"Lost" in the Greenbelt

Following the Palm Sunday reading of the Passion Narrative from Matthew, the college group and I went for a hike in the Barton Creek Greenbelt.  Even though we were at unseasonably high temperatures for this time of the year, the hike was, as usual, a nice respite from the city in the middle of the city. Going with the college group, who had never, been made the trip even more fun than usual.

Throughout the hike, lively discussions took place covering on such topics as whether, having been used to kill a bear (or fight off a mountain lion) would make a walking stick any more valuable on the walking-stick-market. I argued that a good story and the appearance of being a trustworthy instrument would make the walking stick much more marketable than just a plain piece of wood pulled from a tree. Marketing can be as important as substance.

The "Lost" hiking in the Barton Creek Greenbelt

Other deep theological questions along the hike mulled “To which Hogwarts house do you belong,” and “What ‘Lost’ character best represents each person on the hike?” While the superficiality of pop-culture themes may seem to dominate the questions, the discussions about placement and characterization lacked any level of superficiality. Instead they behavioral observations and character understanding dominated the points made as individual qualities and quirks were compared with the qualities and quirks of the fictional groups and characters.

Because I have not followed either of the the series (Harry Potter and Lost), I spent the time making observations and asking clarifying questions. More than I could have imagined,  the depth of answers astounded me as did the complexity of characterizations. I had the best time listening to the answers and perspectives. I learned so much about their views of character and the pragmatic approach to character traits. Both good and bad could be argued in different character traits as they apply to the individuals in their respective worlds and the situations in which they found themselves.

I look forward to the next time I get to hear the group talking about topics of interest they have and plumbing the deep wealth of their thinking.

Sprimmer Is Here

We went from late cold snaps directly to summer this year with temperatures in the 90s well before Easter. I am happy in that my garden is growing well, but not so happy in that I do not like to sweat.


Today while watering the herb garden, I noticed the first ladybug on the sage plant.

My other garden plants are also growing quickly. The squash in particular are really taking shape. Both the zucchini and the yellow squash are growing. I particularly am looking forward to them being ready to cook with some of the herbs from the garden.

I plant almost everything in pots with the bottom cut out (thanks dad), and cover the rest of the bed with mulch to keep the weeds out and moisture in. I can also water the plants directly by watering in the pots. Unfortunately this year I ran out of pots for the peppers, but they seem to be doing ok surrounded by mulch.