A Re-post of: A Thorn Tree Grows in Shangri-la

Finally we waved and pushed off, our 26 inch prayer wheels spinning out thousands of goodwill messages up his mountain; but I think we might have missed the point. The farmer and his wife live Shangri-la, not just in it, but they are Shangri-la. They are poor, but well fed, and the circle of their days allows for a break when tired, a visit with passing strangers, the rhythm of weeding, or wall building when they feel like it, and the song of bird and stream as accompaniment to it all.

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Lucky’s High Pass in Tibet, a 16,000 foot high bear, one year ago today

There will be more mountains to come, and some will probably seem harder than this one. Zippy is making strange noises from the drive-train, and we fear we have put him under too much strain this time.

We are sometimes tired, but feeling stronger every day. We’ve reached that magical three-week point in a long challenging bicycle tour, when we are in the zone, when we feel pretty much ready for anything.

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Iceland Eruption: Causing Air Delays in Europs

It appears the volcano in Iceland is not going to go back to sleep without causing mankind to take notice of the disruption possible. Thousands of flights have been canceled by the the ash cloud ejected from the eruption under a glacier. The ash is even more destructive to air traffic because some of it may be turned to glass by the ice before being ejected high into the air.We’ll just have to wait and see if this will last for weeks and cause major economic disruption in North Atlantic and European transportation, or fade away quietly. I wouldn’t bet on either.

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Coming Soon! All Shangri-la Posts In Reading Order, One to ?

Blogs are great when the events are happening day to day, but if you miss one, or a week or a month, it’s hard to find your way back. Soon you all of our Shangri-la blogs will be available here for your to read in order. Watch this space for more information on how to see them.

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Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park

The Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park has the reputation of being a very difficult trail, almost a technical climb. The Park Service paints it as such. However, anyone who has a normal sense of exposure to heights, a moderate level of fitness (be honest) can achieve a significant goal by climbing the trail. The view from the top is fantastic, and much more rewarding than Cadillac Mountain, for the individual having got their by muscle power. Give it a go!

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Health Care Crisis

By Claire Rogers President-Elect Obama’s Transition Team has asked for public input regarding the health care crisis in America. We recently hosted a community discussion on the subject and we got an earful. A recurring theme held strong among the …

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