A Beautiful Day

2009-04-27 21:55:17.000 – Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer

Today was a beautiful day, filled with warm temperatures, lots of sunshine, and just enough wind to keep things refreshing. With such pleasant weather (with the exception of the snow pack disappearing rapidly) at the end of April, we took the opportunity to do a number of things outside.

As you may have read in Ali’s comment, my Mom is the volunteer on the summit this week. She’s been having a great time playing in the high winds earlier in the week and baking innumerable cookies for us all. Unlike the regular crew up here however, she is unaccustomed to not showering for a week. Although handling it well, she did express hope for a good hair washing and decided that with the weather being as warm as it was, why not just wash it outside. So she found a giant bucket and filled it with warm water, then called us outside to partake in the cleaning (of our own hair, not hers…) We each had our own method of dousing ourselves in water, and while Ali poured it over her head with a cup, I opted for an alternative method. It was great and the first time in many months that I have had clean hair part way through the shift week.

One of my favorite pastimes is playing music. It is rewarding in so many ways, from the challenge of learning something new, to an excellent way to spend time with friends and make friends, to its calming effect on life in general. When I found out Ali played the guitar, I was incredibly excited for no one else on the crew plays any instruments up here (no, Rock Band doesn’t count) and I do miss playing my harmonica with someone other than myself. In the late afternoon, we thought it a good idea to head outdoors to the obs deck and play in the wind and sun. It is a simple thing, but to be able to make music in such an incredible setting with a good friend is one of the finer experiences I’ve had. The last time I had this experience was around this time last year with the intern at the time, Ryan Buckley.

The day ended as we often hope them to – with a sunset. There was a dense layer of haze on the horizon which quickly ate the sun, speeding the moment along, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The setting sun caused the haze immediately around the sun to turn a brilliant red color, later illuminating a light pink color clouds a bit further away. Brian eventually joined my Mom, Ali, and I in watching the sunset, but also brought out the soccer ball. We passed the ball around on the deck, myself with the help of the wind sending it over the edge once. Fortunately it did not go too far and I was able to retrieve it easily, after which we headed inside for a tasty dinner of spaghetti, homemade French bread, and a mixed-fruit pie. We certainly are a fortunate group of folks!

Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer