Catch ups...

OK...so I missed posting some pictures from earlier this year and I just wanted to share them while I was thinking about it.

This past spring/summer was a mix of traveling, airports, road trips, lots of fun in the sun-type activities, more traveling, more airports, etc. I know everyone has been reading about all the travels with the program, but while I was at home, I did get to enjoy some outings with friends and family including trips to the lake, fishing, 4-wheeler riding, and even a baby shower (Good luck Annie and Lance! Can't wait 'til she's here!)!

Kate has just grown up right before my eyes--she is such an amazing dog, but has just an touch of the nugget of evil in her. She's become very best buddies with Zip; when there's one around, you're never too far from the other! And Roxanne (aka "cat loader") has adjusted well to all my travels, getting along with Kate and Zip, and now having me back at home full-time.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their love, support, and understanding while I was away. Going through this program was a great experience for me, but I couldn't have done it without all you guys. It means so much to me to have such wonderful, kind, caring, and loving folks in my life...ya'll are the BEST!!

I hope folks continue to read 'cuz I'll keep posting about what adventures happen next! (Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner! Plus it's DEER Season!).

GRADUATION

Yes, what a grand time we had...it's been a long year, but we had a lot of good times together. It's hard to believe that the year is up and now, a new class is just beginning their journey.

It was good to be back in DC for graduation. This time, it wasn't too cold, rather a little warm! We stayed in Old Towne Alexandria again and had a great time riding the metro to and fro. We were able to bring family members on this trip and it was great getting to meet all the folks that have been talked about all year. We even got to take in some of the sights--more museums and walking around the mall at night.

Graduation night was celebrated at, of course, Murphy's. http://www.murphyspub.com/

ICBs filled our tables, but fun was had by all.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this blog...I know I've had fun trying to keep up with it. I may just decide to continue on, as we've got several camping/4 wheeler riding/hunting trips coming up...stayed tuned!

Yellow Rose of San Antonio

Well...ok, maybe not a yellow rose, but it was yellow. San Antonio was our last trip, save for graduation in September back in Washington DC. We had some good times out on the Riverwalk. And I have to recommend going to the dueling piano bar called "Howl at the Moon". Lots of fun there!

http://www.howlatthemoon.com/san_antonio_tonight.html

And you have to try the made-at-the-table guacamole dip--YUM!--you can get this at most any restaurant on the Riverwalk, but we had ours at the Iron Cactus and it was pretty good stuff.

All in all, it was a good trip. And now it's time for graduation...sigh...has it really been a whole year?

Rock Island, Illinois...Davenport, Iowa...Wisconsin...and Minnesota

Well, thanks to the mighty Mississippi River, we were able to visit not one, not two, not three, but four different states while on this trip. The topic was Ecosystem Restoration and we covered a lot of ground (literally!) during our stay (4 states in one day!).

We actually stayed in Davenport, Iowa and made the short trip every morning across the bridge into Rock Island, Illinois (Rock Island Arsenal) for class. Wednesday found us traveling all the way up the Mississippi into both Wisconsin and Minnesota for our field trip. We were able to see some pretty cool places on our journies...even got to try some Wisconsin cheese curds!

Places of interest in the Quad Cities:

You can't miss visiting the John Deere capitol of the US; it's located in Moline, Illinois (right next to Rock Island). C'mon...it's an American icon...plus you get to climb up into some really cool tractors...and you thought Chesney's tractor was sexy...get a load of those combines!

We took in some pretty good eats while there...the Blue Cat Brew Pub (shown above) in Moline, Mojo's (in Davenport)---good panini's (sp?) for lunch!, and Front Street Brewery in Davenport. Plus, if you need to get some laundry done, there's the Scrub Pub...a laundromat and bar in one! Interesting concept, although the *smokey* atmosphere somewhat contradicts the purpose.

We also had time to view a few flicks at the local movie house; Talladega Nights (the Ballad of Ricky Bobby) and Miami Vice. Both were pretty good movies...I highly recommend Talladega Nights, especially if you're with a group of your closest redneck friends and in a light-comedy-sort-of-mood.

Up next...our last trip (not really counting graduation in DC)...Watersheds in San Antonio, Texas!

The Hinterlands...

There are times in one's life when all you can do is sit back and take in the awe and beauty of everything that surrounds you...I can't even begin to describe what Alaska was like for me. It was awesome, breathtaking, exciting, peaceful, HUGE...it's one of those places that you just have to be there to understand it all.

I loved visiting AK and hope to go back someday. I think I may even want to be there when it's cold...maybe not the "dead-of-winter" type cold, but when there's more snow on the ground. On our visit, the temperature never got above 70 degrees--a much-needed break after coming from Missouri wherer temperatures can soar well above 100 in the summer (and apparently did while we were up in AK).

We were able to visit a few places while attending class (and yes, we did go to class that week)...namely Portage Glacier, Portage Lake, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Aleyeska, Exit Glacier, Seward...everywhere we went, it was just an awesome sight. We saw wild black bears looking for fresh blueberries (high up on the hillside); wild goats climbing the rocks alongside the highway to Seward; moose at a local park in Anchorage; plus a whole bunch of caribou, moose, deer, musk ox, and bear at the Conservation Center.

We also had some wonderful meals at the Glacier Brewery, Snow City Cafe, and Wynter Time Restaurant (all in Anchorage)...if you're up in Anchorage, you'll need to hit these places at least once, but make reservations for Glacier Brewery as they usually have an hour and 1/2 wait (but well-worth it!). And if you're looking to shop...stop by Trapper Jack's and the Ulu Knife Factory. They also have a great fleamarket and festival on Saturdays and Sundays. And I would highly recommend staying that the Captin Cook Hotel. Pretty cool place.

It was a great trip--the one I've been looking forward to all year! Lots of stuff to do and see!

Next up...Rock Island, Illinois and San Antonio, Texas!

KC and Lake of the Ozarks

Well...it's not exactly Kansas...we made a stop in the heartland of the US, Kansas City, Missouri with a side trip to Lake of the Ozarks. It was a week of learning about the Endangered Species Act, Hydropower, Water Supply, and Recreation. Good stuff...

Had the opportunity to catch a few good restaurants while in KC, mainly Cashew's and Jack Stack's BBQ. The baked beans and onion rings won the group over at Jack Stack's.

Some of us even got to explore a bit of the "Plaza" while in downtown KC. We also made it to the movies to catch the new Pirates flick.

Wednesday evening, we traveled east and south down to Lake of the Ozarks; reminded me a lot of Branson. Passed a lot of towns that looked like home...even got to see the "magic 8-ball of Missouri" (see photo).

The trip ended out with the group traveling back to Kansas City on Saturday morning...up next...the wide open (and somewhat cold) spaces of Alaska!!

Hope everyone is doing well back home--can't wait to see ya'll!!

Huntington, West Virginia

Inland Navigation was the topic of the week while in Huntington, West Virginia. Huntington reminds me a lot of Little Rock. Seems to be a really neat town. We had a good week of learning about inland nav--something I can understand as we have some of that in Little Rock (the Arkansas River)!

Got to see some modeling (forecasts) and talk with folks from the Oak Ridge labs and TVA (that's the Tennessee Valley Authority). We also took a trip to Marmet lock and dam--under construction; a tug boat ride down the Kanawha River; and a visit to Winfield lock and dam. We visited with folks from Huntington District and the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division throughout the week.

Friday closed with a great presentation on the status of Upper Mississippi River Nav study followed by a field trip to a local fish hatchery and the Jenkins Plantation.

It was a great course and much was learned by all! Next up, Kansas City, MO/KS and Anchorage Alaska in July!

The New River Experience

The adventurous rafting crew! What a great time we had rafting down the New River in West Virginia! We had two different boats, with guides, and no one fell into the drink (well, some chose to float down the "swimmer's rapids").

There was some apprehension by the group, after all, we were going through Class I through V rapids (yikes!). But, everyone did great and it was truly a team effort to make it through to the end.

I highly recommend doing this and yes, I will be back to ride both the New and Gauley Rivers (hopefully with more of the paddling crew from Arkansas)!

For more information, visit www.raftmrt.com

The Streets of Philadelphia and side trip to Atlantic City

What a week! This week was Philadelphia, PA and the "Coastal Course". We spent the week learning about beaches (dunes and berms), beach erosion, inlets (and their effects on beaches), waves, currents, tides, storms (nor'easters and hurricanes!), and of course, Hurricane Storm Damage Reduction.

We spent Wednesday (in the rain no less) on a field trip that went from Cape May (NJ's southernmost point) up the NJ coast to Atlantic City. And what would a trip be without making a pit stop in Atlantic City?? So..... Jason, Alicia, Maria, and I opted to stay a bit longer than the rest of the crew. We didn't really win (Well, I think Jason broke even), but fun was had by all. We ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and ended up riding a Greyhound bus back to Philly--my first and probably last experience with that!

Thursday night we had a class dinner with everyone at McGillin's, the oldest Irish brew pub in Philly. If you're ever in town, I highly recommend it--it's off the beaten path somewhat, but we all had a great time!

We wrapped up this course with a panel session---lots of good interaction between the PAs, the course instructors, and the panelists.

Tomorrow, it's off to Oak Hill, West Virginia for some white water rafting on Sunday on the New River. Then, we're off to Huntington to start the Inland Navigation course. Phew! Is it September yet??

Keep reading and I'll keep posting!

SAN FRANCISCO

I left my heart...in San Francisco...Well, not really, but I like the song! We finished up our class in Davis and here we are in San Francisco. Great town and we're having lots of fun--we had Dim Sum for brunch and then spent the afternoon in Chinatown. Looks like it will be a good week for us. Hope everyone is doing well and see everyone soon!

Days in Davis, Part 1

Meet Dinger...mascot for the Sacramento RiverCats. Well, here we are in Davis, CA (Sacramento, CA too!)...will be here for a week and then it's off to San Francisco for another week.

Learning lots about Flood Damage Reduction and even enjoying many outings. Today, we went on a field trip to Black Butte Dam, Tehama, Hamilton City, and Marysville, all in north-central CA.

Will write more and have more pictures at a later date!

Moccasin Gap, April 2006

WOWIE-KAZOWIE!!! What a beautiful weekend to be outdoors in Arkansas!!! Spring (some may even venture to say "summer") has hit with full force and we just couldn't decide what outdoor activity to do this past weekend (hmmmmm...paddling or riding??). With our water situation as it is (going through some dry times, indeed), we opted for riding, guaranteeing there would be some awesome watering (and mud) holes we could go play in.

There have been some reports that Little Rock got at least 3 inches of rain between Thursday and Friday...let's hope so! In the meantime, that water just got sucked up by the ground, not really leaving any room for some good white water paddling...maybe we'll get some more rain and soon!

This past weekend was spent up north of Dover, AR at a place called Moccasin Gap. We've ridden here before, just on the left side of HWY 7. This time we camped and rode on the right side. What a grand time with great friends!

Be looking for more updates soon! I'll be headed to Davis, CA and San Francisco, CA within the week...take care, keep reading, and I'll keep posting!

My two darlings...Kate's all grown up!

How cute are they?! My two babies are all grown up...well, they're getting there anyway!

Tybee Island and Savannah, Georgia; plus Vicksburg, Mississippi

Southern Fried food and Seafood!! We spent the last week learning about Deep Draft Navigation in/on Tybee Island, Georgia. There was also a few field trips into Savannah. Very nice. I will not drone on about the subject(s) of Deep Draft and dredging (most of you only read this for the fun stuff anyway), but I will say I learned a lot and am glad I had the opportunity to experience this (coming from an "inland" state! We have the great AR River, but no coastline to speak of!).

There was definitely not a shortage of food on this trip...from the salty, salty line-your-arteries-with-fat grits (but oh-so-good!) to the plethora of fried seafood to the divine pecan/chocolate goodies (and saltwater taffy)...if you went hungry, then it's your own fault!

We had great weather too; it was made for the couple of rounds of PA Beach Volleyball! I am hoping my classmates are recovered from all the bumps and bruises! But at least there were no run-ins with the fence!

All in all, it was a good trip. We had great presenters, good helpers, and just an all around good course (thanks Mobile District!!).

We had a short whirlwind tour of ERDC in Vicksburg, Mississippi following the Georgia trip--that was good to, only I would recommend spending at least 2 days!

Well, I hope folks are doing well and keep reading while I keep posting!

Next stop: Davis, CA for Flood Damage Reduction and San Francisco, CA for a Planning Conference.

PBC 2006!!

Parrot Bay Classic 2006...what a GRAND time! 23 people, 1 dog, ?? canoes, and 4 days out in the backwoods of Arkansas. Who could ask for anything better??

In all seriousness, it was a great time...my 1st time "solo" in my own canoe! And I didn't "tump" over! There was only one major tumping over incident...no names included and I don't believe it was even their fault...and Zip managed to somehow end up in the river (Blu? Amy? Beck? What'd you guys do to him??). We somehow made it thru Slapnutz's storytelling (much luv, Nutz) around the campfire, amid Ken's interruptions :) And it didn't rain (well, ok... a few drops here and there)--but did you ever see so many people pack up a campsite so quick? I don't even think I finished my coffee before we shoved off and headed down to the take-out (which ended up being closer than what we all thought!). I guess that's what the threat of rain will do!

We are all looking forward to the July float...maybe we'll have some water to float in?? With the way our rains have been, that may remain questionable!

Washington DC, Week 2

And so another week has passed in our trip to DC...What a busy week this has been! We had class Monday with some folks from Capitol.Net; In short, we had a morning session of Civics 101. Monday afternoon was spent learning about the basics of the Institute for Water Resources (IWR).

Tuesday was one of the highlights of the trip with a morning tour of the Pentagon. We were able to see the Pentagon briefing room only 2 hours before Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld gave a speech! We spent the afternoon at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Oh and a visit to the International Spy Museum!

Wednesday was spent on "The Hill"; we were able to attend some hearings and meet with our Congressional representatives. We also toured the Capitol, along with the House and Senate buildings. Wednesday evening, we had the privilege of attending a reception "on the Hill". Pretty cool!

Thursday was shadow day; all of us had the opportunity to shadow a senior leader for the day. What a great chance to see the day-to-day happenings in DC. We had many great stories to share with the group about our shadow experience.

Friday was another class day; Emergency Management in the AM and Appropriations in the afternoon.

By Friday evening, we were all exhausted, but still managed to catch an excellent dinner at the Flying Fish on King Street.

This weekend, most of us opted for "low-key"; a few of us went to Tyson's Corner on Saturday for some shopping...LLBean outlet store!! We also drove on the "Beltway"--and survived! Saturday evening was spent at Las Tapas, another great place on King Street.

Our last week in DC looks to be a little less hectic; In class on Monday, back in town on Tuesday for some media training, a tour of the Library of Congress on Wednesday, and out to IWR on Thursday.

Hope everyone back home is doing well!

Washington DC

We've made it to Washington DC!! It's been a busy week so far...we had a bus tour of the area on Tuesday (travel day for all of us on Monday) where we saw many of the local sights like the Corps-replica castle and the Lincoln Memorial (in the above pictures); we also visited Iwo Jima, the "mall" area, the Jefferson Memorial, and "The Awakening". Very cool.

Wednesday was a "class" day, getting to know "Who's who" here in DC--some interesting tidbits of info...that afternoon we talked about Authorization and CAP.

Thursday was spent downtown; I got to ride the Metro for the first time in my life!

This weekend looks to be filled with exploring the museums and local life. And the next few weeks are filled to the brim with many activities and visits!

Keep reading and I'll keep posting! Take care!!

Snow bunnies

Here's our camp at Brock Creek and yes, that's snow! It was cold, but lots of fun...we had many, many layers of clothing, so it really didn't get too bad.

We even had some neighbors in the campground this past weekend...folks just as crazy as we were, only they were out riding horses.

There were some good times this weekend; hope to go back soon and explore those trails we missed!

Water Babies

Well, things are getting back to normal after being gone for a little while...Florida was fun and did we ever do some learning and teambuilding, but it sure can't beat a cold winter's day in Arkansas!

We took a day and went trail-ridin'; the addition of some much needed rain only made it a lot more fun!

Good times and great friends! I hope everyone is doing well and it won't be too long before I head off to our nation's capitol. I'll keep posting and hope ya'll keep reading!