It’s Friday & I’m Still Standing

Not Broken, Just Badly Bent

One of the things I’m working on these days is a focus on focus. I just can’t stay, er, you know–long enough to make much progress. And where it has to start is with what I do with my GOOD TIME, this time right HERE–my most alert part of the day, which is–oddly, perhaps–between getting up somewhere around 4 am and the time the chickens get up around 8:00.

My usual routine is to have coffee (giving me license to putter instead of work) and I proceed to putter my way through emails, rss updates, read-later links, and a dozen other minor tasks better done when my brain is “used up” after doing real work first. “FIRST things first” has sort a special meaning for me in this regard, if you catch my drift. I really need a re-ordering, and BEFORE the New Years resolutions come along.

That being as it may (and more on the topic soon) and given the fact that we’ll soon be otherwise occupied today and I’d best get with the program (she says), I’ll point you to folks who HAVE done their work to provide you something to do while you sip your morning coffee and pretend to be working hard.

â–¶ “Light” reading: from my buddy Jonathan Kingston. There are not so many great photographers who are also great writers. Jonathan’s photographic (and photoshop) prowess is without question. Peruse his galleries. But check out his blog, Nomadic Photographer, these two selections for starters. Wow. The man can find the verbal metaphors that are so abundant and fitting when composing with light.

â–¶ Somehow I ran across Sustainable Traditions recently. Wait a minute: I know this guy. I met Jason, the prime mover for this site, online a couple of years ago. He was in my first dozen twitter follows. He’s been busy. You might start here with this piece by Joel Salatin, and work your way backward.

â–¶ Geek’s corner: online outliner Workflowy is just released. Everything that you might think needs to be added is likely to be in the works, according to the developer who is even open to the idea of taking a look at Ecco Pro to see what made it such a great (abandoned) app. Thanks, Mike!

â–¶ Lastly, if you enjoy learning your way around the woods and waysides, natural history-wise, visit Blue Ridge Discovery Project. I met one of the principals at last year’s naturalist rally at Mt. Rogers. Great things are planned. Take note that there are more geographically focused sub-sites in the side bar–Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley and Piedmont.

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fred
fred

Fred First holds masters degrees in Vertebrate Zoology and physical therapy, and has been a biology teacher and physical therapist by profession. He moved to southwest Virginia in 1975 and to Floyd County in 1997. He maintains a daily photo-blog, broadcasts essays on the Roanoke NPR station, and contributes regular columns for the Floyd Press and Roanoke's Star Sentinel. His two non-fiction books, Slow Road Home and his recent What We Hold in Our Hands, celebrate the riches that we possess in our families and communities, our natural bounty, social capital and Appalachian cultures old and new. He has served on the Jacksonville Center Board of Directors and is newly active in the Sustain Floyd organization. He lives in northeastern Floyd County on the headwaters of the Roanoke River.

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