"The Prom Effect"

I'm back in school now and I haven't had a lot of time to do much of anything especially not update my blog but I read this today on the Freakonomics blog which I wanted to share. Just goes to show you that people coming from different backgrounds have a lot of underlying circumstances that may continue to affect their lives. The Prom Effect

A Walk in the Park

I wanted to play with my new camera so I thought there was no better place than a walk down McLeod Creek trail and through Willow Creek park, mainly because they are within walking distance from my house.  Then, after about an hour, I realized that I was probably being pretty creepy walking around the park which obviously is an attraction to children.  I stayed on the outskirts which probably didn't help my case any but anywho...

Keep Out

Footprint

Robin

Sandhill Cranes

Old Ranch Rd.

May Day

Since moving to Utah, I have noticed that no one here knows what May Day is.  When I explain the tradition of leaving flowers on someone's doorstep on May 1st and running away before they see you, they think it is just some crazy holiday that we Hoosiers made up.  However, this real holiday is actually a pre-christian, pagan celebration that marks the end of long Northern winters.  Here is what Wikipedia says about American May Day:

May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The basket giver would ring the bell and run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.

Personally, I think that May Day is a tradition that should not be lost.  Really, who doesn't love a holiday where they get flowers, especially from a neighbor or a stranger?  Luckily, I taught Austin about May Day in time to get some of my very own daisies this year!

Novelty

When I met my sister in the morning at the pool for our usual swim, she told me that she had something for me and pulled a box out of her passenger seat.  When I first saw it, I thought she was holding the yellow box from Banbury Cross which holds a dozen of the best donuts in Utah, and perhaps the world.  I was excited enough about that, but when I realized that it actually held a brand new Nikon D60, it was even better!  That was a week ago now, and I got a little bit of time to play with it and mess with its different functions down in Moab for a long weekend of camping and climbing but since I started work this week also, I haven't gotten to do much else.  I still need to read the user's manual and really figure out what I am doing.  But here are some of the first photos that I got out of it.

Lower

Kristin on Unmarked Route

El Cracko Diablo

El Cracko Diablo

Bug

On Top of the World

(See Austin on the very top?)

Corona Arch; Moab, Utah

Corona Arch; Moab, Utah

Tracks

Tracks

A New Hobby

I recently bought a new digital SLR (Nikon D60) and am now embarking on a new hobby.  I never plan on being a professional photographer but I do think it is a pretty glamorous job.  The main goal is to take thousands of pictures in the hopes that a few aren't too embarrassing to post for the world to see.  So, with that being said, enjoy the pictures and the other ramblings that will inevitably follow.