Montana Memories

Here are a few photos that begin to capture my two weeks in Montana. It is hard to believe I'll be heading home tomorrow.

Sunset from atop my horse, Colt 45, at Deboo's Ranch

The view from atop Pitamakin Pass

Crossing a suspension bridge on the Red Eagle Trail beyond Triple Divide Pass

Keeping our food away from critters at Red Eagle Lake

Fireweed at Logan Pass

Mountain Goats at Logan Pass

Back from the Backcountry

Fields of wildflowers near Triple Divide Pass

Just finished our four day backcountry camping trip. Ray, Alan, and I trekked 34 miles through mountainous terrain that was teeming with wildflowers and wildlife. It was refreshing to be amid the greenery that I had seen from a distance while I was in Browning, and quite remarkable that the forest was so lush despite the lack of rainfall over the last several weeks. Still on a slow internet connection, so more photos later.

We stayed at three different campgrounds along the way. Each one had four small campsites, a food hanging, and a food preparation area. In order to keep campgrounds less appealing to bears and other wildlife, people must be vigilant about containing their food and keeping it out of tent sites. This gave us an opportunity to chat with many intrepid hikers as we prepared and ate dinner each night.

We met several families with grown children, and some groups of close friends who were hiking together. We noticed just as many women as men on the trails, but we did not see any young children. While we were having lunch one day, a group of two young men and two young women sloshed through a nearby creek carrying shovels, axes, and helmets. One of them said they were setting up for a nine day work camp. Not far behind them were a team of horses, one of them leading a train of seven pack mules. They were huge!

Nathan, a National Park Service Backcountry ranger, and his volunteer companion, Dave, were at our campsite for two nights. We took comfort in having Nathan close by throughout much of our trip, and it was fascinating to learn more about the park from his perspective. He told us that of the 300+ days he has spent in the backcountry over the last four years, he has only seen two bears. Phew! He also warned us to be careful when viewing moose, because they can be just as dangerous as bears.

There was a female moose at the Red Eagle Lake campground who came out for dinner and breakfast while we were there. She ambled right by our campsite and into the lake, seemingly unaware that any campers were there. We stayed quiet and kept our distance while she ate. As we were leaving, the moose trotted out of the water, right across our trail, and into the nearby woods. Alan had a perfect photo op.

Our trip brought us Pitamakin Pass and Triple Divide Pass. This meant we would gain and lose a significant amount of elevation within each of two day’s hikes. We were happy that the climb for each of these passes came at the beginning of each hike. The view from the top of Pitamakin was spectacular. We could see four shimmering lakes from one spot that looked like gemstones plucked from the earth. We hiked to Triple Divide in the rain. By the time we got to the top, there were frozen droplets collecting on our gloves, so we scurried quickly down the other side. Fortunately, the skies opened up and we were treated to beautiful views as we hiked through wildflowers and bear brush for the rest of that day’s hike.

Overall, this part of my trip was awe-inspiring. Hiking in the park’s backcountry brings me close to nature and to my family. We agreed that the time and energy we spend planning and hiking is well worth the effort.

Katy's Post - The End

My, oh my!  What adventures I have had traveling through Europe. I must start this post with a huge THANK YOU to Abby for encouraging me to apply for and take this trip!  Also, it was Matt's (Mr.G's) talk about Global Education at our teacher meetings last year  that sparked me to dream up this amazing trip and apply it to the first grade curriculum. Without both of their help and support, this trip wouldn't have happened so...THANK YOU!

I am writing this post from Vermont...I drove up this morning after arriving back to Providence yesterday evening. I've reunited with Stella (She's ignoring me! I think she's a little mad I left her for a month!) and I've been sharing stories of my travels with anyone who will listen!


The last few days of my trip were spent in Nice, France. I loved the beaches in Nice, because they are all stone - no sand all over your body or in your sandwich!  It is like a hot stone massage to lay on them! I loved it!  One day, I took the ferry to St. Tropez and enjoyed the glitz and glamor of this hot-spot.  I also went to the Henri Matisse museum, as Nice is one of the places where Henri lived.  Do you remember in the book "Bonjour, Mr.Satie!" about the competition between Picasso and Matisse?  I saw some of the actual paintings that were illustrations in the book! I've posted some pictures of Matisse and Picasso work - some from the museum, some not!

I've included some other pictures from my journey. It's been wonderful sharing this trip with you! Thank you for your comments and emails!  I'll see you soon!  Enjoy the last few days of summer vacation!

Signing off -
Your Lovely European Blogger,
Katy

This is the St.Stefano Church in Venice! (This one's for you SP)

Messi jerseys were all over!  (This one's for you JD)

Enjoying the Matisse Museum!

Guess who this is painted by!

A signed jersey of my favorite (former)  Italian soccer player - Roberto Baggio!

I saw an opera being performed on the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Me inside the Colosseum!

Inside the Pantheon in Rome.

I got to meet Olympian Clement Lefert, who got two medals!  He is from Nice and was visiting while I was there. 

Enjoying a little time on the vespa in St.Tropez!

This is what greeted me as I went to the Dublin airport to go home. It's an advertisement for Barretstown!  It brought me back full circle to the reason I came on this trip - to volunteer at this wonderful organization!  Love it!

Time to go home!!!

Katy's Post - Through Different Eyes

 While in Europe, I kept thinking about the Diversity Workshop I did with Laura last year.  We did a workshop for first through third grade talking about visual impairment and blindness. Together with the children, we learned about braille and thought about how we might include children with visual impairments in everyday activities.  Here are some interesting pictures that I took around Europe of how museums, towns and businesses are including people with visual impairments.

In Dublin, to cross the street, you can "read" with this raised map of the street, which is on the street post. It shows you how many lanes of traffic (3 in each picture), which way the cars are coming from, and the best route for you to cross safely.

The Uffizi Museum in Florence had what was called a TOUCH TOUR.  Since people with visual impairments might have trouble seeing through their eyes, the museum provides a touch copy paintings.  It is an imprint of the picture made out of plaster so people can "see" it with their sense of touch. See the example below.

Actual picture of The Birth of Venus

Touch tour copy of The Birth of Venus

At the museum I visited in Fiesole, outside of Florence, maps were raised so people could touch and feel where the different rooms were. They were also labeled in braille and raised lettering.

The descriptions were done in braille and raised lettering.

The ruins of the amphitheater were shone on this raised map. People could touch the map and "see" where all the ruins were located. The labels were done in braille.

Actual theater ruins

It might be hard to see, but this vitamin box is labeled in braille. Can you see the dots up near the top?

On to Glacier National Park

Hello All,
Internet access has been hard to come by in Montana. It is Indian Days, a four day holiday celebrating Indian culture so the Blackfeet Community College, where I last was able to gain access, was closed. Life just moves at a different pace in these parts! I  found a little internet cafe in the back of the tading post cafe in St. Mary near the park. Pictures take forever to upload, so I will have to add them another time.

I am really pleased to have met the goals I had set at the beginning of my week with Global Volunteers - to learn about the Blackfeet culture, serve the community, and make connections on the reservation and with my Global Volunteers team.

Through my work with a variety of different people on the reservation, I learned things about the Blackfeet that I never could have gotten from books. A couple of highlights for me were chatting with a group of elementary-aged children I was helping supervise as they bowled with a summer enrichment program and reading a newspaper aloud to Bud, a resident of the elder care center who has limited vision. He perked up when I began describing the picture of the rodeo rider who had nearly sweeped a recent competition. This led to stories of his own days in the rodeo. I had to smile when one began with, "Not to brag, but..." Marty, a Blackfeet elder, addressed our group at our barbeque near Two Medicine River. He brought along several Blackfeet artifacts, including a parfleche, beaded belts and hair ornaments, and several warrior headdresses.


On Thursday, a small group from our team went to Browning Elementrary school to help a new administrative team spiffy up the teacher's workroom and storage area. We sorted through seasonal decorations, organized the die cut materials, set up the laminating machine, and organized the tables and chairs so that they would look inviting. The smile on the secretary's face when she saw the fruits of our labor were worth every drop of sweat. I was also able to talk with a second grade teacher who shared information with me about the curriculum and programs she works with in her school.

My team was very productive in the community throughout the week. Several of the hardier souls spent the majority of the week erecting a shed at our Head Start "home." This will be used to store Global Volunteers' supplies during the winter months. Our team leader, Michele, was thrilled to have  completed this project, as she used a tipi that is set up in the Eagle Shield Assisted Living common area to store materials last year.


After a day of service on Thursday, we headed to Deboo's Ranch for an evening of riding gentle horses and sharing stories around a campfire. Seeing the sun set over the Montana mountains while sitting in the saddle atop Colt 45 is an experience I will not soon forget. On Friday, I attended a pow wow in Heart Butte in celebration of Indian Days. I saw the grand procession, which included many of the dancers who would later compete. As a non-Indian, some of the traditions were a little lost on me. Fortunately, a group of us were able to ask Darrell, a Blackfeet who served with our team all week, to fill in the blanks.

It was hard to say goodbye to my team yesterday morning. Through our service and cultural enrichment activities, we formed some very strong bonds. Fortunately, I was able to extend one of my connections throguhout the day on Saturday. My new friend, Pam, and I explored the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park as I waited for Ray and Alan to arrive from Missoula. Waking to the sunrise casting a warm glow over the mountains made me excited to begin the next leg of my adventure.

Heart Butte Indian Days

Day 2

We have been focusing a lot today on how to use primary sources correctly.

We went on a private tour today of the maps collection! They have maps and globes that are over 1000 years old, and most of the them are one of a kind and not open to the general public. There were also globes that were heavily ornamented. I thought it was interesting that the map collection had more than just accurate maps. Some of them were 3D maps and even maps on umbrellas.

Day 1

I am in Washington, D.C.! I thought that it was hot in Providence, but I can taste the thickness of the humidity in the air. Luckily, I am staying only 5 minutes away from the Library of Congress.

There are only 20 other teachers at the institute. And since we all applied and were accepted into the Institute, we all want to be there. Today, we took a tour of the main portion of the Library of Congress. We got to go through these underground tunnels from one building to the next. I would look at the ceiling and know that above me I was crossing the street. I wonder if there are underground tunnels that the presidents use!

Katys Post - Wow! Rome!

Hi All,

  I left Florence and ended up in Rome after a quick hour and a half train ride.   I must say, it has been easy, comfortable, and fun taking trains to all these different places in Italy.  I arrived in Rome and made my way to the Hotel San Carlo, near the Spanish Steps.  I went on a late afternoon/evening walk and saw some beautiful, historic sites - the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Camp de Fiori.  There were lots of people out and about, a fun and joyful energy in the air. 

The Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

 My first day, I went to the Villa Bourguese which is a lovely park in the shape of a heart!  I rented a bike for a few hours and rode all around the park. I stopped a few time to do some resting and writing in my journal.  I saw a marble mansion, an old track, many stautes and flowery gardens.  In the afternoon, I walked around the area of Trastevere. This was a quieter section of Rome, across the Tiber River from the historic center.  I went to the Santa Maria and Trastevere Church and was interested in the collaged foyer with many different carved marble pieces. There was a mass underway, so I wasnt able to enter the church.  Next, I went on an evening bike tour of Rome.  We went by so many amazing sites and it was neat to see them all lit up for the evening. My favorite was the Colosseum!  It is just breath taking!  I also saw the Castle of Saint Angelo, Circus Massimo, Roman Forum and the Arch of Constaintine.

My second day was full of more history. Ive learned that Roman history takes place over 29 centuries! Its impossible to learn it all or see it all in one visit! Guess that means Ill have to come back!  I went on a visit to the Roman Forum and Colosseum. I love seeing the ruins and imagining what life was like back in their time.  It felt really neat to be in inside to Colosseum, being in a place where so much history has taken place!   This afternoon, I went to Vatican City which is the smallest country.  I saw the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peters Basicillica.  I was really impressed with all the paintings done by Michaelanglo and Raffello. Also, I learned a number of trivia facts that I didnt know before visiting! 

The Colosseum

Ive learned so much about European history since Ive been here. Its really interested me, and lucky for me, people along my trip have suggested books to read, movies to watch, and other places to visit to help me learn more! I cant wait to get home and get some new books on my kindle, put some new movies in my Netflix queue and plan my next trip to somewhere fun!

Tomorrow is my last morning in Rome. I am planning on revisiting the Pantheon. Its one of the best preserved building of Roman time, and I just want to see it again!  After than, I am off to Nice, France for some rest and relaxation on the beach! 

I cant believe I will be home in less than one week. I am excited to see my parents, friends and Stella, of course!

Hope you are all enjoying August!

Greetings From Montana

Hello All,
Life is busy for me in Montana! I joined my Global Volunteers group at Great Falls Airport on Saturday morning. The majority of us come from two different families who have used summer vacation time to volunteer and learn more about Montana and the Blackfeet culture. It has been fun for me to connect with Bridget, who will be entering third grade this fall, and Nancy, a retired librarian who is the matriarch of the other family. Our home base is the Head Start building in Browning. We are sleeping dormitory-style in classrooms that are set up with bunks, sheets and blankets. I feel pretty much at home surrounded by books, toys, and furniture covered up in black plastic!

We have a morning meeting each day. We listen to an inspirational quote that one team member has chosen, the daily journal from the previous day that another member wrote, and updates on each of our work projects. We then decide who will be doing what for the day, and we scramble off to various locations on the reservation. So far I have volunteered at the Community Development Center. Global Volunteers matches their own team members with members of the communites they support. This means I have had lots of opportunities to interact with tribal members. I am learning a lot about Blackfeet history and culture.




Part of a sculpture outside of Browning Hospital - made with recycled metals

Two of our team members help coordinate our free time activities. On Sunday, we took a drive through the reservation to get our bearings and see some of the sights. The reservation is very close to Glacier National Park and the Canadian border. We stopped to take pictures at Duck Lake, St. Mary Lodge, Two Medicine Lake, and Glacier Lodge in East Glacier.

Two Medicine Lake

On Sunday night I watched a video that helped me understand more about the Lewis and Clark expedition from a Blackfeet perspective. On Monday, we drove to a ranch on the outskirts of Browning to participate in a sweat. Being a part of this spiritual ceremony was an incredibly powerful experience that I never would have had without the strong local connections that Global Volunteers has made.
I am off to work now with some people who are setting up for Indian Days, a pow wow that will occur over the next four days in Heart Butte.

I hope all are well back home.

Katys Post - Goodbye Venice, Hello Florence

Colorful Houses in Burano

Buena Sera!

 It was a great last morning in Venice. I woke up early and made my way to the vapretto (water bus) station. I took the water bus out to the islands of Burano and Torcello. Burano is known for the colorful houses the fisherman live in, and for making beautiful lace.  You all know I love colorful things, so these houses I had to see! The colors certainly did not disappoint!  There were pink house, yellow houses, green houses, blue houses, orange houses...so many colors! Also, in Venice and on this island, a lot of people hang their clothes out to dry on a clothesline instead of having dryer or using a dryer which uses a lot of electricity.  I loved seeing all the clothes lines hanging around the town. 

When I went to the island of Torcello, there are not many people living on the island any more.  I saw lots of stone ruins and a lovely anicent church with stone statues.  Also, there were cats all over this island!  Well...maybe not all over, but I saw about 10 of them during my walk from the vapretto to the church. I think they must be wild cats, so I didnt pet them because I wasnt sure if they were friendly. But...they were cute and they made me miss Stella!! : )

Pegasus Statue

This afternoon, I left Venice and took the train to Florence!  I arrived and found my hotel quite easily (compared to the maze that is Venice). Then, I look off for some exploring.  I walked to the downtown area and went over the Ponte Vecchio which is the oldest bridge in Florence!  The sun was just starting to go down, so it was very beautiful! Then, I walked over to the Duomo. WoW!! This was an amazing site. It is a huge church, made entirely out of green, pink and white marble.  It is georgeous and so much prettier in person that I have seen in pictures.  Loved it!

 I also went to an outdoor museum, that houses many marble and bronze statues.  Many of the statues are from the 1500s or earlier.  The artistic abilities of the men (and maybe women) who carved these are truly amazing. Tomorrow, I will be seeing a lot more artwork as I am visiting two museums in Florence, the Accademia and the Uffizi.

Ponte Vechio Oldest Bridge in Florence

Part of the Duomo

 I am more than half way through my trip. I cant believe it!! Looking forward to all I have left!

Katy's Post - Lake Como and Venice!

Hi Everyone!

The past few days I have been exploring Milan and Lake Como.  I spent one night in Milan and due to a flight delay didn't get in until late. But...I did get to see the Duomo, a few other sights and got my first italian gelato! Delicious!

Lake Como (mom- this one is for you!)

Castle ruins in Varenna

my first gelato

The next morning, I look the train and bus up to Lake Como. I stayed in a town about halfway up the lake called Menaggio.  It was an adorable little town with restaurants and shops.  I took the ferry to a few different towns on the lake including Varenna and Bellagio.  Both were wonderful. Varenna is a classical italian lakeside village, and I hiked to the ruins of an old castle on the top of a mountain. Bellagio had a lot of fancy stores, but I like going through the narrow alleyways and doing some shopping.

Today I took the train to Venice!  Have you ever imagined a city where there are no cars, the "roads" are water, and people get around by boat? Where the gorgeous stone buildings seemingly float on the water and bridges connect the small alleyways for people to walk on?  Well...it's not imaginary at all - it's Venice!  A magical place that I can't wait to explore more!  I am off to walk the alley ways and cross the bridges and maybe even take a boat cruise down the Grand Canal!

Ciao!

Laura's Post - Going to Montana

Hello Everyone,
It has been a busy week of packing and planning as I get ready to head west. I was excited to learn that I will be part of a 20-person team during the service portion of my trip to the Blackfeet Reservation. I can't wait to meet some interesting new people! My team leader is the co-founder of Global Volunteers. She started the Blackfeet Reservation program in 1999, so she has lots of exerience working with this community. Since our vounteer work is based on the expressed needs of the community, we will find out what our jobs will be after we arrive in Browning. Most likely, I will work at the Head Start Center, Elder Care Center, or Summer Recreation Program. Our Blackfeet partners have requested winter coats, so I have packed an extra one to offer as a donation.

I have been checking the weather and updates for Glacier National Park pretty regularly this summer. Logan Pass on Going to the Sun Road opened on June 19, once all of the snow had been cleared. Plowing the road that most tourists  want to travel is a huge task for Glacier National Park staff. Here is a link that shows what the road looked like on June 11. It's hard to believe this picture was taken less than two months ago!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glaciernps/7368816592/in/set-72157629725011599

The Weather Channel says it is currently 50 degrees with showers in Glacier National Park and the low for tomorrow is 24! B-r-r-r! The extended forecast shows lots of sunny skies and higher temperatures, though. Everything we have read tells us to keep the flukey weather in mind as we pack. Browning (where the Blackfeet Reservation is located) is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest temperature difference in one day - a fall from 44 degrees to negative 56 on January 23-24, 1916! Ray updated our packing list for our backcountry hike, and it includes lots of layers. In his most detailed fashion, Ray has recorded the weight of everything we will carry, to ensure we are not overloaded for our hike. How lucky I am to have him on my team!

Making a list...and checking it twice!

My backpacking clothes are in the blue bag on top

Dinner. Add water, put in a cozy, wait, and...yum!

I am in charge of meal planning for our backpacking trip. We will be in the backcountry for four days and three nights, so no side trips to the mini-mart! The notes on our map recommend packing freeze dried food, as it is less likely to attract animals. It is also pretty light. We will burn lots of calories as we hike, so I've packed some high energy food for each of us. Trail mix, protein bars, and turkey jerky anyone?

A delicious blend of sweet and salty

Here is lunch for the week...

And let's not forget, safety first!

It looks like we are prepared for almost anything. A few last-minute details today, a good night's sleep, and I will be ready to go!
I hope everyone is enjoying a glorious summer!
Laura