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Temporary Sierra has been replaced by the real one (things weren't working out so great with the temporary one,) she is not a pet but she is still nice.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

New York City

I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days in Manhattan with Zoë this weekend. Surprisingly it was about the same cost (bus wise) to go to NYC then home as straight from Hartwick. 

I suppose Barnard, or Columbia, or both, have this tradition called Orgo. On the eve of the organic chemistry final students gather outside the library and yell with a marching band or something like that. The tradition includes throwing papers out your window and marching with the band through the library blasting music. Below is the marching band or what was left at one in the morning. After there is a midnight breakfast where professors serve students pancakes.

Zoë by the lights at Columbia

Ice

Winter has begun, the lake has started to freeze over. Today (Tuesday) is the first day I have seen the lake freeze over almost entirely except for a few holes. With such a reflective material I had a lot of fun playing with the light.

 

 

The water is about six inches deep with half an inch of ice frozen over. It looks like a martin landscape. I forget about the cold rot in late December, the smell is distinctive, even this cold.

 

Cinder Block and Lilly Pad in Ice

 

These two are extremely low light mistakes.

 

 

The sound is wicked low, but Jenna and Kyrie we're throwing rocks across the ice into 8 foot wide holes way out in the middle of the ice. As they bounced across the ice they made noise of a high tension cable twanging, it was really awesome. 

The Artistic Folk of Pine Lake

Out at Pine Lake I am in the midst of several artist. Remember this thermos from a few post back? Well, a friend of mine made a clay version.

I have been pressured into glass blowing, I think I will start second half of next semester.

This is Vanessa grinding a bronze project. I love the retro spaces at Anderson Center for the Arts.

Winter at Pine Lake

I have been enjoying the sauna twice a week. Next semester I will have the sauna caretaker work study which means lighting the fire and sweeping out the building after.

Yesterday, I walked around and took some photos until I could no longer feel my hands. The temperature was supposedly 27ºF but that did not include wind chill.  I am currently living in the lodge which you can see up to the right in the photo below. Next semester I'll be in a cabin.

 

 

  

All deer footprints.

I like how clear the water gets when it is about to freeze.

  


Cob House


 

I know each month by its light. December certainly has the most red fire like. Two nights ago the ice crystals high in the atmosphere formed refracted the moonlight into perfect halo. I attempted a photo but the light was way too low.

 

First snow in December

I just want to share how incredibly beautiful Pine Lake and Hartwick College is after a good snow. 

 

 

Orchesis and other events in the sky

Hartwick puts on an awesome event known as Orchesis, a collection of all the dance classes from the semester preforming over two hours. This was the best photo I could get unfortunately. But, there were some amazing dances that varied from ballet to modern pop. There was also an excellent dance about abuse in a typical heterosexual relationship but it didn't end well for the guys rather in a mutual peace. Still it was really good.

Earlier that evening I attended an anti-fracking presentation which was so-so. There were a lot of feelings expressed but I am much more curious about the science and philosophy. I still despise it, but enjoy this problem over other energy issues since for once the crisis is on our land, diversion is not an option.

My friend Shannon who lives at the lake with us has a pilots license, but not a drivers license. She took these photos on Saturday when she flew over Hartwick and Pine Lake. She's flying again tomorrow (Sunday,) but won't take me up on my dare to drop eggs on Hartwick.

The Holiday Madness Begins

 

We had a couple of birthdays this last month, including my good friend Alyssa. Pine Lake celebrated her birthday in Strawbale with a dozen or so people. This photo was taken after the cake consumption. I like the warmness of this blurred photo.

People have been sleeping a lot due to stress and studying. Krishna worries about Anthony because he always finds him in the same position everyday. We do our best to assure him that he is not in a coma but actually quite active.

 

I am happy that my dinning hall is attempting some diversity. They also have a menorah but it's no where close to the amount of Christmas stuff they have out. There were no potato pancakes either.

 

I am not going to lie, the holidays are a confusing time.