Hartwick Challenge Education Training

First it snowed.

On Saturday Pine Lake hosted one of many of Challenge Education all-day staff training retreats which keeps our group sharp and cohesive for when we run events. I am in awe of how awesomeness people are in Challenge Education.

We did activities such as:

Below we are retrieving the medicine from across the amazon river. It's the only medicine of it's kind in the entire world! If any of us fell in we would be swept down stream then returned by the spirits but too shellshocked to speak or be useful to the group. We were also instructed that medicine had to be cooked in order to make it useful.

Well, the medicine turned out to be an egg, which we fried, and ended up each having a bit. It was kind of gross, the pan was very rusty and had not be used in years, but it really bonded our team. 

And then it continued to snow.

I found this training useful, and I enjoyed it a lot. Humans are very curious creatures and these group challenges really let you peer deep down inside at how bizarre we really are. We are predictable, no matter the group, for when the frustration happens (storming,) and when the bonding happens. 

Art, Magic, and Dogs.

Above is a glass claw made by Eric Peterson. This piece had spots too thin to reheat and fuse to the rest of the sculpture so I got to keep it.

Learnin' witchcraft and wizardry. 

Bronski has gone home. He was our favorite "special" puppy.

Koyaanisqatsi

Although dated, I was struck by this films ability to bring the viewers into the state of mind of pure observation. This film showed me how to combine multiple types of art into one piece, I am very interested in producing something like this, possibly for my capstone project, possibly sooner.

A Walk in the Woods Continued

You need to see this photo big, just because I love it.

The Marsh behind Pine Lake

This dog Bronski enjoys hours and hours of fetch everyday.

The Boat House

(Still a favorite)

Weekend Fun

Four photos I took this weekend: Cooking Indian food in an Indian shirt from Elliot. The psychedelic grocery list from Brié. Bronski by the collapsing tresel. Zoë in the forest walking Bronski in the distance.

Zoë's Cook Book

 

Sepia Bowling Murder

Murder is

almost as good as

bowling.

Shrines

I have been exploring various types of shrines throughout Bailey. Below is part of Anthony's shrine.

My friend Elliot, currently traveling in India, met up with my friend Shannon and gave her a shirt that did not fit him. Check out the fabric. This is almost Mr. Murray level, and with my ceramics class I have this eery feeling of being doomed to become like him.

This is my shrine. Although this photo is blurry I really like it. I acquired two more figures as a gift from Shannon. The closest is a mysterious Buddha that seems to be in a burmese style. Then there is my Buddha in the center, and in the distance is the other gift from Shannon, a giant Ganesh figure.

(Parachute Woman)

Animals

The following is my favorite collect of animal-friend equivalents.

Mabel is my curious dog.

Sniffers (I named him when I was 6 okay?) otherwise known as kitty is my favorite fourteen-year-old cat who leaves us gifts. We (my mom) have also pulled an entire live and uninjured bird from his mouth -which immediately took flight once freed.

Bronkski is Anthony's dog visiting for two weeks. We think he has turrets despite how cute he may be.  He has an affinity for shredding things during anxiety attacks. He ripped open a 5 pound bag of flour and shook it all over the house. When Amanda found him he was a little white polar bear.

Bronkski is a third of my weight and strong enough to drag me off the couch.

Temporary Sierra has been replaced by the real one (things weren't working out so great with the temporary one,) she is not a pet but she is still nice.

Jen, also not a pet, has finally moved out to Pine Lake, yay!

Rest in Peace April Jewel Woodbury-High!

2006-2012

Awesome Guinea Pig

Saw two years of Bush and four of Obama

Lived on the Edge

Will be missed--especially by Mabel.

Sauna Night

I continue my cool job as Sauna Caretaker. Sometimes it's actually work. Splitting wood is a very popular volunteering job, but moving the split wood from the woodshed to the sauna is not. I like to stack it in the sauna so the smell of wood is present.

Last night I lite the fire for the sauna, walked outside and saw a silver animal gliding across the frozen lake. It was much larger than a cat, I'm guessing it to be a coyote, but I did not see legs, and I did not see eyes. Slightly intimidated by its mystery I went back in the sauna to make sure the fire caught in the stubborn wood stove. When I left the sauna to go sit in the office I saw there were three more of these silver animals out on the lake. It was very strage as they glided quickly and silently into the shadows to escape the reach of my flashlight.