Granite Point

I charged my camera today so I could take pictures of my Granite Point outing.  I remembered to pack my camera in my bag.  But did I bother to take one stinkin' picture?  Nope.  So let me attempt to sketch you a picture with words.

A small caravan of cars snaked through the winding hills outside Pullman, windows down and hair blowing in the warm breeze.  After a (relatively) short drive, we arrived at Granite Point, which is an outcropping of rocks along the Snake River.  I jumped out of the car and ran up to the top of the boulders.  As I stood on top of those rocks, wind whipping against me, I watched the white heads of choppy water march down the river.

Some people rock climbed.  Almost everyone jumped off a thirty foot rock into the river.  I waded in and lost my breath as the freezing water snatched at my ribs.  Despite the cold, it felt so wonderful to be in the water!  One of the things I really miss out here are lakes and the ocean, so it was exhilarating to be submerged in water!  Eventually I climbed dripping and numb from the river, shared a port-a-potty with a wasp, and arrived home in damp clothes and wild hair.  All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon.

Bicycle Babe

That would be me. 
I am now rockin' a rock awesome bike.
Check it out:

After months of searching, I found this li'l ole bike from the 80s at the bike shop downtown.  I'm so excited about getting back in shape biking! 

p.s.
I got a helmet too, Mommy.  :)

Sunrise on the Mountain

On Saturday morning I drove up Moscow Mountain with a group of friends to watch the sunrise.

It was really early...Mallory's a little sleepy.

 

 

 

Robin, Angie, Parker, Mosey, Wilson, Ethan, Zach

Angie, me, Robin, Mallory

 As we sat watching the sun rise below us, breath spilled from our mouths like smoke.  It was icily cold on the rocks, and we huddle together, wrapped in our coats and blankets.  Finally the sun broke over the treetops, and the rays reached up to us.

Once the sun had fully risen, we went over to our "campsite" and fixed breakfast.  At least, we tried...

Here's the bacon...

...and here's the bacon on fire!  Ethan managed to rescue a few pieces.  

Mallory, Ethan, and Robin roasting sausages

After breakfast, we read a few stories by Patrick McManus, then went for a lovely walk down a trail that wound through the woods near our campsite.

Mallory embracing the nature

After our walk, we sung a few hymns and then I went off exploring by myself.  Making my way a little down the mountain, I climbed up on a simply reveled in being outdoors.  The sun had warmed the day so much that I shed my coat and jacket and rolled up my jeans.  As I was coming back from my expedition, I encountered a boulder and decided to climb it.

Sucking in a deep breath, I stuck my foot in the first foot hole and started climbing up.  Before long, I ran out of foot holes and hung there trying to decide if I want to lunge for the rock jutting out about a foot above me, or if should let the whole thing go and get down.  Since I was by myself  (but not far from the others, Mommy, I promise), I decided to go with the latter plan.

But I really wanted to climb it.  So I got Parker and Wilson to come back with me.  Wilson chose a different route up the boulder, and made it with only a little (ok...maybe a lot) of difficulty.  I decided to try my way again.  With little effort I made it back to the spot I'd stopped at before.  Once again, I couldn't get up any farther.  My Converse-clad feet kept slipping on the rock.  But I was determined to make it up.  So, leaning hard against the rock, I maneuvered in some crazy ways and stripped my socks and shoes.  I made it to the top!  Hopefully next Saturday I'll get to hike the whole mountain.  :)

Classes

Instead of attacking my reading and papers, I'm going to tell you about them.  ;)

Rhetoric:  On Monday mornings I have Rhetoric lectures with Nate Wilson.  His teaching is phenomenal, and I am often completely blown away when I walk out of his classroom.  Somehow he takes everything from firefly wings to eavesdropping to building a mosque near Ground Zero and turns it into a brilliant lecture on classic rhetoric.  On Thursday we have Declamation, where we have to step onto a stage and apply what we're learning.

Music: This class includes written theory, aural skills, and choir.  Since I played the piano, the theory is pretty easy.  But the aural skills and singing are a huge challenge!  Dr. Erb (my professor) has been kind enough to spend about half an hour each week working with me on my singing.  As a little kid I resisted my mother's attempts to improve my singing, and I've always been mortified to let anyone hear me croak out a "tune."  It's still embarrassing, but I've finally set my mind to at least attempt to improve.  Dr. Erb told me last week that learning to sing is like learning to run faster:  it takes great will-power and hard work.  Since I spent much of the summer focusing on running faster, this analogy really hit home with me.

Latin: Although I took Latin in high school, it's all Greek to me now; my magister has an entirely different approach to learning this ancient language.  Instead of teaching us the Latin words for the English words for actual concepts, he is teaching us the Latin words for the concepts themselves.  It's definitely a challenge, but I'm really excited about it!  Before recitation this morning, I very nerdily wrote out all the cases and declensions we've learned thus far and taped them on the wall next to my bed.  Before long I'll be dreaming in Latin!

Lordship:  This is basically a theology class, in which we focus heavily on reading.  Thus far we've completed Augustine's Confessions and City of God, and have just begun Athanasius' On the Incarnation.  It's incredible to be able to learn from these great men of the faith, and to have my mind stretched and strengthened as I consider Christianity from many different aspects.

Well, speaking of all this schoolwork, I'd best get back at it.  Miss you, Florida.

Tali and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I got ditched by my "running group."
I got lost on my run.
I was late for class.
I got stuck in the seat behind the wall.
I couldn't give blood because I'm sick.
I paid too much for not-good-enough soup.
I had to set up a new bank account.
I realized, while setting up said account, I hadn't taken my online Latin quiz.
I rushed to the library.
I missed a question.
I went to Latin class.
I wanted to cry.
I still had to go back to the bank and finish activating the account.

And then I had friends.  Grace and Parker invited me to go to Wheatberries, and when I declined, they said they'd go to the bank with me.  As I walked down the street, a suitcase of fragile emotions, they strode on either side of me.  While I tried to wrap my feeble mind around the confusingness of the world of money, they sat on either side of me and poked fun, laughed, encouraged. 

Although my head still hurts and I still feel a little overwhelmed, I guess my day wasn't really that terrible, horrible, no good, or very bad.