Okay, so today isn't Sunday. I actually wrote this two Sundays ago, as in, June 10th. And for some reason I wasn't able to upload the pics I wanted to upload, so I didn't publish the post. This evening, however, I was successful in my picture posting efforts. So here they be!
Sunday, Rainy Sunday
And thus a perfect day for sitting in Bernice's Bakery, surrounded by the smells of fresh bread and coffee, drinking my hot chai, and writing. But first, I feel compelled to blog, since my last post was from Cusco, Peru. Now, of course, I am back in Missoula, Montana, Los Estados Unidos, Norte Americana, back to summer, back to work, back to the routine of my life here. Life is good.
I'll post a few more pics here, but I recommend that you all check out the pics I put in my online web album, if you haven't already.
Blogs are a strange thing. I know this is not an original thought, but last night I was absent-mindedly sitting in front of my computer, and I typed in a random blog address, wondering what kind of person would name their blog "life is good." Lately I've been feeling that life is very good, and I wanted to read the thoughts of someone else who thought so, too. Turns out it's a mother of four who lives in Colorado and blogs several times a week. Randomly enough, she and her husband lived in Lima, Peru, in the early '90s, and their first son was born there, during an earthquake. Huh. Anyway, it's amazing how one can peer into people's lives--and even more amazing that people put their lives out there to be peered into.
So, a few more pictures from my trip:
The ruins of Sacsayhuaman, on a hill just above Cusco
Our porters climbing agilely up the Inca Trail
hiking in the mists of the Andes
Machu Picchu
Bill and I at the top of Huayna Picchu (the high peak behind the ruins in the above photo)
Here we all are (except for Bill's wife Beverly, who didn't hike the Trail with us) at the top of Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass, altitude 13,800'):
Brenda D, Brenda V, Bill, Diane, me, and Marco
I do love Pride & Prejudice, in all its forms. Currently I'm delving into the written form. Just a few tidbits:
"The stupidity with which [Mr. Collins] was favoured by nature, must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance."
Oh, Jane Austen, how delightfully snarky thou art!
And better yet:
"'Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are men to rocks and mountains?'"
Indeed. But I digress . . .
Earth Day has come and gone, and along with it, a mobile glass pulverizer from Helena. A group of EVST students worked hard to get that darned thing over to Missoula, and we were not disappointed! Missoulians (and Montanans from farther afield) flocked to Caras Park on Earth Day (April 22), and brought about 10 tons of glass for us to pulverize into cullet. It was quite a satisfying day, all told. Here are a few pictures:
Two years' worth of glass from our Recycling Cave of Death:
Other Missoulians' glass stashes:
The Pulverizer from Above (the big vestibule into which all the glass is being thrown is called the "hopper"):
Me working hard! (Ooh, pretty bottle!)
The crew:
Derek, me, Aubree, Marlee, Stacey, Bill (from Headwaters Recycling in Helena), & Robin (EVST prof)--and the pulverizer, of course!
Let's just say that our Earth Day demonstration was wildly successful. :)
So that was two weekends ago. This past weekend I headed out to Central Montana with a group of EVSTers to do a little fencing for a rancher who had 95% of his 11,000 acres burn in an enormous wildfire last summer.
It was one of the most lovely weekends I've had in a long while. The weather gods were smiling on us, giving us 75 degree days, cool breezes, and warm sunshine. And the lush green beauty rising out of the blackened ash of the wildfire was utterly glorious. One evening we drove up to a high ridge on the Terland's land.
To the north were the peaks of the Crazy Mountains, misty in the setting sun; to the south were the snow-capped peaks of the Beartooth Mountains, and on the hills all around the grass was green and dotted with wildflowers--bread & butters (white six-petaled beauties that taste delicious), fire flowers, bluebells, and even some bitterroot plants (Montana's state flower), though they were not yet in bloom.
On Friday morning as I sat out in one of the sloping meadows above the river, I realized that THIS is what human beings are meant to do: We are meant to be outside. We are meant to breathe and run and live beneath the sunshine, in the path of the wind, along the curve of the earth, drinking the air, smelling sunlight on grass and leaves, hearing the sandhill cranes cry as they drift on high currents of air. It was a moment that could not be bought by anything but my experience of it.
I just returned to cold, cloudy Missoula from cold, sunny Baltimore. So much for spring! Baltimore went from 80-degree weather the weekend BEFORE I arrived to an average of, oh, 37 degrees for the six days of my stay. Go figure.
But we did not let the chilly air negatively influence our activities! We toured Baltimore, from the Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry to Hamden, spent a day in D.C., took walks, cooked delectable dishes (pizza. whole grain waffles with strawberries. roast beef. brussel sprouts. crepes. pumpkin stew. mmm.), drank gallons of hot tea, ate pints of mint chip ice cream, and ate out at various quirky restaurants. Among other things . . .
Rach and Kara's neighborhood (this isn't their street, but it's close by, and aren't the colors splendid?):
Rach and I looking gorgeous, as usual:
And . . . oh my, what's this?! Where art thou sitting, oh Rachel? And what's that on thy foot?
But she wasn't the only one . . . what IS that on my back? Oh dear! What is this place into which we wandered?
It appears to be some sort of peculiar art studio . . .
a body art studio . . .
But is that a pen or a (gasp!) needle?
Oh my goodness oh me oh my oh!!
What HAVE we done to ourselves?
One may not think it possible that Rach and I could be any more gorgeous than we already are, but we now have evidence to the contrary.
Branded beauties, we are!
Hee hee hee . . . I do so love new acquisitions.
In an hour my roomie is going to take me to the airport . . . from there I shall fly to Denver, and then to Baltimore, and run into the waiting arms of three good friends. Ilhamdulillah!
I thought I might go to work for a couple of hours this morning. Ha. Ha. Ha. Updating my blog is SO much more useful.
So, a few pictures:
Long afternoon sunlight out my window:
And . . . pics from the hot springs trip last weekend! A few fellow EVSTers and I drove out to Idaho to camp overnight near the hot springs. What a marvelous idea. I have planned, several times before this, to go to the hot springs, but each and every time the plan has fallen through. Needless to say, I was thrilled that this trip actually happened! We sat in the springs for five hours until we were completely pruny, relaxed, and content, eating olives, baguettes, and cheese, and sipping our wine and kahlua. The moon was nearly full, the sky was clear, the air was cool, and the water was oh, so warm. Mmm.
Hiking across the Lochsa River:
Camping in the snow:
The waterfall pool, which was overrun by snowmelt and thus a little too cold for basking in:
The crew on the bridge on our way out, enjoying a few more moments of fragrant pine air:
Look for tales of Baltimore escapades (heh, heh) soon to be coming!
I like the rain, like watching the dim curtains of mist wash across the Missoula Valley, smelling the soil as the rain soaks in, smelling the freshness, anticipating the new life. It is spring--spring!!--and the rivers are running higher, swifter; the buds are pushing out of the dark tips of branches; and the birds are weaving their canopies of song above me as I walk to work or school.
But rainy days like today are perfect for curling up on the couch, with warm yellow lamps pooling light around me, a fuzzy blanket tucked around my legs, and my laptop on my lap. Perhaps, if I feel so inclined, I will make myself a cup of tea as I sit here reading and writing this afternoon.
Spring break. Doesn't FEEL much like spring break, since all it means is that I get to work even MORE this week, with no inconvenient classes taking up my time, but already I'm feeling more relaxed. Though I suppose it's a bit of a false feeling, since I really ought to be working on my project for my environmental organizing class. Yes, indeed, I am working to bring glass recycling to Missoula, and at times this seems a nigh impossible task. Yeep. However, I encourage ya'll to check out www.recyclemt.org for some pictures of the mobile glass pulverizer in Helena (and you might just see a certain familiar face in a few of those pics, too).
Speaking of pics, I ought to post a few, eh? Though it's been three weeks since I visited my sister out in Lynden, I did promise to put up a few pictures of our trip. Enjoy!
This was the day I left: it snowed the night before, thick, soft snow, and all the streets and cars and trees were white and clean that morning. This is my view on my way to work, and is my favorite part of my two-block walk.
Here's Ishta in the blizzard we drove through--let's just say that I did not at all mind going 20 mph while driving in this stuff!
Andrea on the ferry ride from Anacortes to Orcas Island. Oh, little did we know that the ferry ride would be the best part of the day!
Sistah luv:
Discoveries in Victoria, BC:
After wandering around the city for an evening and the following morning, we made our way to the southernmost point of the city (and, therefore, of Vancouver Island). Waves, water, sky, cloud, wind, driftwood: beautiful! And, of course, we couldn't help but take some 'artistic' shots.
All in all, it was a great weekend, though it did feel as though we did a lot of driving and money spending. It was lovely to get out and away, though! Even lovelier is the latest news that Andrea accepted a teaching position at Ebenezer Christian School in Lynden, WA, and will be moving there this summer! I'm looking forward to many more excursions to the Pacific Northwest in the future.
Just a few more pics, of people I often talk about but whom most of you have not met: my good friend Lindsay Iudicello and her family. A couple of weeks ago we went hiking up to the "L" on Mt. Jumbo.
Here's Linds and Corin (who's 3) and Seth (in the jester hat):
And Corin in the late afternoon sunshine:
And here's a view from the "L" of my lovely Missoula and the mountains which embrace it:
Soon the hills will be green, as will the lawns and the trees and the bushes, and the days will be sparkling with color and light and warmth, and I'll throw all the windows in the house open, day and night, to let the spring drift in.
Ahh.
BEFORE: 
AFTER:
I'm a big fan of frosting.
I really don't understand how so much time can slither by between posts. I'm trying to update more often, but it doesn't seem to be working. I admit, I have more pressing things to do than update my blog . . .
I have been told that pictures are good. So I will cater to those of you who require visual stimulation--you'd better be happy! (Okay, okay, I like pictures, too. I like visual stimulation as much as the next person. Plah.)
This above shot is the view out my window the other evening. We haven't gotten much snow lately, but every once in awhile we get a dusting, and of course the snow stays on the mountains longer. On this particular evening, when I walked home from work it was both snowing and sunny. Montana is a marvelous place to live.
And, back to Christmas break, here's Linds toasting me with her Mountain Dew at her dad's house up in Spirit Lake. Love ya, girl!
Here's my adorable kid sister with a typical expression during one of our riveting games of Global Pursuit. She wasn't winning, AND she was about to do her chicken impression. Beware!
My girls came to visit me--they drove down on the morning of New Year's Eve through a blizzard, and we had a lovely couple of days together, even though Amos was sick and sniffling the entire time. But Beth and Britta and I took good care of her and made sure she had plenty of time to sleep.
Here's Sarah and I at her wedding! I was her personal attendant (and corsage/boutonniere-pinner), so I got a picture with the radiant bride AND a corsage. It was a gorgeous ceremony, for those of you who weren't there.
And here's Sarah with her new hubby. (Note how well Josh's boutonniere is pinned! Ahem.)
And now, back to Montana! Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures from my contra dance weekend in Bozeman. Not any dancing pictures, that is. Here's the "backyard" of the place we stayed, out on the edge of town:
And here are Christa, Teresa and I, looking gorgeous, completely stylish, and not at ALL mismatched at the TropiContra dance. (The pants are to ward off the cold as we walk home. We do NOT wear them while we dance. But even if we did, no one would think twice about it!)
And one final picture, of me (because I'm a complete narcissist) in all my contra-dancing glory. Gotta love the lei!
Insha'allah this will make happy all of you who have been pining away for pictures. More to come next week, after I spend the weekend with my sister in Washington! We hope to take the ferry out to the San Juan Islands and maybe even up to Vancouver Island if we're feeling ambitious. I LOVE FERRIES. Actually, it's more the fact that ferries travel on water. I LOVE WATER. Mmm. And the water filling the Strait of Juan de Fuca is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Oh, pictures will come! Pictures will most definitely come.
