Mystery Location

I've actually been away from my desert home this week with very limited Internet access, so I haven't had the chance to post. Once I get back, I'll have some photos to share about this different place. To pique your interest, here are some clues to where I am:

-the city has about half the population it did in 1965

-working streetcars provide both a means for commuters to move about and a tourist attraction

-The St. Patrick's Day parade last night took almost three hours to get to our location.

-Desert Boy only got one piece of candy from the parade because the preferred item for throwing was nonedible.

And for a hint that will make it very obvious:

-much of the city is below sea level.

We're headed back to the desert tomorrow, so we'll be soaking up as much of the culture and sights as we can in the remaining time. Have a great day!

Snow Survey

The last week of February I got to help with a snow survey. I had been intimidated by the distance and elevation gain previous years, but this time around I worked up the nerve to accompany them to the first of the three snow courses. Snow is measured to help determine water supply forecasts by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and this particular snow course has a record since 1942.

Along with two guys from NRCS, we had five other participants, including John, above. He started out ahead of us to break trail. The snow was great, several inches of relatively new snow.

Heading up the road. It was a gorgeous day.

Greg took a turn breaking trail.

I had a chance, too. The snow was really blowing off the mountain, but where we were, it was nice.

Jacob caught up with us. (Sorry for the sideways photo.)

Did I already say it was a gorgeous day?

We got to the first snow course and found snow quite a ways up the snow course marker.

Jeff was another volunteer, and he and John started off measuring distances so we could get our five measurements in the right locations. Those five measurements are then averaged.

Curt was in charge, and he recorded the data.

The long tube is the snow core, and after it's been filled with snow, it gets weighed to determine the snow water equivalent, or amount of water in the snow.

Greg takes a turn doing a reading.

Then it's my turn. It was harder than it looked to get the pole in straight up and down.

I had another obligation that afternoon so couldn't continue and headed back down. The three that went all the way got back to the trucks around 8 pm, using their headlights to ski down the trail. Maybe I'll have the guts to try that for the next snow survey at the end of March!

It won't be much longer after that when the marmots come out. (The sign says Marmot Crossing, SLOW).

The New Treehouse

The strong winds knocked over the old tree house, so we decided to build a new tree house. We also found another location (one I could supervise better with less effort).

It's a big Lombardy poplar stump. The tree was cut down a couple years ago to about three feet high. Most of the interior was rotten. Nevertheless, it has already started sending up new growth, some of which is over 10 feet high.

Desert Boy and I gathered materials, some from the old tree house and some from various junk piles. Then we got some hammers and nails. Oh yes, I musn't forget: Desert Boy got a ladder. He really wanted a ladder for this tree house.

Attempting to pound in nails. It didn't go so great, but he didn't smash his fingers, so I'd say we did well.

After about an hour or two of work, it was snack time. I have a feeling, based on the joyous expressions my kids made, that snack time and the tree house are going to be integrally related. Snack time was special--fruit bars. You can't get better than that.

Desert Girl managed to get up into (onto?) the tree house all by herself. She may turn out to be a climber like her big brother. (She has also already fallen out of the tree house, so it's probably a very good thing that it's only 3 feet high.)

She quickly mastered how to eat a fruit bar.

We did a couple other modifications (do you like the Private sign?) and then called it a night. We still have lots of work to do. And Desert Boy can't wait to paint it.

Wouldn't you like a masterpiece like this in your yard?

Running around with our Heads Covered

We had a somewhat quiet weekend, but now we're back to lots of busy-ness. Desert Girl likes to stay busy, busy creating little tornadoes wherever she goes. One of her favorite activities is moving clothes around the house. Carrying them on her head keeps her hands free.

I think she may end up excelling as a multitasker.

Or perhaps she's going to be moving to the Middle East some day.

Carnival

It's almost time for big Mardi Gras carnivals, so it's quite fitting to post about the school's winter carnival, held last week. There was already a big crowd at the Bingo table when we arrived. This is always a really well-attended event, as people are eager to get out of their houses and it's a fun fundraiser for the school.

Desert Boy wanted tickets immediately so he could go play games. Even he remembered how much fun Carnival is!

After a quick round of bean bag toss, he went to the tattoo booth, where he found Teacher Gwendy.

The theme for the Carnival was President's Day, so I thought it was really cute that he chose a patriotic peace theme. He called it the striped ball tattoo.

It is a very nice striped ball.

One of the booths was a dress up and get your photo taken booth. We had a family portrait taken as warrior vikings, each of us with our own sword. Afterward my husband took off in the crowd. Can you spot him? He's wearing the Viking helmet and Emma is looking right at me.

Another popular booth was the spin the wheel game. Every player wins a prize.

Emma can't wait till she's old enough.

After all that playing, it was time for a snack.

And more Bingo! By now there were so many people playing that the teenagers were standing up. They had great Bingo prizes, but I don't think it would matter what the prize was, people just like to play Bingo, and this is the one time of year they get to do it.

It was a fun night!