At the risk of seeming like one of those people who trap guests in the living room for hours at a time to show slides of recent travels, I do want to take you to the Barkhur Market and the Sera Monastery in Lhasa for just a bit. The Barkhur Market is too much to take in in one stay. Stalls upon stalls of fruits, … [Read more...] about Day in Lhasa, part 2
The Chiru of High Tibet
A Day in Lhasa, Part 1
May 21 [in Lhasa] Altitude headache, slowed, slowed responses, and if I move too fast or even walk upstairs a general bodily feeling that I've just done a bad. But it's worth it. The mountains are incredible. They look like eternity. And I can see Potala from my room. I'm eager for this day. We will go to the outside … [Read more...] about A Day in Lhasa, Part 1
Re-visiting My Visit to Tibet
Six years ago today I flew to Chicago from Cedar Rapids. I was such a new international traveler that I had never been to the international terminal in O'Hare. My first worry was could I find it. I did find it--and was on my way. I have been thinking this spring that it would be fun to get out my journal and re-visit … [Read more...] about Re-visiting My Visit to Tibet
Out and About: Arthur School
On Wednesday, Snowflake Bentley, the chiru, and Grandmother Bryant, Bizzy Bones, that hiking, banjo-strumming Granny, and I went to Arthur School in Cedar Rapids for the day. And we all had a great time. The students--about 360 in all--were lively and enthusiastic about books and stories. They keep journals and write … [Read more...] about Out and About: Arthur School
Holidy Greeting from the Kids of Mount Vernon
I'm interrupting this blog's usual focus on writing and stories and chiru to send you this holiday card--actually made by the kids at the Mount Vernon Elementary School with their art teacher, Sarah Fitzgerald (front, in the photo). Each art class watched the video of Snowflake Bentley. Then each student cut out a … [Read more...] about Holidy Greeting from the Kids of Mount Vernon
Thinking About Endangered Animals
I’m packing and otherwise getting ready to go to the 2011 meeting of the AASL in Minneapolis tomorrow and, since I’ll be talking about the chiru, I thought it might be appropriate to interrupt the discussion on beginnings to share a sampling of books about other animals who, like the chiru, are or have teetered on the … [Read more...] about Thinking About Endangered Animals