The 44th Parallel

Deconstructing the beaver's overnight work.

Beaver conflicts resemble confrontations with the North Korean military, the main difference being we're six degrees north of the 38th parallel. They do something flamboyantly outrageous to civilized society and we shut them down with our superior technology. But they never surrender.

Here's a photo from S's latest post on yesterday's beaver incident, in my hand is the superior technology, a potato fork.  The culvert runs better than ever now. But the beaver's Supreme Leader, their Kim Jong-un counterpart, is safely holed up in a lodge plotting their next move. 

In addition to culvert-clearing, we accomplished a little more this week. We attended a seed-swap on Monday, that's like a card game where seed packets are traded around an actual card table. This was conducted in a fine old community building in Keene. It's probably more than a century old and perhaps it was a town hall at one time. Every light switch, thermostat and appliance was adorned with signs reminding users to turn off whatever they turned on when finished. One wonders if those are effective  - anyone who intentionally leaves the building without turning off the lights or stove may not be blessed with the gift of literacy. We left with a nice potted jade plant (a couple brought enough for everyone) and several new seed packets. 

Tuesday was the monthly firehouse-meeting night and my application was formally read into the minutes of the meeting. I gave them a little speech about my background. Rockets and airplanes don't matter much around here, they were mostly interested in my former military service. I won't know if I'm accepted until May, but the Chief and officers assured me it'll be approved. I was encouraged to get state certified in rapid water rescue and interior firefighting. 

We went to Burlington on Wednesday, across a frozen Lake Champlain, with the ferry noisily breaking the ice along the way. S had a dentist appointment while I watched the stock market's bear rally and read in the waiting room. Out the window was a snow capped Mt. Mansfield flanked by Camel's Hump. There were many windmills and solar panels visible, too. 

That got me thinking about my adopted home state. Vermont is the antithesis of red-state America, lagging the most of the nation in thoughtless, unsustainable growth. A few Wal-Marts and McDonald's do exist but each one was bitterly opposed. They are serious about alternative energy. For instance, it's illegal to market a face cord of wood, too much deception is possible...and who's going to survive the winter on a face cord, anyway? Here, the legal unit of tinder is a cord, period. This is also the first state to enact a single-payer health care system, a move supported by two thirds of the public.

Vermont constitutionally prohibited slavery on the day the the state was formed (from NY) in 1777. One of their senators, Bernie Sanders, is a Socialist and he won the last election with 70% of the vote. They have the most lenient gun laws in the US - you can openly carry a pistol in public - but a very low crime rate. Town Meeting Day, an icon of democracy, is a state holiday and citizens dutifully show up to vote on town business, including taxes. All isn't paradise, however. This year the governor devoted his entire State of the State address to discuss the heroin epidemic. 

Anyway, as you enter the dentist's office, a sign directs you to two trays and a bench. One tray held clean socks. You are supposed to change out of your muddy shoes and socks before entering the office. You don't see that in Charleston. This is Vermont and this is mud season. 

We donated blood on Thursday, at the AuSable Volunteer Ambulance garage. I also got a quote for the Tundra bodywork. Sliding into a tree while ascending the driveway will set us back about 2k. But no worries, I bet I can probably drive a fire truck ok. 

As for dinner, I cooked this twice during the week. Chickpeas are filling, versatile and inexpensive. 

Curried Chickpeas

Chickpeas are also a great source of antioxidants and fiber. There's some scientific evidence that curry (specifically the circumin in turmeric) can prevent or even reverse Alzheimer's disease. Lab rats that ate circumin navigated their mazes faster than control rats on a normal diet. Circumin-navigation may someday replace GPS! Circumin is also suspected to be the reason for much lower colon cancer rates among Asians. 

Olive oil is a healthy, monounsaturated fat - but it's still a calorie-dense fat, so it should be used in moderation. Garlic is a good source of hydrogen sulfide, yet another antioxidant that (in food!) has been demonstrated to prevent cancer and is good for the cardiovascular system. Finally, cumin seeds are high in iron and other minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It's also a good source of vitamin B1. 

Whew! This may be my healthiest dish, ever:

Curried Chickpeas

• Garlic, as much as you like...a few cloves at least. Mince it well and set it aside to allow an enzymatic reaction to create the healthy nutrients. 
• 2-3 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (are there any recipes that call for undrained/rinsed chickpeas?)
• 3-4 medium yellow onions
• Cumin seeds or powder - teaspoon-ish.
• Curry powder to taste - start with a teaspoon or so
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil to coat the pan

Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds until they pop but avoid the smoke point. If that happens, it's time for a do-over. You just created carcinogenic free radicals and all your healthy antioxidants will be wasted on reacting with them.

Slice and dice the onions, sauté in olive oil adding salt to draw out the moisture. Add the curry powder then the chickpeas and sauté while adjusting seasonings. Now it's time to add that enzyme-conditioned garlic.  

That's about it. Well, a fresh, red habanero pepper finely minced and sautéed with the onion, could be added. It's a great source of vitamin C. Also, capsaicin in the habanero is good for circulation, and it may have cancer fighting benefits. 

Serve with a salad and one glass of red wine.