Freida the Travel Frog

This is Freida.
She's a stuffed frog I got from one of my best friends in middle school, and has since been given the title "The Travel Frog." Whenever I go someplace new (obviously farther than my normal travels) I bring her and take a snapshot . What I'm thinking of doing is putting all of the photos together in a book someday, kind of like a record of where I've been.
What started it all was when my dad was leaving on a business trip for ten days, which was longer than he'd even been away from us. I felt like I should give him something to "remember" me by, so just before he left for the airport, I ran into my room and grabbed Frieda.
 Fast forward ten days later when we were looking at the pictures he took. There Frieda was, perched on the Great Wall of China. That was my inspiration.
Since then, she's been to Virginia Beach, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Adirondacks and Baltimore. I've taken her hiking for pictures on the summits of mountains and plan on taking her to Florida when I go next month. Usually I try to take her picture in a place where the backround would show where we were or remind me of something we did. In Virginia it was the ocean, in Maine a lighthouse, and in Baltimore she was next to a paper bag from the Hard Rock Cafe.

I'll admit I feel kind of silly bringing around a stuffed frog to all of these places, but it's worth it once I get the shot. :-)

**The picture above is on McCauley Mountain, in Old Forge, NY. The Adirondack chairs in the backround face out to a view of the Fulton Chain of Lakes and their spokes are made of skis- way cool!**

"Snow-icane"

The local paper calls it a "Snow-nado" but in class yesterday, my friends all dubbed it the "Snow-icane."
What is it you ask? Its just about the biggest snowstorm I can ever remember hitting this part of the U.S. The article in the paper yesterday said there would be 76 mph winds and snow falling 2-3 inches an hour. Our blanket of snow is being turned into a comforter!
I woke up this morning at nine o'clock (Snow Day!!) and looked outside. It was snowing, and every single branch of every tree was dusted with a layer of fluff. It's my favorite thing in the winter to wake up and see my backyard warped into a mysterious world of white. I love how snow can bow the branches and make the ground look so smooth. It changes the landscape tremendously, yet does it so silently. I mean have you ever been out, say, sledding, and after a ride to the bottom of the hill just laid there and looked up at the sky? The snow falls so softly and when it's all over the trees and bushes, it buffers the surrounding noise. It's really quite peaceful to listen to the snow.
Anyway, we're about to get a ton of this white wonder, so before it gets too much like a blizzard out there, I think I'll go skiing.
Happy Nor'easter everyone!

Daydreaming

     I’ve been sitting around lately daydreaming about my future. Where do I want to go in life? What are my goals? Well, I know one thing is for certain- I want to travel.

     It has been my dream to visit a multitude of places all over our lovely planet, and I’ve kept a sort of mental list of those I’m most interested in:

         *Italy- I’ve always wanted a piece of pizza from Italy. I’ve heard it tastes different from American pizza, and I’m curious. Rome and Venice are intriguing too. I mean, who wouldn’t want to throw a coin into Trevi Fountain or take a gondola ride through water-filled streets?

        *Brazil- I’ll be studying Biology in college, so of course the continent that contains the biggest rainforest in the world will be of interest to me. The flamboyantly colored fur and plumage of all the species down there would be so cool to see (plus make for great pictures!).

        *Africa- Again, there’s lots of exotic animals. What I wouldn’t give to take a safari down into the Serengeti! I’ve also contemplated summiting Mount Kilamanjaro- the highest peak in Africa. I enjoy hiking and think this is a neat and even possible goal to reach.

        *Antarctica- Sure it’s the continent where the coldest temperature in the world was recorded, but you’ve got to admit it’d be fantastic just be there.

        *Paris, France- It’s the city of love, who can blame me?

        *Great Wall of China- Ever since my dad brought back pictures from when he visited China, I’ve wanted to go there. He said it is truly an amazing sight to see the Wall snaking through the tall mountains in the distance. Even to walk on something that’s been around for so many years would be a wonderful experience. Plus, to get back down to ground level, you get to take a toboggan-slide thing.

        *Australia- Have you ever heard of Ayers Rock? If not, I’m sure you’d recognize it once you see its picture. I’m not quite sure why, but I’ve got a yearning to go see it. That, seeing kangaroos and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef would make an Australian vacation complete for me.

        *Mount Everest- Yes, I know I’ll probably never actually reach the top (even in its coolness, I’m put off by the whole avalanche and frostbitten finger possibilities.) but it’s a goal of mine to at least take a trip to Nepal or Tibet to get a glimpse. If I’m really feeling ambitious, just a hike up to the first base camp would be extraordinary.



Yeah, it’s a pretty big list (and I haven’t even mentioned North America), but these are the places I’ve always dreamed about. And hey, once I make my first million I could even make those dreams a reality.

Snow vs. Sunshine

     **Imagine the scene to the left covered in snow- this is where I ski**

     Today I was blessed with another day off from school (Thanks be to the presidents!). So what did I do to take advantage of the bright sunshiny day? I went skiing.

Let’s just say it was a learning experience.

I love being outside – especially when it sunny. However, my love for skiing doesn’t really bode well with my love for the sun. I went outside, strapped on my skis and got going. After only one trip around the yard I was starting to sweat. It was a balmy 35 degrees out; not the warmest, but certainly not the coldest it could have been.

Right from the start we could see that if we stayed in one place for too long, the snow would stick to our skis and make our travel very difficult. My mother and I went up to the pipeline to see if the snow was deeper up there, but it wasn’t. We went for it anyway.

Lesson 1: If it's been sunny the whole day, expect the snow to be warmer and stickier than usual. Don’t forget to wax.

It was actually pretty hard work getting up to the top. By the time I turned around up there, my snowsuit was hanging by my waist; I had shed my hat and gloves and rolled up my sleeves. I was warm.

 

Lesson 2: Check the weather before you go out and dress accordingly! Remember: sun = warmth.

I regained my breath and looked at my surroundings. It was well worth the climb. The sky was nearly cloudless and a beautiful blue, the snow was glittering all around me and the smell of the fresh air was magnificent.

I turned back to the slope in front of me, got rid of the excess snow on my skis and pushed off. It was actually a lot smoother than I though it would be, albeit a little difficult trying to dodge the occasional clump of field-grass.

By the time we made it to the bottom, I was winded. That and the discouraging thought of having to stop every so often to clear our skis and evade more grass compelled Mom and I to only ride the first little bump of the hill again before heading back home.

It really was a beautiful day though, albeit a little tiring. I think having days like these really help the winter blues. Just feeling the sun on my face can turn my mood for the better, and sometimes, if I’m lucky, I can smell the faint whiff of spring (by far one of the best scents in the world).

For now though, it’s ski-season. And from the looks of the radar, we’re in for a bit more snow. Maybe there is hope yet for a good ski this week!

Snow

Have you ever seen a snowflake?

I mean, of course we've all seen snow, but have you really taken a moment to look at the fine details of each individual flake?

My first “sighting” was actually only a few years ago while outside in my black wool coat. I look at my arm for some odd reason and then saw them. The snowflakes were beautiful. Each one was a tiny, brittle crystal with six perfectly symmetrical arms. It was one of those moments where you realize “What else have I been overlooking?”

That particular incident resurfaced in my mind earlier today when I saw the same type of snowflake while taking advantage of the snow day a giant nor’easter gave us. I was standing outside waiting for my skis to cool off (warm skis can make snow clump up on the bottom and mine had been in the house) when I noticed something in my hair out of the corner of my eye. I looked closer and saw those tiny snowflakes. I took a few pictures with my camera, and then got to the skiing.

Now, I hadn’t been skiing since the beginning of February last year, so I was pretty proud of myself that I didn’t fall until after a few hours had passed. The best part of the day I think was being able to ski on the Pipeline that’s little bit down the road from us. I’ll admit we didn’t ski the super-steep part, only the cleared area from the bottom of the hill to the road.

I was first in the line of my mom, sister and I. If you’ve skied before, you know how difficult it is to blaze a trail in slightly sticky snow, but I didn’t mind. I could hear the swish, swish of my skis against the snow and the slight breeze blowing through the pine tree grove nearby. I even saw the red-tailed hawk that had spent the morning in our backyard flying overhead.

Finally to the base of the hill, I turned around. The view was awesome up there! The trees stood out in stark contrast to the snow around them, and in the distance, hills faded into a snowy white haze. It was silent too, that kind of winter silence that happens when it’s snowing and you’re motionless. I breathed in the fresh air; now was the best part.

I pushed off with my poles and flew down the gentle slope, snow stinging my face. I glided all the way down, stopping softly at the bottom.

This was definitely the best snow day ever.

 

 

** Yes, that's my hair, but look close and you can see the snowflakes I'm talking about!

Superbowl XLIV

     Today is Superbowl Sunday, the day of fattening (but delicious!) foods and big parties. Ok so, contrary to the majority of America, it's just my family here at home and we had chips, salsa and stromboli, but really, it's ultimately about the game, right? I'm rooting for the Colts, though I have to say, not very enthusiastically. I'm sitting here doing AP Biology homework and posting this, while periodically looking up to watch commercials.
     Really though, I do like football, it's just that I like it more when my team is playing (Go Steelers!). You could even catch this gal yelling at the TV for them. However, when two teams are playing against each other that I have absolutely no loyalty towards, I'll admit that I get bored, Football is fun to watch, but even more so when you've got someone to root for.
    

Fourth quarter and 7:26 left on the clock... C'mon Indianapolis! 

The Beginning

Hello all!

So this is my first post.

Of my first blog.

Ever.

I think I'll start off the whole experience by explaining my blog's title, Midnight Stargazer.

Sitting down to decide on the perfect phrase, my thoughts wandered to this past summer's family vacation in the Adirondacks. It was in the middle of that wonderful week, after we had hiked multiple mountains (not like the altitudinous ones like you're probably thinking of- more like a thousand feet) and kayaked the Moose River, that we were enjoying the warmth of the nightly campfire provided by our hotel. Upon looking up, I realized how clear the night was- not a cloud in the sky. I walked over to the docks on the lake and laid down for a better view.

It was absolute heaven gazing at the billions of stars without a single artificial light to ruin their glow. I could smell pine and hear the distant calls of a loon. The only thing that motivated me to get up was my heavy eyelids, for by then, it was much later into the night.

Like I said, it was amazing.

Perfect place.

Perfect feeling.

Perfect title.