Reading Glasses

I have decided that I am far sited. I like books with large print and I squint a lot when I am reading books with ordinary sized print. I picked up a pair of reading glasses at the dollar tree. They have been serving me well. The benefits are three fold.
First of all I see my work more easily.
Second they make me feel studious and smart because I can pretend to be a stereotypical TV nerd.
Third, they help me stay focused because if I try to look at anything more than a couple of feet away while I have them on, it's a dizzying blur.
So, to sum up. They make me feel nerdy. I can see my work better and I can't see anything else.

A Weekend Well Spent

I didn't go hiking this weeked, but on Satuday I took a 5 hour nap. I feel much better for it. On Sunday afternoon I went to Eugene and spent several hours studying with Melanie at Starbucks. Starbucks is sort of like our place to work together. We did most of our scelaro (vampire movie script) writing there.
I still want to make scelaro into something more than a script. I would like to make a graphic novel type this out of it. My drawing needs improvement, and I think that may have to wait until after graduate school. 

Besides Scelaro, Starbucks has also been the location for many many study parties. In this case the studying is chemistry themed. Melanie is taking general chemistry. I am taking Environmental Chemistry. 

Finely Wildlife Refuge

Saturday Hiking

The View from the top of the hill at Chip Ross

I like hiking alone. I like hiking with friends too, but there is a special king of peace that I find in a long hike by myself. There is nobody to judge me of worry about me. I am only accountable to me. Nobody knows whether I made it up that hill without stopping or whether I sat down in the dirt and frowned at the view. I like it like that.

It's not really quiet out here. It's just a different kind of noise. There are lots of birds and bugs and the wind has a lot to say.  At the top of the hill in Chip Ross, I am greeted by a flock of Chestnut-Backed Chickidees and some Juncos. They are flitting around singing and taunting me in my attempts to take their picture. 

I don't have the trials to myself. A bad ass runner chick passes me. Then another about ten minutes later.

I am jealous of their physical ability but not of what they are doing. It looks extremely unfun to me. Now and then I have to hop off the trail for a mountain biker to whip by, but mostly I just get to listen to the woods. The last blackberries of the season are ripe. They try to lure me off the trail, but I will not be lured. The best blackberry in the world is not worth the rash I will have if I get into the Poison Oak. The Poison Oak is plentiful. A lot of this trail is Oak Savannah. It's a rare and beautiful, Willamette Valley ecosystem, and it's always rank with Poison Oak.

A view from Dan's Trail Mcdonald Forst

My beautiful nemesis, Poison Oak

Eggs

There are actually only two eggs in this frying pan

All four of the chickens are laying eggs now. They still get very excited about it. One of the cool things about raising chickens is that, when they first start laying, sometimes they lay really big eggs with double yokes. I've been enjoying eating fresh fried eggs this week.

Something Cute

Alex and Bear checking each other out.

Bear Lounging on Andrew's Lap

Adventures at the Junk Yard

Andrew and Craig look like prairie dogs

Here's what I was up to a few weeks ago. Craig is looking for an exhaust system. Andrew and I are looking for new-old bumper brackets for the pickup. The ones it had wouldn't really protect it from anything. No smashy, smashy. Success!

Happy pickup. The volvo has been getting all the attention. Good old trucky has been a little jealous.

Such a patient truck. The bumper bracket are in our possession. Now we just need to find a few hours to install them.

Something is missing.