August 31, 2006

Tiger Lily Locheart







SHE'S HERE! I'm an aunt! Born Aug 20th, 8lbs 13oz, Tiger is warming our hearts with coos and big eyes like her momma. Locheart is the new last name, not Winterfrog, since Pohl+Bachert-B-P=ohlachert=>(which goes to) locheart (as an anagram). In one of these pictures, she sports a jaunty onesie with a tiger and a lily (hiding in the fold) painted by Chelsea...

August 26, 2006

Ten Tattoos

I've been talking about them for at least a few years now, and whilst in Boulder, my brother in law and new tattoo artist, Vinny Locheart gave me the fastest ten tattoos he's ever done! Dots at my nail beds have been something I regularly drew on myself since I was 10 or so, and to me they sort of represent the creativity that my hands help me with, along with annointing myself with "healing hands" that I am on my journey to obtain... Mostly, I think they are beautiful, and without them it seemed like something was missing.

Boulder Again

Ben, Mom, and I went back out to Colorado to see the new baby, but she didn't come during the week we were there. Instead, we had a great time visiting with Chelsea (Vinny too, when he was around, but he works so hard!) and Dave and Colleen, bike riding, going on "20 minute hikes" that lasted 4 1/2 hours, going for walks around town and buying boomerangs, and generally having a great time despite Tiger's non-appearance.




Mist Netting for Bats/Coal Mining

At the beginning of August, I had the opportunity to go mist-netting with wildlife biologists Dan and Judy Dourson. They had been contacted/contracted by a coal mining operation who wished to form another sludge pond in a valley next to the area where they were performing mountain top removal in order to access the strips of coal within the mountain. Before doing so, the company is legally bound to look for Indiana Bats, a federally endangered species before they can turn a thriving valley of lush vegetation and wildlife into an inhospitable and toxic waste pond. Driving in was quite possibly one of the most horrific sights I've seen in my life. Not 15 miles from my father's eden-like farm, there is a coal mining operation that covers hundreds if not thousands of acres where the beauty and greenness of my dear eastern Kentucky has been raped and turn barren by the hideous monstrosity of mountain-top removal. I nearly gagged as I watched truck after truck fill with coal--tons, but only enough to power two light bulbs for their lives. [After this experience, I read "Lost Mountain", a book by Eric Reece, and well worth your time, and I also changed several light bulbs in my house to compact flourescent bulbs which save energy (and therefore money and our environment)--I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THE SAME].

The mist-netting itself was very interesting. Just before dark, we hurried to set up two sets of poles, 18 feet tall, 30 feet apart between which we hung mist-nets, fine netting that we hoped bats would get ensnared in. After just 30 minutes, a big brown bat had flown into the net and we unentangled it, measured it's forearm length, sexed it, determined its age, weighed it, tagged it, and listened to its vicious high-pitched doppler-like squeals of protest. We caught another big brown bat and saw a few other bats fly into the net but get away before we could get to them. Very cool.

Let's save these little guys by protecting their homes! We can really help make a difference simply by using less electric, opting for solar and wind generated power when/where available and asking our politicians to CARE about these issues.

[coal truck, mountain top removal--what it looks like, Judy at the bat-procedure station, the little guy himself]




Lear'n how to use apostraphe's

A great friend sent me these words of hilarious encouragement at the end of last school year which I'd like to share with you before this school year begins.


"I'm so glad for you that you only have a week to go!!!!!! way to keep truckin'. (with mud flaps with the ladies on them, and an airbrushed logo on the cab... maybe your name in extra fancy curly-q font~~only your name would be "Tiny" or "Dan." for you, i choose "Hunny Muffin'." [with an added apostrophe in there b/c nobody knows' how use apostrophe's right'.] :-D )

'Keep on Truckin'
* Hunny Muffin’ * "


This was made even funnier when, this summer, in my homeland of Kentucky, I saw this truck:



For real. "Barely Getti'n By" . Nice!

August 10, 2006

Summer Fun

Some things we do....
contradancing.
















hang out with Phillip and the Louisville Girls (Jessie, Ruth, and Lauren). [impromptu bellydance lesson and watchers]






















pictionary. [portrait of Ben, half by me, half by Eileen. Eileen and Jeff]