Do you sometimes have a bunch of interesting new things cross your path in a matter of hours? That’s happened to me in the past 24. I am taking it as a signal to reach outside of my known existence and check out this amazing stuff first-hand!
I hope it’s something kids can do.
The first thing is definitely something for kids, 9. Kids of all ages, and it’s only 50 miles away: REACH Museum in Richland, WA.
REACH Museum educational crayfish poster.
Last night’s speaker for the Fort Walla Walla Museum’s “Museum After Hours” presentation was REACH Museum Education Manager Pauline Schafer. Her presentation, “Charismatic Crustaceans,” described a crayfish-centered science program, mainly focused on kid and youth participation but also with a broader, well- -reach. The goal is to engage humans with nature, to help us recognize our role in keeping ecosystems and native species intact.
Pauline offered us a Nature Journaling opportunity, a new concept to me that hones deep observational skills through drawing something in nature. She handed out paper, pencils and preserved specimens of crayfish, and described the names and functions of their body parts as we drew.
As ever, creating visual art is a reach for me!
Our sketching ability hasn’t improved one bit in 50 years.
This is laughably true, Lily! But for me, being admittedly bad at something removes the fear of failure. The underside view is incomplete, as my attention gradually returned to Pauline’s PowerPoint presentation. I will definitely watch it again when it posts at Fort Walla Walla Museum’s YouTube site in a couple of weeks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrz5KeLjEHbOcdcEr6sHaw
I was so inspired by all the exhibits and activities offered at REACH that I plan to become a member. You can check them out in detail here:
Something else of intense interest crossed my path this morning. I’ve heard interviews with the band Sleater-Kinney, maybe even some of their music here and there. This morning they are featured at NPR’s online Tiny Desk Concert. I took a moment to listen. Really listen, and watch, too. Their music, lyrics, playing ability, overall vibe entranced me! On a hunch, I looked up their tour dates. Though the October 5th concert in Olympia, WA, is sold out, I put my name on the wait list. Even though I have a performance at Mountain View Cemetery that morning. Even though I don’t have a sitter lined up yet. If I pull the thing off it will be a true adventure, the 5 hour drive there, going to a new (for me) venue in an unfamiliar (to me) town. Going to an Indie Rock Riot Grrrl concert for the first time ever.
Going to the Walla Walla Sweets Girls roller derby this Saturday should be an appropriate warm-up.
Yes, 7:30 PM at the YMCA. This will also be a first for me. . .
Today is the last official day of my hiatus from “G” series writing and Living History preparation. Both of these are back on the schedule next week. When next Saturday arrives, after being Nellie Gilliam Day in the morning, I will head east, either 50 miles to REACH in Richland, or 300-ish miles to Olympia for Sleater-Kinney. Either way, it’s a win.
I’ve made good progress on my hiatus projects. The removal of indoor-outdoor carpet from the front and back stairs has proven formidable. The back stairs are yet to be conquered:
Back door stair carpeting: Removal is within my reach!
The front stairs, thanks to considerable physical effort and 5 fresh utility knife blades, were vanquished yesterday:
Goal reached: Removal of front doorstep indoor/outdoor carpeting!
One thing this project has reinforced in me: the desire to have the indoor carpeting replaced with engineered wood flooring. If you have never before pulled up installed carpeting, you might be shocked at the amount of dirt those things can hold, even if vacuumed regularly.
One more dream to reach for. . .
