The Word

october photos

2009-11-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know it is November 5th, but this post is all about October. I know I dropped off of the blogging world in my feverish attempt to stay in control with my day-to-day. Now that the travels have slowed I hope to get back to the semi-regular blog posts.

What happened in October? Well, in my last post I waxed philosophical about flying across the country. I was bound towards the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 4 hours north of the family to Blacksburg, VA. It was a great conference and a whirlwind trip, but I did get to go on a field trip and took a few pictures. I also got a chance to visit with an Oxford friend, which was an added bonus!

Less than a week after I returned, Cameron and I took a trip to the Steens Mountain area of the state. Again, we have a whole pile of pictures! There was a whole lot of driving, which wasn't so bad because it was freakin cold! We had fortunately missed the 8 inches of snow that fell the prior Sunday, but that didn't stop it from getting to 0 degree weather at night. Yikes! We camped in the cold at 8500' elevation and though with several layers of fleece and a 0 degree bag I was warm enough, Cameron didn't have enough layers. You can see several pictures of us at >9000' elevation (the top most was 9773' where we get great views across the Alvord Desert), but it was so windy that the chill cut right through you. Funny enough, way out at Kiger Gorge (the first big glacial U-shaped valley in the photos), we ran into Eugene friends! Small world!

We dropped back down to 5800' for the next night of camping which was still cold, though better. Cameron caught a nasty head cold with all that bad weather so we headed out of the Steens and down into the Catlow Basin. We drove around the south end of the Steens Mountains and crossed over into the Alvord Desert. We drove around on the playa and watched Miso try to chase a truck that was miles away, but visible. So funny!

We explored the steep side of the Steens Mountains for awhile, but Cameron's cold was dragging him down. We ended up heading home a day early and relaxing for a day at home. I promised Cameron that if we came home early I wouldn't work because we were still supposed to be on vacation. Surprisingly, I kept to my promise and we had a good day off together.

Lots of work commenced...grant deadlines, hours of meetings with landowners, organizing invasive species removal, preparing for conferences, etc. Whew! It all ended with me jumping back in a car and this time heading to a conference in Klamath Falls. A good conference and excellent introduction into the world of watershed councils in Oregon!

Cameron came to fetch me from the conference on Friday and we headed to the marshes for bird watching and Lava Beds Nat'l Monument for spelunking. Be sure to check out the photos from this trip too. Again, we had some beautiful sunny weather. This time it was a whole lot warmer and Cameron built a sleeping platform for inside the canopy. It worked alright, but we are only getting more convinced that we need a full pop-top for the back of the truck. Hmm....

Anyhow, the trip was great fun! We saw a lot of birds - several types of ducks, grebes, Canadian geese, pelicans, eagles, heron, egrets, and hawks of all sorts. We did try to i.d. the ducks - we know there were buffleheads, mallards, wood ducks, and redheaded something or others. Of course, there were probably many more. As we drove through Tule Lake the herons, egrets, hawks and eagles would flee from the roadside. We even got lucky enough to watch the big predatory birds eating their prey! The spotting scope was a great help in the bird-watching feats (thanks Anne!).

The caves were also fun, we saw ceilings full of sparkly bacteria (sorry, the pictures don't do it justice), ice floors, large caverns, and sharp rocks. Fields of lava flowed over the horizon and it was a fun contrast with the adjacent marsh. The history of this area is fascinating and extremely sad - Modoc Indians forced from their homes, battles over land, draining of the marshes....

On our way back home we stopped in Bend to visit our newest little friend - Christopher Filliponi. We had a wonderful time visiting Rob, Christy and their little one. What a happy and vocal little baby they have!

Alright, enough for now. Every 10 minutes Miso comes back in the house and nudges my arm, as if to say, "Why the bleep are you hanging out inside when we only have a few minutes of light left to play?!" Guess I should throw that ball a couple more times.

I'll try to have more soon. There's lots going on - looking for homes/property, knitting with the ladies, preserving food, and as always, the list goes on! We hope you enjoy the pictures!

flying

2009-10-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

6:15 a.m. flight - Eugene to San Francisco
foggy, but the sky is starting to lighten. the ground is lights and shadows.

7:00 a.m. - over northern California coast
i view towards west and can watch the coastline pass below. the forests are thick and green
i view towards east and see the dry tops of mountains

7:25 a.m. - circling San Francisco
early, we take a tour over the city. we follow the coastline towards the bay. the rugged coastline green with trees and devoid of structures. to the west homes dot the landscape...roads...bridges.
closer now, the change is abrupt. city streets. homes one on top of the other. stacked up the hillslopes.

sinuous rivers enter the bay, untamed in their final stretch to open water. networks multiply as each molecule finds a path through the vast laid tracks of sand and silt.

bonus
cross-country flight clear and sunny! chatty pilots.
lake tahoe, yosemite, colorado springs, tennesee river, appalachian mts!

swifts

2009-09-27T10:08:00.001-07:00

We are having some beautiful fall weather - perfect for picking a spot at Agate Hall and watching the swifts return to their chimney roost for the night. Before dusk, the swifts circle around in the sky, diving and turning, their numbers growing by the minute.

In a sudden whoosh of wings, the flock separated into two. A sharp-shinned hawk alighted atop her chimney perch - the best seat in the house for dinner. She hung out on the far side for awhile, then appeared to simply hop over to face us.

We had our binoculars so we could see what she was up to. In that little "hop" she had acquired a prize and we could see her pulling her kill apart. Since she was distracted, the swifts began their descent into the chimney (which was enough to drive the hawk away to finish up her meal).

Lovely weather, a colorful orange and pink sunset, and a whoosh and flutter of wings above... an excellent way to spend a Saturday evening!

fall

2009-09-22T11:17:00.001-07:00

It's the first official day of fall - happy fall equinox!

In the Willamette Valley we are celebrating fall with some 90+ degree weather. Up here at the 'ole homestead we don't get much of that. The sun has already dropped below the trees so we only get diffused sun through the canopy. I guess it is days like this that we can appreciate it.

Another consequence of our weather - there are very fine ashes drifting down from the sky. You can see a light layer on the cars and tables, but otherwise it is imperceptible. This warm weather comes from California and sweeps across the Ashland/Medford area on its way here. Right now there are a couple of large fires in the Ashland area and I guess that is the ash falling on our lawn right now. Small world.

i'd rather be camping

2009-09-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our little trip to Matthieu Lakes gave us the bug...more outdoor adventures, please! Early last week Cameron posed the question, "Do you have time for Steens?" For those who don't know, Steens is a7+ hour long trip to south-central Oregon. More importantly, it is spectacular in the fall - the best time to go, in my opinion.

We hemmed and hawed and considered our options. By Thursday, we had more or less convinced ourselves that we would go. I even was thinking about bringing my laptop with me to work on the trip (which is absolutely insane for a 4 day trip, especially when you know that I get too carsick to work on the drive there and 2 days would be spent in the car!). By Friday, we scrapped the trip and thought we might substitute an overnight backpacking trip...something close that wouldn't take us 2 full days for the whole deal. By Saturday, all trips were scrapped. Realism set in and we recognized that there was too much to do.

Knowing that we've only gotten out to the Oregon woods one time this year is a disappointment. However, I should not complain! We've had quite the number of adventures this year (see the past blog posts if you don't believe me) and there are more on the schedule before the year ends. Also, there are many reasons to be at home and enjoy the little joys around us. Like the critters that emerge when it rains...

... found right between the barn and the house... or the zombie invasion emerging from Larry and Ann's front yard (aka dead man's foot or dog turd fungus; no picture - but check it ou t!).

Also, staying at home gives us time to visit with friends, finish projects, and keep me from stressing out about how I really should be working instead of walking through the woods.

And really, if I was camping I wouldn't get to muck out the chicken run at 7 a.m.! ;-D

oregon adventure

2009-09-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

My cousin Matt and his wife Jen found an excellent price on tickets from DC to Eugene and stopped in for a visit with family and friends (and a football game - UO vs. Purdue). They suggested an overnight hike/camping trip, so we decided to take them on their first backpacking adventure.

Matthieu Lakes is a fantastic Cascades hike. The Sullivan book says that it is a fairly popular stopping place along the PCT. Judging by the number of cars parked at the trailhead, it is also a very popular location to access the PCT and hang out at high elevation lakes. We got lucky enough to hit it at just the right time. On our walk in we passed several groups coming out. By the time we got to South Matthieu Lake, we had it to ourselves!

North Matthieu Lake (above) and South Matthieu Lake (below)

We picked this spot because it was short, easy, and an eye-pleaser. It seemed like a perfect trip for first-timers and boy did we get it right!

Picture of Casey hanging at our dinner/breakfast/night sky watching digs

Matt and Jen filtering water

Cameron's grim twinkle

And take a look at that lava field!

Views from the hike around the loop...we had such a perfectly clear day and just the right angle to see peaks from the Three Sisters to Mt. Hood.

We took lots of photos of the trip. If you take a look at the rest of the pictures you'll probably notice some extras at the end from the Dee Wright Observatory, Cougar Reservoir, and an old-growth stand along the North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette.

animals (part 3!!)

2009-09-08T08:13:00.001-07:00

Argh. Now if only the deer would leave something for me to eat this fall! Unfortunately, the food web is failing me and no coyotes, wolves, or cougar are taking out those pesky deer. Though we have no wolves in this part of Oregon (yet - but if we are lucky, maybe some day), I know the other two around. Evidence 1 - Miso and the cougar. Evidence 2 - Miso and the coyote. I guess it is good there are no wolves around...she's not getting any younger!

But the title of the blog is "animals", plural, meaning that there is more going on in the hills above Eugene. First, I got a glimpse of our giant rabbit. We've seen rabbits since we moved here, so having a rabbit is no big thing. This one...this one is special. It's the size of a pet rabbit - huge! He's clearly a well fed beast. I wonder if he visits our front yard....

This weekend we got another visit from the turkeys. Though they come by every once and awhile, using the driveway as their personal gateway to our yard, rarely to they walk up to our front door.

The dogs were surprisingly calm as one poult (a young turkey) and its mother hit the dead end of our fences. They searched and searched for a way out until the mother flew to our roof and waited while the little one ran in circles and, with the emergence of me from the house, found its way out under the fence. They dashed down towards the chicken coop to catch up with the rest of the crew (i.e. "rafters").

Now from the wild animals to the domesticated ones - Lolita. While Larry and Ann are out of town we are taking care of their cat. On Saturday, she went MIA. For those of you here in the area, you know that it rained all weekend - and not just that misty rain stuff, we had real downpours. On the third day since our last sighting of her, we called the L&A to see if they had any thoughts on where to look. We had covered most of the locations, but checked once again. Cameron talked to a neighbor and found that her cat disappeared last week and she found it in pieces in the woods a little way from her home. That got us really worried. Two hours after that conversation, Lolita returned. Not a scratch on her. Looking perfectly happy and wanting to cuddle! Hmm. Cats.

animals (part 2)

2009-09-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hmm... Critters (3) vs. Nicole (0)

Something ate my veggie starts last night. Grumble. Since I'm not sure what (rabbits?), I'm still not sure how to stop this from happening again.

That's the third set of critters to pull a fast one on me. When we returned from our trip, I found one of my small artichoke plants completely gone. In it's place was a hole the size of my fist that burrowed into the depths. And of course, we are battling the deer.

To be honest, I probably don't deserve a zero. Heck, only some of the fenced in stuff has disappeared this year. Of course, I don't want to "count my chickens before they've hatched"! The season ain't over yet.

Since I promised vacation pics and haven't finished going through them yet, here's a teaser....

animals

2009-09-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I promised stories of New Hampshire and Rhode Island, weddings and hiking and family, but I can't help myself this evening - today it is all about the animals.

Last night, we were awakened in the middle of the night with sounds of the fence being ripped from its post. Cameron thought that Emma might have been pushing against the newly secured screen door in her efforts to bark at raccoons and deer in the yard. In my groggy state of mind, I realized that it was the outer fence of the flower garden. Neither of us knew the extent of damage until the morning. After all these years of battling the deer in our front yard, they never cease to amaze me. Ripping the cattle fence from the wooden posts was a new feat. The last (and first) time it happened was just a week ago, when we arrived back home from our trip and found a yearling in the front garden trying to bash its way out of the fenced in area. That time the little deer split the fence posts in two as it pushed against the metal fencing. Those buggers are persistent!

And of course, there are the dogs. Miso and Emma took sticks to a new height this evening. Miso, who tends to be dainty in her stick selection, picked out a 9 foot branch to dance around with. Emma never ceases to amaze me in her choices. For example, on our hike the other day (see previous post) she entertained our friends with the selection of a 3 foot piece of wood about 4 inches in diameter. She picked it up, then dragged it, happy to have such a prize. Believe it or not, that is nothing new. Tonight, she grabbed herself a 12 foot long, 3 inch diameter (at the base) prize to pull around the yard. No wonder she's all tuckered out!

Then there is Ralph. The blue tick hound first acquired by Jason (Cameron's brother) and now living with Cam's folks. The poor guy is feeling under the weather and had a very close call recently. Such a sweet dog!

Well, enough for this evening. More tomorrow! And pictures too!

vacation over!

2009-09-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it has finally happened. Vacation is over! Getting back to work is never fun and I'm having an awfully hard time leaving behind gardening and outdoors for computers and piles of paper.

This morning Cameron had me come down to the chicken coop with him to show me something "unfortunate and sad". Between two large panes of glass that will one day (yeah right!) be part of our greenhouse, a scrub jay had wedged in and was unable to free itself. There it was, suspended, wings outspread, looking as if it had just fallen through from above or flew right in. We looked at the unmoving figure trying to guess how long it might have been there. Cameron pulled one frame of glass back to remove the poor thing and surprise! It wasn't dead afterall! That sucker flew away squawking and crowing at us. Lucky bugger! I wonder if it realized what a close call that was.

The garden has not been the most bountiful this year, but there are certain pluses. We have tomatoes! That's right, full, ripe, large tomatoes! I think this might be the first year we weren't stuck with only sungolds and green tomatoes at the end of the season. Unfortunately, I think the hottest days are behind us and there isn't much hope for a large squash and cucumber crop this year. Good thing I still have a bunch stored away - I think we've eaten most of what was grown already. But one more thing that did go well - raspberries. We are on our second crop and are picking a meager 1/2 pint a day (but really, I can't complain - they are raspberries!).

Last weekend we headed to the mountains with Elly, Deven and Raiko. We were going to hike Mt. June, but our off-the-beaten-track plans were thwarted by a wrong turn. After a winding route through overgrown roads, we finally stopped and walked a bit just for fun. On our way out we stopped at Eagles Rest for a short 0.7 mile hike to vistas of the Lost Creek Watershed (part of the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed). So you have a better idea of the views:

After the trek we drove around the Lost Creek Watershed in my attempt to familiarize myself with my new stomping grounds. It was good to put all those landowner visits into perspective by checking out the headwaters and connecting up roads.

As you might have noticed, I mentioned nothing about our August trips and I still haven't posted pictures from Vancouver. There are still stories to tell and photos to share. Well, what did you think I was going to write about over the next month, my stunning dissertation analysis?! ;-)

vancouver

2009-08-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, there has been so much to catch ya'll up on yet so little time to do it. I've finally parked myself at the Vancouver airport waiting for my red-eye flight to Chicago (and then connecting to New Hampshire).

So, what have I been up to? A bit of everything. The beginning of August was a mad cap rush to finish some landowner meetings and surveys for the MFWWC. I really enjoyed meeting all the landowners - they were all very enthusiastic and many were extremely committed to seeing successful restoration happen on their property (which included countless hours of their own time and funding projects and plant purchases). I was very encouraged.

I also did some intense last minute work on a poster to take with me to the IAHR conference in Vancouver, made an incredible effort to remove the nasty bindweed from taking over my garden, and collected and spread alpaca manure in the open garden beds. Ah yes, and while Cameron was still away working in Knowles Creek (the Coast Range), I planted 13 ferns that Larry and Ann removed from around their house. They are a great addition to the area behind the cottage that Cameron cleared earlier this year. All-in-all, it was a very productive time and I earned a vacation.

Last Saturday, I caught an early flight to Vancouver and spent the afternoon visiting the Museum of Anthropology on UBC campus and wandering around Wreak Beach. The totem poles were amazing, the collection a real treat to visit. Some day they too will be gone, so I feel lucky.

The conference took up most of my time, but it was well worth it. Those in attendance were from all around the world - this has probably been the most diverse conference (as in nationality), that I have had the pleasure to attend. Apparently my subject of study - vegetation resistance to flow - is a particularly hot topic. I had dozens of people visit my poster and ask questions, all of my additional copies disappeared before lunch, and most importantly, I had the chance to talk to several leading scientists about how to tackle some particularly difficult problems I have been having. On top of all that, some great leads and opportunities. In other words, I think this was one of the best conferences I have attended for sharing my work and communicating with others in a similar field.

Besides the work, there was plenty of fun. I wandered around town visiting the touristy spots, walked down Marine Drive near campus to get a few of the city from afar, visited with friends Debra and Kent and had a fabulous dinner with them full of funky sushi at The Eatery, did more walking, went to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Emily Carr exhibit, had some fabulous conversations with folks from all over the world, and slept very little. What fun!

Anyhow, gonna start boarding here in a few. I'll have to add those photos later. Off to Rhode Island for wedding fun....

before the sun

2009-08-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

As most mornings these days, I'm up with the sun and set to the tasks of the day. Unlike most evenings, last night I stayed up later than normal so my morning is slower than usual. Once the chickens are fed and the ball thrown for the dogs, I am happy to sit and relax. Even the strong cups of tea don't have me bolting around the yard trying to complete my to-do list.

Whenever Cameron is gone I create these enormous to-do lists "to be completed by the time he returns". I'm not sure if I have ever really completed everything on the list, but that never stops me from trying. It probably doesn't help that I usually double the length of the list while he is gone by adding everything that comes to mind.

Though I love my husband and miss him while he's gone, I can't help but enjoy a little alone time. Guilty pleasures!

heat, hatchets and bees

2009-07-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

All this hot weather has been driving Miso nuts. It's exactly the same as when we get one of those big storm fronts that bring piles of rain for days on end. She wants to play, but the weather is not cooperating. So what am I doing at 6:30 a.m.? Throwing the ball for the dogs.

I guess it could be worse. This is the only time of day that I enjoy being outside when the weather is like this. The birds are chirping and making all sorts of noise, the insects hum, and there is even a light cool breeze. It's hotter indoors than outside right now since I turned off the AC in the middle of the night. That poor machine is really getting a workout! I don't remember when I last lived with AC. I'm not entirely certain I ever did (maybe when I was a little kid?).

This year, we have some unexpected guests visiting our hot tub. Apparently a local bee colony has found the "watering hole" the perfect spot for staying hydrated.

At any given moment, there are a couple dozen of bees buzzing about the rim of the hot tub. It's hard to see these little guys from my pictures (knowing my trouble with stings I kept a bit of a distance while snapping shots). If you click on the photo it'll get a bit bigger and you can get a closer look.

To stave off the heat we have been hanging out indoors. Liz and Biniam dropped by on their way to the airport. Cameron shared his tools with Biniam while Liz and I chatted about post-PhD life and her life in New Jersey.

I hope all of you without AC and suffering through the oppressive heat are finding fun ways to cool down. I'm looking forward to the 80+ degree weather promised for next week!

where have i been?

2009-07-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since my last blog and I'm going to try and do a quick catch up on the latest and greatest. Let's see...you left your intrepid Eugenian in early July, when she was buried in berries from the garden and other outdoor tasks, not to mention a heaping pile of work....

We've been busy here at our little forested escape from the city. Summer is the time to travel and we have had visitors from near and far, and also made some time for reconnecting with friends here in town. A couple of weeks ago, our friend Ellen swept into Oregon on one of her whirlwind tours that combine work and pleasure as she tasted berries, visited farms, visited friends and family, and headed with us to the Oregon Country Fair. One evening of her visit, our dear friend Barbara was also in town. Cameron, Ellen, Barbara and I kept up constant conversation before, during, and after dinner, finding it hard to tear ourselves away as the night wound down.

I had an early night of it because I was doped up on Benedryl. It was my second yellow jacket encounter this year, which for me are always unfortunate. At least I don't go into shock, but I do swell up like the Pilsbury Dough Boy! Not only is it uncomfortable, but I also look pretty funny. A few weeks before I got stung right above my eyebrow and that gave me quite an uneven look. This last time it was behind my knee and my kneecap disappeared right before my eyes. Lovely. (Note the great sacrasm in my voice at this moment.)

Cameron, Ellen, and I got ourselves all gussied up for the Fair (i.e. costume-esque type of garb) and spent a lovely day wandering around. The weather was coolish and cloudy, so the crowds and the dust were both held at bay. We spent most of our time watching the vaudeville acts - jugglers, contortionists, and all that great stuff you find in Cirque du Soliel. By the evening it got quite chilly. We hung around visiting with some of Ellen's friends and then caught the last bus back to Eugene.

Here we are all gussied up....

While at the fair, we took note of the correct way to make a hula-hoop for an adult. Once we returned home, Cameron put one together and we've been reacquainting ourselves with the joys of the hula hoop. (So much that I've actually been able to make my sides sore/bruised from the pressure of the hoop! I didn't know you could do that!)

Around here, the garden keeps me busy. Lots of weeding, harvesting, and food processing. I've been making raspberry jam, cherry salsa, and pesto. We will probably soon launch in to potato-kale soup (which is Cameron's gig), before it all bolts. Broccoli is still coming on, but so are summer squash and tomatoes, making for lovely meals. This year we have enough water that I've also been able to keep the flowers watered. Our front yard is a cacophany of reds, pinks, oranges, purples, yellows, and white, surrounded by lush green leaves. Roses, grapes, and figs dangle about on long stems, while our herb garden is aiming to take over the world with it's ever spreading reach.

Right now we are all prepped for dealing with chickens and garden in the extreme heat that is coming our way. Now you Southerns won't bat an eyelash at our several days of 100+ weather heading our way, but for us Western Oregonians, that is no small thing. You see, since we don't have humidity and we don't usually get all that hot, most people don't have air conditioning. We don't have air conditioning in our car, for example. We are not acclimated, nor is most of our garden. The only respite is the fact that we still cool off to 60 degrees at night. So for now I am sitting at the picnic table in our yard, enjoying the morning sun, crisp air, and birds singing. The dogs are lounging in the sunshine. By afternoon you won't hear a peep except for the insects and we'll be hiding out in our home where we are fortunate enough to have air conditioning (this year, for the first time ever!).

Hmm, lots of other things have been happening too. Our biggest adventure was with a friend of ours... a very long story. But to make things short, we spent the entire day yesterday with his friends and family clearing out his house and putting his belongings into storage. Whew! I am always amazed at how much stuff one can accumulate over a short time. The bigger the home, the more you accumulate. Cam and I are exhausted from the long day in hot weather and looking forward to relaxing a bit today.

Sadly, our summer swing lessons are coming to an end. Cameron heads out for 8 days in the field and so we will miss our last class of July. August is full of travel as I head out to Vancouver, B.C. for a conference, then Rhode Island for a wedding celebration/reception, and New Hampshire to visit family. When we return, we hope to jump back in to classes.

On that same note, there is still a lot we haven't done yet that we had hoped to do this summer. For instance, we have done ZERO backpacking. So disappointing! I guess we have September (which is often the best time anyhow), but still, nothing like the once a month we were aiming for! Ah well, I hope ya'll are getting more time in the woods than we are (if you discount the fact that we live in the woods). Meanwhile, the A-Type personality in me is going to go check "blog" off my to-do list for this weekend. ;-P

cool day

2009-07-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

After several days of toasty hot weather, I woke to cloudy skies and a cool breeze. I love it! And I love that it will only be in the 70's all week. I can get some baking done and prune back my roses... and maybe that next round of broccoli will keep growing before giving up.

I'm trying to stay focused on work this month, but it is certainly difficult. This is not my favorite part of the research process - surrounded by piles of papers and equations... trying to create a clear path through a myriad of unconnected lines. It is full of daily up's and down's:
"Ah-ha! I figured it out!"
Soon followed by:
"Crud, why doesn't that work?"
Then, again:
"Oh, that's it! Progress!"
And back to:
"But now why doesn't that look like it is supposed to?"
And on and on. I think you get the picture. By the end of a work day, my brain has been pulled in many directions and it feels like it didn't get put back in the right order.

Another unfortunate part of this process is that I am very easily distracted. I find myself contemplating life, the universe, and everything (and I don't mean the book). While I generally enjoy such wanderings, it does not make for a very productive day. This is especially troubling with deadlines lingering! So I must crack the whip for the month of July, because in August: I travel.

And I must crack the whip today, because this weekend: I play! Barbara and Ellen, each on their separate trips, will be swinging through Eugene at the end of the week. Yeah! I look forward to visiting with both of our friends. Maybe I'll be seeing some of you at the Fair?

buzz, buzz, busy

2009-07-03T07:46:00.001-07:00

Yikes! It is July already! June was a pretty busy month. I started my new job and was busy helping with a big 10-year funding proposal. We had a solstice party. I raced to prepare for a conference...that turned out to be very poorly attended and not all that exciting (but at least I got a ton of work done). Then the poor, neglected garden needed some serious attending - I even had to "take a day off work" to just try and catch up. Whew!

Now here we are in the midst of a particularly warm heat wave. Cameron and I are excited to use our new window air conditioner...it is making life so much easier. For those of you who don't know - our poorly insulated cottage with windows from the dark ages heats up like you can't imagine. On these hot days, especially with several in a row, we are talking mid to upper 90's inside all through the evening and part of the night. We sleep outside where the air is cool. Now we can actually cook dinner and sleep in our bed.

The garden is cruising along. We've picked 11+ pints of raspberries already!! Besides having a gallon frozen, I think I've eaten a half a pint a day. And we aren't done yet - here's a pic from before the major onslaught.

And now the cherries are coming on full force. Yum! They are itsy-bitsy, but tasty. I took this picture before the solstice party meaning to blog about cherries, but as you can tell, that didn't happen.

The dogs are enjoying the lazy days of summer, just kicking it in the shade.

Meanwhile, Cameron has been playing with electricity. He spent some time trying to figure out what is going wrong with the lights on the bus. At one point we only had lights with brake lights, no turn signals, and then no lights, then no hazards, then... ah, I'm confused just thinking about it. Good thing he took pictures to remind him what goes where.

And we are going to try a washer and dryer again. I pleaded and complained and Cameron finally gave in. Then he found a pair for $20 on craigslist. The washer doesn't do a hot rinse and the dryer doesn't run on automatic turn-off cycle, but that is okay by us. Cameron had to bring a new wire in from the box in the house out through the barn and to the back room.

Hmm...another work picture. He needed a three-prong outlet vs. the newer four-prong, or something like that. Unfortunately, the dryer got shorted out in the process so it no longer has any heat. Guess it is back to craigslist for a dryer. Fortunately, that can wait until winter, when we have no room in the house to hang clothes. Summer is a perfect time not to have a dryer!

And so, another morning without getting much dissertation work done. But the garden is watered and ready for another day in the mid-90's. The chickens are fed and the dogs will be (yes Emma, I am almost done, please stop pacing!). And I finally got to the blog. I have many promised emails and phone calls I haven't gotten to, so sorry! Soon! I promise!!

solstice

2009-06-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Solstice!!

Though it was not a bright, sunny day yesterday here in Eugene, it was solstice.

I've been giving a lot of thought to holidays over the last few years. Really, the traditional Christian holidays have less and less meaning to me. As a child they were fun and it was something celebrated in the classroom so it was all around you. As an adult, even with all the Christmas cheer of the family, it just doesn't do it for me anymore. It's not really a bah-humbug thing, more of a feeling that my celebrating feels misplaced - not focused on what I really value. If there was more of a focus on the spirit of Christmas it might be one thing, but the spirit is so washed out and we place so much value on this one holiday, that it just doesn't have much meaning anymore.

What I would like to do is make a shift to celebrating the seasons. It's a celebration of not only nature, but an acknowledgment of the rituals and mindsets that we associate with each season. For example, some think of spring as birth and rebirth, summer as the time to enjoy the pleasures of life, fall as closing of a chapter, and winter as the time to hibernate. Why not celebrate each for what they are?

Fall equinox is a celebration of food and bounty. Eat well, drink well, and enjoy the colors of time passing! It is a time for bonfires and camping out under a starry sky one more time before the cold sets in....

Winter solstice is an opportunity to come out of hibernation and celebrate the night. Mugs of hearty, warm drinks...yule logs on the fire...bright LED lights twinkling in the dark (and not sucking up too much energy!!)....

Spring equinox is a time to celebrate gardening plans and spring rains. An Irish jig on a misty spring morning and a glimpse of the fresh green....

Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, when gardens boom and flowers bloom. It is the time to celebrate the vivacity of life!

We had a solstice gathering last night to celebrate the coming of another year and our two year anniversary (which also marks 10 years of being together). We had a lovely time sharing our space with friends and family. It was a tad chilly, but it didn't rain so we could enjoy the outdoors. I was going to take pictures, but totally forgot to pick up the camera because I was having so much fun chatting away. It is too bad I didn't get a chance to take a photo of my plate of deviled eggs - the most beautiful ones I've made yet! Lots of fun all around - great conversations, flaming sausages, lots of tasty beverages, trips to meet the chickens and picking raspberries in the garden. The hula hoop even made a trip around and folks gave it a whirl.

So, even though I don't have pictures from the party, I'm including a few of the view from the front yard. Now you can feel like you were there too (or if you were there, you can be reminded).

wood and geekiness

2009-06-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

I was reading a couple of the PhD (Piled Higher and Deeper) comics this evening and it made me think about my day. I spent most of the normal workday hours rearranging data, working out some basic trig and vector calculations, and plotting up data. And you want to know something? I got to the end of the day and was absolutely proud of all my plots. In fact, I am so excited I've even included one here.

So the plots aren't beautiful yet, but I'm using them to help me make sense of the endless rows and columns of data. Only graduate students get this geeked out over plots! (Though a close second probably goes to faculty.)

Yesterday was probably what most of you would think was more fun. I spent the afternoon working with the Eco-Informatics summer institute students to map wood in Lookout Creek at HJ Andrews Experimental Forest. This is a follow up in a sequence of many years of wood mapping in this reach. I led the students in a similar effort a couple of years back and both times have been rewarding experiences for me. I enjoy working with the students - talking about trees as engineers and the legacy they leave on the landscape. I wish I took pictures, but alas, I forgot my camera. Ah well.

three new hens

2009-06-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

On a whim, we added three new hens to our flock last night. Cameron was searching through craigslist when he found a posting for a particularly good deal on laying hens. We had always thought that we would end up with eight hens, so thought this was a good time to move from 5 to 8 (and of course we have that "6th hen", our rooster).

And so our adventure began! We drove on out to Marcola and picked out a beauty, a beast, and a fantastic layer (i.e. a Wyandotte, a Barred Rock, and a Rhode Island Red).

We took a stroll around the property (which is for sale) - 13.5 acres backed by BLM land, creek running through it, and a substantial wooded area. Very nice, but a little too far out and a little too much money. Ah well.

Anyhow, back to the chickens...by the time we got back from our walk, the Wyandotte was limping. We aren't sure exactly what happened, but don't think it is serious. However, we were concerned about introducing her to our flock when she was already at a disadvantage (flocks boot out newcomers and there is a bit of "hen-pecking" until they sort out their order again). I convinced Cam to bring her home anyhow.

Last night, we had them in the run when the other chickens had already put themselves to "bed" and these poor hens didn't know what to do with themselves. They knew it was bedtime so they tried to fly up to good roosting locations. Eventually we just gave in and let them head up into the hen house. Initially there was a bit of confusion, but things settled down quickly.

This morning Cameron got up at 5 a.m. and opened up the coop. By 5:30/6 we were both watching the hens head out into the run and try to establish pecking order. Some beating up occurred, as expected, and the newbies have relagated themselves to the corner; but at least things have settled down for now. Fortunately, Kung-pao (the rooster) is keeping track of his ladies, breaking up fights, and generally keeping the peace.

canoes

2009-06-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by and I am only just now getting words down in the blog. How can so much happen in so little time?

I am still getting familiar with my new job as the Habitat Restoration Program Manager for the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council (if you haven't looked at the website recently, you should check it out - it has been updated). I've been meeting staff, the board, the technical review team, and some of our partners. The biggest task at hand is completing a very detailed proposal to become a Model Watershed and I am trying to help with the proposal as much as my limited schedule will allow. (Limited in that I am working 5-8 hours a week, max, until October.)

Last week, Cameron and I started talking swing dance lessons again. Drew and Catherina gave us a good refresher of the Charleston and got us excited again about dancing. The Eugene Swing Dance community has a website, complete with some review videos to help us learn. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. ;-P

On Saturday, we joined up with Pete Klingeman, Desiree Tullos, and others to learn about river engineering on the Willamette. This was accomplished by canoeing down the river from Corvallis to Albany.

Pete prepping us for the trip

Gathering together for a lesson

Cameron guiding us along while I snap pics

Drew, Desiree, and Sarah listening to discussion about revetments and bridges

Pete teaching on the river

We got some great glimpses of birds on this trip. At one point, a great blue heron flew close to the canoe on its way upstream. This one waited patiently for us to pass. Of course, we try to give them some space when we can!

If you are interested, here is a link to more pictures. It was a relaxing trip and the weather turned out to be pretty good. There was a little misting here and there, but it was relatively warm and no one got a sunburn. ;-P

On Sunday, I went to Woodburn with the ladies to do a little shopping. Since I have a general distaste for shopping, this is only a once a year deal - when I realize I really need to replace some things that are past their time. This is also a great thing to do with friends, to distract from the otherwise dull parts of wandering around the mall. Overall, I would say the day went by quickly and I enjoyed spending time with Sara, Karen and Elly.

Whew, back to work, planting, house projects, work, and more work. And we are planning a party....

rain and other fun stuff

2009-06-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight was filled with thunder and lightening - a very exciting thing for those of us here in the valley. Fortunately, it was also accompanied with a good dose of rain and we are still at the tail-end of rainy season, so despite all this dry weather we've been having we may not have too many fires to worry about (?).

As normal, there is plenty going on around here. Veggies are growing in leaps and bounds - we can hardly keep up with it! As you will notice in these pictures, there is a lot of green that needs to be cut or weeded. (Thankfully I got to most of it just after these pics were taken.)

spinach and choi from the garden

kale, mustard greens, more kale, and other greens you may not be able to identify from here

herb garden

We have some wicked looking bamboo growing feet per day in the mint patch. We aren't really certain what is going on because they are about 3 times fatter than the bamboo we have growing at the corner of the house. It is already taller than most of it too and doesn't look like it is fully matured yet. Very cool! Here's a picture from a few days ago, when it was still pretty short:

We also had some adventures with the hot tub. We needed to seal the bottom because we were having some trouble with the wood rotting right where the staves meet the bottom. Well, we emptied the hot tub when we got back from Hawaii and needed a couple of days to let it dry. Then we had the wrong caulk and it took a couple of days to correct that. Then we needed to let the caulk dry. Yes, you guessed it, that took a couple more days. Of course, during this time it was 80 to 90+ degrees and the wood for the tub was bone dry. Refilling it took quite a good long time and lots of patience as we waited for the wood to swell and the cracks to seal. We were having trouble getting the top to seal appropriately, so Cameron laid some wet towels along the top.
After a couple more days we were able to get the top foot of the tub to seal. Whew! That sucker is nearly full now and it is raining away on it to help us meet our goal.

I have finally found something to feed my kick-boxing fix. It isn't quite the same, but I think it'll work...I've joined a gym - InShape. They have a good number of drop-in classes that are part of the very reasonable membership fee. I've just been testing it out this week, but so far I'm happy with it. Some of the instructors are better than others, but the aerobic classes seem to be aerobic and the strength courses incorporate lots of weights, etc. That works for me! I've been there both in off times and during "rush hour" and there are always open machines for the non-class types. To top it off, it's a great atmosphere, so I feel totally comfortable. So finally a place to go after I've been sitting behind the computer all day!

food!

2009-05-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

Food is on my mind! I guess it is that time of year - the garden bounty is starting to boom. Unfortunately, some of the stories are sad...like our bolting kale, mustard greens, and premature broccoli. Such a bummer! I think a combination of not watering during a warm, dry period (we were in Kauai) and then this long stretch of premature summer weather are taking their toll. We will see what we can do to save our spring veggies from checking out too early. In the meantime, we are enjoying eating the fresh leafy greens! Fortunately, we have another round of greens planted a little more recently and they are looking great.

Tonight, I joined the Lindsley clan at the Lane Community College culinary arts spring cuisine dinner. It was a 100 mile theme - the students found local sources of meat, veggies, dairy, and herbs for all their dishes. The food was great! They had the most amazing beet dish with an asparagus cream sauce, oh my! There was a hazelnut sauce to put on the pork shoulder (there was also an apple and a mustard sauce...choices!) that was also absolutely amazing. I had chicken crepes, beef from Deck Farms, sauteed shittakes, strawberry flambe, wilted greens, and a few different deserts. Yum! What a treat...and all from within 100 miles! I am so lucky to live in the Upper Willamette Valley!!

Project for this weekend - brewing a blonde ale. We are going to try another method and pull out the hops earlier. I enjoyed the first beer - the bitter that Cam brewed before coming out to fetch me. I'm not yet sure how I feel about the red ale that we made, but Cameron seems to like it. I hope it goes well. I look forward to having a good summer beer around now that summer seems closer than ever.

p.s. I posted pics for the first Kauai post, but I haven't gotten them for the others yet. Soon though!

just an every day

2009-05-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well...just another day! We are having summer in May here in Oregon. I don't think I've seen a drop of rain since we returned from Kauai and I think we'll have to wait until June before we get another drop. I've been watering the garden already, hoping that our lovely little greens don't get the wrong idea and go bolting on us. Cameron mowed for something like 3 days straight and is now making the shift to firewood collection for next year.

Not much else exciting to share...I've been spending hours behind the computer, writing away. Work has been keeping us pretty busy these days. I hope you are all having more exciting days!

kauai - part 3

2009-05-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, before I forget the details I should probably let you know the end of Kauai story! After our catamaran trip we had 2 1/2 days left on the Garden Island. One of the things we learned is that weekends are actually a bit quieter than weekdays because a large number of tourists come/go on Saturday. I didn't notice a dip too much at the places we went, but we did notice less cars on the road.

On Sunday we got up early and drove to Waimea Canyon along the Waimea Canyon Drive. What a spectacular road! You drive right up the ridge and get great views of the canyon on the way up. We had grabbed a pre-made veggie wrap from a market in Waimea (not a lot of food options there Sunday a.m.!) and had a little brunch at the Canyon Lookout. The clouds had been rolling in all morning, but we still got some great views of the canyon. It reminded us of the views at our recent stop at the Grand Canyon - only a lot greener.

We continued on up to the Kalalau Lookout, but to our great dismay the clouds had already socked in the viewpoint and we could see nothing. We decided to go on our 8 mile hike anyhow and struck out along the Pihea Trail, past the socked in vista, and continued through the Alaka'i Swamp to the Kilohana Lookout. Of course, also socked in. But, goodness me, I'm leaving out the best part. It started raining after we were about a mile on the trail. Thinking, this will pass, we continued on. Thankfully we brought our rain jackets because it absolutely poured! And poured. And poured. So for seven miles we walked through the warm-ish rain. Boy did we get wet! If it had been colder there might even have been a need for concern, but fortunately it was not too cold. The hike through the boggy swamp was nice - boardwalk most of the way. Parts of the trail were very slippery and parts were simply puddles and streams, but seemed to make it through without much trouble.

After returning to the car and changing into dry clothes, we headed down to the Koke'e Museum. It's a small and somewhat old museum, but absolutely perfect for us science geeks. There was a relief map and info on flora, fauna, and climate. You see, though our Kauai Revealed book is the best kind of guide for visiting the island, there is no info on nifty science stuff. We were feeling starved for some island details. Leaving the museum we knew all sorts of cool things like the fact that you can get a permit to hunt for one pig every day all year round and that red headed bird we see absolutely everywhere is a cardinal from South America. My personal favorite were the 1885 native flora plates painted by a sugar plantation wife. Simply lovely!

We headed back towards Anahola hoping to pick up some din-din along the way. To our great dismay, Sunday is NOT the time to find local food anywhere. Everything was closed but the resort related restaurants. We finally found a little fish shack in the Coconut Marketplace and the lady there hooked us up with Ahi fresh from the boat that morning. Yummy!

Monday was our last full day and we took it easy. The morning was slow and leisurely. We decided to head out around midday to grab some lunch and sit on the beach to eat. Unfortunately, Monday is also not a good day for local food - lots of places were closed. So we grabbed those fresh island ahi tacos from Papaya and found a picnic table at the Kapa'a Beach Park.

After a relaxing lunch we headed into the hills to find a little waterfall trail off of Kapahi Road. Part of the trail was an old dirt road, the rest is such a simple a lovely walk. Very short, very worthwhile! There are two falls on Kealia Stream, both of which you can get right up close to (or in the middle of, depending on streamflow). One of the falls is called Ho'opi'i, but it depends on who you are talking to in order to figure out which one it is. But that doesn't really matter, does it? This was such a relaxing and easy-going walk with so many trails that you can walk along the stream or up through the woods, depending on which you prefer.

After our walk we high-tailed it to Koloa to visit with Cameron's childhood friend, Ashley, her son Kai, and another little girl, Paris. Ashley has found a great location - at the end of the road on 3 acres! It's hard to find space on an island were folks are packed in like sardines. She and her partner in crime (who was gone on a family visit to the mainland with his son) have lots of planting plans and are already hard at work taming the parts of the jungle that were very literally at their back door.

The five of us and three little dogs drove west to Polihale State Park and walked along the longest beach on the island. This is the end of the road (just past the Pacific Missile Range Facility). We glimpsed the western end of the Na Pali Coast (where we took the catamaran ride to) and got great views of the "forbidden" island of Ni'ihau. The adults had plenty of interesting conversation to keep us going until the sun set, while the kids dug giant holes in the sand. It was pretty windy out there, so the poor Chihuaua pup got a bit chilly.

We dropped Ashley and the kids back at home so they could get some rest in before the next school day and headed back towards Anahola. Our 9pm return to the eastern side of the island was a giant strikeout for dinner. Tired and famished, we picked up some provisions at the general store (too tired to cook at home!), filled our bellies and crashed.

That brings us to our final day on the island - Tuesday. We packed and cleaned up relatively quickly and headed out to Anahola Beach for one last beach moment. We sat and watched the crabs dart about on the sand - dashing for their hidey holes every time the surf washed over their little kingdoms. The waves were wild and high, so we enjoyed watching them crash on to shore.

After a little stroll up and down the beach, we returned to home base to pick up our bags and head out for lunch. We stopped by Waipouli Restaurant (finally open!) and had a tasty and very filling brunch. I barely made it in time to eat since I had to stand in the Foodland line for somewhere between 5-10 minutes (to get provisions for the flight back). Foodland's lines are horrible!!! We nearly forgot to gas up our rental before returning, but all worked out fine and our flight home was without trouble.

So here we are, back in Oregon. The weather has cooperated - warm and sunny, meaning the grass grew like mad while we were gone, the weeds took a stronghold, and the choi and spinach have begun to bolt. But there are iris blooming, our columbine galore, as well as other wildflowers, and I even have 4 little figs on my tiny fig tree. Work has piled up for us and there is absolutely tons to do, as is true every spring. But I would do the vacation again in a heartbeat! Kauai was spectacular! And there is still so much to do! We do hope to return some day.

Pictures - we have something like 700+ photos. After we weed through, I'll come back and add pictures to the blogs. Don't worry, I'll let you know when I do that ;-)

kauai - part 2

2009-05-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

Another day in Kauai and all of it spent on or in the water. After a leisurely morning, we headed to Tunnels (Makua Beach) for some snorkeling. This was definitely one of the best places on the island (and Cameron thinks it was the best). As nice as the snorkeling was the view from the beach. The North Coast is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains spike up behind the beach and everything is a lush and verdant green. There is no doubt we are in the tropics.

This truly is the Garden Island. There is every color of flower in every size and shape imaginable. There is no end to the number of botanical gardens - apparently there is one in every location that some bored sugar plantation housewife (or other such rich lady so-and-so) felt like setting one up. They all have guided tours and all include bounties of flowery beauties. We simply haven't had the time to go on a tour, but we have seen a plethora of flowers on hikes, along the road and in regular places (such as planted like daffodils along the sidewalk).

Another unique feature of the island are the stilted homes. Many of the homes are built up off the ground. We asked around today and were told three reasons - termites, to get air circulating around the house, and along certain places along the coast and rivers to keep them up out of flooding and tides. We love the super stilted homes in Hanalei. Oh, and in the Puff song, this name in mispronounced - it is lei and is the lei that you hang around your neck.

We heard all sorts of stories and legends on our afternoon catamaran down the Na Pali Coast. What an exceptional landscape! According to a geologist from a past trip, the island used to stretch another mile or two towards the north. Some earthquake thousands of years ago broke off the now missing part of the island. They have found the missing piece about a mile away on the ocean floor. Cooh, eh? Well, that's why the Na Pali coast doesn't have much of a reef and is mostly sand. It is also why there are 4000 foot peaks looming above the ocean.

Well, enough for now. We will have pictures to give you a better idea of our trip. We saw waterfalls (some with water that falls thousands of feet), duns full of ancestors bones, old rock fences (pre-1920's), caves, waterfalls through caves, turtles, dolphins, begging fish, lots of boats, drunk boaters who needed some rescuing, and lots of locations for movies. It's all in the pics.

We returned to Hanalei to visit Bubba's Burgers (island beef!) and our favorite Papaya natural food store. Home again to Hale Kikoo and some relax time. More fun in the south for the next couple of days. The sun always shines there (or very nearly always). We got our first rain last night and today in Hanalei (after our boat trip). Folks here are very happy it is raining - they've had too many days without rain. And starting tomorrow there is supposed to be a swell on the north side of the island so surfers are trying to figure out how to get days off of work. We will see if we can beat the clouds to the viewpoint in Waimea! Wish us luck!

kauai - part 1

2009-05-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

In Kauai and finally not too tired to write down an account of all our latest adventures.

We flew into Lihu'e at noon on Tuesday and were so exhausted from our late night/early morning that we had a mellow afternoon. We drove on up to Anahola to find our VRBO rental (Hale Kikoo) and met a maintenance dude who used to live in Eugene. He pointed us in the direction of Papaya - a local natural food store in the town of Kapa'a - which makes the absolutely best fish tacos we have ever had. Every day we try to find a place that makes tacos as good and so far we haven't been able to top it. On our way out of Kapa'a we stopped at the farmer's market for fresh fruit. We love the woman running the fruit stand! Right away she offered us samples of a strawberry papaya. Thankfully, neither of us said, "No thank you, we aren't fans of papaya," because we absolutely LOVED the papaya! Oh my goodness, if only I had a papaya like this in the past! We promptly bought several papaya, along with fresh pineapple, bananas and a couple of not-yet-ripe mangos (they picked them out for us - 3 days in a bag and we should be ready). She also gave us half of some fruit that we didn't quite catch the name of - white fleshy fruit with brown inedible skin - also very sweet and unique. After our fish taco adventure, we also decided we needed fresh fish for dinner. Apparently, the place to go in Kapa'a is Foodland. Go figure. I guess if you live here you know this, because it was quite a little traffic jam at the fish counter. We headed down to Anahola Beach to hang out and relax for a bit - walked in the surf and at the mouth of the Anahola River. We called it an early night and climbed under the mosquito netting (over the bed) to pass out.

Wednesday was the first day of adventures. We woke up before dawn and headed back down to Anahola Beach to catch the sunrise. Beautiful! We came back to Hale Kikoo to eat piles of fruit for breakfast. Before long we were on the road to do some snorkeling along the North Shore. We were going to go to Hideaways Beach (Pali Ke Kua) and Queen's Bath, but enroute got reoriented towards Ke'e Beach. Ke'e is at the end of the road, right at the beginning of the Na Pali Coast. We had some fun snorkeling along the reef and even saw a monk seal quite close up. There were supposed to be turtles close by, but would couldn't catch a glimpse of them even when we swam out of the protected area to search them down. Ah well.

We headed in to Hanalei for a fish taco lunch and some rainbow shave ice (with macademia nut ice cream) and had a chat with a haole (i.e. Caucasian) about the area. After some long debating over weather to do a catamaran trip along the Na Pali Coast (and what day based on what was available), we finally made a decision and planned it based on what the weather may provide. We drove back to Hale Kikoo, switched into hiking gear, then headed into Kapa'a to pick up some more fruit.

After our errands we drove out to take on the Makaleha hike at the end of Kahuna Road. This hike was marked as an "adventure" in the guidebook and that it was. The trail is not easy to find and it is a bit of a mix between bushwaking and trail walking. We were up for the adventure, but time was not on our side...we only had a couple of hours before dark. So we ventured through a bamboo forest and climbed over boulders, scaling our way up and down along the stream. We went as far as we thought reasonable and turned back around in time to walk out before dark. Sometimes it is about the journey and not about the destination. It was a great venture through the Hawaiian rainforest - some incredible trees and all of the adventure it was meant to be (even if we didn't make it to the waterfalls). Cameron did have a little accident with sliding down a rock and into bamboo. The good - the bamboo broke his fall. The bad - bamboo is not soft. Fortunately, this wound, although it does not look so good, is less of a burden than the blister he got from the flippers of the snorkel gear. That wound has been much more troublesome!

We returned home tired, but happy. We made our big fish dinner and slumped into sleep.

Thursday was one long adventure along the Na Pali Coast. We got up a little later, feasted on more fruit, then headed north once again. Destination - the Kalalau Trail that takes you along the Na Pali coastline for a couple of miles. After the beach destination, you need a permit to continue on and it is quite a few miles before you hit another viewpoint so usually you backpack in. It's a rugged 2 miles, but not a bad hike. There were toddlers and teens, barefeet and boots, bikinis and blue jeans...and tons of people! Tons and tons! Hanakapi'ai Beach is a great destination, but the hike to it is really what it is all about. The views of the coastline are amazing. We hiked another 1.8 miles up the Hanakapi'ai Valley to the falls. Along the trail we came across an ancient (?) Hawaiian homestead complete with rock walls and some sort of rock structure (maybe one of their temples to the gods?). There were some newer "ruins" also present, but clearly of the 20th century. As for the falls...spectacular! Wow! If it wasn't a tad chilly up there, we could have swam right under the falls, what a tempting blue pool! The falls were simply splendid and I would highly recommend it for anyone up to the hike.

The eight mile hike (plus photo stops and other such breaks to check out the scenery) took up most of our day and most of our energy. We returned home to make some dinner and with big plans to go and walk along the beach at dusk. We were barely awake enough to finish watching the Kauai visitor's guide before passing out.

Friday became another day of mixed adventures. We got up early and packed our fruit to-go. We headed up the Nounou Mt Trail to catch the view from the top of the Sleeping Giant. And what a view it was! We could see from the mountain side above the Hanalei River to the mountain side above the Hule'ia River south of Lihu'e and all the area inbetween. It was a great way to get your bearings of the eastern half of the island. The walk itself was relatively short (something like the Spencer Butte trail from Fox Hollow for the Eugeneans). There were a lot of locals taking the hike for exercise.

From the trailhead we drove down the Wailua River valley and stopped at an overlook of the river and the 'Opaeka'a Falls (151 feet). A little pig was the toast of the town as a local paraded it around for a few bucks. The poor little piggy was afraid of a yapping little white dog and snuffled along over my feet leaving little muddy noseprints. Funny!

We headed from the east shore south to Koloa and Po'ipu. This is the land of sun and we got a full day of it! We headed to Po'ipu Beach to do a little snorkeling. It was jam packed full of people. My goodness, so many people! We had a good time and caught some views of fish we hadn't seen before. Part of the promotory was roped off due to a visiting monk seal. According to the TV visitor's guide, there are only about 30 or 35 around Kauai, so we've seen two already, that's pretty good!

We left to find fish for lunch (this seems to be the theme, doesn't it?) and hit the Koloa Fish Market in downtown Koloa. It was take-out only so we grabbed our food and went to the grocery store to also grab a couple of beers. At the store we asked the cashier for a suggestion on where to go to eat and got the answer of the baseball field. On our way out the door, the woman who had been in front of us in line stopped us and gave us a better suggestion.

We headed back down Po'ipu Road to the Maha'ulepu Beaches and found ourselves in paradise. It was quiet (very few people), tons of shade, and absolutely gorgeous. We ate lunch in Kawailoa Bay - my goodness, it was tasty fish! Then we relaxed in a shady spot on the beach. I took a little nap while Cameron snapped some shots and "snoozed". After our afternoon break, we walked further down the coast line to two more beaches complete with rocky cliffs, lithfied sandstone, dry blowholes, and incredible views of the coast. The rocks were very sharp, but the walking was easy. And it is completely worth ducking through the fence to see the last beach, trust us.

We took the scenic route back home and drove along the Huleia River. Also totally worth it! What a quiet road, nearly no traffic, and exceptional views of mountains and the river. We stopped back by our favorite daily market - Papaya - for water (we refill the gallon jugs daily) and a few additions. On the way back to Anahola, there were still a few minutes of sunlight so we headed out the Kealia Road to see if we could get back into this plateau of trees we had seen from the top of the Sleeping Giant. Unfortunately, we had to stop at the monument a sugar baron made to himself because the road appeared to end.

We returned to Hale Kikoo to make giant salads complete with fresh island avocado and relax. Long day! Right now it is pouring down rain - the first time since we arrived so I count us as lucky. Cameron was sound asleep until the rain kicked into high gear and is now wondering why I am still on the computer. So off to bed! Sorry, no pictures for now, I think I've done quite enough for the evening. Sorry if there are typos...to tired to go back and check for now. I'll have to update that later ;-)

Tomorrow...if the weather holds we will be on a catamaran up the Na Pali coast and snorkeling offshore. Oh, life is so tough here ;-)

taking in the view

2009-05-10T07:41:00.001-07:00

We all need a little time to take in the view. Hope you are having a great weekend!

wildflowers!!

2009-05-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning! The sun is beaming down, everything is green, the pileated woodpecker is cackling away in the distance. The madrone are in full bloom!

Yesterday, I went on a spectacular spring walk through Mt. Pisgah Arboretum. I just have to say - this is the best time to go! You get a great cross-section of early spring and spring flowers depending on where your feet take you. In the Watergarden we saw larkspur (Delphinium), fringe cup (Tomiea menziesii), maybe Mitella caulescens tucked away in there too!, meadow rue (Thalictrum), wood violets, trillium, Star Solomon's seal (Maianthemum stellatum), buttercups, and a couple of flowers that I didn't recognize. Along the lower end of the South Boundary trail we found the reliable spot for cat's ear (Calochortus), iris, columbine and baby's tears (Nemophilia menziesii var. atomaria). Cruising the Plateau Trail we saw more larkspur, Lithophragma parvaflorum, monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus), and shooting star (Dodecatheon), among many other buttercups and small flowers I don't know the name for. We went on a hunt for Calypso bulbosa (calypso orchid), but didn't hit up the right spots. Through the entire walk we ventured through fields of camas! I love fields of purple, especially when the camas is complimented with some larkspur. There are so few places that still have fields of our native lily, such a shame that it doesn't still fill our valley in the spring! Also along the entire trip we saw the bane - Geranium lucidum. Ugh. It spreads so fast and wipes things out so completely, what a nasty little invasive! It was absolutely everywhere - along the edge of every trail and creeping slowly into the field/wetland/woods. So sad!

Well, I tried not too bore you with too many scientific names, but I figured I needed at least a few to clarify the plants that come with many names. If you are in the Valley, you should make a stop by Pisgah before it is too late! (Oh, and sorry no photos, I was simply too lazy!)

And if you know Deven & Elly, you should see his Sidalcea! I wish that too was blooming like mad in our meadows again!

pizza and flowers

2009-05-07T11:54:00.001-07:00

Last night was pizza night at the Gunn's using their woodstove oven. We used the fabulous Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day recipe to make yummy dough. Piles of toppings were close at hand as we masterfully decorated 7 pizzas of various combinations. We gorged on pizza and a homemade bitter brewed this winter. Yum!!

Of course, my intent was to snap photos in action, but alas, I forgot! Though I was tempted to take pictures of the remaining slices (once I remembered my folly), I thought better of it and decided to leave it up to your imaginations.

The next few days will be packed with exciting events and piles of writing. Yet I must squeeze in a trip to Pisgah before the camas and larkspur stop blooming. Fields of camas...I wish the Willamette Valley was still so!! The Watergarden is also a must see this time of year. I hate when I miss it and have to wait another 365 days!

cinco de mayo

2009-05-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

The sun has made an appearance and Miso (who gets a bit stir crazy with the days of rain) is going absolutely non-stop. She begs to go outside, sits at your feet, and as soon as you let her out the door she runs around like she's making up for lost time. Admittedly, I act somewhat similarly. I'm sitting right next to the window, glancing up to see the sun play on the verdant green leaves, and spend most of the time wishing I was out there playing around too.

We've been busy around here. A big chunk of the time has been in contemplation over our plans for the next few years. You gotta just sit down and talk about these things sometimes. It doesn't feel overly productive in the sense of tangible products, but in then end we've got a picture of where we are going and how we'd like to get there. I really can't believe how much brain power goes into contemplation and planning at this scale!!

Of course, we've been busy doing more than thinking. ;-P It's good thing we have a white erase board for all my lists. Every morning I hang around the board writing things down as they pop into my mind. Every day we try to check things off the best we can. But plans go up in the air with unexpected changes - such as this little bout of blue sky...maybe I should just go out to the garden for a bit?

clouds?

2009-05-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

The weatherpeople are saying clouds and rain for today, but I am seeing sunshine and warm weather. This means computer work is postponed until the clouds come in and outdoor work is put on the front-burner. I only have a week to make some quick progress before it becomes too late for spring plantings. On the agenda today is clearing out the remaining grass and weeds so I can get the wildflower seeds sown. I can't believe how much headway the grass made this year!

It has also been an unfortunate winter of loss when it comes to flowers and herbs. Several plants died this year, including the large rosemary in front of the house. Bummer! There are some big gaps, but I guess that leaves me some spaces to fill!

As usual, we have several shrubs to find places for that deer won't get to...red-osier and lilacs are in need of good homes in the yard. Fortunately, the veggies are doing well (despite the battle against slugs). I'm getting prepared to bulk up on some of the food stuffs we've only had in smaller quantities in the past - especially basil and spinach. Good for pesto and the freezer!

Cameron and I are still working our way through the cross-country trip photos. We hope to have them posted soon. For now, here's some pics of the home front....

Here are some pics of the lovely work done by our friend Mary Trask who owns Gallery 66. The blue table is our spectacular wedding gift!! The flowery tile was a table top, but we couldn't bring the entire table home in the little blue Honda.

Cameron has been busy with yeasty concoctions. We are enjoying the "Beymer Bitter" now, while waiting for the "Righteous Red" to become drinkable. Both beers are organic. Below is a pick of Cameron's braided loaf, complete with fennel and poppy seed topping.

And as always, we work on wood. Our friend Tom has lent us his wood splitter and Cameron is working his way through the pile of rounds in the driveway (right now, in fact).

That's it for now...Miso patiently awaits play time outside!

contemplation

2009-04-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

It never fails...I always seem to have the desire to blog right about when I have deadlines looming dangerously close. Shh! Don't tell Cameron I'm in the office blogging - he thinks I'm hard at work! ;-P

Sure as the sun shines in our dry, Willamette Valley summers, rain and clouds have returned to bless our spring days. What would we do without the rain? I, for one, would never return indoors to get any work done if it didn't rain. So despite my long gardening to-do list, I am grateful for the encouragement to return to the computer. I have a lot of work to do!

It may be hard to believe, but Mississippi already feels like so long ago. It has taken no time at all to slip back into life at home. And despite the pain of being separated from Cameron for all that time, I think it was probably a good experience for us. We have been together 10 years this April and living in our little cottage for 9 1/2 years. It is so easy to slip into routines and forget to appreciate what you have. Absence doesn't necessarily make the heart grow fonder (especially if you are already quite fond of the person you are absent from), but it certainly does help you remember to appreciate things.

As you might be able to guess, I've had quite a contemplative weekend. Another bonus from cloudy weather! The sun makes you go-go-go, but the clouds remind me to be still. I hope you are all getting a moment to be still too.

settling in

2009-04-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

The bags are mostly unpacked, the office yet to be set straight, and the flower garden is slowly getting in shape. Ah, home!

The weather has gotten a little cooler, but the sun is still hanging in there for us - in other words, it is spring again. This is just perfect for getting some projects completed such as mowing the lawn, blowing leaves off of the barn roof, splitting wood, and completing some spring plantings. The cherry trees and dogwoods are in full bloom and leaves have made their way back to nearly all of the trees (well, okay, there are only little leaves in some cases). Downtown tulips brighten up yards and bask in the spring sun.

Most of my thoughts are currently bent outdoors. After spending so much time inside this winter, I can hardly help it. Of course, rain will fall again leaving no choice but to get some indoor work done. But that's later ;-) ... time to head back outside!

Eugene!

2009-04-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning we awoke early and emerged from our Comfort Inn to the dry, sunny and warm landscape of Oregon's high desert. We headed west from Burns, OR and enjoyed the familiar landscape all around us. It's amazing how small Oregon seems after driving across the country! Before long, the grand viewscape of snow-capped Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Three Sisters, Diamond Peak, and their companions (i.e. Three-Fingered Jack, Black Butte...etc.) opened up before us. Such a sunny, clear day! What a wonderful view!

After a failed attempt at traversing the Cascade Lakes Highway (still snowy patches! bummer!!), we made our way back into the Willamette Valley by following the Middle Fork. We were greeted by lovely warm weather - the best weather we've had since that one sunny day in NC last weekend.

It's in the 80's here and we are taking advantage of the beautiful weather to unpack, catch up on garden work, and complete some outdoor projects. The dogs are enjoying the return of their pack by spending every waking moment at our feet in the sun (panting away as they bake). The hummingbirds are frolicking and buzzing away as the swing by the feeder and guard their territory. I've missed one whole month of their visit to the valley so I must soak in the time I have left with them before they follow the blooming rhodies to higher elevations.

We have so very many photos that I can hardly bring myself to cruise through them and post one this time. I'll have to post more later.

pics from the trip

2009-04-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote a bit about where we've been and what we've seen. Here's a couple of pictures to go with that.

Bandalier National Monument

Soda Dam

San Fidel

Grand Canyon

Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell

on our way home

2009-04-17T22:39:00.001-07:00

My goodness, have we covered a lot of ground in the last few days!!!

Since I last had a chance at the computer, we have traveled from Oxford to Amarillo, TX (stayed at the Fifth Season Hotel - old, but perfectly adequate and extremely cheap). The drive was not all that exciting, so no fun pictures.

The next day we visited Bandalier National Monument in New Mexico. We have gobs of photos of cliff-dwellings and other such ruins of the Frijole Indians. We followed this up with a quick stop at Soda Dam (a natural dam) and continued on to Gallery 66 in San Fidel to visit with our good friend Mary. Her gallery is a must-see for Route 66 er's.

We spent some time with Mary before heading out to the Grand Canyon yesterday. We hit snow in Flagstaff and a white-out by the time we hit the Grand Canyon. Lucky for us it all blew through and headed east. By the time we woke up this morning we had sunny skies (though that wind was chilly!). We spent the morning there and then headed north to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. The sun set on us as we drove through Zion and Bryce Canyon country.

So here we are in Utah - heading our way north and west. We have so many pictures from our travels I can't even begin to pick out a few for the blog. I will post many soon, but first need to sleep. We will drive through the Great Salt Lake tomorrow and may even land ourselves in Oregon by the end of the day!

westward-ho

2009-04-14T21:07:00.001-07:00

We left Oxford, MS, this morning and began our trip west. All day we made our way through Arkansas and Oklahoma. After something like 12 hours we landed ourselves in Amarillo, TX. Not a lot of pictures from this leg of our journey....

Here we are at Rebel Paintball field before we left the Oxford area.

Crossing the mighty Mississippi....

Once we were in Oklahoma the sun was out full force. We took a little break at the Visitor Center.

Next stop...pueblos and San Fidel!

north carolina part 2

2009-04-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Easter was a much sunnier day! We headed to Clingman's Dome to share a view of the Smokies with Cameron. As might be expected, it was packed with tourists!

We didn't linger there long and headed to Big Cove for a quiet walk through the woods.

After the outdoors treats, we headed back to Waynesville for some family time and an Easter dinner.

north carolina

2009-04-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

Well folks, Cameron and I are having a great time relaxing in North Carolina. We've visited with aunts, uncles, and a cousin while spending time with my father. It rained the last two days, but today brings us a little sun. The first rainy day we toured one of my father's new projects at work - a green modular home.

Yesterday, still rainy, we decided to head outdoors anyhow. We got wet, but had a great hike on the Mt. Sterling trail to one of the last fire towers in the area. After, we drove into a National Park meadow full of introduced Canadian elk. Each has a tracking collar and they were not spooked at all by people. We drove up right along side of them.

Today we are going to head back outside to enjoy the sun and maybe catch some views. Tomorrow we start heading west....

flume project

2009-04-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well folks, my flume adventures are coming to an end...for now, at least. I have learned a lot about what to do and probably a whole lot more about what not to do. My "plants" have held up relatively well considering the long hours under water and the bumping and wrenching of my instruments. All-in-all, things went off pretty much as planned.

Admittedly, I am happy to spend some time away from the big wooden box and man-made waterfall. I definitely need a break from the 5-minute measures! And thankfully Ibrahim will collect the measurements that I can't squeeze in before I leave. This is certainly a great relief.

Just one more day after this of flume work, some packing, and the completion of a proceedings paper and I will feel free to travel! I'm looking forward to North Carolina for the weekend!

only four days left

2009-04-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by! This is my last week in Oxford and I'm feverishly trying to get everything in order. I've lived in Eugene so long that I am extremely out of practice at this whole moving thing. It seems that each time I have moved in the past, it was at the end of school, where everyone was graduating and moving at the same time. So you said goodbye, but you also knew what you were leaving wouldn't have looked the same if you had decided to stay. This experience is so very different.

For starters, I was only here 6 months and had the feeling of this "life" being temporary. What does that mean? I shopped differently, therefore ate differently; developed relationships differently; and made plans only in the short-term. I never created a relationship with local food producers (heck, I wasn't here long enough to even see the farmers market). I didn't stock up on foods or even purchase spices, etc., that I knew I couldn't use up within the time I was here. Instead I ate very simply (and pilfered a few teaspoons from Lauren's spice stash). Also, building good friendships takes time and when you are only around for a short time (and unfortuntately working all the time) they are more difficult to develop. Regardless, I have met many good people here and I have really enjoyed spending time with them. I feel very fortunate that they welcomed me so complete into their lives. I never felt lonely, which can be troubling when moving to a new town, and am so grateful for that!

While I have been here, I am at home, but not at home at the same time. Since I am renting a room in a house that is completely furnished, I am surrounded by things that are not mine. It is like I am a semi-permanent visitor is someone's home. This is by no fault of my "landlords". Lauren and Danny have made me feel completely comfortable and have shared their space very openly and willingly! I'm not sure I would have been able to be so gracious if I were in the same position. I am so thankful to them for being such great friends and housemates. Regardless, it is their home. And, more importantly, it is not mine - my belongings are 2600 miles away.

Another reason this move is different is that I am leaving behind a world that will remain intact. Unlike the college days when everyone scattered across the country and around the world after the magic graduation day - everyone here will remain. So I am the only one that drops out of the picture. People here are making plans for next week, next month,..., and I will not be around. It doesn't trouble me, but I do find it really...hmm...interesting (for lack of a better word). I just haven't experienced this before.

So the time has nearly arrived...goodbyes are already beginning. As always it is "until the next time", because we just don't know what life will bring. Maybe I will be back for a spell, maybe not. I will certainly be seeing some at conferences, conversing about projects, and with things like Facebook, blogs and email, hearing about the latest is no longer difficult.

And in just a few days Cameron arrives to come fetch me. I will be on my way home.

april fools

2009-04-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

I admit, I'm a fool for April...especially April in Oxford. How lovely! I've only got a week left from my winter stay, but lucky me I stayed long enough to experience dogwoods in full bloom. I took a moment from my day to go for a walk and enjoy "dogwood street" and found myself surrounded in white. Azeleas are blooming in peaches, reds and whites. Tulips are out in their bold yellow, red, pink, purple, and peach. Wisteria is hanging from fences and trees large and small...if only I could share their perfume in words!

It was nice to take a little break from work this afternoon - tomorrow promises thunderstorms and tornadoes. So for now I sit outside and endure the mosquitoes because I know that in Oregon, at this very moment, it is cold and rainy and I couldn't be doing this!

So sorry I haven't been posting much lately! But if you would like to see some nifty pics of the yard, check out Lauren's blog, "Crumbs" (I have a link to it in the sidebar).

it's spring!

2009-03-19T18:46:00.001-07:00

Spring has definitely arrived here in Oxford. Even though I don't get outside much these days, I try to take it all in whenever I can!

Here's some pics...the daffodils and hyacinths started blooming about a month ago, the rest have been opening up just in the last couple of weeks...of course, there are many more lovelies out there, just not enough sunlight in a day for me to get out and take pictures of them. The spinach and garlic pic is also from a month ago - they've all definitely grown.

Sorry that a couple of pics are fairly dark - I don't get out until the sun is just about to go down. Also, not shown here are the trees that have leafed out - mostly small trees - but some of the big ones are starting to show signs! Yeah for spring!!

I'm really jealous that Cameron is planting our garden this year! Wish I could be there!

lapghan

2009-03-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

One nice bonus to living in Oxford has been "Ladies Night", which has gotten me back into knitting and crocheting. I honestly don't know why I had put down my needles & hooks for so long! I'm having a lot of fun and get so excited to start new projects.

My first project was to crochet a lapghan for my mother's birthday.

I think the yarn was self-stripping, but I had it in so many pieces that the stripes don't go across the entire square. The picture doesn't really do the colors justice, but I think it gives you an idea. This is also the first time I crocheted an edging and it turned out really nice!

colon cleanse

2009-03-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

One week ago today marked the final day of my 7 day colon detox and cleanse. (Don't worry, no pictures!) We know these things are good for us, but it is often so hard to fit this kind of thing into the schedule.

Overall, I would say it went as well as expected. It helped me accomplish my goal of cleaning out my system and restarting with a good diet. As for the detox part of it - I have no idea what to think. How does one know if they have had the chemicals removed from the cells of their body?

The 7-day program that I used, Revitalix & Detoxitech, allows you to eat - fresh fruit and veggies, maybe some nuts during the day, and a dinner of rice, veggies and a protein. The idea is to continue to have energy throughout the process instead of doing a straight-up fast. They even suggest you exercise. You do drink powdered mixes and take some pills throughout the day, but often as a smoothie or with juice if you'd prefer.

Cameron did some research before we purchased and thought this was the best product. Neither of us had time for a fast, but wanted something to reset our systems. Since doing the cleanse I have read mixed reviews about the product we used (which were not posted before we purchased). I may try something different next time; but really I have no complaints about this one.

Some of the non-gory details (and if you want more details, let me know I am happy to share).... Part of the point of this cleanse is to remain a tad hungry - not REALLY hungry, just a little bit hungry. It took my body awhile to adjust to that. I would say the better part of the first 4 days I was pretty tired. Now this could also be due to my long work days, but I was sleeping about 8 hours - more than I normally get. Also during the first few days both Cameron and I had leg aches. We were told this was due to a lack of potassium. Cameron added a banana a day and the aches went away. I had a banana a day and they didn't. Maybe I needed more? Also, for the first three days I would get a headache by late afternoon. It would generally go away after I ate dinner. I read that this could be due to a lack of calories. But maybe I was not drinking enough water. Cameron didn't have any such problems. Regardless of all the beginning aches, by day five I was feeling pretty good - lots of energy and none of the side-effects. This was also the day I switched from Revitalix to Detoxitech powdered mixes, so maybe the Revitalix was harder for my system. Who knows?!

Would I do it again? Yes. Has it helped? Well, it couldn't have hurt. The plumbing seems to work better.

I've gone back to the way I was eating before the program. My evening meals are just about the same as what they suggest for the program anyway. As for my day time meals, they aren't all that unhealthy, but some of the ingredients were not allowed during the last week: oatmeal, bread, nut butter, and caffeinated tea. I am also using this opportunity to cut back on the sweets. And an unexpected benefit? I have rediscovered my love of sunflower seeds. Yum!

spa treatment

2009-03-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

That fateful wintry storm weekend that marked the end of February and beginning of March here in the South was actually quite a nice little break for me. Friday afternoon I made my way west through the driving rain and lightening, avoiding the traffic of Memphis by taking a more scenic route. The tornadoes were to my back and I thought I had made my way through the worst of it.

My good friends, Ellen & Dave, had a work vacation in Hot Springs, AR, and had invited me along for the weekend. I showed up that evening and we headed out with another couple to Cajun Boilers. True to the name they had all sorts of boiled seafood (cajun style) and I ate my first boiled crawfish. Five people devoured an entire platter of them in just minutes - it was quite the sight.

When I checked the news the next morning I found that they were predicting snow back in Memphis and Oxford. Sure enough, we turned on the t.v. and found that it was already snowing in Fayetteville.

That day we were off to the race tracks to watch jockeys and horses battle it out for first place. I learned all sorts of new things like how to place a bet, how to read a race guide, and what kind of awful beer people drink in such places. I won nothing and even my namesake, Nicole's Passion, had to drop out of the race. But the trip was not a loss! There were some beautiful horses and it was a site to see them run at full speed and cross the finish line.

That evening the weather was bitter cold (even for the Michigander in me) and the streets packed with race track revelers, so we got take out from Cajun Boilers and spent the evening cozy in our 1980's style hotel (which was a senior home for a bit a couple of years back, then a hotel again).

The next morning we went to get the Hot Springs experience. The town is named so because of the natural Hot Springs popping out of the Ouachita Mountains. The water bubbles up at 118 degrees F and needs to be cooled down for bathing. I guess back in day, Hot Springs was a retreat for the wealthy to come and get healthy soaking in steamy baths and wrapped in hot towels. Al Capone was one of the most famous of the frequent visitors. (And apparently Hot Springs is also the "boyhood home" of Bill Clinton. They seem quite proud of this fact.)

Bath house row was charming, which was a nice change from the rest of the city - a good part of which is pretty rundown. A National Park runs right along the back side of the historic bath houses, complete with views and trails. We were also fortunate that the bad weather was behind us and the sun was slowly making it feel like spring again.

Of course, a trip to Hot Springs is not complete without a trip to the spa. Ellen & Dave treated me to "the works" which included a hot bath, sauna, hot wrap, shower, and massage. What a package! This fine deal was in a historic hotel, The Arlington, whose bath house is circa 1920. It was a great treat!

As I was soaking it up in Hot springs, back in Memphis they were digging themselves out of 8 inches of snow. Fortunately Oxford only got a couple and anything that hit pavement melted right away. My drive home was clear. (So glad I didn't have to travel the day before - there was a 16 hour traffic jam on the freeway right after it snowed!) I even made a stop at Whole Foods in Memphis to procure some goods for my upcoming colon cleanse! (And that is a story for another day.)

chasing the insanity away

2009-03-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

As you might have noticed, it has been awhile since I posted my last blog. I could give you a dozen excuses, but the bottom line was this - I was busy. The kind of busy that borders on "insanely busy"... and right now I hanging out in the eye of the tornado.

So what have I been doing? Glad you asked! Mostly I've been working. I spent the later half of February making "plants with leaves" out of acrylic rods, wire, contact paper, and a little glue to hold it all together. Initially my plan was to make 850 of them for my experiments. After I got several days into it, I realized that to hit that goal I would be making plants for the better part of 6 weeks (that would include evenings and weekends). I despaired. After a short bit of panic, I knew something needed to change.

After some debate, I decided to ditch a couple of experimental runs and just make the 280 plants needed for my low density experiments. I had come to terms with this decision and then began talking to my advisors and colleagues. The one responsible for my time here at NSL suggested we pay someone to make them. I was skeptical that anyone would want to get paid so little (relatively) for such a time consuming job that I needed to have done in just a couple of weeks. It was going to take an army! But lo and behold, he found a couple that was interested. They are probably busily making plants for me as I type this.

Having the rest of the plants made is wonderful! As I finished up the last of my stack of 300 just yesterday (as well as cutting up something like 6000 more "leaves" for the plant-making pair), I felt a huge sense of relief. I can't imagine if I was facing another 550!

Since I cannot do without something to despair over, I then set to the task of worrying about my next set of experiments. When measuring the velocities within the plants, I now had "leaves" to contend with. There were some thoughts on what to do about it, but I hadn't tested any of the methods. The main concern, as always, is about time constraints.

Time - let's take a minute to think about me and my crazy self-created deadlines. I am thousands of miles away from home. Despite a trip home for the holidays and a whirlwind conference trip in the beginning of February, I haven't been home since the end of October. That's a long time. Both Cameron and I are ready for me to be back home. So I looked at my schedule and thought, "If I worked every day after I received the rest of the plants, when could I be done?". I gave Cameron the date and he bought a one-way ticket to fly out and come drive with me on my way back to Oregon. This is one time constraint. Then there is another - that there are only so many hours in a day. When I start an experiment I have to finish it, no matter how long it takes. I know that without any plants it takes me 8 hours for one set of tests and nearly 10 for the other. Each time the plant density goes up or the leaves get added on, that is more time in the lab. So my goal is always to make the sampling day as smooth as possible.

Okay, back to my story...I was worried about how long the measures with the leaves was going to take me. If things didn't go just right I would have a very long day. The worse part would be that it would only the beginning of 4 sampling weeks of the same type of measurements - i.e. all very long days. Ugh. But alas, my despair was short-lived because the next day I got it all worked out and I'm well on my way.

Now that I've got these big things sorted out, it is on to the next task. I need to write a conference proceedings manuscript in less than two weeks to get to my advisors for review. The final draft is due on the 30th. Yikes! I am certainly going to need a vacation after all of this!

By the way - I did get one break in the last month. I went to Hot Springs, AR, for a weekend visit with friends. Of course this happened during the weekend it snowed down here! More to come on that soon!

the Oregon curse

2009-02-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

Here in good 'ole Oxford, Mississippi, last weekend was absolutely beautiful! Sunny and warm! For those of you who have spent some time in the South, you know how wonderfully nice a southern winter day can be (especially if you've lived in the North for any period of time). Of course, I worked straight through the weekend trying to get an experiment done. Today is my day to take it easy and relax a bit and guess what it is doing outside?! Raining! Argh! In fact, it is a perfectly normal winter day for the Willamette Valley (in other words - western Oregon, for you non-northwesterners). The Oregon Curse has struck again!

So, in the spirit of the weather in my neck of the woods, I am going to post some pictures from my recent trip to the PNW. Last week I posted photos of Cameron's explorations while I was doing this:

Though there was also some fun too, like playing in a sandbox...

On our way back to Eugene, we stopped by to visit with Barbara

She treated us to a meal and a grand walk along the Willamette. The dogs were happy doing what dogs do...

In Eugene, I got some time to visit with my friends...both big...

and small...

And now I have returned once more to the magnolia state and this is how I view my family...

The latest news from home? Our dimwitted hen, Miss Americana, has laid her first egg! Can you guess which one of this freshly cleaned bunch is hers? (note: click on the pic to enlarge and you'll see that the middle one is green!)

in the south i eat pecans

2009-02-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

Today was a day of small pleasures. My 36 hour headache finally kicked the bucket sometime around 4am. That alone shows signs of a good day to come!

The weather outside is beautiful, once again. Sunny and clear, somewhere near 60. This is just about the most perfect weather - the air is fresh and clear! Even the flowers must know spring is around the corner. Daffodils are blooming with gusto!

Considering the great luck of a good day and the quiet atmosphere of a weekend at the lab...I decided to make some changes to my daily routine. First, I finally thought to swap the rough old lab chair with the considerably more comfortable (though no office beauty) chair from my office. Ahh!

Second, I take walks. Of course you can't go too far when you are being called back every 5 minutes, but I can at least enjoy the outdoors a bit this way. I wonder how long it would take to walk around the building....

I still have to download all the photos from my Oregon/Washington trip. I had been waiting to post a blog update until I did that, but since it was starting to take so long to get that done I figured I should go ahead and say hello. Once I download the pics, I'll post some and give a little summary of my travels.

As for now, all I have is a little thought to chew on - in the South I eat pecans, in the PNW I eat hazelnuts...what about in other regions of the US?

(p.s. It takes about 4 minutes to walk around the lab.)

traveling with dogs in washington

2009-02-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Another visit back to Oregon nearly over - it went by so quickly! I'll write more about the RRNW conference and post some pics soon. For now, I'm going to share Cameron's version of our time in Washington. I was indoors watching presentations and visiting with colleagues while Cam was out in some winter sunshine exploring the terrain just off the Columbia Gorge. The dogs were with him and provided endless entertainment. The video below shows Miso in top form, doing just what she does - paying only loose attention to directions....

He visited famous places....

Some other pics of the Gorge (with Hood River in the background), the lower and upper part of the mainstem Klickitat, and Mt. Adams from a distance.

sunny day

2009-01-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

All the initial flume runs went well and I have one day to pull together some results to share with my advisor. Fortunately, having a laptop allows me to do this work outdoors. Today is a perfectly beautiful day in Oxford - the sun is shining, not a cloud is in the sky, and it is 57 degrees. Yeah! I've spent so many daylight hours sitting in a large concrete room with only a few small, cloudy skylights. This is a real treat.

I am looking forward to tomorrow's flight back to the PNW and another fun RRNW symposium. It will be a short stay, full of meetings, seminars, and courses, but at least I get to stay with my family!

multi-tasking

2009-01-29T09:30:00.001-08:00

Everyone is talking about multi-tasking these days. Most of what I hear refers to students who are talking on the phone, sending text or chat messages, listening to music, and working on homework all at the same time. But how about at work? I would say we are in the same boat.

For instance, today I have three computers on (and doing different tasks at each of them); taking 5 minute measurements (which includes getting up to move the ADV every 5 minutes); shuffling through spreadsheets every 20 minutes to crunch numbers with a macro; working on this blog; coordinating travel and conferences; and staying connected via email. That is not to mention the continuous sound of water rushing in the background (it is not music, but it certainly has similar qualities and distractions). This seems like plenty to do all at once!

I don't mind multi-tasking, but at the end of days like this I can't wait to just take it easy. I want to veg out by watching a movie or do something else that takes me away from the computer. I swear that I never used to get this exhausted by doing so much at once. The word on the street is that being exposed to so many inputs at the same time is mentally exhausting. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, not necessarily be used to do more at one time, right?

This makes me think of something I heard on NPR the other day - that music videos are getting flashier and cut between scenes more quickly than the past. This is in part so they are more easily viewed on small screens, but it is also so that they catch your attention. This makes me think that the advertising methods in the flick WALL-E are more possible than ever. I wonder how long it will take for us to ignore all the inputs...we are apparently training ourselves already.

my study

2009-01-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

At times the day moves by way too slowly. I look at the clock constantly to see that only 1 hour has passed, see how many dozens of measurements still left before I can complete my workday, and I wail. Who doesn't have those kinds of days? But in the big picture, time is really moving by quite quickly. It seems like I have barely completed one day of work, go home to cook/eat, and relax for a bit, then it is to bed and back up at it again before I know it. Even though this pattern has been true all my life (though sometimes substitute play for work), I am still amazed at how time passes.

Work is going well these days. The sampling can be a bit monotonous, but I believe I am seeing the kind of results that I was expecting. This is good! That means that I am on schedule. I still have some pretty large decisions to make before I know whether it all will work out, but I have confidence that everything will be okay. Some of you have wondered about what it is I am doing, so here it goes:

In stream restoration work, one of the most common practices is to plant vegetation. These plants are important for many ecological reasons such as cover for animals or nutrients, but also for many physical reasons. Plants act as natural barriers to water flowing past them, slowing down currents and reducing bank erosion. Of course there are many other functions that plants provide, but my focus is on the last thing I mentioned - how plants act as natural resistance to flow.

So what does that mean exactly? I study how different patterns of plants growing on the toe of a bank influence how fast water is flowing over that bank. This is difficult to study in the field because you have to wait for different water levels and velocities, which are impossible to replicate, making comparisons difficult. That is why I set up an experimental study in a flume. In the flume I can control factors such as discharge, flexibility of plants and depth of plant submergence, which makes it easier to isolate the influence of plant patterns.

My flume is approximately 25 feet long (I'll update with a picture soon, for now you can look back through other blog entries). The first couple of feet are for the flow straighteners. The next 16 feet include an insert where about 1/3 of the bed is a flat "main channel" and the other 2/3 represents the sloped toe of a bank. I use two different bank toe inserts - a 15 degree slope and a 30 degree slope. About 9 feet of the bank toe has holes drilled in it for vegetation. The plants are spaced so that when scaled to a real bank toe, there would be about 24 per square meter. At the end of the flume is a weir. The flume empties into a stilling basin with a v-notch weir where I take my discharge measurements.

I am collecting measurements on 10 experimental set-ups. Two are a "no vegetation" condition. The remaining eight are split evenly between the two different bank toe slopes. I have four different combinations of high/low density of plants and high/low projected area. Projected area is the "density" of vegetation that the water sees. In other words, when we normally think of plant density, it is as if we are above the plot of land looking down on it. You could measure it by counting the number of plants per area (just one of many ways). For projected area you would be standing on the ground looking into that plot of land. This time you are measuring by counting the number of leaves over the area you are looking at (also one of many ways).

With this study, I am hoping to quantify the difference in resistance due to the plants and the difference in shear stress applied on the bank toe. To gather this information, I collect 3-D flow velocity data along the bed and at 0.6 depth. With the velocity data I look more closely at turbulence along the bed, forces on the bed, and average flow velocity within the vegetation versus the main channel. I also look at how surface water elevation changes depending on the vegetation.

Back to the big picture - what will this help us understand? I am hoping that a project like this will help inform restoration activities in the future. There are two ways - one, by telling us what will give us the biggest bang for our buck. For instance, let's say you want to plant a bunch of saplings along a bank. It would be useful to know if a few sparsely planted stems with a lot of branches would give you a similar amount of protection as a densely planted bank of willow whips. Or say the bank is already sparsely planted, when it drops it's leaves, how much more vulnerable will it be to erosion than when the leaves were on? If they are different, that flood that happens in late spring will be different than the mid-winter flood.

So that's my project, boiled down to the basics. Throw in a bunch of fluid mechanics and a dash of geomorphology and plant biomechanics, and that's about it. I've seen a fun term describing the field of study for projects kind of like this (though generally a bit more field based) - hydrobiogeomorphology. Maybe I should start calling myself a hydrobiogeomorphologist just to see strange looks on people's faces!

what a week

2009-01-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

All sorts of activities are keeping me busy these days. The go-go-go is frying my brain a bit and I am in need of a day off. Fortunately, one week from now I get to go back to the PNW for a conference and a brief visit with my sweetie.

As for now, I am taking advantage of this sunny day and the fact that I won't start the next flume experiment until tomorrow. I am sitting next to the window absorbing whatever sunshine I can! I even took a brief drive out to Sardis Lake and the Clear Creek Recreation Area to try and find a trail Lauren mentioned. I didn't find it, but I didn't look too hard either.

Well it is time to get back to work...gotta get some more done so that I don't have to worry about work too much when I am in OR/WA!

"vegetation"

2009-01-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video of data being collected at the flume. Sorry about the weird clicking sound, I'm gonna have to work on that. Otherwise, what you make think is white noise is the sound of water cascading out of the flume down into the stilling basin. That's what I listen to for hours upon hours each day. At least the water isn't getting pumped in at full tilt, then you would have the sound of rocks bouncing around on top of all that! On those days I just wear ear protection.

pics

2009-01-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

Some pics of the holidays and of my recent project in Oxford....

Anna and Casey at a Allann Bros in Eugene

Cameron at the same spot sipping on some jasmine tea

Miso aiming for some attention at home

Christmas Eve - Thomas taking a picture of Cameron and myself taking a picture of him using Skype

newly painted bookcase at home

home sweet home in Oxford

my "vegetation"

"vegetation" partially submerged

....and here is posted a picture of Cameron, dogs and myself with Elly, Deven and Raiko on our one sunny day during my visit back home...wait, no photo here...hmm...Elly, where is that picture? ;-P

pictures soon

2009-01-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

I promise pictures soon...sorry so many words and nothing colorful to look at! But really, read the MLK speech, it is definitely worth your time!

mlk

2009-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

There are many things on my mind these days, but today I would like to commemorate MLK by printing parts of one of his speeches. I found it so moving and relevant to today's atmosphere, though he was speaking about his opposition to the Vietnam War. Sometimes I feel we have learned nothing from the past. But one of the best things about an MLK speech is that he always leaves you filled with hope for the future.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 4, 1967, Riverside Church:
This is the message of the great Buddhist leaders of Vietnam. Recently one of them wrote these words, and I quote: "Each day the war goes on, the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism.

...The world now demands a maturity of America that we may not be able to achieve. It demands that we admit that we have been wrong from the beginning of our adventure in Vietnam, that we have been detrimental to the life of the Vietnamese people. The situation is one in which we must be ready to turn sharply from our present ways.

…These are the times for real choices and not false ones. We are at the moment when our lives must be placed on the line if our nation is to survive its own folly. Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.

Now, there is something seductively tempting about stopping there and sending us all off on what in some circles has become a popular crusade against the war in Vietnam. I say we must enter that struggle, but I wish to go on now to say something even more disturbing. The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality, we will find ourselves organizing clergy- and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation. They will be concerned about Guatemala and Peru. They will be concerned about Thailand and Cambodia. They will be concerned about Mozambique and South Africa. We will be marching for these and a dozen other names and attending rallies without end, unless there is a significant and profound change in American life and policy. So such thoughts take us beyond Vietnam, but not beyond our calling as sons of the living God.

In 1957, a sensitive American official overseas said that it seemed to him that our nation was on the wrong side of a world revolution. During the past ten years, we have seen emerge a pattern of suppression, which has now has justified the presence of U.S. military “advisors” in Venezuela. This need to maintain social stability for our investments accounts for the counterrevolutionary action of American forces in Guatemala. It tells why American helicopters are being used against guerrillas in Cambodia and why American napalm and Green Beret forces have already been active against rebels in Peru. It is with such activity in mind that the words of the late John F. Kennedy come back to haunt us. Five years ago, he said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken, the role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investments.

I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. …

A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. …

A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war, “This way of settling differences is not just.” This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

…A genuine revolution of values means, in the final analysis, that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies.

This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft-misunderstood, this oft-misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love, I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response, I am not speaking of that force which is just emotional bosh. I’m speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality.

…Now, let us begin. Now, let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter—but beautiful—struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of American life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise, we must choose in this crucial moment of human history.

…And if we will only make the right choice, we will be able to transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of peace. If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. If we will but make the right choice, we will be able to speed up the day, all over America and all over the world, when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

*********
For more of this speech and another from the day before he was assassinated, see Democracy Now's website (http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/19/dr_martin_luther_king_jr_1929).

living sustainably

2009-01-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

"I’m going to wash my hair tomorrow."

When my grandmother used to declare such things, which sounded like an event, I always thought it was rather funny. I mean – bathing is such a regular activity, why would someone have to schedule it in? But just today I caught myself thinking, "I need to wash my hair tomorrow." And I do schedule it in!

No, this is not a sign of bad hygiene. This is a sign of sustainable and healthy living practices. We don’t need to wash our hair every day. Most folks probably don’t even need to shower every day. (I mean, you are sitting at a desk all day just to drive home, eat dinner and watch TV…where in that process do you break a sweat?) Each shower costs us gallons of water…usually water that has been treated to the condition where it could be drinkable. Then there is the soap. Most folks use non-biodegradable, chemical-laden soaps. Sure it is cheaper, but think of the cost on our environment…chemicals from soaps and shampoos from every household flushed down the drain. Dilution is not the solution for pollution. And finally, just appealing to the personal – using soap on your hair and skin daily dries it out. This is not healthy for you.

Of course I’m not suggesting that we don’t take showers or use soap (ick!). I’m just suggesting you think about the products you purchase and the amount of water you use. We should each take a lesson from our grandparents.

peanut butter and jelly

2009-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Today I had the best PB&J since I first arrived in Oxford. This is a hallmark of sorts for me.

When I first arrived, I went through a bit of shock as I tried to find foods that I recognized and the sort of stuff that I choose to make a part of my regular diet. Admittedly, I wasn’t entirely surprised since Cameron had done a good amount of food sleuthing for me when we visited last February. After making the rounds, he concluded, “Nicole, you are not going to be able to eat in Oxford.” In many ways, Cameron was right. I have found it difficult to eat in the same manner as I did before. I have resorted to eating a lot less fresh fruits and vegetables. Finding local foods has also been a bit of a challenge. There is a nice little market, but from what I’ve sampled the fruit and some of the green vegetables are not that fresh or tasty.

For the most part I’ve figured out how to eat in Oxford. I’ve been able to find good substitutes for what I miss most. And because I’m trying to cook and eat as simply as possible (i.e. not purchase tons of spices and such), I’m doing pretty well these days. There are only two items that are normally part of my diet that I still miss considerably – tofu and bread. Unfortunately, I have determined that finding good tofu is pretty much a lost cause. (What will I ever do when I move from Eugene permanently?!) Walmart is the only place that sells firm tofu and even that stuff isn’t all that tasty.

Bread has also been a troubling loss to my diet. Of course they have bread in Oxford, just not good bread. If I can make it to a local bakery/coffee shop/restaurant during their business hours, then I can purchase a locally made, fresh loaf of good bread. The trouble with that is I am rarely able to make it there during business hours. Fortunately for me, my landlord/friend/baker extraordinaire has offered to bake me bread when she is making some for herself. Yeah!

Now I am back to the beginning of my story. With a freshly baked loaf of Lauren’s 12-grain, I made myself a PB&J. Not only was the bread perfect, but the newly purchased peanut butter was tasty too. Whew! I’m finally finding brands I like too! So, now I can eat lunch in the land of Oxford.

I've been told it is sunny outside

2009-01-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

And in fact, on my short treks to the bathroom I saw that indeed, it is sunny outside. It's wonderfully lucky to be in a location where there are some sunny winter days. It's too bad there isn't a window in the Hydraulics Lab. At least there are skylights....

And now it is later and it is dark outside. Haven't been out yet, but I'm assuming that it is a clear, starry night. Though the moon is past full, I bet a good chunk of it is lighting up the night sky.

Lots of hours passing me by while I sit with the cascading water of my flume – leaking all over the darned place! I've got quite large puddles forming here and there. I am not troubled yet, but just wait until I turn the pump up a notch....

Just one more thing – anyone got time to spare and an interest in designing a way to slide an ADV up and down in a precise, easy way? You should definitely talk to me! I've got a project for you!!

twilight

2009-01-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

Though I am thousands of miles away I felt drawn in to this month’s book club book…or in this case – books. There’s nothing like teenage vampires to get a discussion going! Funny enough, it’s very likely that as I write this, the ladies are gathered in a circle chatting about all four books (and the hint of book five that is already on the internet).

I will admit that I happily cruised through the first book, Twilight – barely putting it down to get a few hours of bumpy red-eye plane ride sleep. The book was well written (well enough for entertainment) and had a good pace. That alone usually keeps me along for the ride. And a good vampire story is always fun! In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I finished Fledgling by Octavia Butler. (Her vampires were very different and it was fun to compare and contrast while reading.)

Only one thing bothered me about the book - Bella’s adoration of Edward’s body. Now, I have read all about how teenage girls have a fascination with looks so I know I am supposed to find this believable. And believe it or not, I do remember what it was like to be a teenager and remember a good number of my friends with posters of “hot guys” hanging on their walls. But honestly, I really never understood my friends fascination with Fabio and I still don’t get all gooey excited about Edward’s dreamy eyes. Sorry. Of course, there is also the argument that vampires draw you in – make you want them so badly that you can’t think of anything but giving yourself up to them. So in the end I find Bella’s adoration feasible, but still annoying.

The sexual energy in the book was fun, but just a tease. I can understand the need to have books for teens that are not seething with sex, but still tantalize the urge (see the very well written Atlantic Monthly article about Twilight and teens written by Caitlin Flanagan http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200812/twilight-vampires). Yet I couldn’t help but realize that I’ve gotten to a point in my life where teen romance just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Then again, knowing that I read Harlequin Romances from the age of thirteen on, I’m not entirely sure it would have done it for me then either.

Overall, I would give Twilight a ‘thumbs up’. Good brain candy! And soon I’ll start the second book….

i'm back!!

2009-01-10T19:15:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone - hope you had a great holiday season! I really enjoyed being home - it was both relaxing and packed full of visits and projects. I believe it was gray and rainy nearly every day I was home except for one brilliant Saturday. It was such a lovely day that Cameron and I headed outdoors with our friends Elly, Deven and Raiko, as well as our two four-legged critters. A joy as always, Miso chose to roll in some choice stuff and make our stroll a pungent one.

The rivers in Oregon are rockin' and rollin'. Exciting! Nothing turns my head quite like a flooding river. You just gotta love those rain-on-snow events for making life real. And even though it is rainy and gray, I do miss the Pacific Northwest.

Of course, I am not about to complain about the lucky couple of days we had here in Oxford (60's and sunny! beautiful!!). Even though the weather has turned back to winter, I do like having some sunshine in the morning. It certainly makes it easier to get up and go!

As for work - some unfortunate leaking has postponed the beginning of my flume runs, but hopefully tomorrow I will be up and running. I've installed the "plants" (all 800 of them), which in the short testing I've done, appear to be doing what I had hoped they would do. Installing them didn't take all that long, but I managed to wear holes in my fingers and thumbs. Fortunately for you, instead of providing a photo of my "injuries", I have included one of the installed "plants". They are made of acrylic and bend like a sapling should. Hopefully this all works out well! Over the next couple of weeks I will find out if my carefully laid plans will pan out or whether I will need to do some tweaking. Tweaking will definitely set me behind schedule...so please everyone, cross your fingers for me!

happy holidays!

2008-12-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hope you are all having a good week! We have filled it with family, friends, and the stomach virus...two very welcome in our lives, the other not so much so. I am taking a short hiatus from blogging as I soak in the lovely Oregon rain and some time with my sweetie. Back after the new year....

oxford

2008-12-23T09:36:00.001-08:00

Oxford, Mississippi may not have the same prestige as the place of a similar name in the UK, but I've heard it is considered one of the top ten college towns in the US. And there are some strange similarities, for instance they have a Double-decker Day where they drive a double-decker bus around The Square.

Lots of folks have asked me what I think of Oxford and whether I've found a friendly welcome. Oxford is a fine place to have landed myself. Still being new there, I couldn't tell you exactly what it is known for besides Ole Miss. I arrived at the height of football season and Ole Miss football is one of the town's biggest attractions. Oxford swells by the thousands (or maybe more like 10's of thousands). Fans gather in The Grove all gussied up in their finest, tailgating before the game.

Besides the university, Oxford is a small town of 12-15,000 or so...with lots of little expensive shops on The Square, a variety of restaurants, some classy independent stores, and a fair number of box stores on the outskirts. It is a semi-liberal college town bringing in folks from all over the country and all around the world. This gives the town its indie flair of theater, music, and world-renowned speakers. There are little art shops, independent bookstores, live radio shows, and plenty to do if so inclined. And of course, like any classic college town there are plenty of late-night bars and pizza joints.

I have felt very welcomed. Lauren and Danny (my co-workers/landlords/friends/gracious hosts) have included me in many of their activities. Through them and other folks from work, I have met a lot of new people and gotten a chance to see a bit of Oxford. Folks at NSL (the lab I work at) have been very friendly and generous. It is good to land yourself in a new workplace just before the holidays...there are more gatherings which make it easier to meet people and get to know them better.

As for town and the outskirts...I have also explored a bit on my own, but honestly I have spent most of the daylight hours working. In winter it is dark so early that it is a bit harder to get out and see the area. There are some small parks and a reservoir close by, but to do some real hiking you need to drive to the Ozarks or towards the Appalachians. Since hiking is my main method for getting to know the local fauna and flora (as opposed to hunting - which is done in abundance nearby and also the reason I probably shouldn't be hiking about randomly in the woods) I have not gotten too much exploring done.

And no, I have not visited Memphis at all yet. Some time this winter I hope to meet up with some friends and see a bit of the city...if I can squeeze it in between experiments!

food!

2008-12-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

Just a few days until Christmas and all through the house,
Bread was a baking - prepared by my spouse!

Today is a day of cooking and projects at home. We've got bread, cookies, yogurt, and cranberry relish all taken care of. While waiting for the oven timer to ding, we've had time to consider new projects and visit with friends.

Cameron has also been working on his big home project of the year - the new closet. Preparations included tearing out all the flooring and sub-flooring (termite infested!) as well as removing old insulation and then replacing the missing floor. He painted doors and windows that brilliant "capricorn blue" and made some adjustments to our bookcase. The structure of the closet is in place, including hangers, shelves, etc. Now he's working on the doors and some of the other finishing touches. It was an excellent surprise for my coming home and fits into the house perfectly!

home again

2008-12-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

I've made it back to Oregon! I've been gone only eight weeks, but it feels like such a long time. Luckily we have webcams these days to make home not feel quite so far away. There is something about seeing someone that makes the world of difference.

My return to Oregon was welcomed with snow and hazardous road conditions (as well as airport delays). I love having a little bit of snow, so this was no big deal. Though the snow and cold lasted longer than normal for our area, in true Willamette Valley fashion the snow has turned to rain and the snow is melting away. In fact, today was darn near warm at 30-something degrees.

Honestly, Mississippi feels as "miles away" as it is right now. Since I've returned I'm just having fun with Miso and Emma (including a typical-to-Miso run in with a raccoon on an afternoon walk) and starting (yes, starting!!!) my Christmas shopping. The chickens have grown so much since I left! Our hen-turned-rooster Kung-Pao really gave me a what-for this morning...all full of cock-a-doodle-doo!! They are really funny to watch in the snow. The chickens step carefully through the snow and huddle together in the nest box at night. I don't think they appreciate the snow.

Though the workaholic in me says I still have work to do, I'm taking advantage of the holidays to catch up on some reading, cook, see friends, and spend quality time with Cameron and the girls. I look forward to visiting with everyone before heading back to Mississippi. It's hard to believe I am only 1/3 of the way through my internship and there are still many months ahead!

Let the holiday adventures begin!

2008-12-16T04:50:00.000-08:00

The weekend trip to Michigan and Indiana was packed to the gills spending time with friends and family. I averaged something like 4 hours of sleep a night and still managed to make it to work Monday morning! I got in to Detroit Friday night after an uneventful (and absolutely empty) flight from Memphis. Our wild and crazy Friday night was packed with hula-hoop, dancing, and bowling...all from the comfort of home....

My mother and her brother pulled off a totally surprise, Surprise Party for my grandmother's 90th birthday. She was shocked and extremely pleased to see all the family and friends that gathered.

The 90th birthday is one to celebrate! Once you hit milestones like 70, 80, and 90, it seems like people are once again feel free to admit their age. I find it funny that we start out very proud of our birthdays: "I'm 4 and 3/4"...sweet sixteen...21.... Then somehow we get to a point where it is more socially accepted to hide our age or be embarrassed by it. After enough years pass that silliness goes away and apparently we are again proud - this time at a long-life well lived. Why aren't we just proud of all of the years?!

Well regardless of all those 90 years, my Grandma put her children, grandchildren, and their spouses to the test by outlasting us playing dice and cards on her birthday night. Bet she didn't think she'd be playing 10-penny until 1:30 a.m. on her 90th!

The end of the whirlwind trip was a friend's graduation celebration. I'm pretty certain that we will be hearing more about Dave in the future... folks in politics definitely have a way of being heard.

And so, after quite a few less hours of sleep, some gift unwrapping, and an early morning trip back to Memphis, I returned to my schedule of 5 minute measures. Two days left to pack it all in before heading back to the airport and a trip back HOME! Yeah!!! (No, I'm not excited at all.)

travels

2008-12-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to travel! I love the idea of going somewhere and I love being there, but the getting there is definitely not my idea of fun. Besides the hours of sitting around airports, nasty winter travel weather conditions, and determining how to fit your giant winter coat into your overnight bag, I get very distracted.

I know I need to get tons of work done to really relax during the holidays, but no matter how much I try I find myself instead considering every facet of my upcoming trips. ...what to pack...what's the weather...how much work will I be able to get done on the plane...or should I just give up and read a book like I normally do?

So today I am off to Michigan and Indiana. I'll be there just two days but will be going to two parties in two different states and seeing dozens of friends and family! Talk about packing it in! I promise pics and stories when I return.

thank you

2008-12-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

One fun thing about being at a research facility is that we are all just big geeks at heart. When a flume is running or some other crazy noise is coming from somewhere, everyone pops their heads in to check out what is going on. We are all curious and interested in what others are doing. For instance, my flume is extra noisy right now – high discharge moves rocks around that are in place to reduce the turbulence of the water pumping in to the flume. You can hear the noise down the hallways, up the stairwells, and probably well into many offices. As you might imagine, lots of folks have stopped by to see what is going on.

I’ve enjoyed all this friendly interest. I’ve gotten some good feedback on my project and some great encouragement. It certainly helps in the face of all my uncertainty about making the right choices. My advisor recently gave me some good advice about making decisions for this study. Basically it boils down to: if you can justify it, then it’s probably okay.

Now a bit off subject - I have a random musing to share…do you ever find yourself saying thank you for the oddest things? I often am talking with someone and at the end of it I say “thank you”, but it has no relation to anything we’ve talked about. Or, the thanks is for something so obtuse, I figure they have no idea what I am thanking them for. The worst thing is that even though I recognize this odd habit I can’t seem to cure myself!

Thanks for reading! ;-)

rainy day

2008-12-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

It was raining hard out there this morning...just beautiful! I love a good hard rain – the kind that soaks you to the bones and makes you want to stay indoors and just watch out the window. Of course, I think I enjoy it more when I can do just that...be inside and not have to be out working in it.

I guess it is a good thing that I have an appreciation for rain. It makes Oregon living a whole lot easier. I could do with a little less cold rain and a little more warm rain. I miss the warm thunderstorms of the Midwest summers! Now that's a rain it is fun to be outside for!

As the day progressed the rain stopped, then turned into a raging thunderstorm - complete with lightening and all. Another phenomenon also occurred – scientists started grabbing their gear and running to catch the storm. In this case they are storm sampling, i.e. collecting sediment samples, stage-discharge values, and other fun activities in the middle of the night. Why is it that the good storms always happen at night?

So it looks like there will be many a bedraggled scientist or technician sitting out the night in a government vehicle. Meanwhile I’m "cozy" indoors with my flume. Just me and the giant wooden box full of water!

in-between measures

2008-12-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

This last weekend and this week I am taking control measurements for my study. What does taking a measurement consist of? Well, I set up a probe to measure velocity in a flume…the measurement takes 5 minutes at each of nearly 150 measurement locations. So, I position the probe, start the measurement, wait 5 minutes, move the probe, start the measurement…etc., etc. until they are done. Then I repeat the whole process two more times (under different flow conditions).

Now the question that should be in your mind is…what does she do with her time in those 5 minutes? One benefit behind the 5 minute schedule is that I have learned exactly how long it takes to do certain things…go to the bathroom, check your car’s oil, get something from the office, make a cup of tea…the list goes on. You probably never really cared about how long they took, but I assure you each takes less than 5 minutes.

After awhile of trying to get work done in 4-5 minute stints, I get tired of trying. Sometime late in the afternoon I begin to make to-do lists….lists for the “under 5 minute” category and lists for when I have more time to get work done…lists of chores…food lists…packing lists…lists on sticky notes…lists on the computer…lists on scratch paper…gotta love a good to-do list! I don’t have internet or phone connection at the flume, so I have taken to writing emails/blogs/etc. as a document, putting it on my flash drive, then racing upstairs to my office and sending it out. Sometimes it takes several trips to complete one email!

Through the day I spend a lot of my time looking over my shoulder and wondering who is there. This probably sounds creepier than it really is. The flume is next to the major passageway through the “new” hydraulics lab, so there are often people coming through. The sound of the flume is so loud that I don’t often hear people until they are close by. Sometimes, when I am tired of staring at the computer, I lean back and look at the ceiling. We have skylights in the lab and I can “see” what kind of day it is…sunny, cloudy…and when it is getting dark….

After enough repeated motion of moving the probe around in the flume, I have been trying to use the force. How does this work? Well, each time I move the probe, I need to position it very carefully within a millimeter of the desirable spot (in all three coordinates – x, y, and z). Z is the toughest one, requiring me to slide the probe up and down through guides and often adjust it somewhat arbitrarily (at least at first) until I can go look at the computer screen for a more precise estimate. Whenever I am off by even a millimeter, I have to climb back up to the flume, make the adjustment, and head back down to the computer…adding several precious seconds to my work day. So now, I go up to the flume and “feel” where the probe should be located. Jedi knights, make room for one more!

So now the big question…how many measures did I complete writing this? I’ll never tell….

the latest

2008-12-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today is momentous…the first full day of official flume data collection! At first, I was a bit disappointed that things were taking so long to get off the ground, but I probably shouldn’t have been. The first week I was here I was warned that considering the state of the flume and instruments, not to be surprised if it took 6 weeks before collecting the first real dataset. I believe I’m just about on target.

So now I’m just working day and night (okay, evenings – not through the night) to get the first set of runs completed before the holidays. I knew that once I passed the Thanksgiving mark, there would be too much to do in too little time. Thanksgiving was spent in North Carolina with my father and his wife and visits with an aunt, uncle, cousins and their families, and Donna’s mother. We had lots of fun playing games, hiking, relaxing, conversing, and checking out Ken and Donna’s Mercantile. It was a short visit, but we didn’t waste a minute of it! They packed my bags full of food, beverage, and warm clothes and I returned home in a maze of holiday traffic.

More travel to come in the next couple of weeks including MI, IN, and home for the holidays. The flume will also be in a new state. So more to come later.