I have returned home to San Juan Island safe and sound--but as sick as a dog--that is sick...so, since Sunday I have been sleeping, coughing, tossing and turning, coughing some more...sleeping while coughing and all the other variables possible with the above options. In short, while this visit to NE India was indeed a special one--it was an extremely strenuous one. In the next days I'll share a bit more of the highlights. Above is the culprit of the rat infestation. The Bamboo tree's seed pod. It is highly nutritious for pigs, goats, cows and many other helpful livestock--but the rats are far more aggressive.

High in the mountains of NE India live a minority ethnic group called the Hmar. These beautiful and resilient people have experienced trials common to indigenous peoples around the world-lack of respect, void of support, and a general ignorance as to their existence. I had the great privilege to spend some time in these rugged mountains this past week. I visited villages who told me that I was the first westerner that had visited them in nearly 100 years--the last being a missionary from Wales by the name of Roberts...who is lovingly remembered by all in this region because he developed a ministry model of indigenous missions. As a result, this tribe, once known and feared as head-hunters has since come into an amazing communal identity with Christianity and an obvious relationship with Jesus. Through generations of being a forgotten people they grew strong, not requiring the support of a central government In 2006 however, a horrible rat infestation decimated their mountain crops leaving them highly vulnerable. Rice farmers tell stories of them sleeping in their hilltop huts (such as the one pictured above), planning to begin harvest in the morning...and then through the night hundreds of thousands of rats emerging from the jungle like flooding river, eating everything, from seed to plant both in the ground and in storage. Over a period of 8 hours these villages lost the equivalent of 10 months of food. Since this time the indigenous church has joined together with the communities and they have purchased rice and dealt with the massive logistics of transporting it to these high mountain top villages--as a result of their tireless work not a single person has died from famine, though times have been tough. They are an inspiring people

To those out there who have followed the Cascadiantrail--I apologize for the lack of interesting postings. That will be changing soon as I am returning from a very interesting trip now and will be going on another in a few weeks. I look forward to sharing these experiences with you all and reading your feedback. Please feel free to ask follow-up questions that you feel might be interesting. mde

No matter if the move is accross the country or accross small San Juan Island it still tires me out... Most of our belongings are stored in friends garages or in a storage unit...but we still seem to be able to accumulate stuff. This stuff has now been transported from a great house in a beautiful setting to another great, though small, house in a different, but still great, setting. Since I am not writing from my computer I cannot share photos of the house yet...but if you scroll down to the posting of the grassy slop and lighthouse overlooking the ocean--or of my sister and my dog--just know that we are quite close to that location. This is the far southern tip of the island, and it is the area that Andrea grew up. I have really been looking forward to being out here this Summer as there are miles of secluded beaches (NW style) rocky bluffs, wind and waves. Today as we drove our belongings on the road at the top of the bluff there was a bald eagle just cruising the updrafts--hardly moving at all. I saw him see me...neither of us blinked

Note to Self (and you), When you find that it has been difficult to make a decision regarding choosing one thing over another... after you make said decision, it does not help to go to the location where the alternative choice is being rolled out of a crate still with the bubble-wrap on. The 2008 Triumph Thruxton is beyond sweet!!! But alas, my decision had been made...and the wise route taken. Rather than spending quite a bit more hard earned money I bought a beast...and transported "The Big Nasty" on the back of my "Moon-ride" Pathfinder (see archive post about "moon-cars") so, I now introduce you to my new friend: THE BIG NASTY I was, to be sure a site to behold driving down the road with this machine strapped to the back...I'll get her off the rack later to day and fire her on up...become prepared ... for a regular series of blog posts with titles such as "The Big Nasty Meets the Island" or "Me and the Big Nasty". If anyone desires to come visit...you can have your picture taken with the Big Nasty--wow...what an honor!! mde

Just when I thought I had exhausted all the free WiFi coffee shop locations I stumbled into Griffin Bay Book Store on Spring Street in Friday Harbor... it's a book store in the front and a coffee shop in the back...sort of sneaky really. I came in here for a birthday gift for my nephew...walked out with a Jack Johnson CD and the soundtrack from "Once Upon A Time in Mexico" I'll share with you if either of these CDs are any good. so, I'm here...listening to sleepy music and working away...but to stay awake I thought I'd share with you that while the hybrid electric-gas engine is a great idea...and the coffee-shop bookstore is also a pretty good idea...this one makes me sleepy...and I prefer Front Street still. I'm not sure anyone really cares...but...the coffee ( a small single shot Americano) and the chocolate-coconut bar were good. On to the next Coffee-shop Wifi review...but first...it's TurboTax time!!

I have been dreaming of riding a 2008 Triumph Thruxton around the windy roads of San Juan Island...while the photo is of a red bike, my dream has me straddling a black one. Leaning left, then right I hug the corners of my little island utopia where white puffy clouds cast no shadows and the lush green vegetation need no wet rainy spring to sustain it. Regardless of the direction my minds eye takes looks there is no traffic in my vision and the snowy peaked mountains of the majestic Cascades and mysterious Olympics beckon me from across the frosty, windswept but simultaneously placid ocean... As I seek the logistics of fulfilling this daydream I find similar machines--not EXACT... but compatible with the pulse racing affect of the two-wheeled freedom of expression. It is the 2003 Triumph Thunderbird Sport... Interesting, as I test it on my dream's perfect roads... A little research shows that while orange is a cool color....the 2004 version of this same bike is black with a small bit of yellow...a little less orange might be nice... Now my dreams take me down the same roads though now I alternate between the mighty Thruxton with it's throw-back cafe-racer lines of the 70's and the slightly classier, less aggressive posture of the Thunderbird Sport Then the impossible happens...I stumble upon the best of both worlds...a slightly used 2004 Triumph Thruxton...black with a checkered flag stripe down the middle of the tank and back fender...just like God Himself had intended...no overdose in vitamin C from the tangerine influenced Thunderbird--its thousands less than the transcendental red machine that first inspired the dream--it is in a word PERFECT. The dream is nears reality...in real life some extremely important developments occur that promise to provide the resources necessary for this black beauty to be propelling me along the gem infused black-top of the world in my mind. Reality Check I wake up with embarrassing drool coming from the side of my mouth and gouges in my cheek from my fingernails and a pounding head-ache and find that I have sufficiently talked myself out of my own dream and have a 1984 Honda XL 600 Enduro... Possibly I'm not classy enough for a Thruxton I think to myself before drifting off again...this time I'm blazing up a mountain road covered in timeless pine needles as I wind up the twisting dirt tracks that lead me into Cascadias remote wilderness. I'm still smiling

I saw a good bumper sticker today. It read: " If you love Jesus, seek justice, any fool can honk" I tried to find a picture of this bumper sticker online just now and could not (easily and quickly)...but in the search found an interesting blog. http://www.fischtank.com/ft/inthetank.cfm as well as a bunch of hilarious bumper stickers... Wondering if anyone else has been inspired by bumper philosophy lately?

Yes...I'm dreaming...but it's such a nice dream...

New York Yankees star third baseman Alex Rodriguez is said to be receiving a salary for this season valued at $28 million. According to ESPN.COM , " A-Rod tops the major league baseball salary list at $28 million, according to a study of contract terms by The Associated Press. The 33 players on the Marlins' opening-day roster and disabled list total $21.8 million." Alex Rodriguez' roots are from the Dominican Republic, a nation that is routinely affected by natural disasters and severe economic underdevelopment, but is simultaneously head and shoulders above its island neighbor Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. In the Dominican Republic the GDP per person is $8,000 per year (http://www.aneki.com/dominican.html) ...someone else can do the math to discover the percentage difference. In a land where market freedom is defended, promoted and celebrated the chasm between the rich and the poor grows each day in accordance to the opportunities each has for growth. Those who have limited access to opportunities have limited opportunities to access--less of a chance to improve their socio-economic position. I don't know the solution...but the problem seems clear mde

Last night I was going over some older photos I'd taken in 2007. I was struck by series of pictures of children in an IDP camp in near Lira, Northern Uganda. I used one of them in a recent blog discussing IDP rights as compared to the rights of refugees. The Three Photos below are special to me. The expressions and eyes of these children strike me, and humble me. I hope and pray that these kids grow into healthy young people who contribute to the healing of their beautiful nation. I hope you enjoy these pictures as well. For REALLY amazing images from around the world please visit Matt Powel's site linked on the right side of this blog. mde

sweater was knit by my sister Abi and designed by a friend of hers. the design is called, Leifs Twisted Tree Pullover

It has been years since I've hiked the trails of Mr. Finlayson on San Juan Island. In a cool but stunning early Spring day we enjoyed creation. This is my sister and my dog enjoying the view of the Straights of Juan de Fuca and of the Olympic Peninsula beyond

One of the original ideas of this blog was to show-case some of the regions greatest hikes. The Cascade mountains and the seaside lifestyle are two elements that I have missed in the years away and they are some of what I would like to celebrate now that we are back. Yesterday morning as I worked from my home office on San Juan Island I watched from my desk as 6 bald eagles, 4 adults and two young circle as they descended on something out in the pasture land below the house...it was an amazing site to be sure. Later that day the family and I packed a small picnic and went for a one-hour lunch break hike up Mt. Young. The path took us through a fir forest and then into a section of my favorite tree species, the Madrona. These Madrona trees twist and lean through the forest in search of sunlight and their amazing shapes and colors are beyond cool. Spring is arriving to San Juan Island quickly. It almost seems as if time-lapse imagery was occurring before our eyes as the ferns and moss seemed to be exploding from rocky nooks and forest orchids poked their green little heads through the leaves at the edge of the path. The walk from computer screen to summit and back to computer screen took about an hour and twe nty minutes--this included toting a two year old the whole way. It was a gr eat way to spend an lunch break and one that I'll repeat often this Spring and Summer... Next hike will be Mt. Finlacin on San Juans southern tip. posted by mde

Not all of Gods Springtime miracles are especially adored. This is especially the case in North East India where at the completion of the particular bamboo life-cycle the tree (a type of reed or grass really...I believe) blossoms. The blossom, one would think, would be a special thing because of its infrequency. While it is indeed special, it is not what the people of Sateek, India look forward to. The last time the bamboo did this, a war also blossomed from the discontent of the population in relation to their stature within Indian society resulting in thousands of deaths. The struggle did not garner them the independence they desired, though there was sufficient pressure to create a specific state called Mizoram within India. The reason this is worth blogging about is that the blossoms are considered a delicacy for the rat population of the region. They absolutely love it, and it has a significant affect on rat reproduction. The increased number of rats combined with what experts say is the high protein bamboo blossom powers an army of rats that consume first the blossoms and then attack farmers fields. These rats are currently decimating the rice stocks and harvests of the area placing millions of people in a position of food insecurity. While the local populations of Mizoram call the situation "mautum" which means bamboo death, national authorities have been reluctant to bring significant assistance to the area. In the coming weeks I will be headed to this region of India to provide first hand assessment and meet with local leadership to identify a strategy to minimize the affects of the current mautum...safe-guard what is left of food supplies and bring in additional food to help the community sustain itself during this crisis sources: Reuters AlertNet, and first hand contacts in Mizoram, India

Internally Displaced People There are 5.8 million people who have been displaced from their homes and villages in Sudan alone. This number only reflects the total number of people who have been forced from their homes who have not crossed and international border. When this happens they officially become a refugee and they are present ed with a series of human rights and are granted certain protections from the United Nations and many multi-national and bi-national treaties. Being a refugee is a tough tough existence to be sure...being an IDP is several times more difficult due to the mere fact that an IDP is less visible in todays world...they have less of a voice and are very often even more vulnerable. In the last 18 months as the crisis in the Sudan's Darfur region continues to fester thousands of IDPs crossed the eastern border with Chad and became refugees. Ironically, and tragically, these people are being hosted in Chadian communities, where natural resources, such as water and grazing land, is hardly sufficient. These communities struggle to be sustainable within their own population, and with the influx of people, quickly consumed the meager resources available. When the international community arrived to support organizations found that grantors like the UN and governments were more eager to invest resources in support of refugees and not especially keen on supporting the communities hosting them. This inequality of course led to conflicts between people in the host community and the refugee community as aid was granted to the refugees only--effectively creating a scenario where it was more difficult to live in one's own town, in one's own home than it was to cross the border from Darfur. To be fair however, both situations are harsh, tragic and will only result in stunted opportunity for the young and misery for the old. International Law, governmental policies on human rights and foreign aid are often spoken about in US presidential election sound-bites. They are not the key topics of speeches and perspectives will on the rights of IDPs will not tip any candidate over the brink and secure a nomination. However. In Sudan alone 5.8 million IDPs struggle to exist each day. Their homes have been burned, their crops destroyed. More than 300,000 of their friends, family members or neighbors have been killed in Darfur alone. The implementation of these sound-bites mean life or death for many. Mr. Benjamin Cortez, a Nicaraguan author, and Liberation Theologian once shared with me while motoring up the Rio Coco on the border of Honduras and Nicaragua that the foreign policy of any American President is more important to the developing world than it could ever be to the people of America because the impact, or lack there of, is direct rather than theoretical. He did not offer advice regarding the wisdom of one path over another...only left me thinking. Some interesting IDP related Statistics from the Internally Displaced Monitoring Center: The civil war in Sudan has generated the largest internally displaced population in the world during the past two decades. Most IDPsdo not live in camps which makes it harder to monitor numbers. Despite the scale of the problem, no systematic mechanisms to monitor population movements have been set up in the country and most figures are estimates and projections. As of November 2007, there was no official consensus on the overall number of IDPs in Sudan. A frica remains the continent with the highest numbers of people who have been internally displaced due to conflict. While some conflict situations, as in Burundi and Uganda, appeared to improve during 2006 with substantial numbers of IDPs beginning or continuing to return home, many other countries have experienced a clear deterioration of their situation, as was the case in the Central African Republic (CAR). Chad has appeared for the first time on the list of displacement-producing countries, with no indication of an imminent improvement of the situation. Sudan and the international community continue to struggle to find solutions in the Darfur region, where violence and human rights abuses continue unabated. Somalia has experienced a very volatile year, marked by drought, floods and conflict and has, in the last days of 2006, plunged back into outright conflict. Many countries, like Rwanda and Kenya, have suffered from conflict-related displacement for years. Such protracted displacement situations, left to fester without any effort at finding a long-term solution, may in themselves harbour the seeds for renewed conflict.

matt johnson We are all merely a heart-beat away from the after-life...regardless of our beliefs of what comes next the fragility and resilience of life is remarkable in their contrasting extremes. These thoughts currently are in reference to the trials that Matt and Jackie Johnson are currently enduring. The fervent prayers of my family and I are with them. We will be participating in being checked to see if we are a match for the bone-marrow match that is so urgently needed and hope that as many of you as possible will also consider doing this as well. Miracles happen every day and this is what we hope and pray for in this instance as well--just as we pray for and entrust the Johnsons into the hands of gifted doctors. Below is an excerpt from an email written by Jackie Johnson, Matt's wife and the mother of his four small children --------------------------------------------- Dear Family and Friends, I know many of you are wondering what we found out at our appt. yesterday down at Fred Hutch. I just don't have it in me to explain it all now, but the following will be going in the Friday Harbor Journal and Island website. (Where we grew up.) This lets you know where we things stand, searching for a donor so that the transplant can take place quickly. We are waiting for typing results on Ben, Matt's brother. It could take up to 2 weeks for the results. Meanwhile, Landon, Matt's cousin will also begin the extensive typing process in the remote chance that he may be a match. The drs. are saying Matt's life expectany without the transplant is 18 months. There is a 50% chance that the transplant will be successful in curing him. There is a very long road ahead of us, and definitely risk involved for Matt in the process. We are praying for a miracle. As I have said before, we are depending on God to carry us through this. Please forward to your contacts who you believe might be willing to donate, and PLEASE pray for a donor, as well as a Matt's cure. THANK YOU! love, Jackie Matt Johnson, a 1992 graduate of Friday Harbor High School has been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. This very rare blood disease is a precursor to Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Matt's only hope for a cure is a stem cell transplant. Matt and his wife Jackie (formerly Jackie King), also a Friday Harbor graduate, and their 4 children - Dustin 7, Tesa 4, and twin girls Taylor & Jordyn 15 months, live in Lake Stevens, where Matt supports his family as an electrical contractor. Matt's MDS is an aggressive form and it's critical that he find a match immediately. A bone marrow drive in Matt's honor will take place at the Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, March 18th from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM and Wednesday March 19th from 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM, and will expedite placement of potential donors, aged 18 to 61, to the National Bone Marrow Registry. The test is a simple saliva sample. The cost is $25.00 but for anyone unable to pay, the cost will be taken care of by Matt's families. For those who live off-island and would like to know where to donate, please go to www.psbc.org . If you have any questions please call: Margaret Johnson (360) 472-0123 or Greg King (360)378-2151 Your Prayers for a match and cure for Matt are sincerely appreciated, Matt, Jackie, Dustin, Tesa, Taylor, and Jordyn Johnson Kerwin, Margaret, Ben, and Vanessa Johnson Rick and Karen King Greg and Natalie King Steve and Kelli King

Mis-understood and mis-understanding feared and fearful proud and impoverished strongly led and deeply mis-guided beautiful and tragic mde

Floods (Ecuador and Bolivia), IDPs (Internally Displaced People) in Colombia, Sudan, Indonesia and many others, OVC's (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) throughout the world but especially in South East Asia--Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and the forgotten crisis' such as the multi-decade strife that has engulfed the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are every-day realities for millions upon millions of people. Each person has a role to play, whether it is acknowledged or not--there are very few people left on our planet who's actions do not in some way affect other peoples actions. I'm soon to be headed on another journey--to a land shrouded in the unknown...information and misinformation mixes together to create a situation nearly impossible to discern truth or chart wise strategies. Anyway, these are some of the thoughts that are bouncing around in my mind today... mde

How Soccer Explains the World: An {unlikely} Theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer This was a great read! I highly recommend this well written, fun, interesting book that inter-twines the history of the game of soccer with some of the major events of history. Foer is the editor of the magazine "The New Republic" and a contributing editor for New York magazine. He's also written for the NY Times, Wall Street Journal and the Atlantic Monthly, Slate Foreign Policy and Spin (info from the "about the author" section) The chapter titles reveal the interesting thought process and research that Foer makes. Each chapter title starts with "How Soccer Explains..." ...so, Chapter One is: How Soccer Explains the Gangster's Paradise...Ch 2 the Pornography of Sects...Ch 3 the Jewish Question. Each chapter has sections devoted to some of the worlds most famous European Clubs...laying bare some horrible and hate-filled histories that can still be seen...as well as some amazing things to be impressed by. I loved the book and think it's a great read. mde

This was typical of the shelters I saw in the rural communities surrounding the flood ravaged city of Villahermosa, Mexico. Along countless miles of roadway travelers see the desperation that many millions in the world live within. This compels me to inquire as to the value of shelter. What does it mean, how does it benefit people, and how is the lack of adequite shelter an impediment to health, well-being and the American notion of the pursuit of happiness? Is the pursuit of happiness an universal human right? If the attainment of happiness to one person, as it relates to shelter, is so dramatically different than another are these pursuits conflicting...or simply reflective of different situations. If the house above, which is listed at $2.8 million US Dollars, could equal about 848 shelters (based on $3,300 per shelter) that would vastly improve the quality of life of impoverished families, should the combined value of 848 families out weigh the value of one person's shelter related happiness. I can't claim to know the answers to these questions. However, dealing with these thoughts, the discrepancies of wealth between the worlds rich and poor...battling what it means to me...you battling what it means for you is both the human and right thing to do. There may be several paths to follow which are all honorable. There are as many that are not however. While a positive first step might be considering the world in which we actually live rather than limiting our assessment to the world that we see around us alone, a certain negative step would be not internally battling with the question at all. What is the honorable path to follow regardless of your location in the strata of global wealth. While Shelters are made of sticks, wood, metal, cement of varying expense levels they cover humans. What is the human face in the value of a shelter? mde

Snowmobile?? A San Juan County country road Looking Southwest over South Beach and toward Vancouver Island and the city of Victoria which is being covered in snow

As is normal in this great corner of the globe, winter weather is tough to forcast. This is a photo of South Beach, on San Juan Island on a snowy Sunday morning. Prior to heading to church we went for a little drive as a family and seemed to be beckoned by the amazing snow-covered mountains across the Straights of Juan de Fuca. By the time we got to the South end of the island the mountains were hiding and the snow squalls were gentle passing over the ocean. I simply LOVE being at the beach in storms and when there is snow that reaches water's edge! mde

Mother and daughter A typical dwelling in the rural areas around Shegoysh, Somali Region of Ethiopia Three Men sit in the shade at a village South of Kebridehar, Somali Region of Ethiopia