Packing for the Namib Desert
Thirty glass squares and thirty marble squares prepared by Drake students,Ceramic sign prepared by a Drake student, One square meter of shade cloth*,Landscape fabric pins to anchor shade cloth*,…
I am going to Namibia in April! Specifically, to the Namib Desert near Walvis Bay. I'll be there from April 18 to April 25. It was out of print, and cost me $70 for a used one! Why? And what does…
Back in the USA, I had to hit the ground running. There were two weeks of school left, including final exams and graduation. My substitute teacher, Mr. Lazlo Toth, had done an awesome job of…
Somebody finally asked me why we do this.  What do we gain after tromping through the Finnish woods all day, or after finding a few flakes of quartz stone from 5000 years ago?  Would it matter if we…
I usually have a very good sense of direction, because I know the sun rises in the east, crosses the sky to the south, and sets in the west.  In Finland at this time of year it is usually cloudy…
I was invited by language teacher **Sirpa Walton** to visit the **Yli-Ii School**.  Ms. Walton teaches English and Swedish to middle school students.  All Finnish school kids study English and…
Every Wednesday we meet for lunch at the Kierikki Stone Age Center and build a fire inside one of the Stone Age row houses.  Or, we cook outside if the weather is nice.  We roast makkara (Finnish hot…
Finland is famous for modern architecture, particularly the works of Eliel and Eero Saarinen and Alvar Aalto.  Finland is less well-known for traditional buildings, but there are some very attractive…
I like this passage from the*** Kalevala*** (see my post from May 8.) A young woman, just married, is about to leave the home she grew up in and go away to live with her husband’s extended family…
It is important to understand changes in** sea level** in order to understand our research here!  In most of the world, sea level is rising.  That means if you live near the beach, every year…
Today a vanload of us went on a field trip to Lapland to visit the Ranua Wildlife Park, also known as the "Arctic Zoo of Lapland.” It is a small zoo that features only animals from Finland and/or…
Finland doesn't have quite the maritime tradition that Norway and England have.  But, judging from the diverse and beautiful ships in Helsinki harbor, Finland isn't far behind! Helsinki Harbor…