Ryan and Rachael

Another fabulous week at Arcadia.  The changing foliage of red maple stands out among the conifer trees surrounding the lake.  Thursday, after orienting ourselves with our Adirondack bio-region by looking at maps, we canoed over to Gannett for our first spontaneous dance crew practice.  The group which formed during a study session rehearses each Thursday for spontaneous performances on the public stage the many members made strides during their first hour.

Friday always brings the excitement of Wil's world-class adventures.  This week we visited Massawepie Mire, a five thousand plus year old forest that has transformed into a bog over time.  The sphagnum moss provided us not only a great ecological testing site, but also served as a forgiving platform for races.

After all the racing and dancing we were ready to rest our legs so we took an overnight canoe trip to the St. Regis canoe area on Saturday.  Highlights of the trip included clear skies, calm waters and plenty of shenanigans.  Ryan and Julia decided to tip their canoe.  We made delicious dinners including corn, calzones and stir-fry and to satisfy our sweet tooth played malt ball trivia by the fire.  We came home Sunday and had the afternoon to relax and catch up on work.

The weekend rest was much needed.  Glenn's surprise field trip led us to a long day at the Adirondack Museum.  We saw exhibits on the history of logging, outdoor recreation in the Adirondack, and railroads.  The trip really helped bring to life everything we've been learning in Glenn's class.

Tuesday morning half of our group went to woodworking with Everett and made a lot of progress on their canoe paddles.  The rest of us helped Baylor carry in wood planks for the floor of the soon to be new kitchen or community yurt.  In Baylor's class we had a visitor come from Colgate University, Jason Kawall.  He discussed greed, posing the question "Is Everyone Greedy at a Certain Level?"  He provoked discussion as we sat on the front dock for class.

This past week as teh sauna was frequently lit and the lake cooled to autumn temperatures we worked hard to prepare for Wil's Friday midterm.  The test is the final bench mark before parents weekend and mid semester break.  Tid bit from Glenn's class:  The mane Adirondack means 'Eaters of the Trees' and was given to these mountains as a tribute to the Algonquins.  Clearly this was a mistake as the occupied a region north of the park.