Fall Semester!

Today is the official first day of Fall- my favorite season! Along with cooler temperatures and falling leaves, fall means the beginning of classes. If all goes well this semester I should complete all of my requisite classes for my Associates Degree by December, great news! I'm definitely ready to join the workforce again- I just hope my hunt for that great job doesn't last me too long.

First though, I need to focus on my remaining courses. I have some very interesting classes this semester, and so far I'm really enjoying it. Computer Aided Drafting is really cool. If you've never played with building houses on a computer before, you should check out this cool site: http://www.graphisoft.com/ We use Archicad technology and it's so cool to see your building come to life before your eyes!

I'm also taking Masonry. I love the hands on classes the best. Actually doing the physical work is great. As we've just started though, we haven't gotten that much time practicing with brick and mortar. What we have done however, I really like. There's such an art to masonry, and we've got a really talented teacher. Stay tuned for an entire blog dedicated to masonry.

I'm also taking Chemistry. That's right, chemistry. I thought I was so clever getting through high school and college without ever stepping foot into a chemistry class. I remember the constant cries of my fellow students trying to learn this fierce subject. I didn't want anything to do with it so I simply stayed away. Well, it turns out Chemistry is a requisite class for my HP degree, so here I am. Not so clever after all.

Here is where I must confess. After several weeks of classes, I actually... really like it! Ya ya I know, bizarre. For some odd reason science always came very easily to me. It makes no sense given that math is my hardest subject. Regardless, I've always enjoyed science. So here I am, doing my labs at home (it's an entirely online class) and I am fascinated. I am actually looking forward to my labs- I mean, watching these chemical changes right before my eyes is so cool! Nature is amazing- so technical and so complicated yet so simple. We really can't do anything without chemistry. I never realized how much we owe to those brilliant scientists of years before. Fantastic!



And lastly I have an independent study of Preservation Dynamics-Law and Economics. I still have a week before this class begins, but I must admit I am fairly terrified of it. This deals with numbers, math, equations, accounting- ahhhh! That's where I don't excel so quickly. I've got a great teacher though so I'm sure I'll be pleasantly surprised about the cool things I'll be learning.

So you can see why I'm excited about this semester. Lots of cool things to learn! To be honest, I kind of wish I could continue as a student- it's a pretty great life. But let's be real, the jobs are calling!

Another kind of home...

If you have read previous entries of this blog, you'll know that my continued search for exciting historical places has taken me all over the state of Colorado. This past weekend, I extended that boundary a bit and made it all the way to Utah- Moab to be exact. When you think of Moab, Historic Preservation might not come to mind, but there are some pleasant surprises here!

As mentioned in the previous blog, the petroglyphs and pictographs are well worth the visit. There is also the amazing landscape. If you know this area, you'll know that National Parks are abundant here. Thankfully these amazing Canyons, Arches, Mesas, and Bridges have been protected through the National Park Service. As a side note, did you know that Historic Preservation in America is actually a part of the National Park Service? That might surprise you but if you think about it, it makes sense.

Moab is truly an amazing place. The landscape is awe-inspiring. But don't get too lost in those red rocks to miss a place like the "World Famous" Hole "N The Rock! I've visited some amazing historical homes, but there has been none like this one.

This is a 5,000 square foot home drilled directly in the rock. Albert and Gladys Christiansen had a small cabin near the rock here in the early 1940's. Albert decided that a better idea would be to live in the rock, instead of near it. They began to chip away at the rock with dynamite and hand drills. Albert worked on the home for 12 years before he had a heart attack in 1957 and passed away. Gladys continued work on the home until she passed away in 1974.

The home has 14 rooms divided by massive rock pillars for support. Being inside the rock, there was a natural temperature of 65-70 degrees year round. Though Albert did build a fireplace, there was no need for heating or cooling of the home. The couple also ran a diner here. They had a 'commercial' kitchen complete with deep fryer that Albert built directly into the rock. After Albert died, Gladys continued to run the diner and give tours of the home. I wish I could say that diner was still there, but it has since been turned into a gift shop.

Unfortunately photos were not allowed inside the house. But I strongly encourage you to take a look at the rooms from the website here: http://www.theholeintherock.com/photos.html This home is very impressive. I can't imagine the work that was put into building this. Albert drilled 65 feet alone just for the chimney of the fireplace. A fireplace they didn't even need mind you.

From this photo below you can see the front door and windows. You'll also notice that Albert was a big fan of President Roosevelt from his memorial to him right above the front door.


In good American fashion, the area surrounding the home was filled with lots of kitsch. There was a petting zoo, several gift shops, and lots of strange "I'm not sure what that is" kind of yard art. This is definitely worth the trip though. If you're ever in the Moab area, don't miss a trip here.

Oh, and don't forget to go mountain biking either. Funny that Moab should just happen to have some of the worlds best mountain biking! I was lucky to squeeze in a ride in between my historic research!

Beyond buildings...

As I've mentioned in previous blogs, historic preservation is so much more than bricks and mortar- at least to me it is. Beyond preserving buildings there are statues, landscapes, entire archaeological sites, the list goes on. This weekend I had the chance to visit an entirely different realm well worth preserving: petroglyphs and pictographs.



I found this rock art in Sego Canyon in Utah, near Moab. The art from the panel above is called the Barrier Canyon style. This was attributed to the nomadic Archaic people that lived in this area from 8,000 B.C until the introduction of agriculture about 2,000 years ago. Note the hollow eyes and the missing arms and legs. I wish I knew more about that significance to explain here.

This next panel is the Fremont Style. The Fremont people thrived in this area from 600 A.D. to about 1250 A.D. They are believed to be relatives of the Anasazi people of the Four Corners area. I wish I had a better photo of this panel. It doesn't show how incredibly preserved they really are.



The last of the most prominent panels here is from the Ute people. The presence of horses and people riding horses relays a lot of information. As we know, the Spanish brought horses to North America in the 16th century, so these panels date beyond that time period. (Although evidence of horses being native to the Americas has been found, but that's another debate altogether). The Utes lived freely in Utah and Colorado until about 1869 when they were forced onto reservations. The picture of this panel below was taken from this website: http://climb-utah.com/Moab/sego.htm.



I find these pictograpsh fascinating for many reasons. First off, I am amazed at how old, yet will preserved they are. Some of this art dates back to 7,000 B.C! And it's still there! Secondly, it's fascinating that in this location, there are several different panels from different time periods, ranging up to the 19th century. I find this quite interesting. Over those 9,000 or so years, what was happening within these cultures. These are different groups of people with radically different lifestyles. What were they thinking when they came upon the others' drawings. Did they know what they meant? Where they answering them? Did they have any idea how old they were? How and why did they draw them to begin with? What is a spiritual ceremony? Were they sending a message to others?

There are so many questions that run through my mind I just wish I could go back in time and watch it all happen. As I stand there in front of this art, I really can see it all happening, or at least, how I imagine it happened. I can almost hear the drums and the conversation. I can see the people moving about, grinding red sand, blood and dirt for their paint. And then I wonder, where did they go? Were they just passing through, was this were they always stayed, was this a special spot? Why aren't there more drawings? I mean, there is endless rock here, why aren't these walls covered? Why did three different peoples, over thousands of years choose this spot for a few drawings?

The questions go on and on. I'm sure there's an Anthropologist somewhere that can answer some of these questions. Nevertheless it's fascinating to think about. After visiting a site like this in person, it makes me very grateful that someone out there has realized how important it is to protect them. Of course, this is the best kind of preservation- were doing absolutely nothing offers the best protection. In that vain, the site must be protected from vandals and curious people like me that just want to touch them! Here's where education is so important- teaching the public about respect and honor. Telling the story of where these came from and who did them. There will always be unanswered questions of course, but some mystery keeps the imagination strong, at least I know mine is!

Amazing Interlaken

This past Labor Day I decided to celebrate by doing a little mountain biking in Lake County. Finally I got a day off from the hard work of the summer where I could actually just play. I love to mountain bike, and it's been way too long since I've been able to do so.

I geared up my bike and headed down to Twin Lakes, a beautiful area about 20 minutes South of Leadville. I got really lucky with one of the most gorgeous days I've seen in a long time.


Let me just say that this was one of the funnest trails I've ever ridden. It was really flat (I like flat) but lots of technical turns, dips, rocks, roots and fun single track- my perfect ride! Not to mention it was a loop around this amazing blue lake. As if it couldn't get any better, about three miles into the ride I just happen to run into this amazing historic building! Wow my positive thinking has really been paying off, I mean how lucky can you get?

This historic building was Dexter's Cabin. I have heard lots about this place because this was a project that my school mates have worked on. I just got here too late and I missed it. I knew the buildings were somewhere in this area, but I had no idea I would run right into them on my ride.

Leadville Miner James Dexter built this cabin for his family in 1895. It's really an amazing home. I would consider this 'log cabin' to be quite luxurious even by today's standard. I mean, just look at that wood work!


A few yards down the road is the actual Interlaken resort. The resort was built in 1879 by John Stanley who knew these sapphire lakes had a lot of potential for the upper class Leadville residents. Dexter purchased the hotel in 1883 and expanded it by some 2,000 acres. He spared no expense in making this as luxurious a resort as possible. Just check out this privy, it's said to have had individual booths and leather seats!

In addition, the resort boasted a billiard parlor, dance pavilion, ice house, cow and chicken sheds, and a boathouse among other amenities. This was quite the set up for 19th century lodge in a very remote location.

Sadly the resort lost its vitality when Dexter died in 1899. After that it was used as a boarding house until WWI, and wasn't used since. Fortunately, the National Trust, in conjunction with Colorado Preservation, Inc. and the Forest Service, have been spending many hours restoring the buildings. It is being rehabilitated for public use. They aren't quite ready to be open to the public however, and the work has stopped in the last year or so. I'm uncertain as to why, or when it will start again, but I hope it's very soon because this site is just outstanding. Anyone that comes to this part of the country really needs to rent a mountain bike and check this out for the day. They won't be sorry!

Ancient Native American Church Meeting- Special Edition!!

While this weeks blog is not about preserving a building or other historic structure, it is about preserving and respecting dieing American traditions. Being in the preservation field, I strongly believe that preservation goes way beyond restoring wood and brick. We want to preserve the story, the history, the culture, the traditions. So when I was asked to attend an Ancient Native American Church Meeting (ANAC), I was incredibly honored.

My brother Phil is a Jesuit Priest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He dedicates his life to living in solidarity with those around him. He aims to see life conditions improve, and tries to bring Jesus' message of peace and love to all those he meets. It's a tough job, but he was clearly born to do this. You can see more of where he lives and what he does here: http://www.redcloudschool.org/

Personally, I have always had great affinity for America's Native Peoples. So I am especially interested in Phil's life and life 'on the rez'. When he called me and told me he was holding an Ancient Native American Church Meeting and he wanted me to come, I can't even begin to tell you how honored and excited I was. Being your typical white person, I couldn't just stop by a church meeting. This is a very sacred event that you must be welcomed into, and there was no way I was going to miss this opportunity. This is something I have wanted to experience since I was in high school, and here it was!

Let me first explain a little about ANAC. For thousands of years many different Native tribes have been using peyote as medicine in spiritual ceremonies. The peyote enhances their communion and communication with the spirit world. Different tribes have varying practices, but there are a few main similarities. The meeting usually begins at night, and it lasts until sunrise the next morning, ending with a communal breakfast. There's lots of singing, drumming, praying, and rituals. It is always a very sacred event.

I rolled onto the rez about 5pm. Because my brother was the one holding the meeting, I was fortunate to see some of the preparation that evening. He had apparently been working on this for some time- holding a meeting takes a lot of work. There are so many rituals and proper things you need, way beyond what I could describe to you here. That day, Phil had been up since sunrise so that he could set up the tipi in the correct spot for the morning sun. He had been preparing food, gifts, and other tools the entire day. I got there in time to help set up the alter inside the tipi. I also helped pick some sage- an important element during the meeting.

Around 9pm or so Phil got most everything together and prepared for the evening ahead.


Around 10pm we entered the tipi. There were about 16 or so participants. We walked in single file from left to right, circling the inside until we found our seat on the ground. From this point on I will do my best to explain what happened, but really, I'm not totally sure myself. There were so many rituals involving tobacco, water, sage, drumming, prayers, fire, etc., I missed a lot simply because I'm not privy to the meaning.

There were some initial prayers and singing. I settled down into a deep calm. I was grateful for a very clear and peaceful mind that night. I was completely ready to absorb and participate in the healing and powerful energy ahead. With some rolled tobacco I set my intentions for the night. After some more praying and singing, the first round of the peyote was passed around. The number four has significant meaning for the Lakota people, and most things are done in fours. So when you receive the medicine, you are supposed to take four spoonfuls. Here's my brother eating his medicine on the first round:

Peyote is known to be a not so tasty plant. It was bitter, but I didn't think it was that bad. I took four small spoonfuls because I feared over ingesting could lead to a very paranoid mind. Everyone ate out of the same bowl, and washed it down with the same cup of water. I enjoyed this communion. There was a great connection between all of us inside the tipi, singing with each other, and praying with each other.

More singing, drumming and praying occurred, along with more rituals of which I didn't understand. This was kind of cool though, the mystery of what was being done was ok, it allowed me to make my own interpretations. From the energy in the room though, it was clearly all good, all positive, and all healing.

Another round of the peyote came fairly quick. By this time I was getting a bit sleepy, so I wasn't sure how much more I should take. I again took four small spoonfuls. This time it tasted a little bit worse, but still not that bad. A little while later, with more singing and drumming, I was getting VERY sleepy. It became more and more difficult just to stay seated. This was a disappointment. I didn't want to be sleepy, I wanted to be fully alert and participate in the meeting. I held on as best as I could for a few more hours. The singing was really incredible, and the drumming was mesmerizing. I was impressed by the native tunes my white brother could belt out:

By this time I resigned to keeping my head down and simply trying to absorb all that was going on around me. I was way to tired to actively participate, but I allowed the pure energy in the room just to cover me. Usually peyote has a stimulating effect, like that of epinephrine. Apparently not for me. I was told to eat more, maybe I just hadn't eaten enough. So on round three, I took some heaping spoonfuls! I was going all in this time. And let me tell you, this time it tasted awful! They aren't kidding when they say it tastes bad. Peyote is also infamous for making you nauseated, or even make you vomit. So by round three, the sight of the medicine is fairly nauseating in itself.

Around this time my brother was called to the alter. I'm not sure what he was doing, but I imagine he was getting some kind of blessing by the leader of the meeting.


This was pretty cool. As if it wasn't enough of an honor just to be there, but to see my very own brother that close and connected with the people, it was really awesome to see. I felt like an overly proud sister at that point.

On the other hand, those big spoonfuls on the last round really knocked me out. I'm not sure if I blacked out, or dozed, or what. I basically sat there, head on knees, for a few hours, doing everything in my power to maintain consciousness. Obviously I took too much, and this peyote for some reason had an opposite effect on me. Still, I sat there and absorbed as much as I could, and it was still so incredible.

I held on all night, making it to dawn. When the sun was up, the light shown brilliantly on the meeting leader when the tipi door was opened. This was an incredible moment- praying all night in the dark and being blessed by the rising sun. In the morning, a lot of rituals were carried out- I wish I knew enough to explain them. What I did understand however, was the blessing of the food and water. It's traditional for beef, corn, and cherries to be brought into the tipi in the morning. A lot of prayers were shared, and blessing of the food and water was completed. Bowls of the food were passed around, customary to eat straight out of the bowl before taking a plateful for yourself. Again I relished with this communion. I didn't think I could eat a thing, but once I started in on those cherries and buttery corn, wow that was some good food!

After nourishing our bodies and giving thanks for all these gifts, my brother passed around gifts of his own. There was so much work that went into this night, from the fire-man keeping the flames burning all night, to the door man making sure the door was in proper placement, to the water women who brought in the nourishing water in the morning, to the drummer who drummed for each and every song, to the leader who facilitated the entire meeting. They all deserved special thanks, the meeting would not have been possible without any of them.

After this we exited the tipi and began to take it down. To have final completion of the night, we needed to disassemble the tipi and take down the alter.


Now it was complete. In the early morning we all sat around and chatted for a while. The mood was light and fun. It was great to chat with these people that I hardly knew, yet just spent a very intense and special night with. Even though I didn't know them, I was very connected to them. We sat a while longer and had second breakfast. Then my brother did some final blessings.

The night was over. I'm not going to lie, it was difficult. Difficult to stay awake mainly. But it was so worth it. To see an ancient tradition played out before your very eyes, and to participate in it, was so incredible. It was almost surreal. I am very grateful for such an amazing experience. I have so much respect for all the people that participated. The incredible energy and prayers that were sent to the universe this night, has no doubt made this a more peaceful and happy world.

A special thanks goes to my brother Phil, all those that helped him prepare for this meeting and all those present this night. Thank you for sharing your time and prayers with me, I am honored!