There are many little facts and interpretations that people like to throw out to "prove" that the Book of Mormon isn't true. (if you are unfamiliar with this book and would like a brief explanation, click here.) How do we make sense of all of these "facts?" Are they legitimate concerns? Let me explain to you with a bit of an analogy:
Have you ever heard the saying "Eskimos have over 100 words for snow?" Well, that's actually false but in this analogy we're pretending its true. Lets say an uneducated eskimo was translating a document from English into his native language. In that document, the word "snow" was mentioned. This eskimo translates "snow" from English into one of the 100 versions of "snow" in his language. As the passage does not specify the type of snow, this eskimo translates the word to the best of his ability with the given context. In his translation, he used a word for snow that meant "mountains of snow" because that was a common word for him.
One hundred years later, the eskimo and his document are accused of being fake because the document he translated was discussing Southern Florida. Scientists had proven that it was impossible to have more than the tiniest bit of snow in Florida. Was this eskimo a liar? Does his false translation mean his document did not exist?
Where am I going with this? Just keep reading and you will see.
Many people think the Book of Mormon has been disproven because it mentions that horses, wheat, barley and steel (among many more) were present in the Americas between 3100 bc and 400 ad. Could this be all we need to disprove such a prominent book? Of course not. When the people discussed in the Book of Mormon traveled to the Americas, do you think they saw things they didn't recognize? Absolutely- just as Lewis and Clark did not recognize so many animals when they ventured across the country. When these two fine gentlemen came upon these animals, they described them in comparison to animals with which they were familiar. Just like this, I think it is safe to assume that when those who wrote the Book of Mormon discussed unusual objects, they compared them with objects of familiarity. So, in the case of the wheat, they could have, in reality, been referencing corn because they used it in similar fashions to wheat.
Along these same lines, as Joseph Smith, an uneducated farmer's son, was translating the Book of Mormon from an ancient language to English, he could have come across words for which we may have developed more specific words in English. This being the case, he may have had to do as the eskimo did and find what he thought was an appropriate word for the context. Now, over 100 years later, the Book of Mormon isn't true because wheat isn't native to America.
Obviously this isn't the only little fact that supposedly "disproves" the Book of Mormon. To be honest, I am sure there are hundreds of nit-picky reasons like this that people have found. I am positive there are not perfect explanations for each of them (and I certainly don't intend on finding every one of them if there are). I am telling you all of this to prove a point much larger than a possibility of inaccurate word usage. What point, you may wonder? Here it is, plain and simple:
Small details aren't what you should use to disprove this book. You can try and try but I promise you, no matter how much science, how many numbers and how many testimonials you provide against the book, there will always be millions who will believe in this book because of the truth it reveals to their hearts. You can research and study thousands of documents and web-pages about the Book of Mormon, but until you read it with sincerity and honestly take Moroni's challenge, you will never be able to truly disprove it to yourself. That, my friends, is the point I am trying to make.
Now here is where I must submit a disclaimer: none of this is official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons). It is only made up of my humble opinion mixed with some reading I did about the topic. If this topic interests you, if you find my writing not backed up enough by official documents or you simply want more questions answered about the Book of Mormon, visit this website and your desires will be fulfilled. If you are interested in reading the Book of Mormon, a hard copy is available for free here or online here.
16.10.13
Horses to Horses... Part 4
This is a continuation to my previous blog posts of how Chris and I came to be. Seeing as probably not too many people care anymore, I mostly wrote this as more of a journal entry for my future reference.
We started dating at the end of the semester before summer began. Things weren't clicking for us. One day things went particularly bad and after work, Chris texted me and asked if we could talk. I knew what was coming and later that evening he gently pulled the plug. The girls I was "living" with (I was actually homeless and was sleeping on their couch) were prepared for me to be all torn apart and even bought ice-cream. After a five hour conversation, I came home and was perfectly fine; Chris has a way of charming and making things seem better than they really are. He had gently broken up with me and said we would "hang-out" during the summer.
A month later he decided to quite his job in Utah and go home to work asbestos. When he left, I was on a work schedule of working 10 days in the Mojave desert, and taking 3 days off and stay in Provo so I did not have a ton of time to hang out anyway. There was, however, plenty of time to talk on the phone. For the first while we did not talk. One day I called him out of the blue and that led to many more hours of conversation. One time he called me so excited. I told him I could only talk for a little bit because it was already late and I had to wake up extra early the next day. He had told me that he had a breakthrough with his career plan; he was going to marry me (a joke at the time), buy a house in Argentina and rent out condos to rich vacationers. Our house was going to have a big front yard with horses and a white fence. Shutters, too. I thought it was sweet that he called me, of all people, to tell his idea. Another phone call I talked with his sister Starla. She said that she had heard about all of the girls Chris had in mind and she was rooting for me. I know Chris had quite the list of girls who wanted to date him. I talked with Chris and Starla on speakerphone and she made it seem like he was talking to his family about dating me seriously/marrying me. That was a little odd since he had broken up with me 2 months before. It turns out he had been throwing out his famous line around back in Billings: I will probably end up marrying Marci. Kind of a funny thing to tell people when you aren't even dating the person!
The summer finally ended and it was time for school again. Since Chris was the one who broke up with me and was so good at never missing people, I was determined to be nonchalant when seeing him. I also made sure to look extra tan, do my make up perfectly and dress up real nice. Unfortunately I don't remember the first couple of days back very well; I actually don't think we really interacted much. It wasn't until homework started that we studied together. I remember him saying to me that he had never asked a girl to be his girlfriend. Me, being a little stubborn took that as a challenge and vowed I would NEVER date him unless he asked me. That night he also asked me what I was doing the next evening. I told him I had a date. Apparently it was his birthday. And I forgot. Oops.
Eventually conference weekend rolled around. I remember I was studying for a huge American Heritage test and Chris was sick. I watched conference at his house and brought him food. During one of the first sessions he told me he had stopped talking to other girls. The next day he asked me the question he said he had never asked before. I didn't respond right away; it took a couple of days to figure it out for sure. Those next months of dating sort of blend together. This sickness he acquired decided to stay and the doctors couldn't figure it out. He was couch ridden and could hardly come to class. Not only was his health suffering but our relationship was, too. Thanksgiving break came and we didn't even hug when he left for Montana. I decided I was tired of it and I was going to break up with him when he got back to Utah. Miraculously, over the break, his health returned. The day he got back I tried to do it. I told my roommates not to let me back in the apartment unless I was single. After tears and discussion, we decided to stay back together. I tried the whole "Let's try again in a while, it's just not right right now." He did the whole "Now or Never" kind of deal. After barely being on the edge of ending our relationship and deciding to keep trying I saw a change in his eyes. It was like the hardness left and it was replaced with soft, warm fuzzies.
Less than a week later I found out that those fuzzies were a little something we call Love. He finally felt the feeling that had been holding him back for so long. He knew we should be dating but he never felt anything for me. I remember we were sitting on the couch and he told me. I smiled real big and gave him a huge hug. After this hug I leaned back, looked him in the eyes and said "I don't know if I love you." Pretttty romantic, eh? Things were different for the rest of the semester.
After Christmas, Chris started worrying that I wasn't keeping my family informed on our relationship and that if anything happened, they would be shocked. He told me that I should call my mom and tell her that we may be reaching the point of being serious. I still hadn't told him I loved him-- not like that anyways. One day he finally said "Marci, just say it! You know you love me, just say it!" I returned with "Fine! I love you, okay?" I really have a way with words. Next he convinced me to go to a jewelers to pick out a ring "just-in-case" I decided to marry him anytime soon. We ended up designing one and I was in love... with the ring that is. After many long nights, long talks and lots of unanswered prayers I finally just decided we should do it. I was going to marry him. When I figured this out I told him and my family. I told Chris that I needed to be officially engaged soon so that I could send out invites for my bridal shower. He proposed on March 29th--1.5 days before my parents arrived to start wedding planning. The proposal took place at a gazebo overlooking Utah valley; this is where we first kissed.
Our last month of school was fast. I spent most of my class-time searching the internet for decoration ideas. Instead of doing homework, I spoke with my mom and sister about color coordination. I spent every moment I could with Chris. The last day Chris and I had together was spent on horse-back south of Provo-- right where we shared our first date together. It was a little surreal. It took so much development, so much time and so much work to get there but we did it. And that, my friends is the story of Chris and Marci from horses to horses.
We started dating at the end of the semester before summer began. Things weren't clicking for us. One day things went particularly bad and after work, Chris texted me and asked if we could talk. I knew what was coming and later that evening he gently pulled the plug. The girls I was "living" with (I was actually homeless and was sleeping on their couch) were prepared for me to be all torn apart and even bought ice-cream. After a five hour conversation, I came home and was perfectly fine; Chris has a way of charming and making things seem better than they really are. He had gently broken up with me and said we would "hang-out" during the summer.
A month later he decided to quite his job in Utah and go home to work asbestos. When he left, I was on a work schedule of working 10 days in the Mojave desert, and taking 3 days off and stay in Provo so I did not have a ton of time to hang out anyway. There was, however, plenty of time to talk on the phone. For the first while we did not talk. One day I called him out of the blue and that led to many more hours of conversation. One time he called me so excited. I told him I could only talk for a little bit because it was already late and I had to wake up extra early the next day. He had told me that he had a breakthrough with his career plan; he was going to marry me (a joke at the time), buy a house in Argentina and rent out condos to rich vacationers. Our house was going to have a big front yard with horses and a white fence. Shutters, too. I thought it was sweet that he called me, of all people, to tell his idea. Another phone call I talked with his sister Starla. She said that she had heard about all of the girls Chris had in mind and she was rooting for me. I know Chris had quite the list of girls who wanted to date him. I talked with Chris and Starla on speakerphone and she made it seem like he was talking to his family about dating me seriously/marrying me. That was a little odd since he had broken up with me 2 months before. It turns out he had been throwing out his famous line around back in Billings: I will probably end up marrying Marci. Kind of a funny thing to tell people when you aren't even dating the person!
The summer finally ended and it was time for school again. Since Chris was the one who broke up with me and was so good at never missing people, I was determined to be nonchalant when seeing him. I also made sure to look extra tan, do my make up perfectly and dress up real nice. Unfortunately I don't remember the first couple of days back very well; I actually don't think we really interacted much. It wasn't until homework started that we studied together. I remember him saying to me that he had never asked a girl to be his girlfriend. Me, being a little stubborn took that as a challenge and vowed I would NEVER date him unless he asked me. That night he also asked me what I was doing the next evening. I told him I had a date. Apparently it was his birthday. And I forgot. Oops.
Eventually conference weekend rolled around. I remember I was studying for a huge American Heritage test and Chris was sick. I watched conference at his house and brought him food. During one of the first sessions he told me he had stopped talking to other girls. The next day he asked me the question he said he had never asked before. I didn't respond right away; it took a couple of days to figure it out for sure. Those next months of dating sort of blend together. This sickness he acquired decided to stay and the doctors couldn't figure it out. He was couch ridden and could hardly come to class. Not only was his health suffering but our relationship was, too. Thanksgiving break came and we didn't even hug when he left for Montana. I decided I was tired of it and I was going to break up with him when he got back to Utah. Miraculously, over the break, his health returned. The day he got back I tried to do it. I told my roommates not to let me back in the apartment unless I was single. After tears and discussion, we decided to stay back together. I tried the whole "Let's try again in a while, it's just not right right now." He did the whole "Now or Never" kind of deal. After barely being on the edge of ending our relationship and deciding to keep trying I saw a change in his eyes. It was like the hardness left and it was replaced with soft, warm fuzzies.
Less than a week later I found out that those fuzzies were a little something we call Love. He finally felt the feeling that had been holding him back for so long. He knew we should be dating but he never felt anything for me. I remember we were sitting on the couch and he told me. I smiled real big and gave him a huge hug. After this hug I leaned back, looked him in the eyes and said "I don't know if I love you." Pretttty romantic, eh? Things were different for the rest of the semester.
After Christmas, Chris started worrying that I wasn't keeping my family informed on our relationship and that if anything happened, they would be shocked. He told me that I should call my mom and tell her that we may be reaching the point of being serious. I still hadn't told him I loved him-- not like that anyways. One day he finally said "Marci, just say it! You know you love me, just say it!" I returned with "Fine! I love you, okay?" I really have a way with words. Next he convinced me to go to a jewelers to pick out a ring "just-in-case" I decided to marry him anytime soon. We ended up designing one and I was in love... with the ring that is. After many long nights, long talks and lots of unanswered prayers I finally just decided we should do it. I was going to marry him. When I figured this out I told him and my family. I told Chris that I needed to be officially engaged soon so that I could send out invites for my bridal shower. He proposed on March 29th--1.5 days before my parents arrived to start wedding planning. The proposal took place at a gazebo overlooking Utah valley; this is where we first kissed.
Our last month of school was fast. I spent most of my class-time searching the internet for decoration ideas. Instead of doing homework, I spoke with my mom and sister about color coordination. I spent every moment I could with Chris. The last day Chris and I had together was spent on horse-back south of Provo-- right where we shared our first date together. It was a little surreal. It took so much development, so much time and so much work to get there but we did it. And that, my friends is the story of Chris and Marci from horses to horses.
21.2.13
Why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) makes sense
So, if you didn't know already, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or (as most people would understand) I am a Mormon. I have seen and heard so much anti-Mormon stuff and I just thought I would let the world know why I believe this church is the true church. Before I begin, might I mention that many are converted to this church as result of spiritual experiences and confirmations. I have had experiences similar to these but I also have a firm testimony to this church as result of plain old logic. Now this logical thinking is how I am going to explain the church. If you are going to read this, I need you to have an open mind; drop all preconceived notions that people have put into your head and just consider what is being said.
Oh, and one more thing: all of this is my personal opinion and interpretations of the Church and it's doctrine (unless otherwise quoted) and is not exact doctrine from the Church.
The first topic I want to discuss is the Book of Mormon
First off, let me just explain what the Book of Mormon is. This is an exact quote from the official website of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel." So pretty much, it is like the equivalent to a bible that originated from the Americas.
The Book of Mormon talks about two civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in about 600 b.c. after a prophet was cast out for predicting destruction. These people separated into two nations-- the Nephites and Lamanites. The other civilization came from back when the Lord confounded the languages at the Tower of Babel. These people were called the Jaredites. The Book of Mormon also discusses the coming of Christ to the America's after his death and resurection. Have you ever wondered what Jesus was talking about when he spoke of visiting other sheep? Well, the Book of Mormon gives you the answer to that question.
Yes, I know this all can sound a little out there when you have been raised with the Bible being the only scripture. But just consider for a minute: why wouldn't God have prophets in other parts of the world besides those described in the Bible? If this doesn't seem too out of the question for you to believe, then don't you think God would have wanted them to keep record, as well? If so, then that would mean that there are records out there waiting to be discovered, just like the Book of Mormon. Another thing to consider is: why wouldn't Jesus visit people all over the world? He loves all God's children and wants all to know of his sacrifice so don't you think it is possible? Once you take down the walls in your brain, do you see that it could possibly make sense?
I encourage you to just really consider the basic questions mentioned above. If you want, you could even read a bit about the Book of Mormon here. Also, if you are interested, you can order a free Book of Mormon (yes, it is really free) here.
Oh, and one more thing: all of this is my personal opinion and interpretations of the Church and it's doctrine (unless otherwise quoted) and is not exact doctrine from the Church.
The first topic I want to discuss is the Book of Mormon
First off, let me just explain what the Book of Mormon is. This is an exact quote from the official website of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel." So pretty much, it is like the equivalent to a bible that originated from the Americas.
The Book of Mormon talks about two civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in about 600 b.c. after a prophet was cast out for predicting destruction. These people separated into two nations-- the Nephites and Lamanites. The other civilization came from back when the Lord confounded the languages at the Tower of Babel. These people were called the Jaredites. The Book of Mormon also discusses the coming of Christ to the America's after his death and resurection. Have you ever wondered what Jesus was talking about when he spoke of visiting other sheep? Well, the Book of Mormon gives you the answer to that question.
Yes, I know this all can sound a little out there when you have been raised with the Bible being the only scripture. But just consider for a minute: why wouldn't God have prophets in other parts of the world besides those described in the Bible? If this doesn't seem too out of the question for you to believe, then don't you think God would have wanted them to keep record, as well? If so, then that would mean that there are records out there waiting to be discovered, just like the Book of Mormon. Another thing to consider is: why wouldn't Jesus visit people all over the world? He loves all God's children and wants all to know of his sacrifice so don't you think it is possible? Once you take down the walls in your brain, do you see that it could possibly make sense?
I encourage you to just really consider the basic questions mentioned above. If you want, you could even read a bit about the Book of Mormon here. Also, if you are interested, you can order a free Book of Mormon (yes, it is really free) here.
2.7.12
From Horses to Horses... Part 3
Warning. Contains minor sappy love story content. Read at your own risk.
I think the day after our horse "date" (or early payment for taking notes, as Chris would like to call it) Chris left on his glorious hunting trip to Montana. I remember randomly during the weekend I received picture of a beautiful mountainous view. The one time Chris randomly had service, he thought to send me pictures. Of course at the time to him I was only one of those pretty little blondes that are one in a MILLION at BYU, but still.... I like to pretend that at that moment, I was something special to him. :) (Who knows how many other girls he sent that picture to?)
He got back and within a couple of days he texted me to see if he could "get his notes over dinner" and I said of course. When he picked me up, I had my notebook in hand and was ready to let him copy down his notes when he laughed at me! He failed to convey his sarcasm (via text) and apparently had no intentions whatsoever to actually collect the notes. Later that week I get a facebook message. "Are you hungry?" and I replied with something like "If you are asking me out on a date, then yes." Of course he said he wasn't, he just wanted to know if I was hungry but we went out anyways.
We had a couple more dates, one consisting of fishing where I couldn't cast and insisted upon naming the worms and another where I wouldn't let him kill a bee (he insists it was a wasp). Finally on one Friday night that I was actually hanging out with some girl friends he asked me what I was up to. After getting ice cream with the girls I told him where I was and he came to pick me up. He said he was surprised that I was up to it this late and I replied with (according to him) "That's what your supposed to do in college!" or something honkey like that. That night we went up to a gazebo on the side of a mountain overlooking Utah Valley. I borrowed his sweat shirt and we walked up to it and sat and talked for quite a while. He indicated that we should probably head back and as we left the gazebo I think I grabbed his hand (?). I was shivering on the walk home and he stopped to "warm me up." I stared right up into his cute country face as he told me I have beautiful eyes and then boom. He laid one on me smack dab on the lips.
Can I just pause and point out how blissfully sweet and innocent going on dates is until the first kiss? Then it just gets messy.
So after a few more dates, complications arose. He thought I was crazy, my brother (who had never met Chris) sent him a threatening message on Facebook, I was a little girl who was terrified at the thought of dating... you know, the list goes on. Anyway, the rest of that semester we had some issues but we still studied together and talked in class. By the end of the semester I had given him advise on what to say to some cheesy girl and dared me to ask a guy out in the library. Over Christmas break I remember being surprised at how much he came up.
The next semester we had most of our classes together (again) and somehow ended up sitting with each other (again) probably against his will. We eventually just became genuine friends who went to lunch together daily. Everyone in our major thought we were dating. We talked about problems and issues we were facing and got to know each other on a much deeper level than just the typical flirty friends. As the semester drew to a close an interest in him developed (again). All the sudden I was looking at him as a possible guy to date again and it was rather confusing. During conference I expressed this and he expressed similar feelings and about a week after that we started "dating" again. Oh. Boy.
I think the day after our horse "date" (or early payment for taking notes, as Chris would like to call it) Chris left on his glorious hunting trip to Montana. I remember randomly during the weekend I received picture of a beautiful mountainous view. The one time Chris randomly had service, he thought to send me pictures. Of course at the time to him I was only one of those pretty little blondes that are one in a MILLION at BYU, but still.... I like to pretend that at that moment, I was something special to him. :) (Who knows how many other girls he sent that picture to?)
He got back and within a couple of days he texted me to see if he could "get his notes over dinner" and I said of course. When he picked me up, I had my notebook in hand and was ready to let him copy down his notes when he laughed at me! He failed to convey his sarcasm (via text) and apparently had no intentions whatsoever to actually collect the notes. Later that week I get a facebook message. "Are you hungry?" and I replied with something like "If you are asking me out on a date, then yes." Of course he said he wasn't, he just wanted to know if I was hungry but we went out anyways.
We had a couple more dates, one consisting of fishing where I couldn't cast and insisted upon naming the worms and another where I wouldn't let him kill a bee (he insists it was a wasp). Finally on one Friday night that I was actually hanging out with some girl friends he asked me what I was up to. After getting ice cream with the girls I told him where I was and he came to pick me up. He said he was surprised that I was up to it this late and I replied with (according to him) "That's what your supposed to do in college!" or something honkey like that. That night we went up to a gazebo on the side of a mountain overlooking Utah Valley. I borrowed his sweat shirt and we walked up to it and sat and talked for quite a while. He indicated that we should probably head back and as we left the gazebo I think I grabbed his hand (?). I was shivering on the walk home and he stopped to "warm me up." I stared right up into his cute country face as he told me I have beautiful eyes and then boom. He laid one on me smack dab on the lips.
Can I just pause and point out how blissfully sweet and innocent going on dates is until the first kiss? Then it just gets messy.
So after a few more dates, complications arose. He thought I was crazy, my brother (who had never met Chris) sent him a threatening message on Facebook, I was a little girl who was terrified at the thought of dating... you know, the list goes on. Anyway, the rest of that semester we had some issues but we still studied together and talked in class. By the end of the semester I had given him advise on what to say to some cheesy girl and dared me to ask a guy out in the library. Over Christmas break I remember being surprised at how much he came up.
6.5.12
From Horses to Horses... Part 2: How to rock your first date
On his way to practice, Chris ran into his friend Travis who was also trying to work some magic with a pretty girl.
"Hey man, I just got a date with a hot blonde girl!"
Travis stopped talking to the girl to respond, "Wow cool. That never happens! You always stick with brunettes!"
"Yeah, I know! We're going horse-back riding." He makes a big chest and does the I'm awesome grunt before he says "Horses are like puppies, no girl can resist. How are you doin'?"
"So good, just talking with my friend Kathryn. How're you?"
"I'm fine; we just got this huge dog back back at our apartment," Chris said, pulling out his phone. "He's huge!" He opened up a picture to show them. After a bit more conversation, he gingerly walked off to practice.
When he'd finished practice Chris started talking with his friend, Brian, who invited him to go on a horse riding that night. He texted me and asked me to go riding that night and apologized for the short notice.
...a bit later...
As I sat on my couch and did homework, my roommate walked in the apartment. "Guess what I get to go do tonight!" I exclaimed.
"What?"
"I got asked out on a date to go horse-back-riding!"
"Oh fun!... Did this guy by any chance have a picture of a huge dog on his phone?"
"Umm.... yes he did..." I inquisitively replied.
"Oh wow! I had a guy come up to Travis and I and brag that he got some hot girl's number! He said he was going horse back riding and showed us a picture of his dog!"
"Oh! That is so funny! Did he say anything else?"
"Yeah. He said he got you to go on the date because 'Horses are like puppies; no girls can resist!'"
After a good laugh at the irony of the whole situation, a small scheme started to brew...
Later that evening, Chris picked me up in the "Blurp" (a car that looked blue when he bought it but turned out to be purple) with his friend Brian Weirich and an unnamed date. The ride down to Payson was quite entertaining. First of all, it is necessary to know that both Brian and Chris talked funny. On multiple occasions I remember stealing a laugh with the other date just listening to their conversations. Between the twang of a redneck coming from one and a drawn out southern drawl from the other, we couldn't keep our faces straight. They had us laughing up a storm.
When we got to the horses Chris and I walked out to catch a few. As we were walking I started expressing my appreciation for his invite to go riding. "I am so excited! I love horses! You know? I've always thought horses are kind of like puppies... I just can't resist!" I sounded like such giddy little girl as I exclaimed the statement with such enthusiasm. His timid laugh proved he was catching on. I later explained to him the whole situation and I must say, I think he was a bit embarrassed. Not such a smooth talker for once in his life!
All in all the date was just plain funny. Chris asked all the right questions and said all the right things. Once he got over the whole puppy incident, he was right back on his "A game" shmoozing me with his little accent and adorable straight teeth. By the time he had dropped me off, I leaned over to give him a hug (since he didn't walk me to the door) and he acted as if he was shocked and didn't want to hug me back. Playing a little hard to get, I guess. As I left the car, I remembered being surprised that my first impression was wrong. I actually enjoyed the date.... and he didn't even give me food! You know it must have been entertaining if that's the case!
"Hey man, I just got a date with a hot blonde girl!"
Travis stopped talking to the girl to respond, "Wow cool. That never happens! You always stick with brunettes!"
"Yeah, I know! We're going horse-back riding." He makes a big chest and does the I'm awesome grunt before he says "Horses are like puppies, no girl can resist. How are you doin'?"
"So good, just talking with my friend Kathryn. How're you?"
"I'm fine; we just got this huge dog back back at our apartment," Chris said, pulling out his phone. "He's huge!" He opened up a picture to show them. After a bit more conversation, he gingerly walked off to practice.
When he'd finished practice Chris started talking with his friend, Brian, who invited him to go on a horse riding that night. He texted me and asked me to go riding that night and apologized for the short notice.
...a bit later...
As I sat on my couch and did homework, my roommate walked in the apartment. "Guess what I get to go do tonight!" I exclaimed.
"What?"
"I got asked out on a date to go horse-back-riding!"
"Oh fun!... Did this guy by any chance have a picture of a huge dog on his phone?"
"Umm.... yes he did..." I inquisitively replied.
"Oh wow! I had a guy come up to Travis and I and brag that he got some hot girl's number! He said he was going horse back riding and showed us a picture of his dog!"
"Oh! That is so funny! Did he say anything else?"
"Yeah. He said he got you to go on the date because 'Horses are like puppies; no girls can resist!'"
After a good laugh at the irony of the whole situation, a small scheme started to brew...
Later that evening, Chris picked me up in the "Blurp" (a car that looked blue when he bought it but turned out to be purple) with his friend Brian Weirich and an unnamed date. The ride down to Payson was quite entertaining. First of all, it is necessary to know that both Brian and Chris talked funny. On multiple occasions I remember stealing a laugh with the other date just listening to their conversations. Between the twang of a redneck coming from one and a drawn out southern drawl from the other, we couldn't keep our faces straight. They had us laughing up a storm.
When we got to the horses Chris and I walked out to catch a few. As we were walking I started expressing my appreciation for his invite to go riding. "I am so excited! I love horses! You know? I've always thought horses are kind of like puppies... I just can't resist!" I sounded like such giddy little girl as I exclaimed the statement with such enthusiasm. His timid laugh proved he was catching on. I later explained to him the whole situation and I must say, I think he was a bit embarrassed. Not such a smooth talker for once in his life!
All in all the date was just plain funny. Chris asked all the right questions and said all the right things. Once he got over the whole puppy incident, he was right back on his "A game" shmoozing me with his little accent and adorable straight teeth. By the time he had dropped me off, I leaned over to give him a hug (since he didn't walk me to the door) and he acted as if he was shocked and didn't want to hug me back. Playing a little hard to get, I guess. As I left the car, I remembered being surprised that my first impression was wrong. I actually enjoyed the date.... and he didn't even give me food! You know it must have been entertaining if that's the case!
3.5.12
From Horses to Horses... Part 1: how to get a first date
I'm Marci- I'm GeTtInG MaRrIeD?! Yes. It is true. For those of you who knew me in the past and doubted my ability to graduate the Uof(A)GM (University of [Almost] Guaranteed Marriage) single: you were right. I ALMOST DID IT though since I am graduating in December (!).
Anyways back to my love life:
I, Marci Lucas (I know, I know) Nelson, am getting married to Christopher Aaron Reno on August 18, 2012 in the Spokane, Washington temple (for those of you who don't know what an LDS temple is or what they're for, click here).
Now, inside your inquisitive little head you may be asking questions that sound something like how did this happen? Or maybe even when did this happen? Or, if you knew both of us well two years ago, probably what happened?! Lets start at the very beginning, a very good place to start (according to Julie Andrews, at least). It all started in September of 2010. I had just switched into my new major (Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation) and had many exciting things occur which can be reviewed by reading previous posts. I had added all new classes and could not wait to get into the swing of things.
Now, before you read this, just remember that I am, in fact, a nice person. This account is a combination of how the story is told both by Chris and me so you ought to be getting a bit of both sides.
It was probably the second or third day of school and I was standing with the rest of my Living with Plants class outside, examining a tree. My professor was commenting on the coloration of the leaves and I was scribbling away at my notebook, trying to record every spoken word. It wasn't until the clearing of a throat that I noticed someone standing next to me. I gave him a quick up-down and analyzed the situation. Shorts. Button-up shirt. And skater shoes. Big, puffy, red and white DC shoes. No way was I trying the skater again. Failed me once already. Anyways, he started talking to me and I am not going to lie, I was a bit.. cold, for a lack of a better word.
"What's your name?"
"Marci"
"Oh..."
(awkward silence when I'm supposed to return the question)
"My name's Chris. What's your major?" he asked in attempt to understand why on earth a little barbie blond in stiletto heels was in the class.
I answered with minimal words taking note of his funny accent, "Wildlife and Wildlands
Conservation"
"Oh... (again, awkward waiting)... me too."
"Oh well it's nice to meet you; I've gotta run to my next class."
Wow. Could I have been any more worse? It was the shoes, okay?? Little did I realize that for the next couple of days he attempted to sit by me in class by moving from the back row to the front row, making sure he had available seats on both sides allowing me a choice on which side of him I could choose to sit. Unfortunately his efforts went unnoticed. One day the club for our major came to class telling us about a opening social they'd be having. They asked who would be coming to get a head count. Given the knowledge that there would be free food at said meeting, anyone that knows me would logically assume my hand shot up. Well, it did. And after Chris saw that, his hand slowly went up, too.
Now, at this point in time, you have to give this guy some credit. He was either super persistent and knew what he wanted or just plain stupid for even trying to get close to such a snot like me. Anyway, he showed up to the Wildlife Activity to see me standing in line, stacking my plate with food. As we mingled with different people, he creepily kept his eye on me so I couldn't escape without being noticed. I started to walk off to yet another class when he caught up to me. At this point in time, I knew I should probably recognize him but couldn't quite recall the face. He asked how I was doing and I answered politely. He then proceeded to explain that he was going to be gone for the rest of the week because he was going up to Montana. He needed someone to take notes for him. As any kind person would do, I offered to take notes for him and then asked, "What classes do we have together?"
After clearing his throat, he replied "All of them."
Yes. It was confirmed. I was utterly unaware of his existence and he knew it. Bummer.
After quickly recuperating from the blow he asked "Do you like horses?"
Not seeing the trap, I said yes.
He backed me into a corner with "Good. I will take you to ride some horses down in Payson as payment for taking notes for me.
I could not have gotten out of that one if I tried because he set no date or time on the occasion and I hadn't practiced the boyfriend card enough to use it confidently. Of course, I can't honestly say I didn't want to go on a horse back ride either. We talked a bit more to get to know each other a bit more. When he found out I liked dogs, he showed me a picture of a giant dog at home named Camo. When I asked why he was going to Montana. I discovered he was an avid hunter.
"You probably think I'm awful now, huh?"
"Oh not at all," I lied as he got my number. As he turned around and walked away I hollered "If you see anything, don't shoot it!" He shook his head as he ran up the stairs on the way to practice. Well, at least she's pretty he thought in desperation, trying to remind himself why he had worked so hard to get my number.
Alright, just so you know... the story gets less sad (obviously since it ends in marriage) and my actions are redeemed (at least, i'd like to think so).
3.1.12
Family Christmas
I'm Marci- I'm seeing change. The Christmas season is a time of tradition and contains many of my favorite childhood memories. Some of the more entertaining memories/traditions are :
-Having a sibling "sleep"overs on Christmas Eve (which didn't stay tradition for long after my parents realized that sleep doesn't occur)
-Cuddling with the siblings to a Christmas Eve movie that, of course, would not satisfy everybody's wants and desires with eight kids involved.
-Getting everybody together to watch Luke II on Christmas Eve was a chore and remained a chore until that last ugly goat's baaaaaa concluding the video.
After reminiscing about those I have noticed some slight changes in the family.
Christmas slumber parties are a bit different... Being one of the last unmarried children of the family I share a bed with odds and ends instead of a floor with all the kids.
As for the Christmas movie I cannot say that that's still tradition whatsoever. That was vetoed after we tried to watch Pete's Dragon last year. (Yes, yes, the memories are great from being a child but have you actually watched that within the last decade?)
All in all this Christmas showed me that my family is growing up. The "kids" get less silly presents like TechDecks and SillyPutty and instead are getting stuff like sewing machines and home decor (AND Mom and Dad get way better presents because their kids can actually afford them). No body cares who sits at what table for Christmas dinner. Todd, Zack and I don't count our presents anymore. I think that the biggest "growing up" occurring is my siblings are beginning to pull away into their own little families. I have dreaded this for a long time.
I am a sucker for good memories and family time and thinking about changing that scares me. After giving it much speculation I am realizing that no matter how hard you try you can't keep things the way they were. People grow up. Traditions change. Life happens. There is no point in trying to force tradition when it just doesn't work anymore. I think what I'm trying to say is that yes, my family is changing but that's okay. I am beginning to accept that the time is soon approaching when we all must divide into our own families and create our own traditions. Why am I able to do this? Because I have packed twenty years full of memories and can cherish everyone of them. Thank you family.
I'm Marci and I'm seeing change.
-Having a sibling "sleep"overs on Christmas Eve (which didn't stay tradition for long after my parents realized that sleep doesn't occur)
-Cuddling with the siblings to a Christmas Eve movie that, of course, would not satisfy everybody's wants and desires with eight kids involved.
-Getting everybody together to watch Luke II on Christmas Eve was a chore and remained a chore until that last ugly goat's baaaaaa concluding the video.
After reminiscing about those I have noticed some slight changes in the family.
Christmas slumber parties are a bit different... Being one of the last unmarried children of the family I share a bed with odds and ends instead of a floor with all the kids.
As for the Christmas movie I cannot say that that's still tradition whatsoever. That was vetoed after we tried to watch Pete's Dragon last year. (Yes, yes, the memories are great from being a child but have you actually watched that within the last decade?)
Luke II is actually one of the few things that hasn't changed much. The only difference is the voices that complain have hit puberty.
I am a sucker for good memories and family time and thinking about changing that scares me. After giving it much speculation I am realizing that no matter how hard you try you can't keep things the way they were. People grow up. Traditions change. Life happens. There is no point in trying to force tradition when it just doesn't work anymore. I think what I'm trying to say is that yes, my family is changing but that's okay. I am beginning to accept that the time is soon approaching when we all must divide into our own families and create our own traditions. Why am I able to do this? Because I have packed twenty years full of memories and can cherish everyone of them. Thank you family.
I'm Marci and I'm seeing change.
25.10.11
Who Am I (take III)
I'm Marci- I'm sophisticated (haha okay, but not really). I can pretend it pretty well though! These are absolutely fabulous. They are fun to walk in and they make a lovely clicking sound with every step I take. I can run in them, i can jump in them and they sure as heck look good while I do it. I wear them when I want to feel tall and feminine.
I love these shoes because they make me feel more confident in everything I do. Though I realize not every woman's chosen type of shoe is the high heel, I think we should all dress in a way that we can feel confident and ready to take on the world. We should dress in a way that demands respect and shows other people who we are. Though these do not show a number of different sides of me, they do show the girly-girl in me and I think that is an important side to see.
I'm Marci and I'm sophisticated!
oh and let me just put in a plug for high heels.... they make you look better when you learn how to walk in them and rock them. i don't care how tall you are or how much they hurt your feet... suffer for beauty and walk with confidence!
8.10.11
Who Am I (take II)
I'm Marci- I've gone country (look at them boots). These were a great investment. I wear them at least once a week and I LOVE them. Three years ago, these were far from anywhere on my shopping list. This summer they were sitting right on top. I can wear a pretty summer dress with them (not now, in October, obviously) or tuck some jeans in and go more casual. They, of course, add a couple inches of height and that's always a bonus. I wear them on days when I want to look nice but not wear heels. I wear them on dates. I wear them to church. I just love to wear them.
These represent a side of me that has recently developed. As mentioned in earlier posts, I have been experiencing some changes and cowgirl is one of 'em. Right now I am sort of a cowgirl wannabe but maybe someday I will gain the real title! I love country music. I love to "get a little gravel in my travel" and drive big trucks on long back-roads. I love horses and will usually jump at any opportunity to ride them. Something else of importance: I especially looove cowboys!
I feel like these boots represent a side of me that wants to live a country life. Wake up to the sunrise. Send my kids out to grab the chicken eggs. Go tend to my horse. Take care of the new litter of puppies. Feed the pigs. Work the day through and at the end, sit on the porch to watch the day fade away with the crickets chirpin, a warm summer breeze and the sweet smell of country livin' in the air. You can't tell me that doesn't sound like a fun life to live.
I'm Marci and I've gone Country.
2.10.11
Who Am I?
I'm Marci- I'm a kid
Don't judge a book by it's cover. Right? Would you consider shoes as equivalent to a cover? Because, if they are, I think it'd be safe to judge me by my cover. But really. Take a look into my closet. I might admit, I have a LOT of shoes. Tall ones, short ones, bright ones, pretty ones. You name it. According to my father, I probably have a lot of ugly ones, too. Anyways, recently I have just been thinking about who I am and how I could adequately define this. I concluded that one could learn a lot about me and who I am by my shoes... over the next few weeks you will see some of my personal favorites :)
Wowza, aren't they a sight? These are a happy pair of Keds. I wear these on days when I feel extra sunshiny. These are my casual shoes; the shoes I wear when I seek comfort. They're for the days when I choose not to listen to my mother's classic advice, "suffer for beauty." They often accompany an outfit full of color.
These represent me as a kid. I am such a kid. I have so much energy and I love to run and skip and jump. I get distracted easily. I love to laugh out loud. I believe what people tell me because I like to believe they're good; so, in other words, I am gullible and naive. I can't control myself when someone puts ice cream in front of me. I cry when I watch Tarzan. My legs are slathered in bruises because I still can't walk without tripping and scraping up my knees. I ask too many questions. I cover my eyes in the scary parts of movies. I talk too loud in church. I still make funny faces for pictures.
Wouldn't life be a bummer without fun Ked-y Kidness? Why wouldn't you still skip (even if you have wait until no one's looking)? Why wouldn't you let your mind day-dream? Laugh at the silly stuff. Let your imagination blossom. Practice sharing. Love unconditionally. Why? Because it's FUN!
I'm Marci and I'm a KID!
Don't judge a book by it's cover. Right? Would you consider shoes as equivalent to a cover? Because, if they are, I think it'd be safe to judge me by my cover. But really. Take a look into my closet. I might admit, I have a LOT of shoes. Tall ones, short ones, bright ones, pretty ones. You name it. According to my father, I probably have a lot of ugly ones, too. Anyways, recently I have just been thinking about who I am and how I could adequately define this. I concluded that one could learn a lot about me and who I am by my shoes... over the next few weeks you will see some of my personal favorites :)
Wowza, aren't they a sight? These are a happy pair of Keds. I wear these on days when I feel extra sunshiny. These are my casual shoes; the shoes I wear when I seek comfort. They're for the days when I choose not to listen to my mother's classic advice, "suffer for beauty." They often accompany an outfit full of color.
These represent me as a kid. I am such a kid. I have so much energy and I love to run and skip and jump. I get distracted easily. I love to laugh out loud. I believe what people tell me because I like to believe they're good; so, in other words, I am gullible and naive. I can't control myself when someone puts ice cream in front of me. I cry when I watch Tarzan. My legs are slathered in bruises because I still can't walk without tripping and scraping up my knees. I ask too many questions. I cover my eyes in the scary parts of movies. I talk too loud in church. I still make funny faces for pictures.
Wouldn't life be a bummer without fun Ked-y Kidness? Why wouldn't you still skip (even if you have wait until no one's looking)? Why wouldn't you let your mind day-dream? Laugh at the silly stuff. Let your imagination blossom. Practice sharing. Love unconditionally. Why? Because it's FUN!
I'm Marci and I'm a KID!
15.9.11
I am many things... and cool isn't one of them.
I'm Marci- i'm a nerd. Though I think I've known this a majority of my life, it really hit me a couple of days ago. After spending two hours with my Plant Identification team, I was walking through the Chemistry building humming while letting my mind wander. It wasn't until I saw others giving me some odd looks that I realized that not only was I humming unnaturally loud but I wasn't even humming a song; I was humming a part I played in band on the contra-alto clarinet in High School. So really it was a series of loud low notes. After that I reminisced on how much I actually missed band.
A day or two later I was playing capture the flag with a bunch of people and while Katie Packer and I were stuck in jail we took note of the surrounding trees. Engrossed in our conversation, we discussed what family we thought the closest tree was part of. We were throwing out terms like "flattened petioles" and latin rooted words like "Salicaceae" while the others in jail stood and stared at us not exactly sure how to feel about the conversation.
Later that night I had a full on discussion about fruit with someone I had met only five minutes prior. We discussed the perfect peach and how others had no idea what they a fresh peach tastes like if they have only had them from a store. We expressed our pity towards those who haven't had the experience of freshly picked fruit. Then we both acknowledged the fact that we had never had such an extensive fruit conversation with a stranger before.
I like to stare at quail crossing the street and count their chicks. I like to sing primary and Disney songs. I like to learn. My best friend is still my mom. I have Friday nights when I would actually prefer to study or sleep than be social. I liked marching band. I still have dolls, stuffed animals and children's books all throughout my bedroom. I am a nerd. Sometimes I think it's a little embarrassing that I can't hide these little quirks about me but then I realize why should I? I am taking a stand and telling you and everyone else to embrace yourself. Embrace your inner nerd because chances are the person standing next to you has an inner nerd waiting to go crazy. Love your inner nerd. Be your inner nerd.
I'm Marci and I'm a NERD.
11.9.11
Eleven blisters and skipping school
i'm Marci-i'm transitioning. School has started. A couple of weeks into school and the whole mindset has still not kicked in. After my summer of work and family i'm trying to re-incorporate other aspects into my life. Like sports. And friends. And sleep.
After a week in I discovered that I was going to miss a bit of school this semester. First I had a mandatory camping trip for Mammalogy. Wicked awesome. We camped up in the Stansbury Mountains (which was actually surprisingly beautiful for being in western Utah) and trapped mammals for the weekend. I was required to miss school to go camping and catch some mammals! Not perfect for me or anything.... but anyways we caught lots of rodents and a couple of other things including a ring tailed cat! Too cool! Not only was this camping trip super fun but it reminded me, once again, how much I love and often miss my cozy little bed. With lots of warm blankets. And seven pillows. And my mattress. Oh and I was reminded of how stinkin' hilarious the people in my major are! Once I got back I was reminded of the stacks of homework I had. Catch up on readings. Write some reports. Ya know, the usual. I'm not too stressed besides the fact that OH YEAH I am leaving a couple of days for Denver, Colorado.
Yes, Denver. One might wonder what a little girl like me would be going to Denver for? Oh ya know, I am just attending a four day hunting workshop. (I know, right?) Yeah. I am literally going to learn about hunting for three days. Then on the fourth I believe I am actually going to do it. Me- with a gun- pointing it at moving things- and trying to hit them. Yowza. I see failure in the near future but I suppose that's good for the pheasants? Anyways I am not completely sure about how I feel about this opportunity but it's apparently a great learning experience with great networking opportunities and looks good on my resume. Oh, and not to mention that they will be providing FREE food for four days of my life... it better be good. If you don't already know I, like most other college kids, am extremely enticed by free food (unless it's Little Caesars; I despise the stuff).
After these weeks of school skipping and crazy opportunities I am planning on officially sinking into my normal school life. 17 credits. 10 hours of work. 5 intra-mural teams. Plant ID team. Oh, and did I mention I am going to try to publish a paper with a professor? Ha and on top of all that we CANNOT forget the social life. After a summer of trompin through the desert finding my little quail I feel like there may be some added stress with this new schedule but hey, that's what college is all about!
So folks, whether it be your feet transitioning to some unfamiliar shoes, your muscles transitioning to some new activity or your brain transitioning to a whole lot more thinking it's going to be hard work and maybe a little pain but why not embrace it? no point in hatin' it if you have to do it anyways!
I'm Marci and I'm transitioning!
First day. Always exciting, right? Well, at least for me it has been. I was thinking about my first day of school outfit well over a week in advanced. High heals or cowgirl boots? Believe me, it was a big debate. If you're interested, I chose high heals and rocked the boots later in the week. The first day of school was like one big reunion. I saw all of my major friends who did crazy things all summer long. In one of my classes everyone said what was most fun about their summer. India. Cambodia. Swam with Dolphins. Really? Catching quail wasn't even comparable to all of their awesomeness! But that's quite alright.
At the end of the day I am ashamed to admit that I was suffering. After a summer of spoiling my feet in comfortable boots, high heels were very unfamiliar. They chewed up my feet. This may take a while to get back into the swing of my high heel wearin' days.
Not only did my heels (and then my boots) give me aches and pains throughout the week but I also started sports again this week and they did a number on me! I went running and played basketball and volleyball and soccer and golf and boy was it refreshing! My body aches and the blisters are many but man is my heart happy! Shoot, I even have a blister on my thumb from golf! Whenever I was bored I was able to find a group of people doing some sport and it was fabulous!
Me holding a trapped ring tailed cat! Such a pretty animal!
After a week in I discovered that I was going to miss a bit of school this semester. First I had a mandatory camping trip for Mammalogy. Wicked awesome. We camped up in the Stansbury Mountains (which was actually surprisingly beautiful for being in western Utah) and trapped mammals for the weekend. I was required to miss school to go camping and catch some mammals! Not perfect for me or anything.... but anyways we caught lots of rodents and a couple of other things including a ring tailed cat! Too cool! Not only was this camping trip super fun but it reminded me, once again, how much I love and often miss my cozy little bed. With lots of warm blankets. And seven pillows. And my mattress. Oh and I was reminded of how stinkin' hilarious the people in my major are! Once I got back I was reminded of the stacks of homework I had. Catch up on readings. Write some reports. Ya know, the usual. I'm not too stressed besides the fact that OH YEAH I am leaving a couple of days for Denver, Colorado.
Yes, Denver. One might wonder what a little girl like me would be going to Denver for? Oh ya know, I am just attending a four day hunting workshop. (I know, right?) Yeah. I am literally going to learn about hunting for three days. Then on the fourth I believe I am actually going to do it. Me- with a gun- pointing it at moving things- and trying to hit them. Yowza. I see failure in the near future but I suppose that's good for the pheasants? Anyways I am not completely sure about how I feel about this opportunity but it's apparently a great learning experience with great networking opportunities and looks good on my resume. Oh, and not to mention that they will be providing FREE food for four days of my life... it better be good. If you don't already know I, like most other college kids, am extremely enticed by free food (unless it's Little Caesars; I despise the stuff).
After these weeks of school skipping and crazy opportunities I am planning on officially sinking into my normal school life. 17 credits. 10 hours of work. 5 intra-mural teams. Plant ID team. Oh, and did I mention I am going to try to publish a paper with a professor? Ha and on top of all that we CANNOT forget the social life. After a summer of trompin through the desert finding my little quail I feel like there may be some added stress with this new schedule but hey, that's what college is all about!
So folks, whether it be your feet transitioning to some unfamiliar shoes, your muscles transitioning to some new activity or your brain transitioning to a whole lot more thinking it's going to be hard work and maybe a little pain but why not embrace it? no point in hatin' it if you have to do it anyways!
I'm Marci and I'm transitioning!
5.7.11
Homeless and NOT unemployed
i'm Marci- and...dreaming?
this summer has been... interesting to say the least. yes, i am homeless. i live out of my car. my trunk is full of my clothes and my backseat is full of the other miscellaneous stuff one needs. i have gone to six different wards in the past two months. i sleep on various couches or even sometimes in my car (my mother had a fit when she heard about that). i haven't slept in a real bed since... mid-April? and yes my back feels AWESOME. As result of any discomfort suffered from being homeless i have saved a lot of money! This, my friends, was the plan.
don't get the wrong idea; i'm not homeless ALL summer. i'm only homeless when i am not working. work provides me with a trailer home down in the Mojave desert and boy is it LOVELY. i share this little trailer with two other girls, Jenna and Quincey. this trailer is connected to some generators and when those are going we can get electricity and air conditioning but unfortunately we are only allowed to run those about two hours a day. normally our trailer is lacking in electricity, running water and any other convenience that requires outside connections. that's okay though because we all really like to camp and this is just like sleeping in a tent but just with harder walls.
in the Mojave, for anyone who is not knowledgeable about this particular part of Utah, it is not unheard of for the temperature to surpass 120 degrees during the hottest part of summer. unfortunately i haven't had the pleasure of experiencing that heat yet.
in the Mojave, for anyone who is not knowledgeable about this particular part of Utah, it is not unheard of for the temperature to surpass 120 degrees during the hottest part of summer. unfortunately i haven't had the pleasure of experiencing that heat yet.
our little camper
our trailer is in Lytle Ranch which is owned by BYU. this ranch is right next to a game ranch and so sometimes we see hunters and cowboys around. Lytle is located in a large wash and because of the tiny river running through it we are able to have a small orchard and some green grass. the orchard has pomegranates, pears and peaches along with other trees i haven't identified.this has been heavenly because it reminds of my home-town paradise.
the view while walking towards the orchards.
it is hard to walk through the ranch and not see tons of little critters scampering about. i'm sure that will change as it continually gets hotter but for now i see lots of cottontails, jack rabbits, lizards, deer, birds and sometimes coyotes and kit fox. there are also chickens and some dogs on the ranch! the rooster likes to perch right outside our trailer and call "happy birthday!" luckily i don't wake up to much besides my alarm so i don't get bothered by him.
Shadow is a big ball of energy and never fails to entertain!
Oso is literally the model dog for Doug off of the movie "Up"... big, fat and always happy to see you.
during the work week we don't get to spend a ton of time in this little Mojave oasis. we usually wake up early for work. sometimes when we are feeling super ambitious Quincey and i will wake up earlier to go running. this usually depends on what time we have to leave the ranch for work which varies depending on the job we are doing that day.
i came into this summer thinking i would be doing telemetry all the time. (telemetry is tracking animals wearing radio transmitters using a receiver.) i was wrong. the first week at Lytle we built the traps to catch the quail. because water is not very common in the Mojave, quail visit man-made water entrapments called guzzlers quite often. we build our traps around these. we make the entrances little funnels into the fence and the quail can't figure out how to get out once they get in.
Jenna, Quincey and i building our quail trap!
once we had some traps built we could start trapping and processing quail. to do this we scare the quail into a smaller cage connected to the larger one. we then close off that smaller cage and take it to the truck where we weigh them, put a radio collar on them, put little bands on their ankles and take a blood sample. then we release the little buggers! sometimes when i'm frustrated with a quail because it is trying to get away while i'm processing it i just randomly start laughing. honestly, who really ever has the chance to get upset about something like that??
we got the birds into the smaller trap and i'm bringing it to the truck!
Quincey is putting on the collar!
One of the first birds we processed.
usually when we are checking traps we ride in our giant truck (i feel like it's giant when i'm driving; it's a GMC 2500) but when we do other jobs we usually ride on the four wheeler and the rhino. this part, seemed a dream come true. who gets to drive these all summer long? ME!
Quincey is behind us on the four wheeler.
one day we got to do a special job because they needed help doing a burn on experimental plots. we needed to start the fire early to avoid the heat and wind so we woke up at 4:30 am. by 4:40 am i was running around with the dogs and singing and laughing as the others stared with glazed eyes. we finally got up to the plots and the others were awake. the professors and our ranch manager were very nervous, the fire fighters were very relaxed and we were very excited. the fire fighters were so relaxed about it that one of them was talking on the phone to his wife while setting bushes on fire. it was all pretty relaxed until the fire reached a joshua tree and would cause a couple of floating embers. though it wasn't nearly as intense as it sounds i was still very excited to be a fire fighter because i remember being little and dressing up in my Dad's fire suit dreaming about being a fire fighter.
this is us in our fire get-up right before we started!
we were the "flappers" and controlled the fire if it got outside the exclosures
a joshua tree catching on fire
the week after that we started telemetry. to do this we got all dressed up in our desert garb including the snake gaitors and fanny packs. (now i might mention that seeing me like this was my own little nightmare. a fanny pack... really??) we scoot on over there on our four wheelers and rhinos and start up our receivers and go through the frequencies to find the birds. once we find some frequencies we just start walking... and walking and walking and walking.
hard at work
we often have to climb mountains to get signals for the quail.
every couple of months we get to spend three days trapping small mammals. when i say small mammals, i mean rodents. we catch wood rats (eew), kangaroo rats and some varieties of pocket mice. to catch these we set out traps with bird seed in them the night before. so we don't bake them we have to wake up at five to start processing the rodents. to do this we weigh them, ear tag them, check their gender and whether or not they're pregnant (if applicable). then we let them go.
i learned a very important lesson on the first trap i checked; never try to catch a rodent by the tip of it's tail. this, my friends, is the moment after learning that lesson.
this is a kangaroo rat being weighed
if you don't check the traps quick enough they roast in the little ovens.
bummer dude.
another job we do for a couple of hours a week is repair/finish the experimental plot fences. this requires riveting, patching fence and pounding in poles. don't. be. jealous.
on occasion we get a little distracted. but that is only on very very rare occasions. this time Quincey had the brilliant idea of adorning her face with indian war paint made from the soot of the burnt area.
because the Mojave desert gets so hot during mid-day we have a siesta from about 1-4. during the free time around the ranch we usually read, write in journals, lay in the river or sleep if at all possible. on occasion we even wander the ranch. this has proven to be very entertaining. on walks i have found deer trails, abandoned shacks and a couple of really cool old vehicles. there are so many pretty and interesting things to be seen!
this truck really couldn't get any cooler. old, green and rusty, it sits right by a corral waiting to be photographed and appreciated by all who encounter.
this looked like some sort of fire truck. there was a big tank and a hose in back!
this bus looks like it crashed and was just left there. now it is built into the fence so obviously they're okay with it being there.
on countless occasions i laugh at what i am doing. while most college-age girls spend their summers serving people in restaurants i am tromping around in a desert. when i return to Provo after a long adventure in the desert i feel like i just woke up from a long dream. i mean, really, would i really NOT be freaking out if i was holding a rat by the scruff of it's neck? i honestly can't be cool with being pooped on repeatedly by birds. yeah- must've been a dream.
i'm Marci and i'm dreaming.
i'm Marci and i'm dreaming.
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