Neat Freaks?

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It is commonly thought that people who insist on shoes-off in their homes are neat freaks who are obsessed with keeping their homes clean and tidy.

I dare say that there are some people who prefer shoes-off who are genuine neat freaks. And those who are Obsessive-Compulsive about cleanliness may well be among the shoes-off community.

Of course this is culturally relative. In Japan it is thought that money is dirty and unhygeinic because it is handled by untold numbers of people. Japanese people also regard any objects placed in bathrooms, such as books or ornaments to be 'dirty'. A person in a western society who held such attitudes would almost certainly be regarded as Obsessive-Compulsive.

I have known a number of people who really were excessive in their desire to keep their homes clean. Interestingly, these people did not require visitors to remove their shoes. I suspect that they probably spent so much time in cleaning their homes that they were happy to waste time cleaning up after their visitors.

Many people who keep their homes shoe-free are not domestic goddesses who like nothing better than spending whole days doing spring cleaning. Rather, they are busy working people who have far better things to do. They do not want to clean up for the sake of it, but they know that living in a clean environment is healthier and far more pleasent. Knowing that time is precious they would rather keep the mess to the minimum and spend as little time as possible cleaning up after their visitors. Prevention is better than cure.

Nobody needs a house that is spotless, but it is pointless to allow dirt and dust to accumulate when it could easily be kept out by leaving shoes at the door. A floor is meant to be walked upon, but that does not mean that one should not reduce wear and tear and save time and money.

Guardian: Police criticised for staging mock burglaries

Guardian: Police criticised for staging mock burglaries

It was meant to be an imaginative way of hammering home the message that some householders are making life too easy for burglars. But police were under fire today after admitting they had been sneaking into people's homes through open doors and windows and gathering up their valuables into "swag" bags.

I am sure they meant well, but I would not like some police officer coming in my home with her dirty shoes on and walking about

Chapter 17 - Communications: from Speech to Pictograms and Heraldic signs

Perhaps, more than any other human activity, it is communication that defines us as human beings. Intuitively we can perceive that graphic design is a tool developed for the purpose of communicating a message. However, graphic design also has an artistic element consisting of composition, colors, geometric surfaces, lines, written information, and so on.As in any other tool, the form of a graphic work must align with its purpose of conveying a message. Of course, graphic design is not the only tool for communication. We learn how to communicate when we start to talk, and when we talk we start to think about ourselves and about the universe that surrounds us. Since, almost all of us can speak a language, it would be easier to analyze communication via language. As we will see, there is a close mapping from understanding language to the communication of graphic design.

We often forget that to receive, to decipher, and to understand the spoken concepts in real time is a formidable task for an infant. First, the child needs to recognize individual words from continuous speech. Later in life, they need to associate the sound input with a visual form to read and write. Their education on words continues with abstract concepts and definitions in association with that word. Meanwhile, they have to learn how to ignore or attenuate irrelevant and disruptive elements of the communication signals. Nevertheless, over the years these functions are performed effortlessly by our brains. Any language is also a tool for communication. It has a form which consists of sounds (phonology), words (morphology), sentences (syntax), and recursion.

Mapping Speech with Graphic Design
Phonology, is the technique of producing a sound using lungs, larynx, mouth and nasal cavity. If we map this into graphic design we would speak of lines, colors and surfaces that create an image. Morphology is the study of rules that allows us to combine sounds in order to create a word. For example, the word carelessly is created by a juxtaposition of three syllables or sounds, care, less, and ly. With a minimal modification, we can get the opposite meaning in the form of carefully; or change it from an adverb into a noun in the form of carelessness ; or even qualify it further in the form of over-carelessly . In graphic design, various aesthetic criteria regulate the creation of geometric, organic, or abstract forms. Syntax has to do with how words are combined to form meaningful sentences. This role is assigned to the overall composition and balance of the work. Finally, recursion is a process that allows a speaker to create an infinite number of meaningful sentences from a finite number of words. For example; we can say: "Cezanne can be regarded as the father of cubism and minimalism." We can create a recursive sentence by saying, "Cezanne can genuinely be regarded as the true father of cubism and minimalism in painting and graphic design." We can qualify each of the terms again to have a new statement: "In the western tradition, Cezanne can genuinely but not exclusively be regarded as the true and intellectual father of cubism and minimalism in representational painting and graphic design." Thus, this process can create a seemingly infinite number of possibilities. In graphic design, we can argue that we have also the ability to modify various elements of our compositions to create an infinite array of images. After all, if all the possibly finite combination of colors, lights, forms, composition and so on are tried and exhausted, an artist has still the option of qualifying a work with words- Such as René Magritte did in his works 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' and Ceci n'est pas une pomme . In fact, when Max Ernst defaced one version of Magritte's painting and painted a caged bird in the apple, and wrote underneath 'Ceci n'est pas un Magritte' he was manifesting even further possibilities of recursions in art, although this particular recursion prompted only a forced laugh from the Belgian artist.

Ancient philosophers thought that the words that they used, such as "Love", "Amour", "Liebe", "حب", "مهر", "प्यार" ,"愛", self-contained the 'true' meanings of those words. Modern day linguists, however, think that there is an element of randomness at work when a language assigns a particular word to a meaning. Nevertheless, when a speaker uses a word he assumes and hopes that the listener would associates the same meaning he has in mind to that word. But, even for an adult, communication involves some complicated mental functions. First, in processing language, a speaker needs to select the appropriate word from a list of various mental lexicons, and yet any individual word such as 'bat' (the act of striking something with an object) in our mental lexicon must be distinguished from other words that are similar in sound like 'batt' (a sheet of matted cotton). As well, they must be distinguished from those words that are similar in shape and spelling to 'bat.' That is, 'bat' can refer to a flying mammal, a heavy stick, a fragment of brick, or a whip used by a jockey. Furthermore, the speaker must chose the particular meaning of 'bat' from a list of synonyms like 'bang', or 'belt'. How does a speaker select the appropriate lexical entry from such options? Some linguists argue that the words are chosen by characteristics such as understandability, Iconicity, and economy.

Iconicity and Images

In the world of graphic design, the question of representation appears to be almost identical with understandability, Iconicity, and economy. As the above two images demonstrate, the problems resulting from the various homonyms for 'bat' are rarely of relevance. After all, "a picture is worth a thousand words" . Pictograms and infographics are keystones of nonverbal and multicultural communication. They are used for traffic signs, transporting various materials, and in medical circles worldwide, and are seen by almost everyone. Pictograms, are basically representative images we use to replace words or visualize actions, and are often seen either replacing or accompanying a textual instruction. Infographics, as the name implies, use graphical illustrations to create instructive images, which are aimed to simplify complicated processes. For example, traffic signs do not use words and are able to communicate across various cultures.

Nevertheless, pictograms when are used to represent company logos, political insignia or heraldic badges conjure up various cultural, ethical, and sociopolitical issues of interpretation which would be discussed as we proceed but here it suffices to say that such issues are as complicated as the linguistic issues of communication.

Pictogram



A rebus, from Latin meaning "by things" is a kind of word puzzle which uses pictures to represent words or parts of words, such as "T,4,2" instead of "tea for two". Rebus has played an important role in the creation of alphabets. In 1977, the New York State Department of Commerce recruited Milton Glaser, a productive graphic designer to work on a marketing campaign for New York State. Glaser created this rebus-style icon which became a major success and has continued to be sold for years. The stunning simplicity of this message reminds us of Einstein's razor, A message should be expressed as simple as possible- but should not be oversimplified.


Milton Glaser's career paved the way for design and illustration to be intelligent and to serve causes that have a social impact. His minimal drawing style echoed the iconography of comic books or the dynamic of contemporary Pop Art. During the 1960s, he created images of flat shapes formed by thin, black ink contour lines with color added by adhesive color films.  His approach to sign and symbol is seen in the 1968 ''One Print One Painting''exhibition poster. The work produced at this studio encompasses a wide range of design disciplines. He re-designed numerous magazines, such as "Paris Match", "L'Express" and "Esquire". As well,  he created 'Epigram' for Botanist, a series of playful furniture pieces that are both classic and innovative.  





Paul Rand (1914 – 1996) was an American graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Westinghouse, ABC, and the now-infamous Ernon. He was one of the originators of the Swiss Style of graphic design.Rand’s defining corporate identity was his IBM logo in 1956, which as Mark Favermann notes “was not just an identity but a basic design philosophy that permeated corporate consciousness and public awareness." The logo was modified by Rand in 1960, and the striped logo was introduced in 1972. The stripes were introduced as a half-toning technique to make the IBM mark slightly less heavy.He believed that a logo “cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint". The above poster is a rebus he created for IBM, in which M represents the striped logo. But this rebus says something more about the IBM, the eye indicates the visualization of information, and the bee (like the butterfly in Microsoft's window logo) is symbol of search for nectar.

This logo was used in the US as a stamp of authentication or certification for ambulances or emergency medical services. The Star of Life, which is a blue, six-pointed star and features the Rod of Asclepius in the center, was originally designed and governed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Internationally, "the Rod of Asclepius" represents emergency medical services. Many medical organizations use the rod as their logo since it symbolizes the art of healing. The main advantage of a pictogram is that one does not need to be able to read or to understand a particular language in order to be able to understand the information it conveys. However, in this case one must know the Greek mythology in order to understand why this pictogram represents healing. Asclepius was said to have learned the art of healing from the centaur Chiron. He is customarily represented as a surgeon on the ship Argo. Asclepius was so skilled in the medical arts that he was reputed to have brought patients back from the dead. For this, he was punished and placed in the heavens as the constellation Ophiuchus (meaning "serpent-bearer").

Why, one may ask, we use an obscure mythology to represent a medical service? Is this perhaps a reminder of our tribal instincts to worship our ancestors, or do we want to celebrate the memories of a rich cultural heritage. These are the types of questions a graphic designer should ask.

EXAMPLES OF PICTOGRAMS

This is Italian traffic sign for no passing. The red circle around the two cars coveys the idea of "Not Allowed", and is called an Ideogram. The role of this ideogram is determined by the pictogram rules, and is similar to the morphological rule of adding the suffix less to the word care in order to construct the adjective word of careless.




This traffic sign for temporary day time work areas relies on written text and thus is called a Phonogram . Obviously, one needs to be able to read the sign, and to be familiar with the language in order to understand its message.

Unfortunately, as the following images show, the ideograms for warning signs are not yet standardized. Most often a red triangle is used as a warning sign. But in many jurisdictions yellow diamonds are used for warning, while there are others which use a red triangle combined with yellow color. Why the designer of the above sign has used an inverted triangle? Is it because an inverted triangle looks like a downward arrow that indicates a decline sign in stock price charts ?

Heraldry
Heraldry is the practice of designing and displaying ideograms in the form of 'coat of arms' and badges and is common among all nations. For example, Romans used the eagle as their coat of arms, Persians used the sign of their god, Ahura Mazda, and to this day the French still use the fleur-de-lis. The origins of heraldry lie in the need to communicate the family and the rank of combatants when their faces were hidden by iron and steel helmets. Eventually, a formal system of rules developed into ever more complex forms of heraldry.

Examples of Heraldry 

This is a heraldic ideogram of Ahura Mazda: the 'wise lord', the supreme god of the ancient Iranians, whose religion was propagated by the legendary prophet Zarathustra. The Achaemenians also venerated Ahura Mazda. This ideogram was carried in battlefields as the emblem for the Persian empire in 500 BC. It appears that with the emergence of nationalistic sentiments the popularity of this sign has revived among some of the Persian speaking population of Iran in recent years.


This is the imperial coat of arms of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. From the time of Otto the Great onward, the various German princes elected one of their peers as King of the Germans, after which he would be crowned as emperor by the Pope. The last emperor to be crowned by the pope was Charles V; all emperors after him were technically 'emperors-elect', but were universally referred to as Emperor.

The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch.

The shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three passant guardant lions of England; the rampant lion of Scotland in the second; and in the third, a harp for Northern Ireland.The crest is a statant guardant lion wearing the imperial crown, himself on another representation of that crown. The dexter supporter is a likewise crowned English lion; the sinister, a Scottish unicorn. According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained, as were both supporting unicorns in the Royal coat of arms of Scotland. The coat features both the motto of English monarchs, Dieu et mon droit (God and my right), and the motto of the Order of the Garter, Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shamed be he who thinks ill of it) on a representation of the Garter behind the shield.

After the declaration of independence on July 4, 1776, there were many attempts to propose a design for a seal for the new United States of America. The first was a committee constituted by Continental Congress, which included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.    Finally, in June 20, 1782, Congress approved, as the great seal of the United States, a design recommended by its Secretary, Charles Thomson. The seal consists of the coat of arms, which is officially blazoned in the original approving legislation as:

    "ARMS. Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief, azure; the escutcheon on the breast of the American eagle displayed proper, holding in his dexter talon an olive branch, and in his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows, all proper, and in his beak a scroll, inscribed with this motto, E Pluribus Unum.

    For the CREST. Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the escutcheon, a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen stars, forming a constellation argent, on an azure field."

Thomson's explanation of the symbolism was also approved by the Continental Congress:

• The thirteen alternating pales represents the states,
• Supporting and united by Congress, represented by the blue chief. 
• The colors signify purity and innocence (white), hardiness and valor (red), and vigilance, perseverance and justice (blue).
• The olive branch and arrows represent the powers of war and peace.
• The constellation represents a new state taking its place among other sovereign powers.
• The eagle as sole supporter signifies that the United States "ought to rely on their own virtue."

The motto is translated, "Out of many, one." In 1885, the Department of State commissioned Tiffany and Company of New York to design and cut a new die for the great seal, which ultimately resulted in the standardization of the arms as used throughout the U.S. government. The artist responsible for this rendering was Tiffany's chief designer, James Horton Whitehouse.

The Coat of Arms of Canada as depicted in 1923. The Royal Arms were adopted by proclamation of King George V on November 21, 1921.

The Ottoman Coat of Arms

The Iranian Coat of Arms

 The Arms of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity are described in heraldic terms as a black shield bearing hands and letters of gold as in their badge, around which emblems run what is known as a double tressure, flory counter flory, of silver.

The 'double tressure' alludes to the 'tie that binds,' the secrets, ideals, and aims of the Fraternity.

The black 'shield' was chosen not only because of it's effectiveness , but also because it is the background of the badge.

The 'crest' consists of an owl surmounting Roman fasces. The owl was assigned by the Greeks to Pallas Athena as an emblem of her supernatural wisdom, and by the Romans to Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom. The 'fasces,' which the owl surmounts, was a term given to a bundle of elm sticks or branches bound together with leather thongs or lashes, and containing an axe with its blade projecting from the side. These were carried by 'lectors' (public officials attending Roman magistrates), and were symbols of power.

The colors of the Fraternity are represented by a garnet ribbon on the dexter side of the shield, and by a gold one at the left, from which, united below the shield, depends by a ring the Psi Upsilon badge. The supporters are two silver griffins, typifying watchfulness and strength.

The motto, selected from Plato, translates to: "Unto us has befallen a mighty friendship." For a Greek-letter fraternity, a Greek motto is necessary.



Like Western heraldry, Japanese mons were initially held only by aristocratic families, and were gradually adapted by commoners. Japanese traditional formal attire generally display the mon of the wearer. Commoners without mon often used the one mon belonging to their patron or organization. This specific mon is the coat of arm of the Gion Mamori of Japan.


This is the White Rose of York, a white heraldic rose, which is the symbol of the House of York. Traditionally, the origins of the emblem are said to go back to Edmund of Langley in the fourteenth century, the first Duke of York and the founder of the House of York as a Cadet branch of the then ruling House of Plantagenet. The actual symbolism behind the rose has religious connotations as it represents the Virgin Mary, who was often called the Mystical Rose of Heaven

Go to the next chapter; Chapter 18 - Logotypes and Branding

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

Degrees of Offalism

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0. All children and adults may keep their shoes on.

1. Small children required to remove shoes, teenagers and adults may keep them on.

2. Children and teenagers required to remove their shoes, adults may keep them on.

3. All family members required to remove their shoes, visitors may keep them on.

4. Family members and close friends asked to remove their shoes, other visitors may keep them on.

5. Family members and visitors normally asked to remove their shoes, but exceptions made for parties and some formal occasions.

6. Family members and visitors are normally required to remove their shoes on all occasions, including parties.

I would say that you only count as having a shoes-off policy if you are at level 5. Level 4 is close, but in my opinion is not really a true shoes-off policy.

Tip For Party Hosts

If you are hosting a shoeless party and a guest arrives who is wearing a very nice pair of shoes or a pair of shoes you know to be new, always complement them. That way, they will not mind so much leaving them at the door.

Evergreen Massive/Kyle's Going Away Party

Mika on Belay


Eva figuring out the whole Girls in the Gym thing.


Kyle say CHEESE! Eva in the background on Reptiles


Kyle tackling the first crux on Abo

Whew! Sitting in my mother dearests' study typing away. Took a break from 'Atlas Shrugged' to write about my day. Little si was brilliant, a lot of people were there. Arrived at the crag by 11, and sent the first route with great care.
Too tired to rhyme anymore.
Showed up to the crag and was greeted by a whole crew from Evergreen including Mika, Kyle T., Ausch(spelling?), Eva, and Carrie. The forecast called for sun and we got it, but instead of 63 degree temps it was more like 50 degrees with the wind blowing the warmth from your very soul. No matter. I had a lot of energy and it was great to be at the World Wall. I kept promising myself I would give Californicator a few good burns but never got around to it, and by the time I did get around to it people were running a train on it. Oh well, I got in a good 6 pitches between 11 and 4:15. Managed Psychosomatic, Abo, Psychowussy, GITG, GITG extension(fell at very top), and of course my lady in waiting Rainy Day Woman. Overall a top notch yet cold day of wonderful climbing and to boot a send off sesh with good friend Kyle who will no longer be with us as of next week. Good luck in Colorado Kyle!! I'm super psyched on WW1, fitness felt extremely high today and I climbed all day in my Dragons which are now my go to shoe. Routes I'm psyched on: Extendorigine, Californicator, and Propaganda. Plus a few others which I will have to wait and see if I have the time or the effort to send. After talking to Audrey today I feel like I need to step it up and start getting on some .13's! That woman is extremely psyched on climbing, in great shape, and very inspiring to watch climbing.
Bad news is that it looks like the first week of April is going to be a wet one indeed and the wall was already seeping in some places(but for the most part all dry, with the exception of the far left wall). Looks like I'll have to get my kicks at the WRG.

The Spokane Spectrum, A Story of 4 Worlds

Main Wall at Deep Creek

The past week has faded into my rearview mirror with some velocity. Starting out with high hopes and a long camping and climbing trip mentality has made the last 8 days somewhat of a highspeed blur. Me and my two loyal climbing companions(Laura and Dom, duh) headed out on Thursday of last week to explore the more mysterious side of our state and the many climbing destinations it holds. With day light burning we pulled into Spokane and the campsite there, can't remember the name, and had enough time to check out the nearby crag Deep Creek. It was an eye-full and we were all ready to come back the next day and crush. The routes looked long, vertical to slightly overhung on chipped and shiny black basalt. The whole crag was in a dried up riverbed with fine grained sand as a floor and the faint trickle of water in the back ground providing a very Zen atmosphere.

Our first day on the rock was a numbing experience. Literally the first route we did was so cold I couldn't feel my fingers from start to finish. We opted for more sunlight and headed to the main wall and then decided to come back and headed to the smallest wall in the canyon on the aptly named Mushroom Boulder.


Me belaying Dom up some .11b on the Mushroom boulder.

This wall had some short little routes from .11b to 5.9 to super overhung bouldery project. We spied an .11a that didn't look too tricky and I went for the OS. Now, getting shut down is one thing, but getting shut down so early on a long trip does wonders for your psyche, everyone should try it. The shortest route we had seen so far was kicking my ass. Not one, or two, but finally three tries later I clipped the chains and was soooo pumped from 15 feet of climbing that I was ready to throw in the towel. Laura gave some valiant efforts and was nominated at the end of the trip as the person coming closest to 'sending' without actually 'sending'. She was literally on the last hold bringing the rope up to clip the chains when she decided to keep this for an easy tick next trip. What can I say? The girl thinks ahead.
Oh yeah, and about Dom, well, he just flashes or OS's things, quite annoying really. After Dom tackled a heinous looking .11b to the right of the .11a doing everything but the right sequence and still sending we left Mushroom Boulder and headed to the longer and steeper routes on the Main Wall.
First up was some prime 'chilling time' where we milled about aimlessly occasionally staring up at some random route and chatting with the extremely friendly locals. After my wonderful start I finally got some balls and tried The Roach, a long and juggy looking .11a. The first part was easy 5.9 and then a small little crux going out right to steeper climbing on really good jugs. I enjoyed this climb right up until I started to get really pumped and out of the zone. But I still managed to clip chains. Laura was up next on TR and managed it with one hang, and well, we all know about Dom already. Flashed it!
After sending there was more milling about, until Dom picked out a pretty little .12a on the far left side of the main wall. Steep bouldery start leading to more steep crimpy climbing. Here are some pics, and I believe the name of this route was Being Inferior.







It was a pretty sweet OS and probably the hardest one I have seen Dom do. I was far too pumped just watching to give it a go, but I was inspired and hopped on one of the easier climbs at the crag but no less classic, Red Hair .11b. Such a fun climb and I didn't find it that hard, especially in the technical dihedral. Another OS was definitely helping the psych level and I was looking forward to climbing really hard. The day was a good gauge on where my head was and my fitness and I was slowly realizing that neither would lend themselves to hard OS's. I believe that this was the last climb of the day and we headed back to our lovely campsite.

The second day on we found ourselves at The Pit, another Deep Creek sector not quite as big as the Main Wall but just as long, if not longer and sustained. We got right to work bathing in the sun and warming our forearms on a long .10c that I found pretty hard. I was looking for all incut jugs the whole way and found only slopey flat holds that made me feel insecure.


Laura on a long and pumpy attempt of the .10c.

The next route was Pit Lizard and I had a terrible time climbing this classic line. I think I wandered too far and had to down climb at least two or three times; made a real mess of any conceivable rest or sequence, and finally came to the last jug a mere 5 feet from the chains and decided to fall off. It was epic.
We took a break from the longer routes yet again to find sheer climbing bliss on the shorter walls below the pit that had some pretty fun .10's and .9's.
The morning turned to afternoon and we found ourselves at the Main Wall yet again with noone in sight. I was ready to give a good OS attempt on a cool looking .12a called Naked Man, which was much in the style of the .12a Dom had done on the previous day. Steep and bouldery at the beginning with mostly good incut crimps and a huge jug rest in the middle. I fired off 2/3's of the route before hitting a wall. Literally. I jumped off with the bolt at my feet and came slamming back into the hard basalt. Oh well, it was a fun try and very good climb, I just couldn't finish it. Dom cleaned it up for me and I managed to snag a vid of him on it. (Coming soon)


Me on the beginning of Naked Man(5.12a)

The day ended in a little more frustration than it began. I recovered from my harrowing fall and after a few routes on the Mushroom boulder we were back at the Main Wall for the last climb of the day, a steep looking .11c called Overhangus. Again I fought with flat holds and a pretty hard bouldery start only to pop off just before the slab and a huge no hands rest. It was a really great route however and I look forward to getting back on it next time(a year from now maybe?).
More wood was collected and a nice fire was had by all.


Me taking my frustrations out on the wood, Grrrrrrrr!

Okay, that is a wrap for Deep Creek. Next up is Banks Lake. We drove a mere two hours to Grand Coulee where the granitic mecca of Banks Lake was lying in wait. Our timing could not have been more perfect, for as we pulled into the gravel drive of the campsite pulling in just behind us were our friends from Oly' who had planned to meet up with us on this very day. Erica, Sarah, Meagan, and Melody stumbled out of the car and greeted us with road trip enthusiasm. We pitched four pretty little tents all in a row and were climbing in no time.


The view from Highway Rock at Banks Lake.

A few 5.8 slab climbs later and I found myself growing antsy and wanting to step it up a notch. I spied a line of verticalness with awesome looking crimps at the beginning and was psyched. I made it three bolts up before realizing there were no more bolts and had to back clean to the ground. Turns out the route was not in the guide and was probably not even a finished route. Stepping farther right I got on a sweet looking .11c called young Lions. Easy start on jugs lead to a slightly overhung wall split perfectly down the middle by a slopey looking vertical seam. I just kept on climbing and clipping. The seam was much better than it looked and the crux was right underneath the chains, a deadpoint to a perfect crimp rail and then a victory jug. I had the best time on this route and I think it was the best route I did all trip. The granite is impeccable. Wonderful moves, no awkwardness, well protected. I could go on and on.


Dom on the last move of Young Lions(5.11c).


Melody on the arete of Bono(5.8)

The rain moved in pretty much on Dom's second go send of Allergic reaction(5.12a) as he was almost blown from the top by strong gusts of wind, we packed up in the ensuing torrential downpour and made our soggy way into the local bar. The rain abated and we headed to the homefront where store bought wood warmed us to the core that night.
The next day we woke to the sounds of a million bird songs and checked out Northrup Canyon(amazing) but decided to start out at Golf Course Rock. A huge granitic slab adjacent to a golf course.
The first route I tried was a .10a and it was out of this fucking world good. No hard moves, all crimps, great movement up a flat slabby face.


Erica on the right, and Meagan on the left. Right (5.10b), left (5.10d).


Dom on the .10a lower right corner, and the expanse of the Golf Course Rock sector.

I climbed two other routes on the slab; a pretty nice but awkward in some places .10b and a really good and hard .10d, both OS and fun ascents. Slab climbing is great because you don't get pumped. Hooray.
The last stop of the day was Northrup Canyon.


The pillar ledge view. We had to climb through a cocaine gullyesque nostril to get to these climbs, and I guess it was worth it.


Dom entering the 'pillar' section of Dr. Ceuse(5.10a)

Dr. Ceuse was a great climb that would be 4 stars if not for the junky and awkward beginning. As soon as you get to the pillar part of the climb the adrenaline kicks in and the exposure is intoxicating. The lichen splattered pillar is sharp as a knife but climbs well and is well protected besides just being a straight up bad ass rock climb. I did the 5.8 slab and the crusty and sketchy .10a before we all headed down back through the nostril and collected an insane amount of wood to burn that night.


Meagan checks the weather from the pillar on Dr. Ceuse(5.10)


Sarah negotiates the corner on a .10a.


Erica leading the 5.8 slab in Northrup Canyon.


The next day would be our last at Banks Lake and we all agreed that Northrup Canyon was the place to go. I started out on an inspiring slab climb that was 14 bolts long! How Homer Got His Groove Back(5.10b) was such an amazing climb even though I broke a small crimp off of it and fell, I finished it up after that and took some photos of Laura on it.


Me tackling the slab on How Homer Got His Groove Back(5.10b), pre-breaking off a hold.


Laura TR's How Homer Got His Groove Back(5.10b).




Okay, the stitching was a little off for this pano but I didn't want to crop out most of the picture. I just couldn't stop snapping pics of this awesome crag. The potential here is amazing. A lot of decent boulders, tons of face climbing, crack climbing, roofs, overhangs, slabs, all on perfect cream/tan/white granite.
Dom and I both ended the day on a .12c called Baptism By Whipper which ascends a really overhung wall on nothing but good incuts. It was a tad on the soft side, just big moves, but really fun to climb. The weather was perfect but instead of climbing more we were all ready to pack up and get on to the next destination.

Post Falls

I'll end my blog quickly now since I have no more eye candy. A full memory card will do that to you. We spent Wednesday at a crag in Idaho just over the border of Washington. Post Falls was a great granite sport crag that has a high concentration of climbs in the 5.8 to 5.11+ range, and a couple of .12's. We did more routes on that day than on any other day, I think Dom had 14, I had 11, and Laura got in 8 or 9. The best of which was a great vertical .10c that had a tricky little roof encounter at the very top which required a high-step and a rock-over. Out of three stars I would give this crag 2.5. It was such enjoyable climbing on friendly rock but it lacked that kind of secluded feel that can be nice to have sometimes, especially when the locals start throwing rocks off the top of the cliffs. It's located in a park that gets a lot of foot traffic and most of the climbs are easy to access from the top to set up TR's. Overall it was a great high volume day and there were some definite stand outs, like McMantle(5.11b), Divine Intervention(5.10b), Jude 24(5.11a) and the aformentioned .10c, plus the 5.8 that we all did at the very end of the day.

Goose Lake

Thursday was our seventh day on, and instead of sticking around Spokane to find out first hand if the weather reports we had been hearing about rain were true, we packed up and headed to a place called Goose Lake which is 20 miles(?) east of Vantage. It's quite an obscure little place located in a nature reserve(which allows hunting, WTF?) and has some great views of native grasslands. The climbing is basalt pillars very much in the same style as the Feathers in Vantage but shorter. Out of three stars I would give this crag 1. The rock is extremely loose and friable in places, and even though the entire crag caters to the grade range of 5.6-5.10a, it might not be a wise choice to go here if you are a beginner and are not good at delineating between 'good/solid' holds from 'bad/friable' holds. That being said, I got on 9 routes from 5.6-5.10d and the majority of them were quite enjoyable, with good movement, technical in places, and powerful in others, plus the setting is very tranquil and beautiful.

Now it is Friday afternoon. My skin feels good and it is nice to re-cap the last weeks events. I'm sure I have left out something, like the dinner we had at Laura's aunt's house, thanks Larry and Diane!! The BBQ was delicious. Or the details of sitting underneath a star ridden sky every night laughing and enjoying good company around a crackling fire. Part of me would love to still be out there trying to find 'the zone', but another part of me is psyched to start my new job on Monday and completely not psyched to get up at 5:45 to do so. Anyway, thanks everyone for making the first big trip of the year a great one. Can't wait to get back out there and seek out some of the crags we didn't go to, there are just too many.

Pattersons on Hope Avenue: Barefoot is Better

Pattersons on Hope Avenue: Barefoot is Better

Rob & I decided that in our new place, no shoes are allowed. That means, everyone (EVERYONE) can leave their shoes at the door. There are a few reasons for this. First, I know this is super weird I am somewhat concerned about the germs that your shoes pick up. I mean you walk all over the place, parking lots, public bathrooms, restaurants with dirty mops and spilled food, etc. and then you bring the germs back into your house when you wear your shoes in.

Crazy Sexy Life: Do You Go Shoeless?

Crazy Sexy Life: Do You Go Shoeless?

It is actually a little alarming when you consider that no matter how pesticide-free your own yard might be, you probably walk through all kinds of toxic horrors on a daily basis. Pesticides are routinely sprayed on many sidewalks and car parks, they run off front yards onto sidewalks, they’re found on parks, playgrounds and just about any area where you see grass. And that is just the pesticide problem; what about oil, dog excrement, chewing gum, spit-up and all the other gross things (I’m sure you can think of a few more) that foul our public pathways? Enough said, but truly, the pesticides are the worst because if you have small children or pets, their little hands/paws (and even mouths!) are very close to the ground.

A Mountain Hearth: Please Remove Your Shoes: An In-depth Look at the Barefoot Truth

A Mountain Hearth: Please Remove Your Shoes: An In-depth Look at the Barefoot Truth

You show up at someones house to visit and you notice shoes piled outside the door. This may seem curious, until children come running up to greet you and let you know in the same sentence as their greeting, to please remove your shoes. It may seem radical, but this is a shoe-free house. I discovered this foot loose and fancy free lifestyle when I was going to baby playgroups, and noticed that many of the other mamas had shoe shelves outside and no shoes allowed inside. With little people crawling around on the floor putting everything in their mouth, this was one of the best home policies I had ever heard of. I quickly implemented this idea and discovered that I loved it! No more mud and leaves tracked in or strange smelling bits of who knows what. No more frequent floor cleanings! Now came the tricky part of getting other people on board. The etiquette of shoe removal is surprisingly delicate. How does one express to family and friends that shoes need to come off while maintaining warm hospitality and an atmosphere of welcome? I decided to ask a few fellow barefoot friends to share their wisdom on the matter.

An Open Letter to David and Samantha Cameron

Dear David and Samantha

Let me congratulate you on the prospect of a new addition to your family. You have my prayers for the safe delivery of your child.

Given that you are going to have another baby and you already have two young children, I would urge you to consider making your home strictly shoe-free.

It may be that you already avoid wearing shoes in your home most of the time and encourage visitors to remove their shoes. If so, forgive this communication, but I have seen photographs of you wearing shoes at home.

On this blog, you will find a variety of different reasons why having a no-shoes rule makes sense. Some of these simply relate to protecting floors and carpets, but others concern health. As children spend time playing on floors, it is vital that they are kept safe from harmful toxins and unhealthy elements. Shoes can potentially pick up animal faesces, lead, toxoplasmosis, roundworms and harmful bacteria. Exposure to such things presents risks for small children; risks that can easily be avoided.

Mr. Cameron, you have spoken before about 'wellbeing', that there are things that can contribute to a more healthy and psychologically better lifestyle. I believe that having a shoes-off policy can contribute to a sense of wellbeing not only in keeping out harmful toxins, but also making the home a more special, intimate place, where the day-to-day world is kept out.

Perhaps some of the senior Conservatives who visit you might not relish removing their shoes, but I am sure you make your family's wellbeing your first priority.

I write as a member of the Conservative party who is hopeful for an end to some of the anti-family values of the present Labour government. I wish you success in taking no.10 Downing Street.

I believe you are the man to provide new leadership for the British nation. I would love to see you showing that leadership by setting the example for British families by adopting a shoes-off policy in your home.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Matthew Clarke, PhD

The Sacramental Significance of a Cluster of Shoes

Another post on house churches.

In my view, it is better for churches to meet in homes, as the earliest Christians did. I believe that provides a much deeper level of intimacy and fellowship.

Naturally, a home which hosts church meetings would be wise to have a shoes-off rule, to protect the carpet or flooring from the tread of a large number of visitors. If so, I think the large collection of shoes by the door could have an almost sacramental significance reflecting the truth of the church's nature and purpose.

The church, body of Christ, is a people who experience unity in diversity. We are called out of all nations, ethnic groups and peoples. We come from all walks of life, rich and poor, working class and middle class. Males and females are equally valued (or should be) in the church. All ages have a part to play in the rich tapestry of the church of God, in displaying the light of His grace. Each member has his or her own distinct gift and contribution to the life of the church.

The cluster of shoes at the door would reflect that wonderful diversity. We would see the tiny shoes of a child, and the much larger shoes of her father. We would see the shiny brogues of a businessman and the sandals of a student. We would see the sporty trainers of a young man and the sensible velcro-strapped shoes of a more senior man. We might see ethnic diversity; the elegant heels of a French school teacher and the flip flops of a Filipino nurse. We might see the two pairs of shoes of a newly married couple set closely together by the door.

Shoes in all different shapes and sizes, relecting the diversity of the church. Yet all are removed and left by the door, for the owners have come together to worship and to share in the fellowship of the body of Christ.


Okay, I am a theologian who has done a PhD on the subject of the ecclesiology, so I am bound to write stuff like this.