ITS OVER.

Wow. I cant believe that summer is actually coming to a close. I had my last day of work today and it was bittersweet, accompanied by awkward farewells.

I am excited, though, to adventure with my sister and begin an epic road trip.

I will report more on this as it follows.

Saturday madness

I'm sitting at the park adjacent to the library where I routinely steal internet, and a girl drives up in a blue dodge pickup. A clown car effect follows. About 12 children unload, ranging from about my age down to newborn. The boys wear checkered collared shirts tucked into bluejeans. The girls wear colorful prairie dresses and french braids. Each kid unloads one younger. The ten year old helping out the toddlers, the toddlers helping out the babies.

Even more surprising, they then unload bikes and skateboards and begin to run around the skate park. An 8-year old girl, a prototypical Mormon, leads the pack. Her skateboard skills, impress me, making do in her ankle length dress, leggings, and sensible shoes.

The older ones dispense Popsicles. Not a bad day, really. A day with the family in the park, though their relation to eachother is unclear.

Four middle aged European tourists look on with looks of confusion or bemusement. A cultural experience to be sure.

They must think --

"America..what a strange place."

I think so too.

(d)evolution

I realize this blog has turned more and more away from details of adventuring in archaeology, and is becoming more focused on snarky comments. I could remedy this and tell of my amazing finds and adventures in cliff dwellings, but instead I will relate this:

I met someone over this weekend who actually likes Nickelback. I thought it was a universally agreed upon truth that they were awful. I assumed the bassist had an uncle or cousin who worked for Clear Channel. Apparently this isn't so.

I also learned that people who list Nickelback as their favorite band can be quite lovely.

So I guess this post isn't as snarky as it could be.

I'll have to work on that

technicals

It never felt so good to sleep in a real bed.

The last two weeks we have been camping out in an effort to cram in as much surveying as possible before our team shrinks by a member. In other words, before I leave. It's good to feel valued, if only as an extra pair of legs to walk acres and acres. On Wednesday, in fact, the three of us walked a combined total of 126 acres. Damn, thats a lot of walking.

We switched gears from walking roads in the north section near Moab, to walking polygon areas in the south section closer to Monticello. These are areas set aside for grazing, and have been so chewed up by cattle and bulldozers, there is little integrity left in the land. Despite this, however, the stuff we find is much cooler.

There are actually remains of buildings, though it was only after 3 or 4 days of surveying that I could differentiate the masonry rubble from natural sandstone outcrops. Now, however, I feel more accustomed to the masonry and can sort of imagine how the buildings may have looked 800 or 900 years ago.

And, in addition to this, we find broken ceramics which is something EVERYONE can recognize as cultural material. And its pretty. Pretty is good.

some stuff.

It seems a large number of Forest Service employees chew tobacco.

Thus, when refusing dip this summer, I am not awkwardly declining the artichoke variety. I am just awkwardly declining.

Just saying.

In other news, this weekend is the celebration of Pioneer Day in Utah, which they seem to take very seriously here in Monticello. The holiday originally celebrated the coming of Brigham Young to Salt Lake City, but in recent years the state has sought out a more inclusive attitude and expanded it to celebrate all of Utah's history. This means such activities as a mens softball tournement, ring tosses, and potato sac races.

Unfortunately it also means the closure of the following establishments

1. The library
2. The coffee shop
3. The video store
4. The liquor store

Yes...i did try and go to them in that order.

Apparently, however, there are also fireworks. So that might make up for the days absence of entertainment.

Road trips and Rodeo dreams

Telluride, CO and area is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I've always been a sucker for mountains, but I think even someone who was normally adverse to elevation would have to give in. Of course, the town is beautiful in a way only oodles and oodles of money can produce. Every miners cabin is perfectly painted in bright shades of purple and turquoise with perfectly manicured lawns. The locals have on freshly purchased Chaco sandals and sporty organic fabrics as they ride around on their vintage Cruisers or high end mountain bikes.







It's almost nauseating...or maybe it is nauseating. But endearing, and lovely, and if I had 1.5 million dollars to spend on a 2 bedroom miners cabin, I might give into a life of yuppy-ism. Or maybe I'd live like the other half --working odd jobs, garbage man, construction worker, hiking guide for a roof and a lift ticket. Or maybe just a lift ticket.

I was happy to see that Josh Ritter agreed. He repeated more than twice his desire to return, even though the small opera house was half empty and he is playing in amphitheaters elsewhere ...like Toronto, at the Molson Amphitheater, a long way from the Horseshoe a year ago.

The concert, by the way, was amazing. That man has one of the most endearing stage personalities I have ever seen. He manages to sustain a facial expression the whole show that says

"Wow! You guys are here to see me? This is awesome! Wow!"

I think he genuinely feels that way too, with interjections about growing up in rural Idaho and his career as a paperboy.

sigh. If I could live in the mountains and listen to Josh Ritter weekly I would be a happy girl.

Newspaper rock

Look what I saw last weekend!



Thats right. Petroglyphs are awesome.