A Trip Down Memory Lane

Next week, I get to talk about my previous life in paleoethnobotany. I'm pretty stoked. I'm giving talks to students at two schools ranging from K to 12. I'll be doing three lectures for high schools students: anthropology, intro to paleoethnobotany methods, and prehistoric agriculture in North America. For the younger students, I'll be doing just the paleoethnobotany intro and the prehistory.

Today, I was trying to figure out what images I have access to without having all the slides I haven't gotten around to scanning. I found a few of the micrographs of my seeds and enough photos of my fieldwork in Mexico to make me happy.

Looking at my seeds and beautiful chapatas, along with fields of huauzontle and trucks piled high with produce in the wholesale street market made me feel nostalgic for those lovely Mexican crops. And that's appropriate, given that one of my dissertation's themes was the role of nostalgia in maintaining traditional foods.

Ah. The Return Of Our Computer To My Life.

You probably have noticed the lack of photos (and posts) over the past few months. In part, that's because Michael had both our main computer and the camera, so photo taking and sharing has been difficult. Now the shared computer is in California, so I'm just going to poke through the archives and share a few cute photos of Darcy. I know it's what most of you like best anyway. Also, I spent eight hours at a culinary and agritourism training today, with an hour's drive at either end, so it was a long day and I'm tired.

Maybe not as tired as this pair, though. Darcy and Paige take a nap together (or at least pretend to) on our deck in Pennsylvania. She loves her cat and her cat loves her!

And here she is just being plain old silly. There's a sequence of these close-ups with strange faces involving Darcy and her cousin, so I think it was a Thing To Do during this visit. Silly girl.

The iPhone's Connected To The...Other iPhone?

Look! I managed to add a recent photo. This is our small cowgirl on Halloween. I'm still not exactly sure why she wanted to be a cowgirl, but she was insistent for a few weeks and there she is in her hat and boots.

This picture is brought to you by the wonders of modern technology. A friend took this picture with her phone, sent it to Michael on his phone. He posted it to Facebook by request, and I was able to grab it from there and post it to the blog. Ain't science and social media great?

Sunset After The Rainstorm, In Chronological Order

I took a walk while Michael was putting Darcy to bed and captured the sunset while I assessed the rain damage further up the road. It's really too bad the power lines cut straight through our view to the west. The pictures aren't improved by their presence.

Darcy Sings The County Fair

The picture has nothing to do with this post, just to be clear. I felt there should be an image, but we left the camera in the car by mistake yesterday during our trip to the Clark County Fair. So instead you get to see post-bath curls. They're impressive.

The Clark County Fair is surprisingly far from us -- and from Clark County's main population center, Las Vegas. It's in Logandale, about fifty miles north of LV, which made it well over a hundred miles for us each way. We hemmed and hawed about going, but it ended up being a good thing that we did because Darcy had a lot of fun. And said so, frequently.

The ride home was pretty much a solid hour of fair recapping stream of consciousness. It went something like this (all Darcy, even when it sounds like a conversation):

"You rode the ferris wheel and the merry-go-round and the carousel. A merry-go-round is a kind of carousel. With rockets. You rode three rockets like Adam. Adam loves rockets. We went on the ferris wheel. Oh, it was so much fun! And we ate noodles and drank lemonades. Two lemonades. One was frozen. Cold! You drank that frozen one when they were doing stick-its. And you rode on a pony and saw two trains. A big train and a little train. A teeny tiny train. And you went in the barn. What did you do in the barn? You dug in the sand with kids. And planted with a shovel. There were pigs. And roosters. And we saw a tortoise and gave it a happy hug and walked near him."

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. For an hour. She had fun. She also sang her way through the events. She sang -- unprompted -- Old McDonald Had a Farm in the small animal barn and while riding Honey the pony. She then sang Rocketship Run (and Adam/Laurie Berkner Band song) while riding the rockets. Over and over and over, because she rode the rockets three times. They were a big hit.

She was, as always, a big hit with people who noticed what she was saying/singing. On the way out, she cut across the entry way and said goodbye to three wooden pigs, a cardboard cow, and a bunch of sunflowers. As in, went over and said, "Goodbye, pigs. Goodbye, cow. Goodbye, sunflowers." The ticket-takers did a double-take and then laughed and all said goodbye to her.

Flower Season Begins!

Welcome to Flower Season 2009! Darcy and I hiked from the post office back to our house the other day and our rewards were a fox or coyote jaw complete with teeth and a little fur on the chinny-chinny-chin and the first flowers of spring! These purple lovelies are a carrot family member called purple cymopterus. Apparently, there's no common name for them. There are two plants hanging out together, but I can't find more, even though I've tried.

Darcy and Michael took their own hike a week ago to the "Quiet Canyon" (Darcy's name), aka Banshee Canyon (the name that appears on maps). This is the land of holes in rocks and the place where the echoes live, so Darcy loves it. Anywhere she can play with rocks and dirt is a good place for her.

Stay tuned for more spring pictures of Darcy exploring the Mojave and flowers popping up everywhere!

Dark As A Dungeon

We recently went to hike around one of the many abandoned mine sites in Mojave National Preserve. I believe this one is Evening Star Mine. There are multiple mine shafts, a few old buildings, and a lot of Joshua trees. And a big rock that smacked the bottom of our car.

Michael and Darcy explored some of the infrastructure while I took pictures. I did not see it happen, but Michael carried Darcy up the first flight of stairs and said they were pretty solid, all things considered. I'm glad I didn't see it.

I know nothing about mining, really, but I assume this was a chute for loading up -- buckets? barrels? carts? -- of ore.

This mine shaft was particularly deep. Michael was demonstrating this fact to Darcy by dropping rocks down the shaft to hear when they hit. We had a difference of opinion about whether we could see the bottom, or if we were just seeing a debris pile being held by fallen beams. Either way, this is deep.

I can't really imagine going to work every day by climbing down ladders into the ground. I know that they were no doubt more stable when they were in use, but even so, it would be a depressing start to a work day.

Michael recently started reading a book about the history of Cima that he really brought home for me, but I've been ignoring it in favor of fiction for a few weeks. It turns out that we don't really live in Cima. We live in a "residential suburb" of Cima called Hockersville. Four families had homesteaded four quandrants that meet at the corner of "our" property where there is a sort of intersection of two dirt roads. They all built their houses on the corners so they would form a small community and the Hockers (two brothers) owned two of the four quadrants, so they were honored with the name. All but our quadrant were still owned by descendents when the book was written and at least two still are, we think.

Three houses are still there (although I think the one on our property was a replacement for one that burned, but I can't remember who told me that) and there's a roof that may be the remnant of the fourth, so I might try to put together a photographic essay about modern day Hockersville.

More Snow, Endless Snow

This is our post office this morning. We went out to see if we could get to our postmistress's house to check up on her and see if she felt the need to go to work. She's 83. She has earned some checking. Even with four wheel drive, we didn't attempt her road (technically, it's our road, too, but we can go the other way and it's better). Instead, I hiked in about a quarter mile to find her in her bathrobe, perfectly fine, but happy for a visit and the fruit, cheese, and crackers I brought. I hiked back out with a list of phone calls to make for her. I don't think the post office will gets lots of business today.

Getting to the post office was really fun! This is weather in which I would rather not have to get out of the car to open cattle gates. Michael thought it was amusing. He got to stay in the car.

The skies were really dramatic. I have a shot-that-got-away that would have been ridiculous if I had just angled up a little bit more. Instead, I give you the mountain top peeking out from the clouds.

Darcy was playing in deep snow during the lull between the storms. So, in other words, on Tuesday. Last night, when the snow was still blowing horizontally and it was well below freezing and dark, she insisted on going out in the snow. So we took her out, with a headlamp and all of us very bundled, figuring she'd want to come right back in. No. She was happy out there. Must be her Alaskan birth.

Once we convinced her to come in, she was red-cheeked and ready to be warmed up. Here she is standing on the washing machine being divested of her 17 layers of clothing.

The snow really is gorgeous today. The sun has pretty much banished the clouds now and we have deep blue skies. Luckily, we're staying in. Or, luckily, we don't have anywhere we need to be today 'cause we're not getting out of here in our car unless they come scrape our road again. It's all a matter of perception.

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Cima House in the snow. It takes a picture like this for me to fully appreciate how big our surrounding Joshua trees really are. The one behind the house, in particular, is just massive. They are all looking a little more substantial with their snowcaps.

Our snow seems to have ended for the day, although snow showers may continue for the next couple days. We're hoping that our road miraculously gets plowed. I'm not sure I'm holding my breath, but I don't think the Corolla would make it out in this. This picture is the scene across the road from the house. We probably have another inch on top of this.

The yuccas want to be birds of paradise, I think. Or, at least this one does. All the desert plants look very cute and out of their element all covered in snow.

Darcy likes to hug Joshua trees like this one outside our door. Today, though, she insists that she is climbing the tree, not hugging it.

Darcy didn't spend a lot of time on her feet in this afternoon's deeper snow. She found it easier to crawl and then found the remnants of the flowers she enjoyed picking this summer and fall. I don't think the mittens were welcome at this point. Fine for letting her hands stay warm while on hands and knees, but very much in the way for picking/holding flowers.

Vacation, Part III

Ok, so Ev recently commented about my failure to finish the Vacation series, so here's the next installment. This will finish up the camping portion of the trip and I'll do one more with some pictures from our time in Simi Valley.

We got a new backpack carrier for the trip, as the used one we had been given had some issues. Here is Michael with our small hiker on our way to Rainbow Falls. This hike went through mostly burnt areas, which wasn't so pleasant, but it did get Darcy back on the shuttle bus that provides transport around Devil's Postpile. She loved that bus!

Rainbow Falls was gorgeous and had quite a crowd of admirers while we were there. We rested a bit in the shade and munched on freeze dried mango slices.

Darcy liked to look at the falls, but of course, she also said hi to everyone and danced around the observation area.


At one of the river access points in our campground, there was this beautiful stand of lupine. We saw a lot of lupine everywhere; it was so lush compared to our smaller versions from this spring. I took these pictures when I went down to the water after Darcy's bedtime to wash my pumice-dust-encrusted feet. The mosquitoes were awful, but with the moon rising above the sunset, I toughed it out to try to get a few get photos.


This was our last night of camping. Sometime early in the morning, Darcy got so cold that even being in our bed couldn't keep her warm enough to fall asleep. When there was the slightest hint of light, we decided we'd be better off just packing up camp and moving on. By 6:05, we were on the road and the car claimed it was 38 outside! No wonder she was a little chilly. We stopped at a bakery on our way out of town for egg and cheese croissants and coffee, and then drove to Simi Valley, arriving filthy and tired.

Vacation, Part II

Today's exciting news (yesterday's was our upcoming freedom from AT&T) is that we had rain! Lots of rain! There were light showers last night and early this morning, but then the skies opened up shortly after Darcy started her nap and we had a real, sustained downpour. Very exciting.

This is campsite number two, a Park Service campground in Devil's Postpile National Monument. The ground is mostly ground-up pumice, which made for very dirty feet for all of us, and very dirty everything for Darcy given her fondness for dirt and rocks. And charcoal, which is what adorns her face in this picture. She was slumped in this chair playing with small pieces of pumice that were mostly under her back. It amused her for at least fifteen minutes, which meant fifteen minutes of the day that she wasn't in full motion.

Along with tunnels, Darcy learned to love bridges on this trip. Both campgrounds had nearby bridges that we made multiple visits to. This one has a special place in Michael's heart. It is the stopping point for one of his favorite views in all of the Sierra. (See below; I wouldn't tease like that.)

The View From the Bridge. Need I say more?

Devil's Postpile is a stunning volcanic feature made up of hundreds (or thousands?) of columns of basalt that formed when lava cooled very slowly. We didn't go up on top, but glacial action long after the columns formed sheared them off to look like a very fancy tile floor. You can see more pictures of the Monument here.

Darcy, of course, enjoyed the Postpile immensely because it's all rocks. Big rocks. In Darcy's world, rocks are either big (or sometimes heavy rather than big) or tiny. If she can hold it in one hand, she will almost always answer "Tiny!" if you ask if her rock is big or small.

More pictures will follow shortly. There is still a waterfall to see, so stay tuned!

The Photos Will Now Flow

A week or so ago, our camera decided to stop talking to our computer. So the photos have been building up with no way to do anything with them. But the trouble is now over, thanks to our new card reader! I'm just starting to wade through them; here's a picture of Darcy and her cousin Alfred from our last trip to Simi Valley.

Bunny Girl!

Our Bunny Girl after a bath a few weeks ago. She loves the mirrors!

Darcy News: She Walks! She Talks! She Sleeps!

Yes, Darcy is a wonder-child. Or else, she's progressing appropriately for her age. One or the other. You can decide.

With help over rough or slippery surfaces, Darcy is now pretty much mobile. She walks solo on carpet and grass and other fall-friendly surfaces, but still holds hands for gravel and roads. She likes to walk around our housing/maintenance compound every day, holding court for anyone who happens to be around. We've discovered hidden treasures on our walks; a heavy oak-framed mirror, an old enameled metal Western Union sign, a rock. All are equal in Darcy's eyes, but not mine! Well, actually the mirror was probably a highlight. I'd show you how much she loves mirrors in a cute series of photos we took a week ago, but they're on Michael's computer, so I'll have to do that another day. Just take my word for it: Darcy + bunny-flavored bathrobe + double mirror = ridiculously cute.

Despite being told by our pediatrician in Anchorage that the six months between one year and eighteen months of age is all about physical development and we shouldn't expect lots of new vocabulary, we have had a few weeks of, you guessed it...lots of new vocabulary. I have to make a list for her 15-month checkup next week, so you can all be the guinea pigs for it. She makes a few animals sounds: quack (her second word and favorite sound), moo, and baaa. She has words for her favorite foods: cheese, cracker, banana (see how we're not imposing our food dislikes on our child?), sauce (for applesauce), and water. She can name objects (in real life and in pictures, for the most part): fish, moon, duck, shoe, sock, teddy, yak, hat, and chair. She can express preferences in activity: up, walk, read, outside, and weasel. And she's getting the social niceties down as well: hi, bye-bye, daddy, and (finally, in the last week or so!) mama.

Some of these words are used to ask for (ok, demand) certain songs she likes to hear or see (on YouTube).

And finally, she sleeps. She sleeps through the night, usually about 11 or even 12 hours with almost no help from us. Every few nights she wants a little tummy-rub for a minute once or twice in the night, but that's it. And I think we've finally resolved the up-in-the-air nap schedule that came with sleeping through the night. She seems to have settled on one long nap in the middle of the day, which works well for me.

Her biggest obstacles are a mean mama who doesn't let her put pebbles in her mouth and those darn teeth that keep shoving their way into her mouth. She has, I think, ten teeth now, but it might be eleven, 'cause she was definitely working on something in there today. She likes vegetables and fruits and all things nice, and she says hi to everyone and everything she sees.

Now I dare you not to be impressed!

Some New Photos From Our Compound

My parents requested some pictures of our new home. We live in a group of Park Service housing just outside the Preserve. I haven't really taken many of the house, but here are a few.

Darcy likes to take her walker (AKA wobble-wobble car for the noises it makes) outside on nice days to wander around the neighborhood. She's just left our house; the front walk is to her left and you can just see the living room wing in the background.

This is part of our neighbor's house. The whole compound is surrounded by trees, which is nice.

Moonrise over Interstate 15, with headlights coming from Las Vegas.

We have amazing sunsets here. This one was taken from our back patio. The trees block the view a little, but it's still pretty darn good.


And this was taken the same evening as the moonrise, facing the other way. The tall pink thing to the left of the photo is the world's tallest thermometer. I know -- you can hardly stand the excitement of it all.