Only In Austin...

Tom Hughes Park on Lake Travis, formally (and always to me) known as Marshall Ford. After a day of floating in the lake drinking cerveza Tecáte and enjoying the Austin heat, I was no longer white... simply red - and I'm not talking about Red Hucknall and the boys.

It was a great July 4th, 2008.

Hope, Arkansas

Airport hangers? Construction storage? Rail yard? Nope. Discarded FEMA trailers.

The Google image is missing several more in a field SE of the airport deposited after the above image was taken but can be seen in the oblique image below.

While driving to visit Historic Washington State Park just outside of Hope, Arkansas our group passed the Hope Airport and were witness to a field of FEMA trailers. These trailers are surplus from Hurricane Katrina and number in the ten thousands. Much debate exists regarding re-deployment, economic stimulus to Hope (rent), and their potential dangers with possible formaldehyde contamination.

I lived in one for two weeks while working in Bismarck, ND... they weren't so bad... well... for two weeks.

FEMA Trailers Sit Empty in Hope
FEMA Trailers 'Toxic Tin Cans'?

Currently, they are available for auction but I have a feeling the majority are not going anywhere anytime soon.

FEMA Auctions Trailers at Hope Airport
FEMA auctioning off trailers at fire-sale prices

A smaller storage in Selma, Alabama:
Madison, IN:

Shiloh Indian Mounds

So after a week of geophysical work at Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, Georgia, I decided on my drive back to Fayetteville to make a detour along southern Tennessee and visit the Shiloh Military Park which also contains the Shiloh Indian Mounds. Of course, I was excited to visit the military park but I was just as excited to visit the mounds.

When I checked into the visitor center, I was told that the road leading to the Shiloh Indian Mounds was closed for construction. Bummer, I thought. Once I got around to the closed off road, I realized that I could easily walk back to the mounds. So after a call to the wife stating that if she doesn't hear from me in an hour (being arrested for trespassing on federal property), I started walking across the open field toward the Tennessee River and the Indian mounds.

National Cemetery entrance at Shiloh

Cannons and monuments are throughout the 4,000 acre park

"Area Closed". That didn't stop me. I was going to see the mounds.

I cut across this field...

.. to get to the closed road.

The machinery blocking the road didn't faze me.

Continuing down the closed road toward the river it became very hot and sticky (no breeze) but I was finally able to see the mounds in the distance. Mound F can be seen through the trees.

Mound A as seen through the unmanaged part of the park. This area really needs some work clearing out dead trees and brush.


A sweaty explorer with Mound A in the background. Mound E is to the left.

Fate, Faith or Coincidence?

So, I spent last week in San Marcos, Texas coordinating the Mississippian Iconography Conference that I do every year. My eight hour drive home yesterday was fairly uneventful until I got into eastern Oklahoma. As I pulled off the highway to indulge myself in an order of Sonic tater-tots, some interesting events unfolded.

Approx. 7:45PM
My stomach begins to rumble and I see a Sonic sign on Interstate 40 at Sallisaw. I exit and head into town.

Approx. 7:50PM
I finish eating my order of tater-tots covered in cheese, put on my seat belt and turn the key to start my jeep. When turning the key, I am greeted with a cacophonous BANG from under my hood, followed by the instrument dials in the dash moving back and forth in a "not so normal" way. As I wonder, "what was that!", I begin to see smoke billowing out from under the engine hood. My only thought... "shit. why did I stop for tater-tots in Sallisaw, Oklahoma." (BTW, Sallisaw is where the Joad family turned west out of the dusty Oklahoma poverty in attempt to find a better life in "prosperous" California.)

I get out of the car, open the hood to discover that my battery shorted out and the loud bang was the battery acid covers being blasted off the battery into the underside of the engine hood. My thoughts changed.. "I'm screwed."

Thinking I'll need to hitch a ride, call a tow truck or something else to fix this, I looked up in amazement.. Next door to the Sonic was an AutoZone. My thoughts now moved to.. "Wow." I walked over to AutoZone and purchased a battery.

7:54PM
I asked the clerk at the AutoZone what time they close in case the new battery does not fix the issue. "We close at 8PM", he stated. I looked at my phone. It was 7:54. They close in 6 minutes. My thoughts.. "isn't this just the most interesting set of events?" I walked back to Sonic and installed the battery.

8:10PM
Battery installed, I turned the ignition key. My jeep started like nothing even happened. I loaded the old battery into the back of the jeep and drove out of Sonic. The ice in my cherry-lime aid hadn't even had time to dissolve and water down my drink. My thoughts returned to "Wow." I got back to Fayetteville with only a 30 minute delay.

Five minutes later, I would have been in a much worse situation (both in time and money). The last hour of my drive was consumed with wondering whether this set of circumstances were the result of fate, faith or simply coincidence. I'm leaning toward simple coincidence... and a little luck.

Signs, Signs, Signs

I had a recent urge to post some pictures taken in various places. I think it was the marque at the Quality Inn in San Marcos that got me to go back and look at some pictures I took of signs. It was tough to narrow my selection down to these few. Anomalous, mostly interesting and often informative signs are everywhere and I, oddly, take pictures of them.
Our luxury hotel in Manchester, TN while conducting a geophysical survey at Old Stone Fort State Park. I ate the breakfast, it certainly was not blessed.

Heading northeast toward the Bitterroot Mountains and into Missoula. Leaving Nez Perce Indian Reservation - Kooskia, ID

Five days of hot, windy, muggy and sweaty of geophysical survey work at Ft. Pierre-Chouteau Historical Site - Pierre, SD

The Big Drive Summer '07 - Milage accumulated at that point while parked at the Larson site in North Dakota. Left to go -> 4,000

Spiffy Biffs. He was a life saver. It was very clean and, of course, spiffy. - Bismarck, ND

Not what you think, unfortunately. - Regina, SK

This place rocked! - Saskatoon, SK

"We dig Arkansas". I also dig Arkansas, but in smaller amounts. - Wilson, AR

Toad Suck Park in Conway, AR. I'm tempted.

The intersection in downtown Natchitoches, LA

Los Adaes State Historical Site - Robeline, LA

Perfect, I thought, because I speak English most of the time. San Marcos, TX

Now this one doesn't make sense to me. I get the issue but not the proposed solution. Fayetteville, AR

Why Vegetarian?

A question I am asked periodically. More specifically, "What made you "turn" vegetarian?" Well, as I always explain, my original reason morphed into several important motivations for maintaining a vegetarian diet specific to both myself as an individual and the well-being of the environment.

About five years ago, I asked myself if I had the willpower to stop eating beef, chicken, pork and fish. This was after watching the movie Go Further at the 2003 SXSW Film Festival in Austin. It was a motivating movie in many regards (I have the DVD, if anyone wants to see it). The movie gave me motivation to choose a real New Years Eve resolution: stop eating meat and become a vegetarian. Could I do it? I was basically raised on meat and potatoes. I grew up in Texas! How does one become a vegetarian in a world of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches easily available at your favorite fast food restaurant on every corner, ordered, paid for and eaten in 5 quick minutes?

Well, apart from a few departures from the diet - most as a result of traveling to other countries and a desire (or requirement) to eat local cuisine (Llama in Bolivia - yes!), a couple instances of absolutely nothing to eat on the menu, and a few "cheats" - I was, and am, able to maintain a vegetarian diet. I've got some odd stories such as eating beans and rice EVERYDAY for 5 weeks in Belize, eating avocado after avocado during my two months in Mexico and spending the summer working and traveling the US Great Plains - regional beef producing capital - and eating basically potato and lettuce the entire time.

After five years, I enjoy tastes and food combinations that I never would have tried before. At first, I lost around 25 pounds and people were concerned. I looked like that skinny kid in eighth grade again - except I was 31. However, after much studying and reading about what to eat and the various nutritional secrets that food holds, meat is not needed.

Often (sadly), I see a news story that reemphasizes my decision to abstain from meat and have become the motivations to continue to maintain a vegetarian diet. The below link and the reason for this post is no exception - in fact it is disgusting.

A little Google querying had me discover that 143 million pounds of beef is roughly 300,000 cattle. Yes, that is a lot of cattle not to mention a lot of destroyed food.

How many acres were destroyed to raise these 300,000 cattle? How much grain was grown to feed these cattle (verses how much could have been fed to humans)? How much of the economy was squandered in processing these cattle? How much gas was used to process and transport the beef across the United States? How could corporations deliberately mistreat animals, contaminate their food, and endanger millions of customers all for a little extra profit?

How long will it take for people to forget it happened and eat another burger at their favorite fast food chain?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/02/17/usdabeef.recall.ap/index.html

12,000 Miles? Who's Counting...

This summer has been the busiest summer since I have been back in school. Without taking an exact account but certainly coming close, I logged around 12,000 miles of United States highways and byways. My summer excursions stretched from Georgia to Idaho and up to Saskatchewan and back down to Arkansas. Temperatures ranged from hot and humid to cold and dry recorded in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Topology ranged from the eroded mountains of the southern Appalachians to the massive uplifts in the northern Rockies to isolation and endless skies across northern Plains to fields of cotton and corn along the great Mississippi River.

I took so many photos that I decided to manage them a little different and use an online photo portal tool (with exception to Etowah). It was just easier that way and took much less time... something I do not have much of these days.. and also gives the opportunity for people to comment on photos, if they desire.

So, those interested, here are some links to the online photo albums associated with Summer 2007..


Cartersville, Georgia
Etowah Indian Mounds State Park
May 28, 2007 - June 3, 2007




Hells Canyon, Idaho
Nez Perce along the Snake River
June 7-15, 2007





Pierre, South Dakota
Ft. Pierre-Chateau
June 18-23, 2007





Bismarck, North Dakota
Mandan site of Larson
June 26 - July 6, 2007





Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Archaeogeophysical workshop & survey at a historic homestead.
July 9-11, 2007




Wilson, Arkansas
3D scanning of Nodena artifacts
July 17 - August 3, 2007