Cutting Xylocarpus

Small community sawmill in the Kikori River floodplain of Papua New Guinea (see Village Sawmill in PNG). The beautiful red wood is mangrove cedar (Xylocarpus granatum Koenig), a local timber species in the mahogany family (Meliaceae). The wood was harvested using protocols developed by the Kikori ecoforestry project (see Palms of Kikori, PNG). Lucas Mill courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund, but that's another story. [NOTE: The sawyer has a mask for the dust, and headphones for the noise, yet is barefoot].

Compass in Kapuas Hulu

Melayu field assistant taking a compass bearing as we run inventory transects through tembesu (Fagraea fragrans Roxb.) stands in Danau Sentarum National Park in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan (see Danau Sentarum). Of interest here is the way he has the Silva compass resting on top of a stake that he has cut and carved. Always stays flat, easy to swivel, and frees up his other hand for taking notes. Essentially turns a hand compass into a staff compass. Ingenious. [NOTE: I had forgotten about this trick until I came across the slide. Wish I could remember this man's name...].

Gifts From Sandy

Sections of a large, approximately 40-inch diameter oak (Quercus sp.) tree blown down by Hurricane Sandy (see Waiting for Sandy) neatly stacked and hauled out to the curb. Not sure who is going to pick these up and remove them. Not even sure how they got them out to the street. Each one of these must weigh hundreds of pounds. Would be great firewood. Or coffee tables. 

Cutting Shakes

Using a wooden stave as a mallet and his parang, or bush knife, as a froe, this Dayak villager from West Kalimantan cuts roofing shakes out of a downed Dipterocarpus trunk. Same resin infused (and extremely resistant) hardwood as recorded in the village of Ensibau (see Shingle Maker). Neither craftsman is wearing shoes as he chops away. [NOTE: It takes a forester to notice this, but the fellow in the upper right background of the image is wrapping a d-tape around a tree to measure it's diameter. Apparently, we were running transects when we passed the shake cutter].

Wet Boots

Starting another day of palm surveys in the flooded forests of the Kikori River basin in Papua New Guinea (see Palms of Kikori, PNG). Video was shot and narrated by Kevin O'Regan, the Kikori mill manager (see Typo), in August, 2000. [NOTE: Truth be known, Kevin was the one who designed the lovely sign at the entrance to the mill].

Nice Job

Am about halfway through Matthew B. Crawford's marvelous book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work. Useful words about the decline in tool use, about making and fixing and taking care of things, about the value of meaningful work and self-reliance. An extended fugue on the idea of "let me make myself useful". I love this book. [NOTE: Crawford wrote a wonderful essay for the NY Times called "The Case for Working With Your Hands". Touches on many of the same ideas as the book. Well worth a read].

The photo above shows the piping that the plumber's assistant did when he hooked up our new boiler (see Oil to Gas). Took him several days to do the work. Carefully following the schematics for the Burnham ES 2 boiler, he worked slowly, carefully, and kept a meticulously clean work space (unlike the plumbers). Was totally engaged with what he was doing and was clearly enjoying himself as he cut and sanded and soldered and wrapped. This, I think, is what Crawford is talking about. Nice job. [NOTE: I have totally forgotten this craftsman's name, although I spent hours watching him work and asking questions. He was very patient with me].

Cusco Market, Revisited

Another look at the Cusco market (see Cusco Market), this time on a different day. Crowds are less, but there are still the potatoes, bright textiles, brick streets, and cupolas to enjoy. [NOTE: This is a scan from an old slide (1985); sorry for the blue-ish cast].  

Tuk-Tuk in Luang Prabang

Zipping around in a tuk-tuk during my last day in Luang Prabang (see Morning Alms and Painting); that's the Mekong River at 0:30. Go here and here for other bumpy, tuk-tuk rides in Laos and Cambodia. [NOTE: I think Case and I were on the way to the airport to fly back to Vientiane when I filmed this. I am always a bit disconcerted about how bald the tires are on these things (0:07)]. 

Garden Buddha

The small Buddha statue
rained on for the sake of all beings

-Santōka Taneda (1882-1940)

[NOTES: Buddha statue in the garden at the Empty Hand Zen Center (check out the new website). Haiku from Mountain Tasting: Zen Haiku by Santoka Taneda, trans. John Stevens. Interesting biography of Santōka (with images) here].

Serious Cirrus

Rattans possess one of two different types of climbing organs; both are whip-like and spiny. A flagellum is a sterile inflorescence borne on the leaf sheath at the base of the petiole (go here for a picture of a flagellum).  A cirrus, on the other hand, is an extension of the leaf rachis beyond the terminal leaflets. The rattan leaf shown above, Plectocomia assamica (see Shooting Plectocomia), has an enormous cirrus which extends out over 2 to 3 meters. This massive, solitary rattan has one of the longest cirri of any rattan. It will rip a large hole in your shirt if it snags you while you're moving through the forest. [NOTE: The person in the blue plaid shirt (with all of the holes) holding the leaf upright for the photo - is me. Andrew Henderson and field crew are visible in the background].