Tulsa Teacher Travel Network

St Elmo

2011-08-22T20:09:00.006-05:00

Ruby-throated hummingbirds

On up the road from Agnes Vaille Falls was the most well-preserved ghost town in Colorado. We shared St. Elmo (read more about it by clicking on the title link) with lots of other tourists, on foot and on four-wheelers, as well as a host of snacking chipmunks. We were glad there is one modern store where we bought sandwiches and took pictures of beautiful ruby-throated hummingbirds.

The legend is that this town is so well-preserved because a woman lived there up until the 1950's and would meet visitors at the end of town with a shot-gun.

Hike to Paradise

2011-08-21T13:28:00.004-05:00

Our concierge at the resort gave us directions to a wonderful hike up the road. We hiked up the mountain a bit to a beautiful waterfall called Agnes Vaille Falls. Such an awesome hike. Check out the website to read about how the falls were named. So Colorado!

Mount Princeton Hot Springs

2011-08-21T13:21:00.002-05:00

We found a wonderful place to stay. Great views, convenient, in the mountains. Oh, and the hot springs at the end of the day. Priceless!

Colorado Springs

2011-08-14T20:16:00.011-05:00

We didn't get to spend much time in Colorado Springs, but we did stop at the Garden of the Gods. Very beautiful and I did want to know about the geology of the place. We learned that the song America the Beautiful was inspired by a trip to Pikes Peak. I can certainly see why.

We had a little rain shower as we did every day we were in Colorado but it didn't stop us from doing what we came there for and we did get in a little shopping and dining. Leslie bought a beautiful wood sculpture of an eagle for the library. Go Edison Eagles!

Cooling off in Colorado!

2011-08-09T16:59:00.007-05:00

The happy bride and groom.

Geese on the Drumm Farm Golf Course

Dancing up a storm!

Beautiful bride and handsome groom.

Heather and Micah!

Headed out of town after the wedding.

Kansas Corn

We couldn't resist a little get-away to Colorado when it was sooooo hot in Oklahoma. So we headed out across Kansas after attending Kate's wedding and before we knew it, we were enjoying temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Ahhhhh! Sweet relief!

having fun in Arkansas

2011-06-28T05:27:00.009-05:00

What a nice way to spend a May weekend. Just a little outside Fort Smith is a little slice of paradise!

A beautiful little waterfall nearby.

Home Sweet Home

Check and Leslie practicing a tune together

The best part...the campfire.

Chester, Xena and Chuck

Don't you try to get that corn cob from Nicky if you value your fingers!

Puppy gets a ride with Ann.

It seemed like a good idea, but a dog on a hammock...not so good!

2011-03-27T22:00:00.009-05:00

We had a real treat during Spring Break. We got to visit Living Kitchen Farm and Dairy in Dupew, OK. The owners invited Leslie to play for the new lambs and their mothers. It was magical. We had so much fun visiting the goats, sheep and other animals and getting to know Lisa and Linda. Not only that but Lisa treated us to a wonderful lunch. Thank you, ladies!

If you are interested in small farms, you would probably enjoy A Very Small Farm by William Paul Winchester. This book chronicles the life of an Oklahoma botanist who learns to live very nearly self-sustainably on a 20 acre farm. I was so intrigued by the knowledge of this man. He not only can identify and grow so many native Oklahoma plants, he can identify the sounds of different crickets and frogs on his land. I love the ingenuity he uses to create what he needs.

Guthrie Oklahoma

2011-03-16T11:00:00.006-05:00

Guthrie Scottish Rite Masonic Center

We took a little side trip to Guthrie yesterday after the rally in OKC. It was fun to shop in the antique shops, have a little chocolate in the chocolate shop and see the first library in Oklahoma. We bought some cool old books and glassware and had a fabulous barbeque dinner before heading back.

Quartz Mountain Arts Institute

2010-10-31T21:19:00.007-05:00

We had so much fun and learned so much at Quartz Mountain! Great people, beautiful surroundings, music, art, what could be better?

More Florida pix

2010-08-03T05:47:00.006-05:00

Saint Marks at Wakulla.

I was glad we did NOT see an alligator

Osprey protecting his nest.

We visited a couple of state parks to view the wildlife. It was pretty quiet but we did see and hear a few interesting things. At the Saint Marks Wildlife Refuge, we were greeted by a very raucous Osprey. He made our presence well known by flying about loudly announcing our arrival. We saw his mate in the nest as well. Perhaps there were eggs or babies in the nest.

We also visited the Bald Point State Park a couple of times as it was just down the road from our rental house. We saw an Osprey here as well and heard more birds than we saw. We also saw evidence that the rangers were watching some protected turtle eggs.

Chester Goes to the Beach

2010-07-29T13:27:00.018-05:00

Mermaid sand sculptures

Ghost crab

Green heron

Hermit crab

Beach to the right

Sunset on the beach

Xena and Chester go for a walk

Storm coming in

Robin enjoying the view

Sandpiper

Leslie painting the palm branches

Chester having a run on the beach

As fate would have it, we were able to rent a house on the beach in Florida for a much needed and wonderful vacation. Many thanks to the ladies who maintain this beautiful house on this pristine beach. Many hours were spent beach combing, reading and creating art as we gazed at the Gulf of Mexico and listened to the waves pounding the white sand.

More OKC

2010-07-29T13:14:00.005-05:00

We also visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Very powerful stuff.

I like this:

The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.

Oklahoma City

2010-07-29T13:00:00.006-05:00

My friends and I stayed in OKC for a few days and one of the things we did was go to the Oklahoma City Art Museum. We enjoyed the Sketch to Screen exhibit on movie costumes, but the Chihuly exhibit was spectacular!

Roswell NM

2010-05-13T07:42:00.004-05:00

Birds of the Western U.S.

2010-03-21T13:19:00.006-05:00

Ring-necked Pheasant
Egret
Western Tanager
Dove
Nesting Rivoli's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird

Pyrrhuloxia
Gambol's Quail
Cormorants
Snow Geese
Phainopepla
Broad -billed hummingbird

We saw so many beautiful birds in the wild and at the Desert Museum. What a treat! I'm guessing at some of the names of these birds, so if you have a correction, let me know!

New Mexico

2010-03-20T21:31:00.003-05:00

We really enjoyed traveling through New Mexico. The terrain is so vast and always changing. Hot, dry deserts, mountains and an amazing White Sand paradise!

Sledding in Owasso

2010-01-03T12:58:00.004-06:00

We didn't go very far this Christmas because of the snow...but we had a great time "tow-sledding" at our friend's ranch in Owasso. Later we went hiking to the river (Verdigris) in the moonlight. It was spectacular! We saw lots of tracks in the snow...deer, rabbits, and others we didn't recognize. George says a bobcat was sighted recently in the area. Leslie took some great photos of the animals on the farm.

Monterey!

2009-08-25T23:17:00.020-05:00

Happy and relaxed in Carmel. Isn't this tree amazing!

Dipping our toes in the Pacific at Carmel!

Sardines at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Jellyfish at the Monterey Aquarium

Sea Otters at the Monterey Aquarium

Seahorses at the Monterey Aquarium

American Avocet

Sea Lions off the pier at Monterey

Leslie and I watching the pelicans and sea lions out the restaurant window. Fun!

Brown Pelican diving for fish at Monterey, CA.

Such a beautiful city. We sat by the ocean eating dinner and watched the sea lions play and the pelicans dive for fish. Enchanting! The aquarium is amazing as well. And Carmel is just down the road. What a wonderful beach! We splashed and played a bit, but the water was freezing, even in July. Some kids and dogs didn't mind though.

Return of the Jedi

2009-08-13T18:55:00.003-05:00

We watched Return of the Jedi last night and were reminded that Muir Woods was the setting for the scenes at Endor. You remember...the breathtaking shots of zooming through the forest on hovercycles... also home to those really cute Ewoks. It was fun to watch again and feel like we had been there and yes, the trees really are that big!

More Yosemite

2009-08-12T19:28:00.008-05:00

The trees! Awesome!

Listen to Yosemite Bob tell about working in Yosemite and hear his recordings. You can hear the Pacific Tree Frogs singing in the recording. Read about them here.

Yosemite!

2009-08-11T18:36:00.005-05:00

Yosemite Valley

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

We decided at the last minute that we had to visit Yosemite because we heard it described as one of the most beautiful places on earth. How can you pass that up? We stayed nearby and we were able to visit most of the park in a day and a half. Lots of driving on winding roads up and down the mountains! My head was spinning. It was worth it though. We loved seeing the waterfalls, clear rivers and streams, sheer granite cliffs and of course, the Sequoias. Wow! What huge trees. Amazing!!!

2009-08-07T16:00:00.006-05:00

California Seagull

Masonic Building Mendocino

Jug Handle State Reserve

We visited friends in Fort Bragg while we were in CA. They invited us to lunch in Mendocino. It was beautiful and quaint. Leslie got to visit Lark in the Morning, a company she has used many times to order musical instruments. We thoroughly enjoyed the Redwood forests, the foggy Pacific Coast and best of all, spending time with good friends.

2009-08-07T15:37:00.015-05:00

Stinson Beach

Those magnificient redwoods

Blacktail Deer

We left San Francisco after just a day and a half for our real destination, the Redwood forests of northern California. How magnificent! We stopped at Muir Wood and were amazed and awed at the size of these wonderful old trees. We had to move on to keep to a schedule, but we stopped at Stinson Beach and saw Californians enjoying a rare clear warm day. Absolutely gorgeous!

What we saw

2009-07-28T21:43:00.006-05:00

There were so many things to see, what to do? We decided to go to the Golden Gate Park and to Haight Street. We rode the trolley, the bus and a taxi and we got to see a little slice of the culture and the physical beauty of this great American city.

Finally!

2009-07-27T19:08:00.005-05:00

I'm finally able to update the blog a bit. Busy, busy two weeks!

We had a great time in California! We were blessed with beautiful weather most of the time. One our first day in San Francisco it was clear as a bell! We were told that was extraordinary for July, their foggiest month of the year.

We stayed at the Fairmont Hotel and felt like royalty. The hotel is magnificent as you can see and was one of the only structures left standing after the 1906 earthquake. That was reassuring to someone like me, who is always chasing away scary thoughts (what if there's another earthquake!).

Our view down from Nob Hill to the ocean was gorgeous. Being landlocked in Oklahoma, we revel at a view of the ocean.

We're packing!

2009-07-10T18:20:00.004-05:00

California, here we come!

Yeehaw!

Thank goodness for Andy and Lisa, who will hold down the fort for us. The puppies are getting big, as you can see. Doesn't our yard look spectacular! I'm grateful that Andy will water and puppy sit while we are gone. It's great to have no worries as we travel far from home.

Preparing for San Francisco

2009-07-03T18:20:00.003-05:00

We have a tentative plan and some reservations made for the trip to San Francisco. We're looking forward to cooling off! It's been in the upper nineties here for a while, so we're packing our sweatshirts and heading west. We'll be leaving on the 13th and plan to spend a couple of days in the city enjoying the sights and food, then we'll head up to Fort Bragg to see some dear friends of ours. We can't wait to see the Redwood s!

2009-05-18T17:34:00.005-05:00

I just completed another wonderful weekend of music, dance and community with our local drum class under the direction of Michael Back. We had our teacher's teacher, Gordy Ryan spend the weekend with us passing along the amazing music and stories of Babatunde Olatunji, with whom he worked for thirty years. His wife Zoe was able to join us this year and teach us dance and shakerie. It was exhilarating! Leslie is passing this tradition on through her drum classes at Kendall Whittier Elementary in Tulsa. She had several students attend as well. All this culminated in a performance at MayFest on Sunday. The songs are still in my head...the beat in my heart!

New trip in the planning

2009-05-12T13:39:00.004-05:00

picture by Tolka Rover http://www.flickr.com/photos/eob/

Well, the reservations are made! We're going to San Francisco! We will hang around the city for a couple of days and then go see the Red Woods. Can't wait! I've heard it is a spiritual experience to see trees that big and that old.

Alaska from the native perspective

2009-03-31T11:28:00.005-05:00

We so enjoyed meeting people who were indigenous to Alaska. They have perspectives and stories that are fascinating to hear. Because people in Alaska live so close to the land, native people can contribute amazing information about how to survive and thrive in extreme environments. Check out this series of videos:

Dallas Museum of Art

2009-03-26T20:55:00.005-05:00

Over Spring Break we went to see the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. There were long lines and lots of waiting (I would recommend you go on a week day if possible). But it was worth the wait. And the company we keep is entertaining, as you can see. Beautiful to see the artifacts so ancient! And learning of other cultures is always fascinating to us. If you would like to visit an online tour of a pyramid, try this one! If you want to see what forensic scientists think King Tut looked like check this out:King Tut's face reconstructed.

Iditarod

2009-02-28T14:19:00.005-06:00

Alaska is preparing now for what is called the "Last Great Race". Mushers and dogs have been getting in tip-top shape all year and are now ready to see who can make it and take the winner's purse on this 1100 mile race across the frozen tundra. The Iditarod is run in commemoration of a life-saving run along the mail routes which saved the lives of children in a town with an outbreak of a disease called Diphtheria.

Polar Bears

2009-01-22T12:45:00.006-06:00

We didn't get to see any polar bears when we were in Alaska. We were unable go that far north. But we would have loved to have seen them. It was interesting that some government officials including Governor Palin were fighting having the bears listed as endangered. I thought of that as I was reading Gary Paulsen's Woodsong. He wrote, "Perhaps the greatest paradox about understanding "the woods" is that so many who enjoy it, or seem to enjoy it, spend most of their time trying to kill parts of it." The controversy involves whether listing the polar bear will actually help it in its plight. Some question the motives of government officials who may be more interested in economic development (oil and gas development) than environmental concerns.

The Alaskan Railroad

2009-01-10T09:25:00.006-06:00

One of the ways we traveled in Alaska was on the Alaskan Railroad . It was a beautiful ride into Denali National Park. There were cars with refreshments, a Train Store, and dome cars where you had a beautiful view of the countryside. The passengers were free to move around at will. It was lots of fun. There was even a car with a Tiki Bar in it... we were told that when the train takes passengers to the ski lodge in Girdwood, there is sometimes a polka band so passengers can dance. Too bad we missed that!

Reindeer

2008-12-06T11:52:00.004-06:00

We learned that reindeer were brought to Alaska by the Europeans in the hopes that the Alaskan Natives would have a new industry. The sources of food (whales and other sea mamals and fish) had been depleted by over-hunting. Reindeer herds grew to enormous sizes but interest and need caused the herds to shrink over time. There are still a few reindeer herds in Alaska but the Native Americans there preferred the wild carabou and the hunt. Today in Alaska there are many other options for work and obtaining food.

Geology of Alaska

2008-10-30T14:17:00.006-05:00

We were enthralled with the granite cliffs we saw in Chena State Park. These are a direct result of the volcanic activity that created this part of North America. Geologists call this igneous rock.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

2008-10-16T17:21:00.003-05:00

We got close-up and personal with the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. These animals were all rescued because of injuries to themselves or their mothers, which made it unlikely they would survive.

Alaskan Pipeline

2008-09-24T18:41:00.008-05:00

This amazing feat of engineering is the way millions of gallons of oil are moved from the arctic coast to coastal ports for refining and export. Alaska is sitting on vast reserves of oil and gas which make it a controversial topic of debate between environmentalists and those who want to drill for more, especially in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve. Energy is extremely important in Alaska both as a resource and a demand due to the cold climate.

Earthquake

2008-09-05T11:04:00.016-05:00

Photo credits: Dan Garvey

The petrified remains of this small building, and many trees, can be found near Portage, Alaska. The tsunami's salt water that flooded this area 42 years ago actually preserved (petrified) this wooden structure, and many trees. Photo credit: Michelle Ireys

Alaska suffered a major earthquake in 1964. Alaska sits on a major faultline. It is very seismically active. You can still see effects from the earthquake near Anchorage. The ground shifted up to 10 feet in some areas. Sea water rushed in and killed many trees. The Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks monitors seismic activity in Alaska now.

totem poles

2008-08-21T20:31:00.010-05:00

photo credit: Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

Sitka Spruce trees provide materials for lodging and art for Native Alaskans in the Southeast part of Alaska. These amazing trees can grow to over 200 feet tall and may have a diameter of ten feet. They may live to be over 700 years old!

The Tlingit tribe carves totem poles from spruce and cedar logs. Carved with a series of figures, the poles are erected in villages to tell a story, to commemorate a special event, or to identify the owner by his clan emblems. While we did not travel to the part of Alaska where these wonderful works of art originate, we saw depictions of them in several areas we visited.

Raven Chick

2008-08-12T20:20:00.004-05:00

We took this picture of a sculpture of a raven chick from the University of Alaska's Museum of the North in Fairbanks. The significance of the raven in Alaska is apparent in the mythology of the tribes and in the every day common sightings of this relative of the crow. We were told that the raven has a relationship with the wolves and will often scout out and lead the wolves to the moose, so the ravens can enjoy the "left-overs" when the wolves are finished with their meal.

Tundra and taiga

2008-08-05T19:12:00.011-05:00

Some of Alaska in classified as tundra. Here it is so cold for so much of the year that very few things grow. It still has a beauty of its own.

More of Alaska is classified as taiga, which means "little sticks" in Russian. Much of this land was covered with glaciers in the past and is marked with kettle lakes, u-shaped valleys and cirques which show its geological history.

Rain Forest

2008-07-28T07:46:00.010-05:00

One of the cool things about Alaska is the wide range of ecosystems you can see there. Just a hundred miles from the sea coast you can walk in a rainforest. There is a magical place in Girdwood where we took a hike and within minutes we were surrounded by five-foot high ferns under huge spruce trees. Water rushed over rock lined stream beds and birds sang. Beautiful! This was in the Chugach National Park and we actually got to walk on part of the Iditarod Trail!

tracks

2008-07-25T05:25:00.004-05:00

Our guide Emmett pointed this track out to us on our hike to Moose Creek. Can you tell what it is? Check out this quiz.

Moose

2008-07-23T15:08:00.006-05:00

One of the most exciting wildlife sightings we had was of a huge bull moose bathing in the Chena River. He was obviously enjoying the cool spring-fed waters. You could see the insects flying off his back as he dipped himself into the water. We wondered why he was keeping his head under water for so long. Our guide Nancy said that moose feed on the plants underwater this time of year. They can stay under water for 2-3 minutes at a time. Magnificent beast!

News link

2008-07-21T08:51:00.004-05:00

I thought this was an interesting article on how Mars and Alaska are alike. Fortunately, I have not experienced the extreme cold...but have witnessed the amazing landscape created by the forces of nature at work in this land, for example, these valleys were created by a glacier.

Here's another related link.

Kenai Fjords

2008-07-18T12:41:00.004-05:00

We saw some awesome sights during our cruise around the Seward area. Here are some of our pictures.

University of Alaska's Museum of the North

2008-07-17T17:54:00.016-05:00

One of the first things we did when we visited Fairbanks was to go to the University of Alaska's Museum of the North. It had some fascinating exhibits including one where a composer has created a light and music show using geological and natural real-time scientific instruments which drive the light and musical sounds. The museum featured art and natural history of Alaska in very beautiful and informative ways. The web site has good information also, check out the virtual exhibits, if you can't visit yourself. On top of all that, you can see the Alaskan Range from their viewing window. Impressive!

Skilak Lake

2008-07-17T13:28:00.006-05:00

Weren't we lucky to have been in such a lovely place! The night picture was taken at midnight. You can see that if it weren't for the clouds, it would have been fairly light. There is just one word for this place: serenity.

More pictures from the trip to Kenai Backcountry Lodge

2008-07-17T13:15:00.001-05:00

Kenai Peninsula

2008-07-13T13:42:00.006-05:00

We have been having a wonderful time in the Kenai Peninsula for the last few days. We started with a raft trip down the Kenai River where we saw incredible numbers of bald eagles. Have you ever seen a bald eagle raise his head and call out to his family? What a sight and sound!

After this adventure we boarded another water craft and boated across Skilak Lake to the Backcountry Lodge. What a beautiful and secluded place! Our log cabin was right on the lake. The food was delicious and we had opportunities for hikes and kayaking. We had a resident pair of Common Loons right in front of the lake and Nancy, our tour guide, gave us an in-depth talk on what makes loons different from us and like us. Our co-traveler Kathy even volunteered to dress the part. Fun!

After reluctantly leaving the Backcountry Lodge, we drove to Seward where we boarded a day cruise to see Resurrection Bay. We were enthralled to see sea lions, sea otters, seals and many kinds of bird (puffins were our favorite) and then thrilled to see humpbacked whales...a mother and baby gave us quite a show...a water ballet to be sure.

We also got to see several tidewater glaciers and our tour guide gave us the scoop on how glaciers form and change the geography of the land. The sights and sounds of such an incredible force of nature were quite unforgettable.

We visited the Alaskan SeaLife Center yesterday to learn more about the animals in the area and what scientists are learning about them. Very informative!

Today we're heading back toward Anchorage. We have not been able to download our own pictures yet, but will as soon as we can. See you soon!

Back in Anchorage

2008-07-09T10:16:00.009-05:00

We're back in Anchorage for a few minutes. We just got back from the Kantishna Roadhouse. It was lovely! A cabin in the woods...beautiful views of Denali along the road and lots of wildlife. We saw a moose, Dall sheep, carabou and several grizzly bears. Did you know grizzly bears could be blonde? We saw a mother and her two cubs, one of which wandered dangerously close to the bus. We were delighted of course.

We really enjoyed meeting some of the employees at the Kantishna Roadhouse. We learned about sled dogs, the Iditarod and even civil rights for the native Doyans.

We felt very blessed that we got to see the top of Denali! It is almost unbelievable. ..so much higher than the rest of the mountains...it's hard to comprehend. We just stood in awe.

We're off today for an adventure in the Kenai Pennisula. We will raft for six hours out to the Kenai Backcountry Lodge where we will stay in tents! We'll be back to civilization in a couple of days and will update you then.

A few of our favorites

2008-07-05T18:55:00.001-05:00

Dancers Native Heritage Center

2008-07-05T18:48:00.004-05:00

We loved watching these young high school students dance and teach us about their culture! The sound of the drums rang through the center, drawing visitors into the stories being played out by the dancers. Entrancing!

More pictures from the Alaska Native Heritage Museum

2008-07-05T18:45:00.001-05:00

flowers

2008-07-05T10:26:00.006-05:00

The flowers here are amazing! Bigger than you've ever seen and such bright colors! I guess 22 hours of sunlight a day is the reason!
Yesterday we went to the Chena Hot Springs resort. Along the way we finally saw our first moose! He was huge! He was enjoying the Chena river, standing in about four feet of water and dunking his massive antlers in for a bath.
At the Hot Springs we enjoyed the Ice Museum (well I did, Leslie froze her little fingers off!) and swimming in the hot spring (well, I did, Leslie stubbed her toe...we think it might be broken!) Photos will follow when we can.

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T11:51:00.002-05:00

We flew to Fairbanks yesterday. Our cabbie said Fairbanks wasn't pretty, but we love it! We have a river rushing outside our window. Boats and ski-doos frequent the river (the Chena).

A little more about Balto here, in case you wanted.

Balto

2008-07-03T11:40:00.002-05:00

We loved hearing the story of the first Iditarod. Balto was the hero!

2008-07-03T11:36:00.001-05:00

We're having trouble posting our slideshow of photos, so let's try this and see what happens!

We're here!

2008-07-03T01:14:00.004-05:00

We arrived on Monday in Anchorage and have been busy enjoying the wonderful weather, incredible food and friendly people. We bicycled the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail yesterday and saw amazing views of Cook's Inlet and downtown Anchorage.

Introducing Marvin

2008-06-27T13:51:00.004-05:00

We would like to introduce Marvin the Moose to you! He became a part of our family when we visited Yellowstone National Park several years ago. We looked and looked for a moose (we were hoping for a life-size one!) but when we saw Marvin, we fell in love. So Marvin will be our travel companion to Alaska. Look for him in our pictures. Maybe we'll play a game called "Where in Alaska is Marvin"! See you soon!

Anchorage

2008-06-21T15:01:00.004-05:00

We're almost there! One week from Monday we'll be flying out from Tulsa to Chicago to Anchorage. We plan on staying there a few days to visit the museums, hike and bicycle. Can't wait!

Fund for Teachers

2008-06-09T17:41:00.005-05:00

We are so please to be able to study and travel to Alaska. Thank you so much Fund for Teachers! We plan on bringing back so much information about the climate, habitats, animals and cultures of this last frontier of the United States.We plan on taking photographs, video and audio recordings to share with our students.

Native Alaska Heritage Center

2008-06-04T14:49:00.006-05:00

We are really looking forward to learning about the native cultures in Alaska. We look forward to visiting the Heritage Center. Double click on this title to see for yourselves!

library bunnies

2008-04-21T14:15:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday and Friday we had a surprise in the library. We had baby bunnies in our garden area. We were able to watch them snacking. So cute!

Desert museum animals

2008-04-21T14:04:00.004-05:00

We saw some very cute prairie dogs at the Desert Museum. My aunt, who lives in Tucson, said she had never seen them out, so we were lucky. They didn't seem bothered that we were standing just a few feet away taking their pictures. In fact, it almost seemed they enjoyed the attention! Want to know more? Check out this website!

Desert Museum

2008-04-20T10:52:00.003-05:00

While we were in Tucson a few weeks ago, we visited the Desert Museum. There were lots of beautiful sights to see. This cousin of our Northern Cardinal that we see in Tulsa flew up to the balcony to greet us.

Blue Hole

2008-04-16T12:43:00.001-05:00

We recently visited Santa Rosa, New Mexico on our way to Tucson. While there we went to see scuba divers practicing in a very deep, very clear pool they call Blue Hole. From what we learned, divers come from all over that area to become certified or just to experience the clear deep water.

White Sands National Monument

2008-04-07T08:50:00.002-05:00

One of the places we visited on the way to Tucson was the White Sands National Monument. It was beautiful and surreal. The wind was blowing, so it looked like a blizzard. Children were sliding down the sand banks in saucers. Unfortunately, we were short on time and didn't want to ride for several more hours with sand in our shoes and clothes, so we did not partake in this activity. We did enjoy seeing this area and learning that the sand is made of gypsum.

Tucson

2008-04-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

I recently visited Tucson, Arizona. I enjoyed the desert immensely! We hiked and took lots of photos. Our favorites were of the Saguaro catcus, which is unique to this area of the U.S.

Just beginning

2008-04-03T10:45:00.001-05:00

Hi World!
Today we will begin to write of our adventures and travels. This will be the beginning of our sharing on an international scale. Wow! Soon you will hear of our trip to Tucson and our up-coming trip to Alaska.
Be back soon.
Robin and Leslie