The Guardian for this meeting was Bruce Mowbray. The photos are by Bruce Mowbray.

Korel Laloix: Heya
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Kori!
Korel Laloix: How is you today?
Korel Laloix: Any more trips coming up?
Bruce Mowbray: Nope --
Bruce Mowbray: Had one to Washington State in August -- one to Chicago in Sept. and one to New York in October.
Bruce Mowbray: That's enough.
Bruce Mowbray: WONDERFUL time in NY with my niece, though.
Korel Laloix: Would love to go up there someday.. when it is warm.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes. Spring and fall are the best times.
Korel Laloix: Lots of the US I have not seen at all.
Bruce Mowbray: Flowers, colors, bright skies, energy, FUN!
Bruce Mowbray: I think you'd really be surprised by New York.
Korel Laloix: Sounds like a lot to do, but might get a bit claustrophobic to me.
Bruce Mowbray: People are amazingly friendly and helpful -- It takes me by surprise every time I go.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, I understand claustrophobia.. and that's partly why I live in wide-open spaces.
Korel Laloix: Tampa was almost too much for me sometimes.
Bruce Mowbray: Nearest neighbors to the east are over a mile away -- and to the west are half a mile away.
Korel Laloix: But I do want the experience.
Korel Laloix: Sounds lovely.
Korel Laloix: What sort of land do you have?

--BELL--

Bruce Mowbray: This time I had to take my wheelchair... and SOOOO many people offered to help with that.
Bruce Mowbray: Well, the farm....
Bruce Mowbray: is 150 acres.
Bruce Mowbray: Been in the family for generations.
Bruce Mowbray: It is joined to two 50-acre plots owned by my farmer.
Bruce Mowbray: so we farm it as 250 acres.
Bruce Mowbray: a forest adjacent.
Bruce Mowbray: That's where I live.
Korel Laloix: Sounds lovely really.
Bruce Mowbray: I'll send you a link. . .
Korel Laloix: Not sure how many acres our lot is.
Bruce Mowbray: http://hermitdog.com/Myspace/Myspace.htm
Korel Laloix: But we have the yard, the house, the two acre garden.
Korel Laloix: Then the bit on the far side of the garden.
Korel Laloix: So maybe 6 acres.
Bruce Mowbray: Ahhh! Wonderful garden, you have.
Korel Laloix: Thanks.
Bruce Mowbray: I've only had square-foot raised gardens, but can't manage to do that sort of work anymore.
Bruce Mowbray: Just mowing the grass seems about my limit.
Korel Laloix: Looks a lovely area.
Korel Laloix: Sometimes that is the sort of place I want.
Korel Laloix: I so love camping out in the fields.
Korel Laloix: Lovely aloe plants you have.
Bruce Mowbray: Thanks. I've lived here 41 years so far... but just built this house twelve years ago.
Korel Laloix: And cute puppies.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Korel Laloix: Why the new place?
Bruce Mowbray: Well, I'd lived in a mobile home behind the barn for 25 years...
Bruce Mowbray: and I just wanted to build my own house, while I still could.
Korel Laloix: You can't argue with that.
Bruce Mowbray: So I did.... and built in all of the things I like -- a sauna, for example, and a wood burning stove, etc.
Korel Laloix: Love both of those.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Korel Laloix: Maybe my only good memory of the house I grew up in was the stove..
Korel Laloix: I used to love to keep it going.
Bruce Mowbray: The stove is really messy -- ashes and all -- but I really love the heat it puts out. I also burn coal in it.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, having a stove/fire inside the house is special.
Bruce Mowbray: and economical.
Korel Laloix: It was mainly me combing the area for trash and wood and thing people tossed to put in it.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, I also do that. But several years ago, I bought 4 tons of coal... and I'm still working on that pile each winter.
Korel Laloix: And just the feel of it... nothing like the heat they put off.. something about the way it feels on your skin.. maybe a texture.. not sure that is the word.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, a radiant heat.
Korel Laloix: What does 4 tones of coal look like?
Bruce Mowbray: It makes a big pile. . .
Bruce Mowbray: also that pile is quite a bit smaller now.
Korel Laloix: Like ten feet around?
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, about ten feet around and maybe four feet tall when it was first dumped there.
Korel Laloix: Lovely.
Korel Laloix: Sound warm.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Korel Laloix: You cook on the stove?
Bruce Mowbray: Nope.
Bruce Mowbray: Although it is built so that one could cook on it.
Bruce Mowbray: I have heated water on it before...
Korel Laloix: I want to get one in here but grandma's boys are afraid for her at her age.
Bruce Mowbray: but no real cooking.
Bruce Mowbray: That's understandable.
Bruce Mowbray: I have to haul the coal inside in big 5-gallon buckets, and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to do that.
Korel Laloix: When I do get my own place, it will have a burning stove.... and a bathroom... Everything else is optional... oooh.. and closets.. smiles
Bruce Mowbray: Also, I had a house fire because of it once.
Korel Laloix: Train bear.
Bruce Mowbray: http://www.hermitdog.com/HouseFire/fire.htm
Korel Laloix: You have to watch out for that kind of things yes.. but still worth it.
Bruce Mowbray: It was my own fault, but I learned a lot and now do better -- very safe, actually.
Korel Laloix: Looks like you caught it early at least.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, I was VERY lucky.
Korel Laloix: Fun galleries.
Korel Laloix: You are brave for having all that on the net I think.
Bruce Mowbray: And the volunteer firemen from two nearby towns got out here in a hurry.
Bruce Mowbray: I don't worry about the web . . . I doubt that anyone would be much interested in a place this remote.

--BELL--

Korel Laloix: Think I am just paranoid more than most based on past bad experiences.
Bruce Mowbray: Are you enrolled in school this quarter/semester?
Korel Laloix: Yes... going to be a good semester... more thinking, less busy work.
Bruce Mowbray: Great.
Korel Laloix: Got passed my first thesis as well.
Bruce Mowbray: and you can go to school and also work with the lawyers full time?
Korel Laloix: So just 15 or so months left.
Korel Laloix: I only work part time.
Bruce Mowbray: Oh. kk.
Korel Laloix: I have been lucky, been able to keep all my classes in the morning and I work the afternoons.
Bruce Mowbray: You mentioned a thesis -- is this grad school? or under-grad?
Korel Laloix: Grad.
Korel Laloix: Doing overlapping programs.
Bruce Mowbray: Great. So, you're going to get your Masters?
Korel Laloix: Yes.... I will actually finish both programs at the same time, so will get both then.
Bruce Mowbray: Wonderful.
Korel Laloix: Just did this first thesis early as it allowed me to sort of affect who I would have to defend it against on the panel.
Bruce Mowbray: Is this a career route?
Korel Laloix: I hope so.
Korel Laloix: Want to do medical or psych research.
Bruce Mowbray: Wonderful --
Bruce Mowbray: Very important fields.
Korel Laloix: I would like to think so...
Bruce Mowbray: There will always be a need for people in those fields.
Korel Laloix: Just hope there is a job for me by then.
Bruce Mowbray: Sure, there will be!
Bruce Mowbray: Health care is probably the fastest growing area of employment there is.
Korel Laloix: So much medical research is leaving the US due to liability silliness and general hostility though.
Bruce Mowbray: Of course, if you choose to live in a particular geographical area . . . your options might be limited by that.
Bruce Mowbray: YOU can replace those who are leaving.
Korel Laloix: I just want warm and near water.
Bruce Mowbray: Oh yes.
Korel Laloix: And a Job would be nice... smiles
Bruce Mowbray: Ohio would definitely be a bad choice for you, then.
Bruce Mowbray: There is Lake Erie - - but not warm up there.
Bruce Mowbray: also, the Ohio River. . .
Korel Laloix: Exactly... frowns
Bruce Mowbray: a bit warmer...
Korel Laloix: Did they do anything with the cleared land across the road from you?
Bruce Mowbray: but still not what you're looking for.
Bruce Mowbray: The cleared land across the road is all in corn or soybeans.
Bruce Mowbray: There is a patch that has been cleared, beside the forest, that doesn't have any crops, though.
Korel Laloix: Interesting... but still makes me sad.. I am not a tree person, but I don't like killing them.
Bruce Mowbray: Oh, when the owner of that land cut down those trees, I was not just sad, I was homicidal!
Korel Laloix: I know what you mean...
Bruce Mowbray: I put up a web page about it:
Korel Laloix: I am very guarded with the plant life around here.
Bruce Mowbray: http://www.hermitdog.com/TreeMurder/TreeMurder.htm
Korel Laloix: one of the sections of our land is surrounded by tall and short trees so very private.. that is where I layout... for no tan lines... smiles
Korel Laloix: I already found the page, thanks though.
Bruce Mowbray: kk.
Korel Laloix: Just looking at your whole site.. hope you don't mind.
Bruce Mowbray: Oh, I am honored!
Bruce Mowbray: That's why the site is up there!
Korel Laloix smiles.....
Korel Laloix: I pretty much have killed all of my net presence.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes?
Korel Laloix: Was thinking of building one again though.
Bruce Mowbray: Well, I use the website (through YAHOO) to store my photos.
Korel Laloix: Convenient for that.
Bruce Mowbray: and, of course, to share them with others who might be interested.
Korel Laloix: I just don't like putting all the personal data on there.
Bruce Mowbray: Understandable.
Bruce Mowbray: I'm probably naive about that -- especially since my identity was stolen once.
Korel Laloix: I specifically DON'T want to share information with some people that are interested... smiles
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Korel Laloix: I have not had the misfortune yet.
Bruce Mowbray: I've trained our raccoons to attack the bad guys.

--BELL--

Korel Laloix: But then again, I have also legally changed some things so it might be harder to pin me down identity wise.
Bruce Mowbray: Yeah, but my identity was not stolen through the website.
Korel Laloix: Still issues with the raccoons?
Bruce Mowbray: It was stolen through my email.
Korel Laloix: Yes, they would need a bit more than that.
Bruce Mowbray: The raccoons are my friends.
Bruce Mowbray: Bear Dog even lets them eat his food.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, they needed more...
Korel Laloix: Do the raccoons know that though?.. smiles
Bruce Mowbray: But whoever stole my identity opened up a credit card account in my name within one-half hour after he hacked into my email account.
Bruce Mowbray: and then he charged $1,000 within 15 minutes of that.
Korel Laloix: Hope that did not hit you to badly.
Bruce Mowbray: So, the email is pretty suspicious.
Bruce Mowbray: Didn't hit me at all, actually.
Korel Laloix: Great for you.
Bruce Mowbray: The credit card company covered everything.
Bruce Mowbray: Of course, I filed a federal fraud report --
Korel Laloix: Hope someone went to jail over it.
Bruce Mowbray: and I also locked down all my credit for seven years.
Korel Laloix: Locked down?
Bruce Mowbray: I don't know if they ever found him.
Bruce Mowbray: His ISP was in Durango, Mexico, but of course that might have been a proxy.
Bruce Mowbray: No one can get credit in my name for seven years.
Korel Laloix: Oh OK.. did not know you could do that.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, and the service is free.
Korel Laloix: I have two cards.
Bruce Mowbray: All you have to do is send them a police report of the fraud... and they will lock down your credit.
Korel Laloix: Might look into that.
Korel Laloix: Oh OK.
Bruce Mowbray: Well, I hope you won't need credit, then....
Bruce Mowbray: I don't even know if I'd be able to establish a new credit account.
Korel Laloix: I buy everything on my debit card as there are benefits.
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Zon.
Zon Kwan: heya
Korel Laloix: Osiyo
Bruce Mowbray: I usually put everything on my credit card -- rarely use the debit, though.
Bruce Mowbray: How are you today, Zon?
Korel Laloix: I don't do debt really.
Zon Kwan: good, and you two ?
Korel Laloix: Did for my car and motor cycle though.
Bruce Mowbray: I am excellent, thanks.
Bruce Mowbray: a beautiful sunny and warm fall day here -- waiting for the storms to arrive from the west, though.
Zon Kwan: enjoy while it lasts
Bruce Mowbray: yep, I have a feeling it's going to be a rough winter.
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, San!
Korel Laloix: We have a flash flood watch on.
Zon Kwan: hi san¨
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, there is quite a severe front coming through your area, Kori.
Korel Laloix: More down by Lawton though.
Korel Laloix: It is always worse in that part of the state.
Bruce Mowbray: There's an upper part to the front - coming across Indiana and Iowa -- tornado warnings.
Korel Laloix: That is where I was camping that time with the bad electrical storm.
Bruce Mowbray: Oh my.
Bruce Mowbray: Camping out in storms is really exciting.
Korel Laloix: They have a tornado watch down that direction.
Korel Laloix: It was a bit of a thrill.
Bruce Mowbray: I did that once in the Bitterroot Mountains in Idaho.
Korel Laloix: That sounds lovely.
Bruce Mowbray: Terrific lightning -- and I was reading the book of Revelation -- in the Bible!
Bruce Mowbray: Perfect setting!
Bruce Mowbray: afk for just a sec....
Korel Laloix: OK.
Korel Laloix: Did you actually see any bitterroot around there?
Bruce Mowbray: [back]
Bruce Mowbray: I wouldn't know bitterroot if I saw it.
Bruce Mowbray: perhaps I'd need to taste it.
Santoshima Resident: greetings Qt and everyone
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Qt!
Qt Core: hi all
Zon Kwan: hi qt
Korel Laloix: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitterroot
Korel Laloix: Heya
Bruce Mowbray: beautiful flower -- looks a lot like a lotus.
Santoshima Resident: frank sit

Korel Laloix: Cute doggie
Korel Laloix: wow... what people come up with in here.
Santoshima Resident: frank come
Bruce Mowbray: Sakajaweja (sp?) was from the Bitterroot area. . . . which was how she knew how to lead the Lewis and Clark expedition across those mountains.
Santoshima Resident: frank sit

--BELL--

Bruce Mowbray: LOVE the doggie, San!
Zon Kwan: lol
Korel Laloix: So is there a topic this week?
Santoshima Resident: not really
Santoshima Resident: or
Santoshima Resident: check the board
Korel Laloix: Can't pan over there today for some reason.
Korel Laloix: The Opportunities and Dread of Being Lost Including doubts and terror.
Bruce Mowbray: Hmmmm.... Being lost. . . .
Korel Laloix: IN translation.
Bruce Mowbray: I love to get lost. . . intentionally,
Bruce Mowbray: in foreign cities, especially.
Korel Laloix: Agreed.
Bruce Mowbray: Like Venice.
Bruce Mowbray: or Panama City....
Korel Laloix: I love to get lost out on the country roads on my bike.
Bruce Mowbray: or Edinburgh.
Bruce Mowbray: I intentionally got lost in each of those.
Korel Laloix: But I take my GPS to get me back to civilization.. smiles
Santoshima Resident: frank sit

Korel Laloix: I don't get doubts or terrors over that though.
Santoshima Resident: no need
Korel Laloix: One of my shrinks called me pathologically over confident... lol
Korel Laloix: I think that is a bit much though.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: Dreads and terrors about being lost sounds to me like separation anxiety. . . .
Santoshima Resident: it does, doesn't it
Korel Laloix: Could be I guess.
Bruce Mowbray: and some of us would, frankly, rather be separated than connected, sometimes.
Korel Laloix: Getting away from anchors.
Korel Laloix: That is very true.
Bruce Mowbray: And thus are hermits born!
Korel Laloix: Everyone needs a retreat from time to time.
Korel Laloix: Thanks for the chat.. off to a SL church service.
Korel Laloix: Let me know if you want a TP... smiles
Santoshima Resident: bye korel
Qt Core: bye korel
Bruce Mowbray: Bye, Kori.
Korel Laloix: Ciao all.
Santoshima Resident: i attend the church of furtography
Bruce Mowbray: Just a heads-up that the I Ching workshop will be meeting in 6 minutes.
Santoshima Resident: drat, forgot
Santoshima Resident: ok
Santoshima Resident: ty
Santoshima Resident: frank heel

Bruce Mowbray: Frank is a good name for this dog.
Santoshima Resident: :)
Bruce Mowbray: ;)
Bruce Mowbray: I will be moving along to I Ching now.
Santoshima Resident: me too
Bruce Mowbray: If anyone wishes a TP for that, please let me know.
Santoshima Resident: bye Zon (away) and Qt
Santoshima Resident: gtsy
Qt Core: bye san
Santoshima Resident: bye ~ see you sometime soon
Bruce Mowbray: Bye, everyone, and Frank, too.
Qt Core: bye all