Panda Bear does a hand stand

What we have here is a great opportunity to view Giant Pandas behaving naturally, as never seen before.

And the winner is . . .

Yes, Bambu Batu has done it again. Always setting the bar and exceeding expectations for quality, consciousness and customer service. If you're used to shopping at box stores filled with cheap, plastic, sweatshop products, or chain stores staffed by un-knowledgeable, incompetent part-time seasonal students, you'll be in for the surprise of your life!

¿Donde estan los bambúes?

Ever have a hard time getting to the bathroom in a foreign country? Sometimes they can be devilishly camouflaged, like this lavatory near Atitlan, Mexico. My brother found it just in time.

King for a day

Winter is coming, and with it the monarch butterflies are flocking back into SLO County. We plant a wide variety of native species in our garden to attract local birds and butterflies, and we have several small milkweed bushes, which are the monarch's primary source of sustenance. But here's one feasting on a bouquet of semi-native, super-aromatic mexican marigold. Must be delicious!

For some reason, the monarchs take no interest in any of the several varieties of bamboo that are potted throughout the yard, but of course, bamboo isn't native to California. And one of bamboo's chief advantages is its total lack of enemies. Unlike cotton, which is extremely susceptible to pests like the bull weevil, bamboo appears nowhere on any insect's menu. Perhaps this is part of why bamboo spreads so aggressively, because no insects have come forward to aid in the process of pollination.

Resilience and Integrity

Bamboo has long been revered for its striking combination of properties: Strong, Flexible, Hollow. Bamboo deserves emulation for each of these characteristics.

Unsurpassed in strength, bamboo makes an excellent substitute for hardwoods like maple and oak, an ideal material for flooring and kitchen wares. This is not simply the raw strength of a muscle-bound weightlifter, but rather the indefatigable resilience of a tai chi master. Its unique ability to bend in the breeze and flex under extreme pressure makes bamboo a natural survivor. The best demonstration of strength includes a willingness to compromise rigidity without sacrificing integrity.

Beyond that, most bamboo grows hollow. While many top-ranked athletes suffer from over-developed egos and over-inflated opinions of themselves, the graceful victor remains empty inside, always ready to receive, learn and improve.

Be like the bamboo, let your roots run deep and wide, and you too will survive the harshest winds and the deadliest storms.

Math and Metaphor

It has been observed that the greenest, hardiest shoots of bamboo frequently spring from the darkest layers of waste and manure. Out of this waste, a bright future will come to fruition. We can make the world a better place. Yes, we can.

Garden of Delight

No Hornaday family vacation (or solo vacation for that matter) would be complete without a trip to the Botanical Gardens. NOLA's gardens were pleasant enough, and of course Louisiana has a very bamboo friendly climate, at least when the city's not under water.

Bam... BOO!

Yes, it is the official plant of Halloween, so we decided to go all out and celebrate the big spooky day in the Big Easy. I can now say that there's no better place to spend Halloween than New Orleans. If we'd tried to have half as much fun with half as many costumed people right here in San Luis Obispo, there's no doubt that the entire police force of the city would have descended on us with with tear gas and rubber bullets. If you can still remember the days of Mardi Gras in SLO, then you know I'm not exaggerating. Because more southerners serve in the military, it stands to reason that southerners should enjoy more freedom than Californians.
The most common Halloween costume in New Orleans by far was Sarah Palin, in several incarnations, including Sarah Impaling, with a stuffed rabbit skewered on the end of a long stick. Also popular were Joe the Plumber, Senator Obama, and numerous allusions to the economy, the stock market and the $700B bailout. One person thought I was Osama bin Laden, and someone else thought I was Haile Selassie, which gave me a great idea for next year without even needing a new costume.
As tourists from Coastal California visiting the Deep South, we were rather surprised to discover about a 10:1 ratio of Obama signs to McCain's in New Orleans, in stark contrast to the strong prevalence of McCain signage (by about 15:1) in our own neighborhood. And as we drove into Grover Beach Sunday afternoon, we were greeted by an acrimonious gathering of Yes on 8ers crusading for hate. No wonder we felt like getting out of town for a spell.

Roll with it, baby

As American car manufacturers race to produce a hybrid Cadillac Escalade that gets 20 mph (no, I'm afraid I'm not kidding here), the Filipino department of transportation is already light years ahead, with the incredible bamboo mobile. Chiefs of state cruise around the capital city of Manila in this stylish station wagon, conducting official business and making ceremonial appearances. Eat your heart out Fred Flintstone. (Statistics on the vehicle's fuel economy have not been made available — but check out that adjustable windshield, for increased aerodynamics!)

They get cuter with age

If Giant Pandas are cute, then baby Pandas must be downright adorable, right? Yeah, well, more or less. These cuddly critters came into the world just last month, but clearly they still have a long way to go.

"One month-old twin Panda babies are held by zoo keepers during their first appearance to the public at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, central Japan, Saturday, Oct. 11,2008. The female, left, and male cubs weighing 991gram and 861gram respectively, were born in Sept. 13." (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

I just hope those are super soft bamboo towels that they're wrapped in!

Good for the soul - great on the plate

On our recent trip to Santa Cruz, we made an incredible discovery: Bamboo Rice. Color me flummoxed!

No, Condoleezza's brother isn't hiding out somewhere in a hippy commune in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's the edible stuff. So what the heck is it, I wondered. A special kind of rice, or a special kind of bamboo? I mean, sure, bamboo is a member of the monocotyledonous grass family, Poaceae, just like rice. So some varieties must surely produce an edible grain, right?

Well, maybe there are some tasty bamboo grains out there, and maybe not. But that will have to be the subject of some future episode of this spellbinding blog. It turns out this was some kind of rice that's been infused with bamboo essence, enhancing the grain with a uniquely nutty flavor and earthly aroma. So we grabbed a bag from the bulk section of the New Leaf grocery store on Hwy 1, a few minutes north of downtown Santa Cruz, and rushed home with it.

To unlock the full potential of this exotic rice, I prepared an unusual recipe of spinach praram with tofu, smothered with thai peanut sauce. For the sake of culinary experimentation, I substituted homegrown chard for spinach, TVP chunks for tofu, homegrown parsley for cilantro, and half of the peanut butter was substituted with TJ's sun butter (made from organic sunflower seeds). Our own garden also provided the crushed red cayenne peppers. The results were delicious. (Feel free to email me for a complete recipe.)

Mega flora

Giant timber bamboo forests are amazing - and we saw a few on our last trip to Santa Cruz - but nothing surpasses the grandeur of an old-growth redwood forest where the trunks of Sequoia sempervirens reach 2-300 feet into the sky. I'm not sure how old-growth these stands in the Henry Cowell State Park are, probably no more than a century or two, but the sense of scale and the scents of clean oxygen are enough to intoxicate even the staunchest of carbon lovers.

We spent a beautiful afternoon frolicking in the river here at Big Basin and a tranquil night snoozing under the redwoods and what few stars could be seen through the redwood canopy. A much needed break from the fast paced rat race lifestyle of San Luis Obispo.

Believe it or Knot

Just when I thought I'd seen every possible application of bamboo, I came across the Tai Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Check out their website (textilearts.com/bamboo) and amaze yourself with contemporary Japanese textile art.

Tao here now

In the beginning was the Word . . .

After great anticipation, "The Tao of Fred" has finally been printed. Seize the day; order now and receive a very limited first edition copy of this rare collection of thoughtful and inspirational Limericks. Now available here at BambuBatu.com, under poetry.

Now for something completely different . . .

In our unending efforts to see the world from a new point of view, and to see that paradigm shift become a reality, we spend an inordinate amount of time turning the world on its head, engaging in deep meditation, and conducting meaningful discourse on the matters closest to our hearts.

As purveyors of bamboo, we are deeply concerned with issues of ecology, sustainability and habitat conservation, as well as fair and just social policies and labor practices. As an environmentalist, I have a passion for all things green. As a world traveler, I enjoy studying cultural characteristics and local customs. And as a writer and literary scholar, I'm fascinated by the poetic traditions that crop up in various eras and locales. Not surprisingly then, these interests intermingle to foster a zeal for literature from the green island of Ireland, and an irrational obsession with Limericks.

On that note, it pleases me to offer you the following words of wisdom for your consideration:


"Winds of Change"
There was once an iniquitous breeze
Blowing garbage with consummate ease
          As the Styrofoam floated
          I carefully noted
How quickly it grew on the trees

"Hug a Tree"
There's a movement we've recently seen
After treating the planet so mean
          The force of our mass
          Is killing the grass
So give up the gas and go green

"The Human Scourge"
Mankind is in need of a better direction
Consuming and killing with savage perfection
          Where lies the answer
          To this bipedal cancer?
What can be done to contain the infection?

"Scorched Earth Policy"
Open your eyes to this uncommon era
And dry up your tears ‘fore they run your mascara
          As the king plucks his fiddle
          The Earth’s in the middle
Defending herself in the war against terra

"Earth in Peril"
Old humans once honored their planet
It seems now they take it for granite
          But the Earth’s plenty strong
          She’ll heal before long
Global warming can’t kill us — or can it?

"Wasteland"
Rushing downstream like some ill-guided salmon
Our bodies are wasting with spiritual famine
             The flesh has grown fatter
             From meaningless matter
We’ve traded our souls for the almighty mammon

"Mars Attacks"
Mr. Martian stepped out of his cosmic two-seater
Joined by his wife, for he hoped to entreat her
             Unsure what to think
             I said, “How ‘bout a drink?”
“Why yes,” he replied, “take me straight to your liter!”

Forward Ever!

Ready, Aim, Fire! Bambu Batu is catapulting into the future, with the freshest, softest natural fiber fashions anywhere. Never content to settle for "just good enough," we are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and innovative products. Our latest line of woven bamboo, made in the USA, is meeting with rave reviews.

Our customers continue to be amazed by the many uses of bamboo. For clean comfort around the home, nothing can rival the sheer elegance of bamboo bedding and bamboo towels. For the best night's sleep and the most refreshing showers, bamboo stands in a class of its own: super soft, super absorbent, anti-microbial, and odor resistant. Stop in and see what's in store for your green living home, or visit our online shop at www.bambubatu.com/95-0-bed--bath.html.

Keep your eyes on Bambu Batu for the latest in bamboo, and we'll keep looking to the future, to make our planet safer, greener, and cleaner!

Just Be

Being Here Now

Be Here Now. That's our motto here at Bambu Batu. Not that we made it up, of course. Ram Dass brought the slogan and the way of life to popular attention with his best-selling book in 1971. Now, we see Eckhart Tolle running with the same theme in his recent series of soul-searching self-help books, drawing a massive, fervent following.

The essence of "Be Here Now" means not to dwell in the past or fret about the future, but to live in the moment. By focussing on the present moment, in deep meditation, one can discover the bliss of eternal life sought by every religion since the dawn of man.

This concept lies at the heart of eastern philosophy, to which bamboo lovers frequently adhere. Here are a few passages from western literature which express the "Be Here Now" ideology.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.
~William Blake (1757-1827)


"Be Present"
The past and the future are one and the same
To believe otherwise is a short-sighted game
          Outside of uncertainty
          Right now is eternity
The light of a pure and perpetual flame

"The Uncarved Block"
I feel like it’s better to listen than talk
And faster to run, though it’s wiser to walk
          A field to be tilled
          Or a cup yet unfilled
This is the way of the unsculpted rock
~The Granola Poet (1973-)

Reflections on the Price of Victory

Victory At Any Cost (April 8, 2008)

General Petraeus, your mission is dragging
Cheney is willing but spirits are sagging
Vict’ry you say is round the next corner
Explain to the mothers who wait by the coroner

The specious invasion at five years and counting
Our country it suffers from backwards accounting
Library hours grow shorter and shorter
Money for textbooks they’re spending on mortar

The bloodshed increases and George doesn’t see
He said it was finished in May of 03
Each day your forecast grows fairer and fairer
When did that country get riddled by terror?

With 4,000 dead, on our side alone
It’s too soon for towels or fits to be thrown
Now is the time to be hopeful and strong
But glasses in deserts aren’t half full for long

I hope we aren’t half as dumb as you think
The longer we stay so the deeper we sink
Protecting your honor, young gentlemen die
While Exxon sees profits go straight through the sky

You entered their land with a force of deceit
And coming back home is the mark of defeat
So send the boys in for another attack
If you had your way they would never come back

Free Days With The Condor

The most recent excursion in our series of non-bamboo field trips took us up to Big Sur where we camped two nights at Plaskett Creek and explored the back country of Julia Pfeifer Burns. From the high ridge of Elwoodson Trail, we had a close encounter with what appeared to be a flock of Turkey Vultures.

Closer inspection, however, revealed these giant birds to be California Condors. According to Wikipedia there are fewer than 300 California Condors remaining in existence, and about 147 in the wild. We saw at least 8 individual Condors. In contrast to their more common relatives, the Condors have a far more graceful flight pattern, a much wider wingspan, and number tags under each wing (because they are monitored by wildlife biologists.)

These amazing creatures, relics from a bygone prehistoric era, will mostly likely become extinct within our lifetime, so we relished in this rare opportunity to see them up close and personal, high above the dramatic Big Sur coastline.

Spring for it!

Wildflowers are blooming in profusion, and the bamboo shoots are bolting upwards. It's only the first week of spring, but here at Bambu Batu we can feel the change in the air.

We rang in the new season with a short adventure up to Pinnacles National Monument, roughly 2.5 hours north of San Luis Obispo, 20 minutes northeast of King City. In other words, it's pretty much the middle of nowhere, which means perfect conditions for rare wildlife, including several species of bats and the endangered California Condor.

The Future of Bamboo is Here

Always at the cutting edge of sustainable natural materials, Bambu Batu is delighted to announce the arrival of solid, Hardwood Bamboo Furniture.

This is bamboo furniture like you've never seen before, nothing like the traditional rustic furniture fashioned from hollow poles strapped together. Just like the bamboo flooring and cutting boards, these pieces use layers of compressed bamboo to maximize the plant's natural strength and resilience. The result is an incredibly smooth, dense wood, harder than oak, with a stunningly attractive grain.

Come in today and see for yourself the future of bamboo, sleek and modern designs from the world's fastest growing plant. Or visit us online at http://www.bambubatu.com.

Solid Hardwood Bamboo Furniture

Bamboo for the Road

While on tour through Arizona last week (see the "Refreshing" entry below), we put our Bamboo Sporks to the test. Not surprisingly, they passed with flying colors. No need for plastic utensils at our road side picnics. Everything edible, from granola in the morning to thai noodles in the evening, with one handy spork.

Come in and check them out for yourself, or order them online www.BambuBatu.com

Refreshing

Because there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, we took a few days away from Bambu Batu last week to explore the scenery of neighboring Arizona. Last Friday, as we charged from the California Coast to Kingman, AZ, the Grand Canyon area was buried by its biggest snowfall in years. The next day, we drove into Flagstaff with clear blue skies and a thick blanket of fresh powder covering everything.
Much of Arizona sits on the Colorado Plateau, at around 7000 ft. altitude, so snow is common there, but this was an unusually heavy fall. About an hour south of the Grand Canyon, the world's largest contiguous stand of Ponderosa Pines surrounds Flagstaff, AZ, and for the 3 days we spent there, it was the quintessential winter wonderland. Meanwhile, the Grand Canyon, ordinarily swamped with visitors from around the globe, glistened in icy silence. A dearth of tourists at each overlook and on every trail punctuated the vast scope of the canyon itself.
Starved as we were for snow, not having seen a single flake since my expulsion from Germany in March 2004, we reveled in it, building snow men and pummeling each other with snow balls. But as the snow melts and the wild flowers open, so the season of our adventure came to a close, and we trekked across the Mojave through Quartzsite and past the windmills of Palm Springs, back to our little parcel of paradise in Grover Beach.

Winter Savings!

Back in Germany, they call it Winter-schlußverkauf, but in America it's just a President's Day white sale. In other words: our BAMBOO SHEETS are now on SALE!

Stop in before the end of Winter and you can save 20% on a set of 100% bamboo sheets from Dreamsacks, the very same sheets that were featured on the Today Show in January. These ultra soft sheets will make you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud. And more importantly, they are completely free of pesticides and are not treated with formaldehyde like conventional sheets. (Disgusting but true — this toxic chemical is typically used to prevent wrinkling.)

Come see us, or order your sheets online: www.BambuBatu.com
And for the month of March, we're also offering our Blog Readers a very special 25% off on a set of bamboo towels, that's $29.95 instead of $39.95. Mention the blog in our store to redeem your discount.

Standing Firm in San Luis

I shudder to guess how many species of megafauna and microflora have gone extinct since my last Bambu Blog entry, but let's just say it's been far too long. On the brighter side of natural selection, it's my great pleasure to report on Bambu Batu's upward evolution from south county to the NEW LOCATION in downtown SLO. In the first week of November '07, we carted a caravan of bamboo treasures on the Silk Road of the Central Coast and relocated our storefront to 1127-A Broad St., SLO. That's right downtown between Big Sky Café and Boston Bagel, not so far afield from the HempShak.

On November 25, our Grand Opening celebration went off like fireworks at Chinese New Year, with deep discounts throughout the store, tray after tray of fresh sushi rolls from next door, and enough rice wine to sedate a Giant Panda.

Bamboo products proved more popular than ever over the Christmas Season, especially the shirts, socks and dresses from spun bamboo, which sold like fortune cookies. And of course, our bamboo towels remain a perennial favorite. The selection of bamboo clothing grows constantly, and every week we see new styles and fashions. Come in today and check out our luxurious new bamboo bathrobes and scrumptious pajama sets.