We Lub Da Earf

Earth Day, Husky Fest, and tabling for the Campus Sustainability Fund

Earth Day Event Poster

I've been dabbling in some design. It takes me forever, and I have no idea what I'm doing, but I am constantly getting inspired by the awesome presentations I see in Gould Hall (home of the School of Built Environments). Color and cleanliness get my every time. 

Film Forever

I finally got around to getting the four rolls of film developed from spring break and man, these photos are priceless. It just feels so GOOD to hold real photos in your hands. I love the feeling of straightening out the edges while you flip through the pictures. Or is that just me? I think I'll pick some favorites and tell you some stories. How's that sound?

These are the wonderful people I got to spend the entire week with. Wouldn't have had it any other way. Somehow, we all have names or nicknames with two letters: Ry, Mo, and An.

I love being on the coast, and in California especially. Maybe it's the sunshine there. The warmth hits you like no other place on Earth. I don't think I could live anywhere for long that wasn't by the ocean. 

Mo or Riley being sneaky while I was trying out a shot.

You never know with disposables.

Our days revolved around getting water, preparing food, and gathering/drying firewood. It was the most relaxed and peaceful I have ever felt... maybe ever. Even more than Peru. We had all the time in the world. Time to explore, time to think, time to talk. Time to do anything at all, and that was liberating. We woke up when the sun came out, and went to bed when it got dark.

Everything tastes good when you're camping. Every meal was a feast. One night we had a can of minestrone soup and a can of vegetable soup. We just poured both in a pot and turns out they complemented each other quite well. Then again, everything tastes good when you're camping.

Ry and Mo sit by the fire with a crossword while my socks and shoes dry over the fire.

This was one of the very few meals that we had that was prepared by someone else. It was in a little Oregon town called Bandon, right by the coast. We were the only people there younger than 50 maybe... Everyone else were adorable seniors. Call me a romantic, but it seemed like they have been going to the same cafe every morning for years and years. The waitress knew them by name. They all knew each other. It made me think about what my life would be like if I had grown up in a small town.

This was where we brushed our teeth. In order to make sure no bears, or anything else, could track down scents, we had to walk a ways away from camp. The rain that came every night would wash away any trace of us having ever been there. I just really love the light in this picture.

This was the road that led into the forest. Both sides were surrounded by fields, farms, and hills. The furry friend you see in the picture trotted past us early in our trek. We thought he was a sheep. He was very wise.

So we forgot to bring matches when we were backpacking. I know, I know... Let's not talk about it. BUT, we managed to get a fire going with Mo's little propane container she brought. Crisis averted. Won't happen again though, I promise.

chop chop

trail mix. and I like the light

1. Tell people to hug so you can take a picture. 

2. Take picture before hug happens.
3. Enjoy picture.

There are no words. 

Bio-freaking-mimicry

"You could look at nature, as being like a catalog of products. And all of those have benefitted from a 3.8 million year research and development period. And given that level of investment, it makes sense to use it."

"There's a world of beauty and efficiency to explore here... using Nature as a design tool."

ESRM 315: Old-Growth and Forest Management

Lake Crescent

Jerry Franklin himself.

I spent the past weekend in the Olympic Peninsula in and around the Hoh Rainforest. The class looked at different forest systems, disturbance regimes, and forestry practices. The professor, Jerry Franklin, is a legend in his field. He's been doing this for 60 years and has seen the countless epiphanies that has shaped how society today sees our old-growth forests. It was also nice to actually get to know the people in your class. It's unfortunately all too common to come out of a class at this university without knowing a single classmate, but this field trip provided the perfect opportunities for us to talk and work together. Bonding through hardship, and the constant sheet of rain that came down throughout the 3 days was definitely a formidable opponent for all of us to tackle together. Hooray for forestry friends.

Redwoods (Part 5): A Little Luck

cathedrals, genetically identical

Sometimes, you're just in the right place at the right time. This rainbow came out right after a rainstorm that hit our Elk Prairie Campground. Then there were two rainbows. Then there were three. It was a magical moment and the three of us just sort of stood there to really take in where we were. 

Our entire trip was a series of lucky breaks. Whenever we thought we had exhausted our options, something better would be just around the corner. Perhaps it was because of the nature of our planning, or rather, no planning at all besides the bare backbones of the trip. We took what we got and made the best of it, so whatever we ended up doing just felt right!

Unfortunately, my camera seems to have taken in some water two days into the trip. The control dials aren't working on Manual mode, although everything is fine on Auto. But it's basically useless now... The rest of the trip was documented on our disposable cameras (props to Mo and Riley for bringing those).

I admit, for the past week or so, I have been moping around about the fact that I don't exactly have a fully functional camera anymore... It feels weird, like I lost an arm or something. I have been saving up for a new camera for the past couple of months, but I didn't plan on buying a new camera this early in the year or for this reason. Yes, I am panicking. Not to mention the first week of school was a little stress-fest. There was a last minute schedule change for one of the overnight field trips so I had to email professors and TAs and get my work schedule figured out. Then the next thing I know I am repacking my backpack and sleeping bag for a three day sojourn to the Hoh Rainforest. But more on that later.

Redwoods (Part 4): Forests and Beaches