Washington's Salmon Dance

New Blog

2011-05-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Be sure to bookmark my new blog now located at http://calmclam.tumblr.com/

More updates to fallow, but seeing as this is my busiest day (awake from 5am work to 930pm class...) it shall have to wait for another day!

LIFEGUARD

2011-04-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

ITS official im now a lifeguard!!! This weekend I passed the final skills and written tests to become a lifeguard. The skills test was pretty intense and we basically took over lifeguard shifts and had many people go swim in the pools around us. We were equipped with a lifeguard rescue tube, whistle, and first aid pack to use at our discretion. We each had a few victims to save and had to be very alert to what was happening around and make sure to stay clam. In one case a victim dived and did not come up.... I responded by blowing the whistle, activating the EAP (emergency action plan), SLID into the water (because in this case they could have a potential spinal injury), and called for a backboard and AED. I then had to secure the victim and their spin and set them on a backboard which would be used to pull them out of the water... Once out an initial assessment was necessary and then I proceeded into rescue breaths then cpr. I feel very well trained now and am very glad to be done with all this and now have time to put more energy into school.
In metal shop we are now welding which is incredible and very difficult. We learned oxy-oxy acetylene welding which involves mixing pressurized gases to produce a very hot temperature that can melt through steel! We also learned about a few more machines such as sanders and machine cutters, however welding is by far the funnest. My science class is going well and we now have class on monday nights also which is nice. Tomorrow I hope to check out grays harbor and see some of the hundreds of thousands of birds stopping there for spring migration... The past weekend a festival happened in downtown Olympia which was fun and exciting plus it was sunny and warm for a change! Anyways it great to be done with all the job stuff for the summer now and am ready to really focus on biology and metal! Its already week 5 of school and I cant believe how soon summer will arrive...

Lifeguarding

2011-04-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend has been very pleasant and its nice to have a day to rest and enjoy the sun! The past week literally flew by because I had no time to recollect on any of the moments. Anyways im well into lifeguarding now and have passed all the initial tests! The past few classes were basically all spent in the pool practicing escaping, pulling drowning victims who were submerged and on the surface, using a backboard, and other lifeguard techniques. Only one more week left of the course! My science class is going well and I have received all the books I ordered and have a lot to learn. Im hoping to start my empirical work once lifeguarding ends. My other teacher in this class has returned from Panama so we will be having more classes and time to meet soon. Metal working has been awesome!!! We have learned how to use a plasma air gun, sand blaster, and spot welder! The studio is a lot of fun and it is open just about every day to work which I have been utilizing! I finished my first project which was based around a box that I turned into a star... Anyways right now im sitting under a new porch that the roommates built and watching the sunset collide with rain. Life is well although moving all to fast despite have incredibly long days...

Spring!

2011-04-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Signs of spring are starting to arrive in the Northwest which is very exciting! Finally get to break out the shorts again.... Anyways the past two weeks of school have been extremely busy. Im currently still finishing my proposal for a project this quarter and am planning on attending a massive bird migration to learn about the group flock dynamics... I have had two metal working classes so far and it is very amazing. I am now proficient in many tools and machines to work with copper, steel, brass, and aluminium. We have been forming sheets with punches, rollers, rivets, along with a variety of hand tools. Additionally I can now braze and solder which involves heating up metal with torches to make it more flexible or fuse it together. I have designed some blueprints and have already started my first project which is a tiny geometric box... There is plenty of time to work in the studio and its nice to be working with my hands again.
The past weekend Remy came to visit for three days during which we went to explore Fairhaven in Bellingham. I had a great time and although it was short I was really impressed with the school and city. We even sat in on a class and it was very intriguing and enjoyable. The school was really exciting and had a lot of aspects that were really appealing. If I had more time left in school I would definitely consider trying Fairhaven. It was a very brief trip, but we managed to cover most of the campus including Western Washington University and also stopped in Seattle for a few hours.
Well I have a little break this weekend which is nice, plus we have had some sun and I can finally ride the rode bike around town! At the capital building large protests have been occurring with thousands of people attending. People have even been sleeping in the building at night to protest the budget cuts... I stopped by for a little and was pretty amazed how many people were out including news crews and politicians. My lifeguarding class starts on Monday so soon I will only be busier, however I am excited for this class and I have been doing a lot of swimming lately.

Spring!

2011-03-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well spring break went by very quick and the quarter is already off to a fast start. The past week I went back home to California and spent some time with family and friends... On Friday I departed in my new 1995 Honda Odyssey! The drive north was around 750 miles and I spent one night in Ashland at some hot springs and camped in the car. The next morning after a quick soak I hit the road again and made it to Olympia around 6pm... It was a long weekend that surprisingly went by quick. On Monday I reoriented myself with campus and had a long list of tasks to complete. I drove to campus and parked then ran to buy a spring pass and get it on the car in time... Luckily I made it in time and had no tickets! So then I went to print and scan forms both for work and insurance. Next I paid tuition, got my paycheck, and a new sticker for spring quarter to prove I was updated for spring. My boss wanted me to get a set of keys to the Rec Center so I signed out keys to open the building! After all the business I went to lab stores and checked out a flash recorder, microphone, pole for the mic, and audio cables. I had also requested many books from the library and will hang on to them till the end of the quarter. Lastly I went to lab stores and checked out a spotting scope, tripod, and gps unit. I currently have some ideas brewing for a project and want to have all this equipment at my disposal before everything gets checked out. After finishing my list I then sat down and started writing a rough draft of ideas for my class. Once all the important work was taken care of I then desperately needed to relax. Fortunately the climbing wall is getting new crash pads so the grips can be raised even higher, however this mean the climbing wall is closed the next few weeks... Instead I did some cardio and weights then the good ol sauna. That night I made an effort to try to get to bed before 12 which was very difficult.
This morning I awoke at 5 am, scrambled around, and somehow ate some food... I then drove off to campus, and arrived at the rec center at 545am... I was surprised that people were already waiting for me to let them in. The morning shift was pretty relaxed and I worked till 8 am... Once I finished my shift I then had an hour and half to spend working out before class began. I haven't done serious swimming in a while so it was finally time to hop in a public pool again... My lifeguarding course begins on the 11th and I want to train and improve my skills a bit. After warming up with laps I then went to the diving pool and practiced pulling a 10 pound brick from the bottom of the water, carrying it above the surface with both hands, and maneuvering it onto the deck... I tried this many times with and without goggles. The first day of the course we have to pass a proficiency and this is one of the skills they test on. I feel pretty prepared, but will keep swimming the next few days to get even better! Then after a sauna I had my first day of class... In the morning we had a lecture about the scientific method and predictions. In the afternoon we discussed project ideas then analyzed animal adaptations! It was a good first start and later this week I will be meeting one on one with my professor to work on a project proposal. I have also received my new heavy duty backpacking bag today and strolled around the block while having it loaded up with many books... Cant wait to be backpacking! Also Remy is arriving this weekend and we will be exploring her potential college (Fairhaven) together up in Bellingham ! Well I have many things to keep me busy now and lots of reading to be doing, all I need is a little sun!

Orcas Island

2011-03-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well we made it up to Orcas Island the past Tuesday. Luckily the majority of the snow had melted so we were able to make the drive up to Anacortes and catch the ferry. We ended up at the ferry destination early so we decided to go drive to Deception Pass for a quick hike. This pass was very amazing and the sky was filled with military planes from the air base close by. The ferry held many cars (including our three large vans) and stopped at Shaw, Lopez, and finally Orcas Island. Once we got onto Orcas Island we had about a half hour drive to Moran State Park. This island is one of the largest and there is a surprisingly large amount amount of land including many farms and state parks on the island. There are even a few mountains... We arrived pretty late and after unpacking and moving into cabins we then proceeded to gather in the mess hall and have dinner. The entire class divided into food groups and a few people would cook and clean for every meal. The food was amazing, and my class can sure cook up some feasts! The next mornings after a 730 breakfast we decided to make an approach up Mt. Constitution since the weather was moderately clear. The mountain was about 2400 ft and we were basically staying in cabins at the base. I prepared for the worst and brought lots of gear and was wearing heavy hiking boots with gators. As we began ascending it got snowier and layers of ice began to build. It was a long and strenuous hike and the switchbacks began to get very steep. With every two steps we seemed to loose one... Eventually we made it to the summit and on the top a 1000 ton tower had been built as a lookout post and shelter. Once we stopped moving it began to get very cold and we all gathered inside the stone wood shelter and refueled. We were going to do a loop but by the time we made it to the top it began to snow and we were worried about visibility. After a long rest we all began descending and had a blast literally sliding down all the slush and ice. We even took a few breaks to have some snowball fights with a few people and the teacher. When we returned to camp a nice hot lunch was waiting for us. Also, I forgot to mention on these trips coffe is consumed constantly so everyone has energy all day.... After eating I proceeded to go canoeing on a large lake with a friend. The water the deceiving and after making it out it began to get very 'choppy' and we had to tack somewhat to avoid being tipped over... Later I on a walk and looked at some old growth trees with friends. At night we would all gather and play games or have a fire. The next morning we went to the coastal side of the island to look at shorebirds. I was on lunch crew later and we cooked up an amazing tai feast with exotic food and peanut sauce. After cooking I took a long hike around the lake and was able to observe and identify many species! The next day after lots of cleaning we departed back to the ferrys and arrived in Olympia around 6pm.. Everyone required lots of rest after this trip, however the weekend was still packed with many hours spent working on our projects.
Im very pleased with how my paper turned out and it has some interesting and informative information and potential causations and correlations. We presented the project and powerpoint on monday and received excellent feedback about it! This quarter has been a great learning expecting and I am being exposed to a whole new vocabulary and scientific mindset. If anyone want to read the paper or view the powerpoint I will gladly email them!
I registered for classes a few days ago and will be staying in my current program for 16 credits and most likely attempting to create a framework and potential model for plumage taxes in birds and how the 'dilution effect' changes species... Still a lot to figure out. I will also be taking a four credit metal working class and will be learning how to forge metals and work with them! This was an extremely competitive class (it only has 8 students!) so I feel very fortunate. I had my last day of class today and only have one more day of work at the rec center. I will be going down to California on tuesday and am ready to relax a little.
To see the rest of the photos check them out here

Remy In Washington with a little bit of SNOW on top

2011-02-26T22:54:00.000-08:00

It seems there are never ending activities to fill my time in Washington! Remy came to visit me the past weekend and luckily I had free time to go on lots of adventures with her. When she arrived on Friday I had just returned from biking, climbing, the sauna, and grocery shopping. She arrived on a nice sunny afternoon and after settling in we went for a walk downtown. There is a nice nature trail which leads to the water. Once we made it to the inlet we walked down old railroad track which lead into downtown. It started to get pretty cold so we then went and got some hot beverages and played a game of chess. We made a large dinner with all the roommates that night. On Saturday, we took advantage of the good weather and went to campus to go hiking in the forest. We walked through the forest, down the beach, and back to campus... On the way back we heard an owl call and ran to track it.... Fortunately we somehow spotted it high in the canopy!!! I then showed Remy the new college activities building on campus. That night everyone at the house made a few pizzas and a big salad for dinner. We had a few thin crusts and one large deep dish pizza. The next day was a little bit colder and rainier, however that didnt keep us inside and we decided to go on a bike ride. Remy borrowed Mollies bike and I showed her the country side of Olympia where a giant lake was created by beavers... We made it home nice and soaked then after warming up decided to go eat some Thai food! We had two giant meals which were both very tasty. After eating we went to the mall and watched the movie The Green Hornet. It was funny but lacked substance... On Remys final day within a hour of her pickup time it started to snow! She finally saw a flash of what it is like when Olympia is covered in snow... However, that was just the beginning... After Remy left it really started to come down and proceeded to snow from Wednesday to Sunday! We had around two feet on the ground and Olympia was basically shut down... Almost every school was closed and most businesses also shut down. On Sunday I had a cpr and first aid certification class at the rec center. It was all paid hours so I figured it would be good to refresh my memory, earn a little money, and also have a new certification for an extra four months (most certs. are only good for two years..). I was set to leave to Orcas Island on Monday, however due to poor road conditions we postponed the class trip. Tomorrow morning, if the weather permits, I will be ferrying onto Orcas Island till Friday! There is a lot to look at on these islands and each one is unique with species and ecology... My final project is going well and should be done soon. I have also talked with my job backpacking and it is sounding very exciting! Also heard from REI today and sounds like they really want to hire me.... So who knows, its going to be a busy three months ahead...!

Wilderness Leader

2011-02-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Whew its been a busy week here full of lots of work... Yesterday I worked one of my longest shifts from 8-11, 2-5, and 5-915... It was a very long day, at least during my few hour break I was able to go running and climbing. This week has been very stormy and we have received lots of rain and might even have some snow! On Monday I did some work on my research project and then went to a meeting with a student activities board to support the new budget proposal. As part of the CRC advisory board we are asking the board for money to rebuild facilities and improve the rec center. You can check out the board here http://www.evergreen.edu/reccenter/advisory_board.htm
... I'm representing the student users for the board. Also we have a new roommate now! Mirises boyfriend, Justin, arrived yesterday from New York and they will be living together... Justin is great and we all met him about 6 months ago when we first moved in. About a week ago Mirise and me switched rooms so that she could have the larger one since there would be two living in it... I really like my new room a lot and it was a nice switch.
I had exciting news earlier in the week which was that I got accepted to be a Wilderness Leader at Camp Tawonga. This means I will be spending my summer around Yosemite taking kids on backpacking trips! I will also be doing a variety of other activities such as working at the ropes course! Next quarter I'm going to take a lifeguard certification class to work at camp this summer. The one catch is that I will have to leaving during the last week of school to make it up for training so its going to be a huge rush!! I cant wait, everything is getting so exciting!

OSR Humor

2011-02-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Everything has been going great the past few weeks! Its getting sunnier here, my project is going well, and I'm getting into lots of fun things! To start off the past week I decided it was time to embrace the new weather and went into my backyard and with the help of my roommates got a new hair cut... Over the weekend I went to a Tai Ji workshop which involved an amazing person from China who taught us about movement, language, and calligraphy. I have also been working on my project a lot so far and have been receiving great feedback! I'm studying the connection between OSR (operational sex ratio) and humor. OSR is the "ratio of sexually competing males to females that are ready to mate." This evolutionary theory is generally what dictates mating systems of species and changes behaviors. This theory also deals with limiting and non-limiting sexes which can be in terms of population or gamut size (small/mobile vs. large/sessile)... Anyways we are looking at phenomena of OSR skews that occur such as after wars and how it changes OSR and consequently behavior. We are doing behavioral samples and monitoring groups for 3 minutes and recording how individuals of each gender respond to jokes and laughter in different OSR situations. Basically we predict that humor is an adaptive force which selects members for group membership and cultural success... We predict that in different OSR skews each gender will have more or less incentive to display or receive humor. The next few days we will be collecting data and working on the large paper. I have no more class for the next one and a half weeks so I will be spending lots of time on this project and so working at the rec center. Im still trying to work out plans for next quarter and will hopefully have it figured out soon!

Amazing Westwinds

2011-02-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

Time is moving ever so fast and the past days are becoming a blur. The past week I was in Oregon from Monday to Friday on a class trip. We met Monday early in the morning and divided into the vans. My van ended up stopping in Portland at VooDoo Doughnuts. They have a huge variety from bubblegum to bacon and also vegan options with a banana batter. It was a very tasty treat and right as we were about to leave our teacher and classmates in my van decided everyone in the class should try these amazing tasty morsels. So we then ended up getting around 50 doughnuts for the rest of the class to indulge on. The weather was amazing and it was the first real sun I had seen in days. When we first pulled in we passed a heard of elk and then hit the estuary. However, we realized we were on the wrong side and would have to backtrack to cross the river. We eventually found the correct entrance and unloaded all the gear. Only the cargo and 1 passenger van full of gear drove in on a small trail while the rest of us hike for almost an hour to arrive at camp. We arrived at a stunning facility in the middle of a forest looking out on a beach surrounded by large mountains and cliffs. There was sand everywhere and many cabins scattered about so that you could hardly see them through the temperate forest. The first day was pretty busy unpacking in the cabins and setting up. I did manage to go for a quick stroll on the beach which was awesome. I ended up staying in a cabin with 2 other friends and it had a nice view overlooking the beach. Additionally it had electricity, heating, and also a wood burning stove! This was very fun and homey; just about every night after a bon fire on the beach we would get a little one going in the cabin to keep us warm while the ocean waves lulled us to sleep. That night 4 other people and me were in charge of cooking dinner and we made a giant salad, pasta, bread, and for desert cookies. The night sky was amazing out there and due to the nonexistent light pollution the stars were very clear and bright. The next day we had breakfast at 8am, however I somehow managed to wake up early (!) and went jogging down the secluded beach before. After eating I got together with a group and went to the ocean at low tide. There were amazing tide pools with many star fish and anemones along with small sculpins cryptic in the sand. A few caves were also accessible at low tide and were very fun to explore, however you had to keep a close eye on the oceans once inside... At another side of the beach there was a group of seals that would haul out often onto to the beach when not feeding at the mouth of the estuary flowing into the river. Later that day I also saw a family of bald eagles flying around the beach and feeding from the ocean. The main goal of the trip was to learn about unique forms of life that exist in many niches all in the same temperate environment. The next day I loaded up at breakfast and packed up food for the day in my bag. I then began a long journey up a mountain, past lost lake, around an amazing meadow and then back to the other side of the beach and wondered into Lincoln City. This was a beautiful long hike during which I saw a beaver dam and the gradient along which species change and adapt at higher elevations and away from the coastal wind and ocean spray. I managed to return just before diner to shower off and then eat some amazing food... Every food group cooked up something very delicious and there was always a surplus of food and snacks. The next day I decided to summit a "saddle" on the beach with a good friend. This was a fun hike up very loose terrain and then got to slide back down. The majority of the trip was spent looking at things around the beach and also playing some games with class. On one particularly sunny day I even went for a little swim in the ocean. Our teacher also brought a projector and some other equipment and we received a few lectures. We heard a very fascinating lecture about senescence (the decline of vitality) and how biological mechanisms play a part. We also learned about a correlation between aging, cancer, tumors, and proto-tumors which I will have to share another time because it is very complex, but mainly revolves around the idea of telemeres. (click the blue word for a little info....). The weekend was a great break from everything and I have also finalized my project proposal for this quarter which you all will hear about soon. Today I turned in a human subjects review application which will be part of the project (very exited for this!)... I have also had work the past two days and am managing to keep busy and happy!!! Still getting lots of time in at the climbing wall and sauna, so dont worry... Im also on the CRC advisory board and we have been meeting and planing out future plans for the gym along with new equipment for the rooms and climbing wall... Well I need to get a good rest now. You can check out the rest of the pictures from Oregon here. If anyone cant view them let me know and I will post them on a different website.... Still have lots to tell but will save it for next time!

Off to Oregon!

2011-01-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

Well I'm off to Otis, Oregon till Friday with my class. You can check information and pictures out here http://www.westwind.org/ . Its going to be a great week and I am bringing lots of rain gear, books, binoculars, and a spotting scope... I will give everyone the scoop when I return!

More Snow Pictures!!! and Eagles!!!

2011-01-18T22:58:00.000-08:00

Time is flying by, and school is going very great.... Last week we had one day with a crazy amount of snow! I had just gotten off work and within my four hour shift it managed to snow over 3 inches of snow! Luckily a coworker was leaving also so I was able to get a ride home. I had a three day weekend which was a big relief and had some quality time with room mates. The past week after an early day of work I biked to a very old preservation spot and set up a spotting scope and tripod (rented from lab stores) and watched some amazing wildlife. I was very fortunate on my arrival because I instantly saw two large black massive creatures on top of the oldest tree in the area. These were a mating pair of bald eagles and there nest was a little bellow them. After ten minutes passed by I was started to see two eagles flying in the sky... One stayed on the tree perch, the second fly up and away, and a third was aggressively diving after the other bird. It was amazing to witness and I have never seen anything like it, especially though a spotting scope. The two birds in air would leave eye sight then return and eventually they collided and spiraled down. Sometimes birds of prey will actually kill themselves in these agressive acts which are similar to a game of chicken. After a minute or so the birds returned and the invader left and the other returned to the other eagle on the tree. It was an amazing day, and I ended up staying there until it got dark then biked home... Well time to go to bed!
Here are some more pictures of the snow and birds....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23083581@N02/5362847374/in/set-72157625715803353/

SNOW

2011-01-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

The has gong by very fast within the past week I managed to work 20.5 hours and additionally have shifts today and tomorrow. Work at the CRC has been busy and additionally my boss was able to obtain funding for new equipment and it seem that I will be helping to develop plans and install new crash pads/cushioning in the climbing gym. Class has been very interesting and the size has gone done to almost 40 students now so its even more personal. Yesterday I woke up at 8 and was very pleasantly surprised to see SNOW everywhere! Of course I had to take advantage of the beautiful environment and falling snow so I biked to school on the mountain bike. It was very exhilarating and by the time I made it to school I was covered in snow! Luckily I brought a change of clothes to keep dry. Class involved a long lecture about mating systems and territoriality. After class I did a quick work out then started my job. After work I biked home and had some good friends over and we cooked an amazing miso and butternut squash soup. Im on my lunch break right now and in 15 minutes I will be leading a debate on R vs K. They are both strategies that utilize different environments and behaviors. R would be something like bacteria that lives in an unstable environment, has little to no parental investment, and rapidly reproduces. K would be humans who live in a relatively stable environment, have high levels of investment, lots of competition, and reproduce only a few times. We will be examining pros and cons to each one and helping the class discuss them. All the snow has melted by now, however I believe we will be getting a lot more soon!

Pictures

2011-01-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Check them out here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23083581@N02/sets/72157625645771083/

New Year + 21!!!

2011-01-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

I had a great winter break including a very fun new years! Its good to be back in Olympia and there is plenty to keep me busy here. The house is coming together very nice and everyone is back now! Yesterday I had class from 930 to 3 and then work from 4 to 7. I dealt with tuition and other little tasks to take care of then went to work. After my shift and went and tried my new climbing shoes for the first time and had a blast in them. Rock climbing is really growing on me and I may go on a trip in the future with people I have been meeting at the wall... After that I finished working out, saunaed, then biked home in the frigid weather. Everything is completely frosted over all day and night and I'm expected some snow soon! I got home pretty late and ended up just celebrating my birthday at home with friends and roommates. I tried to go to a local micro brew shop that makes mead and other exotic drinks but they were closed so it will wait till another time. I was a great day anyhow and I'm very excited to see how this next quarter works out. Today I had class from 9 to 12 and after that I did some climbing and am now just reading and brainstorming future project ideas. I also checked out a gps and spotting scope to mess around with... I have a late shift at the rec center from 5 to 9 so I have some time to relax. Wish me luck at the summer backpacking job interview tomorrow, hope it all works out! I will upload pictures form the break soon!!!

Week 9!

2010-12-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

Whew this week has been packed. Both yesterday and today I was on campus from 9 am to 9 pm. First class, then class group work, next climbing and sauna, and finally work from 5 to 9 at the rec center. Today has basically been the same, but I cant complain. My project is going great, we have finally finished compiling all the data, running stat tests, and creating the intro, abstract, and methodology... I will show you all the final paper! Some potential interesting results, however due to a small sample size the probability of significance in a correlation between epaulet color and vocalization volume is low with the data we have. Although the five complete individuals did have suggestive data there simply inst enough to conclude and make a statement, but this research opens the door and will aid future studies. There is still a little more work and analysis to do, then on Monday we will present the project and powerpoint to the class. I missed all the snow up here, but hopefully we will get some more, still lots of rain. Well its time to close down the gym... Hope everyone is well, and cant wait to see yall.

Week 6

2010-11-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

Time sure flies, everyday something new and exciting happens. Life is great, my studies have been very interesting and challenging. The past week I was in south eastern washington right off the columbia river for a few days. This trip was mostly about spending time in the field observing animal behavior and also getting to know the class and teachers. They wanted to see how responsible and grounded everyone is for the prospect of traveling abroad in spring. We had one nice sunny day during which I went to watch the salmon spawning. These fish were giant, weighing up to 50 pounds, and put up an incredible fight to swim upstream through the crazy white water. We also saw the native people of the Yakima Tribe fishing with nets and heard some intense stories from them about people falling into the rivers... I got to spend a lot of time with my class which is full of amazing people all specializing in some form of biology or ecology. We also got to explore a river by the cabins we were staying in which had many layers of beaver dams. The dams were so strong we could walk out on them and there were multiple ones all over the river because after a few years they need to find a new location for a dam in order to gather food for the winter. I also saw many salamanders (at least 100), tons of different frogs, and a few unique species of snakes. During the trip we had a few lectures from the teachers about the differences between haploid and diploid mating systems, its very complex and if you are curious just check it out here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ploidy . . The trip was a blast and i also got to drive around the cargo van and make stops for huckleberry milk shakes.... This curent week has gone by quick, and I have also been working in the rec center more. This week I worked the front desk and also the basketball game last night. I was in charge of the shot clock which involves resetting the clock during the game. Not bad at all... I have also been doing lots of rock climbing in the gym and still getting lots of bike riding in. I did my first project analysis today which involved extrapolating data out of photos and recordings and inputting it into an excel spreadsheet. Iv already learned a lot and am very excited to continue doing field research and devising my own studies. My credits from NOLS finally got carried over this week, and i now have an additional 11 credits (16 is a full quarter)! Here are some pictures from the trip http://www.flickr.com/photos/23083581@N02/sets/72157625177370117/ . http://www.flickr.com/photos/23083581@N02/sets/72157625177370117/ .

here is a movie of the salmon spawning up the river http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=452196328370&ref=mf

Field Trip

2010-10-24T23:59:00.001-07:00

Been extremely busy with many projects recently. Tomorrow I leave for Brooks Memorial which is in the Columbia River Gorge region. A wildlife refuge and environmental learning center are around these locations.... I will be back Thursday!

Dry Falls, Sun Lakes

2010-10-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Time sure flies, this past week from Monday to Friday I went on a class trip to Sun Lakes State Park. It was about a 5 hour drive to eastern Washington and was very pretty. We spent the week getting to know each other, doing lots of hiking/surveys, and creating research projects for the quarter. The first and last night I slept inside cabins, however in-between the weather was great so I slept outside with many classmates. The stars were incredible and we could see a large amount of the milky way galaxy along with a few different planets. We did some group hikes up a few plateaus and had lots of independent time to hike out to lakes and survey bird behavior and also do some swimming. The reason we went here is because this place is unique to the world and was actually the worlds largest waterfall. Most of Washington was covered in glaciers however eastern w.a. didn't have any and was more lush. There was basically a large ice-wall, which on a few occasions erupted releasing the largest amount of water ever. This happened a few times within a few hundred years and around 12000 years ago. Consequently it washed all the fertile soil into Oregon, and dropped huge erratics(large rocks placed in flat land) all over the prairies. It also created a very harsh environment with almost nothing surviving. Now there are more species living there including lots of birds, snakes, and fish. A few of the animals I saw were rattle snakes, scorpions, quail, preying mantis, and many other insects and birds. I ended up creating a project group and am very excited for this research study and to collect data! I'm researching Red-winged Blackbirds and am specifically looking for a correlation between the colorful wing coverts males have and the vocalizations they make. The coverts on the wings of the males in this species have been chosen through sexual selection(a form of adaptation) and basically are a signal to the female about the health of an individual. The brighter the color the more nutrients and better genes is the constant. My question is if birds with lesser coverts compensate with higher vocalizations. I intend on taking pictures(in RAW format) and analyzing the spectrum's of color using photoshop to determine the intensity of color. I'm going to also take sound recordings at the same time and analyze the amplitude of each individual. Eventually once all the data is collected I will process it all and try to find patterns using statistics and excel. The methodology of this study is pretty complex and to inspect the amplitude of vocalizations I will have to use a sound format to adjust for the range in distance from the recorder to the subject.... Its very exciting and I am beginning to feel very self sufficient in carrying out my own studies. Also I not only got my job back, but now have FOUR JOBS! I went into the rec center today and after lots of persistence they hired me back as gym staff, concessions, sports, and general req. This means I will be working in the gym, sport games, selling food, and also helping with school non-competitive games(ultimate Frisbee)! I'm starting again on Friday and will be working as "ball shagger" for both a soccer game on Fri and sat! Its great here, the new house rock, and class is great in every aspect! Hope all is well everyone.....o yeah here are the photos from the trip http://www.flickr.com/photos/23083581@N02/sets/72157625145896234/

LEMON HOUSE

2010-09-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

Well my first week in Olympia has flown by and has been amazing so far. My new house consists of Mackenzie, Mirise, Mollie, Draco(python), and Avatar(cat). It took a while to settle in because the house was rented for the month of sept. so there were a few people in transition here however its almost all set for us now! Its a beautiful house about 4 miles from campus and now that im equipped with my road bike I can make it there in 12 mins(fastest time yet, but im only going to get faster....). The house is situated almost directly in between campus and downtown which makes it extremely easy to travel. I have been taking care of many different tasks and there is always something to do... The weather has been decent and we have had a little sun and rain, but nothing too cold. We have been cooking very tasty house dinners at night and also have started brewing a bunch of kombucha and kiefer. We have a few other projects also and have been making sprouts and chips/bread(using a dehydrator to dry kale chips and raw seed breads!). We have a lot of big plans in the works and this environment has felt very productive and amazing so far. I had my first day of class(Animal Behavior and Zoology) on Monday and it seems great from my first impression. On Tuesday our class went to Point Defiance(its a zoo) and studied how captivity effects animal behavior. This class is very fast paced and since every member was hand selected it has a very academic approach and not much down time...Ill be gone all next week on a trip to Sun Lakes with the class, not quite sure what it will entail yet... I have been working on getting my job back at the Rec Center, but a lot is still up in the air. There is a whole new administration at the gym and parts of it such as the climbing gym and equipment check out are still closed. Iv talked with the new boss a few times and I feel i still have a decent chance at being hired back.... I have today off to get work done and am extremely happy with the way everything has been moving!

More Backpacking

2010-08-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

This summer sure has been great, a nice pace of life with lots of adventures. This past week I went backpacking with a few good friends from childhood to desolation wilderness which is in the northern sierra nevada mountains! It was a great time and felt great to be outside again, I have grown very comfortable living outside and its almost a second home now.... We climbed a few mountains and swam in some huge snow melt lakes surrounded by giant peaks. check out some photos here .. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=202448&id=631538370&l=6caada177c . So far my plan is to drive north to Olympia around the 17or18th so i can bring up a bed and road bike for my new house! Im also going on another backpacking trip with my sister next weekend to Pt. Reyes for two nights... Most of my friends are leaving for school so things here are starting to really slow down, however I still seem to have endless activities to keep myself busy with. Well im going to try to get back into blogging as things begin to pick up soon. I have almost all my books for class and it seem like it will be a very exciting year!

2010-08-17T02:08:00.001-07:00

Everythings flying by...check out photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/23083581@N02/4887549274/

and

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=197492&id=631538370&l=2a2d5f00f5

ill add more once i have time to sort everything out

Sweet Summer

2010-07-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well the time is finally arriving for my departure to the Rocky Mountains!!! These past few days have been very busy with packing and double checking I have all the necessities. I also had an amazing week with my grandma and grandpa in LA... 3 of my friends and me also went to Electric Daisy Carnival which was insane...There were 180,000 people there this year, with tons of good music and art(the pictures are both of the coliseum which was only 1 of the 4 stages)! Staying in LA was a nice break and I got lots of relaxing in and saw even more cool art at the Getty museum. Well this may be my last post for a while...I will return August 11! Have a good summer everyone!

ALL DONE!!!!!

2010-06-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Its official, second year of college down, and very successful at that! This week was my last one and I only had class on Wednesday along with work at the crc on Tuesday. That morning we had a two hour quiz with short essays about birds, and later in the day we had the field portion of the quiz. This consisted of identifying species, aging, then sexing the bird. Additionally we also went in small groups with the teacher into the field during which we performed point counts and identified as many birds as possible in 15mins. All of this went very well and I received my first grade in years.... After class a friend invited us all over to her house downtown, during which we had bbq and played badminton.... On Thursday I had my evaluation with my professor. The evaluation went really well and she wrote a great professional paper about me.... I received all my 16 credits, and my extra work paid off, for two of the credits were upper division which brings me closer to all the necessary credits for a science deg. Thursday night my friend Maya had her Indian performance, The Warrior Queen, which was an amazing dance about the struggles between India and the British. This morning I went out to breakfast with friends and have finally been relaxing, a lot of sauna also as usual. Iv got a week left here and will just be packing and doing lots of cleaning along with spending time with friends. Overall its been a very successful year and I have been introduced to many wonderful fields which I will continue exploring in the future.

Science Carnival

2010-05-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Its been a very busy week and I have spent tons of time in the library. On Monday i got up at 4am and drove with my room-mate, Eric, to some wild diverse property where we banded birds for a few hours. I did my first complete banding experience which involved setting up nets, checking them every 10 or 15mins, untangling the birds from the nets, putting them in proper grips, checking many areas on the bird for data(sex, weight, plumage, brood patch, molting....) and record all of this. Next i placed a unique metal bracelet on the birds leg to allow future study of the individual. The two birds i banded were song sparrow and common yellow throat. I also spent a good amount of time in the bike shop this week and ended up having to replace my front derailuer due to a tiny part breaking. I found a free replacement piece and it now shift in fiction rather than index.... I have been working hard on a paper about sexual selections effect on breeding in sexual dimorphic birds. This morning i presented, with my work group, about these dimorphic birds at Evergreens Science Carnival. We also had the kids make hummingbird feeders. Tonight im biking downtown with a friend and will be going to a small show with some local artists. Tomorrow im heading to Seattle for the day to check out the Folk Life festival.... Monday im going backpacking with my room-mate Eric probably to the Cascade Rage...So many fun things are happening and class has been great! I have one more day which is my final exam on Wednesday! Cant wait for summer!!!

2 MORE WEEKS!

2010-05-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

This quarter has been the fastest by far! On Friday at 6am we completed the territory maps and compiled all our data together which formed a map that somewhat showed the dominate species and the territories they hold. This weekend has been pretty relaxing and a bit gray and rainy. I have been working on my final paper for my class which is about the effects sexual selection through breeding have on reverse dimorphic birds. Basically this deals with the differences between males and females and how it came to be that way. Almost all birds in the Falconiformes family have smaller males than females which is the opposite for almost all other birds. There are many theories to why this variation occurs and some of them consist that smaller birds eat smaller things which are more abundant. When a female is carrying eggs and protecting the nest the male must provide food and it would be harder to catch the same quantity of food as a larger bird. This is just one theory and there still needs to be many more studies to find something conclusive. My work group will be making a presentation about sexual dimorphism and presenting it next week at the science carnival. Now im just preparing for the end and starting to get everything cleaned up.

Early Mornings....

2010-05-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend was very nice and some of the things i did were go mountain biking, swimming at the beach, watch a break dancing competition, and go to a fun party with a few djs. On Sunday my class work group met up and cook delicious waffles then brought are computers outside where we analyzed sound recording that we captured in Louisiana. This morning i woke up at 430am got ready very quick and met a classmate outside. We then drove to the organic farm and proceeded to set up a bird banding site with nets and analysis tools. I helped gather birds and take data and had a very nice sleepy morning. This afternoon i worked from 11 to 530 and now will be going to the computer center to complete more sound analysis with my work group. I was also accepted into Animal Behavior and Zoology, which is a very competitive upper division science class, after submitting a long essay and application. Im very excited for this program because it is right on the course for all my necessary science credits along with providing a lot of field time and travel opportunities.

So much

2010-05-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

There are three weeks left in this final quarter and its unbelievable how fast time flew by. Im now figuring out class and living plans for next year along with some of my ideas for summer. My class has been going very well and on Friday I had a 5am class session at the Organic Farm on campus. The first things we did was help set up a bird banding station which involved going around to various locations and setting up very precise nets to catch birds. The nets to not harm the birds and they fly into them and roll into a little pocket. Once the birds are removed from the net we take many measurements including fat levels, molting, plumage, size of wings, number of primary/secondary/tracery feathers, check gender, and then band the leg with a small bracelet containing an id number issued from the government to track/catalog birds. This data is collected and posted online were other people can track the id number to see the migration patterns. I have been working everyday this past week at the rec center and have also been dealing with lots of statistics on excel... Today was the academic fair and im filling out an application to hopefully get into Animal Behavior and Zoology. Things have been speeding up and so much is going on.....Those cell phone pics consist of jazz fest, cafe du mond, the cemetery pic is from new orleans and the forest/beach is at evergreen. Those jars are my kombucha iv been brewing. I figured out how to load pics from my phone now...I have created some very interesting tasty flavors and really enjoying brewing/fermenting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha

pics finally

2010-05-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

there will be more to come....these are all from classmates since my camera stopped reading my flash card. this week has included
-giving blood
-volunteering with us fish and wildlife at ft. lewis to take bird/habitat surveys
-going to grays harbor to observe shore birds and saw a falcon swoop in.
-create many excel files using regression statistics and deviations....its been a while since iv used this much math!
and many other things ill fill you in on eventually

Louisiana

2010-04-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Its been an amazing past few week which flew by so fast. Way to much happened to even describe with words or completely recollect, but ill do my best. The first night I arrived in Lafayette, Louisiana and was picked up by some class mates and headed to a local hostel. I spent the night hanging out with classmates and waiting for everyone to arrive. By the next day the whole class had gathered and we departed to Cypress Island Preserve where we began birding. It was a very marshy area with water snakes, gators, and many birds. Some of the birds I saw there included roseate spoonbill, a few types of ibis, and a few species of egrets. We had lunch in Lafayette and went to a small restaurant with southern food.... After we drove to Cypremort Point State Park and stayed in cabins there for two nights. Upon arrive some classmates and I went for a swim in the gulf. The cabins were very nice and it was a very beautiful location. We spent a lot of time driving around to bird coastal hotspots and learning new species along with new habitats. On day four we went to Louisiana State University and learned about current studies there and the significance of understanding species and the environment in order to preserve habitats which can effect human populations. Louisiana relies on its wetlands to act as a buffer from storms, however to keep these places intact there must be heavy sedimentary flow. We also learned about hydrology and the efforts to control the Mississippi river which wants to be flowing in different paths. Everday we also preformed dawn(430-5am) and dusk surveys of birds which involved keeping an "x" list of species/individuals along with recording/identifying calls and chorus(before the trip we got proficient in using flash recorders, shotgun mics, and audio software). At LSU we also toured the Natural History Collections and then later departed for Tunica Hills, which is where our professors friend lived, and we camped on her property which was hundreds or wild acres.
On day 5 we went to LaFitte National Park which is where we then camped the next three nights. After setting up camp we left to go hiking and airboating. The hike consisted of off-trail bush waking in a very dense forest with many unique places such as cypress swamps. By the end of the hike we were in mud up to our knees and had explored many research sites studying species and invasive plants. Next we for airboat rides out to a floating marsh. Its impossible to really describe this place, but basically it was a floating island of swampy plants which produced enough gases(methane.....) to float, kinda like a bog. Once the boats arrived we walked around on the island(which is bouncy and you can fall in loose areas) and looked at how all the plants and animals on this small island survive and hold each other together. The next day we went to the Atchafalaya river and learned about wildlife management and natural history. The next day was similar and filled with many surveys including point-count(measure tree heights, volumes, areas, and species richness....). On day 8 we went to a field research facility and learned about bird banding and migration details. They would catch birds in nets to study fat levels, dna, and any ticks or other foreign creatures being brought in.
After those few days of camping we went o Lake Fausse Pointe State Park during which we compiled species lists for the park and explored the area. The next day my survey group took a canoe out and did a 6 mile loop around the park while doing bird surveys. We saw many gators(14ft....) and huge snakes... It was an amazing time and I really got a feel for the rugged environment there. The last day we had a bbq and the whole class celebrated together. The next day everyone was dropped off at the airport. Four other classmates and I rented a car for the day and headed to New Orleans. My friend new somebody down there so we had a very nice house to stay in right off of canal st. The first day in the city was pretty relaxed and we got some beignets and just walked around and later settled into the house. The next day my friend and I had breakfast downtown and then rode the street car to jazz fest. We were able to scalp cheep tickets and saw many jazz/blues bands and ended with Simon and Garfunkel. It was an amazing show despite huge muddy fields... The final day I just walked around town and some old cemeteries. Unfortunately my old digital camera failed on the last day and it appears my memory card is unreadable.. However many other folks took pics and ill upload them when i get a chance......time to relax and unwind

New Man

2010-04-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I went out into the field with few friends and they helped me cut off my dreads out in the sun... Later we buzzed it even and it feels amazing....Shortly after I went running and had an amazing time without hair hitting me in the face. This will be nice for camping in Louisiana and its funny how few people recognize me now.

Travels

2010-04-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Its been a great week full of non-stop action and adventures. My friend from back home, Barzin, flew up here on Saturday and hung out for the night at Evergreen with friends. The next morning we drove up to Canada(borrowed a friends car....) and drove to his friends apartment in downtown Vancouver. While in Vancouver our friends at the apartment showed us many cool places such as stanley park, UBC, and some great restaurants... Barzin and me had a great time wandering around the city and met many interesting people. We returned to Evergreen on Tuesday and introduced Barzin to many of my friends. The next three days I had class which consisted of field trip planning and seminars. I have been doing a lot of planning for the trip and figured out my plans to stay in New Orleans after my class trip ends. Yesterday I dropped my friend off at the airport and wandered around Seattle with Maya. I was accepted in a NOLS course this summer!!! Im now laying out in the field, (with a shaved head!) and figuring out more logistics for the next few days. Im departing on Tuesday for Louisiana and will be there till the 26th.... Everything has been great and the Spring quarter is really amazing so far!

First Week of Field Ornithology

2010-04-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Wow my first week of class has been amazing and also exhausting, thus i must be brief. Im enrolled in field ornithology(study of birds) and have been learning so much every day. This week I have had class everyday at 7am and one day at 10am... So far i have learned how to use a gps unit, clinometer, compass, along with techniques to perform habitat and mammal surveys. Im using math again and have been using trigonometric functions to find tree height and volume. By finding this I am able calculate the carbon offset a tree produces and its relationship to the environment and animals. I have also been using Excel to create tables and scatter plots to find correlations with data collected in the field. We have been doing many field studies and im learning how to recognize birds and plants. So far i have seen many different species including a barred owl in the forest... Im also doing extra work, for upper division credit, which involves making bird specimens for the college collection. Today I started working on a salvaged western meadowlark and will hopefully have a complete specimen in a week or so....Ill spare you the gruesome dissection details.... I have also booked my trip to Louisiana with the class and will also stay later with friends in New Orleans after the class trip ends(Jazz Fest will be going on!!!). This weekend my friend Barzin is visiting and we are planing on taking a few days to travel through Canada and Vancouver! All is well and iv been keeping myself very busy and having a great time throughout it all!

Ocean

2010-03-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Its been a great past few days. So on Saturday night I saw Blue Scholars and Zion I which was amazing.. Many people showed up and it was really rocking!! The next morning I had a work meeting and after that decided to go to the ocean for a day and drove out there. We hung out in the Olympic Forest and also on the beaches!!! It was great and really helped relax me. My apartment has also gone through ALOT of cleaning and is spotless now, we will have two other people moving in i think. Today i had my evaluation with my teacher which went great. He said very nice things and really enjoyed my presence in the class. After this helped clean more, hung out in the sun, went into the forest and sauna, and lastly I'm at work now from 5 to 9. I plan to go backpacking for a few days on Wednesday, and will probably drive back to the bay for a week or so with some friends!!! Its so great to have time to do other things now and everything has been going great!!!

Comprehensive Precautionary Health Ed Video

2010-03-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgiL3RFDai0
This is the video i made for a health project in class... Im registered for Field Ornithology next quarter which should be interesting. I have my evaluation on Monday and after that i will done for a while. Going to a friends show tonight downtown. Im also planing a backing packing to happen around Tuesday for a few days. O yeah on Saturday night there is a huge hiphop show at Evergreen with Zion i, Blue Scholars, and Gabriel Teodros... Cant wait!!!

Wrap Up

2010-03-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Wow a lot of time has passed by and its already almost spring quarter. Today i presented my health movie to the class and it went very well. Ill upload it eventually... This next week im just watching other students present projects. It feels very good to be done with this and i ended up putting a lot more time into it than i planned for and last night had to stay up very late to get the final version to burn correctly. It all worked out in the end and i still got some zzz's before class. After class i went on a run through the forest then hopped into the sauna, and am now at work. The only thing left to do is my evaluation and also find a class to register for nest quarter. Im also trying to figure my summer plans out right now. So i may not be moving out of my apartment, but a good friend might actually move in so it would be alright. Its nice to finally have some time on my hands and now i can get to a few projects iv been trying to start(making shoes! http://www.invisibleshoe.com/#ecwid:category=135066&entryPage=Y&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal)... I went to an antique store a few days ago and got some leather cord and sheets of leather.

Almost the end of Winter

2010-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Wow its already week nine and this quarter is wrapping up. I have been very busy and im finishing up all my projects and papers. This weekend was nice and it was even sunny part of the time. I saw some friends, did some biking all over town, and longboarded around the capital. I also had a group meeting at a friends house during which my health project group all critiqued each others and planed our presentations out further. Im devoting most of my time this week to finishing the movie and i am excited to see the final product. I think i will also be moving out this month if all works out and switching to an apartment across from campus, but still within minutes from my current residence.

Suuuny Sky

2010-02-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

Wow this week has been fun and also really busy. I had a great time seeing my parents and sister and the weather was beautiful while they were here. My sister stayed with me from Wednesday to Saturday and during those days she helped me at work, went to class with me, hiked through the woods and also went to a potluck at Maya's house. Iv been trying to catch up on all the school work and our final health projects will be due soon so im working hard every day to get some editing done. Today i had a very interesting class about genetics and epigentics. Today mainly focused on senescence (aging) and how its a product of selection and is adaptive. Our teacher in his past did a big study about aging and found that many tumors and cancer are actually the product of old age and the same mechanism which causes them, actually keeps us healthy when we are young and natural selection ignores these effects in old age. Basically most tumors and cancer are cells which keep repairing and dont receive a message to turn off. This is the same with moles except they stop growing. My teacher discussed how telomeres repair cells but eventually hit a point were they cease to do this in old age. Genetics still have lots to uncover and certain theories such as, antagonistic pleiotropy, state that genes have good effects early in life and later in life will consequently have bad effects after a human being enters sexual maturation. Also throughout the past years the average life span has risen, but the maximum life span has not. Our class still has a lot to learn about this area of study, but society's perception of health is obviously skewed and there are many other dimensions to investigate.

Family

2010-02-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend was great and i was able to see my family briefly. On Saturday i had a very early work meeting from 8 to 10 and once we finished i went back to my room and slept for a while. Once awake i cleaned a little bit, did some reading for my class, and got a quick workout in at the CRC. My parents and sister later met me at my dorm and got to see my amazing/colorful living conditions. Although my mom was a bit shocked they took it pretty well.... That night we went out for Thai food and had some amazing meals downtown. They dropped me off back at my apartment after dinner and i spent the night with friends. I met up with my family in the morning and they took me shopping at the food co-op and stocked me up for a long time. We then ate a late breakfast at QB(Quality Burrito) which is one of my favorite places! After the meal we walked around downtown and then headed back to campus. I had no class or work yesterday and had a nice rest day with lots of reading and laundry. The weather has been getting very nice and spring will be here soon!

Wilderness Ethics

2010-02-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Oh one other thing i forgot to mention is that on thursday night i attended The Willi Unsoeld Seminar which was in honor of an old teacher who died on Mt. Rainier. This lecture was pretty much all done by Dan Mazur who is an amazing climber and has been up Everest 15 times and has also climbed 8 other highest mountains. His stories were incredible and the first time he climbed up Everest he had to leave his partner behind and ended up climbing down at night. His partner ended up surviving after another group found him and brought him back down the mountain. He discussed how during such intense acts people discover their ethics and morals and how saving a persons life is more important than reaching the top of the mountain. In recent years Everest has become more commercialized and is loosing its sacredness. Dan told a story about a rescue he performed on Everest and how passing groups simply said they didnt speak English(they did) and walked by without offering any help. This is increasingly happening and people are left on the mountain and climbers will literally walk by instead of trying to save the failed climber. Also during part of the climb after camp three and before the top he was ascending an ice wall which he could see through ice pick holes Tibet on one side and Nepal on the other. It was very inspiring and he has also worked with remote regions in Nepal. This lecture spiked many interests and i learned about some interesting programs im investigating.

Kayaking

2010-02-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

What a great past few days! On Thursday i woke up early and my teacher picked me up on campus and we drove to the motor pool to check out a van. I picked up a nice twelve passenger van and drove back to campus where the class was waiting. Once loaded up we headed to the Body Exhibit in Seattle. This place was amazing and it consisted of two floors with various unidentified bodies and parts that had been plasticized so they would not deteriorate. We also got little audio hand helds which spoke about various presentations. It was very amazing to see all the muscles and bones and the different complex layers. Something which particularly stunned me was a case showing a brain with all the tiny wires in our body which is the nervous system. It was a bit strange to view all these detailed parts and networks of cells within our body but it gives a great idea of how everything in our bodies are connected and designed with such complexity. After walking through the museum we then went downtown to Pikes Places and wandered the streets for a while snacking on the best food! After we left and drove back to campus. That night was Mollys birthday so we had a little celebration at my friends apartment. The next day/morning i was awoke to a knock on my door and my Curtis was there with big plans for the day. After fully waking up and eating we biked over to his house five miles north right next to water. Once there we prepared for a long kayak trip across the inlet to Hope Island State park/Squaxin Island. It was about a 1o mile paddle there and back and it was very beautiful. On the ride over we had seals following us and once there we saw huge crabs, large trees, and very colorful starfish. After exploring the island for a while we then paddled back during sunset. Once back i hung out at Curtis's cottage for a while then biked back to campus. On Saturday i did lots of cleaning and also went grocery shopping at the co-op. That night there was a little party downtown and i also wandered around with a group of friends. Today is going to be a work day and i have almost three minutes done with the movie but still much more editing and reading to do....

Seattle

2010-02-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

I had a great weekend with friends and things have been moving very smoothly. Class this week has been great and im really enjoying all the lectures and seminars. Tomorrow i will be driving a van to Seattle with our class to visit the body museum. Its contains many cadavers and is supposed to show how various human functions(nervous system, muscles, sight....) work. We also get a lunch break during which we will be going to Pikes Place! Class today was great and i got a very nice mid-quarter review from my professor. After class and had a quick snack and did a quick workout at the rec center. Now im back at the gym and am working from 215 to 830. Its a long day but the place is very quiet and i brought my computer so i can get more work done on my movie.

Bowling

2010-01-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Its been a great week and iv been enjoying everything that im doing. Class was very interesting and we turned in a mid-quarter portfolio yesterday. Im starting to enjoy and get to know the teachers way better and have had some great conversations with them. Im also still compiling massive amounts of scientific journals and studies for my video project and am slowly making progress. Iv been getting lots of work in at the rec center and covered an additional two shifts this week. This week has been pretty warm and the sun has even shown itself a few times. Yesterday after class my friend Curtis and me went biking on some trails down to the beach and around campus. Later a large group of 15 or so friends rode the bus out to the bowling ally and played a few games. Im currently at work and will be off in an hour, im planning on ridding downtown today and depositing paychecks and picking up food. I met with my academic advisor this week and am trying to figure out plans to study abroad!

PICTURES!

2010-01-26T01:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=144810&id=631538370&l=45e7c9eddc
Thats all for tonight but i will update more once im rested

Olympic National Forest!!!!!!

2010-01-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

So i know its been a while, but man this week has been super busy and iv had too catch up on some work due to an amazing weekend of BACKPACKING!!!! So i left with my good friend, Anna, on Saturday morning(my roommate zeph let us borrow his car) and we headed up towards the Olympic National Forest. Unfortunately that morning i woke up and went to turn off my alarm and spilled water all over my phone....(however it turned on again after 5 days of not working...). We had some vague plans set but ended up figuring out most of it at the ranger station in Port Angeles. Most of the park is snowed out/flooded, but we found one of the few places which was still accessible. We had a short 3 mile hike to boulder creek campground and had to cross and few streams. Once there we rushed to the Olympic hot springs which were a minute away and ate lunch while soaking our feet. Later we found a great campsite unpacked and started dinner. It was a rainy night and luckily we were prepared with a tent and heavy tarp. The next morning we took down our food(we had to put it in a bear box and hang it in a tree) and cooked some oatmeal and tea. We then went and relaxed in the most amazing hot springs pool. There were about 10 pools and the one we went to was at the top of a hill and had a sulfur waterfall flowing into it. Many birds came and joined us and literally walked around a foot away from us... Later that day we went hiking up Appleton pass and ended up ascending around 4000 feet. We eventually stopped on a snowy mountain side, snaked for a bit, and then had to turn back to beat the night. At night we cooked up some delicious kinwa and veggies and also decided to pack up all our gear and hike back that night(to beat the storm and have time to readjust to school). After packing everything we proceeded to trek back to the amazing springs and soaked there for at least an hour. Once we absorbed all the heat and sulfur we could went loaded up and hiked back while carrying lots of light. We made it back around midnight and then drove back to Olympia. This is a very short story of the trip and it really helped to put many things in perspective. It was somewhat depressing to have to leave the incredible temperate rain forest with thousand year old trees. This week of class has been good and i have also been working a lot at the rec center. Today i had a FERPA training about releasing personal info.... it was pretty redundant but i got paid for it so wooop. I have sooo many pictures to post and once i have the time i will share them. Well thats all for now, i must get back to reading, In Defense of Food, now(awesome so far) and have an early class/seminar tomorrow. Night

Backpacking!!!

2010-01-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

Its been a great week and despite the business im really enjoying what im doing currently. Class has been very interesting and im starting to compile sources for my video project. Our books have also been very enjoyable and i find myself very drawn into all the texts. The book, Betwixt and Between, talks about lack of initiations and sense of self in the current generation and how it relates to depression and suicide. During long newspaper strikes a drop in suicide rates occur and the media is a large factor of the current depression. Our current book, Weapons of Mass Instruction, talks about the corruption of the school system and how we are conditioned in many subtle ways to become consumers, without creativity or the ability to question. It also talks about how not that long ago people did not need forced education and were much more active in the community as producers. I have a new work schedule now and am working monday, tuesday, and wednesday, which is nice because it somewhat correlates with my classes so i can get school work done right after class... Its been pretty gray here, but not too cold or rainy. I had my first successful brew of water kefir. Water kefir is a culture of various strains of healthy bacteria and yeasts which are held together in a polysaccharide matrix created by the bacteria. Some of the benefits are for nervous disorders, internal ulcers, bronchial catarrh, sclerosis,myocardial infarction, liver and gall bladder disorders, kidney problems, stomach and intestinal diseases, diarrhea or constipation, anemia, allergies, dermatitis and other skin problems such as eczema. It also tastes great and is slightly sweet and carbonated. I have been working out almost daily and still play lots of racket ball and sauna. This weekend i will be going backpacking with a good friend into the olympic national forest. we will probably also drive to the coast and see some cool sights over the weekend. I have monday off so i intend on having some fun and hiking in some thousand year old temperate rain forests!!!

Back

2010-01-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

Im back at school now and am still adjusting to this fast paced place. I had a surprisingly relaxing and fast, yet cramped, ride to Washington and celebrated my birthday with a group of close friends up here. There are many birthdays this month and my roommate, Ed, had his yesterday. Iv had two classes so far and am really looking forward to this quarter. We switched seminar leaders so im with the other teacher now who is very interesting. This quarter we are doing another health project and i decided im going to make a comprehensive educational health video dealing with the precautionary principle. Im going to be focusing on muscular/bone structure, diet, existing hazardous materials/ingredients, and radiation. These are the topics iv chosen so far and the video will most likely be around 10 minutes which should be enough length to convey lots of information. My goal is to promote longevity because are current generation needs a wake up call. The leading cause of deaths in the U.S. is from cardiac arrest and factors such as unhealthy diets are killing us and heavily taxing the medical system. I have also picked up a few shifts at the rec center this week and will be starting a new permanent schedule next week. I have also been working on some painting and lots of reading. Hope everyone is well... off to more work now

Snow!!!

2009-12-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

This past week has been very relaxing and yet busy at the same time. There has been lots of things going on around campus and i have still been working as much as i can at the rec center. This weekend i spent some time in the forest at a natural spring we found. I have been hanging out with friends and finally catching up on sleep. Last night a friend had a going away party with some djs and many people. A few of my friends are going to India for a quarter so it was a large gathering with many friends. Today it actually started snowing and by the afternoon there was at least a few inches on the ground. The next few days should hold much more snow I spent some time downtown and at the co-op; tonight we are having a big diner with parents of a friend... I will upload some snow pictures shortly. So far my plan is to leave on the 16th and head to Ashland, Lake Tahoe, then finally home again...

O So Cold

2009-12-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

Its nice to finally have some free time, with little to worry about. Unfortunately i did not get into Tropical Rainforests because there were lots of applicants and seeing as it is a junior/senior class they got first priority. Im planning on staying in my current class next quarter and think it should be interesting... I still really want to travel but was unable to find any other classes which dealt with my focus. I have been working lots of hours at the rec center and getting lots of other things done. Im currently starting to brew kiefer and kombucha... and in a few weeks they will be ready! Its been getting really cold and last night it was 6 degress! We had a little light snow two nights ago, however there has only been frost since. Once the rain hits which will probably be this weekend, we are expecting LOTS of snow. Im planning on driving down with some friends next week back to the bay area, and i think we will be also stopping in Tahoe... Everything is great currently and its nice to finally have some time to sleep and relax.

Last Week

2009-12-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is the last week of class for me. I should find out on friday if im accepted into Tropical Rainforests, however i talked with the teachers yesterday at the academic fair and since im a sophomore im the lowest priority. However, i may just end up staying in my current program if nothing else catches my eye. here are some pics from our fun trip down to California... Iv just about finished all my work up for this quarter and wrote a long integrative paper and composed a portfolio. All is well and i will update everyone on more stuff when i get the time...

Chill Week

2009-11-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

This has been much calmer and its nice to finally have things slowish for the moment. Class was great this week and we are now reading a book about Darwinian Medicine and that to have a correct treatment, one needs to know if the symptoms benefit the pathogen or patient. An interesting example of this is with fevers is how your body heats up to actually raise core temperature and decrease iron content in the blood(bacteria thrives off iron). Although a high enough fever can be serious and need medication, most people actually recover in twice the time when allowing the fever to take its course and don't use any fever reducers. Another important issue is that antibiotics dosage should not be increased if they do not work. Instead the users should try another. Its also good to avoid long term exposure to antibiotics fighting diseases. All this is because an pathogen can replicate, mutate, and expand into a diverse mix of strains with some being antibiotic resistant.
I have also been doing lots of research on the foot and its evolution and development. In a study done comparing four groups of people(Current Europeans, two African groups, and a hunter-gather group from 10,000B.C.E. What they found is shocking, feet over the span of 10,000 years have actually structurally changed for the worse. The metatarsal bones in our feet have shortened and are much more prone to fraction and abnormal bone growth. The group with the highest rate of foot pathologies was Europeans then Africans, while the hunter-gather group had almost none. Basically are feet have permanently changed and are more prone to ailment, however development still plays a key role and by breaking the foot free from the shoe you can restore atrophied muscles, correct certain foot deformities, and improve you balance/agility.
This week i donated blood for the second time(im finally eligible again). I also talked with the teacher from Tropical Rainforests and he said to fill an application out and there is a chance i could get in. My class has been much better recently and it will work out staying in this class if im not accepted. This morning i went for a 15mile ride along the coast of Olympia to downtown where i ran some errands. Im now at work and since its a slow day im getting lots of work done.
Hope every things great!

Weekend/Week 7

2009-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend was very fun and i had a great time with friends. Last week we had a great potluck downstairs on Thursday and on Friday i worked from 2 to 830. Once off i went and made food and went on a journey with some friends to the beach in the rain. We all layered up and wandered down to the beach were we then huddled together under a large tree. It was very refreshing and revitalizing and we all had a great time. Once we returned we all got very comfortable and warm. On Saturday i went to the sauna in the morning and later went to the East-side co-op and did lots of food shopping(im now a member of the co-op). That night some friends and me went to my friend Maya's house and had a great potluck. On Sunday we did some major cleaning in our apartment and got it looking clean again. Later i went downtown to Cafe Vita with a friend and we studied there for a few hours. After getting lots of work done we had dinner at QB. Im having a great time despite the cold rainy weather! Its week seven already and in two weeks i will be leaving for California with some friends! School is going by way too fast and im figuring many future plans and ideas out.

Halloween

2009-11-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend was so much fun and as usual very busy. Saturday morning i chilled with friends and went on a little hike in the forest and saunaed. Later that day i went to my friends house and helped her decorate for Halloween. We put up many lights and and cleaned the place up for the party later that night. That night a few bands and djs played and there was a strobe light along with amazing beats. It was a very fun and tiring night after all the dancing. Sunday was a rest day and i mainly recuperated from the night of partying. On Monday i had a short class and learned about brain disorders and how if one part is damaged the brain will overcompensate in another area. After class i went for a swim and sauna and than caught up on lots of reading This class has been very interesting so far, however im going to try to switch into anther class for winter quarter. Im talking to the teachers and am trying to work something out because its a junior/senior class but i am very interested in it. Its called tropical rain forests and focuses on biodiversity and includes backpacking and a three week trip to Costa Rica!!! keep your fingers crossed!!!

Didgeridoo

2009-10-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

As usual this week has been jampacked and its always a relief to make it to Friday where i finally have some time to relax a bit. Last night we had a large potluck at our place and there was so much food that for the first time we actually had leftovers!!! I also went to a crystal shop which a family operates in their barn and got some cool rocks, candles, and incense. This morning i went downtown and purchased some pvc and will be making a didgeridoo with a beeswax mouthpiece. I am also going to paint it and add lots of color and patterns. The rest of the day i have spent at work and once i get off i will sit in the sauna for a little and then head back home.

Yoga

2009-10-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

As usual my week has been packed and filled with lots of school work. We started reading An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks which contains many accounts of neurological disorders such as color blindness and tourettes syndrome... Its amazing how the brain can restructure itself(neuroplasticity) and how it can overcome/compensate for ailments. After class today i went to a yoga class which was great and hit the sauna after. I have been cleaning my room up a lot today and also did some laundry. The weather is beginning to get much colder and it has been very rainy and gray recently. Halloween will be here soon i am going to be Aladdin and some companions are also dressing up to that theme. A friend is having a party at here place and there will be some djs and bands performing!!! Everything is zooming bye and i cannot believe its already week 5.

Sweet Food

2009-10-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

This week has been the busiest so far and things are definitely starting to pick up. Over the weekend i went to a potluck at a friends house and had a fun night with burritos and some fun games. We also hosted a sprouting workshop at our apartment and my roommate, Ed, taught people how to grow sprouts such as lima, broccoli, alfalfa... We have been eating amazing food and some of my roommates also gathered parasol mushrooms and we made a big soup with potatoes. I have been doing lots of reading and writing and just turned in a mid-quarter portfolio. The weather has been pretty mild and there has been a bit of rain and a little sun. I have met many amazing people and it feels like i have a community around me.

Week 3

2009-10-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a lot of fun and there always seems to be something to be doing. On Saturday the organic farm on campus had a harvest festival with pumpkin carving, garlic tasting, live music, fresh cider, and many instructional classes. I went to this in the morning with a bunch of people from my building and had some amazing coffee cake and bread people made. Later i went mountain biking in the forest with a friend and rode some trails and also went back to the farm to chill for a bit. That night my roommate Pat had a show downtown and we gathered a large group of people and all enjoyed some amazing music. Class has been great and i am currently doing a research project on the implications of shoes. There is a significantly high rate of flat foot and other foot ailments in children who wear shoes compared to those who don't. I have found many research articles and overwhelming support(i.e. worlds fastest long distance runners originate from Africa and use no shoes and rarely have injury's...). I still have a lot to study but basically shoes should be avoided unless to protect against lesion or cold... I have two regular shifts at the rec center now. I am working Tuesdays from 8am to 230 and Friday from 2pm to 830. This schedule will remain for the rest of the quarter. Yesterday i went to a yoga class and today i played racket ball! im feeling very healthy and have been eating great food! The weather has been very rainy here and the winter is definitely setting in(we may get snow at night in a few days!)

Draconids Meteor Shower

2009-10-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i had class in the morning during which we had a seminar on texts and a lecture about biology. Later i went and relaxed on the sunny field with some friends and also went to the sauna. Im starting to feel much better now and it should be a great weekend. Last night we had a potluck in the apartment below us. Our place cooked up a friends recipe which contained some tomatoes, squash, onions.... At the potluck we also had cucumber bread, vegetable rice, a mixed green salad, and many cookies. After eating and socializing i went out to the field with some friends and heavy blankets and got comfortable while watching the draconids meteor shower. I had a very early morning today and am working at the rec center from 8 to 11. yawn....

Warm Days Cool Nights

2009-10-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Everything has been very amazing and the weather has been beautiful. I try to spend as much time as i can reading or with friends out in the sun on the field. On Friday i worked at the rec center and later went to a friends apartment and chilled with some friends. On Saturday after doing some reading i went into the forest with friends and ventured all around. Later that night we had a big pasta meal and watched a movie. On Sunday i had a training at the rec center which basically reviewed safety and shifts. We are still on a temporary schedule and should have a regular one soon. Part of the training included a glove wearing test with fake blood to make sure we could remove bloody gloves without getting it on us... Iv never seen anything that bad occur here though. On Monday i had class and my other teacher, Brett, was finally here. He is my seminar leader and is very interesting. He reminds me of a nicer version of House. Unfortunately i have had a cold the past few days and am trying to recover as fast as possible. Everything has been pretty low key and iv just been lay low and reading lots.

Time Flys

2009-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

This year seems to be moving even faster than last year. Its hard to find any down time and there is always stuff going on. Today i had class from 9 to 3, in the morning we had a seminar on both a child development and a Richard Dawkins book. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is an amazing book and it actually traces the earliest forms of life and how they developed. The beginning of life all started when atoms managed to fall into a stable pattern creating a molecule. Eventually a molecule called a replicator was formed and it possessed the unique ability to create copies of its self. Nothing is perfect however and some of these copies had errors and the ones which proved beneficial survived. These new survivors were able to break down other molecules and could also live longer. They began to grow more and more complex and soon starting building "survival machines" for themselves. Replicators essentially exist in all life including humans. The book also explores selfishness and altruism in all living forms. My class has been very interesting so far and i have been doing lots of reading and writing. After class i went for a short bike ride downtown, unfortunately its started to rain on the way back and i got pretty soaked. I am currently at work and am working 5-9 today and tomorrow. This weekend we are having a meeting and will begin a normal work schedule soon. I now have a three day weekend to work and possibly fit in a little relaxation.

First Day of Human Health Evolution and Development

2009-09-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today i had my first day of class and so far it has exceeded my expectations. In the morning we talked about developmental psychology and the stages of infant, children, adolescent, and adult. We also reviewed the biological growth starting with a zygote(single cell with chromosomes from both parents). Unfortunately one of my teachers has the swine flu and might not make it the next few days. In the afternoon we watched and discussed a movie about midwives and how its typical for most women to have babies in hospitals in America, while in almost all other countries midwives are the standard. The United States spends almost twice the amount of money on a birth in a hospital than almost all other places. In addition patients are drugged with pharmaceuticals which messes with hormonal levels and ultimately compromises the birth. Almost all drugs used in births at hospitals have proven to have horrific consequences. The majority of births in hospitals occur at 4pm and 10pm when doctors want to leave therefor they induce or resort to cesarean. I can go on and on about this subject and everyone should definitely research this. It pretty incredible how science and hospitals seem so trust worthy and its true most of the time. The most natural way to give birth is to be on your feet and laying in a bed actually closes the cervix........ This class is amazing and i am learning so much!

PICTURES!

2009-09-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Potluck

2009-09-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Wow this week is going by very fast and i am beginning to get back into the swing of college life. On Wednesday i completed the training at the rec center and am now picking up shifts when i can. That night we had some people over to help us decorate the place. We put cardboard up on the walls and painted on them. Yesterday i explored the forest with some friends and later had a potluck with some people in our apartment building. We made a large stew with many vegetables including some we got from the organic farm on campus. The room above us cooked two apple pies and some cookies. This morning i volunteered on a sustainable agriculture farm as part of the community outreach day. I went with a few friends and we were given shirts and snacks and driven out to Centrailia where a student getting his masters in environmental studies was creating a farm. After i went to the gym then had some food and am now sitting at the front desk of the rec center working hard... Everything is going very well and i am loving my new housing situation!

Return to Evergreen!!!

2009-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

I have been back at Evergreen for four days now and so far it has been amazing! Im living in the sustainable apartments with three other guys all from Northern California. Our apartment was just remodeled and everything is brand new. Everyone is really nice and there are so many new cool people here. So far there has been an Evergreen orientation day were we had nachos and met other people in our building. I also went into the forest with some friends and made a small fire. I have all my school books now and have already started reading them(class starts monday). Today i went to the gym and will begin working there again after training tomorrow. I also went to the first sauna of many this year. Later i went into the field and relaxed in the sunny warm weather and did some reading. Just as i arrived back at my apartment building(N building) a group of people were leaving for a bike ride to some apple trees. I hastily gathered my bike gear and rode off with them. It was a short 5 mile ride and we collected so many apples and a few berries. Unfortunately right as we were about to take off i noticed my rear tire was flat. I discovered a nail logged inside it and quickly began to repair it. However, my spare tube had the wrong valve size, luckily someone else had a patch kit for me to repair the tube. I am having an amazing time so far and am having fun meeting new people. pictures will be here soon

Summer

2009-07-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Its been a very long time since i have posted here, but my summer has been pretty laid back. I just got back from a one night trip alone at Point Reyes, check the photos out here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93691&id=631538370&l=7d4812d301 .
The trip was lots of fun even though it was a bit cold and foggy. I still dont have a full time job, however i am selling a bike, doing yard work for friends, and i also tried canvassing for prop 8(very difficult). Its nice to be back home, however i still really miss Olympia. Iv been doing lots of biking and hopefully will be riding from Washington to California with 3 other friends. Hope all is well

Beautiful Week

2009-06-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

This week has been beautiful and very relaxing. I ended up working 14 hours and besides that iv been saying goodbyes to lots of people. Many of my friends have started to head home and the dorms are starting to become quieter. This past week felt like California and almost everyday was above 80 and very sunny. However, yesterday finally cooled down(only to the 70s'). Last night i went and saw three all student created plays. Tomorrow i have my evaluation with my teacher and then i will be done for the year! All i have left to do is pack my stuff up and move it all to the storage unit i rented.

End of school

2009-05-31T17:02:00.001-07:00

The school year is coming to an end very fast. I have my last day of class on Monday and then i have to deal with moving and evaluations. On Friday my group ran an activity called "The Barking Tree" and taught kids from 2nd to 7th grade about conifer and deciduous trees. We each researched a particular tree and informed the kids about the importance and uses of it. My tree was the western red cedar which is unique to the pacific northwest and has lots of cultural significance and uses with the Native Americans. The weather has been super nice here and in the 70s and 80s most days thus i have spending lots of time outside. I have also been trying to cover lots of hours at my job since i don't know if i will have one when i go back home. Im trying to pack lots of things in these next two weeks and hope to do some backpacking or camping.

Sasquatch

2009-05-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been an amazing journey and i feel like i know Washington way more now. On Friday after class i met up with some friends Molly, Emma, and Maggie and we began the drive to Seattle. We planned on stopping at Folk Life in Seattle and staying there the night, however the car broke down and we were stranded on the highway. Luckily there was a bus stop close by so once Molly's car was towed we rode the bus to downtown and went to Emma's brothers house. We spent the night there relaxing and preparing for the show. The next day we drove to the gorge to see the 3 day festival Sasquatch with Kendrick(Emma bro) and had a long, yet stunning ride though the snowy mountains and into the dry region of Washington. The Gorge Amphitheater is a giant place and was actually rate #1 venue. Its sits in the middle of a canyon right over the Columbia river. We arrived late on Saturday and met up with a few more cars filled with friends and then all set up camp together. That night we were able to get into the show for free and had lots of fun in the dance hall which had djs and light shows. On Sunday after waking up in the burning heat we decided to drive to vantage point and go swimming in the Columbia river. This water is basically glacial melt and was freezing, but still very refreshing. We later headed back to camp and relaxing in the sun. That night we also got into the show for free and saw Janes Addiction and heard lots of djs. I decided to go back on Monday with a few people and was able to catch a ride to Seattle and than i had to take many buses from there to Olympia. It was a little overwhelming due to the random memorial day bus schedule, however it all worked out and i made it back in around 7 hours. Today i had class and we continued planning out the science carnival. I have found some friends to live with next year and we will be staying on campus. Back to the cleaning, unpacking, and recovering.

Bowling

2009-05-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

These past few days have been lots of fun, yet very busy. On Wednesday i ran an activity with some classmates for seventh graders from the program gear up. We played an ecology game with them and ended up having lots of fun. The goal of this program was to encourage students to stay involved with school and continue there education to college. Next i registered for classes and will be taking human health evolution and development which consists of developmental psychology, evolution, human biology and health. Later me and some friends went downtown and did some bowling. It was fun and is a cool college scene, there always seems to be Evergreen students there. After bowling we went and got hotdogs. I got a vegan dog which was surprisingly tasty. We then went back to campus and watched a movie. Today has been very relaxed and just trying to get lots of work done. I think this week i will be going with some friends to Sasquatch which is a 3 day music festival at the Gorge. We will be camping there and might travel to Seattle for a folk festival also. I still have a lot of things to figure out but will update my plans when they are figured out.

Mima Mounds

2009-05-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend was very nice and relaxing. I spent the majority of time outside reading on the grass. The weather was in the high 70's all day, however now its cooling down and will probably rain soon. Today i went on a class trip to Mima Mounds located 30 minutes from campus. This place is very sacred and also highly valued by ecologists. Prairies cover the land and consist of wildflowers and wild grass growing on these mounds. There are many theories about how these occurred such as: gophers over a large period of time piled glacier dirt, glacier melting and runoff, and Native American interaction. Native Americans used to burn this area every few year to fertilize the soil and maintain the prairie. The park rangers perform controlled burns of this area every few years to keep this unique state. Unfortunately we were only able to spend a 2 hours here, yet it was still very interesting. After we got back i had some lunch and then went to yoga. Yoga only had one other person today so it was pretty much a private and very intense class.

Academic Fair

2009-05-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday i went to the academic fair and found three interesting classes for next year. I'm still deciding between The Mathematical Order of Nature, Introduction to Environmental Studies, and Human Health, Evolution and Development. I also might try to take a wilderness first responder course offered here this summer. On Thursday i mostly tried to finish reading and work up and later had work at the rec center. Today i picked up my first paycheck which was very nice! In the morning i had seminar about wildlife films/books and how they portray nature to people. In the afternoon we had a lab dealing with botany and pollination. We learned about a the interesting cycle with plants and animals and the various symbiotic relations which exist. Plants are much more complex then they appear and many have interesting and almost magical properties. Many plants have coloring which can only be seen under UV light, however most animals are able to see this and it guides them to nectar. Anther surprising fact is the ability for plants to generate heat. Lotus's can maintain an internal temperature of 80 degrees even when the outer temperature is 50 degrees. This encourages bugs to land in the flower and mate/feed which in turn helps the plant pollinate. Today has been very beautiful and this weekend should be very nice!

Wheres Spring At?

2009-05-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

These past few days have been very gloomy and rainy, its also gotten colder recently. The weather is crazy here and does not seem to fallow any seasons. On Monday i went to class with my sister, unfortunately all she was able to view was a speaker about the Cool School Challenge and how setting goals and dedication are the best way to heal the environment. We also watched a slide show about the trends in global warming and how its necessary to reduce emissions 85% by 2050 before permanently damaging this planet and our lives. During the lunch break i took my sister to the greenery then we relaxed in my doom until her shuttle arrived. After lunch i returned to class and began auditing the schools energy use and brainstorming ideas to cut energy use and increase sustainability. On Tuesday we gave presentations about our science projects(my groups is running a station which teaches about trees) and later had a lab involving memory and effective ways to teach and learn. Today so far has been very wet and dark so im just getting lots of reading and writing done and will probably do some yoga later.

Remy at Evergreen!!!

2009-05-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been lots of fun and i have been showing my sister around Olympia and Evergreen. On Friday we walked around campus and hiked in the woods and went down to the beach. At the beach we saw a family of red foxes and sat and watched them for a while. There was a large mother fox and five babies. Later we went to the gym and used the saunas. After we met up with my friend Moses, who was attending freshmen introduction day. We then went to Ezzys apartment and had diner there. On Saturday we relaxed on field and read our books. Then we went to the gym and played racquetball and went to the sauna. Later we met Ezzy downtown and ate Indian food. Finally we attended an Orissi Indian dance performance which included the number one orissi dancer in the nation. Today we had a very lazy morning and watched the movie Earth. After we went into the forest with some friends and explored the tree houses. We have been having lots of fun and tomarrow we will check out my class.

Lotsa Rain

2009-05-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Its been a smooth transition back to the school work and life after the trip. This weekend was very relaxing and also productive. I have been doing lots of reading for class and am meeting my science group later to plan our educational station. Yesterday i tried yoga with some friends, everyday the yoga club hosts free classes. The class was about a hour and a half and was almost as intense as bikram. After i went and soothed my sore muscles in the sauna. Im very sore now from it, and am going to try to go twice a week. Im still trying to figure out summer and fall plans and hopefully will have it all figured out soon.

Educating on the WIld Side!!!

2009-05-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

Day 1

These past few days have been a blur and I'm still recovering from this super fun trip. Our class left at 730 on Saturday and began our drive to Idaho. Each van had 2 drivers, i started off sleeping in the back for a few hours than i switched with the other driver and drove around five hours to Farwell Bend State Park. On the way we stopped at some gigantic waterfalls which were stunning. We made a few other stops on the way at various rest stops then eventually stopped in a small town called Huntingvile. We ate at a old redneck restaurant in a large room next to the main bar. The food was terrible, but held us down for a bit. We then headed to the park and set up camp. It was super windy and cold, yet the sky was very beautiful as a result of the low light pollution. I slept outside in between peoples tents, and actually slept very well.

Day 2

Today we left from Farwell Bend at 7 and began our drive to Utah. This drive took around 11 hours, and i drove around 7 of them. It was very crazy and began snowing during the drive which was very surreal in dry Utah. On the way we stopped at Bear River Wildlife Refuge in Utah. This place consists of over a hundred acres of wetlands. There are roads which loop throughout the park and we drove around then eventually walked some of the trails. This place is filled with many majestic birds such as hawks, owls, pelicans, pheasants, finches, cranes... We were able to look at all of these birds though fancy powerful equipment from the school. One very amazing site was when we viewed a group of 5 pelicans swimming and eating synchronized. The place we were at had an excellent view of the Wasatch mountain range and we were able to view a line on the range which showed how salt lake used to be massive and covered a great amount of land. Later we headed to the city of Odgen and camped out at the Ogden Nature Center. This place is very unique because its roughly the size of one city block within the city. This place is truly wild and has packs of wild deer, turkey, rabbits, mice, snakes... There are many trees and a huge swamp lies in the middle of the refuge. We camped in the back of the park by two large tree houses and had bathrooms and electricity. I shared a tent with a friend from class. Later this night we cooked a peanut stir fry which was very tasty(one of my classmates used to be a chief!). After diner we sat around a large fire and roasted smores.

Day 3

On Monday we were woken up and rushed at 7 to get ready for the day. In the morning i worked with grads from NAU(Northern Arizona University, This was one of my college choices) and helped them with an ongoing project involving cotton wood trees and symbiotic fungi. We helped them collect data by taking four soil/root samples from each tree at the directions N,E,S,W. We dug into the dirt a meter away from the tree base and then sifted through the dirt for fine cotton wood roots and then bagged and labeled them for further study. After this we rushed back to camp and than after changing into hiking gear headed to the Wasatch front. The city abruptly ends and the mountain range takes over. We decided to do a 3 mile hike to Malans Peak. This hike was amazing and very intense. We began by hiking up into a little canyon next to a river and eventually the switchbacks took us higher up. The environment began to change as we got higher up and soon the whole landscape was covered in snow! It felt like i was climbing Mt. Everest and we had to be very careful not to slip. When we made it to the top we rested at the clearing and had a short seminar about wilderness and the transition of nature and city.

Day 4

Yet again we woke up super early and headed to the nature center headquarters. We were supposed to work with kinder gardeners, however the class never showed up. Instead we helped the educators prep activities and we also toured the facilities. They have a large raptor center which takes in injured and desensitized birds. Some of the birds they had were pelicans, golden eagles, owls, hawks, and ravens... After this we drove to various sections of the Weber River and studied how the surrounding ecology was effected by the city. In many parts erosion had influenced the river and created at risk areas for housing close by. We also looked at one area in which the plants were dieing due to the large amount of paint ballers who shot up the area. We had some very interesting discussions about how to educate people about environmental issues such as these. Later this evening we had a seminar on the book Last Child In The Woods which is a very insightful text about nature deficit disorder and how its contributing to attention disorders, depression, and obesity.

Day 5

WE left camp at 6 and headed back to Washington. The night was very stormy and there were thunder/lightening storms so i packed up the tent the night before and slept in a trees house which was lots of fun. Unfortunately i did not hear the wake up call and woke up a few minutes before 6. I stuffed everything in my pack and jumped into the back of the van and slept for a few hours. Later i took over driving and ended up driving 10 hours back to Washington. We ended up arriving around 9 back on campus. This trip was lots of fun and i have bonded with many of my classmates. Now i have lots of time to relax, the other half of the class is going camping in Northern Washington so i have no class this next next week. I still have assignments and will be watching several nature films and reading a book about natures influence in media. Im also going to start solidifying my plans for the science carnival with my group. You can check out photos from the trip here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81102&id=631538370&l=5ebb772909

Idaho and Utah!!!!

2009-04-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

These past few days have been productive and i have not only completed lots of school work, but have also logged over 11 hours of work at the gym. The good weather is leaving and it has been rainy today. Tomorrow i have class which consists of seminar and lab. This weekend there is a big festival called Procession of the Species, which i will unfortunately be missing. However i will still be able to attend a light opening tomorrow night! Early Saturday morning i will be leaving for Idaho and Utah so i still need to do some packing!

Beautiful Weekend

2009-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been amazing and it felt like summer due to many people frolicking outside and the burning weather. On Saturday i went for a short bike ride around Olympia, then went to the sauna after. Later my friend Ti'eri, from Alaska, had a birthday party at Ezzy's apartment. It was Mexican themed and we cooked lots of good food and had cake. Sunday was a very lazy day and i hung out in the sun with friends and did some reading. Later, I met my friend, Moses, who flew up to Washington from the bay to check out the college. Unfortunately he only had one full day here, but i had some time to kick it and show him around campus. That night i watched a movie with friends. Monday morning i had a short class out in the forest. Part of my class broke into small groups and taught the rest of class about organisms and the large diverse amount of life. We also shared thoughts about styles of teaching and whether being energetic or calm was more engaging. We decided that both were necessary for energy can hype an activity too much, and yet calmness can loose interest and control. Basically depending on age, setting, and behavior one must tune and constantly reevaluate education techniques. Today my class learned about Project Wet which focuses on water and teaches many important and relevant information about the water cycle. We tried a few activities from the project book and reflected on how adapting these "games" can educate society. An example is a river game we tried in which we develop(draw) water front property and look how it effects life downstream. Its practically impossible to have a pollution free area, due to septic tanks(leak into environment), docks(kick up sediments), and livestock(there waste seeps into soil and water). Livestock is one of the greatest causes of pollution and though simple steps, such as releasing waste during a dry spell so that rainwater cannot cause runoff, the environment can be significantly cleaner(healthier for everyone). The rest of this night im going to try to get more reading finished. Tomorrow im subbing at work from 3-6, then i also have work on Thursday from 445 to 9. Everythings going very well and im currently trying to figure out all my Summer plans!

First Day of Work

2009-04-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i had my first day at work. I have a regular shift from 445 to 9pm every Thursday, and this job rocks! I worked part time at the front desk and part in the equipment checkout office and was trained by other employees. Both jobs are pretty relaxed and they mainly consist of greeting people, answering phones, checking ids, and cleaning the gym. I get paid minimum wage and am able to work on homework and art during the job(due to lots of downtime). Today i had class and in the morning we had seminars and in the afternoon we had a lab teaching adaptation. We also talked more about the trip to Utah and decided what we wanted to eat on the trip. After class i went to a friends place close by and hung out in his rural backyard. Its going to be a nice weekend here so hopefully i will be able to spend lots of time outdoors.

Batik

2009-04-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

here are pictures of the community art studio and the batik i made. I still have to pick it up and wash the wax off it. Yesterday my class learned about ecology in the forest. We spent two hours in the cold rain, the lesson was very interesting, however i am kinda sick as a result. Today we learned about Project Learning Tree which is a k-12 program which educates students about the environment. The class is beginning to pick up and we are planning the trip to Utah and creating presentations for a science carnival.

Procession of the Species

2009-04-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week and iv had lots of work. On Monday we learned about an nature program called Project Wild which educates students about environmental issues and sustainability. On Tuesday we learned about The Nature Program which collects data from the public dealing with species to evaluate diversity. Finally on Friday i gave a presentation about Biomes, a classification of a specific area and nature community. Last night Ezzys room mate cook a ton of food and had a Seder. Today i went downtown with Ezzy and we worked at a communal art center. This place teaches the public various art forms such as batik which we both tried. Later this month there is a fair downtown called the Procession of the Species which has lots of art in it. I also now have a shift from 445 to 9 at the rec center on Thursdays. Tonight I'm going to a party in a friends barn which will be fun.

Beautiful Day

2009-04-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today was very nice and the weather was probably the best it has ever been. The grass field by housing was full of people today and i spent the day hanging out with friends there. I did some reading out in the sun than later played frisbee and soccer. I also had my job training at the rec center and the shifts seem very chill. I do not have a permanent position yet and will be subbing for people. Everything's going very well right now and class has been great!

Got a Job!

2009-04-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

So far it has been a smooth transition from break to school. On Tuesday my class looked at styles of teaching and how educational games can aid the process of learning. We tried out various ecology games and studied the impact and potential learning of each. Last night Ezzy cooked an awesome tai diner using new pots and pans sent to her. I also got a job at the rec center on campus and having training this Sunday. The weather is becoming much more pleasant and the nights are way more bearable. There's a little sun out right now and im off to take advantage of it while i still can.

Educating on the Wild Side

2009-03-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

I had my first day of class today and so far it is seems very amazing! This program mainly focuses on environmental education and deals with raising environmental awareness in k-12 education settings. We will also be learning about ecology and biology and will be going through an environmental education training program. During week 5 my seminar group is going on a trip to Ogden, Ut. and Wasatch Range. This area has a nature center which raises environmental awareness. The class is very diverse and has people of all ages in it. While on the trip our class will run educational stations and teach local k-12 students about ecology issues. This class is very exciting and feels dense with knowledge. I also finished the mural, which i am very pleased with, and will upload photos soon.

Back to campus Life!

2009-03-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

I arrived back on campus after a long day of traveling at 7pm. The weather today is much nicer and the sun has finally made its way out of the clouds. Yesterday it was very rainy and even snowed a bit, it was very shocking going from warm and sunny to the rain. After arriving on campus and unpacking i went over to Ezzy's place and she surprised me and had moved into an apartment across the street from school. We had dinner at her place, which is very nice, however she still needs to get more furniture. She moved in with a friend of mine who lives in San Fransisco. Today i unpacked and cleaned my room up, i also went to the gym which is starting to be repaired! The saunas benches were all replaced and they even added a third bench to the room. I have my first day of class tomorrow so i still need to prepare and check requirements.

Huge Room!

2009-03-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in the past few days. Yesterday i successfully switched rooms two doors down. My new room is easily double the space of my old room and has a nice big window overlooking the forest! I had 24 hours to get signed off and anther 24 to move all my stuff and check out so i have been very busy, but luckily it all worked out. Today i had my evaluation with my teacher which went very well. Later i sold some of my old books and purchased new text books. I still have so much to do before Thursday, when i leave for home, so i need to get some rest!

One more day!

2009-03-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

One day left of the quarter!!!! On Monday i gave a presentation in class for a heritage project. I focused on my Irish roots and cooked Potato Farl (basically a potato and flour flat bread cooked on a griddle) for the class; i also shared stories from the Alexander Genealogy. On Wednesday i gave a presentation for my independent study project which involved sharing stories from my experience at Garfield Elementary and showing pictures of the mural which is almost done! Last night Ezzy and i went to a concert hosted by Hip Hop Congress in the gym. The artists who played were Josh Martinez, One Be Lo, Macklemore, and The Elements. The show was a lot of fun(no riots occurred) and later i purchased a cd from Macklemore who signed it. He went to Evergreen two years ago and was very funny and nice. This morning i had to get up at 7:50 to register for classes online. The class i really wanted to enroll in is Educating on the Wild Side, however there was lots of interest shown in it so i was worried i would be unable to get a spot. Fortunately i did get one of the 46 spots and am super excited for this class next quarter. I then went back to sleep and woke up a few hours later, finally ready to start my day. The only work i had left to complete was my self evaluation and faculty eval. After finishing my papers i brought them to the writing center and got some feedback. Later i decided i needed to get out and went for a bike ride because is was so sunny and warm today(i wore shorts outside for the first time in a while)! I ended up riding downtown and found some cool bike routes. I took a picture at capital lake and relaxed there for a bit. When i got back i went to the sauna and now I'm going back to work.

Almost Done!!!

2009-03-10T20:43:00.001-07:00

Last week of the Quarter!

2009-03-07T17:33:00.001-08:00

I cant believe its arrived already, yet the end of the quarter is only a week away. This past week has been a blur filled with lots of work. The weather has also been crazy here, this morning it was hailing, then snowing, and now its sunny and clear. Last night i saw a very funny play which was produced solely by a class here. I knew a few people in it, and my favorite line from it was, "Baby this might sound sketch, but im so drawn too you." The play was about an artist and the various relationships which occur in his life. This morning Ezzy and i finished our rolls of film and returned the cameras. Soon we will learn to develop the negatives. Later after a short workout and sauna, i did some painting. The mural's really coming along and probably only 6 hours remain, i have been getting very positive comments from people and i might just end up doing another! I wish everyone could see it in person, these pics are from my phone so the colors don't look that sharp.

Academic Fair

2009-03-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday i attended the academic fair held on campus. A met with a few teachers and decided i want to take Educating on the Wild Side next quarter. I might also try to take metal shop, however its very competitive. Today was nice and sunny, however it just started pouring very hard. I have been very busy with work and class and things are starting to return to normal now. Im very excited for this week and might go see a movie. A friends brothers bands is playing downtown this weekend and i hope to check it out!

Mural

2009-03-02T19:49:00.001-08:00

Mural

2009-02-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

So far i estimate i have painted for at least 5 hours. It is exhausting painting a mural and the walls have lots of texture which makes it even more difficult. The painting really isn't as sinister as it looks, once its done it should look kinder.

Visiting the Mosque

2009-02-27T21:32:00.000-08:00

The weather here sure can change quick, sometimes it rains and is freezing than a hour later it will be sunny and warm. Pretty crazy, well on Wednesday Ezzy and i went and took photos in downtown Olympia. I also received the money for my mural and purchased the paints and other materials. Yesterday i did lots of work and also began my painting. I have never done such a large painting before and it will take LOTS of time. Today my class went to a Mosque downtown and learned about Islam and the preconceptions surrounding it. We also got to witness a service during which people pray on the ground and read from the Koran. The Muslim and Jewish communities even gather together for Ramadan and Roshashana and reflect and learn about society and religion. It was interesting, however definitely not for me, its way too strict and sexist from my perspective. Ezzy's mom and sister flew in today and they are spending the weekend in Seattle. I spent some time with them after class. Well i have a few essays, a book, and a painting to work on this weekend, hopefully i will be able to squeeze in some time for a sauna.

Photography

2009-02-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Today i had a very fun day of class. In the morning we went to the darkroom(evergreen is one of the few schools that still had one, and its really nice) and developed photos we took last week. I really enjoyed this and plan on doing more outside of class. I will also learn how to develop the negatives eventually. Here is a photo i developed. Ezzy and i plan to rent cameras and go take photos over the next few days. Later our class had a guest speaker from a Herbal shop downtown. We learned about the benefits of pure essential oils and how they can be used as an antiseptic and bactericide. We also learned about the distillation process and the tiny molecular structure within. They brought samples in and showed us how to make bath salt. My room now smells like eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, and ylang ylang. Unfortunately i don't think i will be taking a bath soon(our shower is pretty nasty). After class i went to the gym and i am going over to Ezzys house soon for dinner!

Exploring the Forest

2009-02-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Spring is slowly starting to roll in, and we have had many nice days recently. On Friday our class had a sacred text workshop then later went to a synagogue downtown. We had a seminar with an orthodox Rabbi and after a short shabat service we had a HUGE feast with koogle, matzo ball soup, and so much more. We will also learn about Islam and Christianity. Yesterday Ezzy and i went hiking through the forest and had a picnic on the beach. The forest is super muddy right now from all the snow melt! There are only two weeks left in the quarter and its time to finish everything up. I finally got my sketch approved by both the R.A. and G.O. and will be receiving some funds for paint in a few days!

Good Weekend with Good Weather

2009-02-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

The past weekend was lots of fun and exausting! On Friday the 13th i went to a bloody valentine party which had live music. On Valentines Ezzy and i went into downtown and bought grocery. We cooked an awesome pasta vegi dish and had ice cream for desert. Over the weekend my friend Jose was up here visiting his girlfriend and we were able to hang out which was fun. Yesterday i went for a very nice run in the woods, got chased by dogs, and got very muddy! Today we started the darkroom photography in our class and also did a workshop on Plant Transplanting.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

2009-02-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

All the snow has slowly been melting away and the days are starting to get longer. Last night some friends and i made an authentic Lebanese diner. A friend of mine from Lebanon had her family visiting and they brought food with them. We ate fresh hummus and peta bread, sweet green beans and tomatoes, salad, and nut treats! It was very good and i enjoyed eating a fresh organic meal. Today in class we learned about the Buddhism Ōryōki (means "just enough") meal ceremony and the gratitude shared for the food. I am starting another segment of my independent study project during which i will paint a mural in my dorm building stairwell. I just got my sketch approved and next i will receive funds for paints! Well tonight there is a bloody valentine party( fri the 13th and v day) which i am looking forward too!!

SNOW

2009-02-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

Today i woke up to a very cold surprise, it was snowing outside despite the good weather we had been having! In the morning the snow was only around an inch or two deep but at the day progressed it started coming down harder and harder. Class today was held at the longhouse so i had a long wet walk over there. We have been doing some performance arts, and tomorrow we will be presenting a short play dealing with the sacredness of myth. My teacher gave a very interesting lecture today about taxonomy and how diversity sustains earth. On Friday our class is having a zen ritual meal and will start studying sacred texts.

Finally uploaded Mt. Rainier photos

2009-02-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

check them out here http://picasaweb.google.com/zachausa/MtRainier?feat=directlink. I have had a very busy week with lots of reading plus i have been helping Ezzy move into the house. I am also starting a gardening project were i will plant a medicinal and herbal garden. The weather has been much warmer recently, however we have lots of rain moving in. Here is a picture of a mountain goat print i made in the studio.

Mt. Rainier

Silver Fox

2009-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened this weekend, there was snow, sun, and rain. I had a relaxing weekend and hung out with lots of friends. Last night i saw a big white fox outside the bus stop, it was running around digging up the ground for food. Ezzy decided this weekend to move out of the dorms and she found a place only a block off campus. Last night there was a home warming party and she is slowly moving in. Well I'm going to town later and will grab diner with some friends!

Windows and Elementary School

2009-01-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Everyone has recently caught a cold and my head is throbbing while i write this. This weekend has been so busy. I attended a Tai Ji workshop which focused on the new year of the ox. I have been doing tremendous amounts of reading and have not had any free time. Over the weekend i wrote two papers and ended up cleaning windows at this guys house and made $16! Today i woke up at 7 and rode the bus into downtown where i spent the day at Garfield Elementary. I tutored in two first grade classrooms and mainly helped with reading and math. Over my lunch break i got some amazing pizza from Vic's which consisted of olives, peppers, and pesto. When i finally arrived home i felt so sick and took a little nap then sweat out my cold in the sauna. For dinner Ezzy and i went to the greenery where they had prepared special food for the new year. Just have a bit more reading then hopefully i can get to bed soon