tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69092096962865762202024-03-13T20:03:55.222-07:00Pups, Planes, Progenypupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-39792044823457597152023-05-15T13:29:00.001-07:002023-05-15T13:29:36.103-07:00April and May<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQL0kXABgJXntzp_3oUsxdwRUiv9qgNU4TwZhMi7L_HSYxdc7FGBUlp7f0FPibzHO0yLNf5mDPSlwjUeUHPthPjGtGHQJ9jzEB7MNOqQ2tjApXxacyfAZZfttbfQFCs8mrDzTnyUWbdjFBOUniw0kdpCuNiyQpQRhjkFnQFU4QtafEvXYOJR3BIh/s320/7B530FE4-4569-49F6-9510-867450B22746.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQL0kXABgJXntzp_3oUsxdwRUiv9qgNU4TwZhMi7L_HSYxdc7FGBUlp7f0FPibzHO0yLNf5mDPSlwjUeUHPthPjGtGHQJ9jzEB7MNOqQ2tjApXxacyfAZZfttbfQFCs8mrDzTnyUWbdjFBOUniw0kdpCuNiyQpQRhjkFnQFU4QtafEvXYOJR3BIh/s1600/7B530FE4-4569-49F6-9510-867450B22746.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSyasvZCWbtwPAeJp0RT-dpLihtmq57UPzFkhF8nN1KmCaV1Wb1mZAlkUxLXcxCGLj6g5gUzfr9bHPqiVauWWZ7zAfW0xDWrYyeoxcBgIBQnQ4_Bx312WipuCrl3Cg8_jlXvt-iqIECo83w5ILmyi60ae4U2aGqGVBvD7Y6iO77kDBuYHhFdMnHML/s1600/PNG%20image%2029.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-72315993391221652702023-04-09T04:27:00.003-07:002023-04-09T04:27:50.071-07:00<p> We continued leaning about (and eating) the parts of a plant. Leaves (spinach and lettuce) and flowers (broccoli and cauliflower) were on the menu this week!</p><p>We also did lots of hiking, playing and art and journaling! I think Thursdays hike was over a mile!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8DEETOlDGEkyBmLC-f0miZ5YsUbNt07qSIqugkAA25FV4WB5K0sxC8yvPL4mOQvjCO-9lFTXUlWKnM3QtkXbEecW0_BHdbiKrppPt5_wL2dE_gKsSdtHIC3sHxhJOZaAB-x8O6UdKRxkffcZdGAFQGEGzy1PkxFOT0I7e8xQK5yBYBArxQErmmMW/s320/F2CF6D67-B2EB-4BBD-820B-E8E8DBCFD524.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8DEETOlDGEkyBmLC-f0miZ5YsUbNt07qSIqugkAA25FV4WB5K0sxC8yvPL4mOQvjCO-9lFTXUlWKnM3QtkXbEecW0_BHdbiKrppPt5_wL2dE_gKsSdtHIC3sHxhJOZaAB-x8O6UdKRxkffcZdGAFQGEGzy1PkxFOT0I7e8xQK5yBYBArxQErmmMW/s1600/F2CF6D67-B2EB-4BBD-820B-E8E8DBCFD524.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHHZh_rRQATGZRqbxXBvD5Ydozdy8p3IhTnNGk-LG8UNA6giHW2HacYkVTndxocyM9jQ0XPVwr8TbZa1Dy6JMNPO1u4EHPHhY9p-tuS-LhbTcaAZ7UkQpBiYerV5VBHjwsnAKWJUzkXnvsBn7-t0IOZcSrsli5kti54S0UEx2aKkuHuE8TGFByT3J/s320/E94BED33-6E22-4BCA-88FB-B60B4575674B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ko0mp0rsRzo/VfTlZCKVEuI/AAAAAAAAAgA/Tyd_Qq5qzeg/s1600/buff.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ko0mp0rsRzo/VfTlZCKVEuI/AAAAAAAAAgA/Tyd_Qq5qzeg/s320/buff.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
The propeller
roared to life, the wheels sped down the runway and the small
plane was lifted into the air. We were headed for home a mere four days into
what was intended to be a seven day vacation in Yellowstone, my
favorite place on earth. You see, we were almost six years into
this “single engine airplane adventure” and we had finally
learned to respect the truth of the axiom “whatever can go wrong,
will go wrong”. On this day we had seen on the horizon signs of
what “could go wrong”, so we decided to cut our losses and head
for home before it “did go wrong”.<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We had been
planning this trip to Yellowstone for months. Which isn't enough, by
the way. It turns out that a trip to Yellowstone really requires at
least a year of planning if you want to stay in a lodge or cabin.
But, no matter, our family is the rugged outdoorsy type, so we were
happy to switch gears and make it a tenting type excursion. We did,
however, think better of our original time frame and changed from a
mid-September trip to a mid-August trip. Years earlier, we had taken
a 4 year old Maddie and an 18 month old Kier to Yellowstone and been
surprised and coat-less when it snowed on us (fortunately that year
we'd made our arrangements in time to get a room in a lodge). </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We made
plans. We wanted to take a boat out on the Yellowstone Lake. We
wanted to see some wolves in Lamar Valley. We bought a viewing scope.
We dug out the camping gear, the coats, the hats. We were ready.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Two days before we
left on this Yellowstone trip, Cora (age 8) was complaining of a
sore throat and running a 100 degree fever. As a type-one diabetic
even a slight cold can be cause for concern as it disrupts blood
sugars and requires changes in insulin dosing. But, by the morning
of the first day of vacation, Cora was chipper and fever free. It
looked like we were good to go.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We crammed the car
and then the airplane to the gills with camping gear (and a few extra
blankets, again remembering the September snow!). The flight to
Yellowstone was beautiful. There were clouds on the horizon but they
seemed be burning off as we approached.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
Shortly before we reached Jackson, Wyoming, we saw an impressively
large Golden Eagle in the air. The sight was beautiful, and more
then a little unnerving. He was less than 100 feet from the right
wing and at the same exact altitude that we were, close enough we could
see his bright yellow feet and beak. As we passed, he seemed to
realize his precarious position, he tipped his golden wings, banked
to the right and peeled away.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EtB0YD6uPc4/VfTlWcDwrHI/AAAAAAAAAf4/RxB6ILhhnrg/s1600/tetons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EtB0YD6uPc4/VfTlWcDwrHI/AAAAAAAAAf4/RxB6ILhhnrg/s320/tetons.jpg" width="320" /></a> Upon nearing
Jackson, the air traffic controller routed us far closer to the Grand
Tetons than we would have gone otherwise. We skirted the
intimidating, craggy edifices just a few miles from their naked
peaks, the airplane's terrain warning glowing bright red and yellow,
telling us that those mountains reach up into the sky much higher
than the altitude at which we were cruising.<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rLJlRfT2q6M/VfTlbKNR51I/AAAAAAAAAgI/8NbtGarHbkU/s1600/grand%2Bpris.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rLJlRfT2q6M/VfTlbKNR51I/AAAAAAAAAgI/8NbtGarHbkU/s320/grand%2Bpris.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Flying over
Yellowstone Park itself is one of the greatest treasures that general
aviation has to offer. From the air you can see how truly immense Lake
Yellowstone is, how remote and uninhibited most of the park
really is, and if you are really lucky (as we were on this day)
you'll be treated to seeing a geyser erupting. We circled the park
pointing out to the kids the spectacular colors of the Grand
Prismatic Pool, which once you've seen from the air is really not
worth seeing from the ground. From the air you can see the full
splendor of the vibrant ultramarine center that fades to a
translucent turquoise and the stark contrast of the unearthly amber
colored bacteria mats that snake off in all directions. From the
ground, you can see one side of the pool that looks like a stinky
turquoises mist.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After our aerial
tour of Yellowstone we landed in Montana's little town of West
Yellowstone just outside of the National Park. We snacked on PB and
J, picked up our rental car, grabbed some camping food at the local
grocery and headed into the park. As we neared our campground we
were slightly surprised to find caution tape strewn across the
trail-heads nearest our intended sleeping space. Our worst
suspicions were confirmed when I checked into the campground and the
“you're in bear country” lecture was delivered with rather a bit
more fervor then normal. It turns out a man had been mauled and partly
eaten by a Mama Grizzly (and her cub?) a mile from the campground a
few days earlier. Actually, by this time they had already caught the
Mama Grizzly (and her cub?) and euthanized her (and her cub?-- very
little was reported about the end result for the baby bear, gee I
wonder).</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
Bear lectures and closed trails aside, our first night was
beautiful. After enjoying the requisite camping S'Mores, Cora
snuggled into her sleeping bag, and Joel, Maddie, Kier and I spent an
hour plus sitting around the campfire staring at the crystal clear
night skying and calling out satellites and even a few shooting stars
that we saw streak across the sky. The night was surprisingly warm
and we slept well that night.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9z6iCGjVXc/VfThXv4o71I/AAAAAAAAAfc/Sc32F7vcoy4/s1600/yellowstone%2B1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9z6iCGjVXc/VfThXv4o71I/AAAAAAAAAfc/Sc32F7vcoy4/s320/yellowstone%2B1.jpg" width="179" /></a> By morning, the sky
had taken on a light gray overcast and the air smelled of rain.
Drizzle fell off and on throughout the morning. But, anyone who has
frequented Yellowstone knows that a rainy day here or there is a
given and it's best not to let it hold you back. ( Eighteen years
earlier--almost to the day-- Joel and I had spent a soggy honeymoon
in the Yellowstone back-country). Despite a few raindrops, we spent
the morning enjoying the mud pots, the steaming and hissing “Dragon's
Mouth Cave”, Mammoth Hot Springs and its odd little structures
built of minerals and bacteria. In the afternoon, we even indulged
in a dip in the Gardner River where the freezing cold river water
meets the steaming hot run off from the hot springs making for a
perfect spectrum of water temperatures. But, while Cora seemed to
have made a full recovery from her cold, three of the remaining four
of us (Joel, Maddie, and Kier) were now requiring Advil, throat
lozenges and large quantities of tissues.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Late in the evening
as we drove home from dinner, what had been a light drizzle all day
turned into a frighteningly loud thunderstorm and a downpour of rain.
Lightening Flashed across the sky in all directions in a storm that
must have covered most of the park. It took us almost two hours to
get back to the campground. All the way we wondered if we would find
a soaked wet tent and sleeping bags (or maybe no tent at all-- the
wind was blowing mighty hard!). And what would we do then? We
already knew that there wasn't a room to be found ANYWHERE near the
park and it was after 10:00 at night! Still neither Joel nor I said
a word of this fear and in unspoken solidarity we ignored the
questions to that end which arose from the backseat. By some divine
providence, we arrived to a tent that, while soaked on the outside,
was completely dry on the inside! Sometime after one AM, the mighty
storm quieted and we (mostly) slept, despite the sniffing and the
coughing, and the nose blowing that went on throughout the rest of
the night.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSVMm1QhEJE/VfThXvTOGhI/AAAAAAAAAfY/GZn8bS8_nug/s1600/yellowstone%2B2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSVMm1QhEJE/VfThXvTOGhI/AAAAAAAAAfY/GZn8bS8_nug/s320/yellowstone%2B2.jpg" width="180" /></a>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
In the morning we decided to head down to old Faithful and see some
geysers. On the way, we stopped to do a two mile hike to see an “off
the beaten path” geyser called “Lone Star”. We missed the
geysers eruption, and while we were there I lost my phone, but not
before I used it to take a picture of a perfect black bear footprint
that we found right in the middle of the mud (urr, umm, dirt) path!
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We did eventually
make it down to see Old Faithful spew hot water hundreds of feet into
the air before the cold germs won out and most of the group felt a
nap was the best agenda for the evening. That night it was cold.
Like, really cold. When we crawled out of the tent after a night of
sniffing and shivering we found everything covered with a layer of
frost and ice. Rather then wait for someone's cold to turn into an
ear infection or a sinus infection, we admitted that it was time to
throw in the towel. If you've never flown in an unpressurized
airplane with an ear infection or even driven down from the high
mountains with one, I recommend you try to keep it that way-- it's an
absolutely excruciating experience.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TQjrmmBV9eE/VfThXoqzUSI/AAAAAAAAAfg/MBl5njz41N8/s1600/yellowstone%2B3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TQjrmmBV9eE/VfThXoqzUSI/AAAAAAAAAfg/MBl5njz41N8/s320/yellowstone%2B3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Still, it's hard to
drive by the steaming mud and road side signs without stopping to
see what is there. So we maybe took a little longer then we meant to
arrive back at the airport that day. By the time Joel retracted the
wheels and the airplane climbed into the sky, it was well past noon
and the afternoon thermals and turbulence quickly showed up.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Turbulence is a
beast with many personalities. Sometimes it's the hit your head of
the ceiling kind, sometimes it's the make you vomit kind, and sometimes
it's the “I hope we don't do a barrel roll” kind. This time it
was the suck you up into the clouds and spit you back out, make your
ear drums burst kind of turbulence-- yep the very worst possibility
for our three head cold sufferers. The good thing about this flight
was we had already planned it to be short. It was a one hour flight
to the little town of Thermopolis (actually it took a little longer
because we spent so much time going up and down instead of forward).</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aC1N4r68OqA/VfTnQTQwfGI/AAAAAAAAAgU/OJ5vOyG9R0I/s1600/themopolis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aC1N4r68OqA/VfTnQTQwfGI/AAAAAAAAAgU/OJ5vOyG9R0I/s320/themopolis.jpg" width="320" /></a> Thermopolis boasts
the largest hot springs in the word dumping thousands of gallons of 135+
degree water a day. They have several pools, vapor caves and slides
and caked in mineral deposits from the
</div>
<div style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
spring waters. But on this trip, as was befitting our present state
of health, we instead stayed in a hotel that had formally been the
“convalescence home”, enjoyed their small hot spring fed spa and
took an early nights sleep. In the morning, refreshed and with the
turbulence calmed, we headed back to Colorado.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Like most of our
trips, this vacation had little in common with the vacation we
thought we were planning. We planned to watch wolves at a distance
and through a viewing scope, instead this vacation provided a once
in a lifetime (we hope) chance to see a Golden Eagle up close and in
the air. We planned to explore the waters of Lake Yellowstone,
instead we examined the vastness of the sky. We planned to see the
eruption of a more remote and lonely geyser, instead we found a black
bear footprint in the mud. And there lies the greatest lesson to be
learned from life in a small plane-- live in the moment, be flexible
and always willing to give up what you planned for what is.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cora
age 8</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kier
age 11</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Maddie
age 14</span></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-892124056457838402020-11-20T12:19:00.002-08:002020-11-20T12:19:27.097-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"> That Moment when you ask "How Did we End Up Here?"<br /></p><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> </div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I don't know how we
ended up by taking a trip to Yuma (middle-of-nowhere) Colorado.
Okay, that's not really true-- I do know how we ended up in Yuma, (I
just can't believe we did!) I even know why we ended up in Yuma.
It's because Joel and I are awful at compromising. Now, I don't mean
the we are unyielding or unkind to each other. I just mean that,
somehow, when we have different ideas and we try to combine them to
find middle ground, something ugly often seems to come of it.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For instance, a few
years ago we redid our laundry room/ third bathroom. I wanted to
paint the walls mint green and the cabinets light pink to match a
painting I planned to hang in the bathroom. Joel wanted to paint the
cabinets terracotta. Neither of us wanted the other person's color
choice. It was time for a compromise. We went to the Lowes down
the street and what we came home with was the most god-awful, 1950s,
Pepto-Bismal pink paint (that we both hated). It was enough to turn
ones stomach. It also stayed on those cabinets for the next two years
until we moved, because,just because we know our compromise was
something awful doesn't, apparently, mean that we will change it!</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5OCHHGILzRc/VhHyfHNSPDI/AAAAAAAAAmg/4KSS5BwN_bA/s1600/zeke.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5OCHHGILzRc/VhHyfHNSPDI/AAAAAAAAAmg/4KSS5BwN_bA/s320/zeke.jpg" width="320" /></a> The trip to Yuma
was a similar ugly and awful, all be it completely civil, sort of
compromise. Here's how it happened: We had a dog, Zeke, that we had
been fostering from the local animal shelter. He was sweet; he was
playful; he was well mannered and great with kids. He was also over
seven years old, a rather bland-looking black dog, and completely
neurotic. We knew people would not be lining up to fight over who
got to adopt this crazy, old, black dog. The thought of him
languishing in the kennel slowly going stir crazy (or maybe quickly,
he's kinda prewired for crazy) was too much for us. We had no
choice-- we had to keep him! But first, Joel said, we must know if
he was OK to fly. We bought a new kennel and Joel figured out how to
bolt our “already- part-of-the-family” poodle's kennel to the
“almost-part-of-the-family” Zeke's new kennel and then bolted
them both into the airplane-- keeping everyone safe and out of the
pilot's way during flight.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Up next, a
destination. Camping seemed like a good choice, after all we would
have two dogs in tow. Joel researched and found the perfect place.
A cute little grass strip in Northpark, between the mountains. It
had a near-by lake, we could camp right at the airport, and it was
only a ½ hour flight. We headed to the airport. But when we
called for a flight briefing, we learned that the winds were expected
to pick up in about an hour and a half. Joel was fine with this bit
of news, after all he reasoned, it was less than a 30 minute flight.
Now, there is something you should know about me. It's this: I am a
chicken when it comes to mountain flying. Even in the best weather,
I look down at all those trees and the mountains sticking up all over
and I can't help but think, if the engine quits, that's gunna hurt! </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But, at any rate,
the plane was packed, the kennels were bolted down, the dogs and kids
were loaded. And so we did it, we made a compromise. We did the
figurative equivalent of drawing a circle on the sectional map and
concluded that thirty minutes, going in the opposite direction of the
mountains put us in Yuma Colorado. We'd go there, and see if there
was anything to do. If there wasn't, we reasoned, “we could always
leave, and go somewhere else” (I know, famous last words, right?)</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The flight and
landing were unremarkable, by which I mean I really don't remember
them. I do however, remember that another plane landed at about the
same time that we did. Joel went over and admired the other plane--
because that's what pilots do. And I'm so glad he did because in
doing so, he met the man who would save us from ourselves. </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We didn't bother
unloading the camping gear, after all we hadn't decided whether to
stay in Yuma for the night. Instead we crated the dogs in the
concrete, buggy bathroom and took a pleasant ½ mile walk into town
where we had lunch at the local Subway sandwich shop (one of two
places to eat in Yuma.)
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the time we
returned to the airport, the wind had started to kick up; we hoped it
was temporary because by now we had realized that we didn't so much
want to stay in Yuma over night. In the meantime we let the dogs out
and explored the various little sandhills surrounding the airport.
By this time it was becoming obvious that we weren't going anywhere
soon. The winds were much too strong. It was also obvious that we
weren't going to be leaving that night. Even if the winds did let
up, Joel was not night current. And it was also obvious that camping
on the Eastern Plains of Colorado with nary a tree to block the wind
was going to be a miserable experience! We walked around the various
structures on the property hoping maybe one of them could block some
wind. I even tried to come up with some way we might be able to
erect our tent in the bathroom-- yes we really were that desperate! </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was along about
this time that the doctor/pilot that Joel had met earlier in the day
took pity on us. I picture him sitting in his quaint, little,
small-town home, drinking a quaint cup of tea while looking out his
window at the less than quaint scene of hurricane force winds
whipping the trees about and pelting the windows with dirt. I, of
course, have no real idea of what he was doing when the thought
occurred to him that that foolish young couple with the three
adorable kids and two dogs were in for a hell of a night, but I do
know that shortly after this realization occurred to us, this saint
showed up at the airport and offered to let us pitch our tent in his
backyard. Without stopping to consider, we loaded up our kids, dogs,
camping gear and our selves into the back of this strangers pick up
truck. This is not the only time we have had a trip that left us
with little choice but a ride in the back of a strangers pick up
truck on middle-of-nowhere back roads, and every time I left with the
feeling that I should say something to the kids. The lecture always
comes out something ridiculous like, “Now kids, you shouldn't get
in the car with a stranger, and riding in the back of a truck is not
safe, but.... well, it's our only choice...” yeah never my finest
parenting moment!</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fortunately, we
were not kidnapped this time, nor where there any fatal car accidents
that day. Instead we set up our tent in the back of a stranger's
back yard, used our camp stove (again, in the backyard) to cook our
dinner and breakfast, and the kind couple even left the back door
unlocked that night so we could use their bathroom! The night was
windy, and loud and more then once I was sure the huge cottonwood
would fall and crush us in the night! But, the houses and fence
blocked much of the wind and we may have even got a few hours of
sleep that night. Had we stayed at the airport I'm pretty sure we
would have woken up in Kansas-- or maybe OZ.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So that is how (and
why) we ended up camping in the back yard of a stranger's house in
Yuma Colorado. How we came to have a MOST extraordinary trip in a
most ordinary of places. How we learned about kindness and
compassion and the danger of compromise. It's also how we learned
that our new lab/ border collie liked flying-- but HATED swimming (he
nearly drown in two feet of water in the tiny city park-- a now
favorite family story). Oh irony, you have much to teach us.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ_RTYRzOv0/VhHydCUuNcI/AAAAAAAAAmM/0r9hC4sQu6Q/s1600/hail%252C%2Bwindow.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ_RTYRzOv0/VhHydCUuNcI/AAAAAAAAAmM/0r9hC4sQu6Q/s320/hail%252C%2Bwindow.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YMDKg4vF4CA/VhHydRgT7eI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/CSTS74llYH0/s1600/hail%2Bwing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YMDKg4vF4CA/VhHydRgT7eI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/CSTS74llYH0/s320/hail%2Bwing.jpg" width="320" /></a> That last paragraph
sounds so mature and noble, doesn't it? That's because I'm writing
this three years after the fact. At the time, I could not yet
appreciate the divine absurdity of this story. And that is why, less
then a month later, when a massive hail storm smashed two windows and
dimpled the entire surface of the plane, the very first words out of
my month were, “NO, that trip to YUMA, CAN NOT be our last airplane
trip!” But, now I see that all's well the ends well. The fates
smiled on us and we were able to join an airplane owner's club that
has a beautiful six seat Saratoga. Fate smiled on the other
airplane, too. She is now christened “Dimples” and belongs to
Joel's Uncle. Dimples even gets to continue carrying babies around
(something I am convinced she enjoys) and we frequently enjoy
pictures of Joel's cousin and her little one flying in “our”
airplane.
</div>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-54770508881730089622020-11-20T12:17:00.001-08:002020-11-20T12:17:21.811-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>That
Monment when you think</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>When
Did the Edge of the Wing become White”</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Carlsbad/
Phoenix Trip</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>March
2016</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Maddie
14</i></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kier
12</i></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cora
9</i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
plan was simple; we would fly to Carlsbad Caverns, join up with the
Lowells, spend a few says exploring the caverns, then continue on to
Phoenix for a few days with my parents before finally heading back
home.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
execution of the plan was anything but simple! Complications started
before the vacation had even begun. The Lowells had been looking to
buy a out-of-town property for several months. When things finally
worked out, it turned out that an inspection and other details needed
to be taken care of the week of spring break. They decided that Dawn
would fly to Michigan to work out those detaila while Brett and Lance
joined us for cave Spelunking in New Mexico. We would certainly miss
Dawn, but as it turned out, this was just the start of the
complications to come.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
day before our spring break trip, it snowed. We didn't worry too
much. The forecast still predicted that the morning would be clear.
It wasn't. But we decided to head to the airport mid-morning so we
could catch the first opportunity to leave. By 11:00am we thought
our best option (based on radar) was to head east and avoid the low
lying clouds against the mountains. Just as Joel was spooling up the
engine to go, we received a text from Bret, who was already in the
air, recommending that we file an instrument flight plan because of
the cloud cover over southern Colorado. Joel texted back that we
intended to fly east and avoid the clouds altogether. The response
from Brett (“Not gunna work, sir”) was less than optimistic.
Joel Shut down the engine and called the air traffic control briefer.
He ended up fliling an instrument plan.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
first 40 minutes of the flight went fine. We were in and out of
clouds, but most of the time we could see the ground. Then as we
crossed over monument pass, the dividing line between the Denver
Metro area and the Colorado Springs Metro Area, the clouds began
thickening.... and then I noticed a bit of white forming on the
leading edge of the wing. In the calmest voice I could conjure I
informed Joel that there was ice on the the wings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> </span></div>
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“<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Yep,”
he replied as he pressed the toggle on the yoke, allowing him to
speak to air traffic control and request a different altitude.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Ice
on the wings or “icing” in pilot speak is a problem for two
reasons (1) it can change the shape of the wings which reduces lift
and (2) it can “rough up” the surface of the entire plane,
causing more drag. Both of these can cause the airplane to stall.
What's more the changes can also make it more difficult for the
airplane to recover from the stall.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">At
our new altitude ice was no longer accumulating of the wings.
None-the-less, prudence and a quick pilot- “co-pilot” conference
dictated that based on the proximity of the nearest airport, the lack
of proximity of the next nearest airport, and the fact that noon was
quickly approaching, diverting to Pueblo was the best course of
action.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AVYxX57Paos/V3WeXjQfT3I/AAAAAAAAA-c/J2dpB0IcfkMNlpfHRLCAkrYcqN5w_xjNQCLcB/s1600/12924374_10208954107073709_861231399355876516_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AVYxX57Paos/V3WeXjQfT3I/AAAAAAAAA-c/J2dpB0IcfkMNlpfHRLCAkrYcqN5w_xjNQCLcB/s320/12924374_10208954107073709_861231399355876516_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">No
sooner had we landed than the snow started to really fly and the
winds started to pick up. With nothing else to do we went in search
of lunch and pondered the possibility that we might be spending the
first night of our vacation in grand old Pueblo-- it wouldn't be the
first time. </span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Fortunately,
on this occasion, the weather, true to Colorado's reputation, quickly
turned. By the time we had paid the lunch bill, we were able to take
off. We headed slightly east to avoid the lingering clouds,-- then
farther east-- on a rather indirect route to New Mexico.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">We
did eventually make it to Carlsbad (before dinner- despite our odd
flight path) but not before we had to make one more unplanned stop in
order to settle some stomachs. Of course air sickness is no fun for
anyone, but the mixture of insulin and vomiting that happens in the
case of a type one diabetic can be down right dangerous! And that is
how I found myself staring, breath held, into a bag of vomit
pondering the questions: how many carbs could this be? If a
diabetic eats 50 carbs at lunch and receives 2 units of insulin, but
2 hours later vomits up an unknown volume of that food, how many
ounces of juice does she need in order to maintain a safe blood
sugar? It's like some heinous, completely unanswerable SAT math
question! Remarkably, on this particular occasion, I got the answer
correct!--Later in the trip I would utterly fail at this same
question!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
next morning we woke reasonably well rested and ready for adventure.
But, as it turned out, not <i>well informed </i>about this adventure.
We had learned from previous trips into our beautiful national parks
that lodging and tours are likely to sell out. Therefore, we had
booked our tours a few months in advance so as not to be left high
and dry. We carefully read the website instructions that advised us
to arrive thrity minutes before the tour was to begin. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
morning of our tour we dutifully arrived at the Park front desk
thirty minutes before our tour was to start. The front desk ranger
took his time checking us in and printing our tickets. Than he
rather banally drolled out that the elevator wasn't working so we had
better be ready to hustle. We had twenty minutes to do a trip they
normally advise that people allow an hour to complete!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Hustle
we did! I think we may have invented a new extreme sport-- cave
running! But, we did not miss our tour. When the ranger looked at
our tickets and noted our check in time, she complemented us on
making the 79 story, 1 ¼ mile descent, with four kids at “Ranger
Speed”. You can bet that the next day we gave ourselves a bit more
time to get down into the cave. You can also bet that the next day
all three adults were on a steady regiment of pain killers!</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv51zF4ih2o/V3WMmMCk8mI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/AcWoKanCVyoKPKFnFDjLSK42_sTWjEx9gCKgB/s1600/773625_10208821733764459_6542481968616364027_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv51zF4ih2o/V3WMmMCk8mI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/AcWoKanCVyoKPKFnFDjLSK42_sTWjEx9gCKgB/s320/773625_10208821733764459_6542481968616364027_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Still,
the tours were well worth the effort. The Kings Palace, the tour we
ran for, is a massive cavern filled with beautiful columns and
impressive mineral draperies. Left Hand tunnel, the tour our sore
legs were punished for, showed us the cave by the soft light of
candlelight lanterns. It also allowed us a chance to see the
complete darkness and hear the silence when we blew out those
candles. We saw two dead bats as well. The live bats had not yet
returned from their winter in Mexico, so the rangers were reduced to
pointing out the tiny mummies. We did find some live New Mexico
animals as well. In addition to visiting the Carlsbad Cavens, we
made a trip to the Desert Zoo to see Javelians, Roadrunners, Pumas
and other desert critters. And no trip to Carlsbad is complete
without a trip to the most awesome of playgrounds.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iacYZWWKoPI/V3WMlueGg7I/AAAAAAAAA-Q/xjxOKcanJgUHHQQ44PhNbru0UZwdBmZoQCKgB/s1600/24071_1410291821115_7330841_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iacYZWWKoPI/V3WMlueGg7I/AAAAAAAAA-Q/xjxOKcanJgUHHQQ44PhNbru0UZwdBmZoQCKgB/s320/24071_1410291821115_7330841_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Seriously,
if you are ever in Carlsbad you simply must engage in a game of tag
on their huge, wooden castle themed playground. But, you can
probably skip the experience of driving through someone wedding.
Although certain short members of our travel group might count that
as a highlight of the trip. Actually, we didn't drive through the
wedding just once, but twice. Because once you get into the middle
of a wedding, you still have to drive out. Whoops. </span>
</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aXx-fDbVftM/V3WMllVLJuI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/pBIPvYGV9HYxJQEzBRTjJ3cQuWZqDNvggCKgB/s1600/24071_1410291661111_2294127_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aXx-fDbVftM/V3WMllVLJuI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/pBIPvYGV9HYxJQEzBRTjJ3cQuWZqDNvggCKgB/s320/24071_1410291661111_2294127_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-39936630924084618472020-11-20T12:16:00.001-08:002020-11-20T12:16:09.890-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>That
time when the “Blood Sugar Gods” </b></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Spit
in Our Face</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Carlsbad/
Phoenix Trip (Part 2)</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>March
2016</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Maddie
14</i></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kier
12</i></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cora
9</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mh6jbexbyMA/V3WjQ_WlukI/AAAAAAAAA-0/3vHbV0ob0vckl0QUAw1oC2XASaL1SrcCwCLcB/s1600/pheonix3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mh6jbexbyMA/V3WjQ_WlukI/AAAAAAAAA-0/3vHbV0ob0vckl0QUAw1oC2XASaL1SrcCwCLcB/s320/pheonix3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As
always while on an airplane trip, we had been watching the weather
forecast. We were well aware that the following day, the day we
were planning to leave Carlsbad New Mexico and head to Phoenix
Arizona, was expected to bring 50+ mile per hour winds. Yikes! Winds
like that were likely to leave our little planes grounded for the
day. This left us with a choice. Either forfeit the price of a
night in our vacation rental and “get out of Dodge” while we
could, or stay an extra, unexpected night (or two) – and pay for
that. Either way we would be wasting some vacation dollars. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We
have been stuck on a number of vacations, so when it comes to betting
on the weather, “getting out while the getting' is good” tends to
be our policy. Bret and Lance had joined us for this half of our
vacation. The rest of their spring break plans were in the
southeast, so they agreed with the leave early option.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That
morning, the boys decided that before heading to the cavern we should
stop by the airport to get the gas orders started. They were rather
flabbergasted when the two linemen asked if they wanted aviation gas
or jet fuel! Determining that anyone who did not know which fuel to
put in a single engine aircraft should NOT be left alone with TWO
different fuel trucks and two airplanes, we stayed long enough to see
them pull out the correct fuel truck. Apparently we should have
stayed to supervise a little longer because in the afternoon, when we
returned, Bret found an oil slick in front of his plane and the plane
its self splattered with oil. This was particularly awful because he
and Lance had spent no less then 4 hours washing and waxing the plane
just 2 days earlier!</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On
the bright side, the weather gods smiled on us for the night.
Despite the fact that ridiculous winds were predicted for the
following day, most of the flight to Phoenix was smooth. Much of it
took place in the dark. It was a beautiful full moon night and the
stars were shinning bright.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On
the other hand, the diabetes gods were not so generous and, given the
fact that we forgot to unhook her insulin pump, 45 minutes into the
flight Cora's blood sugar was a disturbing 42. If the pump is not
disconnected at take off and landing the air pressure changes at
different altitudes cause an unmetered amount of insulin to be forced
out of the tubing at inopportune times! Fortunately a juice box
corrected the problem.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yUdD65BKbws/V3WjRdaWmII/AAAAAAAAA_E/WPQTH0To1Fg57Tzqzvv6OBIOCuXTr_IVwCKgB/s1600/pheonix7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yUdD65BKbws/V3WjRdaWmII/AAAAAAAAA_E/WPQTH0To1Fg57Tzqzvv6OBIOCuXTr_IVwCKgB/s320/pheonix7.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVjP9sqIy50/V3WjQXdo9xI/AAAAAAAAA-s/aYUdNrBftUExbqWCFhw9bo7KYqR_sbpNwCKgB/s1600/pheonix2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVjP9sqIy50/V3WjQXdo9xI/AAAAAAAAA-s/aYUdNrBftUExbqWCFhw9bo7KYqR_sbpNwCKgB/s320/pheonix2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After
arriving in Phoenix, we enjoyed the next three days in the heat of
the Sonora Desert.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v_lHcSr1kbM/V3WjQjXSWzI/AAAAAAAAA-w/rV12xR9tCGMOqJB15of56MUog2CrUEPfgCKgB/s1600/pheonix10.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v_lHcSr1kbM/V3WjQjXSWzI/AAAAAAAAA-w/rV12xR9tCGMOqJB15of56MUog2CrUEPfgCKgB/s320/pheonix10.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> We viewed Petroglyphs, walked around the Audubon
nature preserve, toured the “Mystery Castle”, visited the Science
Museum, enjoyed the company of family and friends and took pictures
in the rose garden, all while Colorado was buried under a surprise
two feet of snow. </span></span>
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pMsI7kDma1s/V3WjRlsw5OI/AAAAAAAAA_M/jUMERN98nywh1R6xHOA5tRCIxy7HlSyqQCKgB/s1600/pheonix9.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pMsI7kDma1s/V3WjRlsw5OI/AAAAAAAAA_M/jUMERN98nywh1R6xHOA5tRCIxy7HlSyqQCKgB/s320/pheonix9.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="180" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
bad news was that this snow storm had a sibling. AND The plane was
expected to be tucked back into the hangar at Rocky Mountain Metro
Airport by Sunday because it was reserved by another club member. We
plotted and calculated how we would manage to slip in through the
small window of time between the two storms. As it turned out the
window was smaller than we anticipated and we didn't make it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We
left Phoenix early on Friday (a day earlier then originally
planned)in order to beat the storm that was expected to hit Colorado
late Friday night and last until Saturday night. The flight started
out relatively benign, but things started getting rough as we rounded
the mountains around Santa Fe. We had already anticipated lunch in
Santa Fe and it was a welcome break after the last 30 minutes of
bouncing.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We
borrowed the courtesy car, left our pooches on the patio of the FBO
under the supervision of the kind linemen, and went for lunch. At
lunch I lobbied for spending the night in Santa Fe. After all, we
had some friends that I knew would be in Santa Fe on vacation the
next day, and it seemed like a good excuse to spend a day in artsy
Santa Fe. Joel vetoed my vote, and I guess since he is the one with
the means of transporting us home, his vote counted for more than
mine.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eLul6SqhS9k/V3WjQ7r1BdI/AAAAAAAAA_U/FcE8jLJfI9or5E-PW8RoJ-uM5AC6sIQUACKgB/s1600/pheonix5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eLul6SqhS9k/V3WjQ7r1BdI/AAAAAAAAA_U/FcE8jLJfI9or5E-PW8RoJ-uM5AC6sIQUACKgB/s320/pheonix5.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joel
phoned the air traffic briefer who was not as pessimistic about the
sky conditions as I was (of course he was sitting in an office not an
airplane that day, so that might account for some of his optimism...)</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From
the word “Go”, the flight that afternoon was awful. We were
bounced all over the sky-- up, down and side to side! I alternately
grabbed the “O-S” handle and gripped the sides of my seat in
turn. I counted off the minutes that slowly ticked by, waiting for
enough time to have passed that I could reasonably claim I could take
it no more. As it happened, I never had to “tap out” because
circumstance caused Joel to decide on his own that we should divert
and land in, you guessed it, Pueblo.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When
you think about it there are really very few requirements for a good
barf bag. They must be opaque, they must NOT break, and they must be
easy to open. Cora's barf bag failed on one of the later two
requirements causing a mess in the back of the plane. Allow me to
point out some obvious differences between a car sickness incident
and a airsickness incident: 1) in a car you can roll down the
windows giving fresh air to all the passengers and clearing away the
unpleasant smells, and whats more 2) you can usually immediately pull
the car over and clean up the mess. Neither of these are true in an
airplane!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I
urged the kids to find something to contain the vomit (and especially
the vomit smell!) Nothing could be found. In the end, and much to
Kier's dismay, I insisted that they cover it with Kier's favorite
sweatshirt.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After
landing and cleaning up, we discovered that (a) Cora's coat had been
left behind and now that her sweatshirt was, shall we say,
unwearable, she was without any warm clothes as a snowstorm was
approaching; and (b) that despite having just tossed her cookies
Cora's blood sugar had somehow managed to climb into the 200s.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This
was the moment when I epicly failed at the that blood sugar math
test. I figured that, because of the vomited up carbs, the insulin
we gave Cora at lunch would be enough to solve the high blood sugar
problem. For the record, this assumption had absolutely no basis; it
had been hours since her lunch insulin had been given.
None-the-less, in a moment of fear induced stupidity, I chose not to
give the insulin to correct the high blood sugar.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GD3jn3IsmJs/V3WjRCphBbI/AAAAAAAAA_U/yk3faRhCfZAoI8qoJFtsZ_orcZ5vUXLVACKgB/s1600/pheonix4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GD3jn3IsmJs/V3WjRCphBbI/AAAAAAAAA_U/yk3faRhCfZAoI8qoJFtsZ_orcZ5vUXLVACKgB/s320/pheonix4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Before
hopping back in the airplane to finish the flight, we did a quick
look-see at the radar and found that the window before the storm had
indeed snapped shut. We would not be making it home that night. We
decided that, since we could see as far as Colorado Springs and it
had an airport located closer to the town, we would continue an extra
fifteen minutes north before calling it a day.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Once
settled in the hotel in Colorado Springs I checked Cora's blood sugar
again and my epic failure became truly evident; her blood sugar was
now over 300. I pulled out the blood ketone meter and it read a
disturbing 2.5. Ketones are a measure of the acidity of the blood
due to metabolizing fat instead of glucose. A 2.5 is not a good
number; in fact the little paper included with the tester advises
that you call the doctor right away if the meter reader over 1.5.
The doctor's office was closed. I gave the correction the pump
advised and prayed for the best.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thinking
perhaps the test was somehow wrong, after all we had never seem it
register anything above a 1 before, I felt compelled to test again.
But the due to the $10 a test strip price (and knowing it was
probably right)I decided to use the cheaper urine test strips.
Almost instantly the little square turned to an ominous dark purple.
I set a timer for an hour, made poor Cora drink glass after glass of
water to flush out the ketones. Then I sat anxiously by the window
watching the giant snow flakes sticking to the cars cars and grass
outside.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joel
returned from his dinner finding foray with a pizza and salad. Cora
wisely opted out of the pizza, instead settling for salad and peanut
butter crackers. When the timer sounded I was surprised and beyond
relieved to find that both Cora's blood sugar and ketones were back
with in reasonable levels. They did continue to be a little wonky--
up and down-- all night, and I didn't get much sleep, but at least I
was no longer wondering where the nearest emergency room was.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">By
morning, the snow had piled up almost six inches and was still coming
down. We funned out the tiny hotel pool and check out time came, but
still the weather held us hostage. We hemmed and hawed over what to
do next, finally deciding to drive the rental car the remaining 60
miles home.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sunday
morning (Easter morning) Joel drove up to Colorado Springs and flew
the plane home while the kids and I went to Easter Church Service.
Oh and the person who had the airplane reservation for Sunday
morning, they canceled</span></span></div>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-65724735900876187572020-11-20T12:08:00.002-08:002020-11-20T12:08:09.757-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">East Coast Trip</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maddie</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kier</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cora</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Laura
15</span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvcnoVaW2PI/WGnbVExn1OI/AAAAAAAABFI/BupkZjuuMUM4t-SjQFNH2jMz-PsfoYvWgCEw/s1600/williamsburg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvcnoVaW2PI/WGnbVExn1OI/AAAAAAAABFI/BupkZjuuMUM4t-SjQFNH2jMz-PsfoYvWgCEw/s320/williamsburg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">While our trip to
the Emergency room in Phoenix was certainly the most dramatic, it
wasn't our only vacation that was interrupted by a visit to the
emergency room.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GvSOL_LmS4I/WGnb2qqv87I/AAAAAAAABE8/oS3H4ElBTx0CPWXQEPAkuzQlN8ddOXgVQCLcB/s1600/408048_10200965607526213_1193904702_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GvSOL_LmS4I/WGnb2qqv87I/AAAAAAAABE8/oS3H4ElBTx0CPWXQEPAkuzQlN8ddOXgVQCLcB/s320/408048_10200965607526213_1193904702_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our trip to the East
Coast started out benignly enough. We even brought our 15 year old
niece, Laura, with us for this adventure. The impetus for the trip
was to celebrate Joel's half sister Kelly's birthday. The family was
meeting in Fredricksburg Virginia for a weekend of birthday
festivities. </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">The trip to Virginia
was without a hitch. We picked Laura up in Greeley, made a quick
stop in Pioneer Village in Nebraska, then we head to Illinois for the
night. Everyone dipped their toes in the Mississippi River and
admired the River Paddle-boat. The next day we finished the trip to
Virginia. We ended up flying high which meant a steep and bumpy
decent, which subsequently meant some upset tummies. But over all,
it was an uneventful trip considering the distance we covered in two
days. </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">We enjoyed spending
time with family, celebrating Kelly, eating yummy food and taking in
the rich Civil War history of Fredricksburg.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dq-GOPx7wzA/WGnb0n6iLaI/AAAAAAAABE4/a2ieiltgP1wo7vkZDj42fh0NshrvaugpwCLcB/s1600/181029_10200971049902269_523872831_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dq-GOPx7wzA/WGnb0n6iLaI/AAAAAAAABE4/a2ieiltgP1wo7vkZDj42fh0NshrvaugpwCLcB/s320/181029_10200971049902269_523872831_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">We even managed to
meet my brother, Brandon, in Washington DC for a day of Capital City
Culture. We made our requisite trip to the National Zoo where we, as
usual, failed to see the Pandas. Unfortunately, the weekend we were
there happened to be the peak of Cherry Blossom season. While this
meant that Washington DC was at the height of its beauty, it also
meant that there were people everywhere! In fact I think this is the
trip that Joel declared in no uncertain terms that he would never
walk the National Mall again. </span></span>
</div>
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</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">From Washington DC,
we headed to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. We love living history
museums. In fact one year the kids and I volunteered at our local
prairie living history museum. We spent several days that summer
wearing way too many layers of clothes. The girls and I sweated in
the kitchen helping cook stew and cookies in the gigantic cast iron
wood burning stove, while Kier in turn sweated as the blacksmith's
apprentice, pumping the big bellows to keep the fire hot enough to
bend metal. ---And we loved every minute of it. All of which is to
say, that Williamsburg, the undisputed queen of living history
museums, was our kind of place!</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">It seems to me that
there was a swimming pool in the hotel we stayed at that night, and I
believe that was most likely the source of the crud that afflicted
Maddie the next day. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VR3IlQkpsG8/WGnb52ndJoI/AAAAAAAABFA/KMRCp_PYdMsPWgj4WoYeKHZS3u68MuZywCLcB/s1600/538057_10200960565960177_1321806313_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VR3IlQkpsG8/WGnb52ndJoI/AAAAAAAABFA/KMRCp_PYdMsPWgj4WoYeKHZS3u68MuZywCLcB/s200/538057_10200960565960177_1321806313_n.jpg" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whatever the cause,
the next day Maddie woke up with her eyes glued shut with eye
discharge. Ugg! We used a clean wet washcloth to wipe it away (my
apologies to the housecleaning staff), and continued on our way down
to the pan handle of Florida. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maddie's eye
continued to weep green gunk throughout the day. It was the worst
eye infection I have ever seen! At one point Maddie wiped the
discharge from her eye and then turned to her cousin Laura to ask if
she got it all. Laura's face contorted in a look of horror. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ItY4AGGeVE0/WGnbyhLYFbI/AAAAAAAABE0/occqmWkTQv4ULd8jEr-OQFIVI9Z3To53QCLcB/s1600/164897_514615068601020_2128393303_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ItY4AGGeVE0/WGnbyhLYFbI/AAAAAAAABE0/occqmWkTQv4ULd8jEr-OQFIVI9Z3To53QCLcB/s320/164897_514615068601020_2128393303_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">We were staying with
Joel's Aunt and Uncle in Florida, and they had arrived at the little
municipal airport in time to watch us land. They even videoed the
landing (and the go around)which was fun because they also caught the
commentary which proved that the go around looked as exciting as it
felt. The trees along the sides of the runway causes the winds to
tumble right as we were about 20 feet above the runway. Joel quickly
pushed the throttle forward and we did a quick “go- around”.
Then we had a few seconds conference as to what to do next. In
addition to the paved runway, the airport had a grass runway that was
in a more favorable orientation to the winds. The problem was, the
club has a “get permission before landing on a grass runway”
policy. In the end we decided the club would prefer a grass landing
to a folded up airplane. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second attempt--
this time onto the grass runway-- was smooth and pillow soft. In
fact it was so pillow soft that Joel was afraid we might get stuck in
the spongy Florida grass! </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">By this time, Maddie
not only had a goopy eye infection, but she was also reporting an ear
ache as well. We asked Joel's family about near-by emergency rooms.
They didn't recommend the nearest hospital but it was quiet a bit
closer then the next nearest one. We figured it was pretty clear what
the problem was, surely any old doctor could diagnose a little
conjunctivitis. Turns out, this was a bad call!</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">For one thing, it
took forever! At one point I went to ask the front desk when we
could expect to be seen and was told it could be awhile because the
emergency room doctor was across the street at a different medical
center. Ummm, what? The emergency room didn't have a doctor in the
building???</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once we did finally
see the doctor, he stood in the doorway, about 15 feet away from
Maddie, and from there diagnosed her with an eye infection. And then
he started to walk away! Wait! I called out, I think you should
check her ears too (and maybe her throat, and heart and lungs like a
normal doctor-- but I decided not to push it). In the doctor's
defense, I will admit that you could have been in the next town and
still seen that Maddie had an eye infection! </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the end she was
given a prescription for antibiotics to treat an eye infection and an
ear infection. The good news was that once she started on the
antibiotic she cleared up quickly and was ready to hit the beach the
next day. The next day we made the mistake of applying spray
sunscreen on the windy beach and it all blew away leaving everyone
(and Maddie in particular) with horrible sunburns, but at least that
didn't require an emergency room visit. And we learn that emergency
room recommendation are best taken to heart! </span></span>
</div>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-57559681709210291672020-11-20T12:07:00.003-08:002020-11-20T12:07:24.335-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That Moment When
you Realize </b></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You
Walked Through </b></span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The
Valley of the Shadow of Death</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">Death
Valley, San Diego and Arizona</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">March
2014</span></span></div>
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</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnrH8aVv2uA/WGwxXXgp0XI/AAAAAAAABFg/_yrWhbRoDX0hLCf2GwHTOe8N9ul1e471gCLcB/s1600/10168007_10203536798564382_7824274360515675939_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnrH8aVv2uA/WGwxXXgp0XI/AAAAAAAABFg/_yrWhbRoDX0hLCf2GwHTOe8N9ul1e471gCLcB/s320/10168007_10203536798564382_7824274360515675939_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maddie
12</span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kier
10</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cora
7 </span></span>
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">I
think everyone has that “the time I got sick on vacation” story.
But few people have an “ I got sick on vacation” story like Cora.
Cora's experience is the type that makes time stands still and
every other life event is then judged as “before our trip to Death
Valley” or “after our trip to Death Valley”. In fact it is
disturbingly prophetic that on this occasion we had chosen Death
Valley as one of our destinations.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Cora
had started to show signs of being ill mere hours before our trip
began. I'd picked the kids up from “Friday School” at three. I
remember on the the way home I asked Cora if something had happened
at school because she was uncharacteristically grumpy. She
(grumpily) told me that no nothing had happened, and she was fine--
thank you very much! I left it at that, hopping that maybe she was
just a bit tired after a full day of school and her normal sunny
disposition would return by morning.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">As
is typical with out spring trips, the weather was in charge of our
departure date and time. We had planned to leave on Saturday, but in
order to avoid a bit of weather, we instead headed for the airport
straight from the school. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Our
destination (Death Valley) lay to the west, and the incoming weather,
lay to the south. So our route the first night took us over the
mountains in a meandering sort of way as we avoided the tallest of
the peaks. We spent the night in Grand Junction and continued on the
next day. By morning, the clouds were starting to push in and we
again flew a circuitous route as we made our way to Las Vegas where
we met up with Bret, Dawn and Lance. They had managed to pick a
night when all but one room in all of Sin City was completely booked
up -- hard to believe that can happen given the number of huge
casinos there! </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GTp8aHisszg/WGwxqDHNCVI/AAAAAAAABFo/9zy0-RXT-vwcb8ohz5ue92t1yJoei-ZIgCLcB/s1600/049.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GTp8aHisszg/WGwxqDHNCVI/AAAAAAAABFo/9zy0-RXT-vwcb8ohz5ue92t1yJoei-ZIgCLcB/s320/049.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">From
Las Vegas, we flew caravan style to Death Valley in California.
Death Valley is a bit odd for a National Park. For one thing it is
very remote. While most National Park are far from metropolitan
areas, Death Valley takes it to such an extreme that it is almost a
ghost town! Actually there are a number of ghost towns right in the
park. In fact we rented Jeeps and visiting them was a primary form
of entertainment during the few days we were there. In addition to
touring ghost towns, we also made the trek to see “The Racetrack”
where we watched rocks stand still, but wondered about the tracks
they had left in the dry cracked mud. (The mystery has since been
solved. Two brothers video taped the rocks, pushed by strong wings,
sliding across slippery muddy ice). And to help combat the high heat
in Death Valley, we made sure to enjoy some ice cream everyday. In
retrospect, ice cream was not such a good idea, but at the time it
seemed like the thing to do. We even got buzzed by some really low
flying fighter jets that appeared out of no where while practicing
military maneuvers in the air space over the desert.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">All
the while Cora continued to be grumpy and tired. What's more she
started drinking ridiculous amounts of water, and consequently
needing to find bathrooms more and more frequently. At first we
joked that Cora was taking the signs in the bathroom that warned of
the importance of drinking water and the risk of dehydration too
seriously, but it was becoming clear something was not right. In
fact several times a night we would have to crawl out of the tent and
find the campground potties-- or eventually a bush or two. The one
bright side of this was that one night, as we stumbled back to the
tent in the dark, our flashlight beam shown bright on an adorable
desert Kangaroo Rat. He was about the size of a small guinea pig,
had big bright eyes, huge hind legs and a frizzy poof at the end of
his tail.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">By
day three I was beginning to suspect Cora might have Diabetes. I had
taken an Anatomy and Physiology class at the the community college
the year before and the list of symptoms played through my head (in
Latin no less) like a checklist on “loop setting”: polydipsia,
polyuria, diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus.... But what my
medical terminology failed to give my was an understanding of just
how much danger my little girl was in. And so while I continued to
fret in the desert, far from medical help, I naively believed that we
could finish our trip and take Cora to the doctor's office when we
got home.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Stop
two on our multi-destination trek was San Diego. We briefly parted
ways with the Lowells. They headed to Catalina Island and we went
straight to San Diego.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">The
flight into San Diego was quite an interesting contrast. In less
than 45 minutes we went from a flat dry desert, below sea level
elevations and a humidity of less the 25 percent, to climbing over a
snow covered mountain range, and then descending through a cloud bank
into the ocean side city of San Diego, where the humidity was near
100 percent. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8yWAJbts4o/WGwxxoyIekI/AAAAAAAABFs/JqGFXt5V25sCLlUMP1Q-hWreTUSRZbULQCLcB/s1600/095.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8yWAJbts4o/WGwxxoyIekI/AAAAAAAABFs/JqGFXt5V25sCLlUMP1Q-hWreTUSRZbULQCLcB/s320/095.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Despite
having finished his instrument flight training more than a year
before this trip, it was Joel first actual instrument landing. Once
we crossed over the Laguna Mountains a thick layer of clouds hid the
valley making it impossible to tell if the city even existed beneath.
We had anticipated the clouds and Joel had opened an instrument
flight plan before we reached the mountain ridge. We continued to
fly above the clouds for about another 15 minutes. When it was time
to descend through the clouds both Air Traffic Control and the
airplane chose to test Joel's skills. The autopilot was having some
trouble maintaining a heading and then the Air traffic controller
weaved Joel all around the cloudy sky as he directed him through the
busy air space. But we popped out the bottom of the cloud layer
right above the runway and Joel made a beautifully smooth landing.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-4MH2ueZzI/WGwx1chPG8I/AAAAAAAABFw/xRU_GFPykdIYNrmXm-Rt-dW_2SoHXgLgwCLcB/s1600/110.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-4MH2ueZzI/WGwx1chPG8I/AAAAAAAABFw/xRU_GFPykdIYNrmXm-Rt-dW_2SoHXgLgwCLcB/s320/110.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">We
spent two days in San Diego. Without the dry heat of the desert to
contend with, Cora perked up a little. We went to the beach, found a
tide pool to explore and visited the Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Institution of Oceanography. The day before we left San Diego, we
met up with the Lowells at the San Diego Zoo with the single minded
purpose of seeing the Pandas. We have been to the free National Zoo
in Washington DC several times to see the famous (fabled?) pandas,
and every time the illusive pandas have managed to avoid us! </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">When
we met up with our friends, Bret asked us what we wanted to see
first. Joel quickly announced that the Shaklee Family had just spent
$250 to see Pandas, so we demanded to see Pandas! After finally
having achieved our greatest life goal we also saw several other
animals. Most notable were the precious and extremely lazy Koala
Bears.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-naoQjE80Vso/WGwxO2eFymI/AAAAAAAABFY/DU8ouz9QfqgDbsc1VcQNsvSe5j2-Qr9rwCLcB/s1600/10157272_10203536832925241_4785403292127191732_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-naoQjE80Vso/WGwxO2eFymI/AAAAAAAABFY/DU8ouz9QfqgDbsc1VcQNsvSe5j2-Qr9rwCLcB/s320/10157272_10203536832925241_4785403292127191732_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Looking
back at the pictures it is painfully clear that Cora was indeed very
sick; she was pale and skinny. But she was also drinking less water
and visiting the bathroom less and I grabbed on to these as good
signs. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Our
next vacation stop was Yuma Arizona where Joel was going to join Bret
for part of a formation flying clinic. Cora's symptoms reemerged
that day and on the short 30 minute flight to Yuma Cora was both
begging for water and complaining about the lack of a potty on the
airplane, despite the fact that everyone had visited the restroom
moments before take off.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">In
the morning Joel and Bret went flying while Dawn and I took the kids
to the Hotel pool. We had no transportation and really there was not
much else to do in Yuma Arizona. This activity led to a new stress!
Someone has failed to to turn off the overnight pump on the pool
cleaning system. The kids were playing a game of Marco Polo when
Kier got too close to the vent and the suction was strong enough that
it held Kier under water and against the wall for several seconds.
At first, when the kids ran over to tell us that “the pool had
sucked Kier in” we thought that they were over reacting to the
light current that is always present in a public swimming pool. Then
he turned around and we saw the 3 inch perfectly round deep purple
bruise already forming on Kier's back. With my heart in my throat,
we went to talk to management, who realized what had happened. They
turned off the pump, apologized several times and comped us for the
nights stay. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">So,
between that and the fact that I had finally had a chance to google
the list of Latin words that were running an in ongoing loop in my
head, was more than a little shaky when we got into the shuttle to
head to the airport to meet Joel.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">From
Yuma, we made the short jump to Phoenix where we were staying a at my
parent's vacation condo for a few days. I did wonder if we should
just head home. But Phoenix was a short ½-hour trip and home was
many hours away. Besides it was already late in the day. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">The
next day things really went downhill. Cora was once again constantly
thirsty and in need of a bathroom. At lunch with some family
friends, Cora vomited. We said hasty good-byes and went back to the
condo where Cora took a long nap and I noticed her breathing become
shallow. I once again googled “Diabetes Onset” and finally came
across the article that convinced me it was time to act. This time,
at the top of the search list was the personal story of a mother
whose daughter ended up in Coma at type one diabetic onset. It was
easy to see reflections of Cora's symptoms in this families personal
account. Wordlessly, I handed the ipad to Joel. I don't think he
even finished the article before he was on the phone trying to figure
out where we needed to go to get help.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">In
the end we didn't quiet get it right. We went to the first hospital
that we found and it turned out to be the hospital that specialized
in adult trauma. They didn't even have a pediatric doctor on staff!
This caused a little hiccup in treatment as Cora had to be
transferred to the Children's Hospital. Still the staff at this
hospital was wonderful. They got us back to see the Triage nurse
quickly. That conversation went something like this:</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Nurse:”
so why did you come in tonight.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Me:
“I think my daughter has diabetes.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Nurse:
”Has she been diagnosed with diabetes.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Me:
“No, that's why we are here.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Nurse(already
grabbing a blood sugar meter): “What are her symptoms?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Me:”
Well, she had been really thirsty” (nurse pokes Cora's finger and
squeezes out a drop of blood) “and going to the bathroom a lot”
(blood sugar monitor alarms) “and..” (nurse is already picking up
phone and dialing) “she vomited at lunch today, and-”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">Nurse(into
the phone): “we have a pediatric type one diabetic onset. We need a
room and IV STAT.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">And
that was that. That was the moment our family “life clock” hit
reset; the moment we realized we had “walked through the valley of
the shadow death”. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6IsoDSRjc4U/WGxYUxcObNI/AAAAAAAABGA/VgSuYRd_WXgBAsFEBfwWpJb933sVtwbvgCLcB/s1600/1508510_10204481113931676_7690738358081362932_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6IsoDSRjc4U/WGxYUxcObNI/AAAAAAAABGA/VgSuYRd_WXgBAsFEBfwWpJb933sVtwbvgCLcB/s320/1508510_10204481113931676_7690738358081362932_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">The
next three days are a blur. Cora spent three day in pediatric ICU.
We learned the real information about diabetes. The stuff beyond
Latin words and symptoms of onset. We learned about glucose and
insulin and the risks of too much of each. We learned about counting
carbs and giving shots. Joel and I took turns sleeping at the
hospital and my parents flew in from Colorado to stay with the kids.
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">We
also had to figure out how to get everyone (including the airplane)
home. We decided we were not comfortable taking Cora in the
Saratoga. We would be flying over some remote areas and might not
have easy access to medical help. So Joel and Kier and Maddie flew
out in the Saratoga and Cora and I went by commercial airline. This
made for some stress of it's own. We literally ended up getting
discharged from the hospital with barely enough time to go straight
from the hospital to the airport. I worried about the process of
making it through security with the various needles and bottles of
insulin and juice boxes and glucagon pen. As it turned out this was
not a problem at all. Cora still had various hospital bands and
whatnot on so she was given special treatment including a personal
assistant who pushed her in a wheel chair all the way to the gate. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">The
problem arose when we reached the gate and got ready for the lunch
that Joel had carefully packed and calculated and recalculated the
carbohydrate for. You see, we were discharged from the hospital with
the expectation that we would attend extensive training classes the
next day at our own Diabetes Center. So the hospital had just
trained me for the basics. They were careful to go over the
emergency procedures for what to do if her blood sugar dropped to
dangerously low levels-- but the forgot to instruct me about really
high levels. And when I pulled out the glucose meter for lunch it
registered a really high number. When I called the hospital, they
informed me that because Cora had already been discharged they could
not legally give advice as to what I should do. I frantically search
for the phone number for the Denver Diabetes Center. Eventually I
found it, but when I called I was informed that our assigned doctor
was on rounds at Children's Hospital-- he would call me back as soon
as he could. All the while the departure time was ticking nearer.
Fortunate for me the good doctor did indeed call me back within
minutes of my leaving a message. He calmly talked me down off that
wall and told me it was okay for Cora to eat, I would just need to
give an extra dose of insulin to bring the blood sugar down. This
sounded like a horrible idea to me-- I had visions of plummeting
blood sugar, convulsions and all the other horror I had heard of, all
happening in a airplane 30,000 feet in the air. But the doctor
seemed sure and he was right. We gave the shot, Cora ate her lunch,
and the short flight went smoothly. Once we arrived my mother in law
picked Cora up at the airport. The rest of the family had a rather
bumpy flight home, but made it home shortly after we did.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;">The
next day we attended classes to learn the ins and out out diabetes
care (including dealing with high blood sugar) and began learning to
live our new normal.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BM87CW6-J3w/WGxY0pOW-wI/AAAAAAAABGE/1wuJOfZS8hkT_XzBBNKF0N-iqlh0mZWOwCLcB/s1600/10155394_10203523783879023_984264063_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BM87CW6-J3w/WGxY0pOW-wI/AAAAAAAABGE/1wuJOfZS8hkT_XzBBNKF0N-iqlh0mZWOwCLcB/s320/10155394_10203523783879023_984264063_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cora, 3 days out of the hospital and much happier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll be honest with
you; I am not one of those people who believe “every thing happens
for a reason”, but I do believe there are lessons we can take from
every thing that does happen to us. And I believe that everything
that happens to us changes us. And I also think that many of the
experiences we have had in the airplane—everything from engine
trouble to delayed departures and unplanned destinations-- are what
give us the fortitude to deal with the greatest emergencies in life. </span></span>
</div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-29481444412238529432019-11-20T12:14:00.001-08:002020-11-20T12:14:32.946-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="break-before: page; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pergatoiry River
Valley</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">June
2012</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maddie
11</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kier
9</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cora
6</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NW4Zeny0aUg/Vz5FJUkBMkI/AAAAAAAAA2s/SWE48dzTqvUNeu3p94b_i08VFvVUlNpdwCLcB/s1600/562742_4493951510680_633823662_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NW4Zeny0aUg/Vz5FJUkBMkI/AAAAAAAAA2s/SWE48dzTqvUNeu3p94b_i08VFvVUlNpdwCLcB/s400/562742_4493951510680_633823662_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> I
hate High-wing airplanes. Joel tells me my disdain is unwarranted,
that the reason the two flights in a Cessna were so bumpy is because
it was late-June and they were afternoon flights when the hot air is
rising. None the less, I maintain my feeling that the wings belong on
the bottom of the plane. That way you can look down and see that the
wings are still there. At any rate, two of our most bumpy flights
took place in a beautiful, near new (leather seats and all) Cessna
152 while the paperwork for the battered Cherokee still sat in
insurance purgatory. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
first such flight was, I kid you not, not more then 20 minutes from
take off to landing. Still it was long enough for both girls to toss
their cookies, but not long enough that we thought to bring barf bags
or extra clothes. Yep, that was a huge oversight!, and so much for
those shinny new leather seats! Not only that but a Cessna 152
carries 4 people-- leaving one Shaklee family member without a seat.
So this little 20 minutes flight from Centennial Airport in Denver to
Rocky Mountain Metro in Broomfield required several hours of planning
and driving to get everyone to the same air show at about the same
time. We had to pick up food, drop Kier off with our airplane
friends, the Lowels, and then drive from their</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nfb-XBu3WKM/Vz5FIv5mjDI/AAAAAAAAA2U/4V0fOG_3_Ysev1-Hc0DegsN-1XE4tNy1ACLcB/s1600/295278_4493951230673_7220205_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nfb-XBu3WKM/Vz5FIv5mjDI/AAAAAAAAA2U/4V0fOG_3_Ysev1-Hc0DegsN-1XE4tNy1ACLcB/s320/295278_4493951230673_7220205_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">house
(which is significantly closer to Metro Airport) back to Centennial
airport. On the other hand, this convoluted method of arriving at
the airshow did save us the cost of admission--just don't ask about
the cost of plane rental and av-gas-- and allowed us the squeeze in
landing between B52s and Japanese Yaks. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">
</span></span>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> A
few weeks later we were once again crammed in the 152 (Kier was once
again temporarily adopted by the Lowels and their Moony) and bouncing
across the sky on our way to Purgatoire River Valley. Seriously, who
goes to Purgatoire on vacation! The good news is that this time no
one needed the barf bags which we had the foresight to remember, the
bad news was that a strong head wind made the trip take forever.
And, once we reached the airport in La Junta that head wind became a
wicked crosswind across the run way. One thing to know about wind
and airplanes is that it pushes the airplane around a lot more then
it does a car. So, if the wind is coming perpendicular to the
direction you want to travel and your airplane is pointed straight,
you are not going to get where you want to go. Therefore the pilot
must point the airplane at an angle; they call this crabbing because,
like a crab, you end up “walking” sideways-- it's a strange
sensation. If you think about this for a moment you'll realize the
problem that arises when the wheels of said “sideways moving”
airplane hit the tarmac of the “not sideways moving” runway. In
order fix this problem the pilot puts the plane in a slideslip as you
near the runway. In a slideslip the airplane has one wing tipped up
and one tipped down. This changes the airflow over the wings and
results in less push on the plane-- it also means that the plane<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g0EVZf8ESP4/Vz5FJK0PFoI/AAAAAAAAA2g/wkpW3YcrUjs6so5iz1iGaHVZL71TWa4NwCLcB/s1600/546107_4493950990667_107078170_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g0EVZf8ESP4/Vz5FJK0PFoI/AAAAAAAAA2g/wkpW3YcrUjs6so5iz1iGaHVZL71TWa4NwCLcB/s400/546107_4493950990667_107078170_n.jpg" width="400" /></a>
lands on one wheel. As you can imagine its a tricky maneuver. And
being in a light plane makes it even trickier. Joel was all over the
rudder peddles to keep the plane in the proper “not too much, not
too little” angle. And I was squirming all over my seat, because
I'm sure somehow my shifted weight makes all the difference in how
the plane handles. (No?) We, of course, landed unscathed, but
apparently gave our friends quiet the “airshow”. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Once
on the ground, the real adventure began. For one thing it was crazy
hot in La Junta that weekend. We were tent camping at the near by
KOA and could have saved ourselves the trouble of packing those bulky
sleeping bags-- we certainly didn't need them. In fact what we
really needed was some sort of a tent air conditioner! I'm pretty
sure the over night low was still somewhere in the 80s that night.
Brett's (Lowell) solution was to take a cold shower fully clothed
before entering their tent. The result was apparently a somewhat
effective human evaporative cooler in their tent. On the other hand,
our family, not knowing this trick, just spent the night sweating it
out on top of our sleeping bags.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> The
stated purpose of this trip into Purgatorie River Valley (also called
Picketwire Canyonlands-- although in our collective opinion
Purgatorie is a much more fitting name) was to take a ranger led trip
into the park to see the largest dinosaur tracksite in North America.
According to the Forresty Services website, over 1,300 dinosaur
footprints extending over ¼ of are visible in the canyon. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Access
to the site is strictly controlled. There are only two ways to visit:
1) hike, bike or horseback the 17+ miles in the scorching hot sun, or
2) take one of the two or three yearly four wheel drive Forest
Service guided tours into the canyon. We opted for the ranger led
trip-- a decision which turned out to be very wise indeed, given the
soaring temperatures that day.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iEOjDmE4VU4/Vz5FJQYyg1I/AAAAAAAAA2o/cNPizuHaZ1QxSWHTJ8oiZen5N4glWyOzACLcB/s1600/559046_4493952270699_1351416305_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iEOjDmE4VU4/Vz5FJQYyg1I/AAAAAAAAA2o/cNPizuHaZ1QxSWHTJ8oiZen5N4glWyOzACLcB/s320/559046_4493952270699_1351416305_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">We
arrived at the Forestry Service office mid-morning to join the
four-wheel caravan of about 10 vehicles that would make the trek into
the canyon that day. We had flown into La Junta and, it being a
small town that generally doesn't even make it to “dot on the map”
status, finding a rent-able four wheel vehicle was a bit of a trick.
But, Bret was determined. He had found us a car dealership that was
willing to rent us a Suburban for the weekend....as long as we didn't
take it “off roading”. We reasoned that we would in fact be “on
roads”; they would be dirt and forestry service road, but roads
none-the-less. Our conscious almost clear, we set off into the
bottom of Purgatorie. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Our
tour took us past a cliff wall decorated with ancient petroglyphs,
into bottom of the canyon and through the homestead of the pickitwire
farm and of course along the bottom of the river where we followed in
the gigantic footprint of million year old dinosaur tracks. The day
was insanely hot. The car thermometer showed 108 much of the day.
The forest ranger reported that his handheld thermometer read 118 at
one point-- we were dubious, as that would have set an impressive
record for Colorado. But at some point the difference between 108
and 118 is immaterial-- both are crazy, dangerous HOT. Between short
forays into the inferno we turned the AC up full blast and guzzled
gallons of water. Remarkably, no one in the entire caravan of cars
ended up with heat stroke!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> The
exploration over, we all drove out of the canyon and started back on
the dirt road to town. And that is when the inevitable happened-- A
flat tire! In the 108 (+?) degree temperatures we all piled out of
the rental car to gape at the very flat tire. We were stuck, on a
dirt road, miles from any sort of main road, in a car we we not
supposed to take off road (although technically we were back on a
road by the time the flat tire occurred....) Fortunately for us, we
were not the last car of the caravan to make the trip out. A kindly
couple in a “decked out to the hilt” jeep pulled up behind us.
We have had more then one mishap while four wheeling and I've noticed
that four wheel people are always very helpful-- I think it may have
to do with getting to use their stash of emergency gear with out
having to endure the emergency themselves. What ever the reason we
are eternally grateful that they pulled over and had the right gear
to temporarily patch up the tire so we could drive (rather then
walk!) the rest of the way to town.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> But
now, what to do about the obviously damaged tire? It was decided
that a new tire should be purchased in order to hide our
transgressions. The men went off to procure said tire, which took an
inordinate amount of time. The women tried to cool and placate hot,
tired hungry children with a swimming pool and ice cream. After a
dinner of by the slice pizza and pop, we climbed into our steaming
hot tents for another night in the KOA before flying out as early as
possible the next morning to avoid the heat of the next day.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> But
strange as it may seem, as we drove across Denver to go pick Kier up
from the Lowel's house, I remarked to Joel what an interesting trip
it was and that I couldn't imagine sharing that trip with anyone but
the Lowel's. And so there you have it, in Purgatorie we learned the
value of friends (and that misery loves company ;). Although, a some
point Dawn pointed out that her parents used to just have friends
over for dinner and cards..... and at that moment, that sounded like
a much better idea!</span><br />
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pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-34188045912462579662018-11-20T12:09:00.000-08:002020-11-20T12:12:47.343-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Page,
Arizona</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Maddie 9</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Kier 6</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cora 3</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMXLXbq7jmA/V7dBTIaAIEI/AAAAAAAABAc/iqcUncCHXJI3zATBl9xSIZFS97gQHOTPQCLcB/s1600/249482_2070412403717_1245957_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMXLXbq7jmA/V7dBTIaAIEI/AAAAAAAABAc/iqcUncCHXJI3zATBl9xSIZFS97gQHOTPQCLcB/s320/249482_2070412403717_1245957_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Sandstone Canyons in Page AZ</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Often
our trip destinations are not planned by us-- or at least are not the
destinations we planned.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SvP_HY6CcJQ/V7dByIyg8sI/AAAAAAAABAk/H6gQJo3D78guBWV85aeYjbofQbLrjF2TgCLcB/s1600/249279_2070390283164_4004246_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SvP_HY6CcJQ/V7dByIyg8sI/AAAAAAAABAk/H6gQJo3D78guBWV85aeYjbofQbLrjF2TgCLcB/s320/249279_2070390283164_4004246_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maddie and Kier at the Grand Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> When
we went to the Grand Canyon we were still naive enough to think you
could just waltz into a national park and reasonably expect to find a
place to stay. After all, we had a tent and camping gear!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
first night we drove from camp ground to camp ground and were turned
away again and again. In the end we managed to snag the last cabin
in the park-- a blessing from someone else's last minute
cancellation. It was a “no-pets” room so we had to traumatize
our 6 month old miniature poodle puppy with a night in the kennel
(did you know that many of our national parks <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">have</span> dog kennels?
Neither did we!) </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
next day was a chill<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">y</span>, windy March day. But the view of the Grand
Canyon are beautiful in any weather.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kDVNY-zFEGE/V7dBdNyuO-I/AAAAAAAABAg/C7zP5zHVOfwssNYiEIo4unZr108-AobzwCLcB/s1600/249870_2070389803152_4576100_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kDVNY-zFEGE/V7dBdNyuO-I/AAAAAAAABAg/C7zP5zHVOfwssNYiEIo4unZr108-AobzwCLcB/s320/249870_2070389803152_4576100_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GRAND Canyon in Spring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">By
mid-afternoon, we knew that the previous days “lucky lodging”
opportunity was not to be repeated. There was no where to stay in
the park. We tried the near by, but out of the park, hotels. They
were also all full. We even <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">asked at </span>the frightening campground<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">, but it also </span>had no
vacancy. The tent camp spots were concrete and practically right on
the road-- maybe they were; it was hard to tell the difference!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">We
thought that maybe we could camp at the airport? The employees at
the FBO looked rather dubious when we suggested it. They conferred
among themselves and, I guess, decided that we didn't seem to suspect
because they did finally give approval. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">On
second thought, I think they knew there was absolutely no way we
could possibly set up camp. For one thing, the win<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">d</span> was picking up;
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wp8IcXfnGas/V7dCR5s1PjI/AAAAAAAABAo/tOPQ2DLNuqQ9MznbBrphl8xw2c-EMorBACLcB/s1600/226489_2070407683599_4092168_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wp8IcXfnGas/V7dCR5s1PjI/AAAAAAAABAo/tOPQ2DLNuqQ9MznbBrphl8xw2c-EMorBACLcB/s320/226489_2070407683599_4092168_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A big Crack in the earth AKA the Grand Canyon</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
for another, the hangers were packed tightly together and what space
there was was covered in goat-heads and cactus. <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">T</span>he sun would be
setting soon; it was crunch time-- a decision had to be made.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Joel
said if we left right away we could make it as far as Page, Arizona.
We packed the plane, left the rental car's keys at the FBO and took
off into a strong headwind.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Flying
in a small aircraft over the Grand Canyon is a unique feeling. The
earth seems to fall away as you fly over the cliff. Actually the
airport at Page, Arizona is even more impressive at this effect. The
airport at Page literally lies at the top of a cliff over looking the
Lake Powell Reservoir, and upon take off it really does feel like
someone pulled the rug out from under you. <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">L</span>anding at the Page
Airport feels a bit like you might hit the side of a cliff!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uZTTDQe_jUQ/V7dCnouedGI/AAAAAAAABAs/DCxwtFgnCMUdoPo0oGAYjqbWAodsfrmhQCLcB/s1600/225449_2070407883604_3868966_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uZTTDQe_jUQ/V7dCnouedGI/AAAAAAAABAs/DCxwtFgnCMUdoPo0oGAYjqbWAodsfrmhQCLcB/s320/225449_2070407883604_3868966_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landing in Page AZ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TcBXCR2dOQ/V7dCn4E5mGI/AAAAAAAABAw/jhMFSj61p64s2flbgK9Ok63BjrRfzm7KACLcB/s1600/227572_2070409443643_5245725_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TcBXCR2dOQ/V7dCn4E5mGI/AAAAAAAABAw/jhMFSj61p64s2flbgK9Ok63BjrRfzm7KACLcB/s200/227572_2070409443643_5245725_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Powell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S5NMSQjWbzY/V7dCn-AkNCI/AAAAAAAABA0/AZlyWk0u2WEo1no0BwLV1h9h7PqoFnoyQCLcB/s1600/226986_2070408003607_3979792_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S5NMSQjWbzY/V7dCn-AkNCI/AAAAAAAABA0/AZlyWk0u2WEo1no0BwLV1h9h7PqoFnoyQCLcB/s200/226986_2070408003607_3979792_n.jpg" width="200" /></a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Once
we arrived at Page we decided it was well worth spending a couple of
days. After all, we wouldn't be staying in the Grand Canyon, like we
had planned. We camped for two nights at the Glen Canyon National
Recreation Area. Apparently 'National Recreation Areas' do not share
the National Park's “no-spur-of-the-moment visits” quality. </span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">We
spent a day playing at the beach around Lake Powell. We admired the
house boats and tried to take a tour of the dam. Unfortunately due
to the high winds we could not actually go out on the dam that day.
We did however, manage an areal tour of the area after the pilots who
fly for the tour company gave us some hints on the best spots to
visit. The Glen Canyon, which now makes up the walls of the Lake Powell
reservoir, is absolutely stunning. The shear cliffs are composed of
smooth, striated layers of red and pale yellow sandstone.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFvqfol4foQ/V7dDoik4HKI/AAAAAAAABBM/Ne898JSO7DMQTKV6e4h-zS9pbJ_efX8zACEw/s1600/226792_2070413043733_2611340_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFvqfol4foQ/V7dDoik4HKI/AAAAAAAABBM/Ne898JSO7DMQTKV6e4h-zS9pbJ_efX8zACEw/s320/226792_2070413043733_2611340_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antelope Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNnSCdVNAfA/V7dDoraLI6I/AAAAAAAABBM/sqDo8eZMweoQjNNxDr19pz6sM70oeSaRQCEw/s1600/230547_2070411523695_3693994_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNnSCdVNAfA/V7dDoraLI6I/AAAAAAAABBM/sqDo8eZMweoQjNNxDr19pz6sM70oeSaRQCEw/s320/230547_2070411523695_3693994_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A rugged, safe and comfortable 4 Wheel trip"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">On
our second day we visited the near by Antelope Canyon which boasts
this same beautiful geology. The Canyon is located on Navajo Tribal
land. The only access to the canyon is on a guide led tour </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">offered
by the Navajo Tribe. Here is part of the description from the
website: “ The tour involves us transporting you to the Upper
Antelope Canyon in our 4-wheel drive tour vehicle that is both
rugged, safe and yet comfortable.” I think this can be translated
into something like: Transportation to the Canyon involves cramming
as many people as possible into the back of a standard pickup truck
and racing across the desert at 40 miles per hour. No seatbelts or
other safety equipment will be provided, so just hold on to your little ones
and enjoy the ride!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">
</span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yT7HCKZptaA/V7dDo6K72II/AAAAAAAABBM/N_K-Hv2jHdo9CwWP6SZzUVoz5Y3-mxF3gCEw/s1600/249478_2070412843728_5018748_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yT7HCKZptaA/V7dDo6K72II/AAAAAAAABBM/N_K-Hv2jHdo9CwWP6SZzUVoz5Y3-mxF3gCEw/s320/249478_2070412843728_5018748_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kier, Maddie and Cora in Antelope Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> The
website also refers to the “haunting beauty” and “awe-inspiring
stone formations”. No translation is required for those
statements. Nothing could be more accurate. Antelope Canyon is
other-worldly in it's beauty! While in Antelope </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">By
the third day we were ready to move on to our next destination, M<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">e</span>sa
Verde. That plan was not to be. It appeared that while we were
unable to STAY in The Grand Canyon, we were equally unable to LEAVE
The Glen Canyon. In the end, this vacation stop, which we never
planned to make, ended up lasting for five nights!</span> <span style="font-family: "littlebluejay";">
</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "littlebluejay";"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">But
on day three we were unaware that we still had 3 more nights here in
Page Arizona, so we packed up our camping gear and returned our
rental car. And then we waited for the weather to give us the go
ahead. We spent much of day three in the FBO. We flipped through
the brochures, played on the luggage scales, turned concrete barriers
into balance beams, played fetch with the dog at the near by empty
lot and generally made ourselves at home (if perhaps unwelcome guests
who wouldn't leave...)</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Eternally
optimistic, but also tired of sleeping on the ground, we chose to
forego the rental car and instead use the funds for a night in a
hotel. I believe we hitched a ride with someone from the FBO (at the
airport). It was close enough that in the morning we could walk back
to the airport. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1p7Hi2_XbXQ/V7dGwUHvSfI/AAAAAAAABBc/H0Gy0AQGmbQHXmQEOENQXdzW6b8-hav_ACEw/s1600/225240_2070411243688_6100283_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1p7Hi2_XbXQ/V7dGwUHvSfI/AAAAAAAABBc/H0Gy0AQGmbQHXmQEOENQXdzW6b8-hav_ACEw/s320/225240_2070411243688_6100283_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out at the airport-- our natural environment.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ssAkpWDMqtc/V7dGwR47kaI/AAAAAAAABBY/JqaD2DC-jT4stqfRmCKQ8E4N-RGvkckwwCEw/s1600/226845_2070413123735_5812951_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ssAkpWDMqtc/V7dGwR47kaI/AAAAAAAABBY/JqaD2DC-jT4stqfRmCKQ8E4N-RGvkckwwCEw/s200/226845_2070413123735_5812951_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camped out under a wing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Unfortunately,
the weather was still not favorable the next morning. We did at one
point think things had improved enough for us to leave. Once we got
into the air, Joel called Air Traffic Control to open his flight plan.
The ATC controller started on a whole litany of weather problems.
After the first report of Thunderstorms along the way (which involved
some mountain flying) Joel had already begun to turn the plane and
head back to the airport. But the air traffic controller continued
with his long list-- icing <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">en-route</span>, snowstorms, turbulence... Clearly
it was not a good day to be headed into Colorado.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">At
the end of the day, we dragged our luggage back to the previous
night's hotel and were told that there was no vacancy for the night.
The only other option was on the other side of town. Page Arizona is
a small town and, at least at the time we were there, had no taxi
service. So we had to drag our luggage, our puppy, and our three
small children across town. It was probably only 2 miles but it
seemed infinite!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> One
of the things we did to pass the time during our extended stay in
Page was go see a movie in the cute little 1940s era, small town
theater. I don't remember what movie we found to watch that
afternoon, but I do remember having the most bizarre conversation
with the theater manager.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> We
were traveling with our 10 pound miniature poodle puppy and since we
had checked out of the hotel room in the morning, we had no where to
leave the puppy for a few hours. But she's only 10 pounds and she
fits nicely in a backpack (ma<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">d</span>e for dogs). A quiet b<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">lac</span>k puppy in a
mesh black bag rarely solicits attention beyond the occasional smile
when a particularly observant passer-by realizes that the shiny
black eyes belong to a living puppy. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vhqdd3yWtno/V7dHvwD590I/AAAAAAAABBk/JMjjkA_IH0AjNwP2NNohQAlASS1GH5MZACLcB/s1600/246689_2070390443168_237012_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vhqdd3yWtno/V7dHvwD590I/AAAAAAAABBk/JMjjkA_IH0AjNwP2NNohQAlASS1GH5MZACLcB/s320/246689_2070390443168_237012_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invisibility bag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">About
half way through the movie I decided I needed to visit the “Lady's”.
This presented a bit of a problem. I could choose to leave the puppy
in the bag with the family-- but she is very much my dog and there
was a high <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">likelihood</span> that this choice would result in some <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">whining</span>.
My other choice was to take her with me. Turns out maybe I should
have risked the potential whine and left her with Joel...</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Anyway,
upon exiting the restroom, I was ominously called in to the manager's
office where the young, 20s something theater manager informed me
that “backpacks are not allowed at the theater” and I would need
to leave mine with her until I was prepared to leave. I have no idea
what <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">illicit</span> things this young women thought a mom of three young kids
might be carrying in her backpack (and what mom of three young kids
doesn't carry a huge bag filled with kid gear...) but clearly “puppy”
was not on the list! </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> I,
however, knew full well that the bag contained a puppy and that
leaving the bag would not go well! So, I suggested that she might
want to take a look in the bag BEFORE deciding she wanted to keep it
in her office. This idea rather shocked the girl, whose forehead
creased and eyes, in turn grew large and then suspiciously narrowed
before stammering out that, yes, maybe she should know what was in
the bag. When I unzipped the bag a little black ball of curly fluff
with a bright pink tongue happily wiggled out. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> “Oh!”
the girl gasped, her eyes now wide, “I don't think we allow dogs!”</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> I
couldn't help but smile. “Well, no I didn't think you do. That's
why I hid her in a bag,” I said as I directing the puppy back into
the backpack. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> There
was now a good thirty seconds of silence where the girl and I sat
looking at one another over the big desk.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Finally,
I ventured to ask if <span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">m</span>y puppy and I could go back and finish watching
the movie with my kids. Uncertainly, she agreed, but told me that I
was not welcome in the theater in the future.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> “Got
it,” I agreed.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XenTr2ZQkIw/V7dIR9uN7kI/AAAAAAAABBw/7RYV8bH2DgIqM95b1f84JqrTVZ-gVmy2ACLcB/s1600/230730_2070386963081_4202004_n.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XenTr2ZQkIw/V7dIR9uN7kI/AAAAAAAABBw/7RYV8bH2DgIqM95b1f84JqrTVZ-gVmy2ACLcB/s320/230730_2070386963081_4202004_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Little House" set in Tucson AZ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> So
the next day, when it rained ALL DAY, going to the theater was not an
option. Instead we spent a day watching a marathon of old “Little
House on the Prairie” episodes. Earlier in the trip, while in
Tucson, we visited the studio where many of the episodes had been
filmed, so we made the best of the day while we tried to identify the
various props and scenes.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"> Our
plan that week had been to spend two or three day exploring the Grand
Canyon and two or three days playing in the Cliff Dwelling of Mesa
Verde. Reality provide one whirlwind night in the Grand Canyon, no
time for Mesa Verde and five nights in Page Arizona. Plus a chance
to learn flexibility as we discarded the plan and instead embraced
reality!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0o-2PfrcGI/V7dIpdo1CyI/AAAAAAAABB4/N1sSCPo30KYpVoac8oGAWtnRUA5xCcBFACLcB/s1600/248237_2070413963756_2993032_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0o-2PfrcGI/V7dIpdo1CyI/AAAAAAAABB4/N1sSCPo30KYpVoac8oGAWtnRUA5xCcBFACLcB/s320/248237_2070413963756_2993032_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument Valley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RNeXGpwfvcE/V7dIpFiaU-I/AAAAAAAABB0/TXafArSp2YgdiUScmVKnDr8d86COc7lQACLcB/s1600/250327_2070414323765_451572_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RNeXGpwfvcE/V7dIpFiaU-I/AAAAAAAABB0/TXafArSp2YgdiUScmVKnDr8d86COc7lQACLcB/s320/250327_2070414323765_451572_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maddie Air-plane Schooling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rWesgvzMoEY/V7dIpT2ck7I/AAAAAAAABB8/jcGg6CxtFmIdP_h0zNau1h0uZhz-z1pXgCLcB/s1600/250422_2070414523770_3303995_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rWesgvzMoEY/V7dIpT2ck7I/AAAAAAAABB8/jcGg6CxtFmIdP_h0zNau1h0uZhz-z1pXgCLcB/s320/250422_2070414523770_3303995_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUc6jAioqzU/V7dIpiaVrCI/AAAAAAAABCA/BKucfI6pjZwlRaBJQgGWmoi5iNVPzWajgCLcB/s1600/250560_2070413323740_627075_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUc6jAioqzU/V7dIpiaVrCI/AAAAAAAABCA/BKucfI6pjZwlRaBJQgGWmoi5iNVPzWajgCLcB/s320/250560_2070413323740_627075_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o3b0zq68sfw/V7dIpvBC5nI/AAAAAAAABCE/DQtAvE6lByQkii34JvYQ-gTVU9NgqusNACLcB/s1600/250628_2070410803677_4454139_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o3b0zq68sfw/V7dIpvBC5nI/AAAAAAAABCE/DQtAvE6lByQkii34JvYQ-gTVU9NgqusNACLcB/s320/250628_2070410803677_4454139_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-33924722050159784112018-11-02T12:10:00.000-07:002020-11-20T12:11:20.059-08:00<p> </p><div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">Montana</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
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</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZqXL5GgGyA/Vz06Jzkr2yI/AAAAAAAAA1s/zK2J-YRGGtosgcqhjnN12STuMGzZun-qgCLcB/s1600/10592770_10204780084285748_149324662539488042_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZqXL5GgGyA/Vz06Jzkr2yI/AAAAAAAAA1s/zK2J-YRGGtosgcqhjnN12STuMGzZun-qgCLcB/s400/10592770_10204780084285748_149324662539488042_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">September
2013</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Maddie
13</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Kier
10</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Cora
7</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">I
think some vacations are fated to fall into ruin. And if ever there
was a trip where the “vacation fates” cackled and menacingly
rubbed their hands together as they planned, it was our vacation to
Glacier National Park in Montana.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gY9kY-xZ9hk/Vz06KiGTCxI/AAAAAAAAA18/rSI_lGivhvcTH9ctEWVUz1b7uFLsSar1QCLcB/s1600/1782487_10204765084550764_617938696281524432_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gY9kY-xZ9hk/Vz06KiGTCxI/AAAAAAAAA18/rSI_lGivhvcTH9ctEWVUz1b7uFLsSar1QCLcB/s320/1782487_10204765084550764_617938696281524432_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">It
was intended to be an anniversary trip for Joel and I and for our
friends Bret and Dawn Lowell. We had celebrated our 16<sup>th</sup>
anniversary in August and they were celebrating their 20<sup>st</sup>
anniversary that month. But, seven Year old Cora had been diagnosed
with type one diabetes a mere 5 months prior to this trip, and so
this added a certain degree of complication. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
plan was to leave our three kids with my parents. We spent several
months beforehand preparing them for this weekend. They had learned
to calculate carbs; give meal time insulin with the insulin pen; give
long lasting insulin with the syringe; they had learned emergency
procedures for dangerously low and dangerously high blood sugars. We
had gone over the daily routine (including middle of the night blood
sugar checks). I think I had even made detailed spread sheets for
everything from signs of low blood sugars to the average carbohydrate
content of just about everything under the sun. I'm not saying that
no one felt nervous about the weekend, but they were certainly as
prepared as they possibly could be.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">And
then, two days before the weekend, my dad got sick; head cold, nasty
cough, fever-- the works. Okay, we thought, we could still do this.
We had another grandma waiting in the wings. Grandma Janie had also
learned the ropes. She agreed, she would be happy to take the kids
for the weekend. Slightly frazzled by the hiccup, we none the less
had a workable plan. Then, one day before our scheduled departure,
Grandma Janie can down with the same nasty virus!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">It
would be a squeeze, and it certainly wasn't the trip we were
planning, but maybe we could turn the couples trip into a family
trip. We called the Lowells and they were amiable a family trip. We
had a two bedroom vacation house near Glacier National Park in
Montana. The kids would be sleeping on the floor in their parents
rooms – so much for a romantic anniversary get-away.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Alright”
we thought, “we got that glitch out of the way”-- </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Not
so fast!” the vacation fates cackled. And then the weather reports
came in. The weather over the northwestern Wyoming looked “iffy”.
</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">It
was at this point that I asked, “At what point do we call it, and
say this vacation isn't meant to be?”</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Joel's
response was, “not yet. We still have options. We can go to the
south of the Tetons. This can still work.”</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">By
morning the weather over Colorado was somewhat “iffy” as well.
Low cloud had settled over the Front Range. I'm not exactly sure how
low they were but I do know it seemed like as soon as the wheels were
up, all we could see was white. This was Joel's first take on into
instrument conditions and he told me later that if he had realized
exactly how poor the visibility was, we wouldn't have taken off. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
clouds were low, but they also were not very thick, so within 20
minutes we had popped out the other side and were skimming along the
tops. The Rocky Mountains poked up though the low clouds in an
ethereal “Middle Earth” sort of way. We had a strong head wind
that day and both Joel and I noticed an occasional surging as the
airplane moved through the sky. We figured it must be gusty as well.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Around
noon, we landed in Big Piney Wyoming. This was our designated
rendezvous point with the Lowells. It was also our lunch spot. We
pulled out the lunch bag and headed into the FBO. After bringing in
our lunch and Cora's insulin bag, I realized that we had left the
waters in the plane. I ran back out to get them, and my three kids
followed-- somehow locking the door to the FBO in the process! This
was a problem because, not only was our lunch in there, but so was
the entire bag of insulin and all the diabetes emergency supplies.
Fortunately we had not yet given Cora any lunch insulin yet, so she
was not a “blood- sugar time bomb” at that moment. Still, I
think I may have said some not very nice things to my children at
that moment about not leaving belonging unattended and how did they
lock the door anyway! </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">There
was a phone number on the door, and while my phone was locked inside,
Joel's was not, so we used it to call the number. Within five
minutes someone had showed up to unlock the door. Few, one crisis
was averted! </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">After
Lunch and meeting up with the Lowels, we headed, caravan style, to
the west of the mountains and then north toward Montana. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I4XIfGE1YCg/Vz06KZ4a_qI/AAAAAAAAA10/mBYJw7HC_VoIdxlmNHor_Rm-EeF8JyAKQCLcB/s1600/13230183_10209365484157879_8592857301337418904_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I4XIfGE1YCg/Vz06KZ4a_qI/AAAAAAAAA10/mBYJw7HC_VoIdxlmNHor_Rm-EeF8JyAKQCLcB/s400/13230183_10209365484157879_8592857301337418904_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Cora
asked that I ride in the back. This was our first big flight since
her diagnoses of Diabetes and it turns out that the feeling of a low
blood sugar was masked by the vibrating of the airplane. As a result
she had been feeling funny all morning. We no longer had the
Cherokee (you can read that story in the YUMA chapter). We were now
flying a Piper Saratoga. The Saratoga has club seating, which meant I
was riding backwards. Usually these seats are reserved for the dogs
and for Kier, who isn't bothered by airsickness. I don't get
airsick, but still am not a big fan of the sensation of flying
backwards. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">There
I was, in the backseat, facing the wrong way, when I felt the plane
slow down, when I heard the engine noise quiet, when I felt my
stomach in my throat. I remembered exactly what that all meant. I
craned my neck around in time to see Joel flick the key back to
center. He turned and looked back. I don't think he even said
anything to me. He didn't have to, we both knew. Magnito trouble.
Again. Same problem, different plane. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
Lowels in their Moony were just ahead of us, so Joel radioed them to
let them know what was going on. Then he radioed the nearest
airport, Idaho Falls, to tell them we would be coming. The Lowels
followed us in. Unlike our experience in the Cherokee, where we were
almost still right over the airport, on this trip, we had a tense 30
minute flight to the airport. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Once
we arrived, the boys went off to see the aviation mechanics. Dawn
and the kids and I waited....and waited... The kids played hide and
seek in the massive FBO building, wallowed on the floor in the pilot
lounge, and were generally too loud and antsy after the long,
stressful flight. We waited some more. Cell phone coverage was
spotty and the guys were unreachable. It occurred to Dawn and I that
we should start thinking about things like dinner, a car, maybe a
place to stay. It turned out this was a near impossible task! </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">It
seemed there was some sort of parents night at a near by university
in Idaho and all the hotels and rental cars were booked up for the
next 100 miles! Surely that is hyperbole, right. No cars or hotels
for a 100 miles? Because of a collage parent's night? That's what I
thought. But we called hotel after hotel, car rental after car
rental-- nothing, for 100 miles. I even asked if we could spend the
night at the FBO,and the heartless women said, “no”. I was
beginning to envision our little family huddled up on the concrete
beside a hanger, fighting over the 2 emergency sleeping bags in the
plane. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">Not
only was this the wrong weekend to need a rental car, or a hotel
room, it was also a bad week to need an airplane mechanic. Turns out
that most of the mechanics were busy deer hunting that week, leaving
only the youngest apprentice (who wasn't approved to do anything it
seemed). After considerable begging, pleading and insisting that he
knew what the problem was, Joel convinced the man to look into the
magnito-- in the morning.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s0oO1pDQIlE/Vz06KYjAlkI/AAAAAAAAA14/P8iIbxm2ujs1ZPBeP2PyQaQv5Dqk5iPJgCLcB/s1600/10697421_10204765083150729_4287868881537355766_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s0oO1pDQIlE/Vz06KYjAlkI/AAAAAAAAA14/P8iIbxm2ujs1ZPBeP2PyQaQv5Dqk5iPJgCLcB/s400/10697421_10204765083150729_4287868881537355766_o.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">It
was getting dark and the Lowels had to fly over mountains in order to
arrive at our destination in Montana. They clearly felt bad leaving
us to our unknown fate. But, what could be done. We were less
likely to find lodging for two families then for one. As they were
leaving, Bret commented that he had had luck once or twice renting a
car from a dealership. This sparked an idea from the FBO lady (who
turned out not to be so heartless after all). She knew the son of
the owner of the two big car dealerships in town-- and he was a
student pilot!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">She
gave him a call and, still in his date night duds, he picked us up
from the airport, drove us to the dealership, handed us the keys to a
car and told us we could “google some rates and that WE could tell
HIM how much we would pay for the rental when we got back into town
on Monday”. I'm not even sure we signed anything or gave him a
driver's license before we drove off. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">The
drive from Idaho Falls to Glacier National Park is over 400 miles,
and we did indeed go over 100 miles before we found a hotel for the
night. It seemed like even more because, for a significant amount of
it, we got stuck behind the most unbelievably huge and slow piece of
equipment. We never did figure out what it was, but we can tell you
it moved at about 5-10 miles per hour and took up both lanes of the
two lane state highway! </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">In
the meantime, the Lowels were having airplane troubles of there own.
Their flight had gone fine but upon landing they had a spectacularly
flat tire. They spent a significant amount of time dealing with
their flat tire. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;">All
in all, I think the break down of our “anniversary trip” went
something like this: 10% flying; 25% dealing with logistical
problems; 30% driving; 35% enjoying beautiful crystal clear rivers
and lakes, fabulous scenery, and good company; and 0% romance. </span>
</div>pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-40554993794222175402018-10-11T09:56:00.000-07:002018-10-12T18:16:24.784-07:00IN THE MOMENT<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
of the things that I really enjoyed about the experience of the
Belize Earth Expedition was </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BCsG_ZuGbsY/W794GtHROGI/AAAAAAAABm0/Ix9sQefE_XoDyfukWpXkJrvS7Mq_yNF3ACEwYBhgL/s1600/37171352_10106789886469913_5789275208137310208_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BCsG_ZuGbsY/W794GtHROGI/AAAAAAAABm0/Ix9sQefE_XoDyfukWpXkJrvS7Mq_yNF3ACEwYBhgL/s400/37171352_10106789886469913_5789275208137310208_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">the encouragement to be in the moment.
And there were plenty of wonderful moments to fully experience.
From counting manatee noses to looking for yellow headed parrots.
From the sensory experience of some amazing snorkeling, to testing
our “wing” at inquiry- questions, method design, data, statistics
and trying not to float away while counting fish. And, although
with never mastered the “silent” part of the SAM (silent
appreciation moment) I think we mastered the appreciation part of the
exercise. </span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pz_AmUVoRAA/W794Gc_-86I/AAAAAAAABmw/PzthDUFLdsYMKQjKuxBAy13TUCf0yb6PgCEwYBhgL/s1600/37112596_10106789886749353_7694757175792500736_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pz_AmUVoRAA/W794Gc_-86I/AAAAAAAABmw/PzthDUFLdsYMKQjKuxBAy13TUCf0yb6PgCEwYBhgL/s400/37112596_10106789886749353_7694757175792500736_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pz_AmUVoRAA/W794Gc_-86I/AAAAAAAABmw/PzthDUFLdsYMKQjKuxBAy13TUCf0yb6PgCEwYBhgL/s1600/37112596_10106789886749353_7694757175792500736_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;"></span></span></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Experiential
learning is certainly a powerful way to connect with concepts, but
it’s also a powerful way to connect with a place and with people.
Earth Expeditions provided opportunity to meet the people of
Belize and to form a connection with the unique place that is Belize.
At the Community Baboon Sanctuary we had the chance to help paint the
floor of their brand new education center. We bonded over paint
brushes and got to be a small part of the amazing work that is being
done there. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">We also stayed in homes with the residents there. We
learned about their daily life and daily struggles. In this way we
were better able to understand the intersection of humans and
ecology. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mlFGWwMSjSk/W798QhGxFeI/AAAAAAAABnU/pYu-gvOPOgw1E7kkxb_Qo1xA4w6QW-KdgCEwYBhgL/s1600/0804182209_Film1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mlFGWwMSjSk/W798QhGxFeI/AAAAAAAABnU/pYu-gvOPOgw1E7kkxb_Qo1xA4w6QW-KdgCEwYBhgL/s400/0804182209_Film1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
thing that really helped me to be in the moment was to put down my
camera. Granted, I’m a little reluctant to say that too
loudly because I am total indebted to all the amazing photographers
in our group who didn’t put down their cameras! None the less
for me, a person who is not a great photographer, it was a blessing
to not be experiencing the trip through the lens of a camera. There
have been studies that indicate that in some cases, taking pictures
can result in what the researchers referred to as the
“photo-taking-impairment effect” (Henkel, 2013) which causes the
photographer to remember less detail than the non-photographer.
Apparently this effect can be countered by zooming in and
taking detail shots-- so if you love photography don’t despair! </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i5i58A2bhlw/W798RDOEhPI/AAAAAAAABnY/k4NZRUlhzgcosflN3f7De2guE_xLVV4jgCEwYBhgL/s1600/0804182210a_Film1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i5i58A2bhlw/W798RDOEhPI/AAAAAAAABnY/k4NZRUlhzgcosflN3f7De2guE_xLVV4jgCEwYBhgL/s400/0804182210a_Film1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Because
I didn’t take pictures while on the trip, I felt compelled to
document the visual splendor of Belize once I got home. An
added benefit of this was that I got to extend experience of
appreciating the beauty of Belize into my everyday life. Drawing and
painting is one of my favorite ways of processing new information and
appreciating the varied shapes and colors of nature. I was a
little sad that while in Belize I did not have time to indulge in my
favorite past time, but I was glad that, due to my notes on what
species we saw and the fantastic photography of my fellow classmates
I was able to make a few post trip journal entries and continue to
learn about the spectacular wildlife of the tropical rainforest. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
are a few things I think I’ll try to do a little different next
year. For instance I noticed there were very few classroom
pictures. So next year I’ll leave the fantastic animal and scenery
pictures to the more skilled photographers (and hope they are
generous enough to share them), but I’ll snap a few shots of the
group discussions and statistics sessions-- because that was an
important part of the experience too. Next year I want to make
sure to keep a log of what we did of which day-- we did so much that
on later reflection it’s hard to remember when everything happened!
And I’ll leave blank pages in my journal each day so that once I
get home and have time to reflect, look back and do some painting and
drawing I have room in the journal to add in the art. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the meantime I look forward to learning where my next adventure will
be.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgp5fFWuOGY/W794F5o3_mI/AAAAAAAABm0/WAzP7JnO6Rcs3p63aNFnkK9j29XCjJduQCEwYBhgL/s1600/37087808_10214063735721808_1342686014581243904_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgp5fFWuOGY/W794F5o3_mI/AAAAAAAABm0/WAzP7JnO6Rcs3p63aNFnkK9j29XCjJduQCEwYBhgL/s400/37087808_10214063735721808_1342686014581243904_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Henkel,
Linda A. “Point-and-Shoot Memories.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Psychological
Science</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
vol. 25, no. 2, May 2013, pp. 396–402.,
doi:10.1177/0956797613504438. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-58261114432275727362018-01-04T05:30:00.002-08:002018-01-04T05:30:47.684-08:002018 Nature Resolutions
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>Do
you have a Nature focused resolution </b></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>for
the up coming year? </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-La3EiVjXTYQ/Wk2KZ_shUBI/AAAAAAAABhE/OXLi5IyIqdQ97Tu_NxwOCs4Gt2m4LhZXgCLcBGAs/s1600/1223171512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-La3EiVjXTYQ/Wk2KZ_shUBI/AAAAAAAABhE/OXLi5IyIqdQ97Tu_NxwOCs4Gt2m4LhZXgCLcBGAs/s640/1223171512.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I
think</span><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>Nature
study</b></span><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">makes
a great area for </span><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>New
Year's Resolutions!</b></span><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know about you but I
would much rather contemplate drawing in my <span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;"><b>Nature
Journal</b></span>, planning <span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;"><b>Nature
Walks</b></span>, reading beautiful <span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;"><b>Nature
Themed poetry and books</b></span> than contemplate the 10 extra
pounds that I probably should shed in the new year. </span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">And for the record, making
time to spend outdoors in nature may have just as much of a<b> health
benefit</b> as getting rid of those extra 10 pounds (more on this in
weeks to come)-- and if my nature study involves walking I my be able
to hit both goals!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">If Nature Study is new to you
and your family I highly recommend a goal of starting a family
phenology journal or "calendar of first". If you need
some guidance, take a look at <a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">my post on phenology calendars.</a>
If you want even more help, I recommend Bernd Heinrich's new book
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-naturalists-notebook.html" target="_blank">Naturalists Notebook.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "childishkid"; font-size: large;">As
for me I have two 2018 Nature Study goals. </span><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The first in a goal just for
me (my kids will continue with there regular nature journal
scheduled). I'm calling it the<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;"><b>
52 80 challenge</b></span> and your welcome to join me if you'd
like! 5280 is in honor of my home state of Colorado with it's
mile high capital. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>The
idea is to complete 80 nature journal entries </b></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>in
the next 52 weeks.</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">This can mean 80 entries in a
calendar of firsts, or, as in my case, 80 more involved entries with
drawings and more detailed observations. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">My Second Nature goal is for
my entire family. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>Whereas
my first goal was made with our native state in mind, this goal is
made with our adopted state of New Hampshire in mind. </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">We moved from a state with
hardly any trees to the most forested state in the Union! So we
really don't know the trees that we live amongst. My goal for
2018 is to learn the 20 most common tree species and to be able to
recognize them in all 4 seasons. In order to help me with this
goal I picked up this beautiful book:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Recognizing-Trees-Northeast/dp/1682681106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515072607&sr=8-1&keywords=the+beginners+guide+to+recognizing+trees" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;">Abeginner's guide to recognizing trees of the Northeast.</span></a></u></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_R1RiS895gs/Wk2KnYmkO2I/AAAAAAAABhI/rhRjxyj_86Ub43taBoJLxD7So527Dtc_QCLcBGAs/s1600/0103182053a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_R1RiS895gs/Wk2KnYmkO2I/AAAAAAAABhI/rhRjxyj_86Ub43taBoJLxD7So527Dtc_QCLcBGAs/s640/0103182053a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;"><br /></span></u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The
book has only 40 species in it and it starts with Red Maples which
make up 30% of the Northeastern forest. The goal of the book is help
help you <span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive;"><b>learn to recognize</b></span> the most common trees by easy to pick out traits, so that
you don't have to rely on a field guide! Here are a few journal
entries I made as I work on learning the most common deciduous tree
and the most common conifer tree in my forest.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QBrgFoF0DcQ/Wk2K0ACd8gI/AAAAAAAABhM/8Kp76lbsBRoAAPkZN_lcGyCJM64ZIc55QCLcBGAs/s1600/0103182055a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QBrgFoF0DcQ/Wk2K0ACd8gI/AAAAAAAABhM/8Kp76lbsBRoAAPkZN_lcGyCJM64ZIc55QCLcBGAs/s640/0103182055a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="CENTER" style="text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: large;"><b>Happy
New Year! I hope you'll consider making your own Nature Resolutions
this year!</b></span></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-59025416147240047162017-12-28T18:18:00.002-08:002017-12-28T18:18:38.446-08:00The Naturalist's Notebook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eh7iRLEs4N4/WkWj7VSyu2I/AAAAAAAABgo/KhgmwklM2io021w96Or-eHa0r0nQ9ugBACLcBGAs/s1600/1228172108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eh7iRLEs4N4/WkWj7VSyu2I/AAAAAAAABgo/KhgmwklM2io021w96Or-eHa0r0nQ9ugBACLcBGAs/s640/1228172108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope you had the chance to spend some wonderful time with your family and loved ones. We were blessed with a beautiful White Christmas! Six inches of fresh snow on Christmas morning gave us the perfect opportunity to try out the new cross country skis we all got as Christmas Presents!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F0Jg88YtpXE/WkWkHk0XVVI/AAAAAAAABgs/zJwetwVsWOQoS83l5VWWXasbFbQ_iOf5wCLcBGAs/s1600/1225171433a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F0Jg88YtpXE/WkWkHk0XVVI/AAAAAAAABgs/zJwetwVsWOQoS83l5VWWXasbFbQ_iOf5wCLcBGAs/s400/1225171433a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
My other favorite Christmas Present was in my stocking (from my husband-- er I mean Santa). A copy of the beautiful new book by Nathaniel Wheelwrite and Bernd Heinrich, "The Naturalist's Notebook". The book is the absolute perfect introduction to keeping a simple nature journal. I know there are lots of pretty Nature Journal books out there, but really this one stand head and shoulders above the rest. <br />
<br />
The second half of the book is a simple 5 year journal with little squares and 6 lines for each days observations. At first I was nervous, wondering how on earth this tiny space could possibly prove useful in recording the wonders of the year, but then I found the real treasure in the beginning of the book.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AB8hmoq2F0s/WkWkWPbREPI/AAAAAAAABgw/07EGB7q0QdEzNrVGr65Wr1X9Fba_Is48gCLcBGAs/s1600/1228172105a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AB8hmoq2F0s/WkWkWPbREPI/AAAAAAAABgw/07EGB7q0QdEzNrVGr65Wr1X9Fba_Is48gCLcBGAs/s640/1228172105a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The first 95 pages of this book are the clearest explanation of purpose and practice of keeping a seasonal nature journal that I have ever read. They talk about the importance of curiosity, of questions, of observations. Then they show you how you can fit those observation into the tiny squares by using abbreviations and little symbols. And then, they show you how use those little observations to organize charts and graphs and find patterns. In other words they lead you through the process of natural history observation to the practice of real science!<br />
<br />
Along the way there are stories of the authors' own experiments and observations. And once again, because these two naturalists are also distinguished University Professors, their stories remind us that the process of keeping a nature journal is a powerful tool that anyone can use to record valuable information in a changing and ever fascinating world. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZirWNfRH0yE/WkWkhKtxDTI/AAAAAAAABg0/CxXpHfl6xbAiTlsKcRSpkAEbF1aaa2JTgCLcBGAs/s1600/1228172106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZirWNfRH0yE/WkWkhKtxDTI/AAAAAAAABg0/CxXpHfl6xbAiTlsKcRSpkAEbF1aaa2JTgCLcBGAs/s640/1228172106.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The book is lavishly illustrated with drawings and paintings from Bernd Heinrich's own nature journals. There is only a passing reference to the benefits of adding drawing and painting to one's own journal's (pages 48-49), but the beauty of the paintings offers more then enough inspiration. On page 22 they also give a quick run down on some other methods of journaling. This one made my day because the methods these two experts recommend closely mirror my own six nature journaling methods (<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">species catalogs</a>,<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank"> species accounts</a>, <a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/05/personal-field-guide.html" target="_blank">field notes</a>, and<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/05/personal-field-guide.html" target="_blank"> personal field guides</a>-- I also include <a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">life lists </a>as a method).<br />
<br />
One last important detail: the book is written to adults, but I'm sure nothing would make the authors happier then knowing parents were using this book to introduce their children to the joys of nature observation! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-15443240920898466902017-12-20T14:58:00.001-08:002017-12-20T17:42:45.257-08:00on Being "Naturally Curious" and Questioning Everything<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">How about a little book review and a story about how we use the book in our home/ school?</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SS9Vwtg2674/WjrooPZmiZI/AAAAAAAABgA/29oyI_Z0HdQnAtbmR0OFpLhE5CzEttK_wCLcBGAs/s1600/1220171736a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SS9Vwtg2674/WjrooPZmiZI/AAAAAAAABgA/29oyI_Z0HdQnAtbmR0OFpLhE5CzEttK_wCLcBGAs/s640/1220171736a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The book in question is called Naturally Curious by Mary Holland. Its a really cool book -especially if you live in New England. The information is pretty specifically geared toward the forest of the Northeast (the author lives in Vermont). I'm guessing most of the information would be relevant in the Great Lakes Region as well. I think someone really needs to make a version of the book for both the Plains of Colorado and the desert of Arizona, but currently this is the only book of its kind that I know of. What makes this book so awesome is that it follows the seasons so it's all relevant to what you might be seeing on your next walk. The version I have is "Naturally Currious Day by Day". This book has daily entries with 1-3 short paragraph long entries about everything from mosses and lichens to frozen winter wood frogs and red efts. Mary Holland also has a fun blog where a few times a week she post similar information for free (personally though I have found the book to be invaluable, especially since I'm trying to spend less time on the computer).<br />
<br />
For those of you who do a formal, daily morning time, this could be a fun book to add to your daily plans-- just read one section per day and you'll learn a ton about the changing seasons in a year. You could even combine it with your own daily "Calendar of Firsts" or Phenology Journal as you and your kids look to find your own seasonal patterns.<br />
<br />
But, as I've mentioned before we no longer have a designated daily morning time, so I use it more informally. I read the book daily to myself and try to remember to bring things up occasionally at breakfast or dinner as they seem relevant.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>One of the things I really love about the daily entries in this book, is that they are short; I mean really short. So short that they really don't answer your questions about a topic. Rather, they raise questions about a topic you never even thought to wonder about before!</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2Nt52hdkLU/WjrqTAuhduI/AAAAAAAABgM/pvubQn2fCxoaXbMRyQ86J9LzL5wn81xRgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMAG0049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1163" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2Nt52hdkLU/WjrqTAuhduI/AAAAAAAABgM/pvubQn2fCxoaXbMRyQ86J9LzL5wn81xRgCLcBGAs/s320/IMAG0049.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<br />
<br />
Recently, the daily entry was about squirrel's and their "ability to discern between red and white acorns" the day's reading said that squirrels are able to tell the difference between white oak acorns and red oak acorns and that they eat the embryos out the white oak acorns before storing them, but not the embryos from the red oak. In this way, the entry explained, the squirrels are able to make the nuts last longer and store better.<br />
<br />
But when I read this entry to my kids, we questioned this piece of information. Did this make sense? we asked ourselves. How would the squirrels learn to tell the difference between the two, when they often can even remember when they bury their nuts? What would be the mechanism driving the squirrel to pull out the embryo? (the entry made it sound intentional, like the squirrel was doing it specifically to make the nut last longer, but we doubted the likelihood of such a motive).<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">At some point something remarkable happened, the kids questions began to change. They changed from questions about the facts to questions about the research itself: Was this "old wives tale" or "research based"--and when was this research done; had more then one scientist studied this and was there agreement on the findings; what was the "sample size"?</span></i><br />
<br />
It was at this point that I realized I had done it! All those science articles were working<br />
their magic- my kids were learning to be critical thinkers. They were learning to<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"QUESTION EVERYTHING".</span></i></b></span> </div>
In this world where there is so much concern about people falling for dishonest stories on social media, my kids were at least beginning to learn the first step in media literacy-- "Question Everything!"<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">May we all learn to be so wise!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eEaNbgVkONo/WjrqjUoneoI/AAAAAAAABgQ/gG2o1XUYp0cd9j2MGPQQoqk7RV0cTCT-wCLcBGAs/s1600/1220171505a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eEaNbgVkONo/WjrqjUoneoI/AAAAAAAABgQ/gG2o1XUYp0cd9j2MGPQQoqk7RV0cTCT-wCLcBGAs/s320/1220171505a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Patterns in the Ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And if your interesting in my other posts about incorporating Science Articles into your school routine here are the links to those<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/11/this-summer-i-stated-work-on-masters-of.html" target="_blank">Science Articles </a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/12/finding-science-articles.html" target="_blank">Finding Articles</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/12/ideas-for-sharing.html" target="_blank">Ideals for Sharing</a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">(Nope, I wont give you the answers to the nutty squirrel questions,
you'll have to find them for yourself-- but if you need a place to
start, you can check out these: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/11/981126102802.htm" target="_blank">Science Daily </a> and <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1982.tb05446.x/epdf" target="_blank">Science Journal</a> </span><br />
<br />pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-56009648674251911102017-12-14T09:27:00.001-08:002017-12-15T17:55:29.610-08:00Ideas for SharingLast week I gave you a look at where we find our science articles. I even gave you a peek into the kids science journals. I probably should have also posted one of my own journal, because I think it is very important that we also participate. In doing so we validate the importance of the process. We make it more then just another thing on the endless to-do list. It becomes something we do because it hold value as an serious, adult learning activity. <br />
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We also give value to our learning when we share our learning. And when you think about it, isn't this really what education is all about? The process of sharing what we have learned? Passing knowledge from one person to another. Its no mistake that one of the primary tenet of science is sharing results with others! For us this sharing time comes once a week in the form of our Friday Tea Time (or some time Friday Lunch out if I'm really on top of it. In fact if I really have my things going my way its Friday lunch out after a Friday Field Trip-- but the truth is that doesn't happen as often as I'd like! The picture above and the picture below were taken at one such glorious occasion. The Maple Barn and Cafe we visited this week). <br />
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More often then not, this Friday Tea takes place at the kitchen table with black tea and cookies from a box. Nothing fancy, but as Julie Bogart is fond of pointing out tea and something tasty bring everyone to the table. I have to admit, I'm not refined enough for poetry-- I'll take science journals and well written essays over verse pretty much any day of the week -- but the principle is still the same.<br />
<br />
Learning is meant to be shared, I know there are some who have managed to retain "morning time" traditions and family learning into the high school years-- I am not among them. As my kids have grown they had drifted from the dinning room table-- more and more they have online classes and away from home group classes, independent studies and soon we'll add college classes to the list. But our once a week Family Sharing allows everyone to remember the the purpose in learning is to share with other-- after all shared learning makes us human. And chance to informally share at a dinner party about an article you read is a far more likely scenario in life then is the chance to write say a literary review paper. So we should give this process the practice it deserves.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRowe-9VHGQ/WjK0UbmFRFI/AAAAAAAABfE/Z7lIoLvcj68Oq84bdqojbWke9H6vDsQBwCLcBGAs/s1600/1214171217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRowe-9VHGQ/WjK0UbmFRFI/AAAAAAAABfE/Z7lIoLvcj68Oq84bdqojbWke9H6vDsQBwCLcBGAs/s640/1214171217.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For us, the venue might change but the expectation each week is that everyone should be ready at the appointed time with there "Panda or Fox Notebook" in hand. The Notebook should have (1) a written Narration of a Science Article (2) a Narration of the historical Event of the week and (3) a quote from their literature and an idea of why they found it interesting. Usually each week's Tea takes about an hour, as we share and ask questions and consider how this new information fits in with our preconceived ideas of science and history and life in general. An added benefit of this process is that each student gets a chance to be the "expert" on their science article, teaching and explaining it to everyone else.<br />
<br />
I know your plate is already full, but if, like me, you find your students are all headed in different directions most days, you might want to see if there's a little room in there for a bit of tea and sharing. Now I hope you'll excuse me, I have a journal article to read.pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-78743017413601177122017-12-06T06:01:00.000-08:002017-12-06T06:01:12.708-08:00Finding Science Articles<span style="font-size: x-large;">Last week I gave you a new idea for how to expand your nature
study as your kids get older: Scientific Journal Summaries. <span style="font-family: "impact" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "impact" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">But
I recognize the idea maybe a little intimidating.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So I thought I'd expand on the idea a little by giving some
suggestions on places to find articles and giving some examples of
summaries that my kids have written.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxYgVpodrlk/Wifq5O9CFGI/AAAAAAAABcg/X2yfqXbWo08o4mTSB5ukqijIaN7I-3zYQCLcBGAs/s1600/1205172039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxYgVpodrlk/Wifq5O9CFGI/AAAAAAAABcg/X2yfqXbWo08o4mTSB5ukqijIaN7I-3zYQCLcBGAs/s320/1205172039.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Our favorite site for older kids is called <a href="http://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw9r7JBRCj37PlltTskaMBEiQAKTzTfP2D-kHdXACQ3TB0WDn7w2zhNwfwa4cbTU7-4hPruUkaAqY_8P8HAQ" target="_blank">ScienceJournal for kids </a>(you can link to it by clicking
here). I found this one over the summer and I am in love with it.
(<i>Don't tell anyone, but I even used it for my graduate school
class over the summer to help me translate some of the more technical
articles I used in my term paper)</i>. <span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
love this particular one because it retained the scientific journal
set up and preserves the whole scientific feel.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span> <span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"><b>Each paper has </b></span><span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>an
abstract</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"><b>,
an introduction, a methods section, a results section (complete with
graphs), a discussion section and a conclusion section.</b></span><span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"> </span>
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hCO0YpaaseA/WifsXyS5vZI/AAAAAAAABc4/D8mnxwR5kSYW5sIDTm8Hht4b186j1pdhACLcBGAs/s1600/1205170936b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hCO0YpaaseA/WifsXyS5vZI/AAAAAAAABc4/D8mnxwR5kSYW5sIDTm8Hht4b186j1pdhACLcBGAs/s320/1205170936b.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">It is a wonderful way to help your middle school and high school
student start to get comfortable with how science papers are
structured. Plus, they get a chance to see the actual evidence
presented: what did they actually do, how did the measure their
results, does this really prove that?</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><a href="https://www.dogonews.com/category/green" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "littlebluejay"; font-size: x-large;"><b>DoGo News</b></span></a><span style="font-family: "littlebluejay"; font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">is another good choice for News Articles. This source
presents the science in a more typical “digest” type manner. The
site also has current events and other news story types. It's a good
source (but not as good as the Science Journal for kids-- just
sayin'...)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">For younger kids my favorite resource is <span style="font-family: "childishkid";"><b><a href="http://news-o-matic./">News-O-Matic.</a>
</b></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's
a monthly subscription (about $3.50/ month) news app, </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
you'll have to help your child scroll through to find science
articles (there are also current event and “human interest”
(umhum “fluff”) stories-- but's really the best elementary age
news source that I've found (and believe me I've looked!) . </span></span>
I used this one several years ago when my youngest two kids were in
2nd and 5th grade-- so its one that, with some supervision, can work
for kids that are really quiet young. Not all the articles on
this site are of high quality, so especially with young kids you
might need to help with article selection.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three other Science Sources we sometimes use are: <a href="https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "childishkid";"><b>ScienceNews for Students </b></span></a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/environmental_science/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "littlebluejay";"><b>ScienceDaily</b></span></a><span style="font-family: "littlebluejay";"> </span>. These sources would be appropriate for high school age kids
who are up for more of a challenge. They usually have all the
elements of a Science journal article (abstract, introduction,
methods, results, conclusions and discussion) they aren't as obvious
as they are over a Science Journal for Kids. (These tend to be
more 16 years favorite, while my other two kids go more for Science
Journal for kids and sometimes DOGO news)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">So now you've got some sources and hopefully notebook for
some sort too. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span> <span style="font-family: "littlebluejay"; font-size: x-large;"><b>What's
next? </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">How do we actually do this thing? Here are a few hints</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXZoYyOEX6Y/Wif1GjGoM7I/AAAAAAAABd4/CNTA9OOTTj8COYZ5KWCvlVRI5knSLXnKACLcBGAs/s1600/1206170846.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Regardless of age, when you start
you'll probably need to sit down with your student and
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>pick out articles
together at first. </b></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Now that you've picked your
article, <b>read it out loud
together</b></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">After each paragraph or so stop
and <span style="font-weight: normal;">ask your student
are there any words in that section that you want to make sure to
include in your summary?</span> write those at the top
of the paper (or on a white board). These words serve as both
a nudge for a reluctant writer and as a "help with spelling
list" </span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Next comes the narration part, and
this will look VERY different depending on your child's age ability
and interest!</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It may mean a drawing</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It may mean a oral narration that
you transcribe for them</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">it may mean a few sentences</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">it may mean pages and pages (not
likely, I've yet to see that, but who knows...)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The truth is it's <span style="font-family: "littlebluejay";"><b>NOT
ABOUT THE WRITING!</b></span> It's about teach our kids
to <span style="font-family: "childishkid";"><b>see themselves</b></span> as people
who read, think about and value science.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "littlebluejay"; font-size: x-large;"><b>Its
about all of us seeing ourselves as part of the science community!</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Want some <b>examples</b>?
Here they are: </span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">Remember Rome wasn't built in a day neither is a science
journal (plus these notebook also have their books of centuries, and
commonplace books in them -- oh and more then a few blank pages!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZWL68bPuhI/Wifswd81hiI/AAAAAAAABdI/sH1JoL_VXQkliqBQopAMRDpXfCsGPCvJgCLcBGAs/s1600/1205171623.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZWL68bPuhI/Wifswd81hiI/AAAAAAAABdI/sH1JoL_VXQkliqBQopAMRDpXfCsGPCvJgCLcBGAs/s1600/1205171623.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZWL68bPuhI/Wifswd81hiI/AAAAAAAABdI/sH1JoL_VXQkliqBQopAMRDpXfCsGPCvJgCLcBGAs/s1600/1205171623.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZWL68bPuhI/Wifswd81hiI/AAAAAAAABdI/sH1JoL_VXQkliqBQopAMRDpXfCsGPCvJgCLcBGAs/s1600/1205171623.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZWL68bPuhI/Wifswd81hiI/AAAAAAAABdI/sH1JoL_VXQkliqBQopAMRDpXfCsGPCvJgCLcBGAs/s320/1205171623.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
This entry is from my then 2nd/3rd graders notebook. It says, "The gorilla is the best mom. It helps it for three years". (Also, I love the "gorilla mammaries on this one! :) <br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-60QJVnxPnVs/Wifs0Oz_2FI/AAAAAAAABdM/IVMunsG4_uEKT4lFDAeZJNC0Fw-qcvEbQCLcBGAs/s1600/1205172039a-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-60QJVnxPnVs/Wifs0Oz_2FI/AAAAAAAABdM/IVMunsG4_uEKT4lFDAeZJNC0Fw-qcvEbQCLcBGAs/s320/1205172039a-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></span> And this one is from my now 8th grade boy's. It says, " I read an article on how climate change will effect crops. Plants need CO2 for photosynthesis, but rising CO2 levels incrise temperature and cause drout. The scientists ran simulations of how crops would fair in risinf CO2 levels and increased climate change. Rising CO2 levels of set some of the effects of climate change because plants could grow with less water. (The pink is my writing. I underline correctly spelled difficult words-- rather then incorrectly spelled words, which get written in a spelling notebook to practice. I try to call out places I know the kids are working hard to improve their writing.) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"> And this last entry is from my now 5th grader. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> At the top it has that list of "words you might want to include" in a box.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXZoYyOEX6Y/Wif1GjGoM7I/AAAAAAAABd4/CNTA9OOTTj8COYZ5KWCvlVRI5knSLXnKACLcBGAs/s1600/1206170846.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXZoYyOEX6Y/Wif1GjGoM7I/AAAAAAAABd4/CNTA9OOTTj8COYZ5KWCvlVRI5knSLXnKACLcBGAs/s320/1206170846.jpg" width="240" /></a> The Summary: " The researchers were studying why trees in </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">urban places had more bugs on them. They picked a species called the gloomy scales to research. They measured the heat of the canopy. The tree xylem pressure and how big the gloomy scale females were. They watered half of the trees they studied."</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"><b>And
Of Course, time spent in Nature</b></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xh6QPXdcGmM/WifsoI46axI/AAAAAAAABdA/LTE1325NRaMH4dV0MJi30M8zW2JAs91UQCLcBGAs/s1600/1205170956.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xh6QPXdcGmM/WifsoI46axI/AAAAAAAABdA/LTE1325NRaMH4dV0MJi30M8zW2JAs91UQCLcBGAs/s320/1205170956.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"><b> is Still the </b></span><span style="font-family: "segoe script" , cursive; font-size: x-large;"><b>BedRock</b></span><span style="font-family: "segoe print"; font-size: x-large;"><b>
Foundation!</b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k41a-v7alxo/Wifsl920XwI/AAAAAAAABc8/ITUut2NXoFwaPDu7aMfyLAafSNPuvqOsACLcBGAs/s1600/1205170957.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k41a-v7alxo/Wifsl920XwI/AAAAAAAABc8/ITUut2NXoFwaPDu7aMfyLAafSNPuvqOsACLcBGAs/s320/1205170957.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-73377854588842485722017-11-29T09:16:00.000-08:002017-11-29T09:17:03.699-08:00Science ArticlesThis summer I stated work on a Masters of Education in (Conservation) Biology degree, so needless to say, conservation has been on my mind a lot lately!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ijvQw-njbko/Wh7rDfYRykI/AAAAAAAABbs/3y7w19zHDyAk_r_PsxxfaQVqmLPJx3EiQCLcBGAs/s1600/1129171201-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ijvQw-njbko/Wh7rDfYRykI/AAAAAAAABbs/3y7w19zHDyAk_r_PsxxfaQVqmLPJx3EiQCLcBGAs/s400/1129171201-2.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>I strongly believe that, as homeschoolers, as parents and as teachers, the number one thing we can do to help teach our kids about conservation is to teach them to enjoy nature! </b></i></span><br />
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But my kids are getting older-- maybe yours are too? And they are ready for more then just an introduction to nature.<br />
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It's time for them to starting learn more about how we know what we know when it comes to the wonders of nature. And its time they start to learn about conservation and our place in the greater ecosystem.<br />
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So this year my three kids and I (ages (almost) 11, (almost) 14, 16 and I (almost) 40, are adding a new dimension to our study! <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i> <span style="font-size: large;">This year we added week</span> "Science Article Summaries" <span style="font-size: large;">to our nature studies.</span></i></b></span> (Don't worry, nature journals and direct observation will always be our corner stone!)<br />
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Reading science articles gives the kids a new perspective. It reminds them that the information in the nature encyclopedia was once brand-new, breaking news. It reminds them to consider questions, to look for patterns. It give them ideas and understand on how science and research work and to evaluate it for themselves. And it reminds them that we live in a changing world, a world where we need to be looking for cause and effects and exploring solutions.<br />
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Today I'm sharing our "procedure" in case your kids are also ready to take the next step in becoming global nature lovers and learners.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j1RC_H8WTDI/Wh7q6xeZ3yI/AAAAAAAABbo/SkKkBtQecDkjKP_LizRofsvnNWomhEeZgCLcBGAs/s1600/1129171201b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j1RC_H8WTDI/Wh7q6xeZ3yI/AAAAAAAABbo/SkKkBtQecDkjKP_LizRofsvnNWomhEeZgCLcBGAs/s320/1129171201b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Every day is Nature Observation day.</b></i></span> The kids are expected to notice something in nature and write it down. Sometime this is a seasonal first: the first snow or the first budburst. Sometimes it means sitting quietly outside and enjoying your surroundings. Other times it mean noticing the unexpected nature we see as we go about our day. These little observations are written down on our <a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">phenology calandars </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Monday</b></span></i></span> is generally Science Article day (although it's up to each individual; as long as its done before Friday, all is well in my world). The kids are welcome to find their own articles as long as they are "quality articles" that describe an actual scientific STUDY. The study part is key, I want the kids to consider the scientific procedure as well as the facts.<br />
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At this point in the game my kids are pretty good at finding their own articles but I'm still available to help if they need suggestions or sources. Also, I always make sure to find an article of my own. I try to find articles have a positive note to them: "This butterfly seems to be adapting to challenges in its environment"; or "Scientists test a new alternative renewable energy source."<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Tuesday</b></span></span></i> is usually Nature Journal Day. Our current modus operandi is to choose something from our daily observations to turn in to a <a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/05/personal-field-guide.html" target="_blank">"personal field guide"</a> or <a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">"field notes" </a>type entry--currently these are usually done inside and not necessarily on the day of observation-- not ideal but sometimes what works is better then what is perfect.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Friday is Sharing Da</b></i><b>y. </b></span> This is my favorite part! One of the key tenants of science is that science is meant to be shared! So Fridays we gather up our Notebooks, find nearby cafe, enjoy a lunch or snack out and everyone shares about the science article they read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>There you have it: my little "Next Step" in Nature Study/ Environmental Science</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oTzX-B_nwMA/Wh7rNzaK3OI/AAAAAAAABbw/MJdsqQf4miIDIEjH-_gqIjbj4evodTriwCLcBGAs/s1600/1129171201a-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1600" height="301" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oTzX-B_nwMA/Wh7rNzaK3OI/AAAAAAAABbw/MJdsqQf4miIDIEjH-_gqIjbj4evodTriwCLcBGAs/s400/1129171201a-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></span></div>
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<br />pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-19816647512960092392017-05-18T07:16:00.000-07:002017-05-18T07:16:31.111-07:00 Supplies for Nature Journals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-au7Da1tZ2Hw/WRi0A6ryAwI/AAAAAAAABT0/d3rj8pqcjFAj8zxxbbXpHZPGsrQ2yWXsACLcB/s1600/DSCN3297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-au7Da1tZ2Hw/WRi0A6ryAwI/AAAAAAAABT0/d3rj8pqcjFAj8zxxbbXpHZPGsrQ2yWXsACLcB/s400/DSCN3297.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">Supplies
are Pretty simple: Something to draw/paint with and something to
draw on. Lets look at some OPTIONS for each.</span></div>
<ol>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">Something
to draw/paint with:</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<ul><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nRzahiDHdLw/WRi0QZ59dAI/AAAAAAAABUA/AlfRlInepNswncv80Vwk3laQraPyZfSBQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3303.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nRzahiDHdLw/WRi0QZ59dAI/AAAAAAAABUA/AlfRlInepNswncv80Vwk3laQraPyZfSBQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3303.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nRzahiDHdLw/WRi0QZ59dAI/AAAAAAAABUA/AlfRlInepNswncv80Vwk3laQraPyZfSBQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nRzahiDHdLw/WRi0QZ59dAI/AAAAAAAABUA/AlfRlInepNswncv80Vwk3laQraPyZfSBQCLcB/s320/DSCN3303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SjU7qDlq_fA/WRi0LjoU2MI/AAAAAAAABT8/N-F2dbJW5aICVZ8E0tnReKFk4KciQZo1QCLcB/s1600/DSCN3301.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SjU7qDlq_fA/WRi0LjoU2MI/AAAAAAAABT8/N-F2dbJW5aICVZ8E0tnReKFk4KciQZo1QCLcB/s320/DSCN3301.JPG" width="320" /></a><ul>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">A
few things to consider:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">where
do you envision your kids doing most of their journaling? At home
or </span><span style="font-family: "segoe print";">in the field?</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">In
the field: you probably want a dry, clean medium so as soon as
you are done you can pack it away in a backpack and get moving
again. You might want to consider Colored Pencils; Watercolor
Pencils and a waterbrush (which holds the water inside the brush); Graphite </span><span style="font-family: "segoe print";">Pencils; Pens and/or Markers</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">At
home: here you could consider a medium that is a bit messy or
that requires time to dry, such as watercolor paint, gauche
paint, acrylic paints or even chalk or oil pastel.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z67UOit-HWI/WRiz9nGo6EI/AAAAAAAABTw/f6OeCB4K1CYVQi61bkC13rvdJoUeFsY3wCLcB/s1600/DSCN3300.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z67UOit-HWI/WRiz9nGo6EI/AAAAAAAABTw/f6OeCB4K1CYVQi61bkC13rvdJoUeFsY3wCLcB/s320/DSCN3300.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "segoe print";">Perhaps
even more </span><span style="font-family: "segoe print";">important </span><span style="font-family: "segoe print";">then the question of colored pencils over
watercolor, is the question of quality. The better the quality
the more enjoyable the process will be. Some brands to consider
Prisma Color Colored Pencils or Watercolor Pencils; Winsor Newton
Paints and PrismaColor Pens or Pigma Micro Pens. A small set of
basic colors of a quality medium will bring better results then a
large set of cheaper materials!</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPufDg-4U7U/WRi0VRbd2GI/AAAAAAAABUE/0iynOVFKukEw45i6Sse36OsMVlTl5xjwACLcB/s1600/DSCN3305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPufDg-4U7U/WRi0VRbd2GI/AAAAAAAABUE/0iynOVFKukEw45i6Sse36OsMVlTl5xjwACLcB/s320/DSCN3305.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "segoe print";">2.
Something to draw on </span>
</div>
</ol>
<ul><ul><ul>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">This
will largely be determined by your choice of “what to draw/paint
with”: watercolor paint requires watercolor paper (drawing
paper will buckle and rip when water is applied) and pencil/
marker/ pen requires drawing paper (cold press watercolor has too
many peaks and valleys for smooth drawing). A middle of the road
is mixed medium paper (although, it will still have some buckling
with heavy washes) </span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">you
can find nearly endless choice at the art supply store: coil
bound, hard cover, stapled, leather bound, large, medium,
small.... it's all a matter of personal preference.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">I
would, however, like to make the case for using a humble loose
leaf binder or binder ring design. Here's why</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">With
a binder you can experiment with different mediums and papers.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">With
a binder and page protectors you can include things like
brochures from nature parks, pictures and other
“scrap-book”treasures-- just don't let these replace your
drawing!</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">With
a binder you can take just one or two papers instead of the whole
journal. This can lighten your load and also prevent your whole
journal from getting dropped in a mud puddle.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">You
can move pages around if you like. Maybe one cold winter day
nothing out, so you decide to draw a flower you saw back in June,
with a loose leaf design you can go back and stick it in with the
other June observations. Or maybe you choose to organize your
notebook by species rather then date, with a binder design you
can expand the sections based on what you see the most.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";">Eliminates
the first page anxiety-- there is no first page ;) </span>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe print";"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
is no right or wrong choice, go with what works for you!</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-52112733973793795412017-05-03T14:46:00.000-07:002017-05-04T09:44:29.812-07:00Personal Field Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojWLk36i1Ng/WQO9uFsgKJI/AAAAAAAABRo/etVqWyo1kB05OMHq8cJ-Ge3U-a9ki7JHgCLcB/s1600/DSCN3223%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojWLk36i1Ng/WQO9uFsgKJI/AAAAAAAABRo/etVqWyo1kB05OMHq8cJ-Ge3U-a9ki7JHgCLcB/s320/DSCN3223%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Those of you who have read the previous 5 posts on methods of nature journaling may be wondering- but what about painting and drawing? I want pretty pictures in my nature journal! Well this post is for you! Finally, we get to the heart of things! "Personal Field Guides" (which is my term for what many just think of as nature journals) are really kind of the culmination and expansion of all the other methods. Making a field guide entry involves mining through which ever other methods you choose for your research, adding in the research from others (via internet searches and book resources) and putting it together in a well thought out and organized method. Below, you can find several examples my and my children's "Personal Field Guide" journal entries. Most of them were inspired by either "Phenology (Calendar of First) entries" or "Species Catalog" entries. We then looked up pictures and biofacts (and sometimes poetry) about the chosen organism, added our own observations and drew and labeled the species. This kind of journal entry is a labor of love and a bit of a meditative practice as well. Usually a "Personal Field Guide" entry will take between 30 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on who the naturalist/ artist is and what the subject is.<br />
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The entry of the snapdragon was particularly fun. We happened to find the little goblin skull shaped seed pods in a large flower pot outside of a Target store. We were all fascinated by the seedpods and they carefully made there way into several journal entries that week. <br />
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Most of our entries are first inspired by the things we see, but my butterfly Field Guide was a little different. I made it last spring after attending a wonderful workshop put on by the Butterfly Pavilion. The workshop was about a citizen science project to monitor different species of butterflies in Colorado. During the workshop, I realized how few butterflies I knew. I had thought there were cabbage White butterflies and Monarch butterflies. Turns out there are at least another 70 or so Butterfly Species here in Colorado that I had completely overlooked (and Monarchs are not all that common in Colorado). I decided to learn the 15 most common. But, it was still too early for most of the butterflies to be out. So, I spent hours that spring looking up pictures and information on the host plants of the different Colorado butterflies. And it worked! By the time summer rolled around I knew the intricate patterns and subtle differences that mark those 15 most common butterflies. It was a thrill when I saw each "in the wild" for the first time that summer and was able to recognize them-- like spotting a movie star at the airport!<br />
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So there you go, I saved the best for last, but I hope you can see the unique benefit of each of the different 6 methods. Remember that each entry doesn't need to be beautiful; all entries hold tremendous value because they all hold the memories of time spent out of doors! <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpvKqIe7DfM/WQPB_mnzBYI/AAAAAAAABSY/vx-QlDkeyegmVoNd4TCUuTaqPRdas4w7gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpvKqIe7DfM/WQPB_mnzBYI/AAAAAAAABSY/vx-QlDkeyegmVoNd4TCUuTaqPRdas4w7gCLcB/s320/DSCN3211.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snapdragon seedpods look like goblin skulls! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-051wT23MfnE/WQPCMydg1-I/AAAAAAAABSk/HSqcx7s2kFgMkPGlB0kI8VTMjtXghynzQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-051wT23MfnE/WQPCMydg1-I/AAAAAAAABSk/HSqcx7s2kFgMkPGlB0kI8VTMjtXghynzQCLcB/s320/DSCN3212.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crow (Lindsey)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KpJgj7_XYMg/WQPCR3Nu5mI/AAAAAAAABSo/zP201dFYYJsXuMU5IRDsFvPTuj5eS_rzACLcB/s1600/DSCN3216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KpJgj7_XYMg/WQPCR3Nu5mI/AAAAAAAABSo/zP201dFYYJsXuMU5IRDsFvPTuj5eS_rzACLcB/s320/DSCN3216.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boll weevil (Stone age 12)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFeFS_-mPN8/WQPCJvxXdCI/AAAAAAAABSg/cumbNy6554MIa1im_s_224Aks6FTwqw_gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFeFS_-mPN8/WQPCJvxXdCI/AAAAAAAABSg/cumbNy6554MIa1im_s_224Aks6FTwqw_gCLcB/s320/DSCN3210.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">botanical drawing (Lindsey)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3AKy2QofmA/WQPCXUKlXFI/AAAAAAAABSs/LJigFctDpl4WibGX2qslrcGTF2PQyc_0gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3AKy2QofmA/WQPCXUKlXFI/AAAAAAAABSs/LJigFctDpl4WibGX2qslrcGTF2PQyc_0gCLcB/s320/DSCN3221.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firefly (Brooke age 9)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-leyC9TOleVg/WQPCCqgWGDI/AAAAAAAABSc/VkEtfl0oaRwKca0H2fFBCrc_h3lzEHs7wCLcB/s1600/DSCN3209.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-leyC9TOleVg/WQPCCqgWGDI/AAAAAAAABSc/VkEtfl0oaRwKca0H2fFBCrc_h3lzEHs7wCLcB/s320/DSCN3209.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragonfly entry (Lindsey)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wsl01bIfjjI/WQO94jg_OnI/AAAAAAAABRw/-Dt_gA4HoQMlT8OnW_HXsy93i9E2UWASQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3222%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wsl01bIfjjI/WQO94jg_OnI/AAAAAAAABRw/-Dt_gA4HoQMlT8OnW_HXsy93i9E2UWASQCLcB/s320/DSCN3222%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I learned our local butterflies by drawing them </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiKVuFEwAvA/WQO-O-BJaYI/AAAAAAAABR8/Prl9oRQLp64WjGLJJGHYt2M9gT9jDB9NQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3219%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiKVuFEwAvA/WQO-O-BJaYI/AAAAAAAABR8/Prl9oRQLp64WjGLJJGHYt2M9gT9jDB9NQCLcB/s200/DSCN3219%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayflies (Skye age 15)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GD-DrNdBsIc/WQO-V6vRclI/AAAAAAAABSA/IkzuPw4BTnIDp7dxyZYERfD7uHb7XsXbwCLcB/s1600/DSCN3218%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GD-DrNdBsIc/WQO-V6vRclI/AAAAAAAABSA/IkzuPw4BTnIDp7dxyZYERfD7uHb7XsXbwCLcB/s200/DSCN3218%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robberfly (Skye age 15)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dqWMpc8cutI/WQO_IdpbMnI/AAAAAAAABSM/Eo0UGMVJJIQEcs1y10ozCvfTl5d4VLJcQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3215%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dqWMpc8cutI/WQO_IdpbMnI/AAAAAAAABSM/Eo0UGMVJJIQEcs1y10ozCvfTl5d4VLJcQCLcB/s200/DSCN3215%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vulture (Stone age 12)<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Curious about other methods of nature journaling?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Check out the whole series here:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">Phenology Calendar</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">Species Catalog </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank">Species Account </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">Life Lists </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">Field Notes </a></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-64330462093857813522017-04-27T07:31:00.001-07:002017-04-28T14:28:54.236-07:00Field Notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bVxD9GxrKjQ/WP_XBuyAYgI/AAAAAAAABQ8/8ddA-mlp7JohiJZcA_VDBtRNJpdqg8RNQCLcB/s1600/1493161718435.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bVxD9GxrKjQ/WP_XBuyAYgI/AAAAAAAABQ8/8ddA-mlp7JohiJZcA_VDBtRNJpdqg8RNQCLcB/s320/1493161718435.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpLbFYuKWvs/WP_W1yVEXeI/AAAAAAAABQ4/7zzrhoBMJlkuSpHMu7X7xcXnFmofay4LACLcB/s1600/1493161662448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>As far as Nature journals methods go,
field notes is probably the method most likely to not meet our
expectations. Generally because, our expectations become
unreasonable. We expect to have beautiful, colorful, crisp, clean
drawings and painting. We expect to magically know the names and
fascinating biofacts about all we encounter. We imagine sitting in the
bright sun will inspire magnificent poetry and prose and suddenly
everyone's handwriting will be perfect.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In reality, we often end up with kids
who are too tired after a day of exploring to put pen to paper, let alone compose and write beautifully. Or, we have one kid who wants to
draw the tree over here and another kid who insists on drawing the stream (on the other side of the park). And since
your drawing outside, most likely someone dropped their notebook in
the mud or the will butterfly fly away leaving the artist without a
reference.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But I think if we change our
expectations, and maybe make field notes just one of many tools in
our nature journal toolbox, we can find success in this poorly
understood journal method.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first thing to come to grips with
is that field notes are not meant to be a work of art. They are
going to be messy, you will probably have a limited pallet of color,
and not know what everything you see is. The illustrations will most
likely be small, roughly drawn sketches-- either because you (and
your kids) are on the move, or because whatever you are attempting to
draw is on the move. When I teach my Nature Journaling class, I have
participates examine some excerpts from the journals of the likes of
Lewis and Clark, and Leonardo DeVinci, and Audubon. They always
comment on how these famous naturalists and
artists field note drawing are, well to be honest, kind of ugly! And then I point out that the purpose of the artists beautiful painting is
different then the purpose of their field notes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dwKXuGB5JQ/WP_XlNYXMaI/AAAAAAAABRE/CsCMUlSm1xg5c9YeI-WjGVZlPu_ITMBMQCLcB/s1600/1493161840389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dwKXuGB5JQ/WP_XlNYXMaI/AAAAAAAABRE/CsCMUlSm1xg5c9YeI-WjGVZlPu_ITMBMQCLcB/s320/1493161840389.jpg" width="180" /></a>So, what is the purpose of the field
notes? I'm so glad you asked! The purpose of field notes is to
think on paper. To ASK QUESTIONS about all you see outside.
Sometimes these will be questions you can answer yourself right away,
sometimes these will be questions that require a little research and
seeking out help from experts, sometimes they will be questions that
require you to observe again and again, and other times they will be
questions you choose to leave as questions. Sometime, asking the
question is enough.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here are some examples of questions you
might ask in your field notes:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Who? Who (or What animals) did I see
and recognize today?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How? How is this animal or plant
different from another animal or plant?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvfd3BhHHh8/WP_XsAOJ3wI/AAAAAAAABRI/FMZy65h9fpApmuFSieyyPA0EXkJP5LXzwCLcB/s1600/1493161887924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvfd3BhHHh8/WP_XsAOJ3wI/AAAAAAAABRI/FMZy65h9fpApmuFSieyyPA0EXkJP5LXzwCLcB/s320/1493161887924.jpg" width="180" /></a>Where? Make a map and show where the
things you saw were in relation to each other.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What? What was the animal doing? What
did I experience/ do on this walk?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And the granddaddy of all Field Note
questions: " I notice......I wonder......I guess..."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The “I notice, I wonder, I guess”
question is a high order thinking type question. It is not one that
you can force, and it won't happen on every nature walk. But when
it does happen, you have hit the jack-pot.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This becomes the basis for real
learning; information that sticks around and becomes your own
personal knowledge.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some examples of “I notice / I
wonder/ I guess” journal entries for my family's nature journals this
past year include:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKFWDqwEcxE/WP_X8RPhTEI/AAAAAAAABRM/3X8LP5495Bch8pFaPfYijjXSSEFbmxFUACLcB/s1600/1493161953441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKFWDqwEcxE/WP_X8RPhTEI/AAAAAAAABRM/3X8LP5495Bch8pFaPfYijjXSSEFbmxFUACLcB/s320/1493161953441.jpg" width="180" /></a><b>Example 1:<i> I notice</i></b> that the
leaves change color in the fall and usually the leaves at the top of
the tree change first, (and I've been told it's because they loose
their chlorophyll), but <i><b>I wonder</b></i> where the chlorophyll goes
and without the chlorophyll how does the tree have enough energy to
make new chlorophyll? <i> <b>My guess</b></i> is that the chlorophyll
travels down the leaves into the tree's truck where it is stored
through the winter and then pushes out into the leaves again in the
spring.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
**** For the record, my son's guess
wasn't quiet right. It has more to do this stored energy in the
tree's sap and the constant regeneration of chlorophyll throughout the summer (but not in the fall). But having
asked the question, thought about possible answers and then researched the science, the knowledge becomes his to keep.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTgaUxvaSLY/WP_XZrzoz2I/AAAAAAAABRA/YYrPKaEH_48nUORvGt10-JzK2pO5wt2iACLcB/s1600/1493161808382.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTgaUxvaSLY/WP_XZrzoz2I/AAAAAAAABRA/YYrPKaEH_48nUORvGt10-JzK2pO5wt2iACLcB/s320/1493161808382.jpg" width="180" /></a>Example 2:<b><i> I notice</i> </b>that the
Cottonwood tree in the grass, by the street is in budburst, but the
cottonwood in the weeds, by the canal is no where near budburst.<i><b> I
wonder</b></i> why there are variations?<b><i> My guess</i></b> is that it has to do with
the fact that the tree in the manicured grass gets watered and the
tree in the weeds doesn't.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
****And again, my answer wasn't right
at all! Turns out that it is more likely to be genetic variation in
the individual trees that cause the difference. Tree species that
are native to places with a greater variation in the timing of the
last snowstorm, have plants with more variation in the timing of
budburst and leaf out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now that we know what your field notes
are NOT going to look like (works of art) and we know what their
purpose is, lets quickly look at what they are going to look like.
(Besides crumpled, with some mud smears, and a wrinkled corner from
when you accidentally dropped it in the water...) </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here are a few hints for keeping field notes:</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
make sure you include the date (we
made this less painful-- I'm not sure why my kids found it painful
before, but they did-- by investing in one of those $7 “library
due date” stamps)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
write the location of where you are
(if someone invents a stamp for this I will love you forever!)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
and make sure to include both
simple sketches and writing.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ask and answer some of your own
questions. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>***Pay attention to your kids and your own "I notice/ I wonder/ my guess" moments****</b></i></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's it. And now as Mrs
Frizzle would say:</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: "childishkid";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Go
out there and Take Chances, Make Mistakes, </span></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "childishkid";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">And
Get MESSY”</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Curious about other methods of nature journaling? <br />
Check out the whole series here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">Phenology Calendar</a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">Species Catalog </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank">Species Account </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">Life Lists </a><br /><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">Field Notes </a><br /><br />pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-34490790047559078942017-04-18T20:22:00.001-07:002017-04-28T14:29:25.087-07:00(Bird) Life Lists<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WkX7zHFjrOM/WPbUdXpzrdI/AAAAAAAABQQ/C88n8IcaEfcdNYBPuNJ1AeO8ckW5IohDQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WkX7zHFjrOM/WPbUdXpzrdI/AAAAAAAABQQ/C88n8IcaEfcdNYBPuNJ1AeO8ckW5IohDQCLcB/s320/DSCN3199.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Life List is just an ongoing list of species you have seen</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm not sure if now is the best time to
admit it, but I'm not very good at keeping a bird life list.
Actually maybe the more important idea here is not the life list its
self but rather the idea that not every method of nature journaling
will work for everyone-- and life lists are one that don't
necessarily work for me. BUT, they may be the perfect method for
you...so read on to find out more about life lists.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n8qGu0evRmk/WPbUIbb-7xI/AAAAAAAABQM/gYAJDQyqmKUrjt4B1McMA0oyH5eF_masgCLcB/s1600/DSCN3197.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n8qGu0evRmk/WPbUIbb-7xI/AAAAAAAABQM/gYAJDQyqmKUrjt4B1McMA0oyH5eF_masgCLcB/s320/DSCN3197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a resent trip to Hawaii I just wrote directly in the field guide the birds we saw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Life lists are generally associated
with birdwatching. The idea is that the first time you positively
identity a species of bird, you record the species of bird, where you
first saw it and the date. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XM_iJ28r3DI/WPbTzVVxSXI/AAAAAAAABQA/wJN6tSM0nDEDUDyZ0aPJNw4TblmwKKc-ACLcB/s1600/DSCN3196.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XM_iJ28r3DI/WPbTzVVxSXI/AAAAAAAABQA/wJN6tSM0nDEDUDyZ0aPJNw4TblmwKKc-ACLcB/s200/DSCN3196.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Sibley's field guide keeps my bird life list</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are several ways of doing this
recording: some people keep a notebook where they write this
information; other people simply mark the date and location in the
margin of their field guide; and other people (like me with my
pitiful little poorly kept lifelist) use an app on their phones. (my
life list is kept on my Sibly's bird guide app). You can also get
lists of the birds that have been seen in an area. Such as in a
given state, or a given nature park. At my nature journaling
workshops I give participants a list of the 25 most commonly seen
backyard feeder birds. (I think that might be about how many birds
are on my life list-- about 25).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In my opinion the tricky part of a life
list is (a) the life list part-- I keep forgeting whether or not I
have already recorded a bird on my list and generally assume
(incorrectly) that I have and (b) the whole positive identification
part-- I can never seem to trust myself that I do indeed know what
type of bird it is and so I'm always hesitant to write it down.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-xHspR-w04/WPbT8wzlN3I/AAAAAAAABQE/jFv5sojE3vARqNohbr00PR2YIc4iiciowCLcB/s1600/DSCN3189.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-xHspR-w04/WPbT8wzlN3I/AAAAAAAABQE/jFv5sojE3vARqNohbr00PR2YIc4iiciowCLcB/s320/DSCN3189.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I maybe bad at remember to keep a bird list, but I still enjoy recording new bird encounters!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have, however, found a solution to
problem b: lots of nature centers and Audubon organizations offer
bird walks guided by experts who really know which bird is which so
this is a great way to pad your life list and learn a few new birds
(and fellow nature lovers) in the process!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DOrgbN0SEM/WPbUD5XVPlI/AAAAAAAABQI/5ic0XegEKrMrQZesgQ6YOhW8r3yd6qvNwCLcB/s1600/DSCN3194.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DOrgbN0SEM/WPbUD5XVPlI/AAAAAAAABQI/5ic0XegEKrMrQZesgQ6YOhW8r3yd6qvNwCLcB/s320/DSCN3194.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bugs and Beetles make for great life lists too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The other secret I have about life
lists is that they don't have to be about birds. In fact I have
found keeping a “bug and beetle” life list to be much more
successful for me. For one thing you can actually catch a bug or
beetle and put it in a bug jar to get a good enough look at it (and
maybe a close up picture too) in order to really identify it. Also I
enjoy drawing the bugs and beetles from my life list to help me learn
to identify them. Bugs and beetles are simple shapes, but often have
interesting colors and patterns which makes them really fun to draw
and paint.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Curious about other methods of nature journaling? <br />
Check out the whole series here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">Phenology Calendar</a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">Species Catalog </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank">Species Account </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">Life Lists </a><br /><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">Field Notes </a></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-60804428615616204592017-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:002017-04-28T14:29:46.761-07:00Species Accounts<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrxgCoBWsbw/WPAA5yHd9SI/AAAAAAAABPc/nBJ83PZHL2cRyi5GJPyFSWPcV_zR3caJgCLcB/s1600/DSCN3144%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrxgCoBWsbw/WPAA5yHd9SI/AAAAAAAABPc/nBJ83PZHL2cRyi5GJPyFSWPcV_zR3caJgCLcB/s320/DSCN3144%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from our Species Account Nature Journal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msCm93SF95U/WO-UVihu5zI/AAAAAAAABOg/ZLg3kqqT_qk-ejuoccFm9Z_K_kw0poSBACLcB/s1600/20151013_095822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msCm93SF95U/WO-UVihu5zI/AAAAAAAABOg/ZLg3kqqT_qk-ejuoccFm9Z_K_kw0poSBACLcB/s200/20151013_095822.jpg" width="200" /></a>As we continue through the 6 methods of
nature journaling. (By which I mean the 6 ways that I have tried
out-- you may have found other methods; and if so I'd love to hear
about them!), this week lets explore “Species Accounts”.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A Species Account is a record of
observations of one particular species. Scientists use species
accounts to help them evaluate populations of species, migration
patterns, success rates of conservation programs, and animal behavior
(among other things).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XGwPriF_N48/Vfh5zRo6-GI/AAAAAAAAAhw/lXYkaddavSQZH-q6ZzLRfgMoPGWiZegqwCPcB/s1600/20150915_090316.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XGwPriF_N48/Vfh5zRo6-GI/AAAAAAAAAhw/lXYkaddavSQZH-q6ZzLRfgMoPGWiZegqwCPcB/s320/20150915_090316.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird Banding-- Species Accounts in Science</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of our families favorite annual
field trips is to visit Chatfield in the Spring and Barr Lake in the
fall to watch an ornithologist who bands song birds. She uses a
form of Species Account to keep records on the birds she bands each
year. The Ornithologist puts a tiny band around the leg of a bird,
and then she records the band number, the bird's weight and various
lengths, how much fat the bird has (did you know that song birds have
skin that is so transparent it is possible to see the fat
underneath?) and whether the bird is ready to breed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our “Species Accounts” notes look
much different, of course. But, our notes are no less interesting,
informative or important (at least in our opinion). Our notes
primarily consist of notes about what the animal was doing at the
time that we saw it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wlcTrl3-rjs/WO-TFT3I8LI/AAAAAAAABOE/Mzs7-RnjpK4D--_2BctShTTkccYCc0tGQCLcB/s1600/raccoon3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wlcTrl3-rjs/WO-TFT3I8LI/AAAAAAAABOE/Mzs7-RnjpK4D--_2BctShTTkccYCc0tGQCLcB/s320/raccoon3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raccoon family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our most successful “Species Account”
subjects have been the Raccoons that live in the open space near us
and occasionally snack from the dumpsters. We have had the privilege
of watching mama raccoon raise her babies going on three years in a
row now.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In case you are curious, here are a few
excerpts from our quickly scrawled notes:</span></i></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">7/20/2015 8pm: Raccoon mom with 4 babies in and around the dumpster. The mom sat w/ two of the babies waiting for the other two. Eventually we realized that 2 babies were stuck in the dumpster. We found an old rug, which we rolled up to make a ladder, and the babies crawled out.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">10-6-15 2pm: we saw a Raccoon napping on the brick pile under the cottonwood by the highline canal.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1-27-16 2:30pm: We saw a raccoon sleeping in a tree at Star K Ranch. He woke up and crawled head first down the tree!</span></i><br />
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<br />
Other animals that might make a good
subject for a species account include:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2KpgEYbQAw/WO-fKYGkDNI/AAAAAAAABPI/imSeS6RXD-II1UjwaiZd1KIZG9CuZtKXQCLcB/s1600/juvenile-american-robin-being-fed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2KpgEYbQAw/WO-fKYGkDNI/AAAAAAAABPI/imSeS6RXD-II1UjwaiZd1KIZG9CuZtKXQCLcB/s320/juvenile-american-robin-being-fed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Robin feeding a fledgling </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>American Robins:</b> they are abundant and
spend a fair amount of time on the ground where it's easy to see what
they do. You can watch for the baby fledglings to follow their
parents, begging for food by mid summer. Or maybe discover when the
Robins start building nests? Do the Robins in your area migrate?
If so when? What do you see them eating? There are plenty of things
to discover for yourself about this amazingly adaptive backyard bird.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T2sLF6KiX2Y/WO-U5EzUA3I/AAAAAAAABOs/BiKJc4N4CkYLNzW4uf_UQSWoL6oHJEI0ACLcB/s1600/DSCN0091.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T2sLF6KiX2Y/WO-U5EzUA3I/AAAAAAAABOs/BiKJc4N4CkYLNzW4uf_UQSWoL6oHJEI0ACLcB/s200/DSCN0091.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magpie nest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Magpies and Crows:</b> Magpies and Crows
make fun study subject because they can be found anywhere and
anytime. It's almost hard to go for a walk and NOT see one of these
super smart birds. Also, they are noisy and busy birds. They are
always up to something and when they make a fuss, it's almost always
worth going to have a look. Following the racket of our neighborhood
crows and magpies has led me to more then one Great Horned Owl,
several roosting Red Tailed Hawks, and an injured Cooper Hawk (he was
injured by the magpies after he tried to snag one as a snack).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjGz-qmbIX0/WO-U_dRwjNI/AAAAAAAABO0/D1RIFNO_9FMmYOks9Emj7k1tKTJXp67_ACLcB/s1600/RSCN0079.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjGz-qmbIX0/WO-U_dRwjNI/AAAAAAAABO0/D1RIFNO_9FMmYOks9Emj7k1tKTJXp67_ACLcB/s320/RSCN0079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooper's Hawk injured after attempting to eat a Magpie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Keeping a Species account record
requires some diligence and a little serendipitous luck, but it's a
great way to really learn about a species! And you never know when you might catch a glimpse of an animal doing something really amazing: like this video someone captured of a family of a family of<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oivYQMvlw-k/WO-Ubt9IxXI/AAAAAAAABOk/GC6Vz2gv2_83_iDYEZC0rAvrm6AYfD3DwCLcB/s1600/20160126_105722.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oivYQMvlw-k/WO-Ubt9IxXI/AAAAAAAABOk/GC6Vz2gv2_83_iDYEZC0rAvrm6AYfD3DwCLcB/s200/20160126_105722.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raccoon climbing down a tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3648913/Family-raccoons-club-help-baby-climb-wall.html" target="_blank">raccoons doing mission impossible stunts</a><br />
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<br />Curious about other methods of nature journaling? <br />
Check out the whole series here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">Phenology Calendar</a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">Species Catalog </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank">Species Account </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">Life Lists </a><br /><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">Field Notes </a></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-2269993406000907882017-04-06T06:06:00.001-07:002017-04-28T14:30:37.170-07:00Species Catalog <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xw6-aj1LPi8/WOWA5U8RVQI/AAAAAAAABLs/5kWxnnVsJTwfLbQIcsPZ3wFwp3zyRl48ACLcB/s1600/20160625_143905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xw6-aj1LPi8/WOWA5U8RVQI/AAAAAAAABLs/5kWxnnVsJTwfLbQIcsPZ3wFwp3zyRl48ACLcB/s320/20160625_143905.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last week I gave you a peek into my
favorite method of Nature Journaling. A simple method of keeping a
journal of the seasonal changes happening right around your own home. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-twiVk3eQAzs/WOZgSBV2zZI/AAAAAAAABNg/8cDTMAK4zGkD6Q4fXkWnXuIw99k1Drz2gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-twiVk3eQAzs/WOZgSBV2zZI/AAAAAAAABNg/8cDTMAK4zGkD6Q4fXkWnXuIw99k1Drz2gCLcB/s400/DSCN3121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journal pages. The yellow pot-it notes have our "species catalogs" on them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, I'd like to share another simple
journaling method; one that is especially useful when you are away
from home and on the move. This method, which was used by such
intrepid nature explorers as Lewis and Clark and Charles Darwin, is
called “A Species Catalog”. Basically, its a list of all the
most interesting finds you come across on your nature excursion.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0td7bEPmJo/WOZd8brYl6I/AAAAAAAABNM/tg39w29D-4MnIxCIr6UW7vHSNYyjeHjugCLcB/s1600/DSCN3117.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0td7bEPmJo/WOZd8brYl6I/AAAAAAAABNM/tg39w29D-4MnIxCIr6UW7vHSNYyjeHjugCLcB/s200/DSCN3117.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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There are a couple of ways to do this.
You can just carry a small notebook or post it pad in your back
pocket and jot down anything that the kids call out that catches
their eye. Or you can get out your technology and use your
smartphone to record your nature find. The advantage of the
smartphone is that you can take photos along the way too. Photos of
things you don't know the name for, and, perhaps more importantly,
photos of your little naturalist in action!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jk88AkFvnss/WOZeIGMiuII/AAAAAAAABNU/fzQo4yumSL0qbxYheaZs_YoDK30alaW3gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3118.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jk88AkFvnss/WOZeIGMiuII/AAAAAAAABNU/fzQo4yumSL0qbxYheaZs_YoDK30alaW3gCLcB/s200/DSCN3118.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/atqaMgabx_ZXVi4AJUcDiHTy-G3nwMAGsjoCsfpebwPjXMV_QXTPefko7Wbwen-EnUo=w300" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/atqaMgabx_ZXVi4AJUcDiHTy-G3nwMAGsjoCsfpebwPjXMV_QXTPefko7Wbwen-EnUo=w300" border="0" class="transparent" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/atqaMgabx_ZXVi4AJUcDiHTy-G3nwMAGsjoCsfpebwPjXMV_QXTPefko7Wbwen-EnUo=w300" width="200" /></a>Personally, I use the <a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a> app on
my smartphone to keep my Nature walk species catalogs. This allows
me to organize my Nature Notes easily. It also automatically puts a
date on the file for me, and I like that I can access the file on my
computer as well. From my computer I can add higher quality pictures
from my canon camera and I can even print the file out if I choose
(although I never have-- I just keep these as digital records).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rT8LxA0aIM4/WOZd3yin-0I/AAAAAAAABNI/5-IDXo_ODzsVEtZ-2UbutPBh-TOLTTl7ACLcB/s1600/DSCN3115.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rT8LxA0aIM4/WOZd3yin-0I/AAAAAAAABNI/5-IDXo_ODzsVEtZ-2UbutPBh-TOLTTl7ACLcB/s200/DSCN3115.JPG" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C6LMdVFdSPM/WOZeAqAUJ8I/AAAAAAAABNQ/UHEsqJ6oRs8o9vWqOXPr3qVkaFO25AA0wCLcB/s1600/DSCN3116.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C6LMdVFdSPM/WOZeAqAUJ8I/AAAAAAAABNQ/UHEsqJ6oRs8o9vWqOXPr3qVkaFO25AA0wCLcB/s200/DSCN3116.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-55_aAsxz5e4/WOWA7IBRsBI/AAAAAAAABLw/edC9n4-ww_0SZJXRr-nPaQ6Sz80O5o0swCLcB/s1600/20160724_120526.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-55_aAsxz5e4/WOWA7IBRsBI/AAAAAAAABLw/edC9n4-ww_0SZJXRr-nPaQ6Sz80O5o0swCLcB/s320/20160724_120526.jpg" width="320" /></a>I find this method is particularly
helpful with young kids, large groups, or (ah-hem) when on vacation
with my husband. Basically anytime when I'm are not going to have
the chance to get everyone to sit down long enough to do a journal
entry! This method also gives the added benefit of giving mom's back
a break from carrying all those notebooks and pencils and paints.
Just one little phone or notebook (and maybe a magnifying glass and
butterfly net) and you're good to go! The simple act of mom writing down all the little observations and nature finds that a child makes is also very empowering and validating for a child whose drawing and writing skill might not yet be fully developed. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A_R4nEnLNI/WOZZt_oDeDI/AAAAAAAABMo/JKvkCm7y0zMmRwRcjBhdTzlOuq4sD79AQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3119%255B1%255D.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A_R4nEnLNI/WOZZt_oDeDI/AAAAAAAABMo/JKvkCm7y0zMmRwRcjBhdTzlOuq4sD79AQCLcB/s320/DSCN3119%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfqBkAXcRsA/WOWA2cWI-nI/AAAAAAAABLo/HFPkY9oJbO03tC25p9FDJkQ-rt2dzAoUQCLcB/s1600/20160813_153201-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfqBkAXcRsA/WOWA2cWI-nI/AAAAAAAABLo/HFPkY9oJbO03tC25p9FDJkQ-rt2dzAoUQCLcB/s200/20160813_153201-1.jpg" width="186" /></a>Similar to the phenology calendar, a
species catalog can be used to inspire more a involved journal entry
late, when you have time to sit down and get out the journals. (Make
sure you put the date of the observation, rather then the date you
complete the entry if it is done at a later date). But honestly, even if you never get around to the "prettier" journal pages, your list of your encounters in nature and the validation you provide to your children about their observations hold immeasurable value (I promise!)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCSKNGq0JVs/WOZZ14892yI/AAAAAAAABMs/-KDNpjxzYE830t9GfM87w42koFKjriFlwCLcB/s1600/DSCN3120%255B1%255D.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCSKNGq0JVs/WOZZ14892yI/AAAAAAAABMs/-KDNpjxzYE830t9GfM87w42koFKjriFlwCLcB/s640/DSCN3120%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of a journal page inspired by a Evernote "species catalog" file gathered while on the move on vacation in Arizona<br />
<br />
<br />Curious about other methods of nature journaling? <br />
Check out the whole series here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">Phenology Calendar</a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">Species Catalog </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank">Species Account </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">Life Lists </a><br /><a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">Field Notes </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909209696286576220.post-91837165362561120502017-03-31T08:47:00.006-07:002017-12-21T05:05:44.479-08:00Phenology Calandars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v_gF6SMnkgA/WN51k3h2X4I/AAAAAAAABKk/k6kyRk1HE8kSkfcLXM7P9ttXE3SJCApBwCLcB/s1600/20170315_110902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v_gF6SMnkgA/WN51k3h2X4I/AAAAAAAABKk/k6kyRk1HE8kSkfcLXM7P9ttXE3SJCApBwCLcB/s320/20170315_110902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yay! It's Spring! And there is no better time to start a nature journal (more specifically a phenology <br />
calandar) then, well, yesterday! The plants are budding and the birds building nests so fast that it's hard to keep up!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MY9RZMV83vs/WN52Yp6F4rI/AAAAAAAABK0/LvVIpj3tX7g51tjroX6DO7ghEH-yZpTiwCLcB/s1600/DSCN3102.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MY9RZMV83vs/WN52Yp6F4rI/AAAAAAAABK0/LvVIpj3tX7g51tjroX6DO7ghEH-yZpTiwCLcB/s320/DSCN3102.JPG" width="320" /></a> Phenology is the fancy scientific word for what Charlotte Mason would have called a "Calendar of Firsts". 'Pheno' is latin and it means 'appearing or beginning' and 'ology' of course means the 'study of'. So 'Phenology' is simply the study of the first time things appear in nature each season.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oj9h-rwk9rc/WN52pQOlB0I/AAAAAAAABK8/txzJuq2ARH8Xb3ReDQf9lZ99nx2RlXP0ACLcB/s1600/DSCN3104.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oj9h-rwk9rc/WN52pQOlB0I/AAAAAAAABK8/txzJuq2ARH8Xb3ReDQf9lZ99nx2RlXP0ACLcB/s320/DSCN3104.JPG" width="320" /></a>Like I mentioned earlier, spring tends to happen FAST, so a phenology calandar or journal is not generally the elaborate, introspective journal with beautiful dry brush paintings and poems written in fancy handwritting. Trust me, spring will leave you in the dust if your not on top of it! (your phenology journal can, however, give wonderful inspiration for those beautiful paintings once you are able to catch your breath).<br />
<br />
A Phenology calendar is simply a quick jotting down (no full sentences needed) of WHEN various seasonal changes happen each year. When did the tulips pop up? When did the maples flower? When did the cottonwoods leaf-out? When did you see the first butterfly? first snake? first turtle or drangonfly?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dxeuB3Bj8Mg/WN52xV9ONUI/AAAAAAAABLE/96FyXxvldaAP9KpgNjs69tJWxar0op_FgCLcB/s1600/DSCN3108.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dxeuB3Bj8Mg/WN52xV9ONUI/AAAAAAAABLE/96FyXxvldaAP9KpgNjs69tJWxar0op_FgCLcB/s320/DSCN3108.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuL1YQy62mQ/WN522dY1QUI/AAAAAAAABLI/xQfBfjiiDsgVnkPXHa_BuZJkCZnBub5CQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3109.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuL1YQy62mQ/WN522dY1QUI/AAAAAAAABLI/xQfBfjiiDsgVnkPXHa_BuZJkCZnBub5CQCLcB/s320/DSCN3109.JPG" width="320" /></a>Here is my "work-horse phenology calendar". It is simply a thick notebook (over 365 pages). I wrote one date (month and day but no year) at the top of each page. Then <strike>everyday</strike> <strike>most days </strike>as often as we can, the kids and I go for a short 1 mile walk along a path near our house. We try to notice the seasonal changes (and any other interesting nature sightings, too). Everyone tries to return home with at least one observation to put on the page. I write down the current year and the sightings for that day on the page when we get home. I'm hoping that we will be able to fit 4 or 5 years worth in this one little notebook. And it's interesting to see how one year's observations compare to another. For instance, this year our silver Maple flowered 3 weeks before it did last year, and the cottonwood by the road leafed out before the cottonwood by the parking lot three years running.<br />
<br />
I did mention that the "work-horse phenology calendar" can provide inspiration for the more careful and decorated nature journal pages. Here are some pages from our illustrated nature journals that have been inspired by our daily phenology walks. We work in those journals once a week, rather then daily. <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bz5deXfKwpA/WN52fQzBeYI/AAAAAAAABK4/z5baNh_2HfstghcOfVMz-QDh6dprHp94gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3105.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bz5deXfKwpA/WN52fQzBeYI/AAAAAAAABK4/z5baNh_2HfstghcOfVMz-QDh6dprHp94gCLcB/s200/DSCN3105.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H9Dm7w9t3HI/WN52rqaC8yI/AAAAAAAABLA/nNWyIp2xEYknC6ZKy0WbgHPZDCLNS1iJgCLcB/s1600/DSCN3106.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H9Dm7w9t3HI/WN52rqaC8yI/AAAAAAAABLA/nNWyIp2xEYknC6ZKy0WbgHPZDCLNS1iJgCLcB/s200/DSCN3106.JPG" width="200" /></a> <br />
<br />
And for those who are interested here are some pdf download to help you get started:<br />
<br />
1. a pdf of some common street trees and the different phenophases they go through<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-e_CTqmv4oobnJTUFVCV2g2bDg/view?ths=true" target="_blank"> Phenophases</a></span><br />
2. a pdf calendar of signs that we observed last spring to help get you started in finding patterns. Will the trees in your area leaf out and flower at the same time as the ones in my area? How about the birds and butterflies, do they return at the same time?<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-e_CTqmv4ooNkY3am5pWEFIMzQ/view" target="_blank"> Spring Nature Records </a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RV-_G4ElQBk/WN52SQfZsyI/AAAAAAAABKs/1Z0enm7uVrsqoaEfEsNYeksmWswg4xD1gCLcB/s1600/DSCN3097.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RV-_G4ElQBk/WN52SQfZsyI/AAAAAAAABKs/1Z0enm7uVrsqoaEfEsNYeksmWswg4xD1gCLcB/s320/DSCN3097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Curious about other methods of nature journaling? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Check out the whole series here:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/03/phenology-calandars.html" target="_blank">Phenology Calendar</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-catalog.html" target="_blank">Species Catalog </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/species-accounts.html" target="_blank">Species Account </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/bird-life-lists.html" target="_blank">Life Lists </a><br />
<a href="http://pupsplanesprogeny.blogspot.com/2017/04/field-notes_27.html" target="_blank">Field Notes </a></div>
pupsplanesproganyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568997242775315511noreply@blogger.com0