Dust storm

Friday was an odd day. We started the early morning in an oak forest, high up in Palomar State Park, California. From there, we drove down to Lake Henshaw to look for ants and picked up a bunch more--I couldn't ask for a more scenic ant-collecting site, although we collect the ants near a parking lot and stubble field. The view of the lake is pretty majestic. Then we realized we had a large span of time during the middle of the day, when it's too hot to collect ants (they flee underground), and so we drove out to Oceanside, CA, to sit by the beach for a couple of hours. The sand and the waves reminded me of Australia all over again.

Actually, much of the trip out to California reminded me of Australia, probably because I was traveling with T. We aren't exactly the best of pals, but we aren't the worst of pals, either, and it was easy to slip back into eat/sleep/work/camp survival mode. A big part of me really wanted to just slip away and think for a long while, to get into forest with real trees and feel the weight of place and time, but things just weren't quite right for such an opportunity. I had a moment or two by the ocean when I got lost in the sound of the waves; somehow, beaches like the ones we visited leave me feeling more hollow and lonely than the empty beaches further up north. Ever since Costa Rica, the pull of the ocean has felt intoxicating. Familiar kelp made me want to abandon the whole trip and flee northward, so hopefully it will be good and rejuvenating to actually head north on Tuesday--so soon.

On the drive back from California, we watched angry, hot lightning flash across dark sky and sear the soil. We traveled late at night on Friday, figuring things wouldn't get much better in the morning and it wasn't worth it to stay. As we drove across the desert, our view was obscured by billowing clouds that resembled fog, but were actually searing dust; my first dust storm. We pulled over briefly and discussed what to do, and then drove onward at slow speeds until we reached the far side of the storm and the lights of the Valley.

DRAT.

GRAR.

...four months later...

!

I finally finished reading Food Politics (by Marion Nestle)! I was beginning to think it would never happen, but it did. For some reason, it was hard for me to read the book--probably mostly due to a crazy lifestyle. But it was quite fascinating, especially the sections about food in public schools and the supplement industry (not to mention the information on techno-foods). If you're serious about learning about the food industry in the US, this book is definitely a must-read. Basically, it's the academic's version of Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma. Not light reading.

Thanks to those who recommended it and loaned me a copy of the book (figment80).

Next, I will be reading something less strenuous. I'm considering Me Talk Pretty One Day, just to mix things up a bit.