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anghealachghorm · 4 years

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Preamble

Gwen Stefani, Billie Eilish and Harmony Nice(YouTuber) are the first female’s that spring to mind when I think of someone with a distinctive style. To have a ‘style’ is to have a sense of self or even an understanding of who you are. Yet letting clothes define us seems both arbitrary and damaging.

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My mother always said, “dress shabbily and you notice the dress, dress elegantly and you notice the women.” For my mother, this doesn’t come from a place of expectation of ‘elegance’ from a woman. She believes they should wear what they want, however, there is an argument within her statement about how you carry yourself.

Today I would like to break down ten photos of myself. Basically where I was feeling myself or I wasn’t.

Times I don’t feel myself

There is no way for me to explain why, but I dislike how I’ve dressed in these photos despite whether I look ‘good’ or not. Now don’t worry I’m not thinking I’m ugly, I still think I look pretty. I just don’t feel, like myself. I think some of them are fashion disasters, which is also fun to name and shame! I’ll only ever do that for myself because I’m not into judging other people’s fashion choices. You do you boo.

This is a very nice photo. The top is super nice it was a ‘hand-me-over’ from a friend. My makeup is done well. This is not me though. I feel like this is fake. The smile isn’t real and the person behind this photo is lying. It’s too girly for me. I think being girly is totally fine, but it doesn’t feel right on me.

Again I don’t look ‘bad’ here. However, this was a time when I thought because I enjoy wearing boys clothes (all these items are from the male sections of shops), that I wasn’t ‘allowed‘ wear makeup. If I wore male clothes because they were more comfortable for me, then surely I couldn’t wear makeup. Where would that fit in? Now I wear as much makeup with my ‘male’ clothes as I like.

Now I’m not sure what I was going for here, but I hate it. The hair pulled back from my face is really distracting. I love my natural hair so why not just let it fall? Also maybe I need a fringe. Then the top under the other top. So conservative which I’m not. I don’t mind showing skin, so this feels weird to me.

I could probably find a photo of me in this dress from when I was 20 where I looked amazing. This is not that photo. The hair length is a disaster. I love the Miley Cyrus Converse but with that dress? Nope. I’m trying too hard to be ‘sexy’ here and again, not me. I don’t mind showing skin, but I’m not comfortable trying to be ‘sexy.’

This is an old one, but the only thing I like about this photo is my glasses. That’s it. Hate my hair, hate the dress, hate the pose and the makeup is boring. Also, I don’t even look that happy.

Times I really feel myself

So there are times you take a photo and you just feel bomb. You stan yourself (am I still young enough to use that term?). These are those photos, and you’ll notice that with the introduction of more exciting lipsticks from JSC, I started getting really comfortable with myself.

This was the hair that Le’Boo liked the most. He loves the colour red so you can understand why. I love everything about this outfit. The cute dress, the blue t-shirt, the hat. My makeup is simple but flattering and this is a genuine smile. (I was on my way to Whiskey Live so that may have contributed to the smile).

Some of you might recognise this photo from my Youtube channel before I overhauled the intro sequence. Again love the simple band shirt (and yes I love the Eagles before you @ me). I’m into the cute hair buns, the Pikachu necklace and the purple lippy. A win in my book, even with the toilet in the background.

So I’m a huge fan of black lipstick and I’ve only had the confidence to wear it in the last few years. As a teenager, I would have loved to wear black lippy, but grew up in an area where alternative modes of dress were frowned upon. By that I mean all the girls dressed the same (and still do) and all the boys dressed the same (and still do). Although my friends were not judgemental I couldn’t take the harsh unsolicited comments from peers in school or on the street. Although I did dress the way I wanted to an extent I was careful to not go ‘too far.’

These photos were taken 2 days apart and it was when I got my first Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks ‘Blow Pony’ and ‘Huntington Beach’. I was so happy that I was ‘bold’ enough to wear them. I paired them with my tattoos and dark hair. I was so excited to have them, and I still love both these colours to this day. I’m a fan of bold colours guys, have you noticed?!

Finally, this photo was taken less than 1 week ago. I’ve come to realise that many types of expressions are my ‘style.’ I love being comfortable and cool. Yet I am happy in dresses too and soft makeup looks. I don’t mind dressing like a boy and I certainly welcome the pockets. If you don’t feel like you have a ‘style’ and this is concerning for you. Fear not. Just do what I now do. Do you like an item of clothing? Are you wearing it for you and nobody else? Then that’s your style. You dress whatever way you want (without getting arrested for public nudity of course), and let no one tell you that’s not YOUR ‘style.’

Hope you’re all well in these troubling times Moonlings. I’ve missed you all. Talk soon. Jaycee. xxx

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My ‘Style,’ what is it? Preamble Gwen Stefani, Billie Eilish and Harmony Nice(YouTuber) are the first female's that spring to mind when I think of someone with a distinctive style.

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newyorktheater · 6 years

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There were so many memorable theater-related moments this year that were not part of any scripted show that they threatened to upstage any moments on stage. Even some of the most encouraging of these off-stage moments – such as the Town Hall held at the Public Theater on sexual harassment in the theater, or Lin-Manuel Miranda’s efforts on behalf of hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, including the song ��Almost like Praying” – were silver linings in a largely cloud-filled year. Still, even in 2017, there were plenty of worthwhile moments in shows that ran in New York this year to help us to escape from, or inspire us to engage in, the world outside the theater. They happened unexpectedly, in shows you might not otherwise care for, and they happened in every month.

Click on any photograph below to see it enlarged and to read the extensive caption that explains the memorable stage moment. (In a few examples, the only photograph available was about the show, not the specific moment.

Confucius began with a few seconds of a realistic-looking video showing the dramatic landscape of Zhou Dynasty China (complete with dark clouds gathering overhead), before the curtain rose to reveal row upon row of performers bathed in stage smoke and glowing blue light, then glowing yellow, then glowing red. In alternating rows, the men — dressed in bright blue billowing robes with flowing sleeves – and the women — in deep red – leapt and bounced and bowed, and then circled one another with dignity and grace. It was stunning. Opened in January.

Made in China, a satirical puppet musical, was “inspired by true events,” according to Wakka Wakka, the theater company that produced it. I suspect the true part doesn’t include an American named Mary and her neighbor getting sucked down her toilet and winding up in the People’s Republic of China, where a dragon eats them. In any case, one of the most memorable moments occurred before that event, when Mary’s household appliances came to life, explaining that they were made in China – such as a toilet plunger. A gun sings: I was made by children in Hunan! Fifteen hours each day, they’re having fun! Safely tucked away from awful sun make for you the cheapest All-American gun! Pointed satire about worker exploitation and gun violence all in one verse. It was…memorable. Opened in January.

Rolls Andre, Ben Langhorst, Damon Daunno. Beardo, a musical by Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) about Rasputin, climaxes in what begins as a ludicrous scene of heavy-set men wearing tutus attempting to dance a Russian ballet. But them turn out to be Rasputin’s assassins, and, through some kind of mystical alchemy, the moment turns from mockery into something both beautiful and chilling. Opened in February.

The Sweeney Todd Off-Broadway takes place in a theater transformed into a British pie shop – complete with the pies—and theatergoers sitting on benches around picnic tables. At one moment, Jeremy Secomb as Sweeney Todd stuck his hardened face right up against a theatergoer sitting at the end of one of the benches, and barked: “Move.” The man scooted over, so that Sweeney would have room on the bench right next to him to strangle the beggar woman. Opened in March.

In Significant Other, Jordan was a gay man whose three best female friends abandoned him one by one to get married, while his dating life was going nowhere. In a hilarious and heartrending moment, he engaged in an elaborate dance of indecision as he struggled with whether or not to click the key on his computer that would send a gushing e-mail proclaiming his love to a new office colleague. Opened in March.

Andy Karl and Barrett Doss. Three days before Groundhog Day was to open, its star Andy Karl injured his kneed. The doctors ordered him to take a few days off. When he returned, in a cheeky bit of improvisation in what was supposed to scene of seduction, he lounged on the sofa, proudly showed off the elaborate black knee-brace on his bare outstretched leg, and stuck a glass of Scotch on top of it. Opened in April

In Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, an early 20th century explorer of Antarctica meets a struggling freelance musician from Brooklyn, and she learns some important lessons from him. How do they connect? He bursts through her refrigerator, of course. It is not the only moment this season of a character bursting through a refrigerator. That happened as well in “Stuffed,” about overeating – and that refrigerator was padded. Opened in May

Venus is a play based on the true story of an early 19th century woman from Africa who was exhibited in freak shows in Europe. The very first thing we see on stage is the character/actress putting on a nude body suit, with the aid of a man dressed like a circus ringmaster. Then she poses for us, “naked” save for a scant loin cloth. The unspoken question: Are we, the spectators in 2017, all that different from the ones who paid two shillings in 1810? Opened in May

Julius Caesar at Shakespeare in the Park. Whatever else you may say about the moment that a Trump-like Julius Caesar – who wears suits with too-long ties, and has a Slavic wife – descended into his gold bathtub in the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, it was certainly memorable. This was true (given all the attendant public outrage) even for people who didn’t see it. Opened in June

Katy Sullivan, Victor Williams. In Cost of Living, Eddie gave his disabled wife Ani a bath, and decided to serenade her with a piano concerto. There is no piano in the bathroom, and Eddie never learned to play anyway, much as he wanted to. But he takes her paralyzed arm from the water, drapes it on the bathtub’s edge and plays her like a piano, synchronized with the radio broadcast. Opened in July

Oscar Isaac as Hamlet

Tony Yazbeck tap danced his way spectacularly through “The Right Girl” from Follies (which we’re told is Prince’s favorite musical. Opened in August.

Reg E. Cathey as Creon crying out in anguish in “Antigone in Ferguson,” presented for free by Theater of War Productions in a basketball court in Brownsville, Brooklyn. “I am a foolish man…I am crushed, I have been crushed by fate,”

In A Clockwork Orange, there was a moment when all eight members of the all-male cast portraying youthful thugs, took off their shirts en masse, revealing their Olympic-level training. If it was unclear why they did so, not a single theatergoer complained.

Denise Gough portrayed Emma, an alcoholic and drug addicted actress in People Places and Things as a complex woman of many moods. One moment brought this home in a theatrical way by her suddenly …replicating into maybe a dozen Emmas rushing around the stage. Opened October.

In The Band’s Visit, an Egyptian police band that’s lost asks for directions from a bored café proprietor, Dina (Katrina Lenk) “There is not Arab Center here,” Dina replied. “Not Israeli Culture, not Arab, not culture at all.” And then she Lenk launched into “Welcome to Nowhere” Opened in November

the ensemble of Mabou Mines’ Glass Guignol fitting actress Maude Mitchell with gigantic arms and feet and turning her into a giant living puppet

The moment in Parisian Woman when Uma Thurman interrupts the man who’s been complaining about her infidelity, having heard keys in the door. “It’s my husband”’ Opened in December.

The first moments of Hailey Kilgore’s ecstatic dancing in the sand in “Once On This Island.” Opened in December

(l-r) Sam Crane, Melody Grove, Lucas Hall, Huss Garbiya, Edward Peel and Mark Rylance Opened in December. The very first moment in Farinelli and the King, the very last play to open on Broadway in 2017, was not just memorable; it was thrilling. It ws the moment we saw the sumptuous set, multi-tiered, rich dark wood, red brocade and pre-electric chandeliers that were lowered in front of us, so that the performers could light the candles in them. What made this so memorable – what makes so many moments in theater worthwhile – is the excitement of anticipating what will follow.

Links to more photographs and reviews of shows whose moments I mention above:

January: Confucius Made in China

February: Beardo

March Sweeney Todd Significant Other

April Groundhog Day

May Ernest Shackleton Loves Me Venus

June Julius Caesar

July Cost of Living Hamlet

August Antigone in Ferguson Prince of Broadway

September A Clockwork Orange

October People, Places and Things

November The Band’s Visit

December Glass Guignol The Parisian Woman Once on this Island Farinelli and the King

Memorable Moments on Stage in 2017 There were so many memorable theater-related moments this year that were not part of any scripted show that they threatened to upstage any moments on stage.

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isabelmarantachat · 6 years

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Officials describe Wake County as affordable housing desert, crisis

Updated 12:00 p.m. Wednesday

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Wake County: ‘We have an affordable housing desert’

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By UNC Media Hub / Story: Samaintha Paisley, 360 video: Madison Walls, Video story: Doni Hollway

Raleigh, N.C. — Cockroaches scurry across the countertop in Evelyn Jacobs’ house. They’ve chewed the electrical outlets so that they’re useless. The walls are cracked, and the toilet overflows. Mold and mildew act like they own the place.

That’s not all.

“I got more spiders in my house than I have outside,” Jacobs said. “All kinds of spiders, some I ain’t never seen before. Then there’s centipedes that run around the house, and I mean big ones.”

Jacobs lives there with her son, Kevin, who has autism, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and immune deficiency problems. They began renting this house in March 2013 through the federally-subsidized Section 8 program.

Jacobs doesn’t want to live here. She wants a healthier and safer living space to call home, but she can’t find one she can afford.

Low-income public housing is tough to find in Wake County, and some properties have two-year waiting lists. Meanwhile, an average of 67 new residents move into the county each day, according to Wake County Commissioner Jessica Holmes. This influx intensifies the demand for all types of housing.

Average rent for Wake County apartments is nearly 20 percent higher than the state average. Nearly 43,000 of the county’s 1 million residents spend more than 50 percent of their income for housing — an extreme burden given that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends families spend no more than 30 percent.

Sig Hutchinson, the chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, said there’s a 50,000-unit deficit in affordable housing across the county. The county needs to produce 7,500 new housing units each year to accommodate the projected population growth through 2030.

“You have food deserts; we have an affordable housing desert,” said Octavia Rainey, who has worked as a housing advocate since 1980. “That is unacceptable. We must have the political will to address this issue.”

Surging health concerns

The conditions that Evelyn and Kevin Jacobs face are more than unhealthy. They’re dangerous.

Kevin’s health problems make him susceptible to sicknesses. Jacobs fears even a single spider bite could send him to the hospital with crippling pneumonia. His asthma is aggravated by the lack of air filtration. She piles blankets on him during winter and places fans directly on him in the summer to try to moderate temperatures.

“It’s really bad because Kevin has had more seizures this year,” she said. “He could breathe a lot easier (at the previous apartment). He could stay cool.”

Jacobs also has her own health concerns — she has diabetes, heart troubles and asthma. Taking care of Kevin and the dilapidated house have become her full-time job. She blames the house for their declining health.

Rainey said that she sees a direct link between inadequate living conditions and declining health. Worse still, Section 8 residents often have limited access to healthcare.

“You have people living in all kinds of harsh situations because you don’t have affordable housing,” she said. “And that leads to all kinds of health issues, stress, hyper tensions and people not taking care of themselves. If you’re not healthy, you can’t work.”

Shana Overdorf, the executive director of the Raleigh-Wake Partnership to End Homelessness, said adequate housing resolves a multitude of issues.

“Housing is a basic human right,” Overdorf said. “If we are able to provide housing, we know that some of these other things (like healthcare) will either self-resolve or will be able to more immediately stabilize the individual or a family that’s in that crisis situation.”

How Section 8 housing works

The Wake County Housing Authority declared that Evelyn Jacobs’ house is unlivable.

“What happened in Ms. Evelyn’s case shouldn’t have ever happened,” Rainey said. “The whole process of Section 8 really needs to be put under the microscope now. Tenants have rights.”

The monthly rent of Jacobs’ house is $850, of which she pays $129 and federal subsidies take care of the rest. But the most recent inspection revealed the house is worth just $29 a month in rent given its unsafe conditions.

Under Section 8, for as long as landlords accept voucher payments, it is their responsibility to maintain habitable conditions.

Sonia Anderson, the special assistant to the executive director at the Raleigh Housing Authority, said 333 of 496 houses passed inspections in September. The others were scheduled to be re-inspected, although Rainey said that doesn’t always happen. Landlords do not receive any federal funding for rent until their units pass physical inspections.

Homelessness is a growing concern in Wake County. There were 4,726 homeless persons in Wake County reported in 2016, including 749 children.

Hutchinson said homelessness is expensive for the county since their emergency calls and services drain public resources.

“If you take someone who’s homeless, who’s got maybe a mental illness and a drug problem, and you put them in housing for free, it is actually — by a factor of tens — cheaper than keeping them on the street,” he said. “But it’s not the hard numbers; it’s how it’s impacting people’s lives.”

Particularly vulnerable populations in the housing crisis include seniors, veterans, the mentally ill, single women, children and low-income families.

“They’re falling through the cracks because people don’t want to complain,” Rainey said. “They’ll live in any conditions just to have a roof over their head. That means suffering in silence.”

Overdorf said data also show an increase in single women falling victim to homelessness since at least 2013 — not just in Wake County, but across North Carolina. Homeless single women face a unique set of challenges.

“Women, being outside, especially without children or having a caregiver with them, puts them at increased risk for trafficking, for domestic violence, for incidents of crime, things like that,” she said.

But Holmes said the housing crisis impacts people of all income levels.

“This isn’t a matter of people being lazy or not having jobs or not being willing to work harder,” she said. “I think that’s a very popular misconception.”

Jacobs worked as a tax preparer for H&R Block, but quit in 2013 when Kevin turned 18 and his health declined. She hopes to find a part-time job soon to afford better housing, but can’t actively search for a job as Kevin’s health deteriorates.

She has been searching for alternate housing for years, but it has become increasingly difficult. Fewer properties in Wake County accept vouchers, causing longer waitlists. Rainey said the Housing Authority waitlists in Wake County have more than 15,000 people delicately balanced on the whims of the housing market.

There is little incentive for landlords to subsidize housing for the Section 8 program because building high-end apartments is more profitable. Even complexes that do provide affordable housing are often later tempted to renovate their apartments to attract residents paying market rates, thus displacing low-income residents.

“The Section 8 voucher does not compete with market rates prices,” Rainey said. “It’s just by the grace of God that you do have a landlord who will take them.”

One practice to help cope with the housing shortage is extended hotels and motels — an option currently used by hundreds of people in the county. Jacobs is toying with this option.

“We have more families with children staying in extended motels and hotels than ever in Wake County because we just don’t have the housing,” Rainey said.

What’s being done to address the crisis?

“Part of (the lack of affordable housing), quite honestly, is because we’re doing a lot of things right,” Holmes said. “We have a very good quality of life here, and everyone wants a piece of it.”

But that good quality of life clearly isn’t reaching all populations equally.

Given the magnitude of the crisis, Wake County created a steering committee on affordable housing in September 2016.

Holmes leads the committee. Having grown up in rural eastern North Carolina where affordable housing often equated to trailer homes, she feels personally connected to the housing crisis.

“As someone who’s been impacted by the need for government housing and the need for affordable housing personally…it will be a priority for me,” she said. “We have other projects that aren’t so focused on human basic necessities like a roof over your head and food and clean water, and some of those projects are going to have to take a back seat to things that are more pressing.”

After a year of data collection, the steering committee presented its 20-year affordable housing plan on Oct. 16. The board of commissioners immediately approved the report.

Some strategies the committee will now explore include:

Producing and preserving affordable housing: Several housing apartments have closed this year or are planned to close in a few years. Holmes said if more affordable units are built without preserving existing housing, a net loss in housing could still occur. More funding: Federal funding for housing is expected to decline, so the county will explore options for state and local funding. Special assessment districts could be used to subsidize public projects. Hutchinson sees taxes as an avenue for financing housing projects. He estimates an increase of a penny in the property tax could generate $14 million a year, while a quarter of a cent increase in sales tax could produce $40 million. Accessory dwelling units: These are 500-600 square-foot units attached to existing homes for low-income families to purchase.

Identifying specific funding sources, either through public, private or philanthropic means, is the next big hurdle. But Hutchinson said the board’s unanimous vote to accept the report is progress because it marks housing as a priority.

He said Washington Terrace, an affordable housing complex in Raleigh whose construction began Oct. 24, is the latest example of the county’s commitment to accommodate housing needs.

Overdorf is optimistic given how many groups are joining forces to spark change in housing trends.

“I think now that the city and the county and the municipalities and Wake County are having the conversation, that’s a time for change,” she said. “I believe that we will rise to the challenge of providing [housing] inventory.”

In the meantime, Jacobs perseveres in her search for a better home for her and Kevin.

“That little man in there is what I look at (for inspiration),” she said. “God let me have him. That’s God’s gift, and I’m supposed to take care of that angel — and I’m going to do it.”

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every2piness-blog · 7 years

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Three years ago Meg and I hiked to the summit of Mount Saint Helens. We were new to hiking, and it was our first major summit. Despite avid research, I was not prepared to climb over pumice boulders and through ash in the extreme heat. We summited and made it home in one piece, but it was a route that seriously tested me mentally and physically. I spent fifteen minutes on the edge of the crater crying from both misery and joy, and falling in love with Washington volcanoes. Ever since that day, I have wanted to return to the monument with Meg to backpack in the blast zone. I knew that Dome Camp, with its view right into the crater would be the perfect spot to spend the night and reflect on how far we have come.

Mt. St. Helens and I have a rough history. I cried up her flanks to the summit in 2014. In 2015, I bought permits to climb to the summit again but had to cancel due to a lightning storm. I backpacked near Spirit Lake, only to take a wrong turn at the first junction and find myself on a washout 600′ above Spirit Lake. We bailed once it started getting too dark to make it to our campsite, the only time I have had to truly give up while backpacking. We returned the following week and I was surprise sick; the entire first day was a blur. I was determined to not give up again, so I pushed through and admittedly had a good second day. This year, I hoped to break my curse, enjoy Mt. St. Helens and relished returning to the volcano with Meg. When an opportunity to snag a mid-week permit on Wednesday and Thursday to Dome Camp, with a view straight into the crater emerged, I jumped at the chance. We were going back to Helens!

Day 1

Boundary Trail no. 1

We arrived at Johnston Ridge Observatory at 11 am and checked in with a ranger about conditions on the trail. The rangers didn’t know if Dome Camp still had water, so we each decided to carry 5L and bring a water filter, just in case. Given the lack of shade for the majority of the trail, we knew we would need more water than usual, and didn’t want to take risks in an unforgiving environment.

We strapped on our large packs, covered ourselves with sunscreen and walked through the parking lot to the paved trail. It felt a little ridiculous surrounded by tourists, walking on a paved trail with all of our overnight gear, but after about a quarter-mile, the trail transitioned to pumice and ash. The trail initially traverses the ridge, then turns north, so this section of the trail was our closest view of Mt. St. Helens. She loomed impressively large, and the landscape is desolate and hot. This area includes the direct blast zone where virtually everything was obliterated. Unlike later in the hike, where downed or stripped trees are the norm, this section of the trail is almost all ash, pumice and a few shrubs. We alternated between hurrying to get out of the area with no shade or water, and wanting to stop and enjoy the unworldly environment.

Starting out on the Boundary Trail

Pumice, ash and shrubs

Whole lotta brown.

After walking along the ridge for a few miles, we dropped lower through mounds of pumice and ash that looked like mini volcanoes, then across another ridge, where things started to get a bit more green. A heavy, rusted bridge covered a washed out section and the trail climbed to a broad saddle. To the right is Harry’s lookout, where the majority of the people on the trail were heading, but we turned to the left, and we began to climb up long switchbacks.

The trail was lined with strawberries and the sweetness in the air was almost overpowering. Switchback after switchback we rose above the shallow saddle until, at last, St. Helen’s Lake came into view. We stopped for a little lunch then continued on along the backside of the foothill. After a few more switchbacks, the trail narrowed significantly with a steep drop-off.

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Cool bridge

Strawberries!

One of many switchbacks

Foxglove lined the trail

As we rounded the corner, the trail led to a spectacular rock arch. It dramatically framed Mt. Adams and was pretty neat to walk under. We crossed over the ridge via the rock arch and continued traversing across the basin. Views of Mt. St. Helens, St. Helens Lake, and Spirit Lake continued to get better and better. The trail traversed under Coldwater Peak, and we decided to wait until for the following day to climb when we had reliable water. The strawberries and mountain huckleberries lining the trail slowed our progress as we ate our way across the basin.

The trail continued traversing above St. Helen’s lake. Unlike the earlier section of Boundary Trail, this region has many skeletal white trees. Most lay flat (or floating in a lake), though others remained as truncated stumps, a mere reflection of their original massive size. We crossed many saddles that seemed like they surely must be the campsite, until we finally arrived at Dome Camp. The first tent site was on a ridge, with phenomenal views of the volcano and Spirit Lake. It was the exact spot I have been dreaming to stay since our first summit. However, there was also a cozy tent site tucked behind the ridge, in a field of wildflowers, that was even more appealing than the ridge site.

Dome Camp

While the ridge campsite had incredible views right into the crater, the wind had picked up and was gusting at about 25 mph. We decided to pitch the tent in the sheltered area and enjoy sitting on the ridge. This decision was validated when clouds rolled over and obscured Mt. St. Helens. With the views quickly becoming white mist, we set out to make dinner. We finished the Underwood can of sparkling wine–way better than the Pinot Noir–and cooked up some ravioli with dehydrated pasta sauce. I also packed in some flourless chocolate cake for dessert, which proved to be delicious and totally worth the weight.

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Rounding the corner to Dome Camp

Our water source, small but effective

Jumping for joy-the curse is lifted!

View from the ridge

Wildflowers above the tent site.

Tent site is on the left, toilet on the left.

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Storm rolling in

Tent in its cozy home

The field right before we fell asleep

Yummy bubbles!

Day 2

Dome Camp

As the fog continued to encroach on our campsite, we crawled into bed for a solid night’s sleep. When we woke at 6:00 the next morning, the skies were blue and Mt. St. Helens was glowing in the sunrise. I left the tent at a run, grabbing my camera and scrambling up the trail, to the viewpoint where St. Helens lake was visible. We sat enjoying the mist covering the valley below Mt. St. Helens for about an hour. A herd of elk galloped through the meadow below us, crunching branches as they rushed past. Despite having my camera in my hands, they ran so quickly I was not able to grab a picture. In all honesty, it was my first time seeing elk in the backcountry and I simply wanted to soak it all in. We have gone some incredible places backpacking, and seen some jaw-dropping things, but this moment at sunrise with the elk and the mist has a spot in the top five.

Eventually, the desire for coffee was stronger than the desire to sit in the warm sunshine, watching the light crawl across the valley. We returned to camp, made breakfast and packed up. We retraced our steps above St. Helens Lake until we reached the junction to Coldwater Peak.

Coldwater Peak

With packs full of water, we were ready to climb Coldwater Peak. The side-trail to the summit is 0.7 miles with gentle, though exposed, switchbacks. The grade starts off very mild but gets increasingly more difficult as you get higher. It was completely worth the quad burn it for the views, however. In all honesty, we doubted the views would be that much better than what we could see from the normal trail, but halfway up Mt. Rainier appeared over the ridge. The craggy rocks lining the trail seemed wild and spectacular and being able to point to Coldwater Peak for the rest of the walk back and tell tourists we climbed that made it totally worth the side-trip.

With Rainier, Adams, Hood, Shasta, and of course, Mt. St. Helens all visible, it was one of the most incredible panoramas I have witnessed. The clouds still filled the valley and we appeared to be floating above the cloudline. We shared the summit with scientific equipment and could see our return trip stretched before us. The parking lot was both tantalizingly close and impossibly far.

Boundary Trail no. 1

We headed back down the Coldwater Peak trail and onto the Boundary Trail. We soon reached the arch again, stopped for more pictures and a rest on the cool rocks. Pushing on, we made it back to the saddle and into the hot, treeless blast zone. We continued despite our fatigue and sun-tiredness until stopping about half a mile before the car to eat lunch. Our lunch spot ended up being perfect; it looked directly on a herd of elk relaxing in the sun. They appeared to be the same group we saw that morning and they looked miserably hot on a mound of pumice. Whereas our morning group ran so rapidly we couldn’t take a picture, these elk were so still that I pulled out binoculars to make sure they were not dead.

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Fingers stained blue from huckleberries

Approaching the arch

A hillside filled with ferns

Looking at the parking lot, our final destination.

Are we there yet?

I swear there are elk in this picture.

We reached the observatory, changed into real clothes and popped into the ranger station to give them an update on the water source. After seeing so few people over the previous two days, it was quite the culture shock to be in the busy observatory. We attempted reading about the trail and eruption but were simply too tired. Three hours later, we returned home, I ate a burrito and slept for a long time.

Dome Camp- Mt. St. Helens Three years ago Meg and I hiked to the summit of Mount Saint Helens. We were new to hiking, and it was our first major summit.

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How Edinburgh changed British comedy – BBC News

Image caption Lee Evans won the top comedy award in Edinburgh in 1993

Comedy did not feature at all when the Edinburgh Fringe began but over the past three decades it has become the “spiritual home” of Britain’s funny folk.

While London lays claim to being the birthplace of “alternative” comedy in the 1980s, it was the Scottish capital where the new generation of comics received their education before transforming British humour.

Image caption Sarah Millican is one of the many stars to have broken through in the past decade

Comedy talent such as Steve Coogan, Lee Evans, Bill Bailey, Alan Davies, Harry Hill, Jo Brand and Al Murray all got their big breaks in Edinburgh.

According to comedy impresario Nica Burns the “golden year” was 1991 when Frank Skinner won the Perrier Award, beating Eddie Izzard, Jack Dee and Paul O’Grady’s character Lily Savage.

Some found fame quickly while others such as Graham Norton and Michael McIntyre slogged away in Edinburgh for years before getting their big break.

Despite constant claims of its imminent demise, the Edinburgh Fringe has continued to be a unique showcase for comedy talent over more than 30 years.

Image caption Jack Dee was nominated for the Edinburgh comedy award in its “golden year”

In more recent times John Bishop, Sarah Millican, Kevin Bridges, Ross Noble, Russell Kane and many others have seen successful Edinburgh runs springboard them to TV fame and arena tours.

Image caption Bridget Christie won the Edinburgh comedy award in 2013

This year’s Fringe features more than 3,000 shows and more than a third are comedy.

That means more than 1,000 comedy acts from all over the world will be in the city during August.

Nica Burns, who took over the Perrier’s, the awards that became synonymous with Edinburgh comedy, says: “When I started with the awards in 1984 I used to personally go and see all the shows. You could not start to do that now.”

Image caption Steve Coogan returned to Edinburgh to present the Edinburgh comedy award in 2013, two decades after winning it

These days she employs a judging panel to go around the 700 eligible comedy acts and make a shortlist for the award, now sponsored by lastminute.com but still coveted by comedians.

Richard Herring, who has appeared in Edinburgh for most of the past 30 years, does not qualify for the comedy award because it does not include people who have already had a TV series.

He broke into TV in the mid-90s with Stewart Lee in Fist of Fun but even though he is a 50-year-old Fringe veteran he says: “Sometimes I’ll be annoyed I’ve not been nominated – then I remember that no judge has seen my show because I’m not eligible.”

The Edinburgh hour

Image caption Richard Herring, here with Arthur Smith in 2011, says the Edinburgh hour was important leap for comedians

Herring says that the Fringe is still the “best arts festival in the world” but it has changed beyond recognition since he first performed in a student revue in 1987.

He says that sketch shows by Oxbridge students such as him were coming in for a lot of stick from the new wave of comedy stand-ups who were starting to see the Fringe as their domain.

They saw it as a place to come for three weeks, hang out with other performers and hone their material.

Herring says one of the major changes that Edinburgh developed was the one-hour comedy show.

Even in the late 1980s it was rare for stand-up comedians to do a full hour-long show on their own and they would often partner up with other performers to fill the Edinburgh hour.

Image caption Nica Burns, seen here in 1993, has been in charge of the comedy awards for 33 years

Nica Burns says: “The Edinburgh Fringe became the learning ground because in the clubs you could only do part of the show.

“You started with a five-minute guest spot, if you were any good you could do 10 minutes and work up to 20 or 30 minutes for the headline act.

“For that jump to a whole show, to be able to play in a larger theatre, to be able to go on the road, you need to develop your material live.

“Comedians suddenly realised that Edinburgh was a fantastic place to come and book yourself a hall.

“That’s the great thing about the Fringe, it’s not curated, so anybody can do it.”

Image caption Simon Munnery has been appearing at the Fringe for 30 years

Comedian Simon Munnery, who has also been performing in Edinburgh for 30 years, says: “The hour-long slot gives you more space to experiment. For most comedians it’s a big step to go from 20 minutes to an hour.

“When you are doing that sort of time there is more pressure to have some sort of theme or to have something to say.”

Fred MacAulay first appeared at the Fringe in 1989 as part of a collective of Scottish comedians called the Funny Farm.

Image copyright Robert Perry

Image caption Fred MacAulay said the move to doing an hour-long show was a big moment for comedian

For his first four Fringes he was part of a composite show with other comedians, taking a bigger time slot each year.

He says: “It is always there very much on the horizon for you as a new stand-up that the target is to do an Edinburgh hour.”

“I always thought it was very much like a skiier,” he says.

“You are skiing on the blue runs but out of the corner of your eye you can seeing a red or a black run and you know ‘I’m going to have to tackle that one day’.”

MacAulay says that a few festivals around the world, such as Melbourne in Australia, have followed Edinburgh’s comedy model but the Fringe remains unique in its scale and scope.

Political movement

Image caption Karen Koren has been running the Gilded Balloon for more than 30 years

Karen Koren was there at the start of Edinburgh’s comedy boom.

She founded the Gilded Balloon venue in 1986, which along with The Pleasance and The Assembly led the 1980s comedy boom.

“I was certainly there at the beginning of the stand-up comedy surge,” says Koren, who set up her first comedy club because her friends were looking for a place to perform “alternative” comedy.

“I blame Margaret Thatcher myself,” she says.

“It was really satirical and political back then.

“Nowadays anything goes but then it was quite serious comedy, with the likes of Mark Thomas and Mark Steel, Jeremy Hardy and Kevin Day. Although there have always been silly performers as well.”

Image caption Alexei Sayle, one of the originators of alternative comedy, is back at the Fringe this year

Nica Burns agrees that the Edinburgh comedy boom was fuelled by acts who were reacting to the politics of the time and Prime Minister Thatcher.

But she says they were also seeking to overthrow the old comedy establishment.

Burns says: “It was a really exciting time because alternative comedy was a political movement.

“For the original comics, such as Alexi Sayle, it was about changing what comedy stood for – no more homophobic, racist or sexist jokes.

“Within a very short time they had run off all the old comics and TV moved into the new era.”

Burns says that the new comedy movement may have begun in London but Edinburgh was the “school for clowns”, where they learned to how to perform.

Comedy around the clock

Image copyright PA

Image caption Al Murray won the Edinburgh comedy award in 1999

Koren quickly went from running one studio theatre with 150 seats to 14 venues of various sizes dotted around the Cowgate.

To maximise use of her spaces Koren wanted comedians to perform day and night.

She says: “I remember that stand-up was always considered to be for the evening.

“No performers wanted to go on before 7pm and they didn’t want to go against each other.

“I had to push that concept to them all. The more the merrier. Think about your own show and what you are doing.”

As well as getting to perform your own show there was another factor that attracted comedians to Edinburgh – the camaraderie.

Munnery says: “It’s wonderful to be in the same place at the same time as all these other people who are in the same sinking boat.”

Funny women

Image copyright PA

Image caption In 2005, Laura Solon was the second woman in 25 years to win the Perrier

For Herring his early appearances are as memorable for the nights out with fellow comedians as they are for his shows.

Koren says: “I started a show called Late ‘n’ Live. It ran from midnight to four in the morning.

“We had the latest licence on the Fringe. It became a place where people came to see other comics die.

“It was where all the comics got drunk and had a great time together. That type of camaraderie that was around then really enhanced it and pushed it forward.

“There was lots of young kids going ‘I want to be like that guy up on stage’.”

Image caption Jenny Eclair was the first solo female winner of the Perrier Award

And it was usually a guy.

Despite Burns and Koren being a strong female presence on the comedy scene they both agree that it was very much a “boy’s club” in the early days.

Burns says: “The number of women doing shows was so small you could count them on one hand at the beginning.

“When it started it was much harder for women.

“There was a real feeling that when a woman came on there was a collective folding of the arms by the audience, and they were saying ‘OK, show us you are funny’.

“The audiences was very male because it involved smoking and drinking as well and quite a lot were above pubs.

“There was nowhere to get changed back stage, certainly nowhere for women, they had to get changed in the toilet. It was a tough environment and a tough way to learn your craft. They had to overcome a lot of hurdles.”

The first women to win the Perrier Award was Jenny Eclair in 1995 and it was another decade before the next, Laura Solon.

However, Burns feels that recent years have seen a breakthrough and women, who still only make up less than a third of comedy performers, do not have to persuade audiences they can be funny any more.

Adventurous audiences

Image caption Ed Bartlam has been running the Underbelly since 2000

Female comedy performers, just like their male counterparts, are cashing in on a comedy boom that has seen more and more of them touring large venues.

As comedy has become big business, festivals have sprung up all over the UK but Edinburgh has maintained its position as the number one place for comedians.

Ed Bartlam, who founded the Underbelly venues in 2000, says: “Edinburgh has been a platform for alternative comedy and that is still the case.

“The Edinburgh audience and the Edinburgh critics are adventurous and they like to see something different. Edinburgh is a great example of a festival that manages to fit both the mainstream and the alternative very nicely.”

Underbelly runs comedy venues on the South Bank in London but it is Edinburgh that acts as a feeder for new talent.

Bartlam says: “In Edinburgh we have got 17 venues ranging in size from 50 seats to 400 seats, therefore we can show lots of different acts at different levels.

“In London we have got two tents and they have both got 400 seats.

“Inevitably it means we are programming shows we think can sell that amount of tickets.

“In Edinburgh we’ve got this broad range of venues so we can programme interesting new material which might only sell 50 seats.

“Edinburgh is so important because it allows those at the beginning of their career to play in small spaces.”

Constantly evolving

Image caption John Kearns started his career on the Free Fringe

Another factor in Edinburgh’s reinvention has been the rise in the Free Fringe over the past decade.

Free Fringe shows, which are predominantly comedy acts in the spare rooms of pubs, allow the audience to watch for free and they are invited to make a contribution at the end.

It is a cheap way of getting to perform on the Fringe and has led to comedy careers for a number of new comedians such as Imran Yusuf and John Kearns.

Herring says his generation of comedians often wonder if they would have made it if there had been the same amount of competition when he was starting out.

He says the current crop of comedians are much more polished and professional than the acts of the 1980s.

“In 1992 I came up with shows I was still writing,” he says.

“By the end of Edinburgh I hoped to have a good show but now you can’t really behave like that. You need top be good on day one.”

Image caption Imran Yusuf has also progressed from the Free Fringe to larger paid venues

He says many comedians these days keep themselves fit and don’t drink.

“The performers from the 1980s and 90s would find that very strange,” he says.

Another major change has been the costs involved.

“It was bit cheaper for everyone in those days – for the punters and for the acts,” Herring says.

He says he has lost thousands of pounds on Edinburgh shows but always hoped to win enough work to make up for it later.

The gig economy

Image caption Russell Kane won the Edinburgh comedy award in 2010

For Fringe veterans such as Koren, whose Gilded Balloon venues were forced to move to the Teviot after a devastating fire in 2002, the peak was in the late 80s and early 90s.

“Now everybody wants to be a star and not everybody is going to become a star,” she says.

Munnery says some aspiring comedians go to extreme lengths to get noticed.

He says: “There are some ridiculous things like huge twice-human size posters for a show and then venue is some portable cabin.

“They are spending more on advertising than they can possibly make back at the box office.

“I used to be with an agent like that,” he says.

“They tell you that you are investing in your future and at some point you have to ask ‘when is my future going to start?’.

Munnery adds: “You basically go to Edinburgh, lose thousands of pounds, spend a year paying it off and then go and do it again.

“It would probably be illegal to be employed on that basis but because you are employing yourself it’s alright. It’s the gig economy, literally.”

Despite the skyrocketing costs of Edinburgh rents and they increased competition for audiences, performers keep coming back year after year.

Herring says: “Even when I’m negative I’ve never said it’s not amazing.

“It’s the best festival in the world and it is an amazing thing to be a part of.

“I’ve spent two years of my adult life in Edinburgh just by coming to the Fringe.

“It’s a phenomenal festival and it’s breath-taking how good the shows are.”