Checking out the Volcano

A couple weeks ago when we went camping, the goal was to go to Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens.  Of course, it rained the entire weekend and when we got to the Johnston Ridge viewpoint of Mt. St. Helens, we saw this.

Not exactly awesome. There was also a bike race going up the mountain and I felt so bad for the riders, in the rain, riding uphill like that. They were definitely dedicated. I certainly wouldn’t have done it.

Last weekend it was nice, so we decided to make a day trip and go back to St. Helens. It was much better this time. Still a few clouds but we could actually see the mountain/volcano. This is my favorite picture that I took.

I also messed around with creating some panoramas. They turned out okay.

Here’s a couple pictures of David and me. I wish I had taken my camera bag off, but I never think about stuff like that until I look at the pictures on my computer.

At the Johnston Ridge visitors center, they showed a movie that had some pretty neat animations of what happened during the May 18, 1980 eruption. It is amazing how quickly the landscape can change.

On the way home, we stopped at Cabelas, I guess going to Mt. St. Helens provides a good excuse to go to the only Cabelas in the area. David wanted to look for a new holster (because apparently he needs three holsters for one gun??) but he ended up not buying anything and I got a pair of cute flip-flops and some watermelon licorice. I guess it was a successful trip after all.

Podcast Recommendations

Since I spend at least two hours of my day commuting, I have become a self-proclaimed podcast addict. Recently I discovered the podcasts from HowStuffWorks.com. The site has several podcast offerings, but three are my favorites.

Stuff You Missed in History Class
I like history in general, but I especially like how the hosts discuss obscure historical facts. Instead of just throwing out a bunch of information, each episode is like a story. A couple of my favorite episodes are “How Did Meriweather Lewis Die?” and “Mutiny on the Bounty”.  It was actually really hard to just pick two episodes as my favorites.

Stuff Mom Never Told You
This podcast covers gender issues, most related to women.  I find the hosts funny and the subjects interesting.  One of the most interesting episodes is “The Delightful History of Menstrual Products“.  I’m sure that sounds like a bizarre episode title, but I found it fascinating how ancient cultures thought of a woman’s period.  For example, Ancient Persians sent women away for several days to have their period and then if it wasn’t over after the allotted time period, the women were beaten, essentially to beat it out of them, and sent away for more days.  It’s just crazy how ancient civilizations explained things they didn’t understand.

Stuff You Should Know
This is a good general knowledge podcast.  The hosts are, at times, hilarious and I have found myself laughing out loud.  Every episode is good, but a few standouts are “What Makes a Serial Killer?“, “The Real How Jack the Ripper Worked“, and “How SWAT Teams Work“.

Give these podcasts a listen next time you’re bored.

While I’m on the subject of stuff on my iPhone that I use to pass the time, the game Harbor Master is very fun.  Check it out.

Steve makes me laugh

Steve likes to eat just about anything.  When I snack on carrots, Steve is always waiting, hoping that I will share at least one carrot with him.  I usually do because watching him chew makes me laugh everytime.  Steve rarely chews anything but when it comes to carrots, he chews and chews and chews!

In case you all need a giggle, here’s Steve chewing carrots.