The After Life (4/9/2021)

It has been a little over a year now that all hell broke loose. The now so dreaded Corona virus. We thought it would be a few months when we were told to shelter in place, but here we are, vaccinated and still teleworking, masked when we go out, forever changed. If there ever was a time that we lost our innocence it was this past year.

I read an article in the New York Times on where we to go now: post pandemic. My question is whether we are currently really post pandemic. The Spanish Flue took two years to resolve. Variants are popping up all over the place. However, it really made me think what this year did to me personally, in my relationships with others and in my outlook to the future.

I am happy to report that no one in my direct circle has died of COVID. I know of a few who have contracted the disease. A close friend Chuck who told me he and his wife got it between Christmas and New Year. A colleague of mine got it too. Her husband brought it with him when he visited his father in South Carolina. Thank goodness both just lost their taste and got sick and tired. Unlike with some, their only long-lasting effect seemed to have been the loss of taste and smell. I did hear of friends of friends whose relatives died of COVID, but none too close to me.

How did I change over this past year? For those of you who have been following me, 2020 has been my least productive blog year since I started this blog in 2013. Was I hoping to ever becoming an influencer (reviewing Virginia wineries, breweries, scenic areas, giving lectures and talks), making money and retiring on easy street with this blog? That hope evaporated last year. Only 19 posts, not as many hits as I would hope, and as I mentioned before, I would first need to allow advertising on my blog, something I never have.

So what was the reason? COVID depression? I do not think so; I became more introspective during that year of self-isolation. I tried to stay away from politics although it was difficult especially during an election year, after the killing of George Floyd, and with a virus and election denier like the former occupant of the Whitehouse in power. Not being originally from the U.S. and socially conscious, I ate this all up, but again, I tried not to bore too many of you all with my political views. The result, only 19 posts. Just before Christmas last year, I promised I would write more. However, guess how many post I wrote in March this year. Zero!

What happened the year of COVID and will it change me forever? I really threw myself back on my bonsai hobby. I did not watch more T.V.; I did a little more reading. I still have not finished the book “Overstory”; I pick it up, read it and put it down. I love it, but it is depressing at the same time. I did read the book “Rage” by Bob Woodward. Assuming it was well researched, I found it eye opening, well written and it basically enforced all my political views.

I watched bonsai YouTube channels, almost every evening. COVID depression, right? Alternatively, was it bonsai depression? No such thing, bonsai for me is very important nowadays. Currently, my bonsai trees are my form of therapy or meditation. I walk by my trees at least two or three times a day, examine them closely, and watch the progress. That tree has put out another leaf, oh look what is happening here or there. I am in love with this tree or that one! Finally, after a year of isolation with YouTube and my trees, I finally have the audacity to think that I can design a credible bonsai, know how to take care of them, and to advice someone when they ask a bonsai question on Facebook. This is quite the accomplishment after 33 years of dabbling in the hobby and studying it even longer than that.

I built this bench this past summer and I think I still do not have enough room for my trees.  In the foreground is a privet that I transplanted into this training pot this year.

How else have I changed, or how will I go on post COVID, if there is such a thing? I think I will value my friends more, and ignore those who do not agree with me. Value nature and the environment. I still remember so well how clean and clear the air was in May and June last year when there were so many fewer cars on the road. My wife still hopes I am kidding when I tell her that my next car will be a Tesla or maybe some other electric vehicle. She is a huge environmentalist as well; however, still a bit skeptical about electric vehicles, their range and their capabilities.

For the rest, I need to take care of myself, mentally and physically. During the past year, I lost approximately 10 lbs. This is still not enough in my eyes. I would like to lose another 10. Somehow, I have plateaued (or is it bottomed out?). Walking on average 80,000 steps or more per week according to my Fitbit, appears not to be enough. I need to do more, live healthier. The husband of a friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the uncle of my wife recently died at the age of 76, and a dear neighbor was found dead on his doorsteps, a heart attack in his late 70s. All too young; I have this fear that the day I retire I will die of some weird disease or get diagnosed with cancer and have weeks or months to live. Never able to enjoy the fruits of my long (illustrious?) career. In other words, retirement is on my mind. As you know, my last post mentions how much I enjoy my job, teaching and retirement weighs heavy on me. Oh well, hopefully I am not damned if I do and damned if I don’t.

John Dewey, teaching and changing the world (4/7/2021)

As I inform you in some of my posts I am or better, I used to be, part of a sermon writing group in my UU church. I say used to since because of COVID, we have not met in a year. However, some time ago group members asked me to continue to develop my previous post entitled “I love to change the world" into my next sermon. I had written it as part of an exercise and my follow participants thought it would make a great motivational type of sermon. Who am I to quibble with them and I started looking for a direction to take it. Should I take it into the purpose of life; purposefully living; having a goal after retirement; or what?

Looking online, you cannot avoid hitting philosophy when you start investigating such “lofty” subjects as existentialism, Plato, Socrates, Kant, Nietzsche, Emmerson, Sartre, Camus, you name it. Then I hit a name that I was not familiar with John Dewey.

Dewey lived from 1859 to 1952. Mr. Dewey was a professor of education and philosophy (or the other way around), but you get the messages. He was an atheist, very liberal, a believer that education was the solution to a lot of issues facing the world, and a very strong proponent of the women’s suffrage movement. Right up my alley.

What impressed me about Dewey was his educational philosophy. He suggested that “the purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one's full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good.” This reminds me so much of my graduate studies in the late 1980s and my own teaching philosophy.

When I entered New Mexico State University for my Ph.D. study I befriended a very interesting set of characters; a few will always stay with me at least in my mind; although, I have regretfully lost contact with all of them. Foremost was Daniel Manuchia, or Manuch as I used to call him. Manuch was a fellow graduate student and he and I often discussed exactly this philosophy of Dewey with each other, while we both had never discussed him by name. I don’t think we even knew of him. We had a few fellow grad students who were all into grades and grade point average and in acquiring those “pre-determined skills,” but not really learning anything about life and living. I came to grad school after 6 years of working overseas and running ins with some savory characters. Daniel had much bigger plans in life as an entrepreneur and innovator. As a result, he and I were always making fun of the other students and wondering where these grade point junkies would end up in life. We had fun doing research that was not related to our studies or discussing various plans.

It was during my grad studies that I could finally start thinking about my hobby of growing bonsai.  Manuch was managing a couple of greenhouses for the university and was growing seedlings for McDonalds (the burger place) to be distributed during Earth day (this was his idea that he marketed to the company ... my wife designed the marketing materials for him).  Manuch had grown Siberian elms and this is one of the three that he had grown in 1988 and given to me as seedlings.  This picture is from earlier this year (33 years old now) when it started flushing out.

Another was Reinhard Laubenbacher, a mathematics professor at the university. He rode a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, lived very minimalistic, and prided himself on doing research that was worthless to the defense industry. We often would have him over for dinner and talk about life, philosophy and politics over wine until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. Reinhard was another guy who was more interested in learning to live and enjoying life, rather than those “pre-determined” skills. He had a very interesting girlfriend Gene, who had somewhat of a similar outlook on life.

Alison Hill is the final person we were close to and also lost contact with. She already had a lot of life experience, maybe too much. We became close friends which lasted a long time, and I never really know what happened. All I know she too was more interested in living than her grade point average.

The other cast of characters were mostly political animals. Some were back biters, trying to get ahead, trying to make sure that their careers (in academia) were assured. Folks trying to do extra-curricular activities just to get noticed or get it on a resume. I am not sure if they ever learned to live.

During my career now 30 years later, I regret that we lost touch with Manuch, Reinhard and Allison. Subconsciously, I have followed Dewey’s advice and tried to learn to live. As an instructor I practice this as well. Dewey argues that the classroom teacher does not have to be a scholar in all subjects; but that she or he should exhibit a genuine love in the one subject the person is teaching. This should result in the feeling that students have that they are receiving genuine information and as a result they gain a better insight in all subjects taught. Dewey says it best when he writes: "teacher ought not to strive to be a high-class scholar in all the subjects he or she has to teach," rather, "a teacher ought to have an unusual love and aptitude in some one subject: history, mathematics, literature, science, a fine art, or whatever."

To end this essay, this was something Manuch and I frequently spoke about and something I found back in Dewey’ writing. Interesting how something like this brings me back 30 years ago. According to Dewey, this propensity and passion for intellectual growth in the education profession (my intellectual friends and I thought any profession) must be accompanied by a natural desire to communicate one's knowledge with others. "There are scholars who have [the knowledge] in a marked degree but who lack enthusiasm for imparting it. To the 'natural born' teacher learning is incomplete unless it is shared" he writes. As an educator I agree with Dewey when he concludes that it is not enough for the classroom teacher to be a lifelong learner of the techniques and subject-matter of education; she/he must aspire to share what she/he knows with others in her/his learning community. That is what I try to do every time I teach.

My wife sometimes jokes with me that I lecture too much or see everything as a teaching moment. Maybe that is my calling and maybe it will remain my calling until I die. Coming back to my previous post, maybe that is the best way I can contribute to changing the world.

COVID-19 Vaccine (02/25/2021)

I had my second COVID vaccination this week. Let me tell you it felt great. Actually it did not hurt, and psychologically it felt great too, knowing that I will be somewhat protected. I felt particularly good knowing that I was helping protecting others as well. On top of that, according to doctor radio: even if I get it, it seems that these shots should keep me out of the hospital and from getting seriously ill with all those complications. Since the shot was today (as of writing this section) it feels strange, but now I am sitting back waiting to start feeling crappy because of the vaccination; something I am somewhat happy about and looking forward to.

Holding my passport to maybe dining out one of these days.  That is one of those things I have missed the most.  While I like cooking and get bored with all the same restaurant food.  I am almost at my one-year anniversary (March 11) of house arrest.  

We are slowly increasing the number of people who are vaccinated against COVID-19. What amazes me is that there are still people holding out and do not want to get the vaccine. Reasons abound; the mother of a friend of our daughter is waiting for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine while her 80 or so heart patient husband is not vaccinated, as well. She does not trust the RNA vaccine. Others you hear tell folks that they do not deserve it since they are younger than others who are still waiting. It also seems that that many minority neighborhoods don’t have access to the vaccine; no CVS, or whatever is needed to distribute it.

While the lack of minority vaccinations is a different clear symptom of the racial and economic injustice, the former is pure ignorance and stupidity. Folks should realize that anyone who gets vaccinated is one less person who can potentially infect someone else. Moreover, there is one less person in whom the virus would be able to mutate and create or form a new variant. As we are seeing, variants like those from South Africa, Brazil and England are scary, more virulent, and might not sensitive to the vaccine. These variants are able to continue killing folks, maybe even at larger numbers. This is what herd immunity is all about and the drive to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. In other words, you should not feel guilty that you get the shot while someone else who might be more deserving still has to wait. Again, we want herd immunity and everyone helps. By being vaccinated, you slow down the spread and reduce the chance on mutations.

So yes, I am happy I am getting my shots and contributing to herd immunity and help protecting other folks who have not yet gotten their shots.

Short-term vs. long-term gain (2/17/2021)

This past week we had an impeachment trial of the inciting chief also known as the ex-president. There were a lot of GOP senators (and house members before them) who acquitted him. Not necessarily because he was not guilty for inciting a riot or worse an insurrection, but because of some bizarre technicality. At least that is the way they saw it. It seems that this might be for their short-term gain, avoiding pissing off the weirdo, very vocal tRump supporters, the Q-anon, proud boys, neo-Nazis, oath-keepers, and alike. However, will it help them, their party, or the country in the long run? I doubt it. Yes, the seven senators that voted to convict are getting crap at home, and so is Liz Cheney, but they had character, they called it out the way it was. These folks that voted to acquit will always be known, branded, for what they did, as spineless, characterless cowards who threw away the constitution and became complicit to a murder, invertebrate republicans. They threw away potential long-term gain for some short-term political gain. Will it be worth it? We’ll see!

I stole this one from a friend's post on Facebook.  I have no idea where she got it.  If it is copy righted let me know and I will give credit for it for sue, but this really shows what I mean.

And here I promised I would try to stay away from politics in the new year. Wow that did not last very long, did it? “Short-term vs. long-term gain.” It applies to daily life; in all decision, we make. What triggered that thought? It was partially the decision by the GOP senators, but I was reminded for a large part by a bonsai video blog (vlog) that I follow. All these events brought me back to my teaching, my motivation, and my graduate studies, which all have to do with long-term gain and where I am right now. Not that it always worked out, but I am in a good place.

I have been watching a vlog by Nigel Saunders called “the Bonsai Zone.” Nigel does clip and growth bonsai, meaning he hardly ever wires his trees. He has two famous sayings: “Here I go,” and “It does not look like much right now, but in ten or fifteen years from now it will look great.” Nigel looks long-term ; everything he does is for long-term gain. I figure that Nigel may be my age, or at most maybe 10 or so years younger. But he is definitely no spring chicken, he is retired, and his optimism and outlook for the future has no boundaries. I love his enthusiasm, his sometimes-non-conformity, and pure fun he has in all thing’s life. I see that a lot with Bonsai guys. Peter Chan from Herons Bonsai in England who is in his 80s is the same. It must have to do something with trees or plants. It sustains these professionals and gives them a long-term vision, a will to live, to plan for a future, far away.

I nurse some tropical trees right next to my teleworking station.  Note the grow light that I have above my trees.  I ordered it after Nigel got the same one from a fan and unpacked it on his show and liked it.  He still has it behind him on almost every video he shoots this season.  In addition I think it helps me with my seasonal affected disorder (if I have that). 

During my classroom teaching and in particular when I teach my “Plants for Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Professionals” class, I tell folks why I am a plant biologist instead of an animal or other type of biologist. One of the major reasons, I explain, is that if we animals do not like what nature throws at us, we can go inside, or in case of (real?) animals we can crawl under a rock, migrate, hibernate, you name it. Conversely, a plant just must stand there and take it all in, have a strategy to survive or die.

I graduated with a specialty in plant physiological ecology. This study explains why and how a plant reacts and deals with its environment. I particularly liked what was called stress physiology. I guess that this is probably why I like growing bonsai so much; you are stressing your plants somewhat, to develop a miniature version of the real tree.

I tell my students and I know that I have mentioned it once or twice here in my blog, biologists would make great economist. During my bachelor’s studies, my highest grades were in economics. Why is that you may ask. As Darwin put it, the natural world is all about “Survival of the fittest” or as I like to call it parsimony, or how to do things the most efficient. How do you achieve that? Mostly by thinking ahead, long range. If you do not, someone is going to outcompete you and you will be evolutionary history. Surprise, surprise, plants, in particular, are really good at this. Us animals, and yes, I count humans as animals, are more opportunistic and more reactionary. They can shoot from the hip, be more impulsive and think more short term.

Both behaviors have their advantage. Slow and steady has worked really well in the plant kingdom. Some plants are still here since the beginning of evolutionary time, many are not. I actually work with a few in my collection, like the dawn redwood and the gingko biloba. Animals have evolved. Maybe except for roaches and horseshoe crabs there are not many species that we know of who have outlived evolutionary time.

This all may change with climate change. We know that animals can move with the shifting climates, while many plants cannot and either must adapt, evolve, or simply die (become extinct). Many researchers are speculating about what will happen to ecosystems that are on the margins. For us stress physiologists it is an exciting time. It is a shame that I choose a different path in my career some 30 years ago, and am out of the loop. But so be it. My choice was short-term (financial) gain over the long-term intellectual. As I mentioned we all come to forks in the road of life and at times we must choose, not knowing whether deciding for short-term gain is better than choosing a path that may deliver long-term gain but is difficult to envision at the time. I choose mine, and I’m OK with it. I wonder if those politicians will be.

Winter is here (02/03/2021)

Winter has come to our corner of the world.  Not like the rest of the East Coast where they got up to 2 feet of snow yesterday and today.  We just got flurries and cold wind.  Of course it was on the day of the great rodent weather prognosticator, the wood chucks.  Strangely enough we all know that the astral spring is March 21, which is about 6 weeks from now; in other words it would make sense that it will stay somewhat cold for the next foreseeable few weeks.

I took this picture late last week after our first decent snowfall in a few years.  Decent means one or two inches.  The wind came up and blew some of the snow off the tree limbs and it was just beautiful and magical.

Teleworking is still interesting during these cold days.  My wife works down stairs, and I am sorry (for her) to say that the heat rises so she is cold and I am pretty comfortable up here in my perch.  We tend the run the wood stove only in the evening since it is in our library or what we call the stove room.  That room is the furthest removed from where my wife works, so it would have little or no effect on her warmth.  Moreover she would need to keep the darn thing loaded with wood.

Walking the dogs is fun now.  Jake the old guy loves this weather.  While he was on death's door a year ago and was given only a few days or weeks to live (read this post of last year), he is holding on, now a year later.  He absolutely loves this cold weather and actually is frisky.  He wants to join us on our lunch time walks and is genuinely disappointed when he has to go on a smaller walk in the morning before work.  He is just very slow.

I don't mind being slow when going out back into the woods.  I still like it when nature comes over me and when I have a chance to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the woods.  It never gets old, no matter what the weather is.  Right now, it is very wet out there and we are avoiding it somewhat; however, on the weekends you can find us somewhere in the woods.  I cannot believe there is anyone who can live without seeing or experiencing nature.  It is so darn important to get out there folks, there is beauty everywhere.

One more photo from our winter hike a few days ago.  Our favorite pond.  It has not been cold enough for it to freeze over.

Reading that post I wrote about Jake, now almost a year ago, I am not depressed.  Maybe it is because I have a powerful grow light next to me that helps with my little tropical bonsai trees that are next to me on my desk.  Maybe it is because of the change to a more emphatic political climate; although there are still a lot of nut cases out there.  But I try not to let it bother me right now; I have more work to do than I had in the past few months.  This, as the saying goes, should "keep me out of trouble".   As long as I can get out into the woods.  I have plans to get a few airlayers from a beech this spring.  Stay tuned.