Vernier Caliper

Found this image by accident yesterday. It was taken (thx, Iona) during the inventory work in the Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve in Brazil (see Tapajós-Arapiuns) and shows me (with beard) explaining to the field crews how to use a vernier caliper to read a dendrometer band (see How to Make Dendrometer Bands) to see how fast a tree is growing. It's a bit complicated, actually, and I was having trouble explaining how to do this with my horrible Portuguese. [NOTE: The Forest Stewardship Council cap is long gone. I left it on a chair in a restaurant in Santarem]. 

Zen Lettuce

Saw this in the store last weekend. Not sure what makes this organic lettuce a "Zen" blend. Can only figure that it is the triple washed (lave trois fois) feature, in a tentative reference to the Three Jewels or Three Treasures, i.e. Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, that Buddhists take refuge in. 

In Pali:

Buddham saranam gacchāmi
Dhammam saranam gacchāmi
Sangham saranam gacchāmi.  

But I could be wrong.

Growth and Reproduction

Beautiful time lapse from Daniel Csobot showing two of the most important and critical phases in the life cycle of a vascular plant, i.e. growth and reproduction. From birth to birth and a continual probability of death at every moment in between. Botanical facts of life. [NOTE: I would definitely watch this full screen].

The Baseline

Laying out the baseline for the inventory transects at Shinlonga involved setting the first stake (see First Stake) and the last stake (see The Last Stake) and then cutting a straight path through two kilometers of tropical forest. Took several days. A lot of rattan spines, pouring rain, mosquitos, and leeches. And numerous, wonderful interactions (see Tool Repair, Indigenous Knowledge, Shortwing Camp, Crossing Mawning Stream, and Believe Your Eyes). I am so ready to do another one these.   

Altar Buddha

Statue of Buddha on the main altar at the Empty Hand Zen Center. There is a garland of dogwood flowers around the statue to commemorate Buddha's birthday (see Bathing the Buddha).  Something very comforting and calming about this statue, and it has played a major role in my practice over the last 8 years. It sits, abiding calmly, as I squirm.

To fully actualize the Buddha's golden body with the golden body - to arouse the way-seeking mind, practice, attain enlightenment, and enter nirvana - is nothing but being, nothing but time. 

Eihei Dogen
Uji: The Time Being
Kosho Monastery Period, 1233-1243 
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Shobo Genzo)

Lot of Mud on the Ledo Road

On the way up to Namyun during January of 2005 (see January 18-19, 2005 entries in Myanmar 2005 journal), we had to cross a river bed with some really deep mud. The truck in front of us had just gotten stuck and everyone was standing around trying to figure out what to do. All trafiic along the Ledo Road was stopped until this truck could climb up out of the river. After much pushing and digging - it did. And we made it, too. A lot of swerving and mud flying everwhere and spinning wheels, but we didn't get stuck, [NOTE: I assume than U Tun Shuang (see Group Photo)  took the photo, because that's my head, and hand, and white t-shirt in the right foreground; U Tin Maung Ohn is to the left]. 

Flowers 2013

Very little that I need to add to this image. This is what the bed in front of my house looks like. Such a joyous time in the yard. Pollinators are working overtime. [NOTE: Shown are echinacea (Echinacea sp.) and black-eyed Susans (Redbeckia hirta L.)].

Somewhere On The Way To Yangon

One of the many stops that we made on the way to Yangon on the infamous Mandalay Express train ride (see Mandalay Express). Don't remember the name of the town. I remember that Andrew got off to buy some peanuts or something while I was leaning out the window taking pictures,  and that the train started to leave. A bit of anxiety that Andrew might not make it back on the train.  

First Stake

This image is the starting point of this one. The first of 20 stakes set along the baseline of the Village Management Area (VMA) at Shinlonga (see Holding the Rope and Shortwing Camp). Each stake 100 m apart, carefully laid out, and cleared, with slope corrections and paint and flagging. Monumental effort. [NOTE: Judging from the background in the photo, it looks like we had to cut through a rattan thicket to set this stake].

How To Make A Plant Drier

So we had just come out of the Hukaung Valley Tiger Preserve with a lot of plant specimens in plastic bags drenched in FAA (formalin and acetic acid), and we needed to dry them before heading back to Yangon and New York. We found a local carpenter in Tanai (see Tolagyi Tour of Tanai) and sketched out what we needed. Essentially a box with a metal bottom and air holes that we could put a heat source (charcoal burners) under and dry the specimens. Turned out really nice. [NOTE: There's a story about what happened here, but I'll save that for another time. Bet you can guess].