"We can make squirrels!"

Hello again, loyal patient readers.  It is after 10pm and therefore far past my bedtime, but I thought it was high time to start writing again.  Right now I am sitting in Crow Canyon's basement lab, also known as the land of electricity (I live in a "primitive" cabin).  The environment has improved significantly since Elizabeth (one of my fellow interns) and I cleaned the muddy floor, and Jennifer (another intern) removed the putrid smelling mystery skull from the animal bone shelf next to me.  It's a pleasant enough work space - I am surrounded by archaeological supplies, books about Native Americana, and some very large blue and white speckled pots next to a box labeled "zooarchaeology cooking supplies."  Yep.  It pretty much delights my nerdy heart.

 Hanging out with my fellow RPAs Eric, Sarah, and Katy on the ferry to Surry, Virginia

But alas, wasn't I just in Williamsburg?  Yep.  Another place that delights my nerdy heart.  The NIAHD program, much to my chagrin, ended in mid-July.  It was certainly a unique experience - sharing the floor of a dorm with 20 high school girls - but I really loved spending time with them and my fellow RPAs (Resident Program Assistants).  On the last day of the program, we awoke to find that the girls had made us t-shirts.  Mine read "Top ten reasons to <3 RPA Laura" listing everything from my silly facial expressions to my tendency to distract them from their work (and yes, the one time when I blurted "we can make squirrels!").  It was a fun program - touring (as a chaperon) historic sites all over Virginia, teaching the students to do a bit of archaeology, and getting to know some really awesome people.

 Third floor RPAs - Jen, Amelia, Nichole and me - wearing our t-shirts

I had about three days at home - just enough time to stuff myself with Mom's amazing cooking, do laundry, bake pie and eat it with friends, and catch up on my TiVo before the trip out west.  But alas, I have an early breakfast call and a midden that needs to be dug tomorrow morning - so it'll have to wait.