Give a hoot - don't pollute

The marathon rental continues with day 4 of the weeklong seminar for Axxxxx's Organics. They're the biggest distribitors of organic produce but I don't think they are eating any. They're into meat and diet pepsi. Today, I picked up 24 ciggarette butts just outside the gate where some of them have gone to speed up the dying proccess. The average attendee is probably an unhealthy 70 pounds overweight. As the outdoor space manager, I have many tasks. One of those tasks is to check each outdoor space and emty the waste bins. I pick times when the spaces are emty and make sure there's enough propane in the tanks to make it thru the night. I turn lights on at night and off in the morning. The proof of these guys' poor diets is in the smell they leave behind. Maybe I have a sensitive olfactory system or something but I can smell what people eat. Ever since I was little, the diet of junkfood has always left an atmosphere of a particular odor that I've been able to detect.

Bill and Dev have driven up to Nor Cal. - wine business. Consequently, I am now in charge of the estate and this ongoing heavy weight fiasco. I guess it could be worse. Anyway it gives me something to type about. Yesterday, one of the guests was outside chugging a beer. He finished it and then just chucked it into the bushes. Its all in the timing. Bill witnessed this misdemeanor and admonished the offender. My take is this: People treat the world like they treat their bodies - unless they think someone is watching them.

Earlier tonight, these guys were being entertained by a female singer/guitarist. They're drinking beer and raising a ruckus. The singer sings: These boots were made for walking. They all start singing along: loud, off key and off time. Drunks. I exit the basement, scale the stone wall up to the back porch and watch the comotion. The singer keeps repeating the line they all know so they can sing along - "These boots were made for walking and thats just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are gonna walk right over you". Over and over they repeat this part of Nancy Sinatra's song. All I can think is how appropriate this song is. The only improvement I can think of is to change the tense - from the future to the present. Soon after my brief appearance, they got the hint and settled down.

I do not think they tred so loudly on purpose. They simply lack the degree of awareness that we have become accustomed to. Yogis are the way to go. The square peg of a corporate seminar just does not fit in this round whole sanctuary.

My friend Steve, latest recipient of Skip,s dirt grant, has 4 different jobs happening for his company: Living Systems. His business has been growing the second he relocated to Ojai. Way to go Steve! I feel very lucky to have him living on the estate. I first met him 6 years ago. He inspired me to deepen my practice/experiment with breath and movement. He's much younger than I but he has such a strong, gentle, even, mature presence that I look to him as a role model. He reminded me of why I'd begun tai-chi and yoga in the first place. This made it easy for me to deepen my discipline. Now it looks like I'll be working for him in addition to my other jobs. Hopefully I'll have internet access or I might have to post less regularly. The quantity or quality will not be compromised. Live in peace dear friend. Give a hoot - don't pollute.