved providing poor women with a pregnant goat – and then like the Heifer project, the first baby must be given to another woman, etc. Each woman must pay a small yearly membership to participate - The fees are turned around to support student fees. They also accept donations from North Americans and Europeans. It was great fun walking through the busy Wednesday market with them as they greeted friends and introduced us to many very traditional Maasai men and women – all dressed in their bright Maasai traditional dress and jewelry.
Another project involves microbanking – giving small loans to very poor village women as “seed money” to start a business or other steps toward economic security. They have 50 weeks to pay back the loan in small weekly payments – The payback rate is almost 100%, and the principal can be used again and again to start new microbanking projects. We witnessed a meeting today that involved about 80 women, as considered adding a saving component to their program - The saving plan was agreed upon in a very democratic open forum discussion.