Day Seventy-Eight: Canoeing Fashion

role model

The past couple of weeks I have been working towards my American Canoe Association (ACA) instructor certification. This past week we have been working on white water and I expect that I will fall in the water daily. So I have been wearing the most hideous water clothes that I can find.

The only part of this outfit I did not wear on water were the green Crocs. I wore some water Keens to ensure my footwear stayed on. Just for those who are slow of study, I am wearing at least three different patterns on my body. Four if you count the checkered bathing suit top I’m wearing underneath my striped tank top.

This color and pattern clash is similar to the way Kit dressed when I first met him and it amuses him to no end that I am dressing the same way that I loath.

C is for Campfires

click for image source

One very important aspect of what I am learning this semester are the seven Leave No Trace principles. One of those is Minimize Campfire Impacts and above is a picture of one of the ways you can do that.

By creating a mound fire or building up a pile of dirt on top of a garbage bag or aluminum foil you can raise the fire off the ground and keep it from scarring the land, addtionally it will help to contain the ashes. So when you’re done burning your fire, which can be larger than the twiggy fire shown in the picture, all you have to do is scatter the ashes.

Having campfires on a trip in the backcountry is a luxury and not a right. Our professors have admitted that we’re the group that most loves to have campfires over the past few years and they allow us to enjoy them because we have good LNT practices.

As a camper and outdoorsy person I can say how much I LOVE campfires and smelling like campfire smoke after a weekend in a tent. And, as an LNT Master Educator I can say I know how to minimize my campfire impacts as best as possible.

Please comment or visit the Leave No Trace website if you have any questions about the seven principles.

Day Seventy-Three: Boss Farmer

old lady henderson--can kick your ass

I’m also learning some cultural history of the various places that I visit during this semester.

Yes, this is a crappy picture of a newspaper article picture. I had to record this woman somehow though.

This lady, at 86 years old, would carry buckets of water up from the stream at the bottom of the bluff for herself and her cattle farm. Not sure how many trips per day she had to make to keep everything stocked, but just completing this feat once is amazing to me.

She must have had a lot of drive. By the time this picture was taken her husband had passed away and the farm was all hers. She refused to sell the farm to the feds (for Buffalo National River area). Finally, her son bought her a house and moved her into it (and moved her cows for her). Sadly, the woman took ill and only stayed in the new house a very short time.

I believe this woman had a much stronger bond to the land and the Buffalo river than many people will ever be able to understand.

Day Seventy-Two: Field Work

wild flowers in the ozarks

This is a white Trillium taken in the Buffalo River National Park. Wildflowers was one of my teaching topics on the go. I’m embarrassed to say that I did not research this topic very well. Mostly, I just learned about the flowers from my professor.

I hope to learn more and be more prepared for the next trip. One of my favorites, for its name, was the Dutchman’s Britches. Yup, kinda looked like a clothes line of pantaloons.

Back from a Walk in the Woods

Sorry I forgot to warn my droves of readers that I would be gone during this week on a class camping trip. I have returned, a day early, and will surely share silly stories soon.

I cannot wait to show everyone my new vehicle that traveled cross country to be with me. He’s still got California plates and he needs a name. At first I was wary of driving him, but I am slowly falling more in love with him and claiming him as part of my belongings. I have a couple of bumper stickers, a seat cover and some rear view mirror hangings I want to apply.

I also have exciting news to share about internship possibilities for the summer.

I hope your week was beautiful.