Last Minute Trip

I'm heading back to Colorado tomorrow to help out my sister. She's been sick, and has also been entertaining relatives for months. She so deserves a break.

I'll be back around the 7th, hopefully with lots of nice CO pictures. Speaking of pictures, I'm kicking the photography thing up a notch or two. I hesitate to say too much at this point because it's all just getting started. So I'll just say I'm really happy and leave it at that for now.

Sadly I'm going to miss my window of opportunity to climb the volcano. I'm very disappointed. Very, very. But I know that it is the right thing to do to go back to Colorado and help out my family. And I know the volcano will still be there when I get back. Maybe we can manage to get our hands on a few more permits later in the season.

In happier news, Jason and I have started to look for our first home! If anyone has a great real estate agent in Oregon to recommend, please do. We looked at the cutest townhome in LO yesterday. I really didn't think I would be happy with anything but a stand-alone home but I would be thrilled if we ended up in something like this. One floor was one big open room that was half kitchen and half entertaining area. I would love a big, open kitchen, with hardwood floors and lots of light. The next level up was two bedrooms - a good sized office/guest room and a nice large master bedroom. Both had lots of light and interesting windows. Also interesting was another flight of stairs that ran from the master bedroom up into a large loft area that could act as another workspace or living area. I could go on and on. But I won't, except to say that I can't wait to own. Renting sucks.

New Camera

The first shots with my shiny new camera.

I Made It

Well, I'm officially professionally certified to restore rivers.

Woah.

It was a very long, very intense month. That first week, the one I posted about previously, was the best part of the program. It concentrated on river science, hydraulic modeling and other similar topics. I enjoyed learning about the hydrologic and geomorphologic processes much more than, say, the process of getting funding for restoration projects.

As of now I don't know what I'm going to do as far as school and work are concerned. I'm balking at the thought of more student loans. And I'm just not sure exactly what type of "real job" I want to apply to.

I've got a couple of entrepreneurial ideas in the works. Dagny would say I'm being a capitalist, but really I'm just trying to figure out a way to work for myself so I can get my way all the time!

Mostly this week I want to watch TV, relax, maybe do a little hiking. Oh! In hiking news - Mt. St. Helens, which has been closed to climbers since September 2004, has been re-opened! They are allowing 100 climbers per day on the volcano. Jason and I are going up on September 5th, complete with the recommended hard hat (I'm going to try to find a pink one) and dust mask.

Life's too short to not climb a volcano.