What Works: Cultivating presence - Busted Halo

What Works: Cultivating presence - Busted Halo


Part of the reason I moved to Alaska is summed up in this article. Think about the idea of taking a step back and, to honor the metaphor, watch the river from afar. There's something to be said about observing many ideas, entertaining them, but not becoming consumed with any one thought. I'd like to hear what you think!

Re: Chelsy: A daily dose of West A

Chelsy: A daily dose of West A: West Allegheny High School seemed like a good place to be. Lately it seems like we aren't unable to do anything without being under constant...

Chelsy's post stood out, and I'd thought I should share her blog as one to emulate. However, the real power of blogging is not only to put oneself out there but also respond and generate an ongoing conversation in order to "make sense" of a particular situation.

 I'd like to provide a teacher perspective on how she and other students in general feel scrutinized.  Personally, I think the entire community should become more involved with teenagers’ lives, including teachers.  Knowing what kids are doing is, well, parents’ and teachers’ responsibility, no?  There must be common ground for students to acknowledge that an appropriate level of observation is acceptable and in fact necessary.  I love seeing the excitement from the student section during football games.  Should I turn a blind eye, however, if I suspect foul behavior?  Many times, I feel like I can be more of a teacher outside of school in that the lessons learned aren’t for a measly grade, but life.  Thoughts?

Journaling - I mean blogging - I mean blojouring, I mean...

So it's been a few days since we've commenced operation blogger and I have to say that despite a few setbacks and tribulations, we are having success.  I'm excited to see everyone take ownership for his/her blog and make it unique: themes, pictures, and of course creative posts.  Don't think for a minute that you don't have a story to share because we all do.  Sometimes we just don't feel like we have the appropriate forum, but I digress.

There are loads of resources to help get you underway, but the most important aspect to consider is simply, "What's on your mind?"  Check out http://www.ehow.com/how_5112040_journal-effectively.html from eHow for a list of commonly used questions to consider.  Your goal should include writing for 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted word-vomit.

Don't:
-Worry about editing
-Hesitate to go off topic
-Confine yourself to the rules of grammar
-Allow distractions (including iPods) to deter you from writing

Do:
-Dig deep and put to words everything that comes to mind
-Go back and reread after fifteen minutes and ask, "Is there anything else?"
-Generate a list of questions to consider in the future

So, let's get this underway.  In addition to to the questions from eHow, please "comment" on this blog with further suggestions for your peers.  Perhaps, we can collectively agree upon an issue that's plaguing West A and generate an on-going conversation.

Are you having trouble "Following" other blogs?

Technology is one of those "it's-awesome-when-it-works-but-is-frustrating-when-it-doesn't" tools. In fact, many teachers completely steer away from tech because of fear of it failing.  Well, technology isn’t perfect, but show me a perfect alternative and I’ll be sure to listen.

 After reading some blogs about blogger issues, I’ve learned that www.blogger.com has known internet browsing problems, particularly with logging-in.  The workaround is to delete all internet cookies and clear the cache.  While your web browser is open on blogger, sign out if you haven’t already. Click Tools: Internet Options: Delete (browsing history).  Before signing in, ensure that the check box “Stay signed in” is NOT marked.  You should be able to view other blogs and see a “Follow” button at the top of the screen.

Best of luck!

Mr. Denk

Walking

The lichen at my feet still reminds me of coral; it’s soft to the touch and malleable like a damp sponge.  I often stick to the beaten path, one maintained by yours truly, so as not to disrupt the moss and tundra tea.  But temptation lures me aside, manifested by the soft hum of 60 degrees and the sounds of determination from the creek below.  Thoreau speaks of walking; it is here I finally listened.

I’m not so much surveying the landscape as I am engraining this moment in my very being.  If, upon my imminent return, one throws a quick glance coupled with a passing comment, “You seem different,” I’ll surely be flooded with the remembrance of silent serenity where one’s thoughts are absorbed and lost in the vast tundra.  “I am different.”

Christopher McCandless: Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild. - Alexander Supertramp May 1992
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Trapping on Sunday, December 5, 2010

Trapping on Sunday, December 5, 2010

I slept in a bit today after having spent some time at a faculty Christmas soiree.  However, the sun doesn’t rise until 10:00 A.M., so I had plenty of time to cook pancakes with chocolate chips and still make it out in the field by first light.  I was excited and well prepared. Today’s trip marked my first real trapping outing. 

My first of two orders had arrived days before, and I organized the snares, conibears, and footholds.  I purchased two twenty-foot sections of rebar and cut and welded stakes with the help of a friend.  My newly acquired rifle was sighted in, not to military standards but suitable for the time being.  I read up as best I could and talked with some reliable locals.  I was as ready as I was going to be and I loaded up.  My truck’s digital thermometer indicated a mere ten degrees Fahrenheit and the wind-chill, not to mention the exposed four-wheeler, put temperatures around the zero mark, plus or minus a few.  With all the equipment and hiking the tundra, I would need cold temperatures to regulate my body heat.

One does have to prepare for hikes in cold temperatures and setting a trap line – even as minimal as the one I had planned – requires a lot of equipment.  I wore Under Armor as a base, patched up blue jeans, and insulated overalls.  My core was also protected with a light fleece pullover, wool sweater, and a cold-weather Carhart jacket.  Granted the jacket was either unzipped or laying in the snow half the time, but hence the advantages of layering, right?  My pack included three #110 conibear traps, seven one-foot rebar stakes, a dozen snares, one hammer, hatchet with mini saw stowed in the handle, bear mace, bag of zip-ties, bottle of water, and basic survival kit.  Slung over my right shoulder was my .17 HMR and over my left was the heavy load, fourteen two-foot rebar stakes.  My feet were protected with insulated boots rated for minus forty degrees, fleece socks and light wool wicking socks.  My hands managed better than I thought, even while handling the steel rebar.  I usually felt comfortable with just my liners and used my leather gloves only while working.

It was a short, chilly ride before reaching the end of the ridge.  As I walked down the embankment, it wasn’t long before I saw fresh tracks in the new snowfall.  Clear signs of fox were abundant, and much to my surprise were wolverine tracks to boot.  Maybe my cousin would get his wish after all.  I’m not as nimble as the fox and had to take a circuitous path to avoid thicket.  As I rounded some evergreens, the familiar sounds of clumsy flapping erupted above.  Add one spruce hen to the load.  I was back on the trail and found a narrow pass suitable for my first snare.  I didn’t mind lightening up my load either.

I decided that the one-foot stake was insufficient to secure the snare into place, so I used a two-foot section instead.  Once I was content with the loop dangling roughly seven inches off the ground and centered over the trail, I staked two more two-foot sections protruding out of the ground six inches to ensure that my catch would “tangle” and be prevented from chewing his way out.  (A note worth mentioning for those uneasy about trapping: Snaring does not asphyxiate animals but rather cuts off the blood supply to the brain.  The animal merely passes out, as painless as fainting.)

During the course of the afternoon, I managed to set three other snares similar to the first, but targeting specific species by altering the size of the loop and height off the ground.  The real process isn’t actually setting up the snare itself; setting up natural barriers to encourage a particular route takes careful consideration and preparation.  Too much clutter will seem unnatural and deter animals but not enough will allow animals to navigate around snares.  Unfortunately, these barriers should be established long before trapping season so that animals are already familiar with particular trails.  We’ll see.

The three #110 conibears are small body grip traps for catching mink and the like.  Along the creek banks are loads of tracks that lead in and out of the embankment.  I choose three areas that were highly trafficked and set up the traps at the end of a funnel I made out of sticks and grass.  Mink apparently love to get themselves into crawlspaces.  Again, we’ll see.

I still have to do a bit more research on the use of foot-holds, probably the hardest trap to use.  Anticipating where a coyote, wolf, beaver, or any animal for that matter will step is a lot of guesswork and a lot of trial and error.  However, it also requires consistent checking for two reasons: 1) the animal obviously needs to be put down and 2) the traps often freeze up and need to be reset.  I’ll get back to you on future endeavors.

So, hopefully after a few days I’ll have some pictures to upload and some stories to share.  Until then, goodbye from Alaska!