You can be forgiven if you thought I had dropped out of school based on the content of recent posts. Nope; I'm still here and looking for a dissertation topic. So far I haven't chosen one, but here a few I've rejected:
Action research on boundary spanning roles: Take a fundraiser, a donor, and a professor on a hike around the Sewanee perimeter.
Auto-ethnography on the process of choosing a dissertation topic: Pros: No problems getting access to the data.
Content analysis of my dissertation: It's like a mirror reflected in a mirror reflected in a mirror reflected in a ... whoa.
Factors predicting alumni giving at a private university in the South: Turns out it has been done. Who knew?
The topic doesn't matter, but the title doesn't have a colon: I realized I would never get a job that way.
Cosmopolitans vs. locals in the tenure process: Findings suggest that drinking too much isn't good for tenure bids, no matter whether you consume fruity Sex In the City cocktails or regional microbrews.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Another disappointment
Not a good weekend for hiking. Today's hike should have been good - I've done it before, and it's six pleasant miles. And the forecast only was for a 40% chance of rain - odds I can play.
It was pretty ominous out as I prepared to leave the house, but we decided to chance it. As I drove west to pick up my friend, the sky lightened. It got sunnier as we cruised down the highway until it was positively nice out. Hot and humid, sure, but not raining. The sky clouded up again as we hiked, however. Then the rain started. By itself, it wasn't too bad, since it was warm enough that chills weren't an issue. But the thunder was more worrisome. At around two miles we decided to turn around.
The rain waxed and waned. We decided to stop at the Wildcat Shelter for a respite, but as we approached we saw the coupled camped there was now involved in a very private activity. We passed on interrupting them and trudged back to the car.
The day has been mostly raining, with thunderstorms, ever since.
It was pretty ominous out as I prepared to leave the house, but we decided to chance it. As I drove west to pick up my friend, the sky lightened. It got sunnier as we cruised down the highway until it was positively nice out. Hot and humid, sure, but not raining. The sky clouded up again as we hiked, however. Then the rain started. By itself, it wasn't too bad, since it was warm enough that chills weren't an issue. But the thunder was more worrisome. At around two miles we decided to turn around.
The rain waxed and waned. We decided to stop at the Wildcat Shelter for a respite, but as we approached we saw the coupled camped there was now involved in a very private activity. We passed on interrupting them and trudged back to the car.
The day has been mostly raining, with thunderstorms, ever since.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A trail to skip
So my friend suggested doing a hike, nothing too killer, and I offered her three choices - two I had done previously and one new one. She picked the new one. Oops.
The Twin Forks trail is primarily a horse trail. Now I've hiked on pedestrian-friendly horse trails before. You expect a little mud, a wide path, and some horse poop. This trail, however, was very narrow and extremely muddy. It was brushy, too, which meant watching out for ticks. Most of it really looked like the picture here. We spent a good deal of our time looking at the ground instead of at the views of the river, although there weren't as many views as the guidebook had led me to believe.
The hike is supposed to be a 1.5-mile loop - the trail continues on, but it loops back to the road. We finally reached a really muddy, nasty stretch and decided to turn around. Later I figured we were at the 1.2-mile point, so we were almost done, but I was also afraid we'd missed the path back to the parking lot.
The highlight of the trip was when a wild turkey burst out of the underbrush - it seemed as startled as us. It started making a wide circle around the trail, honking the entire time. Otherwise, the trip didn't offer anything to make up for the icky trail. Next time, leave this one to the horses.
The Twin Forks trail is primarily a horse trail. Now I've hiked on pedestrian-friendly horse trails before. You expect a little mud, a wide path, and some horse poop. This trail, however, was very narrow and extremely muddy. It was brushy, too, which meant watching out for ticks. Most of it really looked like the picture here. We spent a good deal of our time looking at the ground instead of at the views of the river, although there weren't as many views as the guidebook had led me to believe.
The hike is supposed to be a 1.5-mile loop - the trail continues on, but it loops back to the road. We finally reached a really muddy, nasty stretch and decided to turn around. Later I figured we were at the 1.2-mile point, so we were almost done, but I was also afraid we'd missed the path back to the parking lot.
The highlight of the trip was when a wild turkey burst out of the underbrush - it seemed as startled as us. It started making a wide circle around the trail, honking the entire time. Otherwise, the trip didn't offer anything to make up for the icky trail. Next time, leave this one to the horses.
Boy Scouts seize Murfreesboro
Yesterday I wanted to go for a moderate hike, something different. There's an easy 3.5-mile loop at Stones River National Battlefield that's not too far away, just in Murfreesboro, so I decided to drive down there. I get close and find a traffic jam to get in the parking lot. There are Boy Scouts everywhere (plus a few girl Scouts) and police directing cars. I actually drove around the lot twice and didn't find parking. Apparently they were placing flags at the cemetery. It hadn't occurred to me to think of it being Memorial Day weekend, especially not on the day itself. And while I was all in favor of the endeavor, I was surprised to see people actually recognizing the holiday for its significance rather than as just a three-day weekend.
So I went to another nearby hike, the 2.5-mile Barfield Wilderness Loop. Having done it once, that was sufficient. The trail starts off as a greenway, which is pleasant enough but hardly worth going to Murfreesboro for. Then the "wild" trail takes off. It's not much used and very overgrown; I was glad to be wearing pants. It was also incredibly muggy, perhaps from the previous day's rain. People tell me it wasn't humid in general yesterday morning, but there it was. The trail follows a sluggish river for a little while before weaving in and out of some cedar glades. The description in the book I was using didn't seem to match experience my (or even its own map) very well.
Near the end of the trail, I came upon a group of Boy Scouts. For an Eagle project, they were rerouting the trail in one spot where it was steep and eroding. It looked like nice work.
Afterwards, I went to a barbecue and then saw the new Indiana Jones flick. Reviewers have been very divided on it, and a friend whose opinion I would have trusted thought it made "Stargate" look like "Citizen Kane." But everyone in my group enjoyed it very much.
So I went to another nearby hike, the 2.5-mile Barfield Wilderness Loop. Having done it once, that was sufficient. The trail starts off as a greenway, which is pleasant enough but hardly worth going to Murfreesboro for. Then the "wild" trail takes off. It's not much used and very overgrown; I was glad to be wearing pants. It was also incredibly muggy, perhaps from the previous day's rain. People tell me it wasn't humid in general yesterday morning, but there it was. The trail follows a sluggish river for a little while before weaving in and out of some cedar glades. The description in the book I was using didn't seem to match experience my (or even its own map) very well.
Near the end of the trail, I came upon a group of Boy Scouts. For an Eagle project, they were rerouting the trail in one spot where it was steep and eroding. It looked like nice work.
Afterwards, I went to a barbecue and then saw the new Indiana Jones flick. Reviewers have been very divided on it, and a friend whose opinion I would have trusted thought it made "Stargate" look like "Citizen Kane." But everyone in my group enjoyed it very much.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Hiking goals
Last summer I worked hard to get in shape for Mt. St. Helens. This year I haven't had any such goal, and I like goals. So instead of one big one, I have a couple of smaller goals. They are:
Don't worry, I have school goals, too.
- Go backpacking at least once, even if it's only a two-day trip
- Hike the Walls of Jericho
- Hike the Sewanee Perimeter Trail in one day, in the fall when the leaves are pretty and the heat won't kill me.
Don't worry, I have school goals, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)