Blizzard Adventures Take 2!

Yep, that's right everyone! There was a blizzard in Duluth today! It started last night at around 10 pm or so and went straight into today. Thunder, lightning, snow, 60 mph winds the works! It has started to dwindle now but I can still see ominous looking clouds over the great big snow machine called Lake Superior. I didn't walk down to the Lakewalk like I had orignally planned. The friend I was going to hike down there with got sick. Which means in her world, her body finally was making her slow down enough to rest! Gee, I've never done that ;-).

So, instead of seeing the epic waves that were crashing madly against the rocks today, I filled the day with other adventures. Such as the power went out so me and my roomate Bill proceeded to cook our brunch-ish meal over a campstove on top of our stove. It was magical! Then my other roomate had to venture up the hill to pick up her boyfriend who got stuck up at Home Depot where he works. Don't ask me to tell the story, you'll just have to ask her about it.

Then Bill and I started to build a quinzee. For those of you who have no idea what this marvelous piece of heaven is, it is a pile of snow that is dug out to be able to live, sleep, play cards, whatever in. So, while we were doing that, we shoveled the side walks and the stairs while the snow for our quinzee was settling. We ended up finding the ONE pizza place that was open and delivering still and ordered a couple. Such bliss! Then after pizza, beer, and a mid afternoon movie, we suited up and went back out to dig out the quinzee. We're almost done, but both Bill and I an were really tired and it is almost cleared out. We'll finish it tomorrow and sleep outside in it tomorrow night. What a wonderful day! Such adventures should be had every day!

The Archipelago Awaits

I bet you didn't know that Isle Royale is an Archipelago. It is one main island with lots of little islands all around it. Kind of neat. Yes, I am going to be at Isle Royale this summer! Yeah! I am excited for it and yet the choices seem to find me yet. The day I decided to go to Isle Royale, I recieved two more calls to set up interviews! One from Grand Teton and the other from the Raptor Center in St. Paul! Crazy!

Another thing that's crazy is the fact that there is only about four more weeks in the semester and then I am done. Whoa. I just re-read that sentence and somehow can't believe it just yet. I will be done with college. Have a degree and away I go! I haven't quite wrapped my head around that just yet! I'm excited to say the least!

I am also excited because a lot of old and new friends will be in the area (aka aroundish Duluth) this summer. I am looking forward to being able to get off the island once or twice to hang out with them! Some of them I haven't seen for a very long time so I am looking forward to being able to at least spend a little bit of time with them.

I also know that an old classmate will also be at Isle Royale this summer which is cool because it means that I already know someone there and like to hang out with them. That will be nice too. Lots to look forward to, but I can't get too far ahead of myself. I have still got quite a plate full of school to do before I even get to that. Hope everyone is well and I'll write again soon.

Cheers,

Laura

The Space Between

Waiting. No one likes it. Yet, we all seem to do more of it than we would care to admit. I have been trying to be patient with trying to figure out what's coming my way in the next few months. I am feeling antsy and very, very tired of waiting. I know that most people would tell me, "Oh, you'll be fine. You just have senioritis."

Ok, so I know after a semester of EMT training and 9 days of Wilderness First Responder certification doesn't make me a doctor or anything. However, I'm fairly confident that senioritis isn't a disease that can be diagnosed. I know that people are just trying to be helpful, but honestly, it really isn't making me feel that much more patient. In fact, it will make me feel just the exact opposite of patient.

*Sigh* I feel like it has just been a really long month of March and I just want to be done with it and I really, really want a day to myself or to just relax and hang out with friends or something! I think that I need to get out and go camping or something. This is not senioritis because it doesn't exsist. What I do have is a mild case of cabin fever which is in fact a medical/psychological condition.

Spring break was busy with the WFR course and all. It was fun, but a lot of work. It brought to mind a lot of things that I had put on hold that were-and still are-really important to me. A lot of goals that I realize that I still do want to pursue. Like getting my EMT. I think that I want to pursue that in a wilderness medical kind of situation. I'd love to be on ski patrol, but I'm not sure if they take snowboarders. So, I may have to re-learn how to ski again and perhaps spend some money to purchase my own equipment. Blah! I don't like the thought of that. Ski equipment is way more expensive than snowboard equipment.

Anyway, this is just a early evening rant of frustration about not knowing what's going on in the future and not being able to do anything other than wait for it to find me at this point. If only things were as black and white as my pictures...

Goodnight.

Laura

The sounds of silence

I played hookie from classes this past Tuesday. Before you say it, I only had one class at 2 pm and the professor teaches verbadum from the book. So, I got to sleep in instead of my usual 6 am pre-light wake up morning and boy it felt good. Daylight savings time really messes with your circadium rhythms! Anyway, I drove up to Two Harbors and gave the folks at Granite Gear back some stuff that they had sent down to sell at the gear swap last weekend. It was really nice to see them again. I know if I ever have an opportunity, I will work for them again.

After that, I went up to Gooseberry Falls State Park for a hike, some birding (for class), and to take some pictures. It was 40 degrees, sunny with a few clouds in the sky, and the sky as blue as the back of a mountain bluebird. Needless to say, I couldn't have picked a better day to play hookie. There were a few other people around, but otherwise the air was full of the sounds of chickadees, nuthatches, and little red pine squirrels marking out their territory and of course guarding it viggorously with chattering galore. I don't have a lot of fondness for this little critters because they are simply one of the most obnoctious critters that I have had contact with. They never are quiet!

That's when I noticed the quietness. If you know where Gooseberry is located, you'll know that hwy 61 runs right over the falls and the river. I can't express my disappointment and slight anger that my beautiful and quiet place kept getting sliced through by various semis and other vehicles plowing over that bridge. It was being slapped in the back of the head every time one drove by. It was a horrible addition to an otherwise perfect day.

I tried to get as far and deep into the woods so that I wouldn't be able to hear the roar anymore, but it was always there. It also got me to thinking about silence. Humans generally can't stand quiet. Most anyway. I mean, what on earth is so wrong with silence? Do we have to keep moving and keep making noise to prove that we exsist or something? The though is ludicrous! And yet, there I stood in a beautiful natural area straining to hear the roar of the waterfalls under the ice over the roar of cars.

It also made me wonder if there are any such quiet places left in this world? With high flying jets, planes, cars, snowmobiles, etc. going through large areas of quiet and wilderness, is it truely and timelessly quiet in those areas anymore? My fear is the answer is no.

The human race fights for many things; resources, basic rights, religion, against wars, for wars. But, we are not fighting for something that many of us don't realize has been stolen from us. We don't fight for the natural silences that are the essence of life. Those silences are not the abnormal quiets we think them to be, but the essence of our understanding of time and place. So, I beg you know if you are reading this, go find some silence. If you, like me find that you are unable to find true silence, speak out against the noise!

It's the journey, not the destination

I don't know where to begin other than by saying that the last few weeks have been very intense for me with all that is going on. Preparing for various tests, working a lot, snowboarding a lot, and overall just trying to go into things with the same vigor and passion that I put into everything.

That being said, this weekend I took my Level Two Snowboard Certification Exam. It wasn't exactly how I hoped it would be. It was very intense. I think that my EMT certification process was less intense for me and that's the only thing that I can reasonably compare it to. You are judged on every word you say, how you say it, and how it relates to the topic at hand. Your body movements while snowboarding are scrutinized so much that at some points you feel a lot like an amature model must feel when they are showing off their bodies in the hopes that the person looking at you likes what they see. I'm not saying that snowboarding is like modeling, but it most certainly is the farthest thing from it.
However, the testing situation is tense. The people who are testing with you, you're not sure if you're being helped or helping them, or if you are in a state of competition with them. I know that ultimately the goal of the exam is not to make the candidates feel naked, scrutinized, nor in competition, but that's what it felt like for me. I don't think that I have experienced a more emotionally and physically trying weekend in a very, very long time. Needless to say, I did not pass this exam. At the same time though I can't express in words how wonderful it was to go to race league at the hill last night and just drink with my co-workers, who have been so supportive, and to just relax and let all the tension just melt away like the ice on the sidewalks.
I hate failing. I don't typically use that word "hate" becuse it implies loathing and a deeper emotion than plain old "dislike". But I truely do hate failing because it just makes you doubt yourself in ways that you should never have to do. I know it's a very humbling experience and humbling oneself is always a good idea. However failing at something, at least for me implies that I lack the necessary skill to achieve and to progress at whatever I am attempting to accomplish. I know that I cannot be fantastic at everything and also that many directions that are worth taking are not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.
So, the journey on this path has come to a temporary road block that I will need to re-trace my steps back to the beginning and start over. Completely over so that I can get back on the right road to reach my desired destination. That doesn't mean that the lessons learned nor the people I met on this journey were not worth the meeting or the learning. I just know that the other paths and journeys that I take to reach the destination will come with even more in the future.

School, Snowboarding, and Sigurd Olson

You know, birding in the middle of winter can be a trial. A trial for your body, a trial for your patience, and a trial for your perserverence of them all. Some days are super duper cold and windy and it makes you wonder how the hell our ancestors managed without such things as heat inside a house or a stove to quick make some hot cocoa, or for that matter hot cocoa! I went up to the Sax-Zim bog area which is a super sweet birding area in Minnesota and is one of the most reliable places that you can see some cool birds like Great Grey Owls, Hawk Owls, and Snow Buntings. I didn't get to see the owls, but I did get to see the snow buntings and that was neat. I know, I'm a bird nerd, but I love it!
I actually just had a test this morning in ornithology (study of bird biology for those that don't know) and it was the first one that we've had all semester. It was hard! I mean, I studied really well and there were things on there that I had no clue what to put for an answer. Thank goodness it was essay and short answer. Perhaps I'll do ok then. If it had been multiple choice, I would've been screwed.
My classes are going well though. I am super busy this week though with midterms, homework, projects, and my snowboard level 2 exam this weekend. I have been studying for that since December off and on, but I am still nervous for it. I guess it would be bad if I wasn't nervous for it. It's just I have a lot riding on passing so much so that failing is not an option. Not to mention that I would be extremely disappointed in myself if I didn't pass.
I even have some tests next week so I can't really celebrate my birthday either next week. Or at least not like all out celebrate. I am thinking something really laid back like bowling or board games for the evening. So for those of you looking to get me a gift for my birthday, oh, you know about 20" of fresh snow would be well recieved. :-)
I still haven't heard anything more about Isle Royale this week. I'm kinda getting antsy about it because I want to get the application and such done soon so that I can for sure get a position there. It would be sweet to be a paid staff, but if that doesn't work out, then an SCA position would be ok too. I still think it's kind of surreal that they have to have groceries brought by boat for staff. I think that will take some time getting used to. But, have to do some more cleaning and studying for my level 2. So, if you could, think wonderful, positive, encouraging thoughts in my direction on Saturday and Sunday. I'd appreciate it.
Thanks!
Laura

Helmets Save Lives...

So, back in Duluth and teaching during the "holiday madness" which it is aptly named. As far as teaching goes for me, it was kind of a hit or miss day. I should preface this by saying yesterday was fine teaching, but I broke a toe ladder of my binding before lessons even started and then proceeded to lock my keys in my car later that day after I had gone to get the toe ladder replaced. Yesterday was not good for me personally. But today, I was hoping for a much better day. I had a three hour private with a 10 yr old boy from Texas who got to side slipping at the end of it all, doing it by himself and in control. Not bad, but I definately felt like a horrible teacher at the end of that one since I typically have my students almost linking turns at the end of an hour and a half lesson. The family was great and even gave me a $15 tip which I greatly appreciated.

I then had like 20 minutes for a lunch break before I had another private lesson. It was with a woman slightly older than me who was having some confidence issues about her turning. I had debated whether to go helmet or hat, and chose helmet because I really enjoy my new one. Thanks Mom and Dad! So, we were doing traverses across the green hill to start off. I was behind her and on my heel edge doing a traverse when I get taken out from behind! When me and this other person finally stop rolling, this 12 yr old boy and I untangle ourselves and I gave him the largest reprimand ever! His buddies were all around him and I too and all of their eyes were wide as saucers. I was so angry that this kid didn't even have the decency to at least FALL before he ran right into me and from behind no less! It was a battlefield out on the hill today to say the least. So, I am glad that I opted for the helmet option because it saved my head from some serious hurting tonight.

So yeah for helmets! I did get to go out and ride with a friend of mine that is working too. He called me randomly while I was in Utah this summer, and we've stayed in contact. So we rode after work and after attempting-and failing with some pain and snow- to do a battleship box and three jumps in the park, I decided that my body couldn't take too much more abuse tonight. So we came back to ski school and shared a pitcher of moosedrool. Yum! Then I went over to my boss's house for a marvelous dinner of grilled salmon, ranch mashed potatoes, and garlic bread. It was a good end to a fairly good day. Only, I know that I will be sore tomorrow because falling off that box knocked the wind out of me pretty good tonight and my body is sore now. Here's hoping some early morning yoga will work out the kinks.