Author Archives: Matt

Grandmother and Grandfather Mountains

Since my daughter was born a month ago, I haven’t been able to get out and stretch my legs on the trail. So when an opportunity came along to go hiking, I jumped at it. The past few weeks had been … Continue reading

Posted in Hikes | Leave a comment

Introducing Clara

  On Thursday, June 19, my 32nd birthday, Erin woke up having contractions that were 10 minutes apart, give or take a minute. This persisted through the morning. By the afternoon, the contractions had gotten closer together. We left home … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

Mexico, Auroras, and other June Fun

I’m a bit late getting some updates out, so I’m going to condense about 3 posts in to one in the hopes that I can get caught up. So let’s start with my trip to Mexico. If it wasn’t obvious … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

Flight Paths

[map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”ROADMAP” gpx=”http://www.mineral2.com/wp-content/uploads/Flights.GPX”] If you don’t already know me, I have a thing for maps and geography. It’s an absolute delight to see the landscape from the air. I’ve … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

What might the native prairie have looked like?

It’s hard to imagine what America’s prairies looked like when they were unspoiled. Today, more than 95% of our prairies and grasslands have been repurposed for agriculture. The last remnants are so highly fragmented that it’s a fight to keep … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

Evo-WIBO and the Olympic Peninsula

I’m two weeks on this post, but forgive me because the last two weeks of the semester have been insane. The bi-annual northwest evolution conference, Evo-WIBO, occurred the last weekend of April. If you don’t remember, I attended the last … Continue reading

Posted in Hikes, Travel Stories | Leave a comment

Scenic Drives and Cemeteries

I really enjoy the small historic cemeteries that dot the Palouse. They’re tucked away on obscure roads or in the middle of farm fields in places where you wouldn’t think to go. They’re incredibly peaceful and scenic and full of … Continue reading

Posted in Travel Stories | 1 Comment

Asotin Creek

It’s funny that only two weeks ago, I was clearing snow from my driveway, and now there’s hardly any sign of winter left on the Palouse. Instead of snow, it rained for nearly a week straight. So when we caught … Continue reading

Posted in Hikes | Leave a comment

Palouse Photography: Waiting for the right light

This post will demonstrate just how fast light can change, especially during sunrise and sunset. These three images, taken in the same location on the same day within a half-hour window, demonstrate just how quickly light can change. Therefore, it … Continue reading

Posted in Photo Blog | 1 Comment

A President’s Weekend in McCall

I can’t believe February is almost over an I haven’t made any posts yet. I’ve been plugging along with classes and research and laying fairly low for financial reasons. I’m not skiing this year, which helps out in keeping my … Continue reading

Posted in Hikes, Travel Stories | Leave a comment

2013: A Retrospective

For all intents and purposes, 2013 was a shitty year. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, something else would go wrong. And, so the trend continued until the final months. The year started out pretty good. Though … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

2013: A Year in Photographs

This year, I have fallen behind in my photography pursuits. It’s in part due to the events in February, and part due to not having the funds or time to get out as much as I’d have liked. I’ve been … Continue reading

Posted in Photo Blog | Leave a comment

Snowshoeing Moose Creek

Last week, winter returned to the Palouse. We got about six inches of snow in Deary, most of which was still around over the weekend. On Sunday, I joined a group of students and post-docs for a snowshoeing trip to … Continue reading

Posted in Hikes | Leave a comment

An update on the Hawk Owl

It’s been over a week since a Northern Hawk Owl was spotted hanging out across a busy street from a shopping mall in Moscow, Idaho, but the bird is still here and reliably seen in the same locations. I’ve now … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

The latest hype in Moscow

The latest rage in Moscow, Idaho is the sighting of an immigrant that shouldn’t be here. A Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) has been spotted in Moscow across Rt. 8 from the Safeway parking lot. The earliest sightings on eBird … Continue reading

Posted in All Things Moscow, Personal Updates | Leave a comment

Look what I found

Since we finished the interior of the house, it was time to clean up the garage and start moving everything back inside. This was also a good time to start tidying up the yard before winter hits. Last weekend, we … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

The New Kitchen

Three months ago, we had some pipes leak in our kitchen that caused some damage to the flooring and the cabinets and resulted in us basically getting a brand new kitchen. We contacted State Farm to see about getting any … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

October Update

Where has time gone? It’s already October, which means I missed out on September. Well, I didn’t really miss it. I was busy with a graduate school ritual known as the preliminary examination. Prelims are, without a doubt, the most … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

Garden Produce

The tomato plants have fruit, but I’m awaiting them to ripen. The pepper plants are starting to produce. The strawberries are on their second round of harvest. In the mean time, the squash and zucchini are providing us with food … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment

The Joy of Home Ownership: Adventures in Plumbing

When we moved to Moscow, we knew we’d be here for more than five years and that buying our own place would probably benefit us more in the long run than renting. There are many advantages to owning your own … Continue reading

Posted in Personal Updates | Leave a comment