(11.28.09) Pelican Confusion
According to several bird behavior guides, this California Brown Pelican should not be in this pose. In fact, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus is distinctive because it does not fish from the surface, but dives from the air. This was one confused and entertaining bird.
(11.27.09) Spines
Actually, I'm not sure if these qualify as spines or thorns. I am fairly certain that they are not prickles. This picture was taken in the gardens at the Getty Museum, which I visited with Gael and Sherry. More photos to come on Flickr.
(11.26.09) A Jewish Thanksgiving
Yes, I've been with this many Jews before.
But the Yiddish translations are helpful
While we talk about Gleeks and turkey jokes.
And this somber moment brought to you by cancer.
It is the old Seder crowd.
Plus me, the Gentile Christian.
That is why tonight is different from other nights.
And it is Thanksgiving, La'chaim!
(11.25.09) Candlelight
Yes, its blurry (next time I'll use a tripod), but I'm going for composition and light here.
(11.24.09) Cheese
(11.22.09) Wearable Art
Her son, Captain Viper, is one of the highlights of my life.
(11.19.09) A Meeting of the I-Hate-My-Pancreas Club
8:39 PM Arrival at site. New territory was covered by parallel parking rather than parking next to Walgreens.
8:43 PM N makes his decision: Chocolate French Silk ice cream and brown sugar cookie dough.
8:45 PM S makes her decision: Espresso almond fudge ice cream and fudge brownie dough.
8:48 PM R makes his decision: Zanzibar chocolate ice cream and turtle cookie dough.
8:52 PM S and N barricade R in the bathroom to recreate "the good old times".
8:56 PM N inhales his dessert, delivering the final punch to his pancreas.
9:00 PM S follows suit. There is much rejoicing.
9:03 PM The photo shoot commences.
9:08 PM Club members exit the premises.
9:10 PM R finishes his dessert.
9:12 PM Members return to Wheaton. The meeting is declared a success. The future date of the next meeting is wistfully discussed. It is acknowledged that R and occasionally N will return to CDC during the interim.
9:31 PM Meeting adjourned.
(11.18.09) Pumpkins, Coffee, and Friends
I have returned to the land of crisp fall days, delicious cups of coffee, cozy scarves, and old friends. Magic is in the air.
(11.17.09) Stilts
We are dismantling a barbed wire fence as we put in our ultra-classy steel post fence. As you can see above, the old fence posts are being re-purposed. Want one (or two) for Christmas?
(11.16.09) Avian Gangs
Every afternoon the neighborhood red-tailed hawk and two crows have it out in a territorial feud that will have no clear winner, as far as we can tell.
(11.14.09) Trains
Our education time this week was devoted to exploring the Southern Nevada Railroad Museum. Unlike the Railroad Museum in Kenya, however, we could neither climb on the display trains nor have the opportunity to derail a handcar.
(11.12.09) On Being Carrie Fisher
I think there are two sides of me:
Adventurer and Darth Barbie
They both have accuracy and merit.
For every face, a coat to wear it.
'Tween pink or blue, just make your choice,
With e'ry shade a different voice.
If Carrie were around to see
She'd likely scorn the Darth Barbie.
Yet, I squirm to let Pink loose
For fear of impending abuse.
(11.11.09) Cutting Rebar
One component of our fence is a 6 inch piece of rebar placed at the bottom of each post.
(11.10.09) Love
Love was a little scarce today. In the midst of heat, poor communication, and equipment delays I had plenty of time to ponder my frustrations with certain crew members. I resolved to choose love, and I made small hearts with rocks to remind myself that out of the barren the loving interaction can be formed.
(11.9.09) The Joy of Cooking
One of my favorite parts of my final two years of college was cooking for friends. Although I enjoyed the weekly meal that I would cobble together for my roommates, my true joy was the spontaneous decision to make banana bread or cookies or some other non-essential victual. I have missed having a crowd around to cook for and I wish that a few of you could stop by for a baking session.
Last night I was able to recreate the effect as much as is possible. During a phone conversation, my friend watched the Cowboys game and I made banana bread and applesauce. It was quite an enjoyable experience. Today, I am off to share my goodies with my crew. Food is definitely best when shared. It is the ultimate community art.
If you want to try long distance cooking, just let me know.
(11.7.09) The Narrows
My adventures in creek hiking continued with a 6 mile hike through a slot canyon. It was cold and treacherous at times, but worthwhile. As Annie Dillard wrote, "Live water heals memories."
(11.4.09) Dilemma in Zion
We could not have asked for a better visit to Zion National Park. The cottonwoods delighted us with a sea of shimmering gold. A friend alerted us to a free BLM campsite that was one of the most peaceful and beautiful campsites I have ever seen. November brings fewer visitors to the park, so popular hikes were relatively deserted. Days were warm and evenings were crisp enough to make a campfire a necessity. Artistically, however, Zion presented a challenge.
My creative journey began as an exercise in mystifying the ordinary. At Zion I struggled with the opposite. How do you do justice to the extraordinary? I quickly despaired of capturing the experience in words or pictures. You really just had to be there. Once I had abandoned hopes of capturing the depth of the beauty around me, I adopted a new approach. I looked for ways to "steal shots" of the scenery around me. The photos above and below should give you an idea of what I was after. I have a hunch that the next year will provide ample opportunity to improve this perspective.
(11.3.09) Playing with the Big Kids Now
One of the joys of my life right now is the time to create. I can wake up and think to myself "Paper machier sounds fun" and away I go. An old box, 3 cups of dryer lint, 2 cups of flour, and a few scraps of paper later, I have a beautiful trash can. Actually, I'm contemplating altering the purpose of this box because it is too pretty for garbage.
Zion
I'm sorry things have been slow around here lately. I had an 8 day tour, a day at home, and then 4 days at Zion National Park. I'll try to get caught up before I leave for a 9 day tour on Monday.
(11.2.09) Power Trip
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Confession: between using the pionjar and driving our truck on some gnarly roads, I am on a bit of a power trip. The Carhartts don't help.
(11.1.09) Moonlit Adventures
Bathing in the moonwash
Cleanses better
Than any soap
Humanity can devise.
(10.31.09) Hoover Dam
For Halloween, we visited the Hoover Dam. In the reflection of Lake Mead you can see an intake tower and the wall of Black Canyon which contains the dam.
(10.29.09) Powerlines
When the cacophony ceases
And we remove our earplugs
There will still be the hum of the powerlines.
When the night owl calls
Fade over the mountain
There will still be the hum of the powerlines.
When the helicopters
Disappear on the horizon
There will still be the hum of the powerlines.
When the moon wanes
And the stars are obscured
There will still be the hum of the powerlines.
(10.28.09) Cruella and Ursula
(10.27.09) Staple Foods
Banana, peanut butter, Nutella sandwiches are my staple mid-morning snack in the field. Yes, Mom, I eat my veggies too.
(10.26.09) Leave No Trace (or A New Kind of Potty Training)
Don't get me wrong, I am a proponent of the Leave No Trace ethics system. This outdoor code calls upon explorers to leave the wilderness as pristine as possible. Mantras such as "Pack it in, Pack it out", "Stay on the trail", and "Observe from a distance" are hallmarks of this ethos. There are even guidelines that govern visiting the "bathroom as big as all outdoors". However, I was a little shocked to discover that my 5 month fence building project is going to demand some extra precautions.
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Yes, it is what you think it is. There's no easy way to say this: I have to poop in a bag. Once we got over the initial shock, the levity of the situation sustained us throughout the tour. Although I do not necessarily recommend that the population as a whole adopt this method of waste disposal, I hope it makes you think about the traces you leave in your wake.
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