Jonas Brothers

In school we have been exploring the burning question, "How can sharks eat stingrays and not get stung by their stinger."  

All this talking about stingrays must have gotten into my brain because I had a dream that I was on a boat that was capsizing and being taken over by giant stingrays.  The oldest Jonas brother and I embraced in a passionate kiss after finding safety in a small compartment on the ship.   Seriously, Robin?!  Not only embarrassing, but somewhat inexplicable.  A of all, I don't even know any Jonas Brother's songs, or even their names.   B of all, I am not a 12 year old girl.  Maybe I need to stay away from gossip blogs. 

Anyways.  If you happen to know the answer about the sharks and the stingrays, please let me know.

Leprechauns

In my PM class today I read the story The Night Before St. Patrick's Day.  In the book, two kids set up traps to catch a leprechaun and get his pot of gold.  After the story it was free choice time.  Two kids started to make leprechaun traps out of paper.  I offered up some of my treasure trash (assorted boxes, toilet paper rolls, cans and plastic containers that I collect because I am a bag lady) to help them out.  The idea caught on like wildfire and soon all the kids were busy making leprechaun traps.  Writer's Workshop time came and the kids still hadn't finished so I bargained that they could keep working on their traps if they agreed to write a note for the leprechaun.  The were hysterical my favorites were:

"Thr is a bollon pesis of gld in hr"  -  There is a billion pieces of gold in here

"Thar is a lot of gold in her and it is fre" - There is a lot of gold in here and it is free

"If you giv me yor gld I will giv you evn mor gold" - If you give me your gold I will give you even more gold.

"Tis is not a trp"  - This is not a trap.

$1495

I am almost half way there!  Thanks to all my amazing donors:

Alyssa Borden

Andrew Dowds

Chip Dangelmajer

Emily Rose

Gordon Dowds

Lauren Humphrey

Kim Heinecke

Mary Anne Amitin

Michael Weaver

Paul Dangelmajer

Roxie Karpen

Steven Sutton and

Wayne Barnes

Hamilton Mountain Continued

Here are some more pictures!

Hamilton Mountain

I have learned many things about myself as a hiker/climber.  

1) When I get moving and its cold, my nose runs.

2) I am unwieldy and dangerous when I have trekking poles in my hands.

3) I get unusually hot when I climb - like I may have a hormonal imbalance.

Usually when we climb, we go for 15 minutes and then stop for a gear check.  During a gear check, climbers can take off or add layers depending on their temperature.  It was about 32 degrees on Saturday when we were hiking Mt. Hamilton.  I started out with a sports tank, two fleeces and my shell.  Five minutes in, I was dying - my face was reddish purple and I could feel sweat dripping off my face.  At the gear check most people were adding or removing one layer, I took everything off but my tank top, and threw my shell on top unzipped with the vents open, for which I was teased for the next three hours.

Here are some sweet pictures.  It was really snowy at the top which was fun!  9 miles, 2000ft elevation gain.

PS - I have also learned that clif bars are delicious and that you can make your own trailmix for cheap at the Winco!

Class Pet

In non-hike related news, our class chinchilla is in the height of puberty.  A few weeks ago, I first noticed him putting a boy part of his body in his mouth.  I was horrified and reflexively hit the cage and yelled at him to stop - terrible foreshadowing for if I ever have to raise teenage boys.  I thought it was because he was bored after his exercise wheel was broken.  I bought a new wheel, but the problem continued.  Now, whenever I put my hand in his cage he goes straight for it attempting to hump it.  This makes me feel all sorts of violated.  After a pretty disturbing episode of hand-humping, I decided to give him a friend.  I put a small stuffed Shrek toy in his cage.  Which he proceeded to throw around with his mouth and hump for 10 minutes off and on.  So far none of the kids has noticed or asked about his new behavior.  Thank goodness Chinchillas are most active at night.

I'm considering having him neutered, but this is an expensive and dangerous undertaking on a small exotic pet.  I have read that this type of behavior slows down after they exit adolescence.  In two weeks we have Spring Break.  I have typically sent him home with a family over the holidays.  I suppose I need to confess this to any family interested.  Sheesh. 

Sunday Mis(adventures)

Hi Friends,

Today was our third training hike. We met at Target (my favorite store) and began to drive out to the Coastal Range to hike Saddle Mountain. I foolishly offered to drive two other people (a) in my teeny tiny car in a snowstorm and (b) unaware that my fuel tank was on empty. As we got more and more into a remote area, the snow on the ground got thicker and thicker. After being stopped on the highway for 15 minutes due to a tunnel accident, I realized the tank was on empty, which I had to confess to the caravan. Separately, the leaders decided to turn around and do a safer hike closer to the city, I made it to a gas station just in time. We did 9 miles fast on a flat trail. I will definitely feel it tomorrow when I am squatting to talk to kiddos.

I learn more and more about outdoorsmanship every hike. This week's lesson - check your fuel gauge before you leave civilization. Check back for pictures including Gina and I throwing snowballs at the other cars while stopped on the highway.

Love,
Robin

How to Donate

Go to this website and you can donate online!

http://rts.kintera.org/robindowds

Wahkeena Hike Pictures

Here are the pictures from last week's training hike.  Thanks to Aaron, the group's photographer.  Also, I thought you would all be impressed to know that I am in the fast pace group!

Starting the fundraising

Despite how out of shape I was when I started this, the most difficult part was not the first trip to the gym, but actually starting the fundraising. Even though I believe in this cause, and am grateful to the lung association for the newly smoke free bars in Oregon, I am nervous to ask people for monetary help in this economy.  Here I go, about to hit send.