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| This past week I spent 8 days out in the desert around Lake Mead looking at rocks. I know 'looking at rocks' is a generic term but I generally grow tired of explaining what it is I do...lacustrine and fluvial rocks, let's leave it at that. The campground was a bit more hoppin' then usual, even during the week! I always had neighbors and for the last part of the trip a couple across the street who were the nicest people. Lynn and Sandy were their names, from Ogden, Utah. They were on their way back from Yuma where they spend 6 months out of the year living in their Bounder RV on BLM land. Apparently a lot of people do that. One night I went over to their site to ask for a can opener and Sandy tried to explain to me how to use it but even she couldn't figure it out and finally asked if I wanted some 'meat pie.' Questionable, but it turned out OK. Also, my 72 year old neighbor from a few weeks back returned!
Last night I took Rachel to the Orpheum here in Flag to see Martin Sexton. I've seen him once before in a small theatre venue in Talequah, OK and I knew it was going to be good. Chris Trapper opened for him and he was pretty fun too. He started and ended his set with a Ukulele song and also sang the song he has on the 'August Rush' soundtrack. Aside from what appeared to be a rather perturbed Martin about monitor problems, his show was yet again amazing.
Keep it real,
Mark | | |
| What an incredible year 2008 was. Lemme try and recap:
A rocky start to the year when the reality that the girl I thought was the one wasn't, finally hit, and was decided...no, no she isn't. Coincidences are unique and great and all, but I learned that they happen more frequently than we think and it's up to us to decide if they stick or are left behind. There was some struggling but hey, such is life.
Alright, glad I got that outta the way! Phew! Now for the good stuff. Hit up a sweet place called the wave back in late January, north of the Grand Canyon. That spring semester was a bit of blur but I did get my thesis proposal approved which is always good. Went to PT in Feb and March and got insoles which completely took my knee pain away. Running improved after that. Went to work for Marathon in Houston over the summer. Lived near Rice University, rode the bike almost every night around town and threw the frisbee. Met a sweet girl named Janine, a good friend. Helped calm me down when things got a little outta hand with work. Ran a 25k in Fort Worth at midnight, broke two hours and got 7th.
Drove back to Arizona, stopped at some national monuments and parks along the way. Started 3rd semester of grad school taking one class and teaching one class. Took some trips: Up to Wyoming for interviews with O&G companies, stopped in Moab for a night and saw Arches Nat'l Park. Stayed the night on the way back with a buddy of mine from the U of A in Fort Collins. Met a fellow ultra runner named Paul and ran quite a few long runs on trails around Flagstaff on the weekends.
Went up to St. George, UT for the marathon with the same name. Rode up with a friend of mine and his family, had a blast! Qualified for the Boston Marathon and am heading there in April! The next weekend ran rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon. There's nothing better than running on trails...as far as earthly things go. Went to Zion National Park on a geology field trip, I should mention I was blessed with two great roommates this fall as well, one of which leads a singles group where I met Rachel...I'll get to her in a minute! The rest of the year consisted of field work and school. A trip to Durango to see the family for Christmas (as well as Thanksgiving in Edmond).
 
Back in September I met a girl who I've since found is pretty much the most amazing girl I've known. She plays the piano and sings like an angel, loves to run, listens to my jibber jabber and doesn't mind my geology talk, is a nurse so she is good at fixing things, and most importantly has a strong desire to know and live by God every day of her life. Rachel is something else, and she makes me look forward to 2009...much different from where I was a year ago!
New Years was celebrated just over an hour ago in downtown Flagstaff with a not a ball dropping, no, we're in Flagstaff...here it's a pinecone! How fun...what does the future year hold? I'm not sure but what I do know is I'll finish my thesis, defend, and go to work for Devon Energy in OKC, OK sometime next December.
Love you guys!
-mark | | |
| - AngelI was just inspired to talk about some great things going on in the Grand Canyon, as we speak!
I was up in Utah back in late October looking at rocks for a geology field trip. We stayed at the amazing Zion National Park where we interpreted cross-bedding and dunes in the Navajo Sandstone. One day we spent the majority of the morning on an outcrop interpreting various sections and then had the rest of the day to explore the park on our own (thanks to Dr. Ron Blakey). A buddy of mine and I had planned to run to the top of Angel's Landing, an amazing fin of sandstone jutting out of the side of Zion Canyon around almost 1000 feet from the canyon floor. On the way up, at the start of the part of the trail where chains are provided for safety, we saw on giant bird with a number on its wing. It was a California Condor and it had the number 62. It let us get close and check it out. It's hard to imagine these birds being scared of anything with a 9.5 foot wingspan and the capability to catch a thermal and rise 15,000' in the air!
On our way back to Flagstaff we stopped at the Navajo Bridge just south of Lee's Ferry on the unfortunately blue, clear water of the Colorado (it should be muddy red). A wildlife biologist came with a radar and found another Condor with his radio locator. This one had a number in the 70s. The biologist proceeded to grab some rocks and walk over to the highway 89 bridge. He then walked along it and asked us to tell him when he was right over the bird. When he was, he stepped over the side and threw the rocks, making the Condor take flight and land on some rock cliffs up the river. He explained that he wants the birds to be afraid of humans, to stay away from people and live a more natural life.
I told him we saw one up in Zion the day before. When I told him the number he said "damn." My eyes must have bulged because he then said, "Well that's good for you that you saw one but bad for us...it has wandered too far from home." I guess they want these guys to stay together to reproduce. At one time there were only 9 known birds in America (1987) but now there are over 300. I believe the biologist said there were 62 they were tracking in and around the Grand Canyon, with 2 of those being recent chicks.
It's amazing what goes on around us without us even knowing sometimes, isn't it? I'm glad the California Condor is making a comeback. It's one good success story amongst a whole world of ecological doubt (as far as extinctions go!).
For more information on these ugly (but beautiful) birds, check out these sites
Here, here, and here.
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| It has been well over a year since I last had an entry in this thing. I'm more of a physical recorder of events than electronic but it's always fun to write a few things for other folks to see. I was working on an honors thesis the last entry and now its a masters...time flies doesn't it? I started this thing to stay in touch with all my Edmond friends...for those that may not remember a time before Facebook, this is what we used. Mark Zuckerbrag may be an instant millionaire but Xanga will always hold a special place in my electronic bloggin' heart. I remember when a friend of mine by the name of Christopher Kramer told me about this riot of a site...I thought he was trying to trick me into joining some sort of cult! I mean...what the heck is a Xanga anyway? Anyhoo, I'll be on and off this thing...but this much is true, the Xanga spirit will never die!
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| I love the weekends. This morning I ran for the with no knee pain for the first time in a while. I went out to some local back country roads and ran into coach McDonnell and some of his hammerheads. They were running the opposite direction and I think one of them told me to get over. It was hard to understand as it was a deep British accent, so I paid it no mind. Of course, the Kenyan was out front ahead of the white guys, not too far though.
Nice day today, light rain in the AM, patchy clouds and cool with the right amount of wind. I'm going to go finish my thesis now.
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