Day 1127: Birdman

Birdman is not a date night movie.  We thought it was supposed to be a dark comedy.  Michael Keaton and Emma Stone were amazing and I can see why Keaton won the Golden Globe.  But it was depressing and foul-mouthed.  Keaton's character was the actor, director and producer of a Broadway play, but earlier in his career he had been a movie star.  Every character was deeply scared by their experiences in the acting profession and it was so hard to watch their pain.  One of the difficulties was the hand held camera.  In fact, it was like the camera was on a drone.  I got nauseous and sweaty and we considered leaving.  It's not a film I would ever care to see again.

This morning the girls were rehearsing a very humorous dance number called Heaven Hop.  Kate is the featured character and for the first time she'll get to wear normal make up and costumes.  She mimics the high-pitched, squeaky voice perfectly.  I took sixty pictures and saved only six.  The girls move so rapidly that  most of the photos are blurred.

It was 32, bright and sunny today.  The sun felt so wonderful!  It was a blessing to have a little sun before the next big storm hits tomorrow.

Day 1126: Outdoor classroom

Another long day of writing and editing The Outdoor Classroom.  I took a few hours off for a haircut and dinner out.  Wings, beef on weck, salad.  Delicious!

Mr. Cardinal

The friend outside my window

Sunset tonight near Cassadaga

Turkey chasing a little black squirrel round and round the oak tree

Day 1125: Another day locked up

I didn't intend to spend another day on the four day hike, but I did.  A few parts just didn't feel right.  So, I went back and rewatched sections of the 2004, 2005 and 2008 videos.  The first two included video of our exit meeting and I was able to capture a few amazing comments.  Then the 2008 had great remarks at the filtration plant and the final celebration.  So, it's 19 pages, but I am much happier with it.

Then, I hunted down the chapter called The Outdoor Classroom which was tricky cause I had six versions of it.  There's not much to do on that one so I may be able to finish it in two days.

It's hard to understand how authors produce book after book in rapid succession.  Being stuck inside researching and writing for hours each day gets old and boring.  Even though I'm determined to finish, three months straight of writing has been challenging.  

Crazy weather over the last two days, temps up and down.  Yesterday was freezing, but sunny and the  critters were celebrating.  Seven deer charged through the woods, chasing each other in circles, leaping round and round.  I thought perhaps a dog was chasing them, but no.  Maybe it's rutting season?  Then they charged across the street in a column, but first stopped to look for traffic.

Then, one of our little black squirrels was nibbling seeds under the bird feeders when the turkeys arrived.  One turkey took exception to the little squirrel and chased it around the tree.   The squirrel tried to escape and snatch more seeds, but the turkey was determined to keep her away.

Day 1124: Zero degrees

The four day hike chapter is done.  I spent seven more hours editing and adding little anecdotes.  First was the story about little Questy Dibble walking out of the woods and adopting us.  Then, the story of the screech owl hanging out above my tent.  I added funny little comments from the lunchtime interviews with the kids.   The ending is not as strong as I'd like, but maybe something will pop into my head over the next few days.  As my friend Pat from Penelope says, "It doesn't have to be perfect!"  And Penny says,  "There's always a second edition!"

Tomorrow, I will tackle the goals chapter.  With the pressure of the musical building and backpacking classes starting on Tuesday, I have to use every minute available.

Really?  I just want to go outside for a long walk without wearing five layers, gloves, scarves and boots!

Day 1123: Snow fizzle

Blizzard Juno was a bust.  A couple feet fell in Boston, but only a few inches in New York.  Fortunately, the city was cautious and no one was hurt.  Predictions were overblown again.

We went to Buffalo today for a few hours, but I still managed to get four hours in on the book.  I was working on the story of Questy Dibble, how a little brown dog was adopted by a hundred backpackers and went to live with the "goofy guy" and his beautiful wife.  I also told the story of the mother fox who terrified us by screaming warnings to her babies.  Wow! That was quite a night.

My hike group in May 2014 just before we enter the cow tunnel.

I'm not with them cause I'm the photographer.  In fact, I am often away taking care of other tasks for the whole expedition rather than tending to my own group.  That's why we thought this was the year to relinquish my role.  What shall we do this year without Jackie as a hike group leader?  Should we replace two people in the same year?  Mark would be the best choice, but his job is so demanding and his wife is ill.  Chris is next senior, but he doesn't like to be in charge, especially in the evening.  Robert has the personality, but he only has three years of experience.  Kevin could do it, but he's injured and may not go at all.  Our twenty somethings are very skilled, but do they have the judgement necessary?  Lots of thinking to do!

Day 1122: Cornfields

We took a trip to Brocton to deliver letters to the four eligible eighth graders reminding them of the enrollment deadline next week.  We have a feeling that none of the kids will enroll, but I hope we're wrong.  I told the secretary that all the student leaders will still go with us, even if no one enrolls.  Her son is one of the new student leaders and he's very excited.

Next week, will be very busy and that started to scare me.  Classes three days a week, musical requires so many costumes, none of the set construction has even been started.  All of that will cut into the writing time.   I've had three productive months.  Fifteen chapters completed and ready for outside readers.  But there are still eight to go!  How will I squeeze them in between everything else?  I need two more months of being snowed in!

A huge storm has moved up the east coast and trapped thousands in their homes.  All four of our kids are safely tucked in.  They grew up in western NY so they know about snow.  The subways closed down at 8:00 tonight and all traffic is banned.   So far, they've only had a few inches, but the winds are ferocious.  It's nice not to be the center of the storm for once!

A cornfield on route 20 

Day 1121: Motown the Musical

It was a wonderful day full of great friends, lively music and conversations with two sons!  Motown was fantastic!  We lived through that era and knew all the music, much like with Jersey Boys and Carole King.

They are preparing for an historic blizzard in NYC and along the entire east coast.  High winds and 30 inches of snow are predicted starting at 6 am.  Evan went to Fairway Market to stock up on groceries.  The store had earlier been raided and they were out of bagels.  How can any New Yorker survive without bagels in a blizzard?

Justin was having supper at his favorite hangout, The Firehouse.  He keeps his refrigerator packed with food so he can stay put for days if necessary.  He lives only twenty blocks from work or he can work from home.  Colin didn't call us back, but I'm sure they are prepared.

My favorite Thai soup, Tom Kha

at a new restaurant we  tried called the Saigon Cafe in Buffalo

Day 1120: Dance rehearsal

The cast is learning the big production number from Anything Goes.  Forty kids in tap shoes makes quite a racket, but it was wonderful to watch.  I'm surprised how well they are doing after just a few rehearsals.  We're short on tap shoes for the boys, but new ones will arrive soon.  We spent hours meeting with Ben to find out what we need for each character.  Wow!  So many costumes! The cast is 57 and each of them will need at least two costumes, plus accessories.  A few of the leads will require as many as four or five costumes.

Nancy's keys finally arrived at her son's house late yesterday and she drove ten hours straight to get home today.  What a pain it is to replace all the things a lady's purse holds.

I spent a few more hours on the four day hike chapter and then watched the 2013 video. That one is my favorite.  The music placement was perfect.  I had great video footage and wonderful still photos. Ten people helped me with the stills so that made a huge difference.  I want more people to contribute to the photos  this year to get the varied perspectives. Having the new go pro camera will add a lot of life to the video.  I think that chapter will require two more full days to complete, but not tomorrow.  Instead, I'm hosting Penelope and then we're going to Shea's to see the Motown musical.

Dance rehearsal

Wonderful seniors clowning around

Day 1119: Super sunny day!

It was wonderful to walk over three miles today. It's the first time in weeks that we've been able to pile on the miles.  Blue sky, over 30 degrees. Lovely.

Locusts on campus

Paddy helping me with my writing

He made a difference, cause I accomplished a great deal today. 

The creek is nearly frozen.  About 80% of the lake is now frozen so that should limit the amount of lake effect snow. 

Day 1118: Sweet doves

Nancy's purse was stolen yesterday.  She and her son were out looking at condos with an agent and the agent failed to lock her car.  Someone must have been watching and swooped in to swipe the purse.  Her car keys, credit cards, a little cash, but most important, Glenn's iPad.  She's heartbroken.  Another bit of him gone.  Also, she couldn't drive home today before the big storm sweeps across the south.

She's thinking about getting a place near Jeremy to use for a few months over the winter and then as an investment for the rest of the year.  Properties in Hilton Head are very popular for tourists and it would probably pay for itself in a few years.  The best part would be she'd get to see more of her son's family.

I've spent too many hours with my head bent over my computer.  Neck ache, head ache, heavy eyes.  I watched a couple more Quest videos to help me with the four day hike chapter.  We walked a long way, talking about incidents that Steve remembers that had slipped my mind.  Plus, I read the three history chapters.  I'm looking for more stories that I haven't already used.  Fortunately, today I found a couple.  Progress!

The cats can't get any closer to the wood stove

A few of our resident turkeys

Lovely doves resting in the oak tree

Day 1117: Parents!

We set up a meeting for the last two parents who want their kids to participate in Quest.  One dad and his son showed up right on time at 6:30.  We zipped through the material in twenty minutes cause two other kids in the family did Quest years ago.  They were cooperative, respectful and funny.  The mom who requested a special meeting cause she couldn't discuss Quest with her child's father did not bother to show up or call.  We waited 60 minutes, just in case.

The meeting was in the auditorium during rehearsal so I finally heard Graciela sing.  So lovely!  On Saturday, I'll take more photos.

Josh, Graciela, Mary Kay, Ben W. and Ben S. at the piano

I spent most of the day on the four day hike chapter.  It's a mess, but getting better.  Then tonight, I worked on the family tree.  I was able to find my father's parents burial places and even a picture of their headstone.  Then I found my grandmother's mother's name.  Amazing!

Day 1116: Sun luncheon

It's settled.  We're going back to the Outer Banks for our spring vacation.  I've spent days hunting for accommodations and flights to New Orleans, Ft. Myers, St. Augustine, Key West, Naples.  After tallying up the totals, I discovered it would cost less to fly to Spain and spend the week in Barcelona. We really want to go to Barcelona, but with the book heavy on my mind, I just can't devote the brain time to preparing for a foreign trip.

Even if it's cold there, we love being on the beach.  There's lots of places to hike and fabulous restaurants.  BARBECUE!  On the trip down and back, we can stop at a few Civil War battlegrounds and Appomattox Court House.  Cause that's what history nerds do.   It's a relief to have it settled so I can get back to work!

Tonight, we watched the 2007 Quest video for the Class of 2011.  Oh, how we loved that trip!  Both Evan and Colin hiked.  At the talent show, Evan taught the kids how to count in Icelandic. Colin did a lot of the filming so there's actually footage of me hiking!  Nora, the German exchange student was with us.  She was a delight!  Then, for student leaders we had Anna, Alycia, Nicole, Maeghan, Rob, Pete, Jason and Brandon S.  What an amazing crew that was!  The interviews at the Filtration plant were fantastic and I should be able to use many of their comments.

The students from that class were exceptional, too!  Max, Annie, Vince, Katie, Kyle, Zach and so many others.  They produced a group of outstanding student leaders.

Colin produced the video. I loved the music, the rhythm and perspective.  He's a pro!  Mine are too much the same.

We took Rachel to the airport to begin an extraordinary journey.  She's traveling all through southeast Asia during the next three weeks.  So many preparations!  Visas, shots, different currencies.  We'll be anxious to hear about it cause Steve really wants to go back to Vietnam.

A special treat for today, lunch at the Sun restaurant!  Our favorite!

Black rice rolls.

From left: Mango, coconut shrimp and salmon

Black rice salad

Thai iced tea

Day 1115: Timing Paddy

Paddy is in and out so often during the day that I have to set the timer to remind me to call him in.  Sometimes, it's five minutes, but when it's in the thirties, he can have more time.   But, twice today I forgot him.  He just sits on the picnic table and surveys his territory.  He's fuzzy enough that he's safe.

I spent nearly all day tightening the language of the two day hike chapter and then printed it.  It was more time than I planned, but I like the changes.  The "the" count started at 610 and I reduced it to 560!  It may seem trivial, but it forces me to cut extraneous prepositional phrases and other useless words.   Then, I started the four day hike chapter.  It requires a lot of editing and will probably take a full week.  The last time it was edited was in January 2013.

Day 1114: Ancestry

Genealogy has been a minor hobby, but now it's gained more of my attention since Mary's gift at Christmas.  Her investigations spurred my interest so I sent for the DNA test to trace my father's ancestry.  My brother offered a sample of his DNA and tomorrow, I'll mail it off.  Plus, I joined ancestry.com to locate historical records to build on what I know already and verify information we have collected over the years.

I hunted down an article I remembered having from the early 1970s.  In the early 1900s, my great grandmother,  Eliza, left England alone and did not see any of her family again for over fifty years.  Then, her sister Edith came to visit and meet all of the family.  What a joyous reunion!  It was so wonderful for them to have a few weeks together, because in just a few years, both of them were gone.  My great grandmother died at 91, but her sister was only 74.

Day 1113: Golden hat

Sore throat, ear ache and congestion.  Thanks, Shane.  I cancelled Penelope for tomorrow.  I don't feel horrible, but I sure don't want to infect my frail, elderly friends.  (I guess I could be classified as elderly, but not frail)  I also skipped musical.  If even one of them gets sick, it will run through the whole cast and crew.

It's not all bad.  I finished the two day hike chapter.  Steve needs to read it tomorrow and then I'll address any points he may see.  Monday, I'll move on to the four day hike!

We went out for a short walk since the temp hit 39 degrees.  I'm wearing a new hat, a gift from a former student.  In the last five years of my teaching career, I taught the history of sewing and fashion.  We named the course like so I would be certified to teach it.  There was a demand for the course, but no one to teach it.  At first, I was resistant, but I came to love it.  It was so much fun to teach a course that did not require grading, tests and regents exams!  The girls and I laughed and grew to be good friends.  In the last month of the year, we had to give up the sewing machines to the middle school teacher.  So, I decided we would learn to knit and crochet.  I knew how to start knitting, but I couldn't finish.  You-tube was the answer to any question I had on the basic skills. I also learned to pearl.  At the very end, we crocheted dish cloths.  It was all very simple stuff, but some of the kids really took off and extended their skills.  The hat was a gift from Jocelyn.  She said, "Mrs. Cobb, look how far I've come in seven years!"  

Jason in back

Nancy, Kendall, Jeremy and Mikyla

My sister Nancy is in Hilton Head to celebrate her son Jeremy's 40th birthday on the 21st.  

How on earth did Jeremy get so old?  

He's the second of the ten grandchildren to hit 40. Justin is next in Sept. 2016.  I'm so glad they could be together for this weekend.  

If my dad were still alive, he would have been 89 yesterday.  He's been gone for nineteen years now.

Day 1112: Shopping for spring break

I wrote about Unbroken when I read the book, but today we saw the movie.  It was painful to watch because Louis Zamperini was tortured by his Japanese captor known as "The Bird".   The sadistic, cruel sergeant enjoyed punishing Louis because they knew he was an Olympic athlete.  The conditions he and the other prisoners endured and survived, were horrific.   The forty-seven days at sea were torturous, by far better compared to the prison camps.  Again, I was so moved by the courage, determination and resilience of these remarkable men.

Then all evening, I searched for flights and hotels for a trip to New Orleans for the end of March, just after the musical concludes.  There are so many options to sort through.  What I don't like on Expedia is that the packages can't be cancelled or changed.  So, I will search some more tomorrow.

Eighth grade parents are becoming a pain and when the parents are separated, it's even worse.  For one child, the father attended the meeting.  Now, the mother wants a private meeting to get the information.  Of course, they couldn't speak to each other or the child.  We have to meet with another mother tomorrow morning, but the other one can't come then.  So that means we will have had eight parent meetings!  Ridiculous!  It's like our time has no value at all.  The hiking is so much easier that this business.

Sunset on the thruway

Day 1111: Book club time

Every one of us agreed, The Boys in the Boat, was an incredibly powerful, inspirational, moving, exciting, suspenseful and profound story.  It's one of the best books I've read in the last five years.  The young men from Washington University who represented the US in the Berlin Olympics were humble, hardworking, dedicated men who represented the best of the greatest generation.

They were tried and tested throughout the Depression, doing impossibly difficult jobs just to survive.  Joe Rantz, who is the center of the story, spent a summer working on the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.  His job was to dangle on the face of rock cliffs in a harness and use a jack hammer to to knock off the loose rocks.

Once they finally got to the Olympics, they got the best time in the preliminary round and the British had the second best time.  They should have gotten the best lane for the finals, but instead the Germans changed the rules to put them in the outside lanes which were buffeted by strong winds.  Nevertheless, they prevailed, winning by two feet.   They came on from the outside, and despite all obstacles, they prevailed, just as the Americans did in the war against the Germans.

We finally got out for a long walk around the college since the temp rose into the twenties.  The men who work construction are tough.  It must be very difficult to work outside and endure the freezing temps we've had recently.

Construction on the back of Rockefeller Arts Center. 

Day 1110: Another long day of writing

Life is pretty quiet right now.  No activities to report, but lots of progress on my book.  Cold keeps me in and focused.  My reward for hours of work is doing a load of laundry or running the vacuum.  Or quick reading a chapter of The Boys in the Boat.

 I made lots of progress on the two day hike chapter.  It's already full of fun anecdotes, colorful details and useful information.  I cut a funny incident that is now in the sanitation chapter which I probably have written about here before.  One snowy night, Steve left the tent when he heard a noise. He made a loop around camp and found nothing out of order so he decided to pee.  He stepped off the trail, unzipped and started to go.  All of a sudden, a flash of light hit him.  Horrified, he stopped midstream and zipped up.  When he turned around, there was Heather.  "Mr. Cobb, I can't find my tent."  "Ok, Heather, I'll help you.  Turn around and go back the other way."

Then there was the story of the time our superintendent backpacked with us.  When he was MS principal,  he thought it was important to experience Quest.  Once the crowd was tucked in, we finally collapsed in our tent.  But then, we heard laughing nearby.  Steve went to investigate and found him sitting outside the tent of a two MS teachers.  They were laughing and telling stories and eating  candy!  Steve told him if they didn't settle down, he would call his mother.

I plan to finish this chapter on Friday, or Saturday at the latest.  It's very gratifying to review chapters and find they are farther along than I thought and that I know how to improve them.

Day 1109: Blue jay time

This evening, after finishing the one day hike chapter, I handed Mark T. thirteen chapters to review.  I know he'll give me honest feedback and I respect his extensive knowledge about outdoor education. He loves Quest as much as I do and he wants to promote backpacking.  It still makes me nervous to have my manuscript outside of a very tight circle of advisers.

I have been trapped inside by work and temperature, so on this sunny morning we escaped briefly to the lake. Blue sky, sunshine and intense cold.  Yikes, the dock was brutal, but beautiful.

Geese in the harbor

Crazy turkey trying to get to the bird feeder

Day 1108: Paddy's longing

Another day of freezing cold and snow-filled roads.  No walk for us or Paddy.  He sat watching the turkeys and squirrels forage in the back yard, his furry chest heaving.  I let him out for seven minutes and he was desperate to come in at the end of that time.

After six hours of work on the one day hike chapter,  it's greatly improved.  Reading Boys in the Boat helped me rethink the day to include more action, dialogue and color.  My eyes were exhausted after all the close work and then reading all evening.

Day 1107: Boys in the Boat

Our January book club selection is Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.  After writing all day, I sat down after dinner with my first electronic book and read for five hours.  It's the story of the Washington State crew team that won the gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  The book thus far has told the story of one of the crewmen, Joe Rantz, who overcame extraordinary odds to first get to the university and then become a member of the team in the midst of the Great Depression.  The backdrop, of course, is all the historical events of the period.  The crash, the Dust Bowl, the rainiest month in Seattle's history, the rise of Hitler.  It reminds me of Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time, about the Dust Bowl.  Absolutely gripping.

I was tempted to skip reading it because of the time it takes away from writing and editing, but I'm very glad I tackled the book today.  Plus, reading excellent writing makes me work to improve my own book.  I put aside the student leader chapter until I collect the questionnaires and do a few more interviews.  Instead, I started on the one day hike.  I had originally written that chapter in 2010, then did a major revision in 2012 and have not revisited it since.   It's too mechanical, so today I worked at the rhythm, adding humorous anecdotes and cutting extraneous words.  

Boys in the Boat is full of specific details on the construction of the shell (boat), stroke rates, positions, competitions, but it's incredibly engaging.   I have never been interested in crew, but this author made me care about the men on the team, the challenges of their lives and sport, and the horrible conditions people endured during the Great Depression.  All in all, the time has been very well spent.

We spoke with our two older sons this weekend.  Both were bursting with happy news, great satisfaction and pride.  It makes me incredibly happy to know they have moved beyond the survival stage of their lives and into a time of personal and professional success and joy.

Day 1106: Game night

Full, happy, busy day!

Apples to Apples with the gang!

Day 1105: Snow day

A snow day! You wouldn't think it would matter a bit to two retirees.  We needed to copy and mail all the letters to the new student leaders.  When we arrived at school, the entire parking lot was empty.  We walked right in and found Dave and Steve, maintenance men, having a confab.  They must love having the whole place to themselves.

In the print shop, no one was using the copy machine so we zipped in and made all the copies and stuffed the envelopes.  On tv, the news reporters were following the occupation of a print shop in Paris where thousands of police were fighting and killing the two terrorist brothers who killed the journalists.   It was a very strange feeling.  It seems so wrong to give worldwide attention to such despicable characters, to dramatize and romanticize their struggle.   They said they would die martyrs and they did.  Not to us, but to other extremists and marginalized people.  The focus on them, rather than the victims, was wrong and will lead to further trouble.

Brigitte arrived in the middle of the worst of the storm and spent an hour talking about Quest.   Whenever I speak with former student leaders, I am so moved by their passion and dedication.  I interviewed a parent last night and he shared the impact the program had on his oldest daughter.  His second daughter will go this year and then he wants to be sure we'll still be around for his eight year old son.  I'll be 71!  Will we still be backpacking at 71 and 74?  I hope so.  They remind me how important the program is to everyone.

Day 1104: Junior superheroes

I tackled the student leader chapter today.  It's ten pages on qualifications, duties, challenges, and benefits.  And it's flat and lifeless.  I need more stories to add some personality.  Most of the dozens of stories I've collected have already been used in other chapters.  I like to begin each chapter with an engaging anecdote that I can use to introduce the theme, but there just aren't any appropriate stories left.

So, I generated a short questionnaire to send to the 2015 student leaders with their acceptance letters. Plus, tomorrow, Brigitte is coming over for an interview.  I also need input from the folks who have made the transition to adult leader.  A few of them are coming over on Saturday, if the weather holds. Up to three feet of snow is forecast between tonight and Saturday.

We watched the Quest movies from 2004 and 2005 this afternoon.  There were delightful!  I plan to start the rewrites on the three hikes next and I needed a refresher.  2004 was the year I got poison ivy on my left arm during the two day hike.  On the Wednesday morning we departed on the four day, I felt a little prickling on my back.  By evening, hives had spread over my trunk.  By Friday morning, I was covered from chin to toes.  I kept taking benedryl, but it didn't help.  When we arrived at the Policeman's Grounds, I called my brother to pick me up to visit the doctor.  Then Mary brought me back after I had a big dose of prednisone.  What an adventure!  I had never had poison ivy before that and I haven't had it since.

I wish we had recorded scenes from the one and two day hikes also cause I'd like to revisit the terrain, wild flowers, and trees.  The sensory descriptions need improvement on all three hikes.  We bought a go-pro camera to capture some original footage this year and I definitely plan to use it for the descent into the gorge on the two day hike.

It was interesting to see how everyone has changed physically, but how most of what they say and do has stayed the same.  The core of leaders in 2004 and 2005 was the same; Steve, Mike, Jackie, Kathy, Chris, Mark and me.  A few of us were thinner, but a few more were much heavier.  There were only about eight student leaders, but they were terrific young people.

Brilliant sunshine the morning

Day 1103: Je suis Charlie

Today, three Muslim extremists attacked the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris and killed twelve.  Most were journalists who drew political cartoons that satirized the prophet Mohammed and all extremists. They didn't confine themselves to Islam, but skewered all religions.  The men who killed the cartoonists asked for them by name, and then methodically murdered them.  As they ran off, they executed a policeman and shouted that they had avenged the prophet Mohammed.  Another horrifying, senseless attack.  At least senseless to so many in France and here in the US.  How on earth can this extremism be moderated?   How can western values of freedom of expression be reconciled with those who will not tolerate any criticism or commentary?  I am so afraid of what could be next.

The 8th grade winner of the National Geographic Geography Bee, 2014, with Mr. Fabiano.

The runner up was an 8 year old fourth grader!  The kids were amazing!

For a short time today, a bit of sunshine brightened our day, but not enough to go for a walk.  

At 11:30 pm, it's 9 degrees, but with the wind chill, -20.  

Day 1102: Twelve complete!

Twelve chapters are now complete!  I spent many more hours on Trials again today and the changes were beneficial.  Mark Thomas is going to pick up a dozen chapters to read next week.  I value his insights since he knows the program so well and he shares the same values.

We sorted through twenty years of backpacking paperwork and tossed a ton.  Old lessons, transparencies, receipts, forms, budget records.  I found some delightful memorabilia from the very early years that will help as I tackle the rewrites of the history chapters.  I kept rosters and budget tallies for comparison purposes.

It snowed like crazy all day and the temp has dropped to 13.  I really need to get outside for a long walk.  Maybe tomorrow.

The Bridge across the Plaza De Espana in Seville, Spain

November 2011

One of my all time favorites!

Justin and Steve re-enacting in 2007

Day 1101: New musical season

The first rehearsal for Anything Goes was held tonight. Fifty-nine students are in the cast!  Lots of new students, both freshmen and upperclassmen.  The two leading men are a senior and a junior in their first musicals.  Sandy and I did measurements on 23 students and they are very excited to be in the cast.  Ben has added several songs from a 1987 edition of the musical.  That should help modernize the show a bit.

I made huge progress on the Trials and Triumphs chapter and should finish it tomorrow.  Since it is primarily about dealing with medical emergencies, belly-button piercings, injured knees, special needs, rescues and homesickness, I should probably retitle the whole chapter.  That means the only chapter left in the "how to" portion of the book is about the student leaders.  Number 13!  I still haven't decided about the games, activities and songs.

Another polar vortex has descended over most of the country.  Tonight it's only eleven!  Of course, Paddy had to go out for a few hours. We don't even know how he got out.

I'll post a picture tomorrow!

Day 1100: Poached pears

More title work today.  No one at Penelope favored my working title, Quest: Boot-sucking Mud and other Backpacking Tales, that my kids and a few friends really liked.  They were leaning toward something like Quest: A Guide to Backpacking with Teens.  Steve, Mary and Rachel all said no to that one.  Rachel asked me to list all the things that Quest does for the kids from enrollment to conclusion and they all related to the transformation that takes place.  So, she thinks the title should connect to those changes.  She also said that many of the authors she talks with at Chautauqua tell her the editor or publisher picks the title.

In addition, I worked on the Trials and Triumphs chapter.  It's going to be a miserably cold week, so I should be able to stay in and accomplish a great deal!

Only four of us attended Penelope this morning.  I know the hostess was disappointed because she had done much preparation.  However, our discussions are always better with a small group.  Penny had a remarkable poem and Sarah shared her newest art project.  Several members are still away visiting their families on the west coast.

Rachel invited us for a traditional Italian family dinner tonight.  We began with salad, then she served home made manicotti with garlic bread.  The third course was meatballs, sauce, broccoli, and beans with tomatoes.   Next came the fruit course including grapes and oranges with cookies, candy and biscotti.  Finally, she made poached pears and a lemon roll cake filled with three favors of sherbet.  Of course, there was also wine, coffee, and tea.  What a feast!  I've never made pasta, but she says it's easy.  A meal at her house is always a treat!

Fruit course

Poached pear

Day 1099: Wild

I love when a movie makes me laugh and cry.  I was mesmerized by the book Wild, by Cheryl Strayed.  Often, I'm disappointed by the movies made from great books.  Not this time.  I was gripped right away, laughed often and wept twice.  My book club was very critical and judgmental of Cheryl as a person because she did self-destructive things after her mother died.   In her grief, she turned to promiscuity and drugs.  Finally, she decide to backpack the Pacific Crest Trail and walk back to the woman her mother knew she could become.  I found the story inspiring, except that she said she wouldn't do anything differently.  I would hope she'd learn from her mistakes.

The scenery was spectacular through California and Oregon.  It made me want to experience part of the trail.  Not the desert, but certainly the forests.  The only problem with the movie was they needed a technical adviser.  She wore the backpack with the hip belt around her butt, not her belly button!

I started reviewing photos to print for display.  This morning, putting on a sweater, I hit the collage picture frame and it smashed on the floor.  Several of the photos stuck to the glass so I have to replace them.  I tore Steve's nose off in the photo of him and Justin in their re-enacting gear.

Five of my favorite photos from the last ten years:

 Arkwright

Olympia

Minister Creek

Day 1098: Hidden treasures

Steve is cleaning his office, the loft.  He's fulfilling a promise to me.  He's sifting through mountains of papers for his various jobs, trying to bring order to years of paper chaos.  Each position has folders and binders and boxes of correspondence and clippings.  Backpacking here, EMS Coordinator there, SWREMS over there,  EMT class, musical binders.  Stuff everywhere.

I tackled a box of folders that included taxes from 2003 to 2006, installation directions for our first pool, the building permit for a deck extension and the garage from 1994.  Pay stubs from school and the college.  Some of the envelopes weren't opened, so before I tossed them in the wood stove, I opened them.  My college pay was direct deposited so they were receipts.  Except for three.  Three checks for $200 for supervising student teachers!  I wondered why I never got paid for that job!  They look just like the receipts so they got tossed in the same file.  Oh well.

Another treasure we discovered was a sign made by a student of mine and presented at the senior banquet in 2008, just before I retired.  It said,

Mrs. Cobb

Voted most likely to use a tree instead of a toilet. 

From Melissa ____

Class of 2008

I consider this a complement!

I also found the folder of materials from my trip to Uzbekistan and all the correspondence with dear Zafar.  That's a longer story for another night.  

I tackled the Expedition Behavior chapter today and spent about four hours cutting, pasting, reorganizing, editing and expanding.  I cut material from the Trials Along the Trail chapter on suspected marijuana use and plopped it into Behavior.  I cut content on meeting individual needs from Behavior and switched it to Trials.   I added a whole section on the student contract to Behavior.   The organization of the chapter is more fluid and cohesive now.  Another few hours of editing and it will be done!  After that I will return to the Trials and Triumphs chapter.  I plan to have twelve chapters done by next Friday.  

Hedwig

Soon, the house will be returned to its pre holiday blahs.  But for tonight, we can enjoy the beauty.  

Day 1097: New Year's Musings

We have so very much to be grateful for today.  2014 was good to our sons and April and for us, that matters most.  Evan wrote a list of things he learned and did over the course of the year and that's inspired me to do the same.

In 2014:
Evan got a new job in April that he absolutely loves!  He feels valued, challenged and successful.
April got a new job two weeks ago and will start on Jan. 12!
Justin got a new job in January that offers him stability and respect.
Colin got a major promotion to production manager for the best boss in NYC!
Colin started doing improvisation with the Upright Citizen's Brigade.
Steve retired from his position as CIC of the EMT class!  Thirty five years in charge.  Forty years instructing.
Justin met a wonderful woman, fell in love and changed his life.
No one in the immediate family was hospitalized this year!
My sister Nancy survived three colossal kidney stone and her first year without her beloved husband.
We traveled to NYC to visit our kids in February, May and November.
We saw the Carole King musical, Beautiful, on Broadway!
We attended an O'Donnell family reunion in New Jersey.  
Our HS musical, Bye Bye Birdie won the Kenny Award for best costumes, best sets, best lead actress and best ensemble.
We conducted a highly successful, though abbreviated, Quest.
We spent a fantastic week in Scotland with Mary and learned much more about Cobb heritage.
We spent a week in beautiful Hilton Head and grew closer to our nephew's family.
We spent a week in Orlando in October with ten family members and everyone got along.
We cancelled our solar power installation after we had taken down our beautiful sycamore tree.  I remained calm and kicked everyone off our property when they said we needed a new roof on the garage. Yay me!

So, I see that this list is about everybody else.  Hmmmm.

I re-wrote and/or edited twenty chapters of my book up to March 15.   Since Nov. 1, I have polished ten chapters to the point that I feel confident about giving them to outside readers.  The tenth, "Dig a Hole and Do What?" was finished today.

I swam like a crazy woman.  97 miles in our pool, in all temperatures and conditions from June to October.  The highest temperature was around 80 and the lowest was 57.  My fingers froze.  On July 31, the first time I swam two miles in a day, I was hypothermic and exhausted.  This year, I must complete 50 miles by July 25 rather than July 31 so I can be certain to reach the 100 mile mark.

I gardened.  Planted, transplanted, watered, mulched, weeded, seeded, harvested, trimmed, arranged, potted and created a beautiful, lush, inviting yard.

I walked, took photos and wrote.  I read, researched and wrote.  I consulted with Penelope, Steve, my sons, Questers and friends, and wrote.  I always wanted to be a writer and I think I'm almost there.

Is that enough?  Plenty, for now.  I'm healthy and happy.  What more can anyone ask for?

In the coming year, I will finish the book.  I will find a good publisher.  I will finally make prints of my best photos and hang them in our home.  I will learn more about my camera and photography.  I will swim 100 miles!  or more.  Maybe in a wet suit.  We will travel through the west and experience the natural wonders of our country. We will hike, explore, discover and I'll take more photos.  And write some more.