Virginia Warming

This weekend in VA is gorgeous. I feel blessed to be enjoying such a beautiful, blustery early spring. I've been itching to get out so I decided to hike Old Rag again. A big BIG BIG thank you to Theresa for being my hiking buddy. She got a migraine on the second mile but we made it to the top of the mountain.
On the trail, I was a little disturbed to notice how many dead and dying trees there were. When I told Aaron about it, he told me it was winter, but I can tell the difference between a tree that's lost it's leaves and a dead tree, thank you very much. There were huge groves where every tree was dead. Their trunks were shattered, their bark scabbed off and all their limbs rotted to gnarled stumps. Mounds of broken wood littered the forest floor. What's really disturbing is I didn't notice any such problem when I was hiking in the same spot just a few months ago. It looked like a lot of the trees were being eaten by something. My guess is the drought left them vulnerable and something has gotten to them. If that's the case, I'm sad to think that this will become more and more common as global warming continues.
PS - I plan to do as much hiking as I can as the weather gets better. I'll be in need of a buddy since hiking alone isn't safe. If you're even remotely interested, let me know!

6 Word Memoirs

The book, Not Quite What I Was Expecting is a collection of 6 word memoirs. I like to think of them as Haikus with personality. They're really fun to peruse and even more fun to make up. It's amazing what can be communicated with just six words.

Here are a few I liked:

Older now, I draw myself better. -Peter Arkle

She said she was negative. Damn. -Ryan McRae

Painful nerd kid. Happy nerd adult. -Linda Williamson

You can read more here.
Here are a few I came up with for myself. Believe me, I know they're bad.

I should be painting right now.

After a deep breath, I'm ready.

Since school is over, I wait.

Wanted to grow up. Big Mistake.

Never admitted to Star Trek expertise.

Him: YES! Me: ?. What to do?

(I know the last one is sort of cheating)

I'd love to hear what the rest of you can do.

My Life Has Been The Poem

My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it.

-Henry David Thoreau

Blogging is like this little poem. Sometimes I wish I had a cooler blog but from sad experience I've realized the cooler my blog is, the lamer my actual life.

The Original Video of Lilly: The World Map Master

I am amazed.

What Am I Doing With My Life?

Do you ever have those days or weeks or years when you wonder what you are doing with your life? I do. And there's nothing like some good, sweet music to accompany self-examination. For that purpose, I've lately been enjoying Amy Millan's solo work. It's soft and lovely and not too sad.
Whether or not you are currently indulging in an identity crisis, its worth checking out here.

More Igloo Fun

Long before the Ice Box igloo kit, in 1949 the Canadian Film Board produced the film "How to Build an Igloo." You can watch it HERE. The narration can be a little annoying, I suspect it's done by Charlton Heston, but it's informative: "the trader will sell you a steel knife for the cost of one fox skin." The same site offers other films you might like if you want to bone up on your caribou hunting, totem pole carving, or Uranium extraction skills. There's a variety!

Do you Igloo?

I of all people am not a fan of winter weather, but I'm starting to think maybe there is something worth all the misery and woe that the cold weather brings. Igloos! Real ones that are strong enough to stand on top of. I read all about them in this article. The guy and his friends build a village of sturdy little Igloos and partied. It sounds like the best idea ever. I now totally want to try to build and camp in an Igloo.

I know you are probably thinking that my igloo building idea is nuts because you and I both know that I have no idea how to build an igloo. What makes me think igloo construction is possible? The Icebox. It's a little kit that gives you the equipment and the the instructions needed for the igloo novice. When built right, they're supposed to last for up to three months. They have a great igloo gallery showing igloos made by hikers, families, even the boy scouts. If the boy scouts can do it, it can't be that hard.

As a bonus, to get into an area that is igloo worthy, you probably need to snowshoe. I did a little snowshoeing when I lived out in UT and those hikes were some of the most gorgeous and serene experiences of my life. The mountain is quiet, everything is dazzling white, and when the snow is high enough you get to walk through the tree tops. It's another world. Here's a blog with some really cool pictures of what I'm trying to describe.

So now I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a real snow storm in Charlottesville. I know it's not likely but thanks to groundhog Phil, I know I've got at least another six weeks of winter weather. Or maybe I can convince Aaron to do Spring Break in Maine. Anyone else interested?