The Cottonwood

 It stands by itself in the middle of a lengthy sward. There're often practitioners of diverse gyrational persuasions performing near its base.

Its leaves shimmer in the light.

Asters & Ghost Ranch

 Asters in end-of-summer light.

We only mow once (see description on YT).

And Kristen's at Ghost Ranch.

The Heart of Awareness

A friend sent this the other day...the Ashtavakra Gita translated by Thomas Byrom.

https://www.wearesentience.com/uploads/7/2/9/3/7293936/ashtavakra_gita__byrom.pdf

Ashtavakra is indeed wild, playful, utterly absorbed in the Self. Since words are of the mind, which arises only to obscure awareness, words are indeed folly. And who would teach folly? Ashtavakra would. His is an eminently compassionate and practical madness. Even while cutting the ground from under our feet, he shows us at every turn what to do. With a crazy solicitude, he tells us how to end our Self-estrangement.

Be happy. Love yourself. Don't judge others. Forgive. Always be simple. Don't make distinctions. Give up the habit of choice. Let the mind dissolve. Give up preferring and desiring. Desire only your own awareness. Give up identifying with the body and the senses. Give up your attachment to meditation and service. Give up your attachment to detachment. Give up giving up! Reject nothing, accept nothing. Be still. But above all, be happy. In the end, you will find yourself just by knowing how things are.

I can't give up on the body & senses but i get what he's getting at. I mean, what's there not to like about, "But above all, be happy."

Patagonia Paying $100

 to people who convince three people to vote in the midterms. This article has the details.

https://gearjunkie.com/parks-and-public-lands/patagonia-give-100-credit-friends-vote-midterms

Sunset

 

OKLO

Oklo was created by OPENAI CEO Sam Altman and financial markets wizard Michael Klein to provide access to power generation investment opportunity to public investors.

MFH: What is Oklo's plan for implementing development and use of its reactors?

GOOGLE AI's answer:

Oklo’s plan for implementing and developing its reactors revolves around a multi-phased strategy aimed at bypassing traditional nuclear bottlenecks. Instead of selling reactors, Oklo plans to operate as an independent power producer, building and owning the plants while selling electricity and heat directly to customers via long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).Their commercial deployment roadmap is structured around four primary pillars:

1. The Gateway Project: "Aurora-INL" (2026–2028)

First Commercial Plant: Oklo broke ground on its flagship commercial reactor, the Aurora-INL, at the Idaho National Laboratory.Design & Capacity: It is a 75-MWe sodium-cooled, metal-fueled fast reactor designed to run for 10 years without refueling.Timeline: Backed by partnerships with Kiewit Nuclear Solutions (lead constructor) and Siemens Energy (steam turbine systems), the plant is on track for reactor startup and full commercial operations by 2028.

2. Testing and Fast-Tracking via the DOE (2026)

Bypassing the NRC for Test Sites: To accelerate deployment, Oklo is heavily utilizing the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program. This program allows test reactors to be licensed under the DOE rather than going through the lengthy Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) pipeline.The Groves Milestone: In August 2026, Oklo achieved first criticality at its Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Texas. This rapid, under-one-year build serves as Oklo's proof of concept to establish a "repeatable deployment model" for factory-built reactor components.

3. Targeting the Tech Sector (Data Centers)

The AI Customer Base: Rather than targeting traditional utilities, Oklo is focusing its pipeline on power-hungry AI and tech infrastructure.The Order Book: Oklo has signed letters of intent and non-binding agreements for roughly 4,750 MW of supply to data center operators, including a high-profile agreement to supply power to Meta data centers. They have planned subsequent commercial rollouts in locations like southern Ohio.

4. Securing the Fuel Cycle (Nuclear Recycling)

Running on Nuclear Waste: A cornerstone of Oklo's long-term plan is sustainability. Fast-fission reactors can utilize High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) recycled from spent fuel generated by traditional nuclear reactors.

Fuel Facilities: Oklo is concurrently constructing the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility in Idaho and plans to launch a commercial-scale Advanced Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facility in Oak Ridge by 2030+ to secure an independent fuel supply chain.

Maybe keep an eye on it. 

The Day After

 ...the equinox.

The clouds diffuse the location, but the corner of the roof marks the point on the mountain where the sun will rise. 

I transplanted some apache plume and Russian sage into Carl's yard in hope of creating a hedge; something to obscure the stark expanse of rock and weeds. 

Apache Plume in the near hole.

Apache Plume & Russian Sage in far one.

The two houses to our east are rentals. The owner finally listed them w an agency that seems able to find folks besides drug dealers, prostitutes and traffickers in illegals.