The Bat Cave

One Sunday morning, a group of adventurous souls set out to find the bat cave.  The entire hike took about 3 hours and so wasn't supposed to be too strenuous....except for one part.  

All in all the hike was wonderful and has been my favorite of the hikes we've taken so far on the island.  We followed a deep dry creek bed up the mountain and so were in damp shade scrambling over rocks the entire time.  The cool temperatures and plant life reminded of WV.

The worst part of the hike involved a rock face that could only be navigated  through one crevice with the aid of a rope.  The athletic Cramer and Dan were able to get up unassisted, but as for the rest of us, it was akin to a second birthing.  Thank the lord Dan was strong enough to pull and Cramer is much stronger than he looks and was able to push from the bottom.  It was a humbling experience all around but at least we can say we didn't turn around!

The boys thought they were so cool climbing a tree, so I had to show them a girl could do it too!

After the hike we all trudged sweaty and dirty to a local bar and grill and revived with Caribs and burgers...perfect Sunday in St. Kitts.

Lobster Fishing

Cramer's newest endeavor is one that I'm completely happy with...LOBSTER FISHING!

The first attempts involved a pair of gloves (our lobsters don't have claws but are the spiny variety) and free diving.  As you can imagine the lobsters caught in this manner were either very little or very sick and so the technique had to be modified.


Cramer decided a snare was needed and so Dan designed one, Cramer gathered the supplies from island junk piles and they built a snare (you can't imagine the trouble these two get into.)

The snare produced better results but left the largest lobsters still eluding the mighty hunters....enter the lobster pot.


Cramer actually designed the pot on his own as Dan was busy with the same midterms that overtook my life a while.  The pot always catches a lobster, but as of yet, no monsters; just little guys.  


Experiments are currently under way involving different casting sites, day vs. night casting, and baits varying from fish to chicken to potatoes.  


Don't worry, I will let you guys know when Cramer catches dinner that is more than two bites and in the meantime I'll be enjoying my midday lobster snacks.       

SCUBA

Another event to add to life's list: SCUBA :-)

Creatures of the deep-Squid

While on the shore I didn't know if I was going to be able to follow through with diving because the gear was so awkward  but once in the water everyone is graceful!

It was Cramer's idea to get me in the water in the first place, he is currently working on getting certified

I definitely like diving, and hope to go again soon

Our fearless instructor, bless him; he puts up with Cramer on a daily basis 

Notice the difference in the tans, Cramer is a just a little of a beach bum!

Gotta love him!

Hash Harriers

Cramer waiting for the hash to start...he never sits still

Cramer and I are members of the Hash Harriers in St. Kitts.  A little introduction to Hashing follows thanks to Wikipedia (not a good source for school, just life :-)

The flag!  An orange flag indicates the correct trail

The Hash House Harriers is a decentralized organization with each chapter, sometimes called a kennel, individually managed with no uniting organizational hierarchy (although the locations of national and international gatherings are decided by a meeting involving representatives from a number of hashes). A chapter's management is typically known as the MisManagement and consists of individuals with various duties and titles. There are more than 1,700 chapters spanning all seven continents. Most major cities are home to at least one chapter. Chapters typically contain between 20-100 members, usually mixed-sex, with some metropolitan area Hashes drawing more than 1,000 hashers to an event.

One of the many hills that seemed to the theme for this particular hash

Most chapters gather on a weekly or monthly basis, though some events occur sporadically, e.g. February 29th, Friday the 13th, or a full moon.

At a Hash, one or more members (Hares) lay a trail, which is then followed by the remainder of the group (the Pack or Hounds). The trail often includes false trails, short cuts, dead ends, and splits. These features are designed to keep the pack together regardless of fitness level or running speed, as front-runners are forced to slow down to find the "true" trail, allowing stragglers to catch up.

Members often describe their group as "a drinking club with a running problem," indicating that the social element of an event is as important, if not more so, than any athleticism involved. Beer remains an integral part of a Hash, though the balance between running and drinking differs between chapters, with some groups placing more focus on socializing and others on running.

Bear just couldn't make it!  I seem to be flagging as well (pink shirt)

Generally, Hash events are open to the public and require no reservation or membership, but some may require a small fee, referred to as hashcash, to cover the costs incurred, such as food or drink.

The end of a trail is an opportunity to socialize, have a drink and observe any traditions of the individual chapter (see Traditions). When the Hash officially ends, many members may continue socializing at an On-After, On-Down, On-On-On, or Hash Bash, an event held at a nearby house, pub, or restaurant.

Julie and Bear finally at the top

Our particular Hash Harriers meet every 3 weeks plus special events and has two components: one running, and one walking (thank the lord!).  The courses are designed to take one hour of rigorous hiking and let me tell you, some of them are brutal such as the one the pictures are from.  After the hash is completed, a picnic (usually hotdogs, beer, soda for kids, and water if you    must) are available and it is at that time that initiations and  Down-Downs occur.  

Yet another straight up hill!

At initiation, the newbies to hashing (there are always a few) are welcomed to the group with a baptism of beer, and then they have to chug one.  Whatever you can't chug you have to pour on your head; this is a rule any time you have to chug a beer.

The views at the top made the hills almost worth it

A Down-Down is another tradition that occurs at the end of the hash at the picnic.  During the hash the Mismanagement (the leaders) watch and decide on random events to punish the hashers for.  Swearing, wearing purple sunglasses, being too hot and therefore distracting fellow runners/walkers, letting your dog use the restroom in an inappropriate place etc.  You never know what they are going to pick and if you are going to have to do a Down-Down until your name is called at the circle during the picnic and your offense is announced.  You then have to chug a beer while everyone sings in a lusty bar-room baritone;

"He/She's an asshole so we say, but we really wouldn't have 'em any other way, drink it down down down down down down down"
      

Initiation, two roomies this time

and the down downs continue until the drinker stops.  If they finished the beer we cheer, if they didn't they have to pour the rest on their head!  I haven't had to do a down down yet but no fear, I will finish the beer! 

Ashley is now a Hasher!

My absolute favorite part of the picnics occurs during the down downs and goes unnoticed by most people because they are focused on the person chugging.  I watch the kids that have come and hiked with us (mostly professor's children).  They love the down downs and stand on the outskirts of the circle clutching their sodas and chugging along with the punished!  These kids chug soda for every down down and there are normally 8-10.  By the end they are either rolling on the ground with distended bellies or, to their parents horror, belching at such octaves to empress a grown man :-).


There are also special events such as the red dress Valentine's Day Hash.  What was special?  Everyone, man or women, had to show up in a red dress or lingerie!  Cramer and I didn't make that one because I was in midterm mode and I doubt I would have gotten pictures of us anyway!

Maggie is now a Hasher!  Cramer's bud Dan was next

We really enjoy getting out and going to the hashes and I hope it is something we can continue wherever we end up.  If there isn't a local hashing chapter, perhaps I'll have to pioneer and start one, I've been known to do crazier things.  To the horse people of my life, how amazing would it be to have the first Horse Hash Harrier chapter?  Can you imagine; it would be similar to fox hunting but without the prey and formality, pure trail blazing!

P.S.  Welcome to the newest member of the house, Gidget!  Maggie just couldn't say no and adopted her from the kennel at Ross.  Ross's kennel dogs are strays that are brought in for us to practice procedures.  They serve two years and are them up for adoption to students and screened locals.  Gidget was lucky enough to look at Maggie the right way :-)

My Life = Academics

When I started this blog, I had in mind posting the little everyday things so you guys back home could get a look at what my life is like.  In truth, looking back over the posts, the only things that I've posted are the exciting happenings and few and far between excursions that I go on.  I don't think my posting style will change as what I post are the interesting bits of my life (who wants to hear about class, studying and yet more studying!), but for this post at least I wanted to share some of the more interesting bits from my classes.

My class schedule this semester is a bit more interesting than it has been in the past because we are moving in the curriculum from the realm of normal to abnormal!  We are finally studying disease and medicine versus anatomy and physiology :-).  My classes are Pathology I, Bacteriology, Virology, and Pharmacology.

I think just about everyone recognizes the symbol to the left as the pharmacological symbol that appears on all medications you have ever received for yourself and any other creature whether they be child or beast.  In fact, the symbol legally has to appear on all scripts tendered.  Despite the widespread usage of this symbol, I'll willing to bet most don't know what it stands for.  The "R" stands for the latin word Recipe meaning "to take."  The x does not stand for any word but instead is an ancient symbol and represents a prayer to the Gods that the medication will find the ill and destroy it.  I wonder how many people would pitch a fit and fall in it to know that the trusted symbol that is synonymous with pharmacies worldwide has such pagan backgrounds.  I personally reveal in it and the fact that the profession of medicine has so many funny little hidden traditions and quirks.

The next time your toddler/husband :-) pitches a fit about going to see the Doctor, think about this factoid:  There are more fatalities worldwide each year from prescription error than there are fatalities from vehicle accidents.  In other words, you are safer in an airplane than a car, and safer in a car than a doctor's office!

Most people know of Alexander Fleming and the fact that he accidentally discovered Penicillin from molds (1945), but most don't know that Fleming's Penicillin wasn't the first antibiotic to be discovered and used.  Gerhard Domagk of Germany was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1939 for proposing the first commercially available antibiotic "prontosil" (a sulfa drug).  His impetuous was treating his own daughter who had an infection in her arm that, without the antibiotic, would have been amputated.  It is amazing what can be accomplished with a strong enough motivation.

Did you know that viruses are technically not living?  They cannot replicate on their own and therefore by definition are not alive.  This fact is also the reason why virus infections are so hard to treat.  A virus is simply a coil of DNA or RNA that is surrounded by a capsid (shell).  Once a virus invades the body, it uses the host cell's structures and resources to replicate.  Therefore, drug processes that work for bacteria would never work for viruses because the drugs would be targeting and killing host cells (bad idea!).

There will be a quiz tomorrow worth 80% of your final grade (another vet school tradition, it seems :-), have a great day!

Grocery Shipment

Guess what came in on the ships and hit the grocery shelves this time!




I am one Happy Irish Lass :-)




Remember to enjoy the little things in life because there really isn't any other way to live.

The Changing of the Year

There were two bottles of Champagne chilling in the fridge and Cramer and I went out for Lobster last night so that we could celebrate a good year spent and bring in the next on a good note.  My resolution for last year was to keep track of the books I read (something I plan to keep up).  Despite all the reading that vet school requires I managed to get through:

The Whitechapel Horrors - Edward Hanna
Flying Changes - Sara Gruen
Pride and Prescience - Carrie Bebris
The Blackbirder - James Nelson
Nights in Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
Darkfall - Dean Koontz
A Walk to Remember - Nicholas Sparks
Exodus - Leon Uris
A Countess Below Stairs - Eva Ibbotson
Cruel Justice - William Bernhardt
Burning Bright - Tracy Chevalier
*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
*The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
March - Geraldine Brooks
*The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory
Line of Vision - David Ellis
You Belong to Me - Mary Higgins Clark
HeyDay - Kurt Anderson
*A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
*Into the Wilderness - Sara Donati
*The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson
A Song for the Summer - Eva Ibbotson
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Dawn on a Distant Shore - Sara Donati
*Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (first book I read on my new Kindle, Darcy)
The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
*Cat of the Century - Rita Mae Brown
*Lake in the Clouds - Sara Donati
Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
*Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
*The Winter Rose - Jennifer Donnelly
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
The Canterville Ghost - Oscar Wilde
*These Is My Words - Nancy Turner
Beautiful Joe, An Autobiography of a Dog - Marshall Saunders
Fire Along the Sky - Sara Donati

* indicates the best reads of the year (40 total)

Next year, my resolution is to get to the beach more.  I live in the Caribbean and still only manage to get to the beach about once a month.  I let myself get too bogged down with studies and life and forget to take some time out.  With a little planning and effort, my studies can go to the beach with me, so I plan to go once a week, every week I'm on the island.

Happy New Years and the best of luck in all your endeavors for 2011!