Mark of the Beast

I recieved the 'Mark of the Beast' on my forehead at 1:30 pm yesterday at the Urban Rest Stop.

Urban Rest Stop

For permission to enter, you need to get zapped on the forehead with the 'Mark of the Beast' using a new fangled device that looks something like this:

'Mark of the Beast' 

DO NOT WORRY !

It doesn't hurt and I am absolutely positive that the folks at URS can come up with reassurances that it's just a simple new technology that expedites your visit !

I'm not particularly worried about having the 'Mark of the Beast' on my forehead.  The 'Book of Revelations' was a questionable, rambling diatribe somehow included in the bible of the ROMAN Catholic Church after the Nicene Creed.  Saint John was being mistreated in jail when he wrote it and didn't possess his 'full faculties' (maybe tortured).  I can sure relate to that after the 'visit' to King County Jail.  I was in a holding cell for about 5 hours (my guess).  I had uncontrollable leg cramps, passed out, fell down and hit my head on the concrete on the floor of cell.  The 'intercom' system by the front door (of the cell) had a button that didn't do anything after pushing it.  Yeah, it wouldn't be a good time to write a book to be included for the Romans!

I'm just barely a christian anyway.

Box of Raisins

Sometimes I miss the Owens Valley, particularly in the springtime when some of the locals play a game with the crows* and seagulls called:

'Box-of-Raisins'

'

'This is a box of raisins too!'  

The crows in the Owens Valley have an incredible range of over 160 kilometers north/south and over 60 kilometers east west.  They catch the incredible thermals of the valley and then soar and glide to go pretty-much wherever they want.  In the springtime seagulls start showing up from the Pacific (on there way to Salt Lake City to pester the Mormons), and compete with the crows for food.  Fisherman start showing up from Los Angeles for the opening of fishing season.  They bring tons of junk food with them.  The crows and seagulls know when Crawly Lake 'bonanza' will start.

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When the crows and seagulls don't have any 'good action' (free food), it's a good time to play 'Box-of-Raisins'.  When you see them coming around looking for free food, you throw out a few small scraps here and there to pique there interest.  When they start squawking real loud, you throw a box of raisins into the air and they all want to be the first to get into the box.  

Now the fun and games:

Nobody knows what's actually in the 'Box-of-Raisins'.  Could be a few raisins.  Coould be small pebbles or some charcoal.  Could be some trail mix.  Could be some small tidbits of Gallo dried salami (yummy, yummy).  Could be some fresh smoked wild trout!

There are lots and lots of variations to the game.  The Paiutes* sometimes put large fish bones (oh, no) or big splinters of manzanita (YIKES).  Or splinters of Locust wood!

Note of Caution:

Do not try variations of 'Box-of Rains' around your campsite!  Many variations produce incredible quantities of blood, guts, bones, feathers, etc. over a very large area.  You will have to move your campsite to escape the carnage.  By all means, never, never, never try the variation that involves a fishhook tied to the 'invisible' line going to your fishing pole. You are going to regret it!  When you get done, you are going to need to wash your clothes and take a bath.

*Note:  Biologists get all-pissy about the crows in the Owens Valley.  They ;use the -(R)- word on them.  To me, crow is a crow is a crow, period.

*Note:  The paiutes frequently sell tax-free cigs around Lone Pine.  Pall Mall Reds are a good choice for 'Box-of-Raisins'.

I personally recommend you simply look for some litter to find the box.  Then you can help clean up the area.  It's like 'killing-two-birds-with-one-stone'.

Gorgeous spring

What a beautiful spring here in Seattle area!

Plants and flowers are growing like mad.

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If you love poison hemlock, you sure are in luck.  It's growing mad all over the city.  -In the city parks, along the landscaped areas, along the walkways.  I've been trying my best to warn people with dogs to be careful about letting 'bowser' sniff the plants at the parks.  -could put a SERIOUS hurt on the nose, particularly if you (or bowser) contact the purple crud on the outside of the plant.

poison hemlock (wikipedia calls it Conium maculatum )

I am currently interested in the seeds of the poison hemlock  They look like this:

The last few days the top of my feet have been badly inflamed, my fingers and hands have gotten all sore and puffy and I've developed new rashes and sores on my face.  The pants I've been wearing collect little tiny darks seeds by the thousand and are outrageously difficult to remove.  My shoes have been collecting them by the hundreds, over and over again, day after day.  The little seeds stay on the surface of the shoes if I don't mess with them, but quickly burrow through the fabric when I try to remove them.  They even burrow into the top of my socks.

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I dropped of a few specimens (seeds) to the folks at Interbay P-patch for inspection.  I wonder if they have that purple crud on them.

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Well, I think I'll try a new use for an anti-inflammatory product called:

African Shea Butter

Weather Great on 6.06.2020

Excellent updrafts and erratic  thermals for soaring birds!

Spotted 2 eagles.  Once in the morning (7:40am) along Alaskan Way and Pike (harrased by crows).  Once in the afternoon flying east along lower Queen Anne.
-5am +/-, crows harassing racoon at Battery  and 2nd Ave (SE corner), racoon nestled about 40 ft. up in tree
6.13.2020
-5:45 +/- am, BIG raptor (twice the wingspan of seagulls) flying north on 5th Ave. 10 to 15ft above the rail of monorail, harassed by crows, trailed by about 5 seagulls, entered at Bell, headed to Battery.  Awesome !!!!!!!
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06.14.2020

 

viewpoint +/- on Alaskan Way

Southbound eagle, harassed by one sole crow, overhead at 11:28:20 am (+/- five seconds), maybe 100 meters high.

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0.19.2020

Stinky people walking around Seattle, smelly stuff on the buses, funky funky FUNKY !

If your olfactory nerves get offended, you might try posting one of these little fliers, or simply hand one to your local stinkpot:

Rain Box 2.3  PDF
RB 1.4 (NIV)  PDF 
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Fedex prices at 'Print and Go'

$ 0.21 black and white

$ 0.21 color

Current Problems

I have asymmetrical tracking of the left eye (compared to right).

I have asymmetrical focus of the left eye (compared to right).

Usually the right eye tracks faster than the left and focus is faster.

The problem varies with necks movements.  With certain neck movements the problem reverses to the left eye tracking faster and focusing faster than the right.

Both eyes work fine independently.  The problem is most difficult at short distances.

I have recurring headaches when in the prone position which abates quickly in the vertical (standing upright position).

I think the problem is a combination of  nerves from the upper spine and swelling of muscles in the neck and head.

Possible head and or neck injuries from King County Jail and from Swedish Hospital Emergency Room (as reported to Virginia Mason Emergency). 

I have been using African Shea Butter (very sparingly and carefully) on the left side of the head and the results have been a substantial (but temporary) reduction in the problem of tracking, focus and headache.  Shea butter has an anti-inflammatory property (cooling affect) on the skin.  The Shea butter also reduced the swelling of contusions in the left hand and the right.

I function well at night with the reduced lighting but have a difficult time in the day.  To some extent I have gotten used to the 'NEW NORMAL', but get easily disoriented in the afternoon (hotter temperatures) or when I catch sun on the left side of the head.  Using a 'drishti (hindu for GAZE) quickly solves the tracking and focus problem provided that I refrain from head or neck movements.

I think that the source of the problem could well be located by a chiropractor.  I think that the therapy could be constructed by either a chiropractor or proficient yoga instructor.

Note: African Shea Butter recently bought at Bartell Drugs (lower Queen Anne) for about $13 (and change) for 10.5 oz.

100% RAW SHEA BUTTER

Note No 2:  This particular product has recently passed quality control standards (well sorta) for edibility in Seattle WA.  My standards are very, very low and involve street people whose standards are super duper UBER low (I mean extra, extra, really low, like the NADIR of respectability).  They say it tastes grrrrrrrr 8 .  I have yet to eat some of it.  It's on my list (like #37) of things to do.  Edible African Shea Butter should be eventually available in the market and available for purchase with an EBT card.

 (wishfull thinking, considering FDA and the U. S. gob'ment)

😢

Shea Moisture