Week 4: In Pictures (mostly)

I am tempted to not write anything at all. Not because week four was less busy/crazy, but because I finally received my new (awesomatic) camera and took over 500 pictures, and also because it's Saturday night, which means I'm tired and due to return for week five tomorrow morning (a.k.a. laziness). Here are some pretty things:

Okay. Here I go... Monday. Cadie and I went into Palm Desert to do our "big shop." Costco, Vons, Trader Joe's, and Best Buy. Some Mondays we have 15 stops- places like Target for tablecloths, Sport's Chalet for lanterns, Clark's for teas, Verizon, Stater Bros, farmer's markets, gas stations, it goes on and on. But Monday we worked quickly because it was over 100 degrees. Crazy hot. I like hot, but about ten minutes into schlepping/packing away our two carts of Costco goods into the car, I was toast. Toasted. Burned. We were back up the hill by noon. Good job.

On Wednesday, Cadie, E.J., and I went into Anza to fill our propane tanks (we cook on propane stovetops and in BBQs), get some more fruit from the Produce Guy, and a few things at True Value. After all that fun (woohoo), we made a stop at the Hamilton Museum. It was THE BEST. Margaret Wellman Jaenke showed us around the local museum, which is located in the historical Contreras House. Pictures speak louder than words (that's the expression, right?):

I really recommend learning more about the early Anza homesteaders and Cauhuilla people who ran (and) run cattle all through the valley. Here's a link to a great book written by Margaret: http://tinyurl.com/3ke8ftx

On Friday we had guests from San Manuel come with some young students to sing bird songs and check out the area our students are surveying/excavating:

The kids are great and camp is exciting. Here are a few randoms:

Those crazy kids from top (and left to right) are Kevin, Liz and Elia, and Erin, John, Christine, Danny, Kevin (again) and Ashley

Also this happened:

Aaaand lastly, here are a few excavators. Dirty, exhausted, happy:

(top to bottom, left to right: Christine's excavator's tan, Elia, Chirstine, Anne, Ashley, Barbara, Dan, Bill, and Ryan, and Ashley with ventilation)