Saturday, February 28, 2015

Day 59: Earrings


You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. ~ Audrey Hepburn

Every year, one of my supervisors heads down to Tucson for the gem and mineral show. Every year she also brings the collection staff little gifts from the show. These are my nice, new turquoise earrings that Elaine brought back for me. This was a fun surprise this week!

Friday, February 27, 2015

Day 58: Chick-fil-a


All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. ~ John Gunther

This morning I splurged on a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a as I headed out to run errands. Chick-fil-a offered free coffee every day in February, and today was the only day that I took them up on it. This was quite a delicious breakfast!

I grocery shopped for the next week and hit up some of the thrift stores and second-hand stores around town. I was unsuccessful in my hunt for cheap furniture, but more successful in my hunt for good food.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Day 57: Clouds


God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars. ~ Unknown, Commonly attributed to Martin Luther

Today I just have a shot of the clouds above my apartment. They were really beautiful this evening, and when I parked I knew I had to take a shot of the sun glinting off of the clouds. 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Day 56: No Service


Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we're too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone. ~ Steven Spielberg

For much of today my phone screen looked like this - No Service.

Apparently a fiber-optic line was cut somewhere north of Phoenix as an act of vandalism. This led to widespread phone and internet outages throughout Northern Arizona. We had no internet connection or phone service for the majority of the day at work.

All is well now, and services are restored.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Day 55: Sun on the Mountains


How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains! ~ John Muir

Just a few days ago I posted a photo of the peaks with almost no snow. What a difference a couple of days can make! This was the beautiful view from the museum this evening as I was leaving work. I took the photo from the basketball court in front of my old chicken coop.

It seems like it was just last week that by the time I left work it was almost dark. But this photo was taken at 5:15 this evening! It's staying light longer and longer each day.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Day 54: Snowman


I don't have a skull ... or bones. ~ Olaf, Frozen

We finally had more snow here in Flagstaff! We had close to seven inches, so we're still over a foot behind average snowfall for February. However, since it takes close to seven years to measure seven inches of snow back in Abilene, this still felt like a lot!

It was a snow day for the public schools, but not nearly enough to garner a snow day at the museum. I'm used to cancellations due to much less snow, so it's difficult to sit and work when I want to be out playing in the snow or reading a book with a mug of hot chocolate.

But, by the time the sun set I still managed to do both - build a snowman and enjoy hot chocolate. My snowman is not the prettiest snowman in the world, as he's quite dirty and not very round. It was also a chore to get his middle and head put on - that snow was too heavy for me! Perhaps I also would have fared better if I had worn waterproof gloves.

Regardless, I enjoyed watching the snow fall all day and had fun playing in the snow in the evening.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Day 53: Saint Bernard


I used to look at [my dog] Smokey and think, "If you were a little smarter you could tell me what you were thinking," and he'd look at me like he was saying, "If you were a little smarter, I wouldn't have to." ~ Fred Jungclaus

It's difficult to picture just how large a Saint Bernard is unless you're with one. This is a big dog! He is seriously almost as big as me - and his head is bigger than my head.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Day 52: McMillan Homestead


It has been said that, at it's best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future. ~ William Murtagh

This is the house that I'm staying in for the weekend. The McMillan Homestead was built in 1886 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Coltons, who founded the Museum of Northern Arizona, purchased and restored the house in the late 1920s.

It's also the house that Ted Danson grew up in, while his father was the director of MNA.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Day 51: Dog-Sitting


If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. ~ Phil Pastoret

Today I'm beginning my weekend of dog-sitting. Since I can't get a dog right now, it's nice to have one for the weekend. This is looking to be a beautiful weekend to go on walks with a dog, so it should be fun!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Day 50: Warm


If you really think the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money. ~ Guy McPherson

Flagstaff is in the middle of a warm February - the warmest February on record, in fact.

Today was the thirteenth 60-degree day this February. The previous record was eight 60-degree days, and sometimes Flagstaff doesn't reach 60 at all in February.

Even the snow on the mountains is mostly gone.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Day 49: Ice Skating


In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tonight I went ice skating with a couple of ladies from my small group. It was a ton of fun! Let me tell you, though, I probably should have stopped skating while I took this photo.

Both of the other girls fell, and with only three minutes left in our skate time, I had yet to fall. "Look, you still have three minutes to fall. Then we'll all be even."

And, with literally one minute left in our skate, I fell. I was so sad! And I'm blaming it on the other girl.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Day 48: Pancake Day


I don't have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancakes. ~ Kathleen Flinn

Today is pancake day, also known as Shrove Tuesday or the day before the Lenten season begins. Historically people in the UK ate pancakes on Shrove Tuesday in order to use up the eggs, milk and butter before the Lenten fast. For my family it was mostly an excuse to have pancakes for dinner while we reflected on the upcoming season and shared what we would each give up for Lent (at least I can't remember any of us ever giving up butter!).

This year it was particularly difficult to decide what my fast would include. I ultimately have decided to give up negativity and complaining. Instead I will think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

Sadly I had no lemon juice in the apartment, so no lemon juice and sugar pancakes for me tonight.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Day 47: Sunrise


When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. ~ Ansel Adams

Sunrise at the Grand Canyon is incredible. Photos truly cannot do it justice, in part because photos rarely do a moment justice, and in part because sunrise is not a moment but an event.

Sunrise this morning was 7:14, and I arrived at the Grand Canyon at 6:30. Forty-five minutes before official sunrise time, the sky was already lightening. Slowly, the sky filled with colour. Ridges and crevices were lit, and then faded back into darkness until this moment when the sun cleared the horizon.

This was definitely worth my 4 am alarm and a dark drive through forests filled with deer and elk. Especially since I began the drive with a shooting star glinting across the sky in front of me.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Day 46: Coffee



I bought a new coffeepot today, and I'm very excited about it. You can see my one-cup coffee maker in the background. I bought it to use in the coops, and it's been fantastic. But it only makes one cup at a time and isn't a standard size for filters.

Therefore, I decided to splurge on a new coffeepot (for all of fifteen bucks). It's even programmable! I will set it tonight so that it'll be ready for me in the morning, when I wake up at 4 am to drive to the Grand Canyon. I think I'll need more than one cup of coffee for that!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Day 45: Vultee Arch


God created the Grand Canyon, but he lives in Sedona. ~ Local Sedona saying

It was a beautiful day for a little hiking with friends. We headed down to Sedona and did the Vultee Arch trail. The trailhead is four miles down an incredibly bumpy and rutted dirt road. It's a good thing we had Jeeps, or we never would have made it.

The hike is fairly easy until the end, at which point some scrambling up sandstone is required. The arch itself is fairly high up, and a few of us walked out onto the arch - fun but a little scary!

Friday, February 13, 2015

Day 44: Valentine's Puppies


All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. ~ Charles M. Schulz

My mom knows me so well. I got this adorable card from my parents in the mail today and it made me so happy. Aren't the puppies adorable? And chocolate - perfect. It's always fun to receive a card in the mail, and this one certainly brightened my day

Now, if only I could have one of those puppies...

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Day 43: Three Days in a Row


I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say, 'Because it's such a beautiful animal.' There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her. ~ Ellen DeGeneres

This was my third day in row to see elk. It appears these three elk have found a spot that they like. I love seeing wildlife, and still feel a rush of excitement even when I see deer - and I usually see deer three or four times a week.

Today's photo is not as good as the one from a few days ago, as the elk were not cooperating and stayed behind the trees. When I moved, they moved. But I was so happy to see them again that I just had to stop and take a closer look.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Day 42: Camara Bag


The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don't have to explain things in words. ~ Elliott Erwitt

This camera sling bag is my prize for the Visit Arizona photo contest. I'm excited to have something durable and sturdy to safely transport my camera.

Is it exactly what I was wanting? No. But then again, I've done a ton of research on camera bags and finally determined that exactly what I want does not exist. Go figure. I look forward to testing this bag in the field - and supporting Arizona as I go.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Day 41: Elk


When we return wild animals to nature, we merely return them to what is already theirs. For man cannot give wild animals freedom, they can only take it away. ~ Jacques Cousteau

I've heard that there are a lot of elk around Flagstaff. I see the elk crossing signs on a regular basis. I've been left wondering, where are all of the elk?

I see deer frequently - a few times a week - but I hadn't seen any elk. As I was leaving the museum today, I glanced to the side of the road where I often see deer. As I passed I realized that the animals were too large to be deer.

Elk! Sure enough, after I turned around and then pulled over I was treated to three elk just hanging out.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Day 40: UFO


UFOs: The reliable cases are uninteresting and the interesting cases are unreliable. ~  Carl Sagan

Most people don't know that I work with UFOs, but it's true. Sometimes I even have to determine the status of a UFO.

As you may have guessed, I'm not actually dealing with anything related to aliens. Rather, in my context a UFO is an unassociated funerary object. Unassociated funerary objects were originally buried with human remains and were collected, but the human remains themselves were either left buried or are no longer held by an institution.

I am reviewing assemblages in preparation for the move of a portion of a collection. The UFOs will remain where they are or be repatriated.

(Yes, my photo cuts off most of the paper so as not to publish confidential collection information to the world.)

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Day 39: Winner



Does a screenshot count as a photo? I say it does.

I won my first photo contest! The contest was through Visit Arizona, the state's official tourism organization. I submitted this photo of the San Francisco Peaks for January's theme of winter. The Facebook post has over 750 likes and quite a few shares. I was more than a little excited when I got the email saying that I won.

Oh, and you should come visit me in Arizona!

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Day 38: Bouldering


A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral. ~ Antione de Saint-Exupéry

I had big plans today to go to lava river cave with some friends. It's an underground cave carved by a lava flow, which sounds pretty cool. Unfortunately, the road to get to the cave is closed for the winter. Never mind that it's 65 degrees today, and Flagstaff is two feet behind its normal snowfall.

Not wanting to waste a nice day, we headed to a trail along the side of Mount Elden, a 9,300 foot peak. We left the trail and scrambled up boulders. It was a ton fun, even I did end up with very scratched and sore hands.

The summit looks much closer than it actually is, but it would be fun to try to go all the way up!


Friday, February 6, 2015

Day 37: A Window Through Time


The family, the dwelling house and the field are inseparable, because the woman is the heart of these, and they rest with her ... The man builds the house but the woman is the owner, because she repairs and preserves it. ~ Unknown Hopi; a view of the Wupatki community, presented to "the Washington Chiefs," 1894

This is one of the windows in Wukoki Pueblo, at Wupatki National Monument. It find it fascinating that people used this same window almost one thousand years ago. Even more incredible is the fact that this landscape hasn't really changed.

Today we drove up to Sunset Crater, a volcano, and Wuptaki. These national monuments are just to the northeast of Flagstaff.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Day 36: Gone is the Snow


Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality. ~ Andy Goldsworthy

This is the last of the snow at my apartment complex. The weather has been in the sixties all week, which means what little snow was around is now gone. While I was certainly nervous about the snow when I moved here, I was also excited! I've been a bit disappointed that we have had so little snow.

We may get some snow next week, but it's been so warm that any precipitation has been rain.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Day 35: Rez Dog


The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs. ~ Charles de Gualle

This beautiful girl is Ginger, and she is often at our small group meetings. She's very skittish and doesn't like guys, but once she warms up to you, she's a sweetheart. I spent the meeting before last with her curled up next to me.

Ginger is a Rez dog, which means she's a mixed breed from one of the reservations. There are packs of feral dogs on the reservations that frequently breed, which means the Northern Arizona animal shelters and rescue societies are often overflowing with puppies from the rez. Now I want one!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Day 34: Keys and Codes



A very little key will open a very heavy door. ~ Charles Dickens

I now have a couple more keys on my keychain and a few more alarm codes rattling around in my head. All of this means a bit more responsibility and a heavier keychain.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Day 33: Eat a Cookie


Today me will live in the moment, unless it's unpleasant in which case me will eat a cookie. ~ Cookie Monster

It's Girl Scout cookie time. Thin mints and caramel delights - yumm. Except caramel delights are called samoas here. Confusing, I know.

Not only are these cookies delicious, but they bring to mind such good memories. Memories of selling Girl Scout cookies while walking door to door or setting up a table at Walmart. Memories of meeting with a group of girls in a church close to my house. Memories of campouts and whipped cream wars and archery and completing the horseback riding badge three times.

So go support a troop and eat some tasty cookies. Win-win.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Day 32: My Parking Spot



This is the view from my parking spot at my apartment. Every time I walk out to my car and see this, I feel happy. It was such a beautiful day today!

Day 31: San Francisco Peaks




The San Francisco Peaks at sunset are beautiful from Doney Park, where one of my coworkers lives. We headed out there for a game day and this is the view. This is a such a beautiful place.