road trip

This summer Joe and I headed out for a two-week adventure: Museum of the Rockies, Yellowstone National Park, the DIG Field School near Hell Creek State Park, and finally Glacier National Park. We camped along the way, read books to each other as we drove, ate a ton of ice cream, saw wildlife up close, learned about the local geology, and dug up dinosaurs. It was also the perfect way to celebrate seven years of marriage and twelve years as a couple. I can't wait for next summer.

project 52: week 26

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

What's New?
Spring is here! Not officially, but practically. Flowers are blooming, temperatures are rising, and the local mountains are bereft of snow. Last week I enjoyed a very different kind of walk with my friend Kristi. Usually we follow a predictable path but last week we decided to do something different. We walked around her neighborhood instead of mine, stopping at open houses to check out the local real estate market. Since this is Seattle, pretty much all walking routes involve hills, so I feel that we got an equal workout while enjoying different scenery.

Currently Reading

• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
• The Winter Pony by Iain Lawrence
• Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

On the Needles
I picked up my Geology Shawl again, after many months of neglect. I worried that I wouldn't be able to figure out where I left off, but thankfully my notes were clear enough that it wasn't a problem. I'm trying to finish up some works in progress to clear out my queue and reclaim that energizing feeling of accomplishment - sort of a spring cleaning for knitting projects.

Looking Forward To

1. indoor rock climbing

project 52: week 17

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

I'm a sucker for a view that involves water, a ferry or two, and the mountains

Someone made a Christmas tree out of sand dollars.

Whenever I see two crows together, I always think Huginn & Muninn.

What's New?
Kristi and I revived our weekly walks over break. By my calendar, it's been since September since we last walked. Yikes! Once school starts, and the weather changes, it becomes easier and easier to say "not this weekend" or "I'm too busy." But every time I go on a walk with her, it's both physically and mentally invigorating.

I've been furiously checking things off the to-do list in anticipation of going back to work and having no time again. So far...

:: thank-you cards addressed, stamped, and ready for thoughtful notes
:: house cleaned up and put together as much as possible
:: new batch of library books picked up
:: next week's dinners planned, groceries procured, food prepped
:: bus card re-loaded, alarms re-set

Currently Reading

• A Field Guide to Now by Christina Rosalie - finished last night!

• Lasher by Anne Rice

On the Needles
I have two projects on the needles: geology shawl and pedestrian cowl. Although I love the yarn for the pedestrian cowl, I don't like how the colors pool with that pattern. I think I'm going to frog it and make something else instead - maybe Purl Soho's bandana cowl.

I rearranged furniture over break, which included moving some shelves into the office next to my desk so that I can better organize my stuff. Turns out that since I didn't have a good place to put things I ended up squirreling things away in various nooks and crannies. I discovered many half-finished projects that I had completely forgotten about, or had simply not known their current whereabouts. I'm going to work on finishing those projects during the month of January so that in February I can make new plans.

Looking Forward To

1. Skyping with family
2. Seeing the kids try on their knitted winter hats

project 52: week 11

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

What's New?
This past week we geared up for student conferences at the same time we geared down for Thanksgiving break. It's an odd feeling - of being pulled and pushed at the same time. Saturday morning I arrived at school for conferences just as the sun was rising, but there were so many clouds it was hard to tell. I decided to walk around Green Lake since I was so early, and during my walk I was gradually able to see more as the light changed. There were large groups of mallards rooting around the grass, noisy crows in the trees, and more humans than I expected that early on a Saturday. I saw quite a few fisherman (including one who had just caught a fish), large groups of joggers that looked like they were part of a Meetup, and quite a few solitary walkers.

Currently Reading
Still working my way through Anne Rice's The Witching Hour, and still loving it.

On the Needles
I finished a hat for my niece! Now I only have three more to go. A coworker of mine gave me some yarn she no longer wanted (something about cleaning out her stash... probably a good thing for most knitters to do occasionally), and in those bags of yarn I've found excellent choices for hats. I may get away with knitting all four hats without a visit to the yarn store. Pretty frugal, environmental, and exciting if you ask me.

Looking Forward To

1. holiday cooking & baking

project 52: week 9

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

Beautiful and cold Friday. There were no pictures on Thursday, because weather.

What's New?
I made it back from outdoor school in one piece. We had some pretty intense weather this trip. High winds, rain falling sideways, white caps on the lake, falling trees and branches in the forest, closed highway (due to falling trees). And then Friday, our departure day, was a cold but beautiful sunny day.

Currently Reading
Anne Rice has me in her spell again. I've pretty much abandoned my other reads (although I know I'll pick them up again later). There is something about the way she writes that just sucks me in completely.

• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
• The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk

• Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

On the Needles
I started and finished another Hurricane Hat while at outdoor school this week, using some of my leftover green Cascade 220. This one was another practice hat in anticipation of holiday knitting. I hope to find out colors and sizes soon for the little people in my life. Otherwise they'll get my best guess.

I also started some mason jar cozies. Some will be for me, and some for gifting. I think a mason jar, a cozy, and a cuppow would make a great gift.

Looking Forward To

1. using up some of the eleventy-billion apples I have in storage (I'm thinking of apple pie filling, apple crisp, and maybe some more applesauce)

project 52: week 6

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

On the shore of Lake Crescent near Port Angeles.

The stretch of the Elwha just across the road from our campsite.

This used to be a lake.

That tree was cut down over 100 years ago before the dam was built.

At the mouth of the Elwha looking out towards the western tip of Washington State.

What's New?
I made it back from my week-long excursion into the Olympic Peninsula with my 8th grade students in one piece! It rained, but not too much. There were some bumps in the plan, but not too many. My students had the opportunity to study the Elwha river up close, including areas that were previously under water due to the dams. They visited an area that used to be a lake, and followed the river to the mouth at the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They also experienced tent camping, pit toilets, and (for some) using the "facilitrees." The whole trip was definitely a life-learning event.

Currently Reading

• The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk

• Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

On the Needles
I've put my Wood Hollow vest on hold, at least until I have the energy to take out a few rows. I missed a cable and didn't realize for awhile. Sometimes when I make a mistake I let it go, but often it bugs me enough that I have to go back and fix it. This is definitely the latter.

So instead, I picked up my Hue Shift Afghan that I started back in November of last year. It consists of four panels that later get seamed together and then a boarder is knit around the whole thing. I have one panel complete, and I'm 80% done with the second panel. It's a good TV knit, but not a good bus knit (too big of a project).

Looking Forward To

1. getting back into my routine

project 52: week 4

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.
 

Sit-spot at Green Lake.

Friday morning's sunrise. Sometimes running late has it's pleasures.

What's New?
Last weekend was rather similar to the one before, in that it entailed spending tons of quality time in the kitchen. I picked up eleventy-billion pounds of apples (granny smith and honeycrisp) from my favorite farmer for super cheap since they were 'seconds,' I turned them into a batch of applesauce, a batch of apple butter, and some apple pectin stock for next year's jams. I also made baked potato soup. Monday morning, as I dragged myself into the kitchen to make breakfast, I found myself admiring how well I cleaned up the kitchen after all that mess.

Work this past week, however, was quite opposite. There were many extra meeting this week, both before school and after school. Our evening parent night was this week, which always makes for a super long day for teachers. There were multiple interruptions and schedule changes. It was hectic and stressful, to say the least. The bright spot of my work-week was taking my two 6th grade classes outside on a short walking field trip to nearby Green Lake for a sit-spot. Thursday and Friday were beautiful days and the kids really enjoyed being outside, noticing nature as they made observations in their notebooks.

Currently Reading

• The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk
• The Midwife's Tale by Sam Thomas
• Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
• The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans and Heretics by Elaine Pagels

On the Needles
Realizing that in 2 weeks I'll spend a week at camp with my students (including two nights of actual camping in tents), I quickly cast on for some simple legwarmers. I set aside my Wood Hollow Vest and learned how to use the magic loop method to knit both legwarmers at once. The pattern is designed to use every last scrap of a skein of Cascade 220, so knitting them at once seemed wise. I've only knit about 5 inches so far (they'll be about 14 inches long when finished), but I'm making steady progress.

Looking Forward To

1. the Northwest Tea Festival
2. Joe's birthday brunch at Endolyne Joe's

the DIG Field School

I cross the Cascades and the Columbia.

Made a stop at Dry Falls.

And the Grand Coulee Dam.

Eventually I entered Tatooine (or Eastern Montana, close enough).

We camped next to Hell Creek and woke up before sunrise every day.

By 7am we had eaten breakfast, packed our bags with tons of water, and headed out to the field in SUV caravans.

Sometimes we couldn't get the SUVs very close to our site. This picture, and the following picture, are taking from roughly the same spot, just facing opposite directions, to show you how far we hiked from where the ferry SUVs were parked (many of the SUVs did not have enough clearance to go all the way out - the roads were very challenging).

This is what the hadrosaur site looked like when we arrived. While we were there we helped jacket three large bones so that they could be removed from the site.

A close-up of some of the hadrosaur bones.

I touched dinosaur bones!

This is what the site looked like after a few bones had been jacketed in plaster.

We visited a site called Nirvana where we saw, and touched, the K-Pg boundary (that's the layer that documents the asteroid impact, and the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs).

I saw many interesting rock formations.

I learned how to surface collect for micro fossils (croc scute, gar scales, bone fragments, turtle shells, etc) 

Someone in my group found a rib bone, which was jacketed in plaster for removal.

We brought back bags of in situ sediment, which were put into screen boxes and set up in the creek.

After soaking all night the screen boxes were brought out to dry in the sun.

And of course there were dino toys at dino camp.

On the way home I saw the wildfires.

All in all, I drove 941 miles each way. It was a long drive, but completely worth it.

One of the coolest things for me about this trip is that every piece of data we collected (sketches of sites, micro fossils, in situ sediments, measurements to determine how far above or below the K-Pg boundary, etc), every piece of data was useful for the DIG team. I helped collect real data that will be used by Greg Wilson and his team back at the UW and the Burke Museum in their research. How cool is that? As a middle school science teacher I don't get that opportunity very often. Most summer teacher programs focus on content and lessons, which are extremely useful, but this program focused first on doing real field work and secondly on lessons. I found it exhilarating. 

I also want to say that it was a pleasure to work with each and every one of the DIG team members. The team members ranged from PhDs, PhD candidates, graduate students, recent grads and undergrads. And everyone had something to bring to the table. And everyone was treated with respect and affection by Greg and co-director Lauren. That's the kind of team everyone strives to be a part of, and it was a treat to spend 4 days with them.