Author: tonytomeo

Horticulturists are by nature, nonconforming. I happen to find it difficult to conform to what makes us nonconforming. Trends are fleeting. Old technology that has worked for decades or centuries is still best. Although I am not totally against chemicals, I find that almost all are unnecessary for responsible home gardening. Pruning is underappreciated, and fixes many problems.

Lahaina Fire

Thousands of miles away, it seems too familiar. We can remember the CZU Fire three years ago. The first flash of lightning occurred at a minute prior to midnight on August 15. The fire started soon afterward. Initially, for most of us, it did not seem to be much of a threat. It was not moving fast, and was still quite a distance from populous areas. Two days later, a change in the weather accelerated the fire into several Communities, where it burned more than nine hundred homes on more than eighty-five thousand acres.

The Lahaina Fire is much worse. Although it burned a relatively small area, it burned almost twice as many homes and most of Lahaina so far. Worst of all, it has killed at least eighty people. By the time it is over, and its damages are calculated, it may have killed more than the Camp Fire, which killed eighty five people in 2018, and is the deadliest wildfire in the history of California. (The Great Earthquake and Fire of San Francisco in 1906 killed more than three thousand people, but is not classified as a wildfire.) The Lahaina Fire is already the deadliest natural disaster in the history of Hawaii.

From experience, we know that the Community there will help victims recover afterward. That is what Community does. It is certainly what the Community here did in response to the CZU Fire three years ago. It will not be easy, and will take a long time, but a Community can accomplish so much more and do so much more efficiently than any individual. Hopefully, those who have so suddenly become houseless will not be houseless for long. Hopefully, the Community of Lahaina and all associated Communities recover as efficiently as the Community here is recovering.

Unpleasant Topic

Houselessness is an unpleasant topic. Those who do not need to talk about it prefer to not do so. No one has all the answers anyway. It is just too complex and too daunting.

Yet, for quite a while, it had been the primary theme of this blog. Only a few years ago, it was a much more significant social problem.

It is not so daunting now. It might even be less unpleasant to discuss than it had formerly been. However, there are so many more pleasant topics to discuss, such as how well those who had formerly been houseless are doing now.

If writing about the personal affairs of the formerly unhoused Community here were not so invasive, it might make a good blog. This blog could have transitioned into that theme rather than be discontinued.

Of course, regardless of the improvements, houselessness remains a problem within the Community. It may not be an important topic to as many as it formerly had been, but to those who are affected by houselessness, it is still a major problem. It is a topic that is never completely irrelevant. As those who are unhoused become housed, others become unhoused to replace them.

Sometimes though, it is gratifying to realize how fortunate we are to live within a society that is so sympathetic and generous with the unhoused, and that so many benefit from such graciousness. Otherwise, houselessness might still be as major of a social problem here as it is within so many other Communities.

New York Times

tonytomeo's avatarFelton League

My homeless camp in the Los Angeles region is quite comfortable.

The New York Times featured a picture of my homeless camp! It is the third illustration of this article about landscape hedges. It shows where I camp while in Southern California, including the orange garden daybed where I sleep, and, as the primary topic suggests, a portion of the surrounding hedges.

This illustration should demonstrate why I enjoy being homeless in Southern California. It is quite luxurious. The weather is exemplary for camping. I wake amongst lush tropical foliage and palms, to the gentle sounds of small fountains and wild parrots. It is about as excellent as camping within one of my gardens, but very different, and special because I do it for less than three cumulative weeks annually. For many years, I have been wanting to stay at the famously eccentric Hotel del Flores nearby, but will not…

View original post 161 more words

Glamorous Houselessness

(reblog from June 4)

Prior to modern history, both cowboys and lumberjacks had been esteemed within American culture. Inventors, explorers, industrial pioneers and the wealthy had been also, and perhaps more socially so, but not so personally. The cultures and lifestyles of both cowboys and lumberjacks somehow seem to be easier for more to identify with.

Throughout my career, I have been involved with both cowboys and lumberjacks. Because I attained my degree in Horticulture from an agricultural school, many of my academic colleagues are cowboys. Because I am a horticulturist and arborist, many of my professional colleagues are also arborists, and many of them had formerly been lumberjacks. Both professions are as admirable as society considers them to be.

However, for many, both professions involve houselessness.

The open range is certainly not what it had been only a few decades ago, but even now, some cowboys still drive cattle through undeveloped regions that lack accommodations for them. Such cowboys must be completely self reliant for several consecutive days. During the 1980s, some of my academic colleagues drove cattle through entire summers. They only rarely retrieved supplies that were left for them along their drives, and camped in different locations nightly.

At about the same time, and into the 1990s, some of my professional colleagues were lumberjacks who harvested timber in remote and undeveloped forested regions. Some of their camps were remarkably simple and primitive. Some sites lacked organized camps. Like cowboys, they were essentially houseless.

Nonetheless, not so long ago, American culture admired both cowboys and lumberjacks for their self reliance, resilience, independence and nonconformity.

American culture has certainly changed. Not many know what cowboys and lumberjacks do nowadays. Independence and nonconformity are discouraged. Self reliance and resilience are more typically phony components of superficial vanity. Houselessness has become criminalized, vilified and derided.

Bureau of Land Management Camping

tonytomeo's avatarFelton League

Bureau of Land Management land is available for camping. It is less popular than more refined campgrounds because it is less refined. The least refined lands are classified as ‘primitive’. They are merely bare land without any facilities. There is no fee for camping on primitive Bureau of Land Management land for as long as two weeks monthly.

It was tempting. I noticed a few locations for such camping while vacationing in the Southwest during the past two weeks (while I neglected to post on this blog). I made the same observation while vacationing for two weeks in the Pacific Northwest about a month earlier. After all, while away from home, I was essentially homeless.

Furthermore, I did happen to indulge in camping for a few days while in the Los Angeles region. It was not within a campground though. It was in the backyard of my colleagues home. Both…

View original post 150 more words

San Jose Reports Decreasing Homelessness

4.7% fewer people than a year ago are homeless in San Jose. That is a difference of more than three hundred people. Some data indicates that about five hundred fewer people are presently homeless in San Jose, which would be a greater percentage. The rate of homelessness is similarly decreasing within several other Communities within California. Although the rate of homelessness within all of California continues to increase slightly, the rate of increase is decelerating.

People are always becoming homeless. For now though, in San Jose, this is happening at a slower rate than those who are already homeless are becoming not homeless. Some who were homeless there migrated to regions where rent or purchase of a home is more affordable relative to income. Some procured domestic situations locally. Perhaps fewer are actually becoming homeless to begin with. There are many variables. It is difficult to identify the most likely causes of this trend.

Much of the decreasing rate of homelessness in San Jose is the result of innate socioeconomic variables. Influence of local government and its associated assistance programs are also very important. Again though, there are too many variables involved to identify the most influential among them. Otherwise, other Communities would be more proactive with governmental influence and assistance that is determined to be effective.

This all may seem to be nearly irrelevant here in Felton, where the rate of homelessness has been decreasing for quite a while, and where only a few remain homeless. Yet, it may be quite relevant to the few who remain homeless, or those who could potentially become homeless. If this currently decreasing rate of homelessness is due more to innate socioeconomic variables than to governmental influence and assistance, it will be more likely to eventually influence adjacent Communities, including Santa Cruz County.

New York Times

My homeless camp in the Los Angeles region is quite comfortable.

The New York Times featured a picture of my homeless camp! It is the third illustration of this article about landscape hedges. It shows where I camp while in Southern California, including the orange garden daybed where I sleep, and, as the primary topic suggests, a portion of the surrounding hedges.

This illustration should demonstrate why I enjoy being homeless in Southern California. It is quite luxurious. The weather is exemplary for camping. I wake amongst lush tropical foliage and palms, to the gentle sounds of small fountains and wild parrots. It is about as excellent as camping within one of my gardens, but very different, and special because I do it for less than three cumulative weeks annually. For many years, I have been wanting to stay at the famously eccentric Hotel del Flores nearby, but will not do so without inhospitable weather to dissuade homelessness.

Seeing this particular illustration reminds me of why this Felton League blog has been discontinued. For quite a while, there has not been much to write about that would not be intrusive to those involved. Societal difficulties as well as personal difficulties within society certainly remain, but are not as prominent as they had been. My own experience with faux homelessness, albeit within another Community, is strangely appropriate as an illustration for an unrelated article within the New York Times.

Most of those who experienced unemployment, poverty, homelessness or related difficulties here in the past are now enjoying major improvements to their personal situations. Many of those who are not yet benefiting from such improvements appreciate support from this graciously compassionate and generous Community. This has always been a good place to be in a bad situation. Perhaps, now that I no longer blog here, I should write a book about my experiences.

Pioneers

tonytomeo's avatarFelton League

Pioneers made America what it is now, and continue to do so. The first migrated from northeastern Asia many thousands of years ago. During the past several centuries, many more migrated from Europe. More migrated from Asia during the past few centuries. They all came for something better than what they had where they came from, although few knew what that entailed. Slaves from Africa had no choice about coming here, but their descendants eventually also participated in pursuit of legendary American opportunity.

Arrival was merely the beginning for earlier pioneers here. Many arrived with minimal resources. Many were unhoused when they arrived. They all needed to go somewhere. Many migrated west into regions that were inhabited by descendants of earlier pioneers. They built homes, farms, industries and towns as they went. This is how every American industry and city began. Actually, this is how every industry and every city…

View original post 168 more words

Inclimate Weather

Well, the weather has certainly improved since this recycled article posted last winter. Now, the weather is instead a bit too pleasant when it should actually be warmer. It is good to leave the unpleasant weather of last winter in the past.

tonytomeo's avatarFelton League

Many of us are not old enough to remember such strange weather. Flooding comparable to that of the first several days of the year had not been observed here since 1982. For some locations near here, snow comparable to that of a few days ago had not been observed since 1976. Both flooding and snow are rare here. Both occurring during the same winter is much more rare. It may not have happened in recorded history.

Although both flooding and snow were significant problems for some of us here, most of us were safe, warm and dry within our respective homes. Relative to the thousands who live here, only a minor ratio was detrimentally affected. A few of this minor ratio sustained minimal losses, or none at all, merely because they lack homes and an abundance of possessions. However, those who lack homes are nonetheless affected by inclement weather because…

View original post 150 more words

Glamorous Houselessness

Prior to modern history, both cowboys and lumberjacks had been esteemed within American culture. Inventors, explorers, industrial pioneers and the wealthy had been also, and perhaps more socially so, but not so personally. The cultures and lifestyles of both cowboys and lumberjacks somehow seem to be easier for more to identify with.

Throughout my career, I have been involved with both cowboys and lumberjacks. Because I attained my degree in Horticulture from an agricultural school, many of my academic colleagues are cowboys. Because I am a horticulturist and arborist, many of my professional colleagues are also arborists, and many of them had formerly been lumberjacks. Both professions are as admirable as society considers them to be.

However, for many, both professions involve houselessness.

The open range is certainly not what it had been only a few decades ago, but even now, some cowboys still drive cattle through undeveloped regions that lack accommodations for them. Such cowboys must be completely self reliant for several consecutive days. During the 1980s, some of my academic colleagues drove cattle through entire summers. They only rarely retrieved supplies that were left for them along their drives, and camped in different locations nightly.

At about the same time, and into the 1990s, some of my professional colleagues were lumberjacks who harvested timber in remote and undeveloped forested regions. Some of their camps were remarkably simple and primitive. Some sites lacked organized camps. Like cowboys, they were essentially houseless.

Nonetheless, not so long ago, American culture admired both cowboys and lumberjacks for their self reliance, resilience, independence and nonconformity.

American culture has certainly changed. Not many know what cowboys and lumberjacks do nowadays. Independence and nonconformity are discouraged. Self reliance and resilience are more typically phony components of superficial vanity. Houselessness has become criminalized, vilified and derided.