Been thinking about friendship this morning, especially since I spent last weekend with Maryruth. We enjoyed the reminiscing thing while have dinner and wine overlooking the ocean. 45 Years. It's amazing to me that we have weathered all those years and somehow managed to retain this friendship as an integral part of our lives. For 15 years I had women who were close friends to me, my women's group in Northern Idaho. At the time, several of those women I considered integral to my life. And yet, they have come and gone. Time and distance has eroded those friendships, so that now they are just a distant memory. I don't know how that happens. I guess what I really don't know is how this happens. How a friendship weathers a lifetime. Grace, I guess. Pure Grace. I put photos of the Big Sur trip up on the Picassa web site and of course, wrote all about it on the MoHo Travels blog, but here, this morning, the friendship is what comes to mindSaturday, April 26, 2008
Friendships
Been thinking about friendship this morning, especially since I spent last weekend with Maryruth. We enjoyed the reminiscing thing while have dinner and wine overlooking the ocean. 45 Years. It's amazing to me that we have weathered all those years and somehow managed to retain this friendship as an integral part of our lives. For 15 years I had women who were close friends to me, my women's group in Northern Idaho. At the time, several of those women I considered integral to my life. And yet, they have come and gone. Time and distance has eroded those friendships, so that now they are just a distant memory. I don't know how that happens. I guess what I really don't know is how this happens. How a friendship weathers a lifetime. Grace, I guess. Pure Grace. I put photos of the Big Sur trip up on the Picassa web site and of course, wrote all about it on the MoHo Travels blog, but here, this morning, the friendship is what comes to mind
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Back to work again
The week has been beautiful actually, with clear warm sunny skies and cool breezes. Spring in the MotherLode is lovely, and for the moment it is still spring. I am working in the office way more than I want to be, but the support work for everything we are doing still needs time and while I would rather be working while it is cool, the deadlines are looming as usual.But on Monday I took the day to get out with my crew again, and we went to the western most portion of the survey area to look at some soils that I thought were all figured out. 
Ah well, what's new. Everything was different. I found Ione formation out there on top of the strike zone of the greenschist, far above where it should have been. Great. As usual, a puzzle, and always trying to reconstruct the geologic history of a place. Uplift in the subduction zone makes it even more crazy to figure out. But the sun was shining and the breezes were wonderful, and sooner or later it will all make sense and we will have a good soil survey in the end.
Ah well, what's new. Everything was different. I found Ione formation out there on top of the strike zone of the greenschist, far above where it should have been. Great. As usual, a puzzle, and always trying to reconstruct the geologic history of a place. Uplift in the subduction zone makes it even more crazy to figure out. But the sun was shining and the breezes were wonderful, and sooner or later it will all make sense and we will have a good soil survey in the end.
Weekends
Last weekend was great, if short. I remember when a 2 day weekend was all we ever had, but now with 10 hour days 3 day weekends are the norm, at least for the field season. So a 2 day weekend seems way too short to get anything done. Mo has been here since Friday, and Saturday morning we fired up the MoHo and headed for the Sacramento Delta and a one night camping trip. Pictures and thoughts about it are on the MoHo Travels page so I won't repeat them here. It surprised me how relaxing it was. I talked to Deanna about this and she agreed. Even though it was just a short time, on Sunday morning we sat in the sun, listening to NPR and had a simple breakfast. I couldn't quite figure out the difference, why it felt more relaxing than sitting at home on a Sunday morning listening to NPR eating our breakfast. It has something to do with the "to-do" list that is always in the back of my mind when I am home. No matter how much I refuse to do the "to-do" on a day off, it's still there. So a weekend away is a good thing for that reason alone. No "to-do's! Loved it.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Sunday afternoon
It's been a great weekend, and after I finally settled into the simplicity of everyday life, I really enjoyed it. The review was a good one, Kit and I are learning each other's style and by the time the week came to a close, it felt a lot more like we were in it to get the job done, rather than some sort of job review for me personally. As usual, I have a lot on my plate to make sure everything is done to spec, that everything is caught up, but I'm not in it alone, and I feel like I have a good team. It's taken a while, for sure. Here's a shot of my crew, with Kit on the left.
He's the review team leader, my technical lead. Next from left to right is John Rule, the one who will not retire and wants to be pushed over into a soil pit when he dies in the field. Dean is next, he is the MLRA project leader from Chico who has been detailed here to work for me during the field season. Ben is a soil scientist from Montana who was in my group at the first Basic Soil Survey session that I taught a couple of years ago. Alison is from Chicago, and has been a soil scientist for a few years, but hasn't had much chance to actually map soils. I miss Stacy a lot for good reasons and some not so good reasons. I ran out of black ink for the printer on Friday, and that's a bad reason. I depended on her too much, I think. She kept track of ink, while soaking in every possible thing she could learn about soil survey, I still never ran out of ink.
He's the review team leader, my technical lead. Next from left to right is John Rule, the one who will not retire and wants to be pushed over into a soil pit when he dies in the field. Dean is next, he is the MLRA project leader from Chico who has been detailed here to work for me during the field season. Ben is a soil scientist from Montana who was in my group at the first Basic Soil Survey session that I taught a couple of years ago. Alison is from Chicago, and has been a soil scientist for a few years, but hasn't had much chance to actually map soils. I miss Stacy a lot for good reasons and some not so good reasons. I ran out of black ink for the printer on Friday, and that's a bad reason. I depended on her too much, I think. She kept track of ink, while soaking in every possible thing she could learn about soil survey, I still never ran out of ink.John and I have learned to give each other room for our personal style as well. I let John do what he needs to do, and have learned to just get all the good that he has to offer in his own unique way, and he has quit fighting me and my authority. We seem to have figured it out most of the time at least.
Ben and Alison are just a kick, both of them here for the short run, but willing to work hard and they both are fun to be around. They have managed to coerce me into doing a zip-line up at the Mercer caverns some weekend soon. geez. Back to that old thing of cultivating young friends. Ha! hard on the bones, though. LOL.
They both are a little bit daunted by the depth of all the soils around here, and just how much digging is required to see them as deeply as we need to see them.
On Wednesday, I had them go with us for our mid-week break to Table Mountain. Kit said it was like blasphemy, we all went to the mountain without shovels. That was my plan, actually. I always make a new soil scientist walk their ground without a shovel when they first start to map an area because 
I want them to really SEE the landscape and look at the landforms and come up with their theories before they get their heads caught up in the details of the soils themselves. Kit teased me about this, but he got it. This part of Table Mountain is about 1600 feet in elevation and the part that we mapped last year is only about 1000 feet high. It's amazing how this landform snakes all the way to the top of the Sierra's. Inverted topography at it's best.
I want them to really SEE the landscape and look at the landforms and come up with their theories before they get their heads caught up in the details of the soils themselves. Kit teased me about this, but he got it. This part of Table Mountain is about 1600 feet in elevation and the part that we mapped last year is only about 1000 feet high. It's amazing how this landform snakes all the way to the top of the Sierra's. Inverted topography at it's best. 
It was a good day and a good week, and it has been a good weekend. Spring in this part of the world is certainly a lovely thing, with green everywhere, flowers blooming, cool nights and warm sunshiny days. Who could ask for more.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Morning RUMInations
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all.
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture.
Still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, Meet them at the door laughing,
And invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
~rumi~
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Guess I'm famous now
http://www.rvresources.com/
We are RVer's of the Month for April. I found this rv resources site searching for some kind of rv information and it led to me posting my travel blog there as well. It's been fun, but I never imagined that we would get the RVer of the month thing. Tickles me.
We are RVer's of the Month for April. I found this rv resources site searching for some kind of rv information and it led to me posting my travel blog there as well. It's been fun, but I never imagined that we would get the RVer of the month thing. Tickles me.
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