Prairie Pedagogy
The question last month was: Wink's Washout or The Royal Flush? While I don't want to encourage this discussion, I'll have to admit that the votes are coming from far and wide-even one from Tove Skutnabb-Kangas while she was in Africa. While your impassioned votes might not count, I'll reluctantly share the result of this international vote when I see a sign go up over there near the truck wash-out.

Notes from the Real World
A snapshot of my February commute from Turlock, CA to Howes, SD.
Sat., noon, 2/17 to Mon. evening 2/18
The trip has changed during the years in a couple of ways: Now, there is even Starbucks in Nevada and Wyoming, and free wireless access seems to be available if I park near any casino, bar, or even in some rest areas.

I drove the first day to Winnemucca, NV. While driving, I listened to A 1000 Splendid Suns by Khaled Hooseini, ISBN-10: 1594489505, the achingly brutal and beautiful story of 2 women's lives, who live lives of desperation and yet are still able to find daily moments of joy. When this story became too painful to continue, I took little breaks with two all-time Saturday NPR favorites, Sylvia Poggioli and Lakshmi Singh.

By the time I hit the Salt Lake flats, I had moved to Shirley McCain's, Sage-ing While Age-ing. ISBN-10: 1416550410
I was amazed at her research on the great mysteries of life: Is there life in other galaxies? What happens after we die? I suspect that only right brain people will enjoy this book.
http://www.joanwink.com/scheditems/rt-left_brain_descriptors.pdf
For more fun with right/left brain activities, try
http://science-community.sciam.com/blog-entry/Editors-Blog/Left-Brain-Right-Brain-Naked/300001077?start=15&
or
http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php?p=27

While driving in WYO, I saw the largest herd of elk I have ever seen
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=elk&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I saw a pair of Golden Eagles near Casper, Wyoming.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Golden_Eagle.html

We also have a pair of Golden Eagles now living on the ranch. But, Wink has his favorite Basil, the Bald Eagle, who roosts near the ranch house daily.
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/basil.jpg

From Belize, I received this photo of a Harpy Eagle, picture courtesy of Fr. Steve Mitten.
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/harpyeagle.jpg

Our January favorite bird in CA was the Orange-crowned Warbler.
http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/ocwarb.htm
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i6460id.html

I have recently learned of an exciting birding center.

Edinburg World Birding Center
http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/sites/edinburg/index.phtml

The ~real world~ news of March 2008 is that it has now been 2 full years since diagnosis of breast cancer, and all of my tests are going great. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.