About a month ago, I was sitting with Ted watching a fire burn in our fireplace in Olympia, when I began to think about the nature of color. I thought back to an elementary school science experiment when we held a crystal up to a window to catch the sunlight. In amazement, we watched as the prism radiated all the colors of the rainbow! I know now that the prism merely reflected the colors that exist all around us at all times, and that an opaque object absorbs colors, thereby appearing dark. But what I still do not understand is how we are able to see so many colors at the same time!?! Think about it - all colors exist at all times, but we do not perceive all colors at all times. Instead, we see an incredibly complex array of colors and shades, which we can perceive and discern simultaneously. In fact, if we looked at a wall containing all the colors of the world, we would be able to perceive all the various shades all at the same time with no trouble! What an incredible feat!
And yet, behind the colors that we do see are all the colors that we do not see. For example, if we look at a dark blue couch, we do not see all the colors that the couch absorbed to appear dark blue. But those colors still exist! Behind everything seen is a whole array of things that are unseen!
This concept was reinforced to me on our flight back from Memphis to Seattle. Seattle, like Eor from Winnie the Pooh, always seems to have a grey cloud hanging over it, as those of you who live near there can attest :-) But as we were flying towards Seattle, all we could see was a brilliant sunny sky framing the low hanging grey clouds. Though the people on the ground could not perceive the beautiful blue sky - it was there just above the clouds. Behind everything seen is a whole array of things that are unseen!
I find this thought wonderfully comforting! Imagine walking out on a rainy, cloudy day. The sky is oppressively low and dark, the rain pounding, everyting cast in a pallor of gloom. Of course, you might feel overcast as well. But all is not as it seems! Above the clouds is a sunny sky, just waiting for the clouds to pass before it can become visible!
We should always question what is lying just beyond the edges of our perceptions - just behind the veil of what we can see and what we think we know. We may just find all the colors of the rainbow!
Posting By: Rebecca
Photo By: Ted (taken in California)
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
What If?
What would happen if everyone recycled at least the bare essentials?
What would happen if everyone switched the lightbulbs in their homes to the new energy efficient kind?
What would happen if half the people who owned a home had a compost pile?
What would happen if half the population grew their own vegetables?
What would happen if half the population bought only organic foods?
What would happen if everyone carpooled to work?
What would happen if every car was a hybrid?
What would happen if we all drove fifty miles less per week and walked to get the essentials?
What would happen if we all exercised outside?
What would happen if jet skis and snowmobiles were also hybrid?
What would happen if everyone planted one tree?
What would happen if everyone turned the water off while they were brushing their teeth?
What would happen if everyone switched to energy safe appliances?
What would happen if we all stopped investing money in throw away technology?
What happens to the clothes in clothing stores when no one buys them?
What happens to the food in supermarkets if no one buys it?
Is it really cost effective to throw the food away?
Is it hurting anyone to give it away?
What would happen if McDonald’s and other fast food chains stopped putting plastic toys in their meals?
What would happen if cities only allowed one type of each store per 50,000 people?
What would happen if people stopped using plastic diapers and more diaper cleaning services were available?
What would happen if all the hydrogen being produced from nuclear waste were harvested for energy?
What would happen if everyone had solar paneling?
What would happen if people built only what they needed, not what they wanted?
What would happen if every town had a farmer’s market?
Serious Questions - Let me know if you come up with any answers! If we all put our minds together - I bet we could come up with at least a few solutions!
Posting By: Rebecca
What would happen if everyone switched the lightbulbs in their homes to the new energy efficient kind?
What would happen if half the people who owned a home had a compost pile?
What would happen if half the population grew their own vegetables?
What would happen if half the population bought only organic foods?
What would happen if everyone carpooled to work?
What would happen if every car was a hybrid?
What would happen if we all drove fifty miles less per week and walked to get the essentials?
What would happen if we all exercised outside?
What would happen if jet skis and snowmobiles were also hybrid?
What would happen if everyone planted one tree?
What would happen if everyone turned the water off while they were brushing their teeth?
What would happen if everyone switched to energy safe appliances?
What would happen if we all stopped investing money in throw away technology?
What happens to the clothes in clothing stores when no one buys them?
What happens to the food in supermarkets if no one buys it?
Is it really cost effective to throw the food away?
Is it hurting anyone to give it away?
What would happen if McDonald’s and other fast food chains stopped putting plastic toys in their meals?
What would happen if cities only allowed one type of each store per 50,000 people?
What would happen if people stopped using plastic diapers and more diaper cleaning services were available?
What would happen if all the hydrogen being produced from nuclear waste were harvested for energy?
What would happen if everyone had solar paneling?
What would happen if people built only what they needed, not what they wanted?
What would happen if every town had a farmer’s market?
Serious Questions - Let me know if you come up with any answers! If we all put our minds together - I bet we could come up with at least a few solutions!
Posting By: Rebecca
A Book Review and My Thoughts
I was looking through some of my old writing for magazine ideas, and stumbled upon a book review I wrote this past September. It is a testament to how powerfully the book affected me that I wrote pages and pages about the thoughts it inspired. I've included an excerpt of the review here. This entry is a little more personal than usual - but the book touched me and it might touch someone else as well - so here goes.
September 14, 2005
Last night I read the book "The Myth of You and Me" by Leah Stewart. It moved me and touched me in a way that few books do. Sonia and Cameron had been friends since they were 14, but the close friendship ended tragically eight years later when Sonia confessed she had slept with Owen, Cameron’s college boyfriend. Eight years later, shortly before her wedding, Sonia attempted to contact Cameron, who was working for Oliver Doucet, a famous historian, as a live-in caretaker and research assistant. After Oliver died, he left instructions for Cameron to contact Sonia in order to deliver a mysterious package. Her curiosity peaked, Cameron left Oxford and headed to Boston, ostensibly to find Sonia and deliver the package. Cameron ends up back at the same fork in the road that she faced eight years before, and is forced to relive all the moments that led to her decision to end her friendship with Sonia. Over several days, she begins to heal old wounds and stir up old relationships. In a sense, she returns to the fork in the road and chooses the other direction.
Stewart talks a great deal about the fact that many truths coexist at the same time. Life is not linear, as most people view it, but like a string that continuously crosses over itself and reconnects. She theorizes that the end result is evident in every choice, and that once a choice is made, a new, alternate life forms alongside our own, in which the opposite choice was made. Though I have heard this theory before, it was not compelling to me until now. Each fork in the road would have an infinite number of forks alongside it. Stewart also discusses the fact that it is impossible to ever know all sides of a person because each person is a world. I find this thought to be immensely comforting. In each of us lies the destruction and creation of a world. Which path we take becomes a matter of choices converged with circumstance. No, more it is a matter of choice. Many bad things happen to people who choose to remain basically good, and many good things happen to people who choose to become derelict. It is not that some people have better luck than others, merely that some people have better attitudes. Is a good attitude an inherent personality trait? I think not. I choose to believe we are all blessed with the ability to choose how we want to act, despite whatever circumstances may have befallen us at whatever age. From then on, life is about continually choosing the best attitude. Many people do not want to believe that life is a series of choices, but instead choose to believe that life is a series of good or bad things that happen to them. In this view, they bear no personal responsibility for their actions or reactions. It is an easier view to be sure. I personally like the complexity and responsibility of the former view.
I began thinking about all the different choices I have made in my life, and all the different people I could have become as a result of these choices. The possibilities are infinite! All of my choices and attitudes have led me here - to an apartment in Palo Alto, California, agonizing over writing, and chasing the days away with the love of my life, as we explore all that the world has to offer us. At times, I think I have been very lucky indeed. But I also realize that I am here because I chose to be here all along. I am still choosing. Where will I be in five years? I have no idea, but I do know that where I will be is beginning now, in the decision to stay in today to write, in the decision to be mindful of the moment, in the decision to be aware of my blessings, in the decision to be aware of other’s needs, and the decision to be aware of our connectedness to the world.
Ted and I have often stayed up late imagining versions of our lives together. A few of our favorites:
Version One- Nomadic adventurers - We do travel nursing until we save up enough to have a good nest egg. We hike the entire Appalachian trail before joining the Peace Corps. After returning, we work for Doctors Without Borders, he as an FNP, and I as a coordinator and UN liaison. As a hobby, we work for National Geographic, detailing our travels, Ted with photos and I with words. When we do want to settle down, we move to a small North Carolina town, or possibly Rogersville. I teach and work part time in the coffee shop that we both own. He works at the shop full time. We adopt several children and own a self-sustaining farm. Both of us continue to do freelance work.
Version Two - A variation of Version One, but diverging after hiking the AT. Ted goes to school to become a FNP. I go to school to major in International Relations. I work for a nonprofit, while Ted works for a rural clinic. We have children. Eventually, we open a coffee shop and own a self-sustaining farm while doing some freelance work. We continue to travel the world for fun.
There are many versions of these plans, but all with the basic thrust of traveling, helping others, and owning a coffee shop or a self-sustaining farm. In some versions, our son is Byron Charles. In others, he is Gabriel. In others, Isaiah. Our daughter is Isabelle, or Zara, or Elizabeth. In some versions, we have no children at all. The best part of all these versions is the pleasure we derive from dreaming together of all these different lives, all our different selves. All the different roads we could take together. And we know, even in the midst of these plans, that life can change in a moment, that we are not guaranteed the breath of tomorrow. And yet we dream, because we can and because we hope, and because we trust.
I try to imagine sometimes what life would be like if Ted were to suddenly die tomorrow, in the same way that mothers try to picture losing their children, in an effort to somehow prepare for an almost inevitable blow. I try to picture myself getting out of bed, making myself get a job, sorting out the bills, eating meals that all taste bland. Once you have found your other half, it is difficult to imagine being alone again. Perhaps in this version of my life I would still travel overseas, join the Peace Corps, and basically continue along as in Version One, except without the coffee shop, and perhaps with fewer adopted children. I really don’t know. I pray that Ted and I will be able to go on like we are now, hand in hand, for as long as we both shall live, which is hopefully to the same exact moment, although I know that the chances of us both dying at the same time are slim. And yet, when one or the other of us goes, the one who remains still has choices about how he or she will live. We can choose to get out of bed in the morning and face the day. We can choose to go on, as a testimony to the strength of our love.
Life does not happen to us - we mold our lives. I, for one, will continue choosing to be happy. And alive. And in love.
September 14, 2005
Last night I read the book "The Myth of You and Me" by Leah Stewart. It moved me and touched me in a way that few books do. Sonia and Cameron had been friends since they were 14, but the close friendship ended tragically eight years later when Sonia confessed she had slept with Owen, Cameron’s college boyfriend. Eight years later, shortly before her wedding, Sonia attempted to contact Cameron, who was working for Oliver Doucet, a famous historian, as a live-in caretaker and research assistant. After Oliver died, he left instructions for Cameron to contact Sonia in order to deliver a mysterious package. Her curiosity peaked, Cameron left Oxford and headed to Boston, ostensibly to find Sonia and deliver the package. Cameron ends up back at the same fork in the road that she faced eight years before, and is forced to relive all the moments that led to her decision to end her friendship with Sonia. Over several days, she begins to heal old wounds and stir up old relationships. In a sense, she returns to the fork in the road and chooses the other direction.
Stewart talks a great deal about the fact that many truths coexist at the same time. Life is not linear, as most people view it, but like a string that continuously crosses over itself and reconnects. She theorizes that the end result is evident in every choice, and that once a choice is made, a new, alternate life forms alongside our own, in which the opposite choice was made. Though I have heard this theory before, it was not compelling to me until now. Each fork in the road would have an infinite number of forks alongside it. Stewart also discusses the fact that it is impossible to ever know all sides of a person because each person is a world. I find this thought to be immensely comforting. In each of us lies the destruction and creation of a world. Which path we take becomes a matter of choices converged with circumstance. No, more it is a matter of choice. Many bad things happen to people who choose to remain basically good, and many good things happen to people who choose to become derelict. It is not that some people have better luck than others, merely that some people have better attitudes. Is a good attitude an inherent personality trait? I think not. I choose to believe we are all blessed with the ability to choose how we want to act, despite whatever circumstances may have befallen us at whatever age. From then on, life is about continually choosing the best attitude. Many people do not want to believe that life is a series of choices, but instead choose to believe that life is a series of good or bad things that happen to them. In this view, they bear no personal responsibility for their actions or reactions. It is an easier view to be sure. I personally like the complexity and responsibility of the former view.
I began thinking about all the different choices I have made in my life, and all the different people I could have become as a result of these choices. The possibilities are infinite! All of my choices and attitudes have led me here - to an apartment in Palo Alto, California, agonizing over writing, and chasing the days away with the love of my life, as we explore all that the world has to offer us. At times, I think I have been very lucky indeed. But I also realize that I am here because I chose to be here all along. I am still choosing. Where will I be in five years? I have no idea, but I do know that where I will be is beginning now, in the decision to stay in today to write, in the decision to be mindful of the moment, in the decision to be aware of my blessings, in the decision to be aware of other’s needs, and the decision to be aware of our connectedness to the world.
Ted and I have often stayed up late imagining versions of our lives together. A few of our favorites:
Version One- Nomadic adventurers - We do travel nursing until we save up enough to have a good nest egg. We hike the entire Appalachian trail before joining the Peace Corps. After returning, we work for Doctors Without Borders, he as an FNP, and I as a coordinator and UN liaison. As a hobby, we work for National Geographic, detailing our travels, Ted with photos and I with words. When we do want to settle down, we move to a small North Carolina town, or possibly Rogersville. I teach and work part time in the coffee shop that we both own. He works at the shop full time. We adopt several children and own a self-sustaining farm. Both of us continue to do freelance work.
Version Two - A variation of Version One, but diverging after hiking the AT. Ted goes to school to become a FNP. I go to school to major in International Relations. I work for a nonprofit, while Ted works for a rural clinic. We have children. Eventually, we open a coffee shop and own a self-sustaining farm while doing some freelance work. We continue to travel the world for fun.
There are many versions of these plans, but all with the basic thrust of traveling, helping others, and owning a coffee shop or a self-sustaining farm. In some versions, our son is Byron Charles. In others, he is Gabriel. In others, Isaiah. Our daughter is Isabelle, or Zara, or Elizabeth. In some versions, we have no children at all. The best part of all these versions is the pleasure we derive from dreaming together of all these different lives, all our different selves. All the different roads we could take together. And we know, even in the midst of these plans, that life can change in a moment, that we are not guaranteed the breath of tomorrow. And yet we dream, because we can and because we hope, and because we trust.
I try to imagine sometimes what life would be like if Ted were to suddenly die tomorrow, in the same way that mothers try to picture losing their children, in an effort to somehow prepare for an almost inevitable blow. I try to picture myself getting out of bed, making myself get a job, sorting out the bills, eating meals that all taste bland. Once you have found your other half, it is difficult to imagine being alone again. Perhaps in this version of my life I would still travel overseas, join the Peace Corps, and basically continue along as in Version One, except without the coffee shop, and perhaps with fewer adopted children. I really don’t know. I pray that Ted and I will be able to go on like we are now, hand in hand, for as long as we both shall live, which is hopefully to the same exact moment, although I know that the chances of us both dying at the same time are slim. And yet, when one or the other of us goes, the one who remains still has choices about how he or she will live. We can choose to get out of bed in the morning and face the day. We can choose to go on, as a testimony to the strength of our love.
Life does not happen to us - we mold our lives. I, for one, will continue choosing to be happy. And alive. And in love.
Lee's Ferry Hike
In the hiker's paradise of northern Arizona, every day counts, especially when you only have three months to explore all that the area has to offer. Because the Coconino National Forest, which includes Sunset Crater, the Wupatki Ruins, Mt. Humphreys, Mt. Elden, and most other trails near us, is closed due to the Brins Fire, we decided to drive two hours north to Lee's Ferry for a weekend of camping and hiking the first chance we got. Situated off Route 89A just past the Navajo Bridge is the Lee's Ferry recreation area, a remote park which marks the point where the Paria River joins the Colorado River and also affords breathtaking views of the mouth of the Grand Canyon - if you're willing to climb a few strenuous trails.
Even though we got an early start on Saturday morning, we did not arrive at the campground until noon, which translates into triple digit desert heat. We set up the tent and waited for the harsh afternoon sun to fade before setting out on the Spencer Trail - a three mile round trip vertical climb to the top of a 4,740 foot plateau. From the ground we could not see the trail, or even the top of the plateau. All that we could see was a 1,560 foot red rock towering over the winding Colorado River. I started to have second thoughts about the climb, but the guide book assured us that the top afforded incredible views of the river valley. Anything for a photo, right? Any time we feel intimidated by a trail, we pretend that we're members of a National Geographic photography team. Do you think those guys get those incredible photos by sticking to the comfortable trails? No way! In fact, when we visited Washington, D.C., we stopped by the National Geographic museum where we saw an underwater photo of a trout swimming through an Alasakan stream. The photographer wrote that he waited for hours IN the freezing stream to get that shot. Needless to say, we were willing to climb 1.5 miles up a trail to reach the promised views.
Though we had each come prepared with a gallon of water, we were not prepared for the intensity of the heat. Within ten minutes, the cool water in our Nalgene bottles was steaming hot, and the heat settled on us in unrelenting waves. There was no way that we could make the climb even in the late afternoon, as there were no water sources or shaded areas along the trail. Reluctantly, we turned back for the day with a resolution to awake early and try again. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging on the white sands of the Paria beach, immersing ourselves in the chilly Colorado River, and watching rafters float by on their way towards Phantom Ranch.
At four thirty the next morning, we awoke to an amazing sunrise bathing the cliffs in soft red light. We sat for a while enjoying the sunrise before heading back to the Spencer Trail. Already the day was warm, but bearable, as the side of the cliff was still covered in shade. As we climbed steadily upward and navigated the loose rocks, we were rewarded with increasingly grand views of the valley below - red rock reflected in the river, stretches of buttes and canyon valleys, the winding blue and green of the Colorado River. Darting lizards, desert flowers, odd rock formations, and steep drop-offs punctuated the trail. At several points in the trail, we could not see where the trail led next, or where we had been previously due to the vertical nature of the climb. We hugged the cliff walls until we reached the top of the plateau.
Upon reaching the summit - we felt we were on top of the world! In one direction, we could see the beginning of the Grand Canyon and the winding Colorado, in the other we could see the Echo and Vermillion Cliffs, Lake Powell, and Navajo Mountain. All along the ridge were cairns, or rock piles, left by previous hikers to mark the summit. We added our own rocks to commemorate the occasion.
Though we could have sat for hours, we knew that we had to be back by ten in order to make the descent before the heat of the day set in. Reluctantly, we gathered the camera equipment and made our way back down the trail. We could still see rafters preparing to go down river and fishermen heading upstream to catch trout. The colors of the place are so vivid - as though a veil has been pulled away to reveal their true colors. Never have I see such blue sky or such red rock - the pictures, as stunning as they are, do the scene no justice!
After an afternoon of playing in the river, we headed back home - and none too soon. The day after we returned, the Forest Service closed down route 89A due to the raging North Rim fire. The Brins Fire (near Sedona) is now nearly 90% contained, but the North Rim fire is still steadily burning. Although the South Rim is still open, the entire canyon is fillled with smoke from the fire. Everybody should pray for rain, as that is probably going to be the only thing that will stop the wildfires from consuming the drought ridden Southwest! We live up on a mesa, and the fires have not come near Flagstaff, so you don't need to worry about us. We're more worried about the state of the forests and anxiously awaiting the reopening of the Coconino National Forest. Can't wait to see all of you who are coming to visit! Don't worry - we'll find something to do around here. You're probably breathing a sigh of relief that we can't take you hiking. HaHa!
We miss you all!
Posting By: Rebecca
Photo By: Ted
Even though we got an early start on Saturday morning, we did not arrive at the campground until noon, which translates into triple digit desert heat. We set up the tent and waited for the harsh afternoon sun to fade before setting out on the Spencer Trail - a three mile round trip vertical climb to the top of a 4,740 foot plateau. From the ground we could not see the trail, or even the top of the plateau. All that we could see was a 1,560 foot red rock towering over the winding Colorado River. I started to have second thoughts about the climb, but the guide book assured us that the top afforded incredible views of the river valley. Anything for a photo, right? Any time we feel intimidated by a trail, we pretend that we're members of a National Geographic photography team. Do you think those guys get those incredible photos by sticking to the comfortable trails? No way! In fact, when we visited Washington, D.C., we stopped by the National Geographic museum where we saw an underwater photo of a trout swimming through an Alasakan stream. The photographer wrote that he waited for hours IN the freezing stream to get that shot. Needless to say, we were willing to climb 1.5 miles up a trail to reach the promised views.
Though we had each come prepared with a gallon of water, we were not prepared for the intensity of the heat. Within ten minutes, the cool water in our Nalgene bottles was steaming hot, and the heat settled on us in unrelenting waves. There was no way that we could make the climb even in the late afternoon, as there were no water sources or shaded areas along the trail. Reluctantly, we turned back for the day with a resolution to awake early and try again. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging on the white sands of the Paria beach, immersing ourselves in the chilly Colorado River, and watching rafters float by on their way towards Phantom Ranch.
At four thirty the next morning, we awoke to an amazing sunrise bathing the cliffs in soft red light. We sat for a while enjoying the sunrise before heading back to the Spencer Trail. Already the day was warm, but bearable, as the side of the cliff was still covered in shade. As we climbed steadily upward and navigated the loose rocks, we were rewarded with increasingly grand views of the valley below - red rock reflected in the river, stretches of buttes and canyon valleys, the winding blue and green of the Colorado River. Darting lizards, desert flowers, odd rock formations, and steep drop-offs punctuated the trail. At several points in the trail, we could not see where the trail led next, or where we had been previously due to the vertical nature of the climb. We hugged the cliff walls until we reached the top of the plateau.
Upon reaching the summit - we felt we were on top of the world! In one direction, we could see the beginning of the Grand Canyon and the winding Colorado, in the other we could see the Echo and Vermillion Cliffs, Lake Powell, and Navajo Mountain. All along the ridge were cairns, or rock piles, left by previous hikers to mark the summit. We added our own rocks to commemorate the occasion.
Though we could have sat for hours, we knew that we had to be back by ten in order to make the descent before the heat of the day set in. Reluctantly, we gathered the camera equipment and made our way back down the trail. We could still see rafters preparing to go down river and fishermen heading upstream to catch trout. The colors of the place are so vivid - as though a veil has been pulled away to reveal their true colors. Never have I see such blue sky or such red rock - the pictures, as stunning as they are, do the scene no justice!
After an afternoon of playing in the river, we headed back home - and none too soon. The day after we returned, the Forest Service closed down route 89A due to the raging North Rim fire. The Brins Fire (near Sedona) is now nearly 90% contained, but the North Rim fire is still steadily burning. Although the South Rim is still open, the entire canyon is fillled with smoke from the fire. Everybody should pray for rain, as that is probably going to be the only thing that will stop the wildfires from consuming the drought ridden Southwest! We live up on a mesa, and the fires have not come near Flagstaff, so you don't need to worry about us. We're more worried about the state of the forests and anxiously awaiting the reopening of the Coconino National Forest. Can't wait to see all of you who are coming to visit! Don't worry - we'll find something to do around here. You're probably breathing a sigh of relief that we can't take you hiking. HaHa!
We miss you all!
Posting By: Rebecca
Photo By: Ted
New Website for Ted's Photos
First, let me apologize for not posting sooner. I haven't forgotten about everyone who checks the site every day hoping for a new posting. During our week out of town, we had no internet access, and this week we've had trouble uploading Ted's photos. We finally figured out the problem - and a solution. Because Ted is hoping to get some of his work published, he has started taking photos in raw format, which is too large a format to post on this blog site. On our last hiking trip, he took some photos in fine format so that I could post them here, but that format is also incompatible with this site. Instead of trying to take shots in simple format, we've decided to post his photos on another website so that you can look at more photos and view them in a higher resolution. The website is:
www.flickr.com/photos/infinitehorizons/
I will add this website as a link in the sidebar as well. So far we've only uploaded the photos of our most recent hike to Lee's Ferry and our trip last summer to Santa Fe. We'll add more as we have time. Since we will be maintaining a separate photo page, I won't have to deal with the frustrations of posting photos on this blog, which should free up more time to post. E-mail me if you have any trouble accessing the new website, and I'll try to fix the problem. Enjoy all the new photos! Also, the blog site sometimes takes a day to show my new postings on the front page. If you don't see a new posting, go down to the Archives list on the sidebar, and click the current month. The new postings will then appear on the screen. Hope you like today's post about the Lee's Ferry Hike!
Posting By: Rebecca
www.flickr.com/photos/infinitehorizons/
I will add this website as a link in the sidebar as well. So far we've only uploaded the photos of our most recent hike to Lee's Ferry and our trip last summer to Santa Fe. We'll add more as we have time. Since we will be maintaining a separate photo page, I won't have to deal with the frustrations of posting photos on this blog, which should free up more time to post. E-mail me if you have any trouble accessing the new website, and I'll try to fix the problem. Enjoy all the new photos! Also, the blog site sometimes takes a day to show my new postings on the front page. If you don't see a new posting, go down to the Archives list on the sidebar, and click the current month. The new postings will then appear on the screen. Hope you like today's post about the Lee's Ferry Hike!
Posting By: Rebecca
Monday, June 12, 2006
Flying Home
We're sitting in the Phoenix airport waiting for our plane to Knoxville, looking out at the rocky peaks in the Phoenix horizon and discussing all the airports we've flown out of just this year alone: San Francisco, Memphis, Knoxville, Salt Lake City, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta. Shouldn't we be getting some frequent flyer miles by now? Small planes, large planes, planes that serve meals, planes that don't, planes with passengers squeezed in like cattle, and planes with leather reclining seats - all the options that United States airline travel offers. In this age of easy travel - where we can fly from 116 degree arid desert heat to 90 degree humidity - from miles of red rock to acres of lush forest - all in a day's travel, it's easy to forget what an amazing feat it is to propel a muti-ton steel plane into the air, keep it as well as all the passengers and luggage aloft, and fly at an altitude as high or higher than the peaks of Mt. Everest. Mankind can do incredible things!
Among these incredible feats is man's ability to reflect on and imrove upon past actions. Those who travel frequently have begun to think about the environmental impact of traveling, and have begun to develop solutions to offset the negative effects of flying. One of the most exciting developments is the idea of offsetting carbon emissions by investing in things that absorb carbon. For example, Al Gore, who travels frequently to lecture on global warming, offsets the carbon he produces through flying by investing in mango groves in India. The women in Indian villages benefit from planting a sustainable and marketable crop, and the environment benefits because the mango trees absorb carbon. (Check out this month's Wired magazine for the complete article about Al Gore's environemntal efforts) Though carbon offsetting is in its early stages, many up and coming companies are beginning to develop plans to make the idea mainstream. Definitely a trend to watch!
Speaking of people who are interested in the environment, we attended an informal party last night hosted by one of the nurses on Ted's floor. Everyone was laid back, interesting to talk to, eco-savvy, and eager to discuss outdoor adventures as well as our environmental footprints. Tevas (sandals) and dogs abounded, and the conversation focused on one group's fishing expedition to Mexico, another couple's road trip to Canada, and frequent fishing trips to Lake Powell and hiking excursions to Buckskin Gulch. Needless to say, we fit right in! As we cooked out on the grill, exchanged stories, and shared insights - we knew that we had found a place we would love to call home for three months (and maybe longer.)
By: Rebecca
P.S. Sorry no picture. Typing in the airport in a hurry!
Among these incredible feats is man's ability to reflect on and imrove upon past actions. Those who travel frequently have begun to think about the environmental impact of traveling, and have begun to develop solutions to offset the negative effects of flying. One of the most exciting developments is the idea of offsetting carbon emissions by investing in things that absorb carbon. For example, Al Gore, who travels frequently to lecture on global warming, offsets the carbon he produces through flying by investing in mango groves in India. The women in Indian villages benefit from planting a sustainable and marketable crop, and the environment benefits because the mango trees absorb carbon. (Check out this month's Wired magazine for the complete article about Al Gore's environemntal efforts) Though carbon offsetting is in its early stages, many up and coming companies are beginning to develop plans to make the idea mainstream. Definitely a trend to watch!
Speaking of people who are interested in the environment, we attended an informal party last night hosted by one of the nurses on Ted's floor. Everyone was laid back, interesting to talk to, eco-savvy, and eager to discuss outdoor adventures as well as our environmental footprints. Tevas (sandals) and dogs abounded, and the conversation focused on one group's fishing expedition to Mexico, another couple's road trip to Canada, and frequent fishing trips to Lake Powell and hiking excursions to Buckskin Gulch. Needless to say, we fit right in! As we cooked out on the grill, exchanged stories, and shared insights - we knew that we had found a place we would love to call home for three months (and maybe longer.)
By: Rebecca
P.S. Sorry no picture. Typing in the airport in a hurry!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
A Sunset reflection
We're safe in Flagstaff, and now have internet access up and running. Yeah! Already there is much to report - from the drive down through Idaho and Utah, to our two (short) hiking excursions, to our adventures in downtown. I said in an earlier post that I left my heart in San Francisco, but it's starting to catch up to me here in Flagstaff. The aromatic desert air, the colors of the sky at sunset, the smell of an approaching storm, brilliant flashes of lightning, and hiking trails galore- including a trail leading to Mt. Elden that starts at the end of our street - all combine to make Flagstaff one of our favorite destinations to date. Of course, we could never replace the wonderful friends we made in Palo Alto and Olympia, and we miss San Francisco and walking to downtown Olympia, but there is something about the desert that quiets the soul - that exudes peace.
Yesterday, I picked Ted up from his last day of classroom orientation, and we headed to Sunset Crater for a short hike. Our timing was perfect - the sun was just beginning to sink behind the San Francisco mountains, and the nearly full moon glowed behind the pink and orange tip of Sunset Crater. Sage and cedar filled the air with a sweet and musky aroma while we wound our way through lava rocks and cinder. Though Sunset Crater erupted in 1065 A.D., we passed a tree with a volcanic rock melded into its roots - meaning that that particluar tree has been around since the time of the eruption! Touching its smooth, driftwood like branches and running our hands through the slowly decaying mulch at its base was like touching a moment in time. I could almost see the terror of the Sinagua people who used to inhabit the valley as the ground began to shake - see the lava as it crashed through farm land, houses, trees and boulders on its innocently destructive course - see the simmering molten lava and the black ash as it fell for years after the eruption, forcing the people to move into new territories.
And yet, in the peaceful moment of a warm sunset, touching a thousand year old tree, looking out at the forest regenerating in the crater, and brilliant red flowers growing in the cinder - I could see how beautifully the landscape had been shaped in the centuries following the destruction. I thought, too, of the Sinagua people, whose new home we had visited a few days before in the cliff dwellings of Walnut Canyon. They, too, had adapted to a new environement, learned to make their homes in cliffs and to grow crops on the sides of mountains. Their cliff homes are empty now too, the stones they used worn white as the bark of the incredible tree by the centuries. Yet, their cliff dwellings, like the remnant of their valley dwellings, remain a windswept testament to our ability to adapt, to live in harmony with what is around us, and to move forward from areas of destruction to small, carefully carved havens of peace.
Posting By: Rebecca
Photos By: Ted (Taken during our June 2004 trip to AZ)
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