Where are we? What are we doing? What's going on?

Is there confusion about where Kellen and I are at the moment? If any of you have managed to stay abreast of what we're doing these days, you are sharp. We've both been a little two-ships -passing-in-the-night lately, I miss my husband!

To recap: Today, I just got back from a week in Angola for a workshop. Shortly before that I was in Spain for a week learning about growth structures in the Pyrenees mountains. Next week I'll be here in Houston but the week after I'll be in Richmond, CA for a week of cross-functional training.

Kellen is in Montana TAing field camp for the next month. He was supposed to be going to Tibet for July and August but the Chinese government is denying travel visas until the Olympics are over. So instead Kellen is trucking around in Montana. In September he's heading out to the Alps (mostly Switzerland and Italy) for field work.

Angola was all right, mostly you just end up waiting around all the time. Since you're not allowed to walk anywhere you have to take a shuttle everywhere and so you stand outside for two hours waiting for the shuttle which will take another hour to transport you to the office, which is a half mile away. By then it's almost lunch time so you have to go wait for another shuttle to take you to lunch. I know that sounds bizarre, but it's true.

Going to blog about Spain very soon.

Field Camp

After the painfully long 28 hours of driving we finally arrived in Red Lodge, Montana, the first stop for the University of Houston's geology field camp. The drive up wasn't too bad, Kansas has that classic running-on-the-treadmill feel that makes you want to give up living, aside from that, it went smoothly. The first night we stayed in Wichita Kansas at a hotel and the second night we camped at a KOA in Casper Wyoming.

Thats our fearless leader? Thats the mens washroom in the background which, to put mildly, is a bit interesting.

View looking up at the "high rent" district. Thats where the faculty gets to stay. They have their own bathrooms complete with showers and heat!
These are the 2 study halls. This is where late night report writing and map completion takes place.

A nice look at some of the geology the students will be mapping. We are mapping in Elk Basin, Wyoming, which is dominated by Laramide deformation. This is a view of a limb of a doubly-plunging anticline.

Students lookin' at the outcrop!

As far as field camps go, this one is pretty plush. I'm used to camping and cooking all of our own meals, but not here. We have cabins, cooks, study halls, limited internet access...all the comforts of home, almost. The cabins don't have heat, and, well, its been pretty darn cold here in southern Montana. Nights have been below freezing and daytime temps haven't risen above 55. Needless to say, many students have been complaining about the cold. To their credit, when we left Houston it was 105 on the heat index, so, its been a bit of an abrupt change. The food has been surprisingly amazing! Breakfast generally consists of cereal and 2 hot items such as pancakes, french toast, hashbrowns, sausage or eggs. Lunch is brown bag style. They set out meats, cheeses, PB & J, etc. and you pack your lunch before leaving for the field. Dinner has been phenomenal. Everything from burgers and sausages to burritos! Cookies, ice cream, brownies, carrot cake are the desserts we've had thus far. All the food is good ole' home cookin'. Nothing is store bought and the lady that makes the desserts definitely knows what shes doing.

What the hell am I doing here? Well, I'm TAing field camp, so, I help the students in the field. I've had to do a little grading, which consumes quite a lot of time, but overall my duties have been pretty easy. Basically I just go out, map the area so I can intelligently help the students, and help students!

There will be something coming soon...I promise!

Spain was amazing and I plan to put together a post that does it justice, but am heading to Angola again tomorrow and won't have time until I get back. So stay tuned and you'll get to hear all about both trips! Kellen is in Montana TAing field camp until July, so you won't be hearing from him for a while either. In the meantime, here is a picture of me kissing a fish.