Unknown Game Changers

The Big Burn, Timothy Egan
This book tells the story of the formation of the Forest Service by Teddy Roosevelt and its first real test in a massive 1910 wildfire which destroyed much of Idaho and Montana. My dad recommended the book to me quite a while ago, but it sat quietly on my long "to read" list. However, once I visited the Grand Canyon and saw the massive amount of work completed thanks to Roosevelt's work, The Big Burn caught my eye again, and I'm glad it did.

The beginning is a little slow as Egan relates the circumstances which caused Teddy Roosevelt to begin championing the cause of conservation. It is mind boggling to imagine that were it not for him we could have strip mined the Grand Canyon and destroyed the forests in the Pacific Northwest. The pace picks up once the focus narrows on the dry summer of 1910 and the specific rangers, woefully short of resources, who were left to battle the three million acre blaze. The stories of their bravery and miraculous survival are as amazing as the destruction and death are disturbing. If you can make it through the first third, the story is well worth the read.

Borrowed from the library

Happy Campers

The Dude, Max and I all enjoy camping, but Layla hasn't had a chance to try yet because my Civic couldn't fit all four of us and the necessary gear. Luckily for her we recently got a new and bigger car so we didn't waste any time before hitting the road!

Because it's a new car, we got a fancy new cover for the backseat so that Max and Layla wouldn't mess it up. It acts kind of like a hammock so you end up with a flap between the two front seats. The dogs immediately realized this was prime chin rest territory and spent the whole ride angling for the best space. They seemed to like the sun roof as well.

I got a lot of reading done and tested out some of the new gear I got for a trip to the Grand Canyon later this year. Unfortunately the area we were in has been very dry so there was a burn ban, which meant no campfires. This was a crushing blow for the Dude. Luckily for him the so-called "Supermoon" was out this weekend so he could spend his evenings watching Layla try to protect us from everything that moved even as she fell asleep. All in all, it was a great weekend!

2010 In Review

January:
Max watching PSU win the Capital One Bowl












February:
Made the library into a comfortable reading room.















April:
Tried deep fried bacon at the rodeo (it was gross!)...















...and visited Austin with my parents
















May:
Camping at Brazos Bend State Park













June:
Welcomed Layla to the family












July:
Brewed our first batch of beer...















...watched The Netherlands in the World Cup...













...and went skydiving!













August:
Went to the Philadelphia Folk Festival













October:
Went to New Orleans to celebrate my first anniversary with The Dude!
















November:
Returned to Pennsylvania for the wedding of a great friend (photo below courtesy of the Dude not leaving us alone)













December:
Spent a great Christmas with family and enjoyed real snow! (the handsome fella in this photo is my parents' dog, Duke)













2010 was a fun year for me. I have so much to look forward to in 2011!

Awesome Recycling

Hey strangers! I have a huge backlog of books to review so I may just give up and start from scratch. Or maybe I'll build one of these...

(source)

Yes, that is an amazing desk made out of books!

In other news in my life, football has finally started! It was a rough weekend for both the Nittany Lions and the Eagles but I'm hopeful things will look up as the season goes on. It's still hot in Houston but the evenings are beginning to cool off a tiny bit, which has me excited for camping once the weather cools off! Right now we can't camp because there's no way to fit me, the Dude, Layla, Max, and all our gear into the "big" car, which is my Civic. Anyone want to sell me a cheap roof rack?

What excites you about fall?