My Legs Hurt

After 4 days in the field, I'm back in Rexburg. Our drive back from the Grand Canyon was snowy and cold, but the roads weren't bad. I thought Spring was here. Nature has something else in mind. This trip was amazing. Once we hiked down to Indian Gardens, our group (led by the fearless "Pec") went off the trail in search of trilobite burrows (trace fossils),indian ruins, and an outcrop of the great unconformity (the surface that represents an enormous gap in the rock record).
It did my heart good to be in my home state again for awhile. Soaking up some sunshine felt kinda good too. Our hike down and back was somewhere around 11 miles long, and my calves are feeling it today. But we conquered that canyon, and it that feels great.
Here are my field trip companions:
We're going to have a Lord of the Rings movie marathon sometime in the near-future.

I'm Back ...for now.

I've returned from Utah with loads of great pictures, some amazing fossils, some great new insights into the geology of the area, some great new friends, and a sunburn.
I've never been thrilled about a sunburn, but after spending the winter in Rexburg, this feels AWESOME!
Can I just tell you that I love my major? (I'm going to tell you whether you like it or not) I just spent three days camping, looking at amazing rock formations. This is school. It's incredible! When studying geology, the world outside becomes your classroom and there's nothing boring about it. It rocks!
Next weekend, I'm headed down to the sweet state of ARIZONA for our field trip to the Grand Canyon. Oh yeah.

Don't Be Alarmed

I'm leaving. Like Frodo to Mordor. Like Jesse McCartny in that one song. Like John Denver on a jet-plane (who calls it that anyway ...so old school). I'll be in the remotest nooks of Southern Utah from tomorrow afternoon 'til Saturday sometime. This means that my cell phone won't have service, and will most likely be turned off so the battery won't bite the dust from attempting to connect.
Be happy for me. I'll be having a blast, surrounded by rocks and other rock enthusiasts. And like Bilbo Baggins of the Shire, I'll come back from the Misty Mountains. So I'll be in Southern Utah, but my heart will be in Northern Arizona, wishing I was savoring free pancakes in the wind.

Are You Kidding Me?

It's that point in the semester; all the stupidity of the roommates I've been living with for months starts to get to me, and I get annoyed.
This morning, I started my day by walking to the vanity area to get ready for school. The floor and countertop were covered in chunks of hair. A set of hair-clippers were left out, still plugged in, and the attachments strewn out on the counter. I had to get ready in that mess. I hate to start out my day like that. So, I did the sensible thing, and left a note on the mirror: WHOEVER LEFT THEIR HAIR MESS, PLEASE CLEAN IT UP. It's now 11:30, and it's still there. Annoyance is setting in.
And here's something else that I noticed: some people really don't understand what does and doesn't belong in the refrigerator. This is really important to know, especially when 6 guys are using one fridge.
What DOES belong: half-used sticks of margarine. The don't belong sitting out on the counter next to the toaster or stove. Or, if you must, please put a plate underneath it!
What DOESN'T belong: maple syrup (who wants that to be cold? It's like refrigerating a lollipop!), bread (it takes up too much space! I can understand freezing a loaf or two to use later, but come on.), and opened canned goods. Nothing like the crusty/moldy half-full can of refried beans with a fork in it to let your roommates know your IQ. Was your heart really set on finishing that, or was the trash can out of order, so you threw it in the fridge by default?
The semester is coming to a close, and I'm counting down the days. FYI: I'll be moving next door next semester, so my mailing address will be the same, except for the apartment number. I'll be in 108 instead of 109. Big move, I know.

Spring Fever

Spring fast approaches, and while I'm not entirely sure what is meant by the phrase, I think I've got spring fever. The change in the weather has gotten me hopeful and excited, while anticipation of general conference adds to the excitement, the end of the semester approaches, and while I'm excited to complete the courses, I'm also dreading exams, while at the same time looking forward to the start of a new semester and the summer weather. Also, for the first time in my life, I've started dusting regularly. I used to leave stuff until I saw a blatantly obvious need for dusting, and then do it. Now, I'm using a dust rag maybe twice a week, and I even picked up one of those air-dusting cans to dust off my books, rocks, laptop, and keyboard.
This semester has just blown by -much faster than others for some reason. I look back and wonder where it all went. I still have 2 great field trips to look forward to: one to southern Utah, and one to northern Arizona (Yeah!).
Here's to hoping the fever breaks without causing permanent psychological problems!

As of Late

Since Sunday, temperatures have been nice and mild -this year, March is coming in like a lamb. And we've had some nice gentle rain. I love the rain -especially when snow is all I've been seeing fall from the sky. Everything outside smells so fresh and new. Last night, as I lay in bed, I was soothed by the sound of raindrops falling on the metal roofing that covers the stairwells outside. I wished that I could go to sleep to that every night.
For my oceanography & weather class, we're required to do a cloud project; we take pictures of clouds we see and classify them. We have to do 15 different cloud types, and only 2 repeats (two photos of the same cloud type). This has added to my awareness of what's in the sky -and it blows my mind what I've been missing out on! Seriously, you can let yourself get so focused on what's down here below, that it takes a dramatically colorful sunset to even call your attention to the sky.
I challenge you to try at least a miniature cloud project. Keep your camera handy when you go outside. Collect photos of different cloud types, and then classify them. The internet has tons of diagrams to help you in classification. If you do, I promise you that it will change your life. You'll notice more of the beauty around you. You'll be amazed.
On a side note, here's my daily epiphany: one item that I love, but don't often enjoy is gummy-worms. I love 'em, but I rarely have them! Hmmm.